Sorry for no updates, but been hectic Few days coupled to staying on aires and problem with the mifi power cable (thanks to E.Lerclec stores computer cable stand for repair) unit ment internet access has been hit and miss.
Left Dinan, up to St.Malo and checking passage to Channel Islands found prices to be €400 for van across, so toss up....... leave van, go as foot passengers.... but dog is an issue and accommodation may not accept an animal, do pay up or shut up !....... decision made to make the channel island trip via fly-be from Belfast at a later date. Not really practical to pay to take van over.
If we had no dog then foot passenger was reasonable and van left on site for a couple of days would have been OK.
So, what to do?..... up the coast to the site at Mont-St-Michael, we've been around that way often but never actually went to the Mont itself, so this time said we would do it. It really is a tourist trap, but it is worth going once to see it. Very impressive structure with a coloured history. The building is massive and the 'tourist trail' is busy and can be frustrating. The parameter is full of tat shops and very overpriced eateries with food of pretty poor quality...... but as I said it's worth going once.
We thought we better think about going back to Ireland at some stage !..... so with this in mind our next stop would be dictated by the requirement to visit the vet with the dog and have her looked over and passport stamped to comply with the requirements at the port. So, off we set for our vet of choice, Dr.Marten (highly recommended) in St.Lo, Monday the 1st of May is a bank holiday and we arrived at the Aire At the edge of town that was all but deserted. We had serviced the van before leaving Mont-St-Michael so the service bourne in St.Lo being out of order did not bother us but many French/Dutch/German Vans had to travel onward another 10KM to another point. I stuck up a sign on the bourne in a few languages (ain't google translate great !) saying it was 'out of order' to assist others getting parked up, getting out hoses e.t.c only to find out that it wasn't working.
Vet appointment secured for 9am next morning left us set up nicely.
Tuesday dawned bright and with the dog getting the full MOT and passing with no advisories! We were on our way once again, this time westerly to another haunt we enjoy. Not an official aire, but a well used stop by motorhomers at a place called Blainville-Sur-Mer, well just north of it in a place where the fishermen launch their boats and where one of the craziest and best seafood restaurants is located. Known by the locals and visitors alike as "The shack" , Le Cala is just that, a shack right on the beach with one crazy owner !. The fish/shellfish is bought from the fishermen there and then and cooked on a big open BBQ/Firepit, just amazing & fresh. The piano is played by an Irishman but alas he was missing last night ! Worth a visit if you're in the area.
Wednesday morning and just a 50KM trip north up to just north of Portbail into a small site called Camping-Du-Golf see
Camping-Du-Gulf and tomorrow a simple trip up the coast to Cherbourg, we sail back to Rosslare tomorrow night at 8pm.
So tomorrow a bit of shopping for the vino in Cherbourg for the trip back.
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