France November 2025 - The Travelling McWillies

1st Nov

It's November already! It rained overnight but we awoke to a sunny morning so we didn't need the heating on.

Andy Loaded the bikes and we got on the road and headed towards the Vintage bar near Perrou ///chops.professions.ranking

where we had been invited to a 'Music Bingo' night but first we collected Andy's slippers which had left at Sarah and Mil's place last night.

We got going towards Perrou where the Vintage bar was but stopped in a tiny Aire in Domfront for a walk around the medieval town.

///castaway.starts.crucial

The Aire was small and it was challenging parking the Mac shack without blocking the way.

We got parked and set off for a walk up and into the medieval section of the town where there were some amazing buildings which were hundreds of years old with cobbled streets.

We walked up to the castle ruins and marvelled at the stories that this ruin could tell.

Back along the cobbled streets and into the modern area where we sat outside the Central bar for drinks and croissants whilst people watching.

Back to the van where, luckily, we hadn't been blocked in and we hit the road, heading for the Vintage bar and Music bingo night with our new friends, Julia, Nigel, Val and Alan.

We parked up and Sue got dinner on whilst Andy had a strum on his guitar which goes everywhere with us.

It was time to get into the bar and we sat with Val and Alan and more new friends Mandy and Pat and paid the 25 Euros for a full evenings entertainment!

The drinks flowed as we were not going to be driving tonight and the music started and we crossed off the tracks that we had on our cards and then Andy won a 'line' earning 4 Euros!

Sue won next, another 4 Euros and a few games later Andy won a full house earning 10 Euros, 18 Euros in total for the evening!

Back to the van for a quiet but sloping sleep, the car park wasn't entirely flat but beggars can't be choosers.

2nd Nov

It rained over night but we had no leaks...We had a lie in and got up at 9am. The rain stopped and the sun came out and lit up the autumn leaves. The bar was in the middle of nowhere really and surrounded by forest (Foret domaniale des Andaines).

Sarah had sent us some ideas of places to visit whilst we were in this area and so we decided to visit the Fosse de Arthour

///earmark.rapport.coach

A fantastic gorge and lake with brilliant walks through the forest.

We left the Vintage bar having said our farewell to Steve, the owner and headed up through the forest and onto the Fosse de Arthour where we parked in the car park got our boots on and started our walk.

We took our time walking slowly and taking in the scenery, Sue stopped every few yards to take photos of the multitude of mushrooms!

After a good hour we got back to the van and decided to try the restaurant where we had a shared tapas, which included snails, and a couple of beers before getting back to van and driving just around the corner to the Camping car aire which we had discovered on our walk, however once we had parked we found that there was absolutely zero mobile signal so we carried on and parked at the aire in Le Teilleul where we had been a few days before.

3rd Nov

A good nights sleep and we relaxed all morning. There was light rain and Andy sat and worked on this Vlog and managed to complete the October page and started work on November, adding some videos too.

We left Le Teilleul and drove to an Intermarche in Flers where we parked and shopped, Andy bought socks and pants and we settled down for a reasonable night. Sarah warned us that Flers could get noisy (roudy) in the evening but we always have a second and third choice if there are problems so we left the van ready for the road, just in case but all was fine.

4th Nov

It was wash day and so we drove over to the 'Wash Me' machines and spent an hour or so doing the laundry. Then we visited the elsan etc and filled with Diesel and set off towards the La Graal bar church car park to see how it was in readiness for our evening of open mic tomorrow.

We didn't have far to go before we arrived at the bar but sailed past it as we missed the turning to the church so we carried on and found a suitable turning spot and returned, pulling in up the hill to the car park.

Andy had a walk around and Sue made soup which we had with fresh bread and then cake to finish.

On checking our mobile signal we found that there was none so decided to move to a better place for tonight and return to this spot for the open mic night tomorrow.

We pulled into the small aire at Tinchebray which was next to a large Boules area and also a very busy main road! After locking up we went exploring and found a chocolate 'factory' which you could smell from hundreds of metres away.

We walked down to the church and a school just as the children were leaving, bad timing! It was very busy with people and traffic.

Back at the van we decided to settle and chance a night here, the facilities were free and included fresh water and an elsan and a grey water dump. EHU was charged by card on the Quipeo app.

5th Nov

That was a noisy night but an even noisier early morning as the large tractors and larger trailers and articulated lorries started work. It was also very windy now and the small branches of the trees which we had parked next to tickled the side of the van.

Andy got on with some repairs, (Tightened the electrical connections to the water pump and stop the leak from the pumps filter) whilst Sue got things ready. We had decided to move to a quieter aire for tonight so after a little walk to stretch our legs we dumped our waste water and headed for Mortain.

///grafts.overpower.showy

The aire was in a large car park at the bottom of a hill where the old chateaux used to be, there is a model of it at the aire.

We parked in the designated motorhome places and Andy went to investigate and found that there were urinals, a toilet block, covered lockers for bikes and lockers for ruck sacks and the like.....all free to use and the aire was free to stay at!

We stopped at the bar which we had visited 5 years previously with Sarah, Jenny and Lucy when we had all visited the Grande cascades during the week of Andy's brother's funeral.

It was a different experience this time, the young girl who was looking after the bar was singing, Karaoke style, to the music videos on the TV and the atmosphere was different.

Leaving the bar we headed down the hill to the van and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

There were no fireworks to look forward to celebrate Guy Fawkes, (That's an English celebration)

6th Nov

Wow, we slept until 10am!

We got ourselves into gear and set off up the hill for a walk to the Grande cascades descending to the Petite cascades further down and past some fanastic rock formations which reminded Andy of the time he and his Dad would go climbing.

Eventually, back at the van we decided that it was time to move on to the La Graal bar church and get ready for the open mic evening, hosted by Nigel and Julia.

After using the services we powered up the hill (in 2nd gear) and drove out of town up more hills.

We eventually found ourselves at the church and parked in the empty car park.

After showering and getting our party gear on we walked down to the bar and met our new friends, Julia, Nigel, Val and Alan. We got a bottle of white and a beer and sat and listening to the acts until Andy was asked to play and Nigel kindly gave him the choice of a Martin or a Fender guitar, he choose the Martin and played a 20 minute set of 'Before you accuse me, Mrs Robinson, Wonderwall, La bamba and 'Good riddance,Time of your life'.

VIDEO MONTAGE OF SONGS HERE

We were introduced to Jude and Leon who used to know Chris, Andy's brother and we talked about him for a while and exchanged contact numbers promising to be in touch. Leon and Jude invited us to stay at theirs when we are next in the area so we added their invitation the the others that we had received over the last couple of weeks!

Andy then joined Nigel on stage playing drums as nigel played guitar and sang a few more tunes before it was time to get back to the van saying our farewells to all and sundrie. Ahhh what a great evening.

7th Nov

A nice quiet nights sleep until the 7am bells started up!

Back on the road and off to an aire that we stayed at in March 2023 at Remy Sur Orne,

///cook.examine.syndrome

LEAVING CHURCH CAR PARK

We drove down the hill and headed to Remy sur Orne, Orne being the river which runs along side the Aire and meanders for hundreds of kilometers.

The journey was easy enough and the sun broke through and lit up the golden leaves and we passed along the tree lined roads bringing us to the aire next to a lake and a fantastic cycle way which lead from Caen to La Rochelle, 450Km in total.

ARRIVING

Andy sent the drone up to get this video of the aire.

We got on the bikes and rode 5Km to the viaduct which passed over the river Orne where we stopped for a rest and to take some photos before heading back to the aire just as the rain started.

We settled down with soup and bread again and had a nice evening watching the rain drops running down the window.

8th Nov

Today is the day of Sarah and Mil's gig and we had found an aire in Caen only a 20 minute bike ride from the venue, the Tandem entertainment centre so we left the aire at Remy sur Orne and aimed the van sort of north towards Caen.

LEAVING AIRE AT REMY

Unfortunately, when we arrived at the aire in Caen it was fully booked so we headed for a second choice which was even closer to the venue, unfortunately again, Andy ignored Sue's instructions and relied on the SatNag and missed the aire at the final 200 metres and ended up adding about 10km to the journey!

VIDEO OF JOURNEY

Eventually we arrived and parked at the aire in Bretteville sur Odon,

///digress.start.cherry

taking on fresh water and and dumping waste which is included in the price of parking which was 14.40 Euros or £12.60 and as this is only the second time that we have had to pay to park in the time we have been in France we can't moan, can we?

ARRIVAL

We had plenty of time for food and showers and Andy got the bikes ready as Sue finished off with the magic that all ladies understand better than me, make-up, hair....etc. and when mounted our steeds and set off down the hill towards Caen getting only 100 metres when Andy stopped, declaring that he had a puncture. Rear tyre was flat and we had left the repair kit back in Essex!

We got back to the van stressed out now as it was going to be an hour long walk to the venue and the band would be going on stage in one hour and 15 minutes.

Sue phoned our new friend, Julia and she immediately offered to come and collect us and drive us there and back after the gig! What a star, what a legend! Thank you Julia. XX

We met Julia at the McDonalds across the road from the aire and she got us to the venue in good time. We assembled in the dressing room and accepted a bottle of beer each, (there was no bar!) and then we all took our seats in the audience of about 40.

The band came on and played a brilliant set of what they describe as dark country rock and got the audience engaged with Mil's grunge guitar sound, Sarah's electric violin and slide guitar and Carl's energetic drumming whilst the smoke machine and lighting added to the atmosphere.

VIDEO OF GIG

It was soon time for the final number but the audience wanted more so the band teased them with their rendition of Stevie Wonders 'Superstition' and then came the standing ovation and as the cheering crowd showed their appreciation for the evening's entertainment the band left the stage.

We congratulated them on the performance and Julia very kindly drove us back to the aire and we collapsed into bed just before midnight!

9th Nov

A cold morning but the sun came out eventually and Sue decided that she would give the van a 'blow through' and a spring clean whilst Andy was banished to the outside to mend the punture in his bike tyre. Andy had got up and walked to the nearby supermarche and bought a small repair kit. BUT, before all of this we popped across the road for a sneaky McDonalds breakfast.

Andy got the puncture fixed and Sue finished the cleaning and we settled down for the day, deciding to stay for one more night so Andy went over to the pay machine and splashed out another 14.40 Euros! (This has gotta stop!)

10th Nov

Rain, rain and more rain this morning!

Andy worked on the web site as we had power and internet and he managed to catch up and write up the Reload gig but didn't edit the video yet.

Everything was put on charge including the leisure battery for a few hours before getting road ready and driving over the service drain to empty and refill as usual, then off to the supermarche for supplies and onto Decathlon where we enjoyed some retail therapy, looking at bikes and equipment that we couldn't afford and didn't need anyway. We did, however buy a new saddle for Sue's e-bike and her old one had split and was soaking up the rain.

VIDEO OF JOURNEY TO DECATHLON AND LEAVING

Now onto the aire at Arromanches les bains which is right on the coast and Gold beach D-Day monuments.

///contributor.textile.mooing

The aire was not the one that Andy had thought it was and we drove past it initially, turning around and choosing a spot in a row of many other vans, very crowded. The ground was slightly muddy/sandy and Andy had to step carefully as he worked his way to the pay machine where he paid 12.50Euros for around 24 hours which included a drive over service point but no water at this time.

VIDEO OF ARRIVAL

We walked along the display of monuments and into the small souveneer shop before heading down the very steep hill and into the town where there were more military equipment on display in the streets.

VIDEO OF WALK AND DISPLAYS

Back up the steep hill to the van for a beer and a wine before bed.

11th Nov

A special day, we had already witnessed the 2 minute silence on Sunday, (9th) and today we heard bells and bugles (playing 'The last stand') from afar, across the town at the church we suspected but there was no gathering around the D-day monuments.

We had another walk down into the town and stopped for a couple of Americano coffes at a nice looking bar and sat outside with a view of the sea trying not to think of what happened on June 6th 1944.

VIDEO OF WALK, MONUMENTS AND COFFEES

We finished our coffee Americano's and continued our walk along the beach where we met a couple of horses (and riders) out for a hack.

VIDEO OF HORSES ON BEACH AND SCENERY

Back at the van we set off to our next stop which was an aire at Grandcamp Maisy, near Omaha beach.

///soapbox.reacting.toot

VIDEO OF LEAVING AND JOURNEY

VIDEO OF ARRIVING

The aire was a pay aire and we scanned the bank card at the barrier and it took £12.60 for the 24 hours althought we might stay for longer.

We backed into a pitch and set the front wheels up on the ramps to level off, (so the sink drained properly).

The cost of the aire included fresh water, grey and black water dump and EHU so we plugged in and put our devices on charge, including the leisure battery.

PHOTOS OF PITCH

We biked down to the beach and harbour and watched the boats, checked the bars and restaurants,(closed) and then back to the van. Sue's chain guard got caught up and she couldn't pedal on the way back so she used the 'twist n go' option to get home and Andy got the toolbox out and made the necessary repairs.

A few beers and TV and then bed.

12th

Bikes out again this morning but this time we turned right at the junction and headed past the monument to Sgt. Frank Peregory, an American soldier who took 35 German prisoners armed only with grenades and a bayonet.

///frontline.prestige.induction

PHOTOS OF MONUMENT

Carrying on to the German defenses at the Point du Hoc ranger museum where the Rangers (INFO HERE) took the beach and destroyed the German defences just west of the Omaha beach landing forces.

///passers.procures.glitch

VIDEOS OF BUNKERS ETC.

When we visit places like this we are torn between enjoying reading the information about the attack and feeling terrible about the suffering. We walked around the bomb craters and partially destroyed German bunkers, investigating the insides of the bunkers and trying to imagine how terrifying it must have been for soldiers on both sides, some as young as our Grandson who is in the British army as we write this.