By the time I post this I will be into the last week of the Tour de France 2014. What a roller coaster it has been. I bypassed the Yorkshire stages and went straight to London and we plonked ourselves on the Mall at 300 meters to go.
Next day we were in the Financial Times!
I think I made the right choice to stay out of Yorkshire even though millions made it to the stages. London did what it does best with a stage finishing on the Mall.
The Chunnel had a fire in it so the crossing on Tuesday was delayed by an hour or so, but we made it. Then it was straight to Arrenburg for the cobbles wildcamping for the night. Two stages were cancelled due to bad weather right next to us
No pictures at the moment. Plenty to come when I get back.
Now at the base of Hautacam waiting for the stage in 2 days. Two weeks in I have enough of the road, the final week will be here. Stunning views a trip to remember, as for the race there is on Nibali left.
11 July Epernay to Nancy stage.
The day before the stage I decided to go for a ride and rode 3 Kms on the wrong side of the rode.
Straight roads as ever. There was a french family parked up on the part that the Tour wasn’t taking.
The French Cycling Federation were busy giving the local kids a trial of BMX and other events.
This came through after the roads had been closed.
With that it was time to get back to the campsite through one of the nicest villages we had passed through.
Google is now processing your photographs in the background giving shots like the above or panoramas.
Just to prove your tracker works abroad with no data roaming. Say bye bye to monthly tracking costs.
Can’t fault the Snooper 9500 other than the fact that France does not do DAB very much. I could have done with the race radio frequency but the app was just as good. It’s nice to know the tracker is there working away in the background. From the start other than Crystal Palace there where only 3 sites booked and that was at last minute with a few complications.
Be advised French IT systems may not accept your phone or Ipad for booking online, that was the biggest learning point this year.
It was a monumental trip and a lot will not make it into this post each day was an adventure. At one stopover I gave the woman that ran the site the Yorkshire Tea we picked up in London. It was one moment of many. We arrived late to what was a restricted entrance. It didn’t stop her bollocking a waiting driver saying that we were on “holiday”.
| Campsites | ||||||
| Name | Arrival | Nights | Stars | Cost £ | Cost € | Mileage |
| Crystal palace | 05/07/2014 | 3 | 4 | £58.00 | 9152 | |
| Orchies Wild Camping | 1 | 0 | €0.00 | 9327 | ||
| Ribemont | 1 | 2 | €10.00 | 9430 | ||
| Camping de La Pelouse | 10/07/2014 | 2 | 2 | 44.32€ | ||
| Camping les Cigognes | 12/07/2014 | 3 | 3 | 55.38€ | 9798 | |
| Camping Les Merilles | 15/07/2014 | 2 | 46.52€ | 9944 | ||
| Camping St James Les Pin | 18/07/2014 | 2 | 3 | 44.40€ | 10214 | |
| Camping Du Mas De rey | 20/07/2014 | 1 | 4 | €33.10 | 10432 | |
| Camping Du Lavedan | 21/07/2014 | 5 | 186.20€ | 10743 | ||
| Camping Nontron | 26/07/2014 | 1 | 2 | 17.24€ | 11016 | |
| Camping Mamers | 27/07/2014 | 1 | 2 | 11.00€ | 11285 | |
| £58 | €448.16 |
There is another night of wild camping to add to the above. If I knew what I know now it will be a lot less next year. Two star sites were half the price of 3 and 4 star ones with the only difference being entertainment being laid on and a pool.
Frank Kinlan's Blog 