On the Road in our ‘Crampervan’ – Gluttons for Punishment

After spending three weeks last summer waking up each morning cramped and sore from spending the night in our little Crampervan, I wasn’t really keen to do it again this summer.  But economics won out.  This little van is really the most economical, if not the most comfortable, way to tour around England.  So lugging our suitcases and bedding we took a bus, two trains and a bus to Woolwich to pick up our Crampervan.  Fortunately this year we were not given a pink van and we would not embarrass our friends, who last year were tempted to ask us to park down the street when we came to visit.

Our home for two weeks - blue and gray is much better than last year's pink

So on the road again down the M25 then the M23 to spend the night at a little farm campground near Corfe on the Isle of Purbeck.  Corfe is a pretty quaint town with the ruins of a Medieval castle (thanks to Cromwell) overlooking the stone and slate houses from the 16^th Century.

Corfe Castle

Corfe Village

The next day we took a 5 minute ferry across the mouth of Poole Harbour, a boating heaven, pass Brownsea Island, the home of the Boy Scouting movement, and on to Bournemouth to visit Bob’s cousin, his only remaining relative in England.  

Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour

After a very nice lunch and visit with Stephen, we went down memory lane and visited Bob’s old primary and high schools.  The primary school is now a children’s centre and the high school went from a ‘failed school’ after Bob left to a very desirable private C of E school.  Both buildings had people working in them and were happy to show us around.  We also took a walk to the infamous Throop Mill and River Stour, a notoriously dangerous river with lots of weed, where Bob as a 4 year old had ridden his trike (several kilometres from his home) while his mother was frantically looking for him and his father was called home from work to join the search.  Bob had happily returned home by himself oblivious to the gray hairs he produced in his parents.

Throop Mill

River Stour

The next day we made our way to the windy cliff side of Portland Bill going along beautiful countryside of patchwork fields lined with hedgerows and through quaint villages of stone, slate and thatch.  The weather was sunny and I do think that on fair days like this the English country side must be one of the prettiest places on earth.

Portland Downs

Next stop was Chesil Beach along the Jurassic Coast.  This is a wildlife sanctuary and amazing geological phenomena.  The shingle beach is made up of wonderful round stones that are surprisingly comfortable to lie on.  Unfortunately no swimming is allowed as the rips and waves are quite dangerous.

Chesil Beach

Bob having a lie down

Twitters of the non-electronic variety

Onward to Torquay where we looked up the Gleneagles Hotel which was the inspiration for the TV series, Fawlty Towers.  The hotel is now a construction site for future retirement villas.  Never mind, none of the filming of the TV series was done in Torquay anyway.  The series was filmed in Buckinghamshire where there is no sea frontage at all.

The Buckinghamshire location

The Torquay inspiration site 30 years later

The last stop for the day was Brixham, a small seaside town where we needed to pick up a part for our autopilot.  We never would have stopped over at Brixham otherwise but it turned out to be a lovely town with a small but lively working fishing harbour.  The town’s brass band was giving a concert on the quayside and it all was quite cute and nostalgic. 

Brixham Harbour

Back in London Town

I thought that perhaps my lack of enthusiasm towards Paris could be due to seeing too many big European cities of late.  But no, as soon as we stepped out of St Pancreas Station onto the streets of London that ennui vanished.  Despite the weather, despite the expense, despite the inequality; London is special.

 

 It was great to see Pam and Nicole again in their flat in Southfields.  We happily settled into our little corner of their London home.  As this was our third visit to London in a year, I was content to take it pretty easy and just hang out with the girls and relax in the flat for a day or two.  By the end of the week we were ready to see the sights.  Pam had the afternoon off so we met her at her work, briefly meeting some of her colleagues and students.  We walked through Kensington Gardens and Kensington Parade with its exclusive houses and embassies (no photos allowed) on our way to the Natural History Museum.  London is such a great walking city with little treasures to be found around every corner.

Outside Kensington Palace while Pam looks for Pokemons!

Albert Memorial

Like father, like daughter

Dinosaurs!

On the weekend we went to Kew Gardens followed by a drink at the Roebuck in Richmond overlooking the Thames.  It was beautiful weather and England at its best.

 

 

 

Bubble bees - not something you see in Australia

Having fun on the logs

The beehive in Kew Gardens - the huge metal structure is a bit jarring amongst the flowers

Enjoying a drink at the Roebuck...

...with this view

With the girls back at work, Bob and I took the tube into the city to check out the Temple area – the land of Rumpole and John Mortimer.  We saw plenty of suits but no one in a rumpled Mac looking like Rumpole.  We had a glass of Chateau Thames Embankment at the pub that was the inspiration for Pomeroys and imagined the buzz of English ‘justice’ in the making (hah!).

Entrance to the Temple

Camouflage Bentley!

Ah wonderful London.  Next stop the English countryside.

Not so Gay Paris

After an all day train trip we arrived in Paris in the early evening.  We made the long trek from Gare de l’Est to our hotel in Montmartre through congested streets filled with immigrants and small bargain shops.  We dropped off our bags at our fairly ordinary hotel and hit the streets to find someplace for dinner.

Tempting but perhaps not for dinner

The next morning we hopped on the excellent metro system to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées.  When we arrived we found the entire boulevard closed off and a massive machinegun toting police and army presence.  We never realised this was the day for the finish of the Tour de France bike race.  There was no way could cross the Champs–Elysées to see any of the sights.  I know the strong police presence is for security but I found it very disconcerting and the presence of so many guns me feel extremely insecure.  So we walked away from the boulevard, found a metro stop and went to the southern side of the Seine, the Latin Quarter and finally to the delightful Luxembourg Gardens.  The garden was a lovely place to sit and eat our sandwiches while admiring the beautiful flower beds and sculptures.  

Pont Alexandre III

Flowers and Sculptures of Luxembourg Gardens

 

In the Luxembourg Gardens was a great little sailing boat pond where people could hire boats flying flags of different nations.

NZ catching up to Canada - Take note Onyx and Three Sheets!

Then back across the river to the Notre Dame cathedral.

The bells, the bells! - The queues, the queues!

The next day we explored the sights around Montmartre including Sacre Coeur and the Montmartre Cemetery.  The cemetery was tucked between and under some busy roads but was still a nice respite from the city.  We found the graves of Degas, Berlioz and Adolfe Sax amongst others.

Sacre Coeur

The afternoon was spent at the Eiffel Tower.  We climbed up to the second level – that’s a lot of steps!  Then took a lift to the top.  We had magnificent views as we watched a thunderstorm move across the city.

 

 

Montmartre and Sacre Coeur in the distance

Arc de Triomphe

The Seine

Our final day in Paris was spent at the Rodin Sculpture Garden and walking along the Champs-Elysées just enjoying it all. 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob found the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop, which he first discovered in 1974.  This bookshop was the place for the literati of the Left Bank between the Wars.  It closed during WWII but was reopened in the early 1960's.  For me it is the quintessential bookshop - perfect.  

 

Some words of wisdom scattered around the Bookshop

 

I know most people love Paris but the city did not really grab me.  There were certainly some wonderful sights and I am glad I spent a few days there, but the overall vibe of the city left me a bit lukewarm.  To be fair, France has had a rough time of late with all the terrorists’ attacks so perhaps the usual joie de vivre was a bit suppressed.