2018-04-13 Northern Italy and Southern France Chateaudun to Neafchatel-en-Bray

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Chateaudun to Neafchatel-en-Bray

Northern Italy and Southern France by Hymer Motorhome

Chateaudun to Neafchatel-en-Bray

The alarm is set for 7.00am and we both wake with a start when it beeps at us, we are in a deep, deep sleep. We rouse ourselves, make coffee, shower and have breakfast. The rain has finally stopped, there is a mist hanging and we enjoy the quiet and tranquility of the old mill and onward rushing of water downstream. Our fellow campers (several of them are Brits) pack up and leave, as do we. We comment that we have seen no UK registration plates on vehicles since we left Calais almost four weeks ago.

We service Hymer (fill with water and empty the grey and toilet cassette) and get on our way, From Chateaudun we take the N10 and then D910 to Chatres. The magnificent cathedral with its twin steeples rises up out of the flat plain of northern France. What a place. Then onto the N154 through Dreux and Evereaux, where a rock chip flies up off a passing truck and chips our windscreen!! We stop for lunch at the Aire de Petite Valle (on the N154), a fairly ordinary and very grubby, uncared for place with dirty toilets but at least they flush! French toilets are generally uncleaned and disgusting!

Back on our way and the sun tries to come out. The N154 and D6015 to Rouen, around the city and along the side of the Seine, very definitely a working river Port at this point. Finally, onto the A28, a very busy but good standard of road to Neufchatel-en-Bray. Here we find Aire Camping Car St Claire, a small Aire with 16 places to a very high standard. We arrive around 4.00pm and there are already 12 campers here.

We park up and by about 4.30pm it is full. Here there are level, gravel pitches and a grass sitting area divided by hedges, each with hook-up. It is clean, spacious and well cared for. A joint men’s/women’s toilet block and shower is interesting… going into the toilet block there are two men’s urinals with no screen… very French. We walk into the town and visit the Cathedral de Notre Dame, a very low church catholic cathedral with no spiritual presence at all. Some nice stonework and stained-glass windows and a history of the cathedral from the 12C.

Back at the Hymer we sit out on our grassy patch in the sunshine and note there is no warmth in it, unlike Provence where the sun was already hot, even in the late afternoon. The rest of the beef dopiaza for tea with a bottle of Monbazillac.

The aire at Neafchatel en Bray is exceptional, having individual pitches clearly marked, each pitch with its own electricity supply, hardstanding and grass area. The toilet block also has a washing machine and drier (coin operated). Next door is a large campsite so if you can’t get on the aire there is usually space next door. There is also a free aire nearby at Mesnieres-en-Bray, but not as nice, no toilets or grass, but convenient if just need an overnight stop.

Our Hymer motorhome trip to Northern Italy and Southern France

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Summary of motorhome journey – Chateaudun to Neafchatel-en-Bray