2024 September: France and Spain – Esquelbecq to Riqueval
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We start the day with coffee and note 14 units have stayed overnight at the Esquelbecq Aire (free, just €3 for water and disposal). When we open the blinds we see the carpark is already half full of persons in high-viz vests, cycles dotted around the place and their cars already parked. People are walking to and fro and chatting, more cars arrive some with Belgian number plates, more people, more cycles and all with an expectant air. They gather in a huddle, someone is talking and sharing sheets of paper, then they are collecting their bikes and are off! A cycle rally… most of the Belgian cars leaves taking supporters, marshals, friends etc, then they are gone… silence!
We gather our belongings and reluctantly we move on from Esquelbecq. There is so much to see in this lovely village and keep us here but we are supposed to be enroute to Spain! We take A-25 to Lille, a good fast dual carriageway; Lille is busy but the signs are clear and we turn south on A-1 towards Douai and from there D-643 to Cambrai. We are aiming for St Quentin and Soissons but need to stop somewhere for lunch. Along the way we spy a motorhome park on D-644 north of St Quentin, we go to investigate and find the Aire is outside the Musée du Touage (Towing) at Riqueval. We park up on one pair of motorhome spots and have lunch. It is a good spot, overlooking the rural French countryside, butterflies in abundance and good tree shade (it is 28c outside). There are four level motorhome spaces, free with disposal facilities, water and hookup you pay for.
We find the water column is turned off (because of a leak) but they tell us we can fill with as many cans of water from the museum as we want. The museum tells the history of an underground canal tunnel built during the time of Napoleon in 1802. There is a walk along the canal where a specially converted barge, originally it had a steam engine and chain mechanism, then later it was converted to electricity because of the problems caused by smoke and fumes.
We follow the path down to the deep cutting tunnel entrance, which is now closed and explore the barge and chain towing machine (still there). The afternoon is hot and very humid under the trees, so we decide not to walk to Pont de Riqueval, a lovely arched bridge another 3km along the canal (7.5km walk). Back at the Aire we sit under the trees reading and writing and watch as about seven or eight large motorhomes arrive and decide not to stay (the MH spaces are occupied and the car park is on quite a slope). At the picnic tables under the trees we drink a bottle of fizz and eat a tray of large crevette (prawns), the afternoon is hot and sunny and we are always entertained by our camping-neighbours. Mr C. disappears for about half an hour… conversing with a French couple as it happens! Later tea of chicken and mushroom pasta under the trees and an early night, it is very quiet at Riqueval.
Photos from Esquelbecq to Riqueval
click any thumbnail image to enlarge
