2020-03 Spain & Portugal Day 12 : Verteuil-sur-Charente to Cloyes sur le Loir
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Verteuil sur Charente to Cloyes sur le loir
Our route (left) in context so you can see how far we have to drive.
Day 12 at Verteuil sur Charente is another clear blue-sky day. We are up early, breakfast and service the Hymer . . . empty the grey water and a nearly-full toilet cassette and fill with water, all free of charge, as was the overnight stay. The Netherland couple are away early; we reflect that they just have an overland journey (no sea crossing like us).
We leave in good time and take N-10, a good fast road to Poitiers, calling at Vivonne to fill with diesel. From Poitiers, the D-757 is a slow road through lovely French villages and towns. We focus on the journey and not the time it takes. It is a warm sunny day and the countryside is full of cereal crops just planted, vines recently pruned and trimmed and the soft rural French countryside coming to life. There are cowslips in abundance along the south-facing banks and mistletoe growing like footballs in the bare trees, it reminds us of our trip in the spring of 2019 last year (cowslips and mistletoe).
On the other hand, there are Gendarmes at every major junction, stopping local traffic and keeping an eye on everything. We are not stopped, just waved through at every checkpoint, of which there are several along our journey today. I guess it is obvious we are just trying to get back home!
We pass through Richelieu and stop for lunch on a large layby at L’ile Bouchard with two enormous trucks for company, 150km so far. After lunch, over the river Vienne and on our way D-757/D-751 again to Tours. We take the ring road around Tours and finally back on the N-10, a good road towards Chartres. Through Vendôme and on to the small village of Cloyes sur le Loir.
Here we find the small Aire de Camping Cars just outside the town, level and tarmaced and free. At first we miss it, thinking the Aire is in the town and drive through a very pretty but deserted town. The gendarmes stop us and we explain we are looking for the Aire de camping cars to stop. In very clear French he gives us directions to the place we had passed. We are first here and choose our spot, and are quickly followed by two more campers, another Brit and another Netherlander.
It seems that it is just the Brits and Dutch trying to get home now. Another warm and sunny afternoon makes us feel better.
[Later note: the notice at the aire shows a website address, please note that site is no longer in use.]
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Verteuil-sur-Charente to Cloyes sur le Loir
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