Snowy Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 OK, you did say you wanted holiday pics! We've just spent two weeks in Brittany, camping, on a small semi self sufficient farm/campsite. It really is a lovely place - we went two years ago but were rained off. This year we had a decent tent and the weather was so much better! It is quite small - 10 pitches plus 2 static mobiles a farmhouse and a gite - and the owners had regular evening 'meals' or a barbeque where all the guests got together over some vin rouge. We met some lovely people - most of whom had chickens and some even had eglus! There were chickens - all free range in a lovely big orchard. They had their own ponies and you could ride pretty much whenever you wanted. The boys and I had some lovely rides out (couldn't get OH on a horse though! ) The place is surrounded by woods and quiet lanes. We discovered this amazing shrine on one walk through the forest: All the meat they provide is their own - fresh and free range and as organic as possible - we had the most amazing sausages, pure pork, even had home made brawn! The boys just disappeared out of the tent every morning to play with friends. We lazed by the pool, even spent a couple of days by the beach (although it was about an hours drive away.) The holiday was only marred by the car breaking down - Green Flag were great initially, towing our car to a garage (Renault car = no shortage of specialists in the area!) and getting us a hire car. Unfortunately they couldn't find a fault so we had to collect the car on the morning of our departure and return the hire car, a two hour round trip, meaning we couldn't get the tent packed up and make the ferry in time (Thursday evening). Ferry was postponed until Friday evening and we duly packed up and set off with 7 hours to spare (should've been a 3 1/2 hour drive to the ferry). After 1 hour travelling, car conked out again (still driveable but engine kept cutting out). Waited for 3 hours by the road (no toilet, two hungry boys - nice ) for a tow truck - but instead of towing us to the ferry terminal, they took us to a garage and put us up in a hotel for the night. No restaurant in the hotel, only restaurant was a rather smart establishment down the road. Picture the scene - us with no wash gear (all packed in the car in the garage) still in the clothes we'd been wearing to decamp so slightly mucky and grass stained, the children extremely so - dining in a smart french restaurant Ferry duly rearranged for Saturday evening - cutting it a bit fine now as OH due back at work Monday morning! Saturday morning at the garage (wearing all the same clothes from the day before, undies inside out ) we are told they will TRY to find us a hire car to transport our gear to the ferry, we would then have to take our gear onto the ferry travelling as foot passengers, and they will arrange another hire car for us in the UK (at half past midnight, Sunday morning? Yeah, OK ) to get us home. Bearing in mind 'all our gear' fills a Renault Grand Espace to the brim So really we would have had to leave most of it in France with the car (including food, dirty clothes, tent, electrical gear etc). By this time I was getting ever so slightly tearful and hysterical and insisted they give us a quote to take us on a low loader to the ferry terminal NOW and we would pay it ourselves. In the end GreenFlag did say they would pay the costs (anything to get rid of the crazy englishwoman ) and we just about made it to the ferry. I asked my Dad to meet us at Portsmouth and escort us home so at least he could take the children if it went wrong again (or we could use his breakdown cover for another tow) - but would you believe the darned car only cut out the once in the whole trip in the UK? I think it needs a psychiatrist!! Anyway we limped home and finally got into bed at 5am on Sunday morning!! I can still laugh hysterically about it now, but it was a nightmare at the time! Whoops that turned into a very long ramble didn't it We really did have a very good holiday though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Well your holiday looks fantastic, and as Bill Bryson says (in ref to your AWFUL trip home) at least you can think, "One day this will be twenty years ago!" I wonder if any of the peope you met come on the forum? The shrine looks just amazing! BeckyBoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 What lovely pics, sorry it was marred by your blasted French car.......I can sympathise with that part, you may remember we have a grande espace too....was it a turbo which gave you problems? If so, don't expect Renault to accept any responsibility although I can name at least 4 '05ish reg espaces with similar symptoms and exploding turbos......we've just moved on to Italian after almost 40 years of Renault loyalty on DH's part & ordered a Fiat 500c...wouldn't fit much more than a wash bag in that though, so we're keeping the Espace until it dies I hope you are still sufficiently refreshed from your idyllic break Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 wow, pictures are fabby looks like you had a great time - shame about the car, dont you hate it when it doesnt break for the garage - just for you anyway, home now, alls well, chill and have a nice glass of wine (maybe not at this time in the morning though ) and remember the good bits cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 A bit of an eventful end to your holiday Snowy!! - glad you're home safe and well. Lovely photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Fantastic photos, glad you had a nice holiday - even if the trip home was a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Lovely photos, it looks like a really beautiful part of France, glad you had a great holiday apart from the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 The holiday sounds and looks wonderful . What a shame about your nightmare journey home though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Looks like my kind of holiday - fantastic! Sorry about all the hassle - dont let it spoil your good holiday memories though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Lovely pics! Looks like a great place. Sorry about the car - similar thing happened to my old boss and he and his family ended up doing the foot passenger thing and getting another car this end. It put them off somewhat - next year he booked a package holiday to Spain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Lovely pictures Snowy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Sounds like a great place. I'll remember all that green when I'm hiking in the Tunisian desert in October. What if we made this a holiday snap thread It would be like the weather thread but from all over the world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 It looks lovely Snowy, shame about the car though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Cathy what fab pictures, it sounds like a wonderful place to go to . I'm not brave enough to drive on the wrong side of the road Sorry about the return trip mishaps- we have a French car (Citroen Zhara Picasso) which was full to the brim going to Keswick for one week, with no cooking equipment..... If we're sharing holiday snaps on this thread then here's some of our holiday snaps-a photo of Ethan last summer in the field at Springs Farm at Kewsick- we lived in that tiny tent for 7 days and had lots of fun, just the two of us. Good job I had the car to store clothes & stuff in The tent was described at a 4 man tent This is now July 2009- the car stuffed up to the rafters, poor Eth had no where for his feet, he found it very funny & didn't complain at all Me outside our wonderful, massive tent- I'm wearing my Joules wellies, I practically lived in them all week The pram is there only because its a long walk for little legs to the lake & around Keswick, & hilly, too. Eth doesn't use a pram anymore, in fact we passed the pram on to my friend for her grandson, & borrowed it back just for the Keswick holiday Eth eating his breakfast in the marquee- the camp is fully catered for. He had Frosties for breakfast most days... The boys on the camp boat trip The boys in their tent bedroom- the bedroom was bigger than the whole tent we stayed in last year My favourite fell, Catbells, taken from the departing boat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Lovely photos Jules - OH wants to do a camping holiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Great photos, Jules . What gorgeous boys you have . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Lovely photos Jules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Ooh France looks idyllic - haven't been for ages, now I'm wondering when I can go! Off to the lakes camping too, in a couple of weeks - will be taking even more stuff Jules, I like my home comforts even in a tent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
