Campsite or Aire?

Before doing my diary update, I’ve been calculating the mileage that Jan does.  We’ve now travelled just under 700 miles since leaving home at – wait for it – 9 miles to the gallon.  Yes that 6.8 litre V10 is a bit thirsty to say the least.  Thank goodness it runs on gas which is about half the price of diesel, so that gives us about 18 miles to the gallon in cost equivalent.  That sounds a lot but when we had the XK8 that used to do just 19 miles to the gallon so I keep trying to convince myself that it’s not that bad. You have to forget how thirsty it is, just compare it with a diesel van – we used to get about 22 with Vanessa, so you can almost justify it on that basis – the luxury and size is worth the extra cost but it will have to be budgeted for FT.

 

We’ve now arrived at Le Bois Joly campsite in St Jean de Mont.  As usual stopped on the way to provision for at least 3 days and bought a new inner tube for the trailer.  I picked St Jean De Mont as we had driven through last year and it was flat and like Margate – lots of things going on and a nice sea front. Basically as long as I can see water I’m happy.

 

We thought we’d take a campsite for a change and use their facilities.  At least you can guarantee a place to put out your chairs and tables etc.  The campsite is good and we’ve got a good pitch with bushes all round, it’s not on the main walkway so the dog just wanders around our pitch.  She’s very good if she has got a boundary and sort of knows how far she can go.  Doesn’t stop her pushing her luck now and again though.

Funnily enough as we arrived an Irishman came running up to me asking where the pilot was.  Talk about brits gathering when they haven’t had another one to talk to for a while.  This diary writing is my outlet – I love talking, so I’m sort of talking through this.  I’ve been known to be a bit of a social hand-grenade – thanks Gill Clarke – and used to always be the one sent in to break the ice so to speak, and when I’ve no-one other than Iain to talk to I can get a bit stir crazy.   Anyway this Irishman was looking for the pilot that he had met in the Ring of Kerry with exactly the same van.  Well there’s a thing – we’ve never seen another one – and it was another one because they met only a few months ago and we’ve had Jan for nearly a year now.  Having said all that we wouldn’t want to take Jan to the Ring of Kerry because the roads there are narrower than Normandy, and have a lot more pot-holes.

So overnight stop and now Iain has changed the inner tube in the wheel so today we’re off to town to explore.  There’s something like 26km of cycle track in this area which is fantastic.

Whenever you are on an aire you want the luxury of a campsite – spread out, leave your things out,  toilets, showers and when you are on a campsite you think about how much you would save on an aire.  The grass is always greener etc etc.  The campsite here is great, and as it’s an ACSI site only 16 Euros a day, showers are ok, toilets are clean, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, wifi, bar, pitches are fairly big HOWEVER there is an aire next door for 8 euros a night with FREE wifi and for a small charge you can use all the facilities of the campsite that we are on.  Can’t quite work that one out.