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We decided to stay 2 more nights at the Loisirs des Groux campsite at Mousseaux sur Seine, that is, after we managed to find someone to pay.  We then spent the morning wandering around Vernon admiring the mediaeval buildings of which the Tourist Information centre was the star. We bought veggies and some coquilles St Jacques (scallops) and prawns at the local market. Then while buying another baguette, which was too hot to hold, having come straight out of the oven, we spotted dessert.  Yes, Rodney has now had his first French tart and it was very good…….. When we got back to the campsite it was pouring with rain again, so we couldn’t really go for a walk or a bike ride, instead we slothed out with Sudoku, our books, origami cranes and researched where to head for next.  The weather is forecast to be bad around here until mid next week, so we really do need to head south and east to try and find less muddy weather.  If not we really will need to buy some wellies !!!

 

 

Should have bought some wellies!  We had planned an early start but it continued raining all night and poor Eileen couldn’t get a grip at all, even though we had parked her on the anti slip mats.  After spraying mud all up her sides and a bit on Rodney, we had to give in and find the campsite owner. She managed to tow us out with her four-wheel drive on to the tarmac path and we then tried to clean Eileen a bit with a bucket.  We cleaned ourselves up and I then went over to the office to return the gate key and thank the owner yet again.  I’m getting good at my “merci beaucoups”.  Unfortunately, as I stepped out of the office I slipped on the top step and slid down four slimy wooden stairs on my back. I let out a good scream which led to the owner and friend rushing to my aid for the second time in less than half an hour. I was a bit shaken and sore, it all happened so fast, but all body parts seemed to be moving alright.  So I went back in to the office to wash the mud off my hands and then back inside Eileen to take off all my mud soaked jeans and shirt and change in to dry clothes.  Finally we set off about 10:30am with me finding it very hard to sit on my bottom. We stopped off at McDonalds to send the last blog, check emails and have a drink to recover from a very bad start to our day.

 

We headed south across endless flat fields of wheat and rape.  The only things that stood out were the occasional villages, forests and lots of wind turbines and the cathedral at Chartres could be spotted from about 10 kilometres north of the town. When we arrived in Chartres it seemed to be closed.  There were practically no cars moving and nobody walking around.  We’ve never seen a town of that size so quiet and empty.  It was a Sunday and it was lunchtime, but for a major tourist centre, we were a bit concerned as to why we were the only people out and about.  After wandering around a few streets we found the cathedral, where there were a few tourists and just one Japanese tour group.  The cathedral was obviously undergoing some major renovations, so it wasn’t looking its best, but the sun shone on it for a little while and the stained glass windows looked beautiful. The rain started again as we walked back to Eileen and continued raining most of the way south through Allaines-Mervilliers, right though Orleans and east to the village of Jargeau.

 

We found the Camping de Isle aux Moulins and parked Eileen right next to the river Seine. We were apparently too late at 6pm to use the washing machine, but when I showed the campsite owner our horribly muddy clothes, he took pity on us and helped me load the machine.  An hour later, when we wanted to use the dryer, he said “no, tomorrow”, then took pity on us again and helped me load the dryer.  After 2 ½ hours we had two bags full of lovely warm clean, dry clothes to pack away.

I  wish I had learnt some French at school; I’m really struggling to converse with anyone and I spend most of the day clutching my French phrase book and dictionary.  At the same time I’m also trying to get to grips with the whole new language of ‘camping’.  Last night’s campsite was described as: ‘200m cont strt on into Rue du 44eme Regiment d’ Infantrie. Lge, mkd pitch, pt sl, pt shd, htd wc (pt cont), chem disp, mv service pnt, shwrs inc, el pnts (5A) €3.50, lndtte, tradsmn, 2% statics….etc…etc…etc.  We’re getting the hang of it; I just wish I could pick up some French as quickly.

 

At the Isle aux Moulins we both woke up to a blue sky sunny morning and very painful buttocks for one of us.  Rodney took a photo of the bruising so that I could see what it looked like; that’s a photo for my eyes only and definitely won’t be on this blog !!!   After a 9am breakfast and some tidying up, I sat out in the sunshine writing this blog while Rodney emptied out our grey water and filled up our fresh water tank.  Nearing midday we hopped on our bikes for the first time in France and headed east along the south bank of the Loire River to Chateauneuf sur Loire.  We had a nice lunch there and then cycled back along the north bank to St Denis de l’Hotel, over the bridge and back into Jargeau for another baguette.  All up, we cycled about 20 kilometres and my bruised bottom felt every bump on the track.  To add to my woes I fell off my bike into a nice patch of stinging nettles, on the way back.  I was wearing a T shirt, so I now have both arms covered in stinging lumps.  Rodney has decided to trade me in for a less accident prone idiot ..……perhaps another French tart….!