Home Sweet Home

Had a good flight home. Very long but all went well.

Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris

Tucked Bluey in for the winter and all checked in ready to go on our 24 hour flight back to Melbourne.

Once back home and settled in, I will give some stats of the journey for those who are interested. 

We hope you enjoyed our journey. 

Now the planning begins for next year!

Rousseloy

Travelled: 34 km Grand Total - 16,914km

Stay : Rousseloy- Park Hiver - Bluey's storage 360eu for 6 months  49.29761, 2.39677

After buying the daily baguette, we set off for Bluey's winter resting place in Rousseloy. We were able to stay here overnight as we are getting driven to the airport in the morning. We were also able to empty the grey and black water as well as plug into electricity and use the toilet. So now all the packing is done and Bluey is all clean for next year. It's hard to believe that 7 months has gone but when we start to remember all the things we have gone and seen, we can't believe everything we have seen. We are looking forward to getting home and have missed our children, family and friends.

Beauvais

Stay : Beauvais-aire free parking area, N49°25.943' E2°04.298' no services here but at N49°24.549' E2°06.992'

Started to pack the suitcases and make lists of what we are leaving behind and things we won't be bringing back. As well 'how to do' certain things as we are bound to forget the 'little tricks' we have learnt.

After lunch we went for a walk through the lovely town and visited the Saint Pierre Cathedral ( yes, just one more before we leave). Before heading back we enjoyed a beer while waiting for the rain to ease. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Beauvais

Travelled: 153km

Stay: Beauvais - aire free in parking lot N49°25.943' E2°04.298' / 49.43184, 2.07113  services at supermarket N49°24.549' E2°06.992'

We spent the morning cleaning and sorting then headed to the north of Paris. We drove through some lovely wooded area near Chantilly and past the very impressive castle and race course there. 

 

From here we went to the Ford dealership to organise Blueys first service when we get back next year. Unfortunately we were told that they have just lost their contract with Ford and will need to find another place. So we headed further north to Beauvais where there is an aire. On the way we drove past Bluey's winter resting place in Rousseloy, literally in the middle of no where! But we chose it as we were able to stay the night and be able to use their facilities to clean and empty, as well as get transport to the airport.   

After chatting with Ford service, we headed to the aire near a shopping centre and settled in.

Paris - Lafayette

Stay: Villiers sur Orge - camp ground 20eu

Shopping day today, so we headed into Lafayette Galleries. We took the metro to La Opera and spent a few hours looking around the shopping centre.

Then we had some lunch and took the metro to see the Pompidou Museum. 

From here we walked down to the Seine River and then to the Latin Quarter. 

We then headed back to Bluey and relaxed with a couple of beers.

Paris D2 France Catacombs and Monmarte

Stay: Villiers sur Orge - camp ground 20eu

Despite an early morning shower, we headed into Paris and thought that if it was going to continue to rain we may as well be indoors ( or underground). We arrived at 10:45am, later than our usual start, and joined the queue to visit the Catacombs. Ended up waiting an hour and a half for an hours visit.

It was however a very unique experience. We once again found ourselves underground, in what was once a limestone quarry, but was turned into a storage area for the bones from overflowing Paris cemeteries. It is said that there are remains of 6 million people here.

 After our visit it was well and truly time for lunch, so we went into the Latin Quarter and had a menu of Moules and then a pepper steak.

As it still hadn't rained we went back on the Metro to go the Sacre Coeur Basilica and Montmartre.  There were a lot of people in and out of the church. We went for a walk around inside and listened to the nuns sing. Then we sat on the steps outside and looked upon the view of Paris and were entertained by some buskers. As we sat there people were walking around trying to sell us beers!

 From here we walked to the famous square where the painters are. We were surprised that the centre of the square has been taken over by restaurant seating and there were mostly artists drawing portraits  than painters.

As the clouds were gathering we thought it was a good time to head back to Bluey and call it a day.

Paris D1 France

Stay: Villiers sur Orge - camp ground 20eu

We decided as the weather was dry that we would walk about Paris today. We took the 9:15 train to the Eiffel Tower. When we first arrived the top was still in the fog, but soon that disappeared.

Next destination was the Arc de Triumph and a stroll down the Champs Élysées. 

Before going through the Tulleries Graden, we had lunch at a lovely restaurant 'Francois Felix'. I ordered the Confit de Canard which was delicious, whilst Mark enjoyed a club sandwich. 

So fully refreshed we made our way to the Louvre and then the Notre Dame. 

From there we walked through the Latin Quarter to the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens. 

Having had a pretty full day we made our way back to the Metro station near the Seine and caught the train back to St. Genieve des Bois.