Final day France to Melbourne

Travelled:40km Total for 113days 16,000km 

Stay: Rousseloy- park d’hiver, Motorhome storage

Our 2018 adventure ends as we made our way to Rousseloy storage and packed our suitcases. We enjoyed a cooked lunch. 

Then we emptied Bluey’s water tanks and toilet and disconnected the batteries. 

The next morning we were dropped off at the airport and about 24hrs later we arrived safely home. 

Compiegne France

Travelled:70km

Stay:Pont Sainte Maxence - 3km from town, near lakes 49.3184, 2.63138

Visited:Compiegne

After a stroll through the village, admiring the Chateau, we followed the front line route to Tracy le Mont. 

We stopped at a German and then a French war cemetery and read the info panels regarding WWI battles fought here.

Saw our first wild deer in France in this forest.

 We then decided to go to see the town of Compiegne. We have previously just skirted around it and of course, looked at the Armistice Clearing in the woods nearby. 

We were pleasantly surprised at quality of the buildings here, this was helped by King Louis XV building a Royal Castle here before the revolution. Later Napoleon enhanced the palace.

The gardens were lovely to walk around and there were numerous statues.

 In the centre of town, we admired the gothic façade on the 16thC town hall.

Joan of Arc played a role in defending the town in the 1430’s. 

Unfortunately it was here that she was captured and then sold to the English. 

She said her last prayers in the 13thC church of St.Jacques, with its beautiful timber panelling. 

We walked along the Oise River and past the remains of the medieval ramparts. 

After our explorations it was time to do some laundry, so we drove to Intermarché in Pont Sainte Maxence that has washing machines and dryer in the car park. Then we spent the rest of the day just out of town next to a lake in the hope of a quiet night. 

Soissons France

Travelled:46km

Stay:Vic sur Aisne- parking next the the Aisne River N49.4030 E3.1153
Visited: Soissons

It was a cloudy and rainy day as we made our way to Soissons one of France’s most ancient towns. Along the way we stopped to have a look at a couple of War Cemeteries. The first one was at Soupir.

A mass grave for German soldiers- 5955 known the 5173 other unknown

A little further on there was a British Cemetery (no Australians).

We parked just near Soisson's Town Hall.

We managed to arrive on the last day of the Fete des Haricots (festival of the bean). We strolled through the food tent area and then watched the parade. Local growers of the beans, grapes and other produce, along with dance and music clubs entertained us as they passed by.

 The towns’ mascot

 A Géant

 Historic bean shape lolly maker

 Just about to get sprinkled with confetti

Guilds protecting the authenticity of their products




We then went in search of the huge gothic cathedral built during the 12thC. 

We walked back to Bluey in the rain and had some lunch before driving Bluey to have a look at the Abbaye St. Jean des Vignes. Unfortunately it is now in ruins as it was taken apart and the stones sold off after the French Revolution. 

There was not much more we could do today in the wind and rain, so we drove to a spot on the river and waited it out in Vic sur Aisne.

St.Mihiel France

Travelled:234km

Stay:Bourg et Comin: picnic area next to Aisne canal N49.3886 E3.6546

Visited:Toul wine route, St.Mihiel, Camp Attila

It was a very fresh stroll around the train station area of Toul. There were predominantly larger and stylish homes here and the station was huge. 

We then headed off along the Toul winery trail. We parked up in Bruley which is a typical Toulois village with its wine cellars and houses made from the stone. 

No boulangerie? No problem...mobile boulangerie will come to you.

Some old wine presses.

Flowers make everything look pretty

Even the water pump.

We walked up the church and hillside chapel. 

As we neared St.Mihiel we stopped in the forest to learn about the WWI battles that took place here.

 There were French and German front line trenches and a memorial cross.Paying our respects to the thousands who lost their lives here. 

German front line trench



French front line trench

I’m standing at the French trench and Mark at the German’s...not much between them

Not far away we went to have a look at St.Michel church built in 16thC.

A beautiful choir

Bullet holes..evidence of the war

 At the end of WWI in 1918 the Battle of St.Mihiel was fought here with American troops helping to liberate the town. 

100year anniversary on the 19th September

On our way to Reims we travelled along an ancient Roman road and stopped to have lunch at Camp Atilla, which is the site of the oldest Gallic fortifications in Northern Europe. Built in 80BC the legend is that the battle against the Huns took place here. 

Aerial view...thanks google

We now travelled through vast fields, many of them growing sweet beet used to supplement the demand for sugar. 

As we have visited Reims before, our sole purpose for this trip was to find a new mattress for Bluey. 

Unfortunately the mattress needs to be especially made and so we have made the required inquiries for next year. It was now time to drive to a spot for tonight and so we ventured towards a canal. As it turned out we parked on a point where 2 canals meet - Canal Lateral Aisne and Canal l’Oise a l’Aisne. The weather had changed again so we hunkered down in Bluey and called it a night.