Well today we were planning on taking the Metro into Paris to see the Eiffel Tower etc - but we had a really late night last night and so slept in. We decided then it would be better to do disney land today, and Paris another day.
So we got the shuttle in and arrived at Disney Land around Lunch time - we went into the studios first as these had a lightning macqueen cars ride which Cam was buzzing out about and busting to go on! So we headed pretty much straight for that - there were big life size lighting Macqueen, Mater, Luigi and Guido (or whatever the tyre guys called) which were awesome - Col and Cam lined up for the ride and hadheaps of fun!!
After that we headed around the park - wandering around and taking in all the sites. The next thing of significant interest that we did there was went to a stunt car show - it was awesome! All the cars and motorbikes were dong wheelies and jumps etc - as you can imagine Cam Loved it!!
We went on a couple more rides on that side before heading over the the Disney Land Park side. The whole place looked really beautiful all lit up for christmas - huge christmas trees and lights were everywhere you looked! The Disney Land Castle looked beautiful all lit up.
We got home at about 9:30 or so and were all worn out!!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Sunday 21st December
Today we were heading for a place called Vignoles – which was nearly 400kms from where we were in Avignon. We set off on our journey – not particularly early as we had to wait until 9 to pay for the camping ground. So somewhere between 9:30 and 1 we headed off for what we knew would be a long trip. We drove through Lyon – which looked like a nice city from what we could see! And carried on along the motorway to where we wanted to be. I think it was about 3 when we arrived – it seems to take us ages to travel, even though most of it is along the motorway. It was pretty windy initially but that quickly died down which was good.
When we arrived at the camping ground, my conversation went something like this:
Me: “vous parlez anglais?” (do you speak English)
Him: “Non, no Anglais”
Me (thinking ahh crap! Lol, this had hardly ever happened – usually they have been able to speak a little): “ahhh, un soir….um…” hoping I was saying one night, pointing to the campervan”
Him: “wee” then rattled off what I think was asking about how many people
Me: “deux um…adults?” indicating with my hand that I meant a tall person… a person much taller than me HAHAHA, but trying to get my point across! “un….” Showing again with my hand child.
Him: “wee”
Again conversing away in French that I had no hope in hell of understanding – I thought we was asking how old cam was to which I responded “quatre” , then it became clear that he thought I meant I had 4 children with me. He kept talking, I kept looking confused trying to get the point across that there was just one child “J’ai un fils…un” (I have a son…1) LOL, desperately looking in my phase book for anything that could be useful!
In the end he got out a piece paper and drew a little picture LOL, of two big stick men and one child and pointed to them saying “mama, papa, enfant”, “wee!” I exclaimed, moments before I had been thinking I was going to have to go out and drag Col and Cam from the Campervan to get my point across! Under the child he wrote the number 4 “wee!” I exclaimed again – thinking that surely he was talking about his age, not the number of children or there would be 4 little stick children in his picture LOL.
So finally we got everything sorted out and we had somewhere to stay for the night!
When we arrived at the camping ground, my conversation went something like this:
Me: “vous parlez anglais?” (do you speak English)
Him: “Non, no Anglais”
Me (thinking ahh crap! Lol, this had hardly ever happened – usually they have been able to speak a little): “ahhh, un soir….um…” hoping I was saying one night, pointing to the campervan”
Him: “wee” then rattled off what I think was asking about how many people
Me: “deux um…adults?” indicating with my hand that I meant a tall person… a person much taller than me HAHAHA, but trying to get my point across! “un….” Showing again with my hand child.
Him: “wee”
Again conversing away in French that I had no hope in hell of understanding – I thought we was asking how old cam was to which I responded “quatre” , then it became clear that he thought I meant I had 4 children with me. He kept talking, I kept looking confused trying to get the point across that there was just one child “J’ai un fils…un” (I have a son…1) LOL, desperately looking in my phase book for anything that could be useful!
In the end he got out a piece paper and drew a little picture LOL, of two big stick men and one child and pointed to them saying “mama, papa, enfant”, “wee!” I exclaimed, moments before I had been thinking I was going to have to go out and drag Col and Cam from the Campervan to get my point across! Under the child he wrote the number 4 “wee!” I exclaimed again – thinking that surely he was talking about his age, not the number of children or there would be 4 little stick children in his picture LOL.
So finally we got everything sorted out and we had somewhere to stay for the night!
Saturday 20th December
Today was mainly spent milling around the camping ground – we caught up on washing etc and mucked around, chilling out - knowing that over the next couple of days we are planning some pretty intense driving time. In the evening we wandered back over inside the castle walls to the village to have a Kebab for dinner – we sat next to the Christmas markets and soaked up the atmosphere of Avignon for one last time. It is a really endearing little town – bustling with people in it’s narrow streets!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Friday 19th December
We went for a walk into the village again today and had a look at the bit castle walls and in an amazingly beautiful church. It had terrific artwork all through it – on the ceilings and walls. And in every little alcove there were awesome statues and candles etc.
We kept wandering around the area and before long it was getting late (well not really – about 4:30, but it starts to get dark so it’s usually when we head back LOL) so we came home, feeding the ducks on the Rhone river on the way!
We kept wandering around the area and before long it was getting late (well not really – about 4:30, but it starts to get dark so it’s usually when we head back LOL) so we came home, feeding the ducks on the Rhone river on the way!
Thursday 18th December
Today we are in a place called Avignon – it’s south of Lyon. We were planning o going further west and up through Cassosone (sp) and Toulouesse – mainly because I wanted to see Cassasone. But upon investigation there were no camping grounds open in the area so we decided to shoot up the middle of France and save a bit of travel time and petrol costs (this thing is a gas Guzzler which isn’t cool when you’re going thousands of KMs!). So we headed to place with an open camping ground – Avignon. We arrived here, and found an awesome town inside castle walls – exactly what I wanted to see in Cassasone so it was a nice surprise!
We chilled out in the campervan then went for a walk over the bridge and into the village. There was the most beautiful Christmas market with awesome fairy lights and Christmas carols etc. We stopped for dinner then carried on back to on campervan for the night.
We chilled out in the campervan then went for a walk over the bridge and into the village. There was the most beautiful Christmas market with awesome fairy lights and Christmas carols etc. We stopped for dinner then carried on back to on campervan for the night.
Tuesday 16th December
Well we’re in France! We didn’t mean to be LOL but we couldn’t find our first camping ground and shot straight passed the motorway exit for the next one! So next stop….France!!
We are in a small place about 10kms out of Nice – we arrived here at about 2pm or so after leaving at about 7am – we were so relieved to find a camping ground that we would have stayed just about anywhere! But it’s a nice camping ground – and there are other people! Something that we haven’t seen much of for awhile! So this afternoon was mainly spent playing outside and just chilling out.
We are in a small place about 10kms out of Nice – we arrived here at about 2pm or so after leaving at about 7am – we were so relieved to find a camping ground that we would have stayed just about anywhere! But it’s a nice camping ground – and there are other people! Something that we haven’t seen much of for awhile! So this afternoon was mainly spent playing outside and just chilling out.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sunday December 14th
Today Cam and I just mucked round in the campervan, Col went back over to Venice to pick us up some supplies…when we got over there he found it totally flooded! I will let him explain!
Well what a adventure, I trotted off to the ferry and noticed that the mooring point was up quite high and being the expert sailor I am I realized the tide must be in (or to that effect) as we were getting closer to the city Venice I was saying to myself ‘huh the water from this angle looks as if it is lapping at the door steps of the shops’ I didn’t pay any more attention to it until we hoped of the boat and had to get off the mooring onto the foot path, and to my surprise and disbelief the foot path was covered with water - there is a café about 15 meters from the waters edge, the locals were sitting down on the outside furniture sipping away on their coffees with their gumboots on completely unfazed by the water lapping at their feet.
Now I had a problem, I had to get off the mooring so others could get on, I did the best jump I could but still landed in ankle deep water, luckily with my flash new shoes I brought they repelled the water, as I looked around I discovered the path to the supermarket ( the only shop that I knew the way to)was 95% emerged with water, there were a few parts that had only about an inch or so of water so I made my way down, as I was trying to look casual about but must have looked like a rite moron hoping and jumping, as other boats went by they caused little ripples of waves in my direction.
I got to about 20 meters from the supermarket when I couldn’t go any further, I watched as people in their gumboots waded through the mid calf depth water, I then decided to abort the mission and try a different location, half an hour later I reached the other dairy type shop ,and being my luck they didn’t have any of the essential items in needed to make my banana pancakes, so then I headed back to the ferry terminal to get the boat back and try something else.
I reached the terminal and then a thought struck my mind “surly the tide must go out at some stage, it was just after 12 so I thought I would wait around and see. Three quarters of an hour later I headed back down the path to the supermarket to have another attempt, the water was still lapping at the buildings but it had noticeably gone down. I got to within five meters of the supermarket and the water was still deep, just over the ankle, well screw this I thought there is no other option so I walked through it hoping like hell that my shoes would hold out, the left foot soaked but the right was dry, so a little bit of a victory for me I guess. 45 minutes later I have finished the shopping and step outside to discover all is normal, apart from the wet looking cobbles you would have never known. That’s about it I walked back to the ferry and went back to the campervan, my shopping expedition that I thought would take me an hour at the most ended up taking 4, but all’s well that ends well.
Well what a adventure, I trotted off to the ferry and noticed that the mooring point was up quite high and being the expert sailor I am I realized the tide must be in (or to that effect) as we were getting closer to the city Venice I was saying to myself ‘huh the water from this angle looks as if it is lapping at the door steps of the shops’ I didn’t pay any more attention to it until we hoped of the boat and had to get off the mooring onto the foot path, and to my surprise and disbelief the foot path was covered with water - there is a café about 15 meters from the waters edge, the locals were sitting down on the outside furniture sipping away on their coffees with their gumboots on completely unfazed by the water lapping at their feet.
Now I had a problem, I had to get off the mooring so others could get on, I did the best jump I could but still landed in ankle deep water, luckily with my flash new shoes I brought they repelled the water, as I looked around I discovered the path to the supermarket ( the only shop that I knew the way to)was 95% emerged with water, there were a few parts that had only about an inch or so of water so I made my way down, as I was trying to look casual about but must have looked like a rite moron hoping and jumping, as other boats went by they caused little ripples of waves in my direction.
I got to about 20 meters from the supermarket when I couldn’t go any further, I watched as people in their gumboots waded through the mid calf depth water, I then decided to abort the mission and try a different location, half an hour later I reached the other dairy type shop ,and being my luck they didn’t have any of the essential items in needed to make my banana pancakes, so then I headed back to the ferry terminal to get the boat back and try something else.
I reached the terminal and then a thought struck my mind “surly the tide must go out at some stage, it was just after 12 so I thought I would wait around and see. Three quarters of an hour later I headed back down the path to the supermarket to have another attempt, the water was still lapping at the buildings but it had noticeably gone down. I got to within five meters of the supermarket and the water was still deep, just over the ankle, well screw this I thought there is no other option so I walked through it hoping like hell that my shoes would hold out, the left foot soaked but the right was dry, so a little bit of a victory for me I guess. 45 minutes later I have finished the shopping and step outside to discover all is normal, apart from the wet looking cobbles you would have never known. That’s about it I walked back to the ferry and went back to the campervan, my shopping expedition that I thought would take me an hour at the most ended up taking 4, but all’s well that ends well.
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