A
Road Less Travelled
'A
French Letter'
(continued
III)
Rouen.
14th
May 2016
Our
arrival in Rouen, had unwittingly coincided with a French 'bank
holiday' and so we decided after a short stay, to continue our
journey out of the city. On our list of places to visit was Jumièges
and its world famous abbey. This was programmed into the sat-nav and
would mean crossing the Seine first by bridge, then crossing back
again later by ferry.
Because
the lower reaches of the river Seine meanders a great deal, there are
large areas of land only accessible via ferry. However, the French
ferries that cross the River Seine are usually free of charge. Pity
its not the same between Calais and Dover! But I digress.
If
you are wondering what ''Aires'' are and there are about 3,000
scattered around France. These are plots of land, usually provided by
the local town council with various services made available for
Mobile homes (what the French call camping-cars). Often there are
grass or hard standings, toilets, showers, rubbish disposal, fresh
(Potable) water, Elsan disposal, and even electrical power. Its a bit
pick and mix, but there are smartphone applications that give an
indication of what services are available at the various sites. Some
farmers also have their own ''Aires'' with similar facilities
available. Many of the municipal ''Aires'' which provide just a
minimal over night parking services are free of charge to use. Though
some 'Aires' will provide all services including electrical power,
free of charge. The idea is that if you use an 'Aires' – you will
use the local shops and stores. I love to get my fresh French bread,
still warm from the oven.
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