Wednesday 7 June 2017

Yvoire to Bourg-en-Bresse - 94 miles

We know we said we'd get up early, but 6.30 am? That's when a roadsweeper decided to start work right outside our door, so we got up, got dressed and got away, no breakfast. We've done it before, just a matter of looking out for somewhere to park for an hour. Unfortunately we were just a little too close to Geneva and we found ourselves caught up in the morning rush hour, but this actually turned out to be fine because we then had time to look at the city as we wandered straight through the middle! But we did have a target – Bren had found a service point t'other side of the city so we set TomTom and enjoyed the passing scenery.

Geneva is a very modern city, though it does have an old quarter, which we had to by-pass, and appears to be in Switzerland; although we didn't see any border France/Switzerland, we did “cross back” into France as we departed. TomTom took us out into the country and to the little village of Thoire where we found one parking bay next to a working service point and a nice little picnic area, none of which appeared to have been used for ages. No bother, that'll do us so got the kettle on and “started the day” again, now in glorious warm sunshine.

Memorial to the Marquis - French Resistance

That over with and the van serviced, we set off with the town/city of Bourg-en-Bresse in mind where we noted two aires in our book, with others close by. Staying off the toll autoroute we enjoyed a lovely drive through the forests and valleys of the Haute Savoie before making a sharp descent into the town. Following TomTom, we suddenly found ourselves faced with a 2.5m bridge (we're 3m!), our destination on the other side. It took us a while to extract ourselves, going round and round a carpark a couple of times before Bren worked out an exit, taking us through an industrial estate, round some back roads and then safely to the aire – which was full!

Well, the marked motorhome bays were, but it was an unrestricted carpark for the old monastery, which happened to be closed, so there was plenty of room and we settled into an ordinary bay, joining several others doing the same. Almost immediately we were approached by an English lady, who turned out to be a Funster too, and who hadn't met any English for ages, so a bit chat was called for while her husband was playing round the city on his motorbike. Then, it being that time, we had lunch and settled in to a nice quiet afternoon, enjoying the now hot sunshine, relaxing after our very early start.

We'll probably only stay one night here and have sort of agreed that we'll take a gentle slow run sort of north, stopping off wherever we feel like it.

Oh yes, as we ought by now to be in range, tried to put up the satellite dish, only to have it fail and jam again, fortunately in the down position with the dish over the centre of the roof where it isn't in the way of anything. Got the ladders out and had a quick look but it's going to have to wait until we get home now. We never watch TV anyway.

Where We Stayed

Blvd. De Brou, Bourg-en-Bresse N46º11.906' E5º14.297' (All the Aires South P282)

5 marked bays in unrestricted carpark. No facilities, town short distance. Adjacent to small park and old monastery. Service point outside closed campsite N46º12.531' E5º14.416'

Free