Day 3 - Tuesday 22nd July - First Beach Day

 

 

After a long, refreshing sleep we awoke to bright sunny skies. It was lovely and hot. We put up the gazebo to provide some shade on our pitch and had a continental breakfast.

( panorama view from our pitch )

 

Afterwards we headed down to the beach.

On the beach there are 2 sea filled pools – 1 shallow kids pool and a deeper one. There are lifeguards on duty and a large open sea swimming area marked with buoys. There is a floating pontoon to jump on and off and also a set of metal steps to climb up and dive into the sea from. The sea is quite clear and blue. When the tide is fully in there is still a long sandy strip that doesn’t feel crowded and still has plenty of room for ball games (there is even a volley ball net).There is also a little cafe bar selling crepes, drinks and ice creams, public toilets and a shower.

Will upload a video when better wifi! 3hrs for 40mb!

Near the entrance of Al Kluger, looking on to the beach there is also a nice restaurant called Le Chalet Restaurant.

  

After a few hours tummies started rumbling so we headed back to our pitch and barbecued.

“Breaking  Bad” lets cook apron. very appropriate!

The afternoon was spent relaxing whilst the kids went in the pool (NB “Kids” are 16 & 17 – didn’t want you thinking I am irresponsibly leaving small children by the water!). Tuesday and Thursday nights are “Frites Nights” at Al Kluger so we cheated for tea and each had a portion of delicious chips.

After a few games of cards the night was rounded off with a little drama as 6-8 Gendarmes arrived to talk to a couple who had been having a bit of a domestic. Despite some of the police “interview” happening right in front of Monty, once again my schoolgirl French let me down and I couldn’t understand what had caused it all.

Trying the solar panel out!

Day 2–The long drive - Mon 21st July

 

And so began a very long drive……..

430 miles.

toll costs :- 36 euros

Fuel cost –  111.43 euro or £90.48 approx.

(cost per litre from 1.24 at supermarkets to 1.44 euros at service stations)

Approx 24mpg

Copilot main satnav – backup Sygic satnav both on android devices.

The roads were very dark and quite quiet. As we ate into the miles the sky gradually became lighter. We were feeling a little tired and decided to stop at the next services for fuel and breakfast. We filled up, paid and went round the side to park. Unfortunately in the time it took for us to park up 2 coach loads of American tourists arrived so breakfast was a little hectic!

After another couple of hours driving we were tired again so felt it was safer to pull over into an aire for a catnap. Feeling refreshed we set off. Unfortunately all our driving was on the toll roads as we wanted to get there as soon as possible so we didn’t see much apart from the fields on either side. We mused how lovely it would be to meander and stop along the coast roads but that would have to wait for another time. We did however have a fleeting view of Mont St Michael.Our next stop was at a Super U for supplies. This was HUGE!! It was like the massive Walmarts in America. Having stocked up and refuelled again and after a little hiccup with the Satnav, we set off again with only about an hours drive left until our destination. The sun was shining, it was a glorious hot afternoon and our destination St Pol de Lyon finally came into view – twinkling, bright, clear blue sea, bright, cloudless blue sky, golden, sparkly sand – HEAVEN.

We had finally (arrived after what had seemed at times an endless drive – 9 hours including the stops) at Al Kleguer Camping. We presented ourselves at the reception where the pleasant English speaking lady allocated us our pitch. (I do keep trying out my schoolgirl French  but am always so relieved and humbled when their English is so good). We had been given a sea view pitch which was also close to the pool and amenities – fabulous. After a little trouble levelling Monty (despite having brought the big ramps we couldn’t get perfectly level) we had a quick bite to eat and then checked the site out. It is a stones throw away from the beach, hence the wonderful sea views. It has an outside pool complex complete with a couple of slides.There is also an inside, heated pool. There are 2 shower/toilet blocks – the smallest is older yet still clean and well looked after. The larger block is a very modern addition with a laundry and backpackers room attached – all super clean. As with most European sites the loos are without seats and the showers and washrooms are mixed gender. There is a small shop with a few basic provisions and ice creams, and you can buy fresh bread every morning. There is also a bar which has different activities in an evening ie. bingo, karaoke, cards. Outside, but under cover there is a large wash up area.

Having explored briefly, and despite being so excited and pleased by the wonderful place we had arrived at, we really needed to sleep so despite it being Karaoke night we headed to bed and fell asleep as soon as our heads touched the pillows.

Our pitch no 116. With views out over the bay.

The pool complex to our right.

View from the beach looking back to our pitch. Between the headland and the diving board on the right you can see the Roscoff ferry. A 10 minutes drive away.

Yes quicker than our route from the euro tunnel, BUT at £850+ return for the ferry as against £140 euro tunnel and £121 approx cost of driving. Oh and the euro tunnel tickets cost nothing as we got them with our Tesco clubcard points

A saving of  £729

 

 

Day 1–Departure day - Sunday 20th July.

 

With everything loaded ready in Monty we set off 5.30ish & headed for the Eurotunnel. As we drove south the heavens opened. We passed lots of big American RVs that were heading North – where were they all going/ what were they doing? We stopped for a quick McDonalds when we were just a little way from the Chunnel and by then the rain had stopped and it was warm and humid again. We arrived at the Chunnel about 11 o’clock and self- checked in. There is an automatic number plate recognition and all your details appear on screen. You then confirm and get a piece of paper to hang from your rear view mirror which has a letter printed on it. We then proceeded to the waiting area (separate parking/waiting area for motorhomes, caravans etc). There is a screen that tells you when you will be called to load onto the train. The on screen letters correspond with the letter hanging on your rear view mirror. There is a building with toilets, eating places and shops. We had hoped to catnap whilst waiting but couldn’t drop off. Our letter ‘B’ appeared on the screen and we followed the sign for France. We were then told to follow a numbered lane. There was one car in front of and as we drew up behind it the barrier raised and we were off and straight down onto the train. We trundled through right to the front with only the other car in front of us. After a little while everyone was on, the safety announcements had been broadcast and we were off! With very little noise or movement it was hard to believe we were rattling along under the sea. After about 40 minutes we had arrived in France. The doors in front of us opened and we watched as the front of the train sides opened, the inner sides flopped open to make ramps and then we were driving off. It was all very simple and smooth. 

Old Hartley CC Site - 23rd to 26th May 2014

 

It was time for another visit to Old Hartley at Whitley Bay. Up the A19 and through the Tyne Tunnel (£1.60 each way).  We arrived a little earlier than planned ( before the 12 o’clock check in) so drove past the site towards Blyth. There we found a big free car park called the Mermaid car park along the seafront.

There was a cafe/ fish and chip restaurant and a coffee shop/ ice cream parlour. There was also a children’s play area and toilets with outside solar showers so in the height of summer with kids, this would be a nice beach to visit. Sadly when we arrived it was very windy, quite chilly and raining. We had a quick, bracing walk and then headed back into Monty’s warmth. After killing a bit of time, we headed to the Old Hartley Site just after noon.

This is a lovely site, set on a hill (ramps needed for a lot of the pitches) with a sea view and a view of St. Mary’s lighthouse. The wardens are friendly and the site and facilities are spotless. We chose a pitch right by the sea and quickly set up.  With tummies rumbling we headed for the pub near the site entrance. The  Delavel Arms serves great, home cooked food at great prices.  Portions are large and the desserts (if you still have room) are lovely. Thoroughly stuffed we headed back to Monty. The weather hadn’t improved so we settled in for a marathon viewing session of the current preferred box set – The Big Bang Theory.

Saturday dawned drier & brighter. We caught the bus (308) from the bus stop which is a 10min walk from the site and headed into Whitley Bay itself. The front here is undergoing rejuvenation. The big white domed structure (Spanish City) is also being refurbished.

 

As fans of ITV’s Vera we had fun spotting places where Vera had been filmed.

We had a walk along the long sandy beach then headed back to barbecue.

Another sunny day on Sunday so we walked to the lighthouse. Because of the tide this can only be accessed at certain times. Consequently the lighthouse isn’t always open so check for opening times if you would like to go in the lighthouse. We climbed the lighthouse steps last year and it’s worth a visit but wasn’t open this time. There is a large car park near the lighthouse if you are visiting by car/ motorhome. There is also an ice cream van and burger van in residence. We then continued along and down onto the beach for another walk. Later we popped to the nearby shop and noticed that they are about to face some stiff competition as a new Co-op was nearing completion. When staying at this site, besides the afore mentioned shops and Delavel Arms, there are also a couple more pubs and a fish and chip restaurant within a 20 min walking distance.

Monday dawned sunny again - almost unheard of for a bank holiday Monday! All too soon it was time to pack up again and head for home.

Bridlington 2nd–5th May

 

The Bank Holiday beckoned and we were booked into Bridlington Caravan Club. We had stayed here just after it had first opened a couple of years ago. It is a nice, modern well organised site with spotless facilities. The site is split into two areas, we chose a pitch in the first area and set up. The sun was shining and we were able to sit out although there was a cool wind.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. There is a bus stop outside the site so we caught the bus into Bridlington early on Sat morning (£3.30 per adult return trip). The bus journey took us past Sewerby Park and a model village so there are places to visit nearby even if you don’t want to venture right into Bridlington.

 

Bridlington has a good selection of shops and there was also a small market. We headed  towards the seafront. There are plenty of places to eat and kiosks for takeaway fish and chips, doughnuts etc. You can take a ride on a speedboat or a pirate ship from the front (we have enjoyed these on our past visit). You can also take a boat trip to Bempton Cliffs from here as well. There are funfair rides along the front with lots to keep the kids entertained. There are plenty of amusement arcades if like me you like to have the occasional go on 2 penny falls. As we were early (10ish) it was very quiet and it was nice to have a mooch around without battling through crowds.

 

Part of the beach was cordoned off as work was being done but there was still miles of nice sandy beach so we had a good walk to work up an appetite for lunch.

We decided to eat at Rags restaurant near the harbour and would thoroughly recommend it. Their homemade fishcakes were really tasty. We chose fish and chips for our main course. These were delicious – a good sized fish and fantastic chunky chips. The desserts looked really nice as well but we were too full to sample these.

We were also amused to see that a duck had taken up residence at the front of a moored rowing boat (you can just see his white head above the first buoy) with two seagulls for company at the rear.

After lunch the sun was still shining (usually unheard of on a bank holiday) and Bridlington was now very busy. We caught the bus back to the site and enjoyed the sunshine.

We were woken up on Sunday morning by heavy thudding noises on the roof. I thought a seagull must have landed up there but as I looked up, a pigeon was staring down at us through the skylight! After our early morning wake up call we spent the day relaxing at the site. We tried out our new electric grill.

On Monday we packed up early and decided to head for breakfast at Flamborough Head.

There is a  good sized pay and display car park so parking Monty wasn’t a problem. There is a lighthouse  and a nice restaurant which does a great big breakfast. It was lovely to sit in the restaurant and gaze out of the window at the sea whilst tucking in.

After breakfast we walked to the lighthouse and cliff edge where we saw a few puffins flying past.

Sadly, it was now time to return home but we had had a lovely long weekend and been blessed with fine weather.