TechnomadicsVagabonding Europe

Category Archives: France

A Month in Champagne (Less Alcoholic Than It Sounds)

Posted on by Michael
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We leave the farm and drive southwards towards our fallback site in Champagne-Ardenne, somewhere we can stay for a few weeks, figure out an itinerary and get some work done. We arrive at the camp site in Neuville-Day and meet the owner, who shows us in. I wander around the site, laptop in one hand and wireless antenna in the … Continue reading

Into France

Posted on by Michael
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At long last, the time has come to get our France on! Katherine’s just finished getting patched up at the dentist — the dentist was a very competent guy in his forties, incongruously dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, running the whole place by himself, answering the phone and calling people in from the waiting room. The waiting room had … Continue reading

Towards Cinque Terre

Posted on by Michael

Motorhoming around Europe always seemed like a very romantic and exotic thing to do, and for the most part it really is. The one caveat is bathroom-related, and there’s little romance to be had there. Seven-or-so days without the opportunity to empty the chemical toilet left a big impression on us when we started driving, and…sloshing. It was time to … Continue reading

Mobile Broadband in France

Posted on by Michael

Bad news in France: The mobile broadband market here is very un-competitive — the French are very behind the times when it comes to 3G. Lame, France. I’m amazed that telcos are allowed to use the word ‘unlimited’ (or rather, illimité), when the quotas behind the scenes are not only present, but so restrictive. Where are the consumer protection organisations … Continue reading

Paris

Posted on by Michael

From the ex-battlefields of the Somme, we drove in the direction of Paris, taking the back roads at a relatively leisurely pace. We encountered some trouble when, after seeing a number of route bloqué signs, we eventually realised they were talking about our route, and had to retrace our steps for a considerable distance, in traffic that went at a … Continue reading

North of France

Posted on by Michael

The ferry from Dover arrived in Calais, and we headed down the stairs back to Nettle on the car deck, and followed the stream of cars off the ferry and onto French soil. Repeating the ‘drive on the right, drive on the right’ mantra, we followed Nigel’s directions towards the centre of Calais and drove around aimlessly for a little … Continue reading