1000 miles in 3 days…
Did you know you can just turn up somewhere beautiful, pay €10 and hook up to their water, electricity and waste, and that’s it?! Nobody coming and bothering you or telling you off or trying to get money out of you?? Amazing.
Our first night we stayed at a farm, and had the most incredible food and wine for the same price as a chain restaurant.
First day we headed to Chateau de Chambord, where the chambord liqueur (the raspberry one in the round bottle) was created as a drink to impress Louis XIV. Dicked about on a golf cart, drank Chambord cocktails, ate more incredible food.
Tried to avoid Paris on the route but we were directed into a tunnel, and when we emerged the Arc de Triomphe was in front of us. In a 7 meter motor home that sleeps 6 it was scary af.
Next day we were in the Loire Valley, the home of crémant sparkling wine. Did a cellar tour, did a wine tasting, bought wine.
Parked up in a BEAUTIFUL site next to the Loire river, had a swim, ate another incredible meal and drank the wine we’d bought at the cellar tour.
From there drove on to Bordeaux, again turned up at a chateau in a vineyard and paid €10 to stay overnight, including a free wine tasting.
Why did nobody tell me about this van life stuff before, it’s bloody brilliant
(PS still not had a poo in the onboard toilet AKA le shateau, but can confirm the shower is excellent)
Second day in Bordeaux and we found a family owned boutique vineyard where we had a cheese and wine pairing tasting, which was INCREDIBLE. I only started eating cheese a year or 2 ago so it was amazing trying all the different types of cheese, and the woman leading the tasting had some kind of superhuman ability to know EVERYTHING about cheeses and which wines they pair with and how to bring out the best flavours.
We spent the night literally just parked up in the middle of the vineyard, with nobody in sight, having the best time with all the wines and cheeses.
From Bordeaux we drove to Le Mans for a wander round the shops and dinner of salmon tartare, and from there on to Normandy.
Went out to Mont St Michel, which was just stunningly beautiful, like a magical secret castle on an island in the sea, cut off from the world by the high tide. Had a French 75 cocktail in a stunning bar where I saw what must be the most well dressed exquisitely stylish woman I’ve ever seen in my life, I just spied on her party (who were also all immaculately dressed) for the whole afternoon.
Finished off the trip with lunch and wandering around the lanes of Honfleur – it’s just stunning, filled with boutiques and restaurants and has that old fishing village vibe. I also had a sea bream tartare, one of my fav things to eat in the world.
1700 miles travelled, stunning places, great company, incredible food and wine, perfect weather. France, I love you 🇫🇷♥️