The Snowbird Run II (Overland via France and Spain to Morocco)

[XCovlov70]

Overland via France & Spain to Morocco 2012/13

Well Folks, it’s that time of year again when to stay warm if you can, you head closer to the Equator, at least if you are on this side of ‘The Pond’ while I think its Florida on the other side of the ‘Pond’!

This time however we are going a bit further south, just for a change, and a tour of Morocco is planned for our next adventure!
If you are reading this, and joining us then, “Welcome” to a place in the ‘Third Seat’.
So let’s buckle up and get on the road while ‘Flamenco Red’ is ‘growling sweetly’ and raring to go!

First: A few details about this ‘Adventure’

Expected (calculated) distance to be travelled: 7300 Miles (11600Km)
Duration: 99 Nights, of which 71 Nights are planned to be in Morocco

Second: The Route Map through Europe to get us there and back!



Third: The Route Map for our anti-clockwise trip in Morocco with ‘black lines’ for the route as there are no roads in AutoRoute for Morocco.
I know not why, I only use the program!.





Fourth: The places/campsites we are heading for on the Map above with the details in the picture below.



Fifth: The expanded details for the lower part in Morocco, again you can match the numbers with the details in the picture above.



Departure date is quite close now, but I just wanted to give Giorgio a 'Heads Up'

[ssicarman]

Nice!

Looking forward to following your trip. I am currently on a run from western Canada to Los Angeles and back via Las Vegas. Not quite as long as your trip.

[XCovlov70]

Nice!

Looking forward to following your trip. I am currently on a run from western Canada to Los Angeles and back via Las Vegas. Not quite as long as your trip.

Good to hear there is someone else who is actually using the XC for nice long rides!

I hope you will be sharing your trip 'experiences' with us along with some great pictures?

Meanwhile drive safe, take care and enjoy the road!

[XCovlov70]

Stage 1 UK – Montreuil sur Mer (255.44Miles) 2012/13


Firstly before we go anywhere!

Our ‘Snowbird Run II’ commenced today at exactly 7 Days & 2 Minutes from the Remembrance Service held in Whitehall (London) on 11th November 2012 when at 11:00hrs the UK & other countries stopped for 2 minutes to remember and pay homage to those Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen who gave the ultimate sacrifice, namely their lives, so that we could enjoy something called ‘Freedom’.

For every trip that my good lady and I make we never forget, and if we were heading for Flanders on our way home would stop off to say a small ‘Thank you’ at the Last Post Ceremony that takes place in a beautiful city called Ypres.

As this trip heads South we cannot go, while in 2013 we intend to go twice, but as we travel along we will remember and a ‘Thank You’ will be made, as well as the 2 Minutes of respect and homage spent before we set off.

Our first stage will be through the UK, heading across country to hop on the Eurotunnel Train, then as we exit ‘Le Manche’ 40 minutes later we are in France!

Over we go on the Second Severn Crossing



A short ‘Pit Stop’ for a sandwich and then to check Dinner in the Slow Cooker which is a Beef Curry!



After a few more miles and hours we arrive at ‘Le Manche’ and check in then wait for our slightly earlier train as the one previous to the one we will get on was going to cost us an extra £40 ($60) so I thought we would go and enjoy a nice coffee instead!

Checked in now Flamenco Red is patiently waiting for the train!



A quick check on the 2 websites below give me supposedly up-todate prices of the cost per litre for the Gazole fill up, but between the two websites I get rather angry as one website shows Spain CHEAPER than France, while the other website shows this to be the other way around!
Maybe the guys who put the webpage together cannot type correctly, or need to visit an optician real soon!

http://www.drive-alive.co.uk/fuel_prices_europe.html
http://www.fuel-prices-europe.info/

Meanwhile the inside of the terminal has been spruced up for Christmas!



Just about to go over the Border and we haven’t got on the train yet!



When we get on the train you have to drive carefully down the middle and then they close the smoke doors making them into little sealed compartments.





Which makes it about this wide on each side of you!



After filling up we are then on a short drive to our first overnight halt, at an Aires that allows ‘Tin Tents’ to stay overnight in a nice town called Montreuil sur Mer (GPS: N 50.45928 E 1.75953).

The Aires has ‘Pay As You Use’ Electric Hookup as well as Fresh Water and Grey/Chemical Waste disposal which if you use you also pay for.
There is also a fully automatic toilet that is electronically controlled and is open between 07:00 & 23:00hrs.

Sorry it was rather dark to be able to get any pictures of the Aires.

Bonne nuit! (Good night!)

[XCovlov70]

Stage 2 Montreuil sur Mer - Villefagnan (371 Miles)

After a reasonable night, then when we open the door of the ‘Tin Tent’ we can just about see to the end of the Aires as the mist/fog is quite bad, although the weather was not unexpected after the lovely sunny day yesterday!

So after hoping for an early start, we get on the road at 07:30hrs it’s not long before the miles are slipping by but slower than expected as visibility is somewhat restricted and it is still quite dark.

But having said that we did enjoy dinner when we arrived last night, & have set up the ‘Flamenco Red Cook as You Drive’ again for this next stage, albeit with a different menu consisting of a Turkey Casserole!

Our only ‘problem’ is that when we stop to turn the ingredients over in the slow cooker the smell of the cooking makes you wish it was dinner time very soon!



Not long after we start off and daylight arrives and the mist/fog is quite patchy.





While we pass through some nice little villages and make it around our dreaded city of Rouen!
I say that because a few years ago we went through Rouen and went ‘Right’ and not ‘Left’ On that occasion we went under a bridge that was 3 Meters high which was OK but right after with NO warning was another bridge only this one was 2.6 Meters and we were expecting to hear the bikes scraping the underside of the bridge, but we must just have made it!





Bit further along we see this small plane that looks for all the world like it was landed on a traffic island!



While on another one we see this horse tethered waiting for its rider!



It makes the driving a bit more pleasant as you drive through France and see the things on traffic islands that take some of the boredom out of driving, especially after the rather long day that we have had today!

After finally arriving at our next nights halt: Camping a la Ferme de Chassagne N 46.007233 E 0.096716, I’m quite looking forward to a good night’s sleep tonight.

Ps. The Turkey Casserole was Luvverly!

Bonne nuit!

[giorgio]

Wow ! A new trip ! We wait your photo from Ouarzazate , very nice place.I went there many years ago in August with a Renault 4 !

[John&Chris]

Hi! Both, So what's in the pot for tomorrow? Like the on the road photos but could not be on the road by 7.30am, might just make it for the guvnor's morning cuppa.
Keep safe and see you in Castro Verde for the 7th. J&C

[XCovlov70]

Hi! Both, So what's in the pot for tomorrow? Like the on the road photos but could not be on the road by 7.30am, might just make it for the guvnor's morning cuppa.
Keep safe and see you in Castro Verde for the 7th. J&C

Looking forward to meeting up!
Nice surprise on the N10 for both North & South traffic, see below!

[XCovlov70]

Wow ! A new trip ! We wait your photo from Ouarzazate , very nice place.I went there many years ago in August with a Renault 4 !

Hello Giorgio!
We will get there eventually!

[XCovlov70]

Stage 3 Châtellerault - Sauveterre de Bearn (219.7 Miles)

After a nice quite night we are back on the road at 08:00 Hrs.’ today heading to our next overnight halt at a place called Sauveterre de Bearn and not such a long trip!

Sunrise this morning as we left Villefagnan:



Keep coming UP ‘Mr Sun’!



Now we start getting the mist again.



Construction started for the Paris – Barcelona TGV (High Speed Train Service)



Passing through Bordeaux and although it doesn’t look bad traffic was heavy.



After a few miles on the road around Bordeaux we come off and make our way across part of the city where Tom Tom calls for a left turn except they have been stopped so we have to carry on and take a left turn 4 roads later which causes all sorts of confusion both for us and the French drivers coming the other way, but with a couple of nice things as we pass by!





After getting through Bordeaux we finally get onto the Great Road South the N10.



Where a lot of the traffic are Trucks some of whom we pull up near on a short comfort break.



Surprise surprise! A new set of Toll Gates being installed north of Junction 17 on the N10 which up to now has been a toll free road, but the 4 lane (2 South & 2 North is being widened to 6 lanes.



We then reach a point where a hard left then a hard right is called for!





While further down we see that they are still in the process of clearing up after the very bad storm that came through I think it was 4 years ago!





Get off the N10 and start to head across country and in the distance we can see the Pyrenees which is the mountain range we have to cross to get into Spain but that is for tomorrow.



Then finally we reach the Aires at Sauveterre de Bearn (GPS N 43.40118 W 0.93891) which comes complete with fresh water and a waste disposal point.



After a quick lunch it’s time for a stroll around the village which has some interesting places, and an outside temperature of 15C!



















So far in France we have paid between €1.32 & €1.36 a Litre for Diesel but have seen it at €1.52 as we went through a large town, as the next stop tomorrow will be in Spain it will be interesting to see the difference there.

Bonne nuit.