Escape from the Loir, Down the N10 to Villedomer

Zagan the motorhome’s finally escaped the siren song of the slow-flowing Loir, has spun up his wheels on the fast and free N10, and is now enjoying a sunny afternoon in the municipal aire at Villedômer (N47.54460, E0.88699). I’m sat inside typing this after a short foray into the village revealed: it’s shut. Very shut. They’re all gone. We’ll try again later but I suspect France is making the most of May’s many jours fériés, and has universally gone on holiday. Who can blame ’em?

The aire at Villedomer. We’ve since shifted from under the trees as we’re English, and weren’t 100% sure we were allowed over there. We searched for signs saying we couldn’t stay there, found none, but moved anyway. Feels more comfortable sat among the other couple of vans though.

The road into the aire was a bit dodgy. Kidding, just kidding.

Martin’s birthday BBQ in the campsite at Châteaudun was a hit, with the six of us sat around in the warm evening air alongside the Loir. The talk turned through topics of life, of living on boats, of running 52-room hotels, wandering North Africa, campervan layouts, chemical loos (mandatory subject), the habits of dogs and famous artist fathers painting George Best and Ian Botham. For once I laid off the wine, but enjoyed the evening no less for it. I enjoyed the hangover-less morning too, running around half the area’s communes and eventually notching up 18 miles on the feet. That’s the furthest I’ve managed in over 20 years, and my legs still work today, so I’m a contented middle-aged jogger!

Len, June, Martin, Lynn and Ju: great company, bonne voyage guys, hope to see you again!

As an aside, Len and June are travelling in a Romahome Duo. They’ve been visiting France Passion sites for the past month and have another couple of weeks before the ferry home, and a likely next foray back out in June. If you ever think your van a little on the compact side, take heart, there’s always someone happily living in an even more minimalist way! One of their gas burners packed up shortly after they left too, so they’re using a single hob and a portable loo. Respect.

Heading out of the campsite, Zagan had just about realised he was moving when we pulled on the reins at a huge E.Leclerc supermarket whoa Zagan, whoa there!, we’re stopping for supplies, big man. A second twist of the key was almost preceded by us coming to a halt again at the aire in Saint Denis Les Ponts (N48.06665, E1.29016), all of about 3 miles from Châteaudun. The small town was again pretty much shut, and we spent the afternoon reading and cooking.

I’ve read The Obstacle is the Way twice in the past week, much enthused by the methods in which the great and the good have tackled blockers in their lives, evading them, even turning them to an advantage. In between the two readings I ploughed through Chris Moon’s One Step Beyond, reeling at the quiet and accepting way in which the author tackles the rather enormous obstacle of him being blown up and nearly killed by a land mine. There are a lot of incredible, tough, kind, persevering, and frankly inspirational folks out there.

Lovely free village motorhome aire at Saint Denis Les Ponts

This morning, Ju nipped out for a run, and afterwards we decided over breakfast to make a break for it. This wee part of France around Châteaudun and to the north has as Shire-like feel to it to me: a serene, rural perfection. Life seems to ease along here, in no hurry, much like the Hobbit’s homeland in the Lord of the Rings. Folks from communes make their way to weekly markets, queuing at favourite stalls for vegetables, meat, fish and cheese, taking the opportunity to shoot the breeze, discussing prices and, we guess, a bit of gossip here and there. Travelling the Loir’s felt less like travel and more like simply being gently alive. No huge revelations about the meaning of life have been forthcoming, unless life is simply there to be calmly enjoyed and revelled in?

The N10 took us south, largely bypassing towns at a steady 90Kph, with the occasional stretch of 110Kph dual carriageway: perfect for us. What should have been an overnight stop at the rather pleasant town of Vendôme (N47.79140, E1.07565) turned into a pitstop, a wander about the street market followed by a van-based lunch of walnut bread, sheep’s cheese, ham and crabsticks (I can eat these weird bready-fishy things in their thousands). Maybe we felt the passing of the Loir, as it finally heads off West from here, and needed to make a break for it to. 30 seconds after the bread was away, so were we.

Free reserved motorhome parking at Vendôme, right outside the campsite entrance, a not unusual occurrence in France but it always has us pondering differences between here and our native England.

Vendome. An unlikely chat about the visual appeal (or not) of the Flying Buttress followed the taking of this photo, as you do.

More N10 eased us 40 minutes south to here, a wee village which welcomes us van-dwellers free for 24 hours among birdsong and greenery. And that’s about as long as we’ll stay, I guess. The maps and apps remain ever-open and we’ll be eyeballing the next place later on this evening. For now I need to go, time to grab a book and read in the sun.

Villedomer square. Perfect. But also a bit on the closed side.

Ahhhh, wait, wait, nearly forgot Door of the Day! Here you go guys: spotted this little ladder-accessed elevated entrance on the street around the corner from where we’re parked up. Ain’t she a beauty?

Today’s Door of the Day in Villedomer

Cheers, Jay