Vire

After a second night on the aire at Avranches, this morning we moved onto another aire at Vire.

The church

Nice house for the ducks

Cycles on the water - the Tour de France goes through this town.

Mont Saint-Michel

Today we're visiting Mont Saint-Michel. We left Kiki on the aire at Avranches and have come here on our scooter as MH parking here is €20 for the day!

Topped by the Saint-Michel monastery, the island has been a strategic point holding fortifications since ancient times.

Lemmings everywhere.

 

Avranches

We went for another walk around Pont-d'Ouilly this morning before heading to a free aire at Avranches.

We're here to visit Mont Saint-Michel tomorrow - you can just make it out in the distance behind Em.

Walking in Rural France

The river at Pont-d'Ouilly

Lunch today is a rather fine baguette...

We "sort of" followed a circular walking route - the sign's were somewhat elusive in places!


Fit for another few miles?

Pont-d'Ouilly

We're now stopping on the official aire at Pont-d'Ouilly. It's located right on the river and almost deserted. We even have a picnic table behind our parking place.


Em's Sangria is strong enough to knock you out!

Campigny

Last night we stayed on a tiny aire in Campigny. This morning we went for a 16km figure of eight cycle ride around the local countryside.


Local building style.

Rouens

On Saturday night we stopped on a free aire at Conty with about 10 other MH's. Nothing much there so on Sunday morning we drove to the aire at Forges Les Eaux where we went for a 25km cycle ride along the route of a disused railway. We stayed overnight on the aire and drove on to visit Rouens this morning.

Rouens centre from our parking place on the pavement alongside the main road!

Rouens cathedral made famous by Monet.

Astronomical Clock

Pretty buildings in the square

 

L'Hotel de Ville

Amiens

This afternoon we're in Amiens and it's raining. We had intended to stay here tonight but decided against it as the parking place looked a bit dodgy.


Lovely waterside restaurants - shame about the rain.


The cathedral Notre-Dame

We went inside to shelter from the rain!

Picquigny

En-route to our next overnight stop we drove through the little village of Picquigny on the river Somme. We parked up and decided to follow a walking route along the river. It was supposed to be a circular route but we think some of the signs were missing because we had to make part of it up!


The river Somme

Doullens

Tonight we're stopping on another free aire at Doullens. A very popular aire - the four parking spaces were quickly filled and another 8 MH's arrived during the afternoon.

Nothing much to say about Doullens - we tried to find a walking route but there just didn't seem to be any!

Arras

Today we're heading south into Picardie, stopping en-route to see the old town of Arras. Post-war reconstructed in 7th Century Flemish style, each residence has a slightly varying design.

Saint-Varent

We've got a month free before I return to Sydney for the second part of the ABC job so we've come to explore some of northern France. We took the Dover-Calais ferry on Monday 1st August, stopped overnight at our favourite spot in Calais and then drove to an aire by the river in St Varent.


The view from Kiki.
We're on a free aire with free water and electricity (only in France!) and we even managed to pick up a free WiFi signal from the marina opposite!!

Chilling out by the river

So typically French (sitting on a bench)

 

Cycling along the river - we completed a circular route returning along the canal.

A Day in Brunei

Our marathon journey from Australia back to the UK involved a 15hr stopover in Brunei so we booked onto a tour of the city.


Masjid Jamek Mosque

Ladies must preserve their modesty

The Sultan's entrance

Taxis on the river.
We went on a taxi ride around the Kampong Ayer water village, stopping for some tea at one of the houses.

In one of the houses we had a chance to dress in traditional wedding attire and pose in a wedding scene - practice for June 2012?

Houses in the water village - more than 30,000 people live in traditional houses built on stilts over the Brunei river.

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque with a replica of the royal barge

Our Last Day in Australia

Em's topping up the suntan

Chilling out after a long day on (and under) the water

The sun's going down on our last day in Australia

Sunset over Cairns

Swimming with the Fishes

This fish appeared to be flying through the water

Parrot Fish - last seen munching on the coral

 

 

Hundreds of little fish on this coral

Wavy Coral

 

A Giant Clam