robertandjean Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 crinklystarfish - 2012-03-05 5:43 PM robertandjean - 2012-03-05 1:22 PM Well said 1 foot,could not have put it better. We too would finish with motorhoming if it werenot for being able to come to France and stay on the aires. Not sure what tosay to you crinklystarfish. First Jean does eat meat but I do not, and whilstit is true this does limit choice in resturants we still manage to eat out withfew problems. Second you are right to point out that, like with any country includingU.K., there are good points and bad points. What we think is that on balance,and certainly for us 'vanners, France comes out on the positive side of thebalance sheet. You clearly see it differently but sat here, in bright sunoverlooking marina, and just about to set out on nice walk followed by an aperitifeat the local bar know why we think as we do. I don’t see it that differently; I’m just open to the fact that it has warts too. I am also open to the fact that the grandeur of the world can’t be fully enjoyed from a glorified car park in department 51. I do like France and agree it’s generally a relaxing place to gad about in a motorhome. I’ve had some enjoyable times there - but also some dire ones, and for some reason the subject of dire times in France is seemingly something of a UK motorhomers’ taboo. I do understand its popularity as a motorhomers’ destination but think its constant uncritical promotion is a bit short sighted: it can be hostile and depressing too, and it really does rain a lot. Think we do seem to be coming to some sort of common view here. Yes we are very positive about France and do promote using aires, but that does not mean we can not see downsides. Yes the weather is not like southern Spain or southern Italy, but rain does not depress us. If poor weather looks set in then we simply move to an aire near a large town or city and visit galleries, museums, have a meal out, sample local wines etc. But that said we certainly find weather better than home, and we spend 4/5 months in France, in around 4 week blocks from Feb to end Nov, so not all summer months. Agree that sitting on the car park aire you mention somewhere in Dept 51 is not like cruising the world, but there are nice aires in the Marne, for example Mareuil-sur-Ay is not bad. Yes there are some aires that are not great and maybe we, at some stage, need to list these. Have thought of this but are reluctant to do this as communities have spent money setting these up is it right to be so critical? Not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmac Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 robertandjean - 2012-03-06 1:28 PM Yes there are some aires that are not great and maybe we, at some stage, need to list these. Have thought of this but are reluctant to do this as communities have spent money setting these up is it right to be so critical? Not sure. Even Aires that are considered to be less than 'ideal' are worth a mention IMO as they can still be a very useful stopping place for the night, which is the point of Aires anyway. Local communities may have invested funds but honest, fair opinions shouldn't really cause any offence. The whole system, warts and all, is still way better than any equivalent we have in the UK :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I am not suprised you prefer France to staying at home. Yorkshire may be nice in summer, but very cold and wet most times. our son now lives in north Yorkshire,(Dales) so we are getting to know the area, but we find it a bit to cold and wet. Will be coming up in July (Not been this time of year) so hoping it will be dry and warm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 PJay - 2012-03-06 2:16 PM I am not suprised you prefer France to staying at home. Yorkshire may be nice in summer, but very cold and wet most times. our son now lives in north Yorkshire,(Dales) so we are getting to know the area, but we find it a bit to cold and wet. Will be coming up in July (Not been this time of year) so hoping it will be dry and warm Yes. I live right at the top of the North Yorkshire Dales / Durham border. Its green and leafy where we live in lower Teesdale but drive 25 miles up the Tees Valley, past High Force (and it is up all the way) to Cow Green Reservoir and there is a plaque stating it has the same climate as Rechovic in Iceland! It might be pretty round here but the weather is flipping wrong! By now having been back here since November I am going mad and its not been a bad winter. People say you cant guarentee the weather in France. Well all I can say is having done three long stints in the south of France but inland is they have proper summers. Warm and sunny most days and often hot. Certainly this November we came back with good tans. However. I think it pays to follow the 14 day weather forecast on Zoover as its amazing how different it can be from one region to the next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I use Zoover for camp site reviews never weather..thanks for that!. London better then south of France and not much worse then southern Spain *-) I think I will be in front of the log burner with a good book for a while yet! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 michele - 2012-03-05 9:26 PM Raining or not I know where I would rather be . I am told that there are some pretty places in England to visit . I am not in the slightest interested . Where ever you go in England it isnt M/H friendly as we all know. Just finished watching an old programme that we recorded long ago ,Chasing Ledgends, Re the tour de france HTC and all that jazz. On watching the campers parked on the road side /hill tops /mountains in a ditch , it made me laugh :D Can you imagine the Tour De France in England . Right move on you orrible lot (lol) Theywould have parking wardens out in force . Well they aint getting my money . We too never travel in UK, when the children were young and we were broke we always camped or caravanned in Uk but now with campervan it is no pleasure to travel in the UK so we never do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Much as I recognise that France is not the end of the rainbow, I also recognise that the UK is restrictive by comparison. That said, there are some cracking travels to be had here and many, including a certain Mr Stothert, rarely seem to find the much whinged about restrictions an insurmountable problem. Realities are often different to dogma and there is a real liberation in reaching the point of being able to see things as they are, not how they are popularly presented. More should try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Good! Now for something far more important than whether particular individuals find that France is their glass of Beaujolais! Crinkly's cab is a rather unfortunate shade of military khaki, and could get him shot at in some countries. So, what colour should it be re-sprayed? I'm veering towards pink, but anyone got any other ideas? :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 If I were scared of being shot at, I wouldn't dare come on here! I'm currently thinking zebra stripes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-03-07 12:33 PM Good! Now for something far more important than whether particular individuals find that France is their glass of Beaujolais! Crinkly's cab is a rather unfortunate shade of military khaki, and could get him shot at in some countries. So, what colour should it be re-sprayed? I'm veering towards pink, but anyone got any other ideas? :-D Wow! I just noticed his avatar. Is that Crinklys van? Looks superb. If it were mine I would go for a matt black mad max look with the image below on the bonnet and maybe a skull and crossbones on the back with the slogan "Death Before Caravan Club" painted on. then I would take it to a CC site (the snobbier the better) and then sit on the roof drinking scrumpy out of a world war two shell dressed as a wizard. Then sit back and watch the fun. you did ask. http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules/gallery2/d/111640-1/mad+max.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 excellent Barry!lol We really need a "like" button on this forum *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-03-07 1:26 PMexcellent Barry!lol We really need a "like" button on this forum *-)How about this one ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Cheers Judge but maybe we should also have a "Pants" button or something to show dissatisfaction or dislike as well. You could have little icons along the bottom of the post showing all the likes and dislikes. Such as a big tick or a smiley face for a like and maybe a steaming turd for a dislike? Just a thought (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 crinklystarfish - 2012-03-07 1:00 PMIf I were scared of being shot at, I wouldn't dare come on here! I'm currently thinking zebra stripes.Well, no, but then - we don't use real bullets! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-03-07 1:26 PM excellent Barry!lol We really need a "like" button on this forum *-) Don't understand. It's got loads of like buttons. Its got a like, submit button, a like, preview button, a like, quote button, a like, reply button, a like, edit button, and a like, delete button. How many other like, buttons, do you want?! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I cannot find the " I Like Donuts Button " dammit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 kelly58 - 2012-03-07 4:39 PM I cannot find the " I Like Donuts Button " dammit You can only find those on American forums. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-03-07 3:17 PM JudgeMental - 2012-03-07 1:26 PM excellent Barry!lol We really need a "like" button on this forum *-) Don't understand. It's got loads of like buttons. Its got a like, submit button, a like, preview button, a like, quote button, a like, reply button, a like, edit button, and a like, delete button. How many other like, buttons, do you want?! :-DVery 'down wid da kids' Brian, like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 malc d - 2012-03-07 4:47 PM kelly58 - 2012-03-07 4:39 PM I cannot find the " I Like Donuts Button " dammit You can only find those on American forums. ;-) Not strictly true! The ubiquity of Google etc now means that the "I like donuts button" now appears on all forums throughout the world. However, there is a "body mass detector" built into the button, which means it will not appear unless the contributor has a BMI exceeding 40. The British "I like doughnuts" button is currently under development, but is mired in disputes with the purveyors of Banbury cakes, Eccles cakes, Melton Mowbray pies, Arbroath smokies, Yorkshire puddings, Bakewell tarts, Bedfordshire clangers, Bath buns, and Cumberland sausages, as being an unfair trade practise unreasonably publicising doughnuts over their, more traditional, products. The matter is currently under consideration by the European Court, but is not expected to be resolved for several years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Jeeez he's bin on the sherbet again ...or playing over on chatterbox! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-03-07 5:13 PM malc d - 2012-03-07 4:47 PM kelly58 - 2012-03-07 4:39 PM I cannot find the " I Like Donuts Button " dammit You can only find those on American forums. ;-) Not strictly true! The ubiquity of Google etc now means that the "I like donuts button" now appears on all forums throughout the world. However, there is a "body mass detector" built into the button, which means it will not appear unless the contributor has a BMI exceeding 40. The British "I like doughnuts" button is currently under development, but is mired in disputes with the purveyors of Banbury cakes, Eccles cakes, Melton Mowbray pies, Arbroath smokies, Yorkshire puddings, Bakewell tarts, Bedfordshire clangers, Bath buns, and Cumberland sausages, as being an unfair trade practise unreasonably publicising doughnuts over their, more traditional, products. The matter is currently under consideration by the European Court, but is not expected to be resolved for several years. I think it totally unfair to compare Arbroath smokies with those other lard inducing sweetmeats Brian? I thought they were rather healthy - full of omega oils & vitamins & the like? :D An arbroath smokie button tho does have possibilities. Imagine the smell when you pushed it - A "Fishy" button ..... might be apt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 ....can I have one of these buttons, please. NOW! (Both here and over on Chatterbox) :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 How about a "let us try to keep a thread on topic" button? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmac Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 robertandjean - 2012-03-07 6:39 PM How about a "let us try to keep a thread on topic" button? "Like" :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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