snowie Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I don't suggest that these four FP sites will appeal to everyone, but theywere highlights of our first van trip. I'll not give locations, may not be in current Guide, alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I can imagine the stench from here :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Flipping heck Snowie ... they're flipping big NUTS in the first photo aren't they! They look like they're the size of pumpkins!!! (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambukashot Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Hi Snowie,Why not share the locations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted May 11, 2013 Author Share Posted May 11, 2013 Mel B - 2013-05-11 9:32 PM Flipping heck Snowie ... they're flipping big NUTS in the first photo aren't they! They look like they're the size of pumpkins!!! (lol) I know; that was Grandma's allotment, and she said we could take our pick; courgettes and tom's I think, better than mine! Just finished the walnut and hazelnut oils, great with parmesan and pasta. alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted May 11, 2013 Author Share Posted May 11, 2013 sambukashot - 2013-05-11 9:42 PMHi Snowie,Why not share the locations?Hi Keith;mainly because they are FP's and not aires.I'll look in my diary and see if I can come up with FP numberalan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambukashot Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 This post will not appeal to anyone if you are no prepared to share the where abouts? What was the point of posting them in the first place? i just don’t get it… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambukashot Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Sorry Snowie,What are FP,s? I do not undersand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 sambukashot - 2013-05-11 10:14 PMSorry Snowie,What are FP,s? I do not undersandFPs are France Passion sites which are like aires but they are on farms, at restaurants etc, basically private land who's owners are happy for your to stay there and hope you partake and buy some of the produce from them. To use them you have to 'join' by buying the book listing them so they are really only mean to be used by those who do that.http://www.france-passion.com/gb_formule.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambukashot Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Thank you Mel for the explanation :)I do not use short code in any of my posts i don't expect anyone else to understand either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted May 11, 2013 Author Share Posted May 11, 2013 sambukashot - 2013-05-11 10:11 PM This post will not appeal to anyone if you are no prepared to share the where abouts? What was the point of posting them in the first place? i just don’t get it… The point was to show that FP's otherwise generally known as France Passion stopovers are also capable of satisfying the needs of people who are looking for "gems" of one sort or another. And whilst there is some payment involved(for membership), there is no payment to stay the night. Purchase of product is optional. If your website is www. camperstops.co.uk, then you know very well what FP is, and the debate about FP's policy on coordinates. On reflection I think I'll keep my FP gems to myself, regards alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 If those are your gems, I'd agree,keep them to yourself. :D but your spirit of sharing soon evaporated. I personally have not used FP stopovers as I've always felt that it could be a costly business buying things you did not really want, and I've no room for a pig thanks. :-S and the idea of using someones hospitality and not purchasing some of their produce is something we would not be at all comfortable with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-05-11 10:55 PM If those are your gems, I'd agree,keep them to yourself. :D but your spirit of sharing soon evaporated. I personally have not used FP stopovers as I've always felt that it could be a costly business buying things you did not really want, and I've no room for a pig thanks. :-S and the idea of using someones hospitality and not purchasing some of their produce is something we would not be at all comfortable with. For 2013 the France Passion (FP) scheme has 1750 'hosts' offering an overnight stopover for motorcaravanners. As these sites will usually be where the hosts themselves live, many will be attractive. The majority of French camping-car aires de services involve ordinary car-parks, so the number of 'gems' will be relatively low. Conversely, the number of 'gems' likely be be encountered within the FP scheme will be relatively high. The validity of those statements will, of course, depend on how one chooses to define a 'gem', but, if the places shown in Alan's photos are considered 'gems', percentage-wise there will be many more of this type of stopover within FP than within the French aires network. The France Passion booklet details the products offered by each host. Certainly, for UK tourists, some of these may have little appeal or be difficult to transport and, as most of the hosts will be winemakers or farmers, if you are a teetotal Vegan the FP scheme may well not be for you. When we visit a France Passion site we do anticipate buying something there, but that doesn't mean we'll be going overboard with the purchases. You don't HAVE to buy €100 of wine (though I have been known to) - one bottle should suffice. A couple of earlier FP-related forum threads: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/-The-Times-and-Motorhomes-in-France/18478/?posts=27 http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/France-Passion/18972/ In the final posting of the 2nd thread John Thompson mentions buying 2 litres of goats' milk at one FP site and greatly enjoying it, and purchasing snails at another FP site and not liking them. France Passion will always be something of an adventure and, if you've got reservations about the scheme, don't join. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted May 12, 2013 Author Share Posted May 12, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-05-11 10:55 PM If those are your gems, I'd agree,keep them to yourself. :D but your spirit of sharing soon evaporated. I personally have not used FP stopovers as I've always felt that it could be a costly business buying things you did not really want, and I've no room for a pig thanks. :-S and the idea of using someones hospitality and not purchasing some of their produce is something we would not be at all comfortable with. Quite a lot more Mike, and I'll happily share my pic's with you. I'd like to see pics of FPs in the Guide and on their website. They are free; once you've paid for the guide. If you feel uncomfortable accepting hospitality then I can't help you. We plan our holidays with the intention of sampling mainly food products, in as pleasant surroundings as possible. We buy food at supermarkets, and FPs, and we get value for money. We enjoy speaking with the producers. If your payload won't accomodate a pig Mike, then buy some sausages, easy. (or change the van) We have found that over the 3 years we've been touring, people seem to arrive late and leave early, maybe they are just shy? Most of them were French.I think locations are getting out and onto "lists". Maybe people are using old Guides. If coordinates end up out there on websites and freely circulated lists, then I think it will discourage a lot of producers. Some may be encouraged, hoping for a small percentage of sales to a larger overall number. I doubt many will want to become wildcamping hotspots. They mostly don't provide any facilities, it's not a condition of membership. We recently joined the Britstops scheme, but I fear that it may be affected in the same way. Free information comes at a price, and doesn't appeal to me, not in this sort of situation. Others will disagree. alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Your comment, most of them arrive late, and leave early really made me laugh, how many times have we seen the French do that, they seem to have knowing when someone is likely to turn up expecting them to pay for their overnight Aire stop down to a fine art, they obviously do the same on FP stops then :D one Aire that we stayed at had a notice when the fee would be collected, there was a mass exodus, but what we were really astonished at was many of them reappeared an hour or so later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted May 12, 2013 Author Share Posted May 12, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-05-12 10:41 AM Your comment, most of them arrive late, and leave early really made me laugh, how many times have we seen the French do that, they seem to have knowing when someone is likely to turn up expecting them to pay for their overnight Aire stop down to a fine art, they obviously do the same on FP stops then :D one Aire that we stayed at had a notice when the fee would be collected, there was a mass exodus, but what we were really astonished at was many of them reappeared an hour or so later. France, covered in barrier entry systems and height barriers would (will?) be sad, and consequently rather less attractive I think, alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 FP does look like a nice scheme but I personally wouldn't relish the interaction, let alone the sense of moral obligation - even if the owner genuinely isn't bothered about any kind of transaction. Kipped out again last night (Lincolnshire) as per pic. Nearest (quiet) country lane about 300m away, fish were rising, birds were singing, saw nobody at all between parking up at 7.00pm and leaving early doors. Each to their own, of course, but with all the promotion of 'designated gems' of late it's just a reminder that motorhomes allow an enormous amount of freedom and spontaneity and there is no obligation to rely upon formally designated areas or schemes. This is a fairly typical starfish stopover. And just for the detractors, I did my usual quick litter pick (there wasn't much about though) before I left leaving the area 'better' than when I'd arrived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 crinklystarfish - 2013-05-12 3:06 PM FP does look like a nice scheme but I personally wouldn't relish the interaction, let alone the sense of moral obligation - even if the owner genuinely isn't bothered about any kind of transaction. Kipped out again last night (Lincolnshire) as per pic. Nearest (quiet) country lane about 300m away, fish were rising, birds were singing, saw nobody at all between parking up at 7.00pm and leaving early doors. Each to their own, of course, but with all the promotion of 'designated gems' of late it's just a reminder that motorhomes allow an enormous amount of freedom and spontaneity and there is no obligation to rely upon formally designated areas or schemes. This is a fairly typical starfish stopover. And just for the detractors, I did my usual quick litter pick (there wasn't much about though) before I left leaving the area 'better' than when I'd arrived. And there was me thinking you had a great hulking green ex-army truck with a great big white portacabin on the back for stealth camping. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Crinklies! You're blocking the boat ramp! poor likle ducks..... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Ah, yes, it is rather less subtle admittedly. A man can't have too many motorhomes though... Another dreadful layby in UK PLC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Thanks for posting your pics Alan :-D I had been wondering what kind of parking was to be had on F.P sites, do they ever have electric laid on? or facilities ie; toilets/dumping/water ? and if you stay do you go and look at what they are selling or do they come to you ? hopefully not the latter !! my dogs dont take to strangers invading our pitch !! very embarrassing if they tell you to hoppit !!! ) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambukashot Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Great wildcamping spot i like in the Isle of Manhttp://www.camperstops.co.uk/images/point-of-ayre-3.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted May 12, 2013 Author Share Posted May 12, 2013 maggyd - 2013-05-12 4:00 PM do they ever have electric laid on? or facilities ie; toilets/dumping/water ? and if you stay do you go and look at what they are selling or do they come to you ? Hi Margaret; never come across one with elec ( correction; just one, and that was a"Camping-caristes" a couple who have a motorhome, and extend their hospitality only; nothing for sale). We always go for a look at what's on offer, just in case we want to move on, and we can then leave fully stocked up if all goes to plan. I assume your dogs are well behaved? so should be ok. Most of the FPs we've been on have been remoteish and have had "farmdogs" I'm not a dog lover but none ever caused me any concern, not even the pair of Dobermans,very well behaved. alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 maggyd - 2013-05-12 4:00 PM Thanks for posting your pics Alan :-D I had been wondering what kind of parking was to be had on F.P sites, do they ever have electric laid on? or facilities ie; toilets/dumping/water ? and if you stay do you go and look at what they are selling or do they come to you ? hopefully not the latter !! my dogs dont take to strangers invading our pitch !! very embarrassing if they tell you to hoppit !!! ) (lol) :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S " your pitch " :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S I'd find it hard to imagine anyone approaching you on their own land accepting their hospitality to object to two snapping snarling dogs, don't give it another thought I'd say. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-05-12 4:16 PM maggyd - 2013-05-12 4:00 PM Thanks for posting your pics Alan :-D I had been wondering what kind of parking was to be had on F.P sites, do they ever have electric laid on? or facilities ie; toilets/dumping/water ? and if you stay do you go and look at what they are selling or do they come to you ? hopefully not the latter !! my dogs dont take to strangers invading our pitch !! very embarrassing if they tell you to hoppit !!! ) (lol) :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S " your pitch " :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S I'd find it hard to imagine anyone approaching you on their own land accepting their hospitality to object to two snapping snarling dogs, don't give it another thought I'd say. :-S Snarling? snapping?? Well you know all about that 1ftin the mouth >:-) I did say pitch as in "a temporary place I am staying" not SITE !! and yes my dogs bark when a stranger approaches our van! and Im not going to stop them doing that especially when parked up in a strange place :-S Tell me DO you have to work at being obnoxious or does it come NATURALLY ??? :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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