Honfleur is a traditional old French fishing village, with cobbled streets, timber houses, weekly markets, and even a merry-go-round dating back to 1900 so it’s a magnet for tourists with everything right on your doorstep. So when our son James, his partner Becky and their children, Amelia and Oliver decide to make a trip across the channel to see us, we arrange to meet them there.
We chose the aire in Honfleur because it’s a large site and with most motorhomers being of a certain age, who enjoy their peace, we wanted somewhere that has plenty of space for our chatty, noisy Grandchildren.
However, since we were last here they have started to make changes to the layout, moved the entrance and payment barriers are now being installed. Driving into the makeshift entrance we can’t believe how many vans are here it’s packed solid but we manage to squeeze right into the corner with views looking towards the river, and fingers crossed our neighbours have ear plugs.
With our visitors en route, we stop off at the supermarket to stock our onboard fridge full of their favourite treats and to buy Grandad a box of the red stuff because I anticipate he will need this by the end of their visit.
When we are back home Amelia and Oliver sometimes come for a sleepover in the van which normally entails just ‘sleeping’ in the van, with all meals being made and eaten in our house, this time they will be sleeping in a Gite but spending the day with us.
Over the next two days, we visit a few places along this part of the coast, wandering the cobbled streets, visiting the market, there’s been waffle eating, tracking down a late evening ice cream bar, and a visit the beach and when they had finished building sandcastles and wading in the sea they get cleaned off with an outside shower back at the motorhome, however, I’m sure they have smuggled a bucket load of sand back in the motorhome because it’s everywhere.
Before Amelia and Oliver’s arrival, we had cleaned and tidied inside, and now we wonder why because they proceeded to explore every inch of the van and I mean every inch and with no onboard space for a playroom, (apart from an outside locker they would fit quite nicely in there ) we draw pictures and play noughts and crosses, and when it rains we resort to watching the tv.
It’s been a fun-filled couple of days but one last play in the park and it’s time for them to make their way back to catch the ferry, whilst we try to get some sense of order back and try to find the things that tiny hands have hidden in our small home. This has been a whole new experience for our trusty home on wheels it’s certainly part of our trip we will never forget.
Coordinates for Aires used in France
Honfleur
N 49.41924
E 0.24154
Villers Sur Mer
N 49.32908
E 0.01239