Bessie Part Three

Well we are leaving cold wet England for home, onto Sea France then start our journey through France home calling at Nice and Monaco.

The sea was very rough as the rain was lashing down and the wind blowing quite strong, boats are not my thing at the best of times but this one was not good, you could not walk in a straight line on it, thank goodness it was only one hour over. We satyed in Calais for the night still raining, and set of in the morning heading towards the alps, this is painted on the wall of where you park up for the night.

WE traveled a good way the first day and stayed over night at Montmiral, nothing special just mile after mile of farm land with sun flowers and grain fields, it all gets to look the same after a full day of it.

Traveling the next day we start to see the lower alps in the distance, at last the land scape was changing. we stayed over night in the lower Alps, then went on the next day and finally the wow factor was there, what a sight as we climbed, we found a camp in the mid Alps and decided to stay for two days it was so beautiful. there was snow on the top of the mountains and very warm weather where we were. the place was Vissily, the castle there is where the French Revelution started, so as well as being beautiful it had a lot of history to enjoy.

Our camp site was on the banks of the lakes. We woke the next morning to the sound of bells, not church bells these were too quiet for that, just like a ting a ling type of bell, we could not think where they were coming from, then we discovered what they were all the cows in the field across the road had alpine bells round there necks so every time they move we had the sound of the bells

This area was so beautiful the lakes went on and on and the mountains in the back ground were fantastic, but if we wanted to have a stay in Monaco we had to start moving on.

Put Monaco in the sat nav says Brian, well that was the start of the scariest experience yet the most wonderful experience I have ever had. We started off in the morning and by the time we turned the first bent we were climing and I mean climbingup the mountains, but boy was the sights so breath taking, wow look at that I would say to Brian in sheer wonderment the just as quickly say no keep your eyes on the road. As we climbed the road got narrower and more with more and more twists and turnsin it the scenery got more spectacular, there I am camera in hand trying not to sway about as we rounded another bend.

By now we are high in the alps 20 kilometres from the Italian boarder and there is snow on the side of the road as well as the mountains. Every so many kilometres there was a road sign telling you how high you were above sea level.This photo is a bit blurred as I had to zoom it as far as my camera would to get it.

The 2295 is how high above sea level we were, and the road was by now not much wider than the van.

We could not understand why the sat nav had brought us this way, beautiful as it was it was getting very scary, we had traveled about 25 Ks. and not seen an other car, the gorges were such a deep drop down and the mountains were very high at the side of us, this is a photo of the road we had just come along taken out the back window of the van, so as it is a right hand drive I had the gorge was on my side.

Then as we rounded another bend I went into panic mode, ahead of us was a tunnel cut out of the mountain stating that the tunnel was three metres high, we are three point two metres high, point two higher than the tunnel.

There was a bit of the road to pull into so oncoming traffic could come through the tunnel, but not enough with us parked in it to allow anything to pass us. As I said we had traveled 25 Ks. without seeing anything then in the middle of my panic three cars come up behind us and two coming through the tunnel towards us and us causing a traffic jam. We can't turn not enough room and the gorge was bottomless I am sure I could not see the bottom anyway.

While Brian is out of the van trying to puzzle out what to do I am sat in my seat getting ready to throw the sat nav into the gorge, when a knock came to the window on my side, the stupid frenchman must have thought I was the driver not realizing that we were a right hand drive.

As we have spanish number plates on he tried to talk to me in Spanish, if I had of been Spanish I don't think I would of understood what he was saying so I imformed him English. "Ah" he says " you will have to turn round and go back you cannot get through there" well I do not swear but have you ever wished you did, I gave him a I'm disgusted look and said and just how or where would you like me to turn this motor home round.

Jeanette Spain

Bessie Part two

Well we left Whitby making for what I think of as home excitment growng in me wondering what changes I would find after all the years way (left this area in 1964). First place we came to was Redcar shall we stop says Brian, inpatient me says no there is nothing of intrest there keep going.

I remembered there was a camp site at a place called Crimdon Dene a few miles from where I lived and a lot of my childhood was spent there, I was hoping it would still be open.

As we came back on to the coast road I let out a yell we are at Seaton Crew (you may recognise the name from the story in the news of the man who went missing then came back from the dead). Not far now through Hartlepool then Crimdon.

As we got nearer I could see caravans Fingers crossed we drove in and asked the question any room here YES there was, I did control the urge to hug her.

After geting setting up the motorhome I full of pride for my home teritory set off to show Brian the sites and places of my childhood, I have seen all Brian's childhood haunts in Lincolnshire now it was my turn.

I walked him down the cliff to the beach then we walked along to Blackhall rocks, As a child I never got as far as going into the tunnels in the rocks as I was a coward and as soon as it got dark I legged it out of them, my cousin William used to tell me the smuglers still haunted the tunnels looking for their loot, that was enough for me.

Walking a long here brought back so many memories when I used to climb over these rocks with my friends, as we walked home after spending our bus fares, it was easier to walk along the shore than on the road.

The next day we set off for Durham City, we visited Durham Cathederal, which I had visited so many times with school.

The cathederal is the resting place of St. Bede and St Cuthbert who brought Christianity to the north east of England.

St, bede and st. Cuthbert both have conections with Holy Island in Northumberland. (more on this later).

The cathederal has a sanctuary knocker on the main door, I think brian was hoping for sanctuary from all the site seeing.

Next of to Marsdon and South Shields my dads birth place.

As a child I loved Marsdon Groto, I spent many happy days with my parents and sister here, no shops only a bar restaurant wich I never got into as I was not old enough, so at last I had a meal in there and got to see inside it for the first time. There is only a small stoney bay which is called the Groto, and a large rock you can only get to when the tide is out.

The bar is built into the rocks and I was very impressed with it, well I had waited a long time to see inside.

Into Northumberland next wow was I enjoying visiting all my old places, I was a bit worried that Brian might be a bit bored after all these were my memories, but no he said he thought I was very lucky as a child to grow in in such a place, he has since said if he ever bought a place in the Uk this is where it would be.

We visited the Anwick Garden that belong to the duchess of Northumberland, theywould take some beating for colour, water features, well judge for your selves I can't say much that would do them justice.

We stopped of at Holy Island(Lindisfarne) you can only get on and off the tide is out.

In 676, Cuthbert lived and prayed on island of Lindisfarne the st. Cuthbert cross is still on the island but the monestry was ramsacked by Henry 8 when he was distroying many of the cathedrals.

We ended our tour of the Noth East coast at Berwick on Tweed, then went along Hadrian's wall to the lake district on the way crossing the border into Scotland before ending up at Blackpool to visit my sister.

We left Black pool to call on our dear friend Tina's sister Leeta in Sheffield. I was rather nervous but had no need to worry, We were given a warm welcome and a much need cup of tea. Arthur was going to the hospital the next day his birthday. brian enjoyed talking to Arthur, I was sorry I could not of met Sandy and Babs as well but if you are like Tina and Leeta well I know we would of got on well together. Thank you Leeta for making a nervous couple feel so welcome, hope we can meet up again sometime.

The next week visits to Family and the Lincoln Music festival where Hermans Hermits were playing. It was so cold and wet most of the time.

Off back home again now through France.

Jeanette Spain