With the motor home collected and packed the previous day, we made an early start from our home in Cambridge. One of my travelling companions was very eager to set off having packed his bag and food, the remainder of the journey was filled with “are we nearly there yet ?” And talk about a back seat driver !

Heading to the channel tunnel, the first international encounter was made with a dutch traveller at a service station heading the opposite direction, having trouble programming his sat nav to find the county of Essex – a crash course in the Dutch version of a Garmin had him on his way in a jiffy, and following a grand tour of his converted horse lorry which he had converted single handedly into a home from home we departed in different directions.

After a 35 minute and uneventful crossing under the English Channel , we popped in “la belle France”.  Negotiating the Calais suburbs with locals leaping out of the way, we eventually found ourself on the Very dull but functional A26, a route affectionately called “autoroute des Anglais”.

Soon, the UK caravan pulling crew had dissipated over the country and we were able to admire the beautiful french countryside with its green and brown patchwork fields of wheat, newly emerged Spring barleys and ground prepared for the imminent drilling of corn.  The long lines of the majestic poplars, breaking wind, as they do so well !

The further south we got, with the afternoon sun picking out the blossom of the blackthorn, jasmine and cherries lining the route , a feeling of calm came over us……Then we realised what it was…if any of you have travelled in a motorhome, you will know that they are terrifically noisy things, with everything that can rattle ( and some things that can’t) will rattle on even the most slightly uneven road.

Somewhere along the “autoroute des Anglais” we realised, we’d either gone deaf, or the French reluctance to follow the English habit of allowing all and sundry to dig up a perfectly smooth road soon after it’s been finished, made for a silent journey…mind you we did pay €32.60 for the privilege ..a small price to pay.

Moving off the autoroute onto rural rules, our confidence of controlling a vehicle with 10 feet of bodywork overhanging the rear axle was building, until a sudden scraping sound and a jolt made us remember our off- road training about departure angles ! Ah well, we’ll know for next time !

Finally we made it to our first stop over point, about 20 km East of Epernay, the capital of champagne.

300 km from home our journey has begun…….