Our 2005 tour is divided into three parts, the first taking us to see family in Hohenlimburg, Germany. Our visit coincided with the Hohenlimburger Stadtfest. Then, with friends, we came across a town parade featuring lots of old costumes. Finally we stayed in Düsseldorf.

Part 2 took us into Holland. In trying to follow the coast, we found a super hotel near a deserted beach at Elzenduin. We also found some Japanese Gardens, and visited the Delft Porcelain factory. At the suggestion of the hotel staff, we visited the ‘model village’ at Madurodam, near The Hague. Heading South, we stayed in Sluis near the Belgian border, and visited an Ostrich Farm and the the railway centre at Maldegem.

Part 3 is more-or-less our homeward journey, taking in the Sea Life Centre at Blankenberge, and St’ Joseph’s Village - a delightful little place about 10 minutes outside Calais.

2006

Our 2006 tour is also in three parts. Our first stay was in Valkenburg, with its castle, caves, and, of course, restaurants. From there we drove South along the Moselle, stopping at a delightful hotel where our room’s balcony overlooked the river. Their restaurant, too, was on a terrace overlooking the river.

We continued South with a one night stop in Nancy, before turning West towards Troyes. Another delightful place with lots of half-timbered buildings in the city centre. Continuing West, we stopped in the small town of Montargis. A pretty town, but not much to do there apart from looking at canals and bridges. The hotel was a former post house, and the restaurant was on the front terrace overlooking the pretty town square.

The last leg of our tour took us to Giverny, where we went to visit Monet’s garden, followed by a brief visit to the nearby old town of Vernon.

2010

We returned to France in 2010. The first leg took us via The Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to our usual overnight stop in Calais. From there, we moved on to Abbeville, making a couple of ‘tourist’ stops on the way. La Coupole was an underground bunker built to house and launch V1 rockets at London, and in the afternoon we visited The Underground City Of Naours.

From Abbeville, we went inland to Fourmies, but first we stopped at, and took a trip on, the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme.

At Fourmies, our hotel was surrounded by woodland and lakes. From there, after a walk around one of the lakes, we headed back to the coast to Dieppe. The next day, as well as being market day, there was also an international kite festival.

Our next hotel was in St. Quentin Sur L’Homme, near Avranches - a good base to check out the bay of Mont St. Michel, and the nearby Alligator Bay. We also visited the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Avranches.

St. Nazaire was our next stop, where we found a really good safari park, Planete Sauvage. The hotel pool was nice to sit by with an evening beer, but too cold for actual swimming.

Our last overnight stop was in Honfleur. We’d been here before on a flying visit, but this time we lingered a little longer, enjoying lunch overlooking the harbour, and an evening meal on the other side of the harbour - with a few beers, of course.

2011

In 2011, the first leg of our French tour took us, as usual, via The Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to our overnight stop in Calais. The next day, we drove to Falaise, where we found the Chateau Guillaume-le-Conquerant.

From Falaise, we headed for St. Nazaire, stopping on the way at a small, but nicely landscaped zoo in Jurques.

In the Trignac suburb of St. Nazaire, we stayed in the same hotel as last year. Again, the pool was nice to sit by with an evening beer, but too cold for actual swimming. From here, we visited a blockhouse of the Atlantic defences at Batz-sur-Mer, followed by a drive along the Cote Sauvage. It was a dull and misty day.

Continuing South, we spent a couple of nights in Saintes. From here, we visited Les Grottes de Régulus on the coast at Meschers-sur-Gironde.

Still based in Saintes, we had a day out on the holiday island of Ile d’Oleron.

Still going South, we spent 3 nights in Montauban. From there, we visited Albi with its immensely impressive Basilica de Saint Cecile, claimed to the world’s largest brick construction.

Another full day out: In the morning we went to the mediaeval village of Penne, with its imposing ruined castle, la Forteresse Royale de Penne d’Albigeois. After a really good lunch at a dowdy looking roadside café, we moved on to Le Petiit-Paris in Vaissac - a model of that city.

From Montauban, we headed East to Aubenas for one night, and from there we visited Dijon, which we’d first visited in 2006. Then, we drove North to Chalon-sur-Saone for a couple of nights, and another night in Troyes, also first visited in 2006, before the last leg back to Calais.