Day 91 – to Ban-de-Sapt (Vosges)

There was thunder rain most of the night. I find the steady drumming on the roof of the van pleasant and welcome, especially after a warm and humid day.

I had chatted to an older couple from Thirsk last night, sat outside their motorhome with a wine. They invited me for a glass, which I took them up on. I am still quite hopeless when it comes to choosing a good wine. It doesn’t really agree with me, but my brother, Nigel, have me some fine tutelage on our many trips that involved wine; Mendoza and Vina del Mar stick in my mind the most. He reached great heights in the US wine tasting community, and absolutely none of that has wiped off on me.

But the Thirsk couple had a good bottle, and it was an enjoyable half hour until the rain from the threatening thunder eventually arrived.

Today was a day of various administrative tasks, sandwiched between two brief walks. The vet at Bracon was as helpful as ever. I slipped in a question about a European Pet Passport, and she issued me one on the spot. They are actually free, one pays for the appointment, but I had done that anyway for the worming treatment. It will be a major help, and quite a saving, as it currently costs me £75 each trip for the Animal Health Certificate, which is also much less recognised.

I also bought a Bravecto tick treatment from there, at 30 euros, as opposed to £55 at my vets in UK.

I topped up with LPG also, something else that is very much easier and cheaper to do in mainland Europe.

It was another warm and humid day, so as the storms threatened i deviated off the planned route to gain a bit of height in the north west of the Vosges. I really enjoy the Vosges, low population, very scenic, great forest, typical rural villages. In the forest at the back of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges I found a spot in the forest, just off road, reversed into it and became stuck. I must have forgotten that it had rained several millimetres in the last 12 hours. After half an hour I’d gathered enough sticks, and thought out a plan that eventually worked. The small road was so isolated that the chance of anything passing was tiny. I had considered a hike to the nearest farm, and a tractor rescue, like Norway..

There is an occasional price to pay for a good stopover place, but this would have been too much.

I moved on and found a place on much firmer footing at the public gardens at Callunes, just above the village of Ban-de-Sapt.

There was a storm this afternoon, and that has cleared the air a little, but the forecast shows more later, though at the moment there is no sign.