InvictaMoto's Family Travels

So after a pretty exhaustive search for hotels in Florida for the second week of our stay, five nights in total, I decided to use up another timeshare week. It seems a waste but when you consider the exchange fee for that week is £169 and hotels are looking  more like £400 for the period, then it is worth it.  Plus we get to stay somewhere a little different. I looked at Lauderdale by the Sea, and then slightly further north at Pompano Beach.   In the end choosing the  Wyndham Sea Gardens resort. It is right on the beach off A1A between the Atlantic  and the Intracoastal Waterway . Looking  at the Weatherspark site to see what the average temperatures are, they look pretty good for us British . So another plus point for Florida.  And another thing sorted.

The second week is a little problem as it really is 5 nights only. I have been looking at hotels on the Gulf but the current prices are running at about $90 a night. When you total that we are looking at about $450. It's not a lot better on the Atlantic side either. I had thought about a trip up to Daytona and across to Cape Canaveral and that might still be on the cards. This year in Arizona we did the relax then tour system and it worked pretty well. Another week in the timeshare will be less than half of that. So. What to do? I have one overnight booked before the Orlando stay.  By the time we get there it will be time to eat and then go to bed as we will have had a long day.

Of all the comparison sites I have found that the best, for me at any rate, is Skyscanner. Today I had a quick look, always remembering to change my internet cache before searching and was amazed to see that Virgin had a direct flight from London Gatwick (LGW) on my dates, and cheaper (not much!) that my earlier searches. The times were good and so I thought "I'll have some of that". I clicked on the "offers" page and was taken to TravelUp. An agents we have used before. I filled in all my details, Claire's details and got to "pay now", and a box popped up, "flight details changed". Clicking on it took me back to Skyscanner and it began another search.  This time Virgin was cheapest still BUT the outward aitport was LGW but we'd arrive back at London Heathrow (LHR), some 50 miles away. Not much use with my car in the parking at LGW and an expensive transfer to negotiate.   Instead for £4 more I can fly direct from LGW and

Checking on RCI ( rci.com ) shows that there are quite a few options for the Orlando area. I have finally booked one that gets good ratings from visitors and also is allegedly "quiet". At all the other places we have stayed over the years, US and Europe, we have never had to pay for the amenities;  pool etc.   There is always a swipe of the credit card to cover "security" and deposits for keys, usually apartment and parking garages, but never to use the pool or a lounger. However, this seems the "norm" for Orlando. I'm sure most of the people going there are headed for Disney and the other parks and spend less time at the resort than they might at other places in other parts of the country and even the state.  So I don't think that $10 a day per apartment is appropriate to use the pool at all. So that ruled a few out.  I found one that was charging $1 a day?  It must cost more to collect it in receptionists time than they bring in. In the

So for 2017 we are looking at using the timeshare again for a week and after this year in Arizona we started looking at Florida. One change will be that instead of going in May we are planning to go at the end of September.   Fingers crossed that hurricanes stay away. But where? The quality of resorts in the US are much better than in Europe. In our bracket they are far better and so the only downside is the length of the flight. And possibly the cost but that's to be expected. So far the plan is to fly to Orlando or Tampa. Depending on flight times and which UK airport! Last year our return flight arrived at London Heathrow and six hours later we were finally home.  So I'd prefer Gatwick.  Nearer home and doesn't involve driving through the packed traffic in West London. What I have done so far is a bit of surfing to look at places and flights and booked a car. So...

Dor dog ne. After a couple of successful trips away with Reggie we took the plunge and booked another trip to France. This time in the Dordogne region staying in a mobile home again, like we did in October this year, but in May! Except this time with a company called Eurocamp. Claire has some reservations about going so far with Reggie in the car as it about 500 road miles. I have built in an overnight stop on both legs. I don't think it will be a problem as there will be plenty of stops on the way. Plenty of time to decide.

The last day. We had to be up early as the mobil-home had to be cleaned and the floor washed before we could get one of the staff to come over and check that we hadn't broken or stolen anything.... We had checked the inventory on arrival and they check it when we leave.  Many of the FB and TripAdvisor comments seemed to find this strange. We hadn't used any of their bedding as we had taken sleeping bags and our own pillows, plus throws to stop Reggie leaving hair or mud on the furniture. We brushed round and then I washed the floor with the sachet of hospital cleaning grade cleaner they had left.  We eventually left about 1015.  First stop the recycling bins and then off towards home. A coffee stop again a Baie de Somme.  Reggie had people laughing as he was looking in the water out back when a huge carp swam towards him. He jumped in the air like his legs were springs. After that he wouldn't near the edge, not even to bark or growl at the ducks. And then we were off

Our last full day of the holiday. I had hoped to get to St Valéry and ride the train but a bit of back ache meant I could hardly move for hours. Okay sitting or walking but nothing in between. In the end a it was also our wedding anniversary we decided to have lunch out. We had exhausted St Valéry and so headed for Le Tréport again. We have always thought of France as being more dog friendly than UK but we still felt odd asking at L'Aquarius whether Reggie could go inside with us. "But of course" was the response. The food was good and Claire got her mussels. We had a walk around before heading up to the heights above the town to check out the views. It's also up here where the Funiculaire has its upper terminus. As we walked along the top of the cliff to overlook the town. Below it looked like a model village. The funicular runs through the cliff and like parking in Le Tréport it is free. Of course in lieu of missing the

Today is pet passport day. A drive into Abbeville where the TomTom took us straight to the door. We were very early and so we parked,  again free, and went for a walk around a garden before a coffee. Abbeville can't be confused with an interesting city centre. The town hall looks like it was styled on an ancient design with a tower but in white concrete.... The church is old though. Still ugly. We had time for a pannini and then it was gone 3pm. The short walk to the vets gave Claire a chance to pop into a boulangerie and buy a meringue for after dinner. The nice lady vet checked Reggie over and filled in his passport and gave him the worming tablet.  He thought it was a treat and gobbled it down. We left ten minutes later and €30.10 lighter in the pocket but with the passport filled in to get him back into the UK. On the way back to the campsite I saw a sign for a WW1 military cemetery dedicated to Chinese workers. This one at Noyelles has 811 registered bu

Today we had a lazy day, or at least start to the day.  Late breakfast and a walk for Reggie to do his ablutions. Today we stayed local again. Going into St  Valéry for a walk about and down to the railway station on the harbour to watch the train leave. The train is a heritage line and runs from Le Crotoy to St Valéry almost all year and in the summer there is an extension to Cayeux. We were lucky enough to arrive in time see it leave at 1430. After we watched it fill up and leave there was time to have a barquette of frites between us. Once again we ate in for the evening meal. One man and his dog One woman and her dog Selfie

Another disturbed night due to whatever has Reggie awake and growling plus today the locals are out with their shotguns. It is a miserable existence for anything that can fly in France as the brave hunters will shoot it. From endangered songbirds to ducks if it takes to the wing some twat in camouflage gear will shoot at it. I almost feel sorry for the French airforce as they flew along  the course of the Somme the day before.  A target that big? After breakfast and a short walk we both had an extra lay in to get some rest. Relaxing this holiday isn't! ! It meant we were late going across the bay to Le Crotoy. With pay to park everywhere I moved the car a few times to more convenient places all on the one ticket. Reggie wasn't enjoying today's walk and he wasn't allowed on the beach here. We had a coffee and sit in the sun for a while. Nice to soak up the warmth. On the way back we stopped in another Carr

After another affected night we awoke to bright sunshine. Again Reggie and I went to get the bread.  The cats that live near reception kept a low profile. After breakfast we drove into St Valery and parked up. Pay again. As we walked along the pedestrian area Ali guide the bay the tide was us starting to turn. We had a coffee at La Terrasse before walking to the end where the river opens into the marshy bay. The tide was rushing in quickly and in less than half an hour the beaches on the far side of this inlet had gone and it was lapping up against the concrete sides on the town side. We stopped in La Terrasse again. This time for lunch. A goats cheese salad for Claire and a blue cheese burger for me. Amazingly I could eat all the chips/fries. We called in a Lidl for some supplies on the way back and noticed a McDonald's as well..... After Reggie's dinner we went into Cayaux for another walk as it was still bright and sunny. Tonight'

I mentioned that Reggie can be protective but what I really meant was overprotective. It rained heavily overnight and as well as that there were strange animal noises to keep him busy at intervals all night. The beds are okay and the sleeping bags are similarly okay. But having a dog having mental barking fits is not so good. Luckily being off season the four similar units we drive past to 136 are all empty.  At least no one for Reggie to annoy. The people in 137 across the roadway are in their own caravan and they seem to talk loudly all night until gone midnight. Reggie does not like that either. So Day 2 dawned a little dull and we had a walk to reception to collect our bread order. The French love their fresh baguette every morning. Once breakfast was over we set off for Cayaux and after a walk and coffee we went to look for the tall chalk cliffs that extend from Ault almost to Le Tréport. We found them. Le Tréport is a very lively town on a Sunday with fre

From the Baie de la Somme services it was a short run to the campsite at La Mollière. We checked in quite quickly and drove round the one way system to emplacement 136 where our mobil-home is placed. As Reggie takes ownership of anywhere he stays, he gets protective and defends. This means there is liable to be barking. I asked for a spot with little passing traffic.  That's what we have. After unpacking we had a walk across the road to the dunes. We had imagined the sea to be there. Wrong. We also climbed this 60 foot sand dune when a walk along to the west would have seen us walk through a gap on a path.... It was good exercise and we were the only ones daft enough to do it. For dinner we ate in on Carrefour supermarket microwave lasagna. Yum.

A bit of a fraught start with the car seemingly needing to be bigger than it is. In the end the Tardis effect worked and the boot/trunk was full and half the back seat not occupied by Reggie was packed too. Once we had filled the tank and checked in to find we had an hour delay we had time to let Reggie have a run about in the dog exercise area. Our original departure time was 1020. The huge board by where I parked said it was now 1050. We rushed into the terminal to get a coffee. Huge queues so made do with a crappy machine. We should have bothered. We sailed through passports, UK and French, and into Lane 12. It was 1014. Our place for the next 50 minutes was that queue. It rained a few times and that 1050  crossing faded. Almost an hour was up and we moved up to the next queue, tantalisingly close to a train. On the down ramp we could see another train loading in parallel. 1120 came and went. At 1141 we finally wheezed out of the station. Delays of

Packing and sorting had begun. From the reviews it looks as though the units are quite sparsely furnished so I have emailed to check what we need to take. A bit late but I didn't expect to take essentials like kettles with me. I knew we had to take our own bedding and we have sleeping bags plus half the car will be taken up by Reggie and his paraphernalia; food and bedding. We take throws with us to cover furniture. The vet in Abbeville is booked for Reggie's passport. So that should ensure he gets home again.

Since we were married we have tried to get away for our wedding anniversary and this year we have booked a week in France with Reggie in a mobile home. We tested the water last year with a weekend away and with a week to Scotland with him. He was generally very good on both trips. This year though we'll need to have his pet passport kept up to date with a visit to a French Vétérinaire before he can come back. I have located one not far from where we are saying and he is booked in on October 6th in the afternoon. The mobile home is in a seaside town at Cayaux sur Mer.

Pepe is ready to roll, only needing a top up of petrol before heading off to the Shuttle on Wednesday morning. Before then I have a day at work,  a day work from home and a visit to the hospital to see about a hearing aid. Then I need to pack. The weather forecast looks pretty good so I'll need to get out the sun screen. And the insect repellant. Clothes? I like the idea I read about in a magazine of simply taking old stuff and binning it rather than carrying it about.  I'm sure I have pants and socks that could fill that role! The Saddlemen bag is pretty huge for one person so the panniers can be used to carry heavier low down stuff.  Our Czech hosts like wine and live in a wine producing area. So taking English eine might seem like selling sand to Saudi but I am sure with enough bubble wrap I can get a few bottles safely 800 miles across Europe. It might need a few days or weeks to settle before drinking. What else?

A lot of pictures taken on Route 66 this summer. I have saved them to Flickr where they can be seen by eveyone. Click here.

I sent these to the wrong blog and rather than re-type or cut and paste.... here are the links. http://invictamoto.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/fwd-somme-commemorations-day-one.html http://invictamoto.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/the-somme-commemorations-day-two.html

It rained. It was sunny. But it was a great day at the Ulster Tower for the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. Some pictures.

Desert Botanical Garden - Phoenix Butterfly Wonderland Goldfield Ghost Town