UmBongoCat and UmBongoChris on here regularly go over to France (it’s easier from London
) and suggested, in the run-up to Christmas, that we should nip over there on a kind of booze-cruise.Notionally this is a scheme to round up a load of plonk cheaper than you can get at Tesco. But when you tot up the cost of diesel, insurance green card, ferries, campsites etc, it probably works out about double what you would have paid in Tesco. But just going down to your local supermarket wouldn’t be an adventure, now would it?
It also gave us the opportunity to try out the French Aires de Service, their rest areas where you are allowed to camp in your “Camping-Car” – a valuable bit of research that we intend to put to extensive use next year
So, cheapest route over there is to get a fixed ticket on the likes of the DFDS service from Dover....
....except you can go earlier than you booked, if you're prepared to go to Dunkerque instead of Calais
Team Muz on Dover Seaways
Dunkerque
Waving goodbye to our ferry
La Musette – well it would be rude not to
Are we nearly there yet?
Camping Indigo, Bois de Boulogne, Paris, less than 3 miles from the centre of Paris
What are the neighbours like?
Ah, it’s Cath & Chris, Muzette won’t waste any time settling down then
Onto the Paris Métro
Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
Team UmBongo, Arc de Triomphe
Team Muz, Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
Avenue des Champs Élysées, one of the most famous streets in the world....
....Apart from Abbey Road, NW8
Tourist in the middle of the traffic 
Avenue des Champs Élysées
Montmartre funicular
Montmartre funicular, spot the tourists queuing up
Montmartre funicular
Montmartre funicular
Montmartre funicular, the royal wave. Or is it we’re going on it twice
Sacré-Cœur Basilica at the summit of Montmartre
Basilica of the Sacré Cœur
Basilica of the Sacré Cœur
Basilica of the Sacré Cœur
Paris skyline from Montmartre with the Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul left of centre (with the green roof)
Art Paul, with a typically Gallic shrug
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral and the Seine
Team Muz, Notre Dame Cathedral
Eiffel Tower
This is for a separate little project, as Mrs Muz always has a couple of shot-glasses....
....and a bottle of Jura single malt in her handbag when we go out
Team Muz, Eiffel Tower
Muzette, Eiffel Tower
What? – No ice-cream?
Onto the Seine river-cruise, excuse some blurry shots here, no tripod and even if I can hold the camera pretty steady the boat is wobbling
École du Louvre
River Seine
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine
Mrs Muz and Muzette
Onto the double-decker Réseau Express Régional
– Network Rail and Richard Branson could learn a thing or two here 
Bonjour! Camping Indigo after a well-deserved sleep
Well that’s my breakfast sorted, I don’t know what the rest of you are having
What the.... Someone’s nicked the bog
Personally, I blame the snails & tripe we had for tea
Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The World War 1 memorial at Notre-Dame de Lorette
Notre-Dame de Lorette memorial
Notre-Dame de Lorette, this picture just about sums up the futility of war
Coffee & cakes it is then! – What, no ice-cream again?
A sign we shall be looking for in earnest next year, the Aires de Service. On previous tours we wouldn’t have given that sign a second glance
Aire la Pommeraie in Nuncq Hautecôte, Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Only three pitches but all vacant
May as well get the fairy lights out....
....and set fire to some food
All the ingredients you need. Wine, cheese and merguez sausages. The wine is on trial before a major onslaught tomorrow
Aire la Pommeraie, Nuncq Hautecôte
Team UmBongo and Team Muz on tour in la belle France
Merguez sausages and some peppers for the health-food freaks
Aire la Pommeraie, Nuncq Hautecôte
Aire la Pommeraie, Nuncq Hautecôte
Aire la Pommeraie, Nuncq Hautecôte
Well the wine research has gone well, hic
And the white, too
Chez Zaza, Samer, Nord-Pas-de-Calais. For Zaza
Next up, a micro-fromagerie, a kind of Co-Op artisan cheese house....
....very small-scale but very good....
evidently. The garlic cheese does blow your socks off though
On to Auchan in Boulogne-sur-Mer for a major asault
Oh yeah, how many types of cheese do you need, really?
I just hope the rear suspension is up to it
Next up – Netto – And it’s nothing to do with the Netto we used to have in the UK….
….this is a hard discounter that REALLY stacks it high and sells it cheap
Fortuitous planning due to the storms of late….
….we’re booked on the Chunnel
....so 35 minutes and we’ll be back in Blighty
So there you are, mission accomplished. Merguez sausages, horse-burgers, wine and cheese. Oh, and a tin of paella
The fruits of success – Horse-burgers & tartiflette
One thought though, as I quaff this Bordeaux which cost me 77p a bottle (although I did confuse the checkout operator, she was doing her best until I said “Muchas gracias, monsieur” in my best French), Tesco you are having a laugh!!
