After settling into the suitcase life for a hot minute in London it was time to pick up our nifty 2.5L Fiat, fully equipped for our European adventure. It is our hope that we will manage to live together in the van (which is not yet named) and not kill each other by the end of it…let’s see how this goes!
After a 20 minute crash course on how to drive, use and abuse the camper, we nodded at all the right times and were out the gate a few quid lighter before we quite knew what had happened. A short 3 hour trip from London to Dover to await our ferry to Calais in the morning was our first leg. It must have been amusing for all the experienced campers that evening at the campsite as dumb and dumber fumbled around with power cords and levelling blocks – we got there in the end.
A successful drive through the gauntlet at Calais and a few hours later we found ourselves in Paris. There isn’t too much more to say other than fresh croissant deliveries, cheap french wine and cuisine to die for. We spent two days exploring Paris on a self-guided walking tour including the battered Notre-Dame de Paris, the iconic Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomph and of course Leonardo De Vinci’s masterpiece the Mona Lisa. The photos below speak louder than words.
With Paris fondly in or rear view mirror, we left behind toll roads and highways in search of the slow-paced french countryside en-route to Chamonix Mont-Blanc. We were greeted in Chamonix by breath-taking views of the Swiss Alps and settled in to the quaint alpine town quickly (we are much more proficient with the camper van set-up now). We welcomed our first guest onto the tour, fresh from conquering the Swiss Alps, Helen Abbey. A few french rose’s were invested into the catch-up’s over the next few evenings and the Mont-Blanc summit acted as a picturesque back drop throughout.
The highlight of Chamonix was a gondola ride up one side of the Alps, at a height of 2000m it was the shortest gondola around but the views were next to nothing. A beautiful alpine town which is well worth a look!
Au revoir
D
Damien + Caitlin 