Carsix (Cider Farm) via Harcourt to Mayet

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Day 8

We wake to fog, sitting between the apple trees in the orchard at Carsix, a thick mist which apparitions could appear from. The animals are oblivious to it scratching and grazing for food, we drink coffee and eat our breakfast. After a lot of discussion we decide that the trek down to the Languedoc and back will be a little rushed for this trek, so we intend to visit the Lot valley and complete some of the sightseeing there that we did not do on our previous visit.

Our two neighbours (one camper, the caravan and VW camper) leave, now we are the only ones here. We service the camper, empty the various chambers and fill the fresh water. The fog thins and lifts a little, but not much.

We leave about 10.30am and drive to the village of Harcourt about 13km north of where we are. There is a magnificent chateau, built in12th century and well preserved, together with an arboretum planted around 1800 onwards, with trees from around the world, some 200 years old. When we arrive, the arboretum is closed and does not open until 2.00pm, but unfortunately it means we cannot get to the chateau, which is disappointing.

We find a small Aire within walking distance of Domaine d’Harcourt, so Alan adds it to the camper contact website, we might have stayed if we had known it was here.

We get on our way south, taking the D840 to Verneuil d’Avre, N12 to Mortagne au Perche; D938 to Le Mans (and through part of the town’s Grand Prix racetrack. Onto Ecommoy, where we look for a small Aire in someone’s garden, we find the house, but it is deserted and do not want to park up in a stranger’s garden. Although this place is listed as an aire there are none of the things one expects, no signs, no obvious disposal facilities etc, our conclusion is that it's no longer in use as an aire.

We carry on to Mayet and find the small Aire that runs parallel to the road (but is set back from it). It is 29c when we arrive, very hot! The church bells chime every hour (twice), but the spot is good for a stop over, even with a toilet.

The toilet has an exterior urinal with cowboy saloon type doors, for interest a photo of the interior is included in the photos on the left. 

I walk the five-minutes to the town; it is buzzing with people sitting out under awnings drinking beer and chatting. The shops are closing but it has a good feel.  The square is mostly pedestrian with the Maire on one corner, the large cathedral on the opposite corner and the Hotel de Ville across the far end of the rectangle.The square is in full sun so I take some photographs, it all looks fabulous lit by the western sunlight.

We sit outside in the shade of the Hymer and away from the road, it is still too warm but better than inside, drink Pinot Gris and make lomo stir fry for tea. There is a spectacular sky at sunset, oranges, reds, purples and yellows which slowly darkens to night. The bells stop chiming at 11.00pm and I fall into a deep sleep.

Summary of motorhome journey