The German girl in the next pitch (actually, there's one empty place between us and the pitches are so big you'd have to shout to make conversion) started the ball rolling with some stretches this morning. I thought I'd show her how it's done but she then progressed onto some handstands and other ninja acrobatics so I felt a bit self conscious pulling out my yoga mat. I still did a mighty fine swan though and Louby's dirty dog, as always, was a magnificent distraction.
I took a short ride to the artisan bakery for croissants then enjoyed a steaming hot shower while Louby made the most of the sun and the hammock.
We bid farewell to the friendly chap who runs the place and, after a short ride around Haguenau to get a feel for the place (looks nice, further investigation needed on foot, Friday appears to be market day), we hit the open road.
We needed to head west. According to my failing memory and the Michelin maps, there's nothing of any real interest until we're half way to Sarre-Union. So we avoided the narrow roads and stuck to the fast stuff before peeling off onto forest roads. We explored some unknown territory and found some real gems. Imagine riding Dalby forest drive at silly speeds with no other traffic and you'll get the idea. Some towns were begging for a repeat visit. We had a fine choice of busy little restaurants in Petite-Pierre, but our appetites weren't quite ready for a menu de jour.
We stumbled across a beautiful municipal campsite at Hinsbourg. So beautiful that we turned around and called in to pick up some information. Despite the sign saying otherwise, the reception cabin wasn't open but we marked it on the map for future reference. The site is in the middle of the forest, elevated with perfect views all around. It was quiet so the few tents that were pitched had stacks of space. It looked like a perfect haven.
We're rode into Sarre-Union and parked up by the goat fountain (no, we couldn't work out the significance either). There's a bar next to the fountain with a terrace where we enjoyed a short breather and a drink. Thionville is about 90 minutes away if we avoided motorway but we decided to take the fast route, arrive early and enjoy some afternoon sun. According to satnav, two sections of peage (€4.20) should have saved us 25 minutes, but a broken toll both easily lost us half of that.
But we arrived at 3.45pm (a new record I do believe) to a warm welcome, clear blue skies and 30 degree sunshine.
We pitched, we showered and then we walked through the park into town. We grabbed a quick beer in the square before hunting out somewhere to eat, which was no easy task. Kebab is the food of choice around here and if you fancy it, there's plenty of fast food places to satisfy your needs. We fancied something more civilised. After much walking we stumbled into a courtyard containing several options. They all offered a similar choice of steak or pizza or salad or burger. We went for the latter two options and they were fine. It felt like a huge effort to find some relatively simple food, but we left feeling content and retired back to base for one final night under canvas.
I took a short ride to the artisan bakery for croissants then enjoyed a steaming hot shower while Louby made the most of the sun and the hammock.
We bid farewell to the friendly chap who runs the place and, after a short ride around Haguenau to get a feel for the place (looks nice, further investigation needed on foot, Friday appears to be market day), we hit the open road.
We needed to head west. According to my failing memory and the Michelin maps, there's nothing of any real interest until we're half way to Sarre-Union. So we avoided the narrow roads and stuck to the fast stuff before peeling off onto forest roads. We explored some unknown territory and found some real gems. Imagine riding Dalby forest drive at silly speeds with no other traffic and you'll get the idea. Some towns were begging for a repeat visit. We had a fine choice of busy little restaurants in Petite-Pierre, but our appetites weren't quite ready for a menu de jour.
We stumbled across a beautiful municipal campsite at Hinsbourg. So beautiful that we turned around and called in to pick up some information. Despite the sign saying otherwise, the reception cabin wasn't open but we marked it on the map for future reference. The site is in the middle of the forest, elevated with perfect views all around. It was quiet so the few tents that were pitched had stacks of space. It looked like a perfect haven.
We're rode into Sarre-Union and parked up by the goat fountain (no, we couldn't work out the significance either). There's a bar next to the fountain with a terrace where we enjoyed a short breather and a drink. Thionville is about 90 minutes away if we avoided motorway but we decided to take the fast route, arrive early and enjoy some afternoon sun. According to satnav, two sections of peage (€4.20) should have saved us 25 minutes, but a broken toll both easily lost us half of that.
But we arrived at 3.45pm (a new record I do believe) to a warm welcome, clear blue skies and 30 degree sunshine.
We pitched, we showered and then we walked through the park into town. We grabbed a quick beer in the square before hunting out somewhere to eat, which was no easy task. Kebab is the food of choice around here and if you fancy it, there's plenty of fast food places to satisfy your needs. We fancied something more civilised. After much walking we stumbled into a courtyard containing several options. They all offered a similar choice of steak or pizza or salad or burger. We went for the latter two options and they were fine. It felt like a huge effort to find some relatively simple food, but we left feeling content and retired back to base for one final night under canvas.
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