VALLEY TRAVEL


i m l l" T E S F p B rC " T-- ;.e by Ann Graham


f HERE are you go­ ing? That was the question asked


by a bright-eyed Nicolas behind the Avis car rental


counter at Lyon airport. "Good.question," I an- •


swered, as I dug out the map of France from my handbag, along with my French phrase- book and dictionary. However, I was not sure


how far my high-school • French was going to get me this weekend. "Here," I said, after I'd


managed to open the map and find the triangle that rep­ resented our destination. His eyebrows rose - not a good sign. "In French we call this 'dans le trou du monde...' "It's not very polite, but..."


■ I'd lost him at "du monde" but my travelling companion picked up the French quicker thanidid-wehadjustbeen told we were heading to the middle of nowhere. We are from New Zealand


- known to many as Middle Earth - and you cannot get much further away than that. However, now we were faced with driving on the wrong side of the road as well as having to decipher French road signs - all in the name of a holiday. Did I really want to be in


the middle of nowhere, some­ where in the French coun­ tryside? Was this what I had signed up to when I agreed to take a green weekend break? It was too late to back


out now, so in typical Kiwi fashion, we set off from Lyon airport with our destination broadly agreed as the middle of nowhere. As navigator, armed with


pages of Google Maps, I directed my partner to drive west for three hours, bypass­ ing an industrial metropolis at both Saint Etienne and Clermont Ferrand, before fol­ lowing instructions to take a "slight right after 0.4km, turn left after 0.7km, and turn right after 0.2km". We went down a French


country road with cow pad- docks on one side and a field filled with vibrant yellow sunflowers on the other - no road names or villages in


• sight. ' As we continued towards


the middle of nowhere, stone ' houses came into view, over- ' flowing flower baskets daz­ zling with colour hung from ■ windowsills and there in front of us - nearly 200 miles from Lyon Airport - was a field of roulottes, better known in the


Valley page 16


UK as gypsy-style caravans. We had arrived. "Bonjour" roared the voice


of our host from behind his desk. A tall Frenchman with a twinkle in his eye handed over the key, linen for our bed and two pages of instructions. His English was much better than our French, but we needed stick-figure drawings to com­ municate. "Jehanne," he said, point- .


ing to a rough sketch of the paddock, "is blue." Jehanne was nestled next


to Isabeau and just down the path from Guinevere - all of which were beauti­ fully painted, wooden gypsy wagons. This was camping without canvas. Canvas Holidays has intro­


duced these cosy, bohemian caravans on four parks in the heart of rural France; Correze, in the Limousin: Vienne in Poitou-Charentes; Gers in the Midi Pyrenees and Allier in Auvergne. All are a day or two's drive from Calais. Marketed to holidaymakers


who want a close-to-nature lifestyle, these sites are a fan­ tastic way to discover small


■ villages, traditional markets and the smell of freshly-baked baguettes. Situated only a short drive


from motorways and sleeping up to five, the roulottes are ideal for young families and couples looking to relax in total peace and quiet or to stop en-route to break a long journey.Jehanne, our caravan in the wide open spaces of Al­ lier, gave us a warm welcome. She was beautifully pre­ sented inside and out, and her


■ wooden walls and floors gave us an "up close and personal with nature" feeling. Better equipped than our London flat, Jehanrie offered impressive cooking facilities (compact stove top, micro- wave, toaster, kettle, pots and pans, fridge/freezer), five-star hotel bathroom facilities and even a flush toilet. • Shuttered windows and


portholes opened out to the greenery beyond - provid­ ing country surroundings in which to bask in glorious sunshine. Also, matching deckchairs


and umbrella provided a reprieve from the heat of the sun, which greeted us in the morning and stayed with us throughout the day. Deep in the middle of


nowhere, it was peaceful, tranquil and idyllic. Although roulottes are equipped with bedding, washing and cooking : facilities, you still need to be prepared. Our nearest village was nine'miles away, squash-


Pi mm


ing any romantic dreams I had of walking down the country lane to buy warm croissants for breakfast. Perhaps.an entrepreneurial local will start biking around i with a basket filled with French pastries, but until that happens you need to stock up! Besides a plentiful supply


of breakfast cereals, bread and milk, you will need some entertainment, particularly for the kids. The complex has a children's playground com­ plete with flying fox, petanque court, table tennis and swim­ ming pool. There are walks to explore and a stream nearby for a spot of fishing, but some board games, craft books and a football or Frisbee to throw around will ensure your holiday is stress-free. For a day out, there is


the eco-friendly Vulcania theme park in the Parc


Naturel Regional des Volcans d'Auvergne (Regional Nature Park of the Volcanoes of Auvergne). Within 10 miles of Clermont-Ferrand, L'Aventure de la terre offers interactive education rides and activities such as the Grand Geyser, Planet Observer, the Magical Odyssey and the Earth's Rage. As a young couple, free of


responsibility, we left Black­ berries and laptops at home and took only books and newspapers to read between lie-ins and afternoon naps.. With a hire car for the


weekend, we explored the Middle Ages town of Montlu- ■; con on the banks of the River Cher with its 14th Century No­ tre Dame church and castle. In Moulins, the smaller :


capital of the'Allier depart-


- ment, on the banks of the River Allier, picturesque.views of the town's cathedral are


offered. Saint-Pourcain-sur- Sioule, with its selection of boulangeries and patisseries, was also lovely. Further afield, within


day-trip distance, was the Val de Sioule, the Valley of the Sioule River. With its deep gorges, rolling hills, medieval villages and array of spectacular hillside castles, riot to mention gastronomic delights, the region attracts outdoors enthusiasts -canoeing, horseriding, mountain biking - and culture lovers - museums, art galler­ ies, craft shops. Our Auvergno days were


spent relaxing jn sunshine, sipping French wine, gorging smelly cheese and sampling the bohemian lifestyle. Will I ever return to a true


camping holiday? For now, , I am definitely a convert for camping without canvas.


■ Anne Graham was a guest of Canvas Holidays, which offers seven nights' self­ catering from in a roulotte de campagne (sleeping five) from £465, inciud- ing midweek Dover-Caiais ferry crossings for car and passengers. Peak-season prices in August start at £932. ■ Canvas travei pack inciudes hoiiday guide.to iiving and driving in Europe, and detaiied France map with rouiotte iocations. ■ Canvas deducts £50 from the package price of those who book accommodation- oniy breaks, and aiso ar­ ranges budget flights from various regionai airports. ■ Canvas Hoiidays: 0 8 4 5 26 8 0 8 27 and www.canvas hoiidays.co.uk


Travel facts i j canvas r /


Our prestigious showroom has b&an open for 40 yeare and we offer


• Experienceid design staff • No pressure selling • CAD design service • (Dver 30 displays on show • Project managed installation with full fitting service or supply-only


• Very competitive prices - part of J & J Ormerod, furniture manufacturers


• Approved GE Money retailer with flexible finance facilities


and service . . , , - i f i 1:1 m


• We are KBSA members giving deposit protection and assured quality of product


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352-358 Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, Bacup, Lancashire. 0L13 OLD Tel: 01706 252122 Fax: 01706 879357


Kitchen House, corner of Brogden Street & Market Street, Ulverston, Cumbria. LAI2 7AH Tel: 01299 581828 Fax: 01229 581729


Units A&B, Cherry Tree Retail Park, Cherry Tree Road, Blackpool. FY4 4TH Tel: 01253 762226 Fax: 01253 762228.


Www.rossendaleinteriors.corn Open Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm


(Evenings by appointment) Sat 10am-4pm. Sun 10am-4pm


Rossendale fdssa


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