Normandy

First stop after Paris was Chartres, a very sleepy spot with a massive gothic cathedral. We entered Normandy and the very pretty farming countryside of Pays du Auge. Camembert and nearby Vimoutiers, known of course for the cheeses were also very quiet. The campsite was in the grounds of  the amazing Chateau de Martragny. Do the inheritors of such an estate need to subsidize the upkeep costs? I made a mean cassolet and we watched TV series on the computer as we do on nights we don't go out.The next few nights we spent in Arromache and Omaha beach, visiting the D day beaches and museums.On Friday we wanted to stay in Deauville,the Victorian spa and casino beach town favoured by Parisians but it was so busy with long weekenders, we headed on to Honfleur and loved it. Honfleur is everything we love about traveling in Europe. The campsite is less than 500m walk from the town centre which is picture postcard cute, with old timber frame buildings and narrow pedestrianised lanes. Theres a  church,  a square,  a market, a central marina, plenty of excellent restaurants and a local bar with live Blues and Rock music on weekends. Ever a bar with rugby channels until some silly soccer match took precident over the Bokke vs Argentina. We traveled North to Rouen and on to the Somme Estuary. Le Parc du Marquenterre is a lovely wetland and bird sanctuary, which kept us busy for a day. It was great to get out the old binoculars and bird book. We suddenly missed SA and realised how amazing our wildlife and outdoor oppurtunities are in Africa compared to ANYWHERE in the world! The port cities of North Western France aren't that captivating, but we did find a campsite near Boulogne with a great sea view from Homer. Lille has an interesting modern art museum.

Paris

After 2 nights in the Champagne region we arrived in Paris. The campsite is huge and well serviced with public transport. The good weather continued and so Paris is also back up there on the list of "Europe's Best Cities". France is the most visited country in the world and Paris the most visited city. There's loads to do but as return visitors we had the luxury of just walking and enjoying the city without dashing from museum to museum. We didn't even go near the Eiffel Tower or the Champs Elysee. Every area is just packed with interesting buildings, gardens and palaces. We spent time in Luxembourg Gardens and at the Natural History Museum, very good but with no English explanations.
We like the Latin Quarter, but even that is too touristy these days. Marais is a nice district too. A tip for visiting Notre Dame, is to go at 8pm. There are no queues to get in!  We always go to Pompidou and this time they had an amazing Roy Lichtenstein exhibition. A real highlight was going to the newly renovated and recently reopened Musee de Orsay, on the opposite bank of the Seine to the Louvre and containing all the Impressionist and Post Impressionist works. The architect has done an amazing job of modernising the interior but keeping the old building intact. If you are in Paris you must go.
Finding restaurants without insider knowledge in Paris is tough. Most just cater to tourists with a generic "Menu du Jour" translated into English and mediocre food. Yes, I did complain about no English in the Museum, but the opposite is true in restaurants. If the menu is in English and the waiters are foreign, steer clear! I did some research on the web too and we discovered a few gems; listed below.
1.Au Virage Lepic, bistro below  Montmarte in Rue Lepic discovered with Carol and Jane on a previous trip and closed during August. 01 42 52 46 79
2.JeanneB next door at 61 Rue Lepic, modern deli style. Try the roast duck and fois gras pie. 01 42 51 17 53
3. Les Bougresses 6 rue de Jarente. Tiny chef owned bistro in Marias, with small daily menu. 01 48 87 71 21
4. l'encrier 55 rue Traversiere. Older hubby and wife team with advice on food and wine pairing and excellent traditional French food. 01 44 68 08 16.
                                                                     

   

German Heatwave

We travelled to Munich to collect Homer and get servicing and inspections done. The campsite at Thalkirchen is now a familiar home for us. We caught up with admin and friends. The beergardens were just fantastic with all the sunshine and the bbqs and el fresco dining  continued.  It was so hot we had to replace our broken fan, which is usually only needed in Spain, Greece etc. On Monday 29 July, we started out on "Homer 6". And it rained! We went to Ulm. The Cathedral has the tallest spire in the world. We spent the night in Tubingen, a nice uni town on the river Neckar. And the sunny weather returned. We travelled through the Swabian Alps to Stuttgart for a visit to the Mercedes Museum; amazing architecture and cars! We camped in Maulbronn. The next day we visited the Cloisters here, a world heritage site under massive renovation at the moment. It was fascinating watching the restorers at work. We then headed to Frankfurt for dinner with Andreas and Cristina. We spent the next day travelling along the Rhine. The scenery is marvellous, with vineyards, castles and villages lining the riverbanks. After the night camped next to the river,we traced the Mosel down into Luxembourg to spend the weekend with Anique and Charles. She is recovering from ankle surgery but being a little housebound suited us. We drank plenty of wine, listened to great music and caught up on sleep and admin. And the best thing was that the heatwave had followed us all the way to Lux.

  

London Heatwave

My rating of London on a "Best Cities" list, jumps near the top in good weather. Lisa came with us and she has no idea how unusually amazing the weather was that week! We stayed, as usual at Chez Greenfield in Chiswick, and the perfect braai weather continued. We did plenty of touristy stuff as well, including Tower of London, Thames Cruise, Hampton Court, Cutty Sark, Science Museum, National Gallery and Camden, Leicester Square and Covent Garden. We ate fish and chips at St. Catherine's, curry in Camden and crispy duck in Chinatown. We drank beer and cider in locals, Pimms while watching cricket on the green and cheap wine in crowded Soho pubs. We dined in style at Coq d Argent, the London rooftop restaurant with great views of the city and a tarnished reputation, after more than one banker has jumped to their demise from up there. Now you sip your champagne cocktail outside under the watchful eye of a bouncer, who looked like a boytjie from Krugerdorp. "I have a lekker job in London Ma, making sure another soutie doesn't jump."

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California Heatwave

California, south and north, was having a heatwave while we visited. We spent long, warm, outdoor evenings, cooking on the grill and having parties. That's just how we like it! We spent the weekend at Julie's in Long Beach. What a Party! Next, a few nights with Stephen and Vivienne in San Diego, before the last stretch of" Road Trip USA 2013" from San Diego to San Francisco. We broke the journey in San Louis Obispo and did Highway 1 from Morro Bay to Monterey. We stopped for a tour of Hearst Castle and loved the Elephant Seals. We stayed with Stephan and Andrea and celebrated 4 July in San Francisco. On 8 July, after 5009 miles or 8014 kms, we returned the car to Hertz at San Fran Airport and headed back to NJ.

Eight Nights In Vegas

We did a detour from Route 66 for 8 nights in Vegas. We just love Vegas. We stayed at The Flamingo, a very central location on the Strip, meaning no need for the car, busses or taxis. Its fun walking in Vegas; always something to see. We ate some great meals; the Vegas burger challenge being won by Gordon Ramsay's BURGR. (They nearly took the "Best Burger in America" prize, just beaten by 5 Napkin, NYC.)
We did about 3 shows a day; like last time. This time we booked half price tickets and used coupons; even got comped a few times. My favourite show was "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and Neil cannot decide; he just loves any magic. The show "Absinthe" was pretty good, but I would still rate "Madam Zingara" a better all round experience. $70 a ticket for" Absinthe", with not even a drink thrown in! Of course our fave outdoor bar and the duelling piano place filled in any gaps. Julie came up to visit Alex for the weekend, which was fun. We drove out to Pahrump, to a winery for a tasting and lunch. There are not many wine farms in Nevada, five, I think and they are all very tiny .I bet most of you have never tasted Nevada wine at all; let alone at the estate! Vegas was overrun by the EDC that weekend. That's "Electric Daisy Carnival", BTW, in case any readers of this blog who are over 30 haven't heard of it. 350 000 ravers in very skimpy neon clothing listening to elecrto music and taking lots of drugs out in the desert somewhere. Neil especially loved this parade around "the Strip" all weekend. When I went out for morning coffee, not before 10am, I shared the lifts with very drunk and very dishevelled neon-ites on their way up to bed. Julie and I decided that nipple stars and a g-string can't be very comfy, after 12 hours partying in a field!

Route 66 Arizona and California

Missing our travel buds, we headed to Gallup on the NM border for lunch at the" El Rancho Hotel". I had the best taco salad ever and Neil had a pretty good burger. By this stage the"burger-a-day challenge" is in full swing; winner to be announced at the end of the trip! This hotel is where all the Western Movie Stars like John Wayne stayed when shooting scenes in the nearby desert. "Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona" is a must? Not sure the Eagles ever had anything to do with Winslow but the town sure cashes in on that line. Theres not much else there.
We spent the night at the historic 1928" Monte Vista Motel" in Flagstaff, Arizona. Flagstaff is a great college town and after burgers and beer at  a local,  we saw a live blues band in the basement bar of our hotel. The music was great and it so happens that monday night is singles night for the over forties of Flagstaff. The pool of hopefuls didn't seem that big, so we wondered if everyone just does the rounds, week by week. The one legged chap had to free up both hands for groping and snogging, so pinned the girl up against the wall and balanced his stump on his crutch.
Williams, Arizona is the jumping off point for the Grand Canyon which we skipped, having been there on the last trip. The town itself is full of Route 66 stores and restaurants as well as stores selling Native American jewelry and souvenirs.  In Kingman, we branched off Route 66, heading to Vegas via Hoover Dam. Eight days later we were back in Kingman to continue the route. It's harder to follow route 66 in California, especially nearer LA; it's just too developed. We stopped at the Baghdad Café, site of that great 80s movie and spent the night on the outskirts of LA. Next day we spent in Hollywood and ate one last meal at  a Route 66 diner," Mel's Drive In". In the late afternoon all that was left was to cruise Santa Monica Boulevard all the way to Santa Monica Pier and the official end of Route 66. That's a wrap folks!.

                                                                                 

Route 66 Thursday to Sunday

                                                                                

On Thursday morning, 13 June, we headed to Stroud, OK. for a breakfast of eggs, pancakes and biscuits glugged down with bottomless coffee at the Rock Café. Owner Dawn Welch was the inspiration for the character Sally in the "Cars" movie. Vivienne noticed a sign up on the wall;"Life is all about how you handle plan B!" On a road trip a "conversation starter" like that is always good for whiling away some journey time. Next we visited the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
We stopped in Cowtown to check out the biggest cattle auction in the world but obviously got there on the wrong day; not a cow or a cowboy in sight. We did see the shops selling western wear and guys in huge pickups rather than on horses.
In Clinton OK. we visited a very good Route 66 museum and we stayed overnight in Elk city at the Flamingo Inn. We had to wait in line for a table at the most amazing Mexican restaurant, Pedros.
On Friday we crossed from Oklahoma into Texas. In Glenrio, a ghost town, we nearly got attacked by a pack of stray dogs when we got out the car to take some pics! McClean, TX has the crazy but actually really interesting "Devil's Rope Barbed Wire Museum" as a highlight. We ate a lunch of steak and salad at the Red River Steakhouse in McClean, followed by a windy visit to Cadillac Ranch, an art installation on a farm in Amarillo. Ten Cadillacs, models from 1949 to 1963, are half-buried nose-first in the ground with their tail fins in the air, at an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Everybody arrives with cans of spray paint to add their personal touch. Our "Plan B" life philosophy, will forever lie hidden under layers of graffiti sprayed onto the side of a Cadillac, nose-planted in a mielie field in the middle of no-where, fulfilled by the very act itself.
On Saturday we hot- footed it straight to Sante Fe, New Mexico, checked into the Silver Saddles Motel and spent the day window shopping and bar hopping. In the evening we had a great night at the Cowgirl BBQ, sitting outside watching live music and tucking into ribs or burgers.
On Sunday morning we had to drive to Albuquerque and drop Stephen and Vivienne off at the airport. We had brunch in a Route 66 Diner and spent the afternoon in the historic, read touristy, part of town. In the evening we spent a pleasant evening at the St. Clair winery, tasting flights of local New Mexico wines and listening to a live band. We stayed at the Stardust Inn, another Route 66 gem.

Route 66 Tuesday and Wednesday

On Tuesday11th we set off early and had breakfast at Stacey's Route 66 Café in Litchfield Ill, famous for it's pastries and cakes. Farmersville, Edwardsville and "the largest rocking chair in the world", followed by Collinsville and "the largest ketchup bottle in the world". Really?
We visited the Cahokia Mounds Historical State Park( a world heritage site) with a museum about the history of the Native Americans who settled in the area around AD1200. Crossing the Mississippi River we entered Missouri, the 2nd state through which Route 66 traverses. We drove through St. Louis and on to Eureka and Staunton. Cuba, Mo. is known for it's wall murals and in Fanning we discovered another giant rocking chair! Rolla, Doolittle and Lebanon, where we stayed overnight at the Munger Moss Motel. They recommended T's Redneck Steakhouse and Distillery for a dinner of BBQ ribs and moonshine.
On Wednesday we headed on to Springfield,Mo. and visited the Bass Pro Shop headquarters. Is it a sports store or a theme park? In Phelps, Mo. we met another Route 66 icon, Gary Turner, who shows you around his "museum" in person and waylays you for ages with Route 66 stories and recommendations. Next stop was Red Oak II, a truly bizarre "town" where the owner has relocated buildings from nearby towns to his farm to create a 1950's village complete with a collection of old cars. The only trouble was, no one seemed to be visiting the place besides us. A few of the houses were actually inhabited, so we felt like we were snooping around in someones back yard. In Carthage we stopped at the Route 66 Drive In.
Route 66 then enters Kansas, but not for long. We stopped in Galena to check out the display of old jalopies decorated like the cars from the movie "Cars" and before we knew it we were in Oklahoma. We found very friendly tourist information staff who kindly opened up the Coleman Theatre, a vaudeville style theatre built in 1929, to show us around and play us a tune or two on the famous old Wurlitzer Theatre Organ.  In Catoosa we visited the Blue Whale and then we spent the night at the Dessert Hills Motel in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We needed a change from burgers and fried food, so we asked the Indian proprietor to recommend a restaurant and ended up driving half way across town to the India Palace for Kormas,Koftas, Lassis and Samoosas.