2006, Day Nine, Albert

Day nine 9th July

Up early today, as we are visiting Monet's garden and house in Giverny on our way to Albert for our last two nights in France.

The route to from Les Andelys to Giverny (and Monet's garden) is, turn right out of the campsite on to the D313 to the D181 then off on to the D5 which passes trough Giverny.

The parking for the van was not as easy to find as the several posts I had read on the internet, made out. The car park is actually just opposite where you pay to go into the house, it is in a perfect place really. There was a small queue to get in, but by the time we came out the queues where right down the street, I think we did it just right.

At first the gardens do not look to be much but the lily ponds / Japanese garden are on the other side of the road, via a tunnel. The house is not very impressive but you are where Monet lived and painted and that is impressive. All in it is well worth the visit if you are passing.

To get from Giverny to Albert we head back along the D5 to the D181 and head for Beauvais and the A16, via the D10, D181 again, D981 and E46. We turned off the A16 on to the A29 at Amiens (the road that wasn't there when we tried to use it in 2004), to the N25 and then D929 to Albert.

ALBERT Camping Municipal du Vélodrome Avenue Henri Dunant - 80300 Albert No Web Site

For the second time in one day, we had difficulty finding our way (we later discovered we had missed a signpost for the site, as it is in a stupid place low down on a busy intersection) and the route that AutoRoute chose lead to a dead end (again we later discovered we where practically outside the campsite but there was no road to it) this was because the site on the pushpin set was slightly out, a problem with some of these downloads. It was a simple matter of turning round and back tracking a couple of streets to find it.

Its a municipal site and there wasn't anyone on reception but two different people said to just find a pitch on the top field set up and come back to reception at 17:30 to check in. I drive up to the top field where an English couple tell me the best places to park up and explain the the guy from reception may or may not be back at 17.30 but that he will show up, some time this evening. The couple stop off here every year on there way to and from holidays around France and this year are taking a French family back to England with them (we usually only take quality beers and wine back with us!!).

Eventually about 18.30 we book in for two days then settle down to watch the world cup final, the locals are all exited and there are flags everywhere (we have been told that unlike the English who have been flying flags for weeks before the competition started, the French have just realised they are in it, are now in the final, the flag makers have been working flat out to keep up with the late demand). All a bit of a let down though with France loosing 5 - 3 on penalties, very quiet night.