Travelled: 196 kilometres from Lusigny-sur-Barse to Dole, both in France.
Visited: Mussy-sur-Seine and Dole.
Stayed: Dole, Leasure Centre aire, free, the usual facilies. N47.07355, E05.48610
We have a very pleasant evening parked along the canal with several other motorhomes. After our usual coffee and fruit, we walk the canal for 30 minutes before turning back to the Hymer. This is one of our favourite stops.
Itโs a very pretty walk along the canal. Note: this photo using portrait mode on the iPhone was taken the evening before.
We are soon on the road again, cutting across to the D971, avoiding the tollways.
We stop for lunch at Mussy-sur-Seine. The place looks so nice we have a walk through the village after lunch.
As we walk through Mussy-sur-Seine we notice little laneways running through the houses. This one is Ruelle Xavier.
An hour later as we drive through the small village of Nord-sur-Seine I spot this WWII, US made half-track in French livery, next to the local war memorial.
The french countryside rolls on, every 5 or 10 kilometres we slow for another small village, in this case La Barque. Apart from saving the tolls isnโt this why you travel in a foreign country.
The occasional section of the D971 is lined with plane trees, reminding us of the Midi.
Itโs mid-afternoon when we roll into Dole, itโs hot and the sun, fierce. Dole is a large town, striding the River Doubes. There is a large aire just across the canal from the old town. We stayed here a few years ago So we find a shady spot and chill out for an hour.
We are brought to our senses by the loudest music blaring away across the canal. We know itโs Bastille day tomorrow but it looks like there may be something on tonight.
Itโs early evening by the time we cross the canal and walk up town. This area with its labrinth of canals and waterways is called โLittle Veniceโ.
We soon find the town square, it also has barricades everywhere but I manage a picture of Pam with the Notre-Dame de Dole as a backdrop.
The cathedral was closed during our last visit, so we pop in to have a look. The evening sunlight provides a wonderful backlight for this window.
From the naive looking towards the alter. Itโs a bright and airy space. As background the Notre-Dame was built in the 16th century in the gothic style, although it states most of the windows date to the 19th century.
Did I mention Louis Pasteur was born here.
Back at the Hymer half of the 30 or so motorhomes here have moved on. Given there is a good chance of a disturbed sleep we decide to relocate to Doleโs other municipal aire at the Leasure Centre across town. There is a proper service point here for the morning and we enjoy a quiet evening with 10 or more motorhomes.
Yes we agree that the secondary roads leading through small villages is the way to go and that is why we are travelling through these wonderful countries.We have been communicating with Linda and David Boaden from Perth – they sold their Moho in the UK in May last year, returned home and bought a caravan. They tried touring around in WA, couldn’t hack it and sold the van. They are now planning on returning to Europe in October I think and already have their eyes on a Moho they want to buy and rue the day they sold their original Moho. We are undecided about what we want to do (still)
One thought on “Driving the D971, France 2018 ๐ซ๐ท”
Yes we agree that the secondary roads leading through small villages is the way to go and that is why we are travelling through these wonderful countries.We have been communicating with Linda and David Boaden from Perth – they sold their Moho in the UK in May last year, returned home and bought a caravan. They tried touring around in WA, couldn’t hack it and sold the van. They are now planning on returning to Europe in October I think and already have their eyes on a Moho they want to buy and rue the day they sold their original Moho. We are undecided about what we want to do (still)