1,110 mile round trip for wine

If you are going away somewhere and don't mind meeting up with other Bongo owners or if you've been somewhere & want to tell us about it & stick up your photos, put the details here.

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Muzorewa
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1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by Muzorewa » Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:59 pm

In 2010 we did a 710 mile round trip for fish & chips, details HERE for anyone who missed that. So it should not be a surprise to read that we’ve just done something similar for wine :?

UmBongoCat and UmBongoChris on here regularly go over to France (it’s easier from London :roll: ) and suggested, in the run-up to Christmas, that we should nip over there on a kind of booze-cruise.

Notionally this is a scheme to round up a load of plonk cheaper than you can get at Tesco. But when you tot up the cost of diesel, insurance green card, ferries, campsites etc, it probably works out about double what you would have paid in Tesco. But just going down to your local supermarket wouldn’t be an adventure, now would it? :D

It also gave us the opportunity to try out the French Aires de Service, their rest areas where you are allowed to camp in your “Camping-Car” – a valuable bit of research that we intend to put to extensive use next year :idea:

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So, cheapest route over there is to get a fixed ticket on the likes of the DFDS service from Dover....

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....except you can go earlier than you booked, if you're prepared to go to Dunkerque instead of Calais :?

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Team Muz on Dover Seaways

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Dunkerque

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Waving goodbye to our ferry

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La Musette – well it would be rude not to :D

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Are we nearly there yet?

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Camping Indigo, Bois de Boulogne, Paris, less than 3 miles from the centre of Paris :shock:

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What are the neighbours like?

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Ah, it’s Cath & Chris, Muzette won’t waste any time settling down then :?

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Onto the Paris Métro

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Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile

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Team UmBongo, Arc de Triomphe

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Team Muz, Arc de Triomphe

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Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile

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Avenue des Champs Élysées, one of the most famous streets in the world....

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....Apart from Abbey Road, NW8 :twisted: Tourist in the middle of the traffic :?

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Avenue des Champs Élysées

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Montmartre funicular

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Montmartre funicular, spot the tourists queuing up :lol:

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Montmartre funicular

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Montmartre funicular

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Montmartre funicular, the royal wave. Or is it we’re going on it twice :twisted:

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Sacré-Cœur Basilica at the summit of Montmartre

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Basilica of the Sacré Cœur

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Basilica of the Sacré Cœur

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Basilica of the Sacré Cœur

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Paris skyline from Montmartre with the Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul left of centre (with the green roof)

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Art Paul, with a typically Gallic shrug :lol:

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Notre Dame Cathedral

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Notre Dame Cathedral

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Notre Dame Cathedral and the Seine

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Team Muz, Notre Dame Cathedral

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Eiffel Tower

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This is for a separate little project, as Mrs Muz always has a couple of shot-glasses....

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....and a bottle of Jura single malt in her handbag when we go out :wink:

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Team Muz, Eiffel Tower

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Muzette, Eiffel Tower

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What? – No ice-cream? :shock:

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Onto the Seine river-cruise, excuse some blurry shots here, no tripod and even if I can hold the camera pretty steady the boat is wobbling

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École du Louvre

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River Seine

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Notre Dame Cathedral

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Notre Dame Cathedral

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Notre Dame Cathedral

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Notre Dame Cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine

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Mrs Muz and Muzette

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Onto the double-decker Réseau Express Régional 8) – Network Rail and Richard Branson could learn a thing or two here :wink:

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Bonjour! Camping Indigo after a well-deserved sleep

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Well that’s my breakfast sorted, I don’t know what the rest of you are having :twisted:

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What the.... Someone’s nicked the bog :?

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Personally, I blame the snails & tripe we had for tea :?

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Palace of Versailles

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Palace of Versailles

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Palace of Versailles

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Palace of Versailles

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Palace of Versailles

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Palace of Versailles

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Palace of Versailles

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Palace of Versailles

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The World War 1 memorial at Notre-Dame de Lorette

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Notre-Dame de Lorette memorial

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Notre-Dame de Lorette, this picture just about sums up the futility of war :(

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Coffee & cakes it is then! – What, no ice-cream again? :shock:

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A sign we shall be looking for in earnest next year, the Aires de Service. On previous tours we wouldn’t have given that sign a second glance

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Aire la Pommeraie in Nuncq Hautecôte, Nord-Pas-de-Calais

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Only three pitches but all vacant :D

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May as well get the fairy lights out....

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....and set fire to some food :D

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All the ingredients you need. Wine, cheese and merguez sausages. The wine is on trial before a major onslaught tomorrow :D

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Aire la Pommeraie, Nuncq Hautecôte

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Team UmBongo and Team Muz on tour in la belle France

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Merguez sausages and some peppers for the health-food freaks :wink:

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Aire la Pommeraie, Nuncq Hautecôte

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Aire la Pommeraie, Nuncq Hautecôte

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Aire la Pommeraie, Nuncq Hautecôte

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Well the wine research has gone well, hic :?

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And the white, too :?

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Chez Zaza, Samer, Nord-Pas-de-Calais. For Zaza :wink:

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Next up, a micro-fromagerie, a kind of Co-Op artisan cheese house....

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....very small-scale but very good....

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evidently. The garlic cheese does blow your socks off though :?

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On to Auchan in Boulogne-sur-Mer for a major asault :D

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Oh yeah, how many types of cheese do you need, really? :?

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I just hope the rear suspension is up to it :lol:

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Next up – Netto – And it’s nothing to do with the Netto we used to have in the UK….

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….this is a hard discounter that REALLY stacks it high and sells it cheap :D

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Fortuitous planning due to the storms of late….

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….we’re booked on the Chunnel :D

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....so 35 minutes and we’ll be back in Blighty :wink:

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So there you are, mission accomplished. Merguez sausages, horse-burgers, wine and cheese. Oh, and a tin of paella :D

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The fruits of success – Horse-burgers & tartiflette :D

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One thought though, as I quaff this Bordeaux which cost me 77p a bottle (although I did confuse the checkout operator, she was doing her best until I said “Muchas gracias, monsieur” in my best French), Tesco you are having a laugh!! :evil:
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umbongocat
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by umbongocat » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:10 pm

=D> =D> =D>

Excellent! Had a fun weekend and glad you enjoyed he fromagerie and the small detours we took you on to get there :lol:

Our roof is still in our garden and now cracking open the wine to get me through the next few weeks! :evil:
I love cheese!
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by Bob » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:21 pm

Fantastic, thanks for posting. =D> =D> =D>
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briwy
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by briwy » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:32 pm

Oh no, not good weather again Paul.. Must get sooo boring. :)
Glad you had a good time and practice for next year.
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by mikeonb4c » Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:53 pm

Not content with being thoroughly debauched yourself Muz, you now have to recruit the innocent Umbongo people into your sordid little expeditions :lol: :lol: :lol:

But seriously. Superb travelyfotologue yet again. Made my day and the Muz clan are an inspiration (though for quite what I'm not sure) :lol: =D> =D> =D>
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hembramacho
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by hembramacho » Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:21 pm

Looks like you all had a fab trip. =D>

Cheers

Andrew
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helen&tony
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by helen&tony » Wed Oct 30, 2013 5:29 am

Hi
Coo, looks like fun!....Christmas?....I haven't even started thinking yet....BUT....I'll be looking for some nice Chilean , and Aussie vino.....(bit partial).....
Cheers
Helen
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by umbongocat » Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:02 am

mikeonb4c wrote:Not content with being thoroughly debauched yourself Muz, you now have to recruit the innocent Umbongo people into your sordid little expeditions
We're safe and sound Mike :) and not so innocent (The French side I would say is most definitely less innocent and English side is a saint) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: It was indeed us who persuaded Muz to come and be thoroughly debauched with ourselves.
I love cheese!
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by mikeonb4c » Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:18 am

umbongocat wrote:
mikeonb4c wrote:Not content with being thoroughly debauched yourself Muz, you now have to recruit the innocent Umbongo people into your sordid little expeditions
We're safe and sound Mike :) and not so innocent (The French side I would say is most definitely less innocent and English side is a saint) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: It was indeed us who persuaded Muz to come and be thoroughly debauched with ourselves.
Damn southerners. Corrupting an innocent northern man. I should have known :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by umbongocat » Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:52 am

Although I would have to say it's pretty impossible to corrupt Muz as much as we tried with the offerings of stinky cheese, cheap Netto Cremant and frozen snails :P

It was a fab quick trip and one that we'll definitely be doing again and maybe we'll manage to persuade some others to join us on a fun booze trip to France :)

Muz... the pic of you and Hannah sipping the wine is ace! :lol:
I love cheese!
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by Muzorewa » Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:04 pm

umbongocat wrote:Although I would have to say it's pretty impossible to corrupt Muz as much as we tried with the offerings of stinky cheese, cheap Netto Cremant and frozen snails :P

It was a fab quick trip and one that we'll definitely be doing again and maybe we'll manage to persuade some others to join us on a fun booze trip to France :)

Muz... the pic of you and Hannah sipping the wine is ace! :lol:
We had the horse-burgers last night for tea. Merguez sausages tonight!

That photo was taken on my phone, not by me obviously, can't remember who took it, it's all a bit of a blur, just like the photo :lol:
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Muzorewa
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by Muzorewa » Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:00 pm

Chris also failed to tempt us with the tinned sprouts in Netto :evil:
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by Wendy'n'Alan » Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:04 pm

14 Bottles! they'll be gone by bonfire night won't they?
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Muzorewa
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by Muzorewa » Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:51 pm

Wendy'n'Alan wrote:14 Bottles! they'll be gone by bonfire night won't they?
No, you've not spotted the cardboard cases behind them :wink:

This wasn't our total haul either, we were unsure whether the table would be up to it :lol:
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Re: 1,110 mile round trip for wine

Post by dunslair » Wed Oct 30, 2013 2:25 pm

Great pictures Paul. We are just back from a week around Fontainbleau in the bongo. I couldn't believe how nice the Bordeaux was even at less than 2 Euros per bottle. Couple it up with a fresh baguette, some cheese and sausison sec...... mmmmmm. Makes you wonder what our 'supermarkets' pay per bottle, when you can get a really nice one of less than 2 Euros in French supermarkets? :roll:

Cheers

David.
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