M1 and M2 with the Mystery Blonde!
A few weeks after returning, how do I view the whole experience? Did we achieve our aim? What would we do differently if there was a next time? What did we gain?
The concept was to take the opportunity of retirement to travel and to take the time to adjust to a more leisurely lifestyle unencumbered by deadlines, obligations and routine. An air lock, if you will, between the pressures of the working world and what follows. I was also keen to have a project to get my teeth into, to extend my boundaries and to change my scene completely - but not irrevocably. After all, youngsters now expect to take a 'Gap' year between school and university - almost as a rite of passage. So, two old timers, both of whom had worked pretty well non-stop since the age of 18, felt that a journey in Europe was a perfectly reasonable proposition. Destination Europe rather than further afield as it has such a rich, varied and inexhaustible history.
Our particular interest was the Peninsular War of 1808 to 1813. Inspired by the historically accurate (but over romanticised) Sharpe novels of Bernard Cornwell and the excellent TV series which followed, the war seemed to epitomise the finest British military achievements under a particularly successful and charismatic leader in Lord Wellington. Other battlefields of interest were Agincourt and Crecy and the fields of the World War conflicts of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. Subordinate interests were wines and golf courses with a general wish to travel as far as Eastern Europe, hopefully as far as Estonia then cross to Finland then Sweden. We recognised the need for plenty of physical exercise as well as the need to safeguard personal space. Our bikes were therefore an important part of our otherwise frugal inventory and proved to be great assets for getting ourselves round towns and battle sites. So - 'WITH' bikes, not 'ON' bikes but they were close to essential. Transport and accommodation was provided by an old banger of a left hand drive camper van, affectionately named EMU standing for 'Elderly Mobile Unit', chosen from a considerable list of other, less flattering candidate labels.
In the early days of the tour, the agenda was set by the Peninsula War and gave us a good framework and itinerary to follow. Following the British retreat of 1808 from Sahagun to Corunna (an interesting parallel to Dunkerque in 1940) gave us our first insight into Spanish terrain, the distances, the resilience of the infantry of both sides and the huge logistical problems involved. It also gave us a fascinating exposure to the so-called 'Green' Spain of the Basque country, Asturias and Galicia which, wonderfully, are not mainstream destinations for tourists and visitors though the procession of pilgrims advancing on Santiago de Compostella was unavoidably evident. Through Portugal, where the people seemed more open and friendly than those we had experienced in Spain, we were pleased to note the obvious Portuguese pride in the joint military successes of the British and Portuguese forces of the Peninsular War. Battle sites were well preserved and good details were available none more so than at Vimeiro, which marked Wellington's first victories at Rolica and Vimeiro, and at Torres Vedras the centre of the defensive lines which were so effective in safeguarding Lisbon from invasion by the French. Thereafter, as we followed the battle sites through Spain, we found the tributes and recognition to be variable. This might be because Spain has such a complex and difficult history that the Peninsular War battles were a less important part of that overall historical tapestry. Memorials at places that loomed large in our minds such as Talavera and Badajoz were not well cared for with much graffiti and weeds in evidence. Ciudad Rodrigo, by contrast, was a joy of well preserved fortifications and buildings with many a tribute to the British role in wresting the city from the French. Aided by Paget's excellent book 'Wellington's Peninsular War', searching for prominent features, tramping over the battlefields, looking closely at the fortifications and working out exactly where key events occurred were rewarding and often deeply moving moments. We were struck by the wide variety of the fields of battle: the confined intensity of siege operations; the wide openness of Talavera, Salamanca and Vittoria; then the steep, wooded slopes of Busaco - surely the most unlikely site for a set piece infantry confrontation. Absorbing the impact of exhibits and artefacts in museums was normally time consuming whereas less well remembered sites only merited a short visit. Particular highlights were: marking the 200th anniversary of the triumphant British crossing of the Douro at Porto by standing on the very spot at the same time, on the same day (12 May) where Wellington had directed his forces; the very good lunch at Taylor's Port House which followed; the amazing Roman city of Merida; our golf and lunch at Pau Golf Club (1856), the oldest golf club in continental Europe; being introduced to the largely unrecognized Jurancon wines at Cru Lamouroux which looked south to the glorious French Pyrenees; our meeting at his home in Gers with Michael Ayrton, co-author of 'The Sharpest Fight', the story of the poorly recognised battle of Tarbes during the French retreat to Toulouse in 1814. With our visits to all the major battle sites matching the list of Peninsular War campaign clasps worn by General Sir Harry Smith, the future Governor of the Cape in South Africa, it was time to move on.
Following Wellington's campaign had imposed a travel agenda such that we often spent too much time on the road from A to B and searching for camp sites or other places to park. The second phase became more settled by staying in favoured places for longer. We retraced our footsteps to Laruns in the beautiful Vallee d'Osseau which we had abandoned too soon in early June in escaping from some unseasonably cold and wet weather. Climbing some 1200m to Lac d'Issade was hot, strenuous work but worth every step for the beauty and majesty of the destination. Witnessing the unbridled joy and community involvement in Laruns of the transhumance of cattle, sheep and ponies to the high, summer pastures was a memorable and happy coincidence. This was a prime example of another feature of our trip: noting how close the various populations were to the land. Whether it was vineyards, fruit trees, arable crops, maize, olive trees, cattle or sheep, the people lived a predominantly rural life. Although no doubt the same could be said of parts of the UK, our over crowded country of conglomerate, large scale farms and cooperatives in the pall of the supermarkets seems far more remote from the farming community. This is best encapsulated by the European love of daily fresh bread - an activity which preserves small village/town shops and enhances the community in which they live - rather than the UK preference for out of town centres and what we are told is a general British preference for packaged, sliced bread which appears to be fresh for a week due to its high fat content!
Our journey continued from France to Italy, Switzerland, the Rhinelands near Freiburg and the Alsace, Luxembourg and Belgium. Walking the glacial valleys of the south side of Mont Blanc when at Courmayeur, enjoying a seven course set meal (15 euros each including wine, digestif and coffee!) at a vineyard camp site in the Asti Valley will both live long in our memories. We would have spent more time in Italy aiming for the Dolomites but for the incompatibility of the Italian gas bottles and connectors which drove us back into France to Briancon then the Romanche valley where we arrived for a night and stayed a week. France proved to be the clear favourite with its amazing diversity, peace and quiet (except in prime holiday areas which we avoided when necessary), history and culture. It’s mountains - whether the Pyrenees, the Alps or the Jura - beckoned regularly. We developed a special affection for the unspoilt Vallee de la Valserine in the Jura west of Geneva and spent nearly 14 days there on three separate visits enjoying the walks, the views, the bike rides, the food and the locals at Chezery-Forens. This area was divided by the border between occupying German forces and Free France with the village of Chezery split in two by a German guard post. Understandably, the Jura became a centre for the Maquis and the Resistance movement and there were many memorials and tributes to those who had fought and perished in defying the occupying forces. An exceptional evening was to be invited to the home of Bruno and Nadine Campignotto. We met Bruno, a University lecturer, when playing golf at Grenoble. He was charming company and had no hesitation in recognizing 'les deux Brittaniques' as two stray dogs who needed some creature comforts which he and his lovely wife proceeded to provide at their home in Crolles. Golf is a wonderful vehicle for new friendships and this was again demonstrated when visiting Philip Bambury who took us to his lovely course near Ruffach in the Alsace which is run with skill and knowledge by David Abercrombie, a native of Northern Ireland.
After just over three months of wonderful experiences but sleeping on a shelf in EMU, it was an easy, mutual agreement for us to set an end date for our trip of the end of August. This, we thought, would ensure that we quit 'at the top' and would avoid the risk of our interest abating or patience evaporating before the end. Our final phase was to visit Waterloo (important but very disappointing) followed by the WW1 battlefields of Verdun, Ypres and the Somme. These were all emotive names marking the insanity and sacrifice of the Great War with ever present memorials, tributes and museums. The war almost defies comprehension. My vocabulary is inadequate to convey the extent, the madness, the horrors and the waste of this largely static war and the political stalemate of the time. Like us, most visitors were clearly affected by what they saw and what they could imagine of the hostilities in this otherwise gentle, rolling, arable landscape. Almost without exception, visitors of all ages and nationalities retreated into themselves with their private thoughts and reflections. The generation of Great War dead still speaks through those battlefields to those who have the conscience and interest to receive their silent but eloquent message of the futility of war and the rigidity of the strategy which sent so many men of both sides to their brave, foolish deaths.
After putting over 13,000 km on the odometer in four months, we were sorry not to have found time to visit Crecy and Agincourt, the WW2 battle sites in Normandy and to reach Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Our unrealistic ambitions for those parts of the journey would have stretched us too far - but there's always another opportunity in another year! Nevertheless, four months without being bombarded with gloomy news from newspapers, radio or TV was a marvellous escape. So too was the absence of deadlines and the freedom to turn left, turn right or stay put as the moment demanded. We feel, I think, that we gained most by being ourselves, by learning about some fascinating periods of our history in the places where that history actually occurred, experiencing the culture, food, wines and – where we could – engaging with people in their own environment. The landscapes were often breathtakingly beautiful and the lure of the mountains was powerful and persuasive. Watching their colours, shades and moods change as any day progressed was unforgettable. We were constantly reminded of our insignificance compared to Nature’s might and majesty.
EMU was simply the best, starting eagerly first time every time, she burst into life on every occasion as if savouring the journey too! She couldn't be rushed though and moved steadily and sedately around the different roads she confronted almost without demur - even in the mountains. My chum, McD, was a great companion and the only friend with whom I could have contemplated taking such a trip. After living cheek by jowl for all those weeks it seems strange not to be bouncing off each other all the time. On the other hand - it is really good to be back in the bosoms of our respective families and with all the creature comforts of home. Memories abound as do further areas for reading, study and visits: the Roman Empire; the French Resistance movement; both World Wars.
Would we do it again – you bet! But not necessarily in EMU. Anybody out there want to buy a left hand drive K Reg campervan?
