Epilogue

It's been a week, I've caught up with all the necessary friends and family, I've posted the photos on facebook and I've been spending some quality time with the badger. It hasn't worked. She's still sulking, even after I gave her the present I bought her back, a red scarf with a bull on it all the way from Pamplona, she is now a Basque-spaniel albeit a grumpy one.
 It's a bit weird being back, I know wasn't away for 12 months or on the other side of the world or undertaking a perilous adventure but it was 23 days on my own in a van and that was perilous enough in itself. I've talked a lot, more than normal just because people can properly understand me and I can understand them, I thought my French was OK, not fluent by a long shot but good enough to get by until a waiter in Etretat dampened my enthusiasm, he said, "Please speak English, its easier for me to understand good English than bad French". I was deflated and he was under-tipped.
 I've realised that there are certain aspects of French culture that I really like, especially in the Basque regions, they fly flags, national and regional and don't care if it offends anyone, they put crosses and statues of Christ at road junctions and don't care if it offends anyone, they eat horse and frois gras and don't care if it offends anyone, they proudly bullfight and don't care if it offends anyone, they urinate in the street, smoke anywhere and guess what, they don't care if it offends anyone. I don't agree with all aspects of the culture especially the bullfighting but I love the fact that they do not care if it offends anyone, it is their home, their land, their culture and their traditions all of which they are fiercely proud of and will continue to celebrate without a care for any outside opinion and I really respect that.
 I like the Aire culture, I paid a total of 8 Euros and 50 cents in accommodation while I was away and that was by choice at a municipal site, the people I met were friendly, especially the Dutch and I was amazed at the respect for these sites, I know if you had a shower/toilet block open 24/7 in a car park on the edge of Bideford it would be awash with graffiti, criminal damage and drug users within hours and by no means am I saying that these things don't exist in France, they just seemed to be better hidden. I don't think that staying at Aires would necessarily be a good way for families to see France unless you have a big motorhome with a shower and a toilet, I seemed to be grabbing either wherever I could and you wouldn't want to know some of the stories !
 I covered a total of 2464 miles in the van and according to the app on my phone another 467 on the bike, I've got a nice tan, I returned without over or under spending, only two things broke the entire time, my phone charger and my bike lock and this is point where I have to praise the van. It's twenty years old, I bought it, ripped it to pieces, turned it into something ti was never meant to be and hacked it to Spain. It sat in traffic jams for over two hours in Biarittz in thirty plus degrees and didn't falter, I drove it over the Pyrenees at some nigh on impossible angles and it didn't bat an eyelid. I really could not think of a better vehicle for the budget and i would recommend a Granvia to anyone.
 Settling back in at home has mainly comprised of laundry and lots of it, well that and planning the next trip. Going away this summer has taught me a few things but probably the most important is that some things you day dream about are attainable without a massive budget, things aren't as far away as you think and depending on what your desires are you can bag more than one in a matter of weeks. I've drank Burgandy in Burgandy, Bordeaux in Bordeaux, Champagne in Champagne, eaten Rochefort in Rochefort, I've seen the D-Day beaches, Merville battery, the Lorient U-boat pens, Oradour-sur-glane, I've seen a top14 match and Toulouse play in Biarittz, I've revisited childhood memories on Jersey, I've had coffee with Hemingway and I've seen, done, tasted and listened to sights, sounds, foods, drinks and experiences I wasn't planning on and wasn't expecting all in the space of 23 days. It's amazing what you can achieve with a touch of resolve and an open mind. I'm glad I did it, I really am.

Next up, the Northern lights....the Arctic circle isn't that far away right ???

Oh and I saw some bridges, some really nice bridges.