Spardo:
Rings no bells with me Fergie, though I was in one a bit like that some years ago, frontage right on the street, but can’t even remember the town now.
Gis a clue.
David…bit of a tough one …it’s in Redon…where the river la Vilaine crosses the Nantes /Brest Canal
See French restaurant “la Dig Bar”…plenty of parking opposite…
Not been that way before, another one for the blue book. . But not much room for wagons, are there designated lorry bays where all the cars are?
David.there were two eight wheelers parked up that day, and parking on the road…and yes, it’s a genuine cross way for the canal, no traffic lights and no priority to the right either…
Mrs Fergie and I have completed cycling the canal route, Brest to Nantes…365kms…
Last week I was doing a regular (every month or so) run of mine for a collection at Charles de Gaulle at midday. Then on to all points west and south normally.
If it was an early collection I would go all the way to a routier I know near the airport and start fresh in the morning, but as it is midday I have to do part of the journey there the night before. Up till now it has been the routier at Chatenoy on the D 948, about 1 and a half hours north of Vierzon, but that is too close to the airport and only works with a very late start in the morning.
So, this time I made for one at Vierzon which I only noticed for the first time a few months ago. it is on the D 926 which is effectively a ring road north of the town, and is called La Grotte. Ignore the bad connotations of that name in English (in French it means the cave, or grotto), it is an excellent place. Plenty of hard parking very clean washroom and excellent meal too. I think it has only been built a year or so but keep your eyes open because it is behind a high wall although the routier sign can be seen above it.
Fergie47:
Found this pin badge the other day, I’d forgotten I even had it…
Still got mine too, Fergie, it is fixed inside the briefcase I have with me…just in case.
It used to be that if you showed it at autoroute services like Peronne, you got a discount on the food similarly marked. Don’t know if it is still the case as I never use them now.
There used to be a bloke in the docks at Dover where you could join up, pay your subs and buy stuff.
Fergie47:
Found this pin badge the other day, I’d forgotten I even had it…
Still got mine too, Fergie, it is fixed inside the briefcase I have with me…just in case.
It used to be that if you showed it at autoroute services like Peronne, you got a discount on the food similarly marked. Don’t know if it is still the case as I never use them now.
There used to be a bloke in the docks at Dover where you could join up, pay your subs and buy stuff.
Hi David…I did have a really nice Routiers watch,(remember them ? ) left in the wash room at the Whitehouse near Lyon, called in on the way back but no one had handed it in, it didn’t cost a lot, but hey ho
Fergie47:
Found this pin badge the other day, I’d forgotten I even had it…
Still got mine too, Fergie, it is fixed inside the briefcase I have with me…just in case.
It used to be that if you showed it at autoroute services like Peronne, you got a discount on the food similarly marked. Don’t know if it is still the case as I never use them now.
There used to be a bloke in the docks at Dover where you could join up, pay your subs and buy stuff.
Last time I ate on French autoroute services (few year ago now) it was a 20% discount on production of carte gris for a truck.
If you’ve a greasy hi-viz and have dirt under your finger nails they may not require the vehicle docs?
Never had the watch, never seen one, but I gave up wearing them many years ago and then my stepson bought me one for Christmas, so had to wear it for the next 9 years till it broke.
Never had to show a carte grise, just the badge, which in those days was always on my lapel. I have no trouble getting routier prices these days ( only one or 2 out of hundreds have tried it on because of the vehicle I drive or have the wife with me (never now on account of her smoking ).
As a 22 year old newbie in 1986 I just followed everyone else and regularly ended up at Billy’s at La Palme. Until the week I was running with Andre, our French driver. We came off at Narbonne Sud as usual but sailed past Billys and went to a Routiers in Fitou, a few miles further on (I can’t remember its name). I never used Billys again.
Another memory is Torreblanca between Barcelona and Valencia, Great food and showers but if you wanted a beer you had to go to the ‘club’ over the road and get accosted by scantily clad ladies…
And then there was the Easter I got errrr ‘Eastered’ in a service station on the A10 south of Bayonne cos I had a wheel bearing go. Walking into town I discovered the ‘Bar de la Cote Basque’ in Bidart and became a regular. Stopped there forever after.
Perhaps the St. Roche., a great meal and ambiance with its park opposite alongside the railway line, fortunately not many trains at night, or if there are, I have never heard them. The last time I passed, a year or so ago, it appeared closed, I hope not permanently.
A couple of hundred metres way at the north end of the village there is another one, the Corbieres, but I have never stopped there, always being happy at St. Roche.
Further north still there is a strange one, La Porte des Corbieres. The sole woman in charge keeps Spanish hours, you can’t get fed till 8pm and she doesn’t open up till 7 or 8 in the morning. The entrance is via the D 611A from the roundabout and then turn right into a service road that runs alongside the N9. The first time I went there for some reason I was in the area mid afternoon with a collection next morning and it was an awful long time to sit there reading in the summer heat. Meal was ok though and the ablutions up to standard.
We have discussed here, with sadness, the closing of routiers here and there. Chez Jo at Hautvillers, Lauriere near Perigueux etc. But also the re-opening of some after long closures, La Loge north of Vierzon and Negrondes between Limoges and Perigueux and even a brand new build, mentioned above, La Grotte at Vierzon itself.
But last week I was really taken aback. I had often seen the large building surrounded by its large park at Distre just south of Saumur on the D 347 but never stopped overnight there until a year or so ago. A clean and friendly place and the meal was not too shabby either.
This was it back in August last year, between mealtimes, obviously.
Yes, just a great big space, totally demolished. You can see the only remains, on the far left of the last picture.
No idea why, it was a fairly modern building and in good nick. So is it to be rebuilt, or will the whole site be used for something else? I think I know the answer.
Spardo:
We have discussed here, with sadness, the closing of routiers here and there. Chez Jo at Hautvillers, Lauriere near Perigueux etc. But also the re-opening of some after long closures, La Loge north of Vierzon and Negrondes between Limoges and Perigueux and even a brand new build, mentioned above, La Grotte at Vierzon itself.
But last week I was really taken aback. I had often seen the large building surrounded by its large park at Distre just south of Saumur on the D 347 but never stopped overnight there until a year or so ago. A clean and friendly place and the meal was not too shabby either.
This was it back in August last year, between mealtimes, obviously.
3
And now in March this year:
Yes, just a great big space, totally demolished. You can see the only remains, on the far left of the last picture.
No idea why, it was a fairly modern building and in good nick. So is it to be rebuilt, or will the whole site be used for something else? I think I know the answer.
Came past it last December Dave, was already closed by then… was discussing with my pilot if we would be able to reach that one within the driving hours, to stay on the legal side of things we’ve stopped at the other one, few clicks further up north at the roundabout, is a proper place as well.
pv83:
Came past it last December Dave, was already closed by then… was discussing with my pilot if we would be able to reach that one within the driving hours, to stay on the legal side of things we’ve stopped at the other one, few clicks further up north at the roundabout, is a proper place as well.
Cheers, Patrick
Was it demolished then, or just closed? Fortunately I wasn’t relying on it having seen it on the way up and was planning on parking at my rdv point, about 3 kms east of Argentan on the old N 26. That was open at 7pm but, suspiciously no trucks in the parking so I went into the bar and asked, the bloke waved his hand and said ‘pas de manger’, so I pulled out and set off south again.
Eventually ate and slept at La Route d’Or south of Alencon, a good spot where I have stayed several times. Only problem is as it was Saturday the next day they weren’t open so no early morning coffee. I travelled for 4 hours before I got some with tartine and jam for breakfast, at Vivonne.
Normally La route d’Or is special for breakfast because in addition to the usual croissant and pain au chocolat they have a table spread with all sorts of little joys like Madelaines etc.
pv83:
Came past it last December Dave, was already closed by then… was discussing with my pilot if we would be able to reach that one within the driving hours, to stay on the legal side of things we’ve stopped at the other one, few clicks further up north at the roundabout, is a proper place as well.
Cheers, Patrick
Was it demolished then, or just closed? Fortunately I wasn’t relying on it having seen it on the way up and was planning on parking at my rdv point, about 3 kms east of Argentan on the old N 26. That was open at 7pm but, suspiciously no trucks in the parking so I went into the bar and asked, the bloke waved his hand and said ‘pas de manger’, so I pulled out and set off south again.
Eventually ate and slept at La Route d’Or south of Alencon, a good spot where I have stayed several times. Only problem is as it was Saturday the next day they weren’t open so no early morning coffee. I travelled for 4 hours before I got some with tartine and jam for breakfast, at Vivonne.
Normally La route d’Or is special for breakfast because in addition to the usual croissant and pain au chocolat they have a table spread with all sorts of little joys like Madelaines etc.
Was just closed, so I thought it was up for sale… wouldn’t have thought they’d smashed the place down…
Been to the La Route d’Or a couple of times, that’s one of my favourites, although the one just north of Château du Loir is another favourite, some proper bavettes there!
pv83:
Was just closed, so I thought it was up for sale… wouldn’t have thought they’d smashed the place down…
Been to the La Route d’Or a couple of times, that’s one of my favourites, although the one just north of Château du Loir is another favourite, some proper bavettes there!
Plenty of room for you at Chateau du Loir. Haven’t eaten there myself, will have to bear it in mind.
■■■:
Spardo, my son stopped at la grotte last week and was very impressed with it
Pleased to hear it, with so many disappearing from our roads these days it is so nice to see some re-open, but even nicer to see others being built. Shows a confidence in the innate desire of French drivers to associate with each other and eat together.
I drive as far as possible through the night so use sandwiches as facilities are poor in France at this time.
From my LGV driving days I recall a good restaurant in a village called Angliers further on from Distre(mentioned above)towards Poitiers.This used to be a good straight road but now has numerous roundabouts.
I also like the Relais de Saintonges in St.Genis.It used to be known as Claude’s and was around 9 hours from Cherbourg.They do B and B too if required.
. But not much room for wagons, are there designated lorry bays where all the cars are?
