Europe 2026 - A lovely visit to Cognac - but neither of us like it, what a waste!

Thursday 16^th April

When I wake up I always lower the blind a few inches to see what the weather is doing. This morning the sun was streaming through the trees and it was really pretty.

As we drove along we passed some giant sand dunes.  There were a line of people of the top of one of them, they looked like ants!

Cognac today - that’s the place, not the drink!  We went last year but only stayed one night and Richard said he would like to go back, so go back we did!

We had noticed a lot of cars with the letter A on the back. We had a feeling it was probably a new driver but we were really surprised with the rules the newbies have to adhere to. The A stands for Apprenti (Apprentice) and is a legal requirement for new drivers in France. Anyone who has just passed their driving test and is in their probationary period usually the first 3 years, or 2 years if they did "AAC" (a French initiative allowing teens (15+) to learn to drive early, boosting success rates to 70%).  There are strict rules for "A" drivers. They must go slower on major roads. For example, while the standard limit on a motorway is 130 km/h, a new driver is restricted to 110 km/h and there is zero tolerance for alcohol.  I’m surprised that there aren’t more cars with A stickers on.

We made a quick stop at Cognac’s Intermarche which we had visited last year, but it has since had a complete revamp and was pretty amazing. I didn’t dare spend too much time in there!

Mrs Google got it so wrong after she was programmed to get to our aire from the supermarket. The actual aire is on the river but on the opposite bank to where Google took us!  As we had been before, between us we were able to get to the right place.

The aire was very quiet so we had a good choice of pitch.

We took Rio for a lovely walk along the river and found a very interesting structure in the river. Richard said they had been building it when we were here last year.  It turns out that it is a piece of art by architect and artist Feda Wardak called “La Maison sur le Fleuve" (The House on the River).  It isn’t a house it’s a floating, "living" work of art designed to sit on the Charente River. It is described as a "floating unidentified object".

We walked past a building that used to be an abattoir. The 19th century saw the population of Cognac grow from 3,000 to 18,000 so new infrastructure was needed to supply food for the inhabitants. The abattoir was the first of these new buildings. The town's architect chose a site close to the river since access to water was essential. A branch of the river was filled in and replaced with a street. Two parallel roofed buildings were constructed for slaughtering the animals; The abattoir was finally closed in 1987 and after a period, the site was transformed into a concert hall dedicated to the music of today.  Les Abattoirs is a premier contemporary music venue which hosts about 40 concerts a year.

The aire filled up during the evening but it wasn’t full which is always a bonus.

Friday 17^th April

Rio had to go to the vet to have his “fit to travel” examination and worming tablet so he can get back into the UK. We have been so lucky with the vets in the EU, they are so friendly and speak really good English.

From the vets we walked to Les Halles, a covered market, only it is closed!  There is major renovation work taking place which began in late 2025 and is expected to continue throughout 2026.  I have to say that the outside looks rather sad.  Fortunately, a temporary market has been set up in a marquee and I could have spent a fortune in there!  I did however buy a large slice of quiche and some Dauphinose potatoes with truffles in!

We walked to the Place Francois I for a coffee. Sadly, I guess as it’s the school holidays, the square was dominated by a children’s carousel so we missed seeing the statue of King Francis I, who was born in the city and who the square is named after.

I had seen that there was a lovely old house in one of the streets so we looked it out.   The Maison de la Liutenance was the residence of Pierre Lacombe, lieutenant-general of Cognac, from 1603 to 1624. He initiated its reconstruction, although the sculptures on the wooden posts probably date back to the 15th century.

The other place that Jem told us to visit was the Le Jardin Public (Public Garden).  It is one of the few English-style gardens in France and serves as a peaceful escape right in the center of town. Spanning seven hectares, it was created by joining the grounds of two adjacent private mansions that were acquired by the town at different times.  In 1889, the commune purchased the Otard de la Grange mansion. By 1892, the building was transformed into the town hall (Hôtel de Ville). The landscape architect Édouard André was commissioned to redesign the surrounding park, where he introduced the sunken garden style and various water features that are still visible today.  In 1921, the town purchased the neighboring Dupuy d'Angeac mansion, which now serves as the Museum of Art and History.  We sat and were mesmerised by the fountains as they kept stopping and starting. I was looking at the history of the gardens and discovered that its historical and aesthetic value was officially recognized in 1943-1944 when it was classified as a monument historique.

As the gardens were made a historical monument during WWII, we wondered what part, if any, Cognac played during the war.  In fact it occupied a strategic and often tense position within occupied France. Because of its famous namesake spirit and its proximity to the Atlantic coast, the town was of significant interest to the German forces.  Many of the grand merchant houses and châteaux were requisitioned to house German officers and administrative offices.  The Cognac-Châteaubernard airbase became a vital installation for the Luftwaffe. It was used as a base for long-range maritime patrol aircraft, such as the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor," which targeted Allied shipping in the Atlantic. Because of the airbase, Cognac became a target for Allied air raids. The most significant strikes occurred in 1943 and 1944 as the Allies sought to disable German aerial capabilities before and after D-Day. 

The cognac industry faced a unique challenge. The Nazis were highly interested in France’s wine and spirits, not just for consumption but as a source of foreign currency.  A key figure during this time was Gustav Klaebisch, the German Sonderführer (specialist leader) appointed to oversee cognac production. Interestingly, Klaebisch had a background in the spirits trade and was relatively protective of the region's stocks.  While the Germans "purchased" vast quantities of cognac (often with occupation currency), the efforts of local producers and sympathetic overseers like Klaebisch helped prevent the total pillaging of the oldest and rarest "Paradis" cellars.

The Charente region had an active Resistance movement. Local groups worked to sabotage German rail lines and gather intelligence on the movements at the airbase.  Resistance members frequently targeted the infrastructure supporting the Luftwaffe base, providing coordinates to British intelligence for bombing runs.  After Cognac was liberated in September 1944 the FFI (French Forces of the Interior) and local citizens reclaimed the town.

After our history lesson we went back to the Place Francois 1 for lunch. A Croque Madame each and we were ready to walk back to Kiwi where we spent a very relaxing afternoon in the shade.

The quiche and Dauphinose potatoes were excellent 😃

You are looking at the portal of the former Hôtel de l'Indivision, located on Rue de l'Isle, right in the heart of the old town (Vieux Cognac). This archway is a classic example of the 18th-century "Grand Siècle" style that characterizes much of the town's wealthy merchant history. 

Saturday 18^th April

Last night the internet was full of the fact that UK citizens can no longer use EU pet passports. This was all because of a letter that was released from the APHA (Animal and Plant Health Authority) saying this. However the EU haven’t released this and their website still says that a current pet passport can be used until it is full then a new one will not be issued and that from April 22nd no new passports will be issued to non EU residents.  The next few weeks could be interesting.

We left the aire and headed to the Intermarche but the car park was rammed, hardly any car spaces let alone a space for a motorhome.

Mrs Google took us a very scenic route to get to the motorway. It was lovely though, as we were driving through acres and acres of vines. Some were very advanced and some looked as if they had only just woken up after winter.

Once we got to the motorway the traffic was very heavy, we drove into one service areas and there wasn’t anywhere to park - the whole place was heaving.

We needed one last supermarket visit before going home and I wanted it to be a Carrefour. I found one that was 1km off our route, which was handy. In one of my previous Carrefour visits I had bought a wooden box which has been really useful and doesn’t slide around the floor. We had decided that two more would be useful. The Nantes Carrefour was HUGE but I couldn’t find any wooden boxes anywhere. I was really p****d off as I had seen them in the last store I had been into.   C’est la vie!

Our aire was in a town called Blain, just north of Nantes and on the edge of the Nantes-Brest Canal which is one of the most ambitious engineering feats of 19th-century France. Stretching roughly 226 miles, it winds through the heart of the Breton countryside, offering a mix of wild river valleys, medieval castles, and tranquil towpaths.  Work began in 1806 under Napoleon I and was opened in 1842. The goal was to provide an inland supply route for the port of Brest to bypass the British naval blockade during the Napoleonic Wars.  It originally featured 238 locks to navigate the varying elevations of Brittany’s "interior spine."  However in 1923, the construction of the Guerlédan hydroelectric dam flooded a section of the canal, effectively splitting it in two. Today, the canal remains unnavigable by boat for its full length, though the towpath remains continuous for cyclists and hikers. 

We walked along the canal to the little port of Blain.  There were a couple of nice “house” boats but the rest looked pretty tatty, including one very strange one!  You can hire boats on the canal and then go onto the River Vilane in Nantes. I don’t think that is for us.

There are 17 pitches on the aire and up until 8pm we were the only ones there until a French van joined us.

Europe 2026 - From Bulls to Mountains and Ending up at the Beach

Monday 13^th April

We could hear it raining but got ready to go out and get wet, however there was just one shower and I was in the Cathedral at the time! I’d left Richard and Rio sitting in the sunshine and came out to find them sheltering from the rain. That was the only rain we had though it was a chilly 9 degrees.

I had heard about an elevator going up to the town but hadn’t followed it up, however we came across a very strange cave like entrance with glass doors across it. I noticed the name Otis on a button and realised we had found the elevator, only it was a modern day funicular!  Because Pamplona is built on a plateau surrounded by lower-lying neighborhoods, the city has several other "urban lifts" that function as public transit.

Our first port of call was to have a look at the Town Hall which is one of the most iconic buildings in the city, famous worldwide as the site where the "Chupinazo" rocket is fired to mark the beginning of the San Fermín festival every July 6th.  The festival is one of the largest street parties in the world, transforming the city from a quiet provincial capital of 200,000 into a sea of over a million people dressed in white and red.  Everyone wears white clothes with a red neckerchief (pañuelico) and a red sash (faja). However you don't tie your neckerchief until after the Chupinazo rocket goes off on the 6th!  The bull running is part of the festival.

Today in the Town Hall Square were some protesters, but they were peaceful. There was a bit of “what do we want”, but then there was silence. As we left the Square music started and the protesters all started singing!  Apparently in many Spanish cities, including Pamplona, pensioner movements hold regular Monday morning rallies to demand pension increases linked to the CPI (cost of living index).

Of course, we wanted to visit the bull ring. I had emailed them to make sure it was dog friendly and they welcome dogs. However, even though I checked the opening times that was for a Sunday (we were a day late getting to Pamplona) and it is closed on a Monday. I could not believe it and was gutted and cross with myself.

We walked to the Plaza de Castillo. I shouldn’t say it was a disappointment but it was after Salamanca, however there were some very attractive properties.  BUT the good thing was that I found a Tabac that sold stamps to the UK and there was a post box two minutes away.  Now the big question, will we get home before the cards reach their destinations?

We really should have gone to Salamanca last as I’m not sure anywhere will match up to it in my eyes.  Pamplona Cathedral, the Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de Pamplona, looks rather austere from the outside but it got better once I was inside. There were lots of little chapels with some pretty amazing reredos (look it up!!).  In the nave is the royal tomb of King Charles III "the Noble" and Queen Eleanor of Castile.  The main altar is behind bars but I managed to get my camera between them to take a photo.

The tradition of Gigantes y Cabezudos (Giants and Big-heads) is seen all over Spain, though it is particularly strong in the northern regions like Navarre (where we were), Aragon, and Catalonia.  In Pamplona the giants come out for the San Firmin Festival. In the cathedral are two modern day giants: Alejandro and Elena (The Kings of the West). The original giants which were used for the Corpus Christi processions as far back as the 16th century were lost in the mid 1800s.  The modern day giants are "high-tech" giants—their eyes were 3D modeled and printed to look incredibly realistic, and their clothing was made using geometry patterns from 1618.  They were unveiled in late 2025.

We sort out the Monumento al Encierro (Monument to the Running of the Bulls.  It consists of 11 bulls (6 fighting bulls and 5 bullocks/steers) and 10 runners (mozos). It is 36 feet long and 13 feet wide.  We found it rather realistic but macabre.

Our rumbling tummies told us it was lunchtime. We found a restaurant in the Plaza de Castillo that had a good menu del dia. We had a Spanish cheese and avocado salad to start with, Iberian pork rib for main and then Torreja for desert.  This is stale, thick bread soaked in milk (infused with cinnamon and lemon peel) until it is almost falling apart. It is then dipped in beaten egg and fried. This was served with custard and ice cream.  The description on the menu was “fried milk and custard”!  Add a bread roll, half a bottle of wine and coffee and the cost? €25 (£21.50) each.

We wandered back to Kiwi and collapsed - 3.8 miles

Tuesday 14^th April

It was time to dig out my vests!  It was only 9 degrees yesterday and it looks like the same today.

We left Pamplona after putting it on the “we will return to” list, but I will make sure it’s not a Monday next time!  In fact I must remember that Monday is not the day to go sightseeing.

We headed off towards the Pyrenees. The sun was shining and sky was blue giving us beautiful views of the mountains, some with snow on.

We went to the supermarket in Jaca and were surprised at the amount of blocks of flats which all looked shut up.  Jem told me that Jaca is considered the "snow capital" of the Spanish Pyrenees, though it is technically a mountain city that serves as the main hub for nearby ski resorts rather than being a "ski-in/ski-out" resort itself.  It is located about 25–30 minutes away from two of the most historic ski resorts in Spain, Astún and Candanchú.  In Jaca is the Ice Pavilion (Pabellón de Hielo), a world-class facility with two ice rinks (one Olympic-sized). It has hosted world championships in ice hockey and figure skating.  I wondered if the Winter Olympics had ever been held there but apparently Jaca is often called the "eternal candidate" for the Winter Olympics. While it is a world-class winter sports hub, it has never actually hosted the main Olympic Games, despite trying 4 times.

Canfranc isn’t far from Jaca and then Canfranc Estacion is a few minutes further north. We had seen the Estacion on TV so were very interested to see it in real life.  Opened in 1928, it was a massive engineering feat. Because it sits on the border between Spain and France, the station had to be enormous to house two of everything, two customs offices, two national police stations, and two post offices.  It is 725 feet long (nearly as long as the Titanic) and features 365 windows—one for every day of the year.  The station building is now a unique luxury hotel destination that seamlessly blends 20th century history with modern high-end hospitality.  There was a big problem with the trains as Spain and France used different railway gauges. Every passenger and all cargo had to be physically moved from one train to another at this station, which is why it needed so much space and so many workers.

During World War II, Canfranc became a real-life Casablanca.  Between 1942 and 1943, roughly 86 tons of Nazi gold passed through the station, hidden in crates on their way from Switzerland to Spain and Portugal in exchange for tungsten (wolfram).  Before the Nazis occupied the French side of the station in 1942, it was a vital escape route for Jews and Allied soldiers fleeing occupied Europe.  The French Resistance and British intelligence operated a spy network out of the station, using a local transit official to smuggle messages across the border.

The station's international life ended abruptly in 1970. A French freight train carrying corn derailed on the French side, destroying the L’Estanguet bridge. France decided not to rebuild it, effectively cutting the line.

Today deep in the tunnels beneath the mountains, is the Canfranc Underground Laboratory where scientists use the silence and rock-shielding to study dark matter and neutrinos.

We wandered round the grounds and couldn’t quite work out what was what. However we watched a YouTube video in the evening and realised that the trains must have come in on the other side of hotel!  You can get guided tours so we will do that next time as Canfranc is n the list to come back as there is much more to see than the station.

Wednesday 15^th April

It was a glorious morning, blue skies, sunshine and snow capped mountains, plus it wasn’t cold.

A quick top up with fuel as it is cheaper in Spain (€1.96) as the government are subsidising it.

It was then into the Somport Tunnel to take us under the Pyrenees and into France.  When the rail tunnel closed in the 1970s the only way to travel was by car or lorry across the winding mountain pass (Col du Somport). Following a new treaty in 1991, construction began on a dedicated road tunnel. It was built parallel to the old rail tunnel and opened on January 17th 2003. At 5.3 miles, it remains the longest road tunnel in Spain.  I got a text message from EE when we were about half way through, saying welcome to France. That was the only way we knew we had crossed the border as there were no signs! 

As we exited the tunnel we were met by wonderful scenery as we drove down the valley and out of the Pyrenees. We stopped for coffee and sat on a little bridge taking in the wonderful scenery.

It was a long drive, 163 miles and well over 4 hours. Usually there is a motorway or a good dual carriageway, but today was all two way road with lots and lots of roundabouts!  Richard actually felt tired and I took over the driving for the last hour - that doesn’t happen very often as Richard admits he is a bad passenger!

Our stop for the night was at Biscarosse Plage which is south of Bordeaux. We stopped there last year too, but this year was much busier. The site is in a pine forest which is right next to the beach.  There are electric bollards dotted around with four points on each one, as long as your cable can reach a bollard you can moor up!

We took Rio to the beach, he just loves the beach and was so excited when he realised where he was.  He just ran and ran, loving the freedom and the feel of the sand beneath his feet!  It was all right for Rio - he has four feet, we only have two and the sand was very soft getting onto the beach which made the going pretty tough!  However it was a lovely beach and Rio really enjoyed himself.

We were surprised at how many people were still on the beach at gone 5pm.  It was still warm but surely the children were back at school.  Ah, no they weren’t.  France is split into three zones for school holidays and we were in Zone A, where the children don’t go back until Monday 20th.  Zone B, Paris, don’t break up until April 18th.