Travel – Page 5 – Mediocre Mum

Bonjour. Où Est Le Camping?

In association with Look Insurance

Caravanning in France? Here are some useful phrases

Hello. Where is the caravan site? That is quite possibly the most important question you could end up asking if you’re heading off to France with your caravan.

As we are all too familiar with in Blighty, the weather isn’t always the greatest, persuading many caravanners to venture further afield. France has a long established reputation amongst the caravan fraternity and is visited by many each year.

But, like with any other country, there are plenty of things to consider when taking the caravan to France. And knowing your s’il vous plaît and merci and a few other bits can get you a long way. The team at LOOK Insurance have researched some of the key information and phrases which all caravanners should know before taking their caravan to France.

Things you might need and need to know

We have given this sub section the above title as it seems like there is equal weight in knowing things and having the right things.

Travelling through France requires you to adhere to a number of regulations. You will need to know your caravan’s weight (MGPLW) and make a note of it. There are restrictions based on your caravan’s weight. Rather than go into all these, so long as its base weight (without all extras inside) isn’t more than 3.5 tonnes a UK driving licence is fine. Anything more and you might need documentation (see Permis E96 and EB).

As for speed, you are restricted to 90 kmph (56mph) on French A roads with a caravan. However, just be mindful that if you’re on a road with a lower max speed limit than that, you won’t be able to reach this maximum speed with a caravan.

As for bits of equipment, you know the essentials for a caravan holiday but when travelling to France you have to have a high visibility vest and warning triangle. It is also recommended you have daytime lights. Plus, whilst the threat of a fine has been indefinitely rescinded, you have to carry a NF approved breathalyzer.

Some helpful phrases

Yes, the French are very good at speaking English and we can all point and gesture but by trying to ask them a few questions in their own language, it might score approval amongst some. So we have dug out what we think will be common and useful phrases to help you on your way:

How much does this cost? – C’est combien s’il vous plaît?

What time do you open/close? – A quelle heure ouvrez-vous / fermez-vous?

Where is the post office? – Où est la poste?

Where is tourist information? – Où est le point d’information touristique?

Where is the railway station? – Où est la gare?

I have a reservation – J’ai fait une reservation

Where are the toilets? – Où sont les toilettes?

How far to town? – Jusqu’à quel point de la ville

Where can I buy gas? – Où puis-je acheter du gaz?

How much does it cost to stay here? – Combien ça coûte de rester ici?

How much is it for electricity? – Combien coûte l’électricité?

So, now you’re equipped for a caravan adventure in France, with a few essentials taken care of.

Full disclosure policy can be found here.

Camping in Style? Co-ordinated camping gear? #giveaway

Family Camping has never been so glamorous!

I absolutely adore camping and spent a lot of my childhood camping in Canada. On occasion I’ve joked about being buried in my sleeping bag when I die. Please don’t hold me to this. However, we’ve done very little camping in the UK, I don’t know if this is down to weather, lack of camping gear or a misconception of UK campsites. But, we have dipped our toe into Glamping and are rather partial to it.

Pubs with Campsites near Hastings

We have been on a couple of occasions as I managed to borrow the missing bits of gear (e.g tent and camp beds). A few months back we went overnight camping in Boreham Street, East Sussex, near Hastings at the Bull’s Head. The campsite was nothing more than an open field with a loo block (tent pitch £15 a night).

Nonetheless, the location was brilliant close to many local beaches and backing onto to a fabulous pub (stumbling distance) with an amazing menu, wine list and garden. I had a perfectly cooked rib eye steak with a very nice glass of red wine or two. The landlord was also very helpful when I needed to ring him at 6 am to get him to let my daughter out of the loos after locking herself in by accident. Now that’s what I call child friendly. I must also add that it is dog-friendly as well.

We do hope to start doing more camping next year and I’m slowly starting to amass some gear. We’re still in need of a tent but for the time being will continue to borrow, but I do now have a lovely set of Berrow Hill Melamine Dishes from Olpro that I can’t wait to try out camping. They’re not only stylish and great for camping but perfect for picnics and BBQs.

Win a Sleeping Bag

The lovely folk at Olpro have offered my readers a chance to win one of their lightweight Witley Sleeping Bag with red on the inside. It comes in its own stuff sack with draw string and if you have two you can zip them together to make a double. I quite fancy getting the Berrow Hill one to match my new dishes. Camping really is getting rather civilized.

Enter by simply using the rafflecopter form below. The full terms and conditions are at the bottom of the form. But, in short, it’s open to UK residents aged 18 +. Competition closes on the 17th Sept 2013.

Good luck and happy camping.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This competition is listed on Loquax, Prize Finder and Competition Hunter.

Disclosure: I received the melamine set free of charge for review purposes.

Short Breaks for Families near St Albans, Herts

Bracknell Forest – Lookout Discovery Centre

In my quest to find things near St Albans, Herts to do with my daughter this summer we found ourselves at the Lookout Discovery Centre in Bracknell Forest, which just over an hour away. It has over 90 interactive science exhibits to explore with your kids. There is also a café, which is a bit average but a fabulous Adventure Playground right outside. It’s fairly reasonable at £6.95 for Adults and £4.75.

Parking was a bit of a challenge as it was a beautiful day in the park. However, you can claim the £2 for parking back at the Discovery centre if you take your parking stub in with you. I couldn’t be bothered walking back to the car to get it.

However, I had no idea that the Science Centre was in such a beautiful setting, 1000 hectares of woodland. If I went again on a nice day I’d just take a picnic and our bikes and explore the woodlands. There are approximately 55 miles of off-road cycle paths. For more information check out Cycling in Bracknell Forest.

Budget Places to Stay near Windsor

We stayed at the Millennium Copthorne Hotel Slough Windsor. For some reason I thought we were staying in Windsor and was a bit surprised to find ourselves in Slough just off the M4. However, the hotel was perfectly adequate and reasonably priced. We stayed in an Executive Suite (£145 a night), which was two adjoining rooms, with a double bed and sofa bed, it also included breakfast, access to the leisure centre (pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and gym) and free parking.

The staff were very friendly and helpful. However, the hotel, even though it is decorated nicely did seem a bit ‘tired’. The pool area could use some updating and was a bit grotty, but my daughter enjoyed a swim before dinner and I enjoyed the Jacuzzi. Do bear in mind that if you want to use the pool during busy times (e.g. school holidays) you will have to book a time slot.

The hotel staff recommended dining in the Bugis Street Oriental Brasserie in the hotel, which we did. I personally found it a bit overpriced and lacked a children’s menu so made choosing dinner for my daughter and I challenging. But she did have fun trying to eat with her chopsticks.

The hotel is conveniently located and just a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle, Legoland, Thorpe Park and Heathrow Airport so would make a good stopping place for a night or two.

Unfortunately, the hotel is not currently offering packages that include accommodation and entrance into the local attractions.

Disclosure: Our stay in the hotel was complimentary for review purposes.

How to treat Swimmer Itch (Duck Itch)

What is Swimmer’s Itch?

Growing up in Canada everyone knows what duck itch or swimmers itch is and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t had it. Once it flares up it resembles chicken pox. It’s a ‘worm-like’ parasite that burrows in the skin resulting in itchy spots and usually lasts 3-5 days.

How not to get it!

Duck itch does not occur in all lakes in Canada but can be found in lakes with ducks and plants. It’s normally easy to avoid by simply toweling off after swimming or having a shower, but as you can see we were not camping in an area with a toilet block. It was rather rustic.

My daughter started itching as soon as she came out of the water, I honestly thought it was the sun-screen that I had borrowed from one of my cousins. However, the next day, I got the ‘mummy look at this’ and within a nanosecond I knew what it was, as my cousin had a serious bout of it last year from the same lake. Apparently, the itching happens immediately as this is when the parasites are burrowing under the skin! I bet you’re now scratching. ;-)

Weirdly, all of the adults had been in the same water with her and didn’t get it. I’m guessing it was because we probably toweled off, although I can’t remember and she simply dried in the sun.

We were very lucky as she didn’t suffer from too much itching nor required taping oven gloves to her hands to stop her scratching.

Here is what we did:

Dash to the pharmacy to get supplies (children’s antihistamine, baking soda and calamine lotion)
In Canada, I purchased Children’s Benylin, I’m not sure what the UK equivalent is so check with the pharmacist. According to the instructions we were able to give her a dose every four hours but please do check.
When she had a bath we added a tablespoon of baking soda, which seemed to have a soothing affect.
If she started itching I applied calamine lotion, as you can see I used a cotton bud, which was very time consuming, but have now learned that you can actually smear it all over.

Try to persuade them to wear loose fitting clothing. Madame is wearing a Ladybird T-Shirt and Denim Chambray Playsuit from Littlewoods.

Thanks to all of this the pesky little buggers didn’t ruin our holiday.

Disclosure: The playsuit was compliments of Littlewoods.

Outdoor Theatre near Kamloops

Caravan Farm Theatre – Armstrong, B.C.

The Caravan Farm Theatre in Armstrong, near Kamloops has been running for 35 years. I’m trying to work out the first time I went and think it was about 18 years ago. We went again about 3 years ago and again this week to see Head over Heels.

‘There is no theatre building – just the great outdoors.’

When we went three years ago, after walking up a lantern lined path into the woods, there was a clearing in the woods with seating, each set was brought on by their trademark Clydesdale Horses and the musicians were perched in the trees. This year the set was stationary but still just as special and a Clydesdale called Shopping Cart does make a few appearances.

A plane crashes in the middle of nowhere, Oola has lost her twin brother somewhere in the crash. And to top it off, she has arrived in a mysterious, unknown land, where nothing is as it should be, things are not what they could be, and no one is who they say they are. Mistaken identity, backward antics, and madness of love send Oola into a furious frenzy of absolute delirium.

I was a bit uncertain for about the first 20 minutes but then it all started coming together. The skill of the writers and actors was obvious as the story unfolded. The second half came together seamlessly. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages.

There were children in the audience but if I’m honest, I don’t think it was suitable for kids as the content and innuendos would have been lost on them.

It’s a truly unique experience and if you haven’t been you should. Adult tickets are $34 (CAD)