About a half hour further into our journey, having left Sedan, with its impressive medieval castle, we drove into Belgium!
Getting in a stew at Bouillion Motorhome Aire

Our stop has been an official free aire, which rather conveniently seems to overflow onto a very extensive grassy area alongside the river. Basically on the grassy area, everyone’s parking where they fancy, and we’ve already moved twice, first to get out of the sun, and secondly when a motorhome totally inconsiderately came and parked right up next to us, and I mean right up next to, in this huge open space! Some people are beyond belief! He clearly wanted to share our shady tree! – even though there were other spots to use.
I gestured to the Spanish gentleman that I was not impressed, but possibly not surprisingly, he did not know how to interpret my facial gesticulations!!! 😉

The steam that was coming out of my ears was in turn not helping matters, as Michael, who was washing and dressing in the loo, in turn had steam exuding from his ears at my escalating irritation!!!!

Once he’d got himself dressed, he came out and saw what I was getting wound up about and we promptly upped sticks and moved to another spot! The beauty of an easy to move motorhome as opposed to a towing caravan with all its prepping, or indeed a tent!!!

Oh how I love motorhomes! They suit a less than easily pleased person like me!😉

When not getting rattled with my neighbours, I have been endeavouring to relax in hot conditions, while Michael has been working.

It came as a gift when the skies opened up with thundery showers some time ago and are still delivering wonderful cooling rain and a delightful cool breeze!

Michael had time to fit in a Belgian beer beforehand!

  
    
  
A mix of a day with less than comfortable heat, followed late afternoon (and not a moment too soon!) with a cooling thunderstorm, and to add to the cooling effect, cold Belgian beer and Lidl’s ‘Parasol’ Spritz!

Time to cook up some food!
Just as well we didn’t venture out! Will explore the town tomorrow (weather permitting!)
  
    
  
Breathless at Bouillon!

Woke up in the early hours having one of my occasional claustrophobic panic attacks!!! I opened up wide my already part opened bedside window, but the misty night from all the humidity caused by cold rain on hot land just caused a darkened blur which heightened my sense of anxiety! It’s a terrible feeling!

I opened up the roof light blind (having fumbled around to find the release catch!), opened the entry door window at the rear side of the van (something we’d not do normally at night bearing in mind security). When you feel like this, you’d rather face the axe man than feel you can’t breathe!

Some few minutes on I achieved a degree of calm and lay back down hoping to settle back to sleep, but within moments the stress levels rose right back and that panic of feeling unable to breathe sufficient air and feeling enclosed were back in full force!

It’s a bizarre thing – you know even while it’s happening that it’s an irrational fear, your husband on the parallel couch is sleeping blissfully (well, he was until my disturbance!), as likely is everyone else around and about, all tucked up in their vans.

So with window wide open, and some blinds too, I sat up, viewing what little there was to view, and in doing so, achieved once again some semblance of calm, and must have drifted gradually off to sleep!

It was only come morning that I discovered Michael had been woken, but felt less than inclined to get involved! I guess it’s good I managed on my own. He can’t exactly sort out my head issues after all!!!!

So Bouillon aire had been a 2 day stay with various memories – some good and some I’d have happily skipped!!!

As far as the aire itself, it was a very good one – spacious, attractive setting, free and with free water!

Oh, and Michael got to wash off the rest of the dead flies from the cab that the rain storm had given him a helping hand with! One doesn’t normally see Michael washing vehicles! 😉

  
    
  
Bouillon and its Chateau, Belgium

Bouillon had been a good stop on our brief visit to Belgium from France en-route to Germany. We had 2 nights stay at their free motorhome aire set riverside in the valley below the castle.

Before moving on we strolled from one bridge and over the other, passing tables of people enjoying their very Belgian moules frites, and beers!

Not great weather for photos, but the coolness of the air was very welcome indeed!

  
    
  
Next up, across Belgium and into Luxembourg!