Stranded in France

[ninja]

Well, not exactly stranded. We're in Castellane, down near Nice.

I'm going to drive back up to Calais early in the morning. You need an official form to say why you are out and about. We got stopped twice yesterday on the way back to Castellane after I took a rental bike back to Nice.
My excuse tomorrow is that I am returning to the UK.

I have work on Saturday. I work for an airline. I had a flight to Chambrey. Obviously that isn't going to happen.
Not even sure if I have a job.

It's surreal here. Literally nothing about.
Sitting here in perfect 20° sunshine looking at the beautiful mountains.

What very strange times.

[ogri]

Indeed,very strange times. Enjoy the peace while it lasts

[G.P]

Stay safe and share the details of the bike hire place if it was any good

[Kato]

Drove the Gorges Du Verdon years ago. Would love to go back on a bike

[ninja]

Here you go GP

https://www.rent-bike.fr

They're not cheap but the bikes are all pretty new and well maintained.

This time I had a brand new BMW GS850. I thought it was shit.

In Seprmtember last year, I rented a BMW F800R from them. That was much better.

Hard to get used to a twin when you're used to a 4 cylinder though. I kept running out of revs.

[G.P]

Here you go GP

https://www.rent-bike.fr

They're not cheap but the bikes are all pretty new and well maintained.

This time I had a brand new BMW GS850. I thought it was shit.

In Seprmtember last year, I rented a BMW F800R from them. That was much better.

Hard to get used to a twin when you're used to a 4 cylinder though. I kept running out of revs.

Thanks ninja.
There's a bunch of us been planning to hire little scoots in Nice and do a run up and down the coast. Wont be happening this year either!

[ninja]

They have loads of scooters.

[moth]

There are worse places to be stranded.

[WelshDragon]

Well, not exactly stranded. We're in Castellane, down near Nice.

I'm going to drive back up to Calais early in the morning. You need an official form to say why you are out and about. We got stopped twice yesterday on the way back to Castellane after I took a rental bike back to Nice.
My excuse tomorrow is that I am returning to the UK.

I have work on Saturday. I work for an airline. I had a flight to Chambrey. Obviously that isn't going to happen.
Not even sure if I have a job.

It's surreal here. Literally nothing about.
Sitting here in perfect 20° sunshine looking at the beautiful mountains.

What very strange times.

Drove back up from near Narbonne yesterday because it looked increasingly like France may close the border and wanted to get home. We had the form, had to handwrite it but there is nothing for travelling to repatriate yourself! The British Consulate suggest writing I am returning to my home in the UK. The French police apparently issued more than 4,000 fines for people who did not have a valid form!! We didn’t get stopped and didn’t see any gendarmes doing any checks anywhere! On the Channel Tunnel no restaurants or shops open at the terminals, can’t use the loos on the train and can’t leave your car! Folkestone is turning away anyone who is not going to France to work or to their permanent home.....

[ninja]

There are worse places to be stranded.

It was gorgeous yesterday. Just the birds singing and the river Verdon rushing past in the background.

[ninja]

Well, not exactly stranded. We're in Castellane, down near Nice.

I'm going to drive back up to Calais early in the morning. You need an official form to say why you are out and about. We got stopped twice yesterday on the way back to Castellane after I took a rental bike back to Nice.
My excuse tomorrow is that I am returning to the UK.

I have work on Saturday. I work for an airline. I had a flight to Chambrey. Obviously that isn't going to happen.
Not even sure if I have a job.

It's surreal here. Literally nothing about.
Sitting here in perfect 20° sunshine looking at the beautiful mountains.

What very strange times.

Drove back up from near Narbonne yesterday because it looked increasingly like France may close the border and wanted to get home. We had the form, had to handwrite it but there is nothing for travelling to repatriate yourself! The British Consulate suggest writing I am returning to my home in the UK. The French police apparently issued more than 4,000 fines for people who did not have a valid form!! We didn’t get stopped and didn’t see any gendarmes doing any checks anywhere! On the Channel Tunnel no restaurants or shops open at the terminals, can’t use the loos on the train and can’t leave your car! Folkestone is turning away anyone who is not going to France to work or to their permanent home.....

I just got home. Left Castellane at 0450 this morning. Got the 1745 ferry...which was a bit late anyway.

We saw some Gendarmes stopping people in Grenoble.

We got stopped twice the day they bought the paperwork rule out. Once leaving Nice and then half an hour later half way up a mountain in a tiny village. I only had one form and there were two of us but they let us go. They did say we would be fined the following day if the same thing happened.

Our friendly campsite owner printed me a few for yesterday and today.

The journey home was unreal. Virtually no cars all the way to Calais, just trucks.

I had the gopro on the dash and took some pics of the deserted Peage. I'll try and figure out if I can upload them.

[Noggin]

I just got home. Left Castellane at 0450 this morning. Got the 1745 ferry...which was a bit late anyway.

We saw some Gendarmes stopping people in Grenoble.

We got stopped twice the day they bought the paperwork rule out. Once leaving Nice and then half an hour later half way up a mountain in a tiny village. I only had one form and there were two of us but they let us go. They did say we would be fined the following day if the same thing happened.

Our friendly campsite owner printed me a few for yesterday and today.

The journey home was unreal. Virtually no cars all the way to Calais, just trucks.

I had the gopro on the dash and took some pics of the deserted Peage. I'll try and figure out if I can upload them.

If we weren't locked down, you passed within 2.5 hours of me - I could've driven over and said hi. But obviously not!! LOL

Glad you got back safe. It is weird here. Even in the inter season it's normally noisier than now. I went for a short walk yesterday and could literally only hear the birds singing!! Noisy buggers!! LOL