Wednesday 21st September – Rhodes, France (not Greece!)

We spent a large part of today on the D946, an excellent road with pleasant scenery, many long straight sections and very little traffic. Like yesterday, the early part of the journey was through largely flat land with huge fields dedicated to growing cereals and potatoes. Later in the day the scenery became more interesting with hills and wooded areas.

At lunchtime we stopped at a picnic area next to a river and water mill in the small village of Rarecourt. After lunch we took a short stroll around the village and admired the traditional houses most of which had a huge door on one side that opened into the barn where the animals, hay and farm equipment were kept. Some of the barns were obviously still in use and it was obvious that agriculture was still very important in the area.

We saw a few World War I cemeteries yesterday but today there were far more, mostly American, French and German. The cemeteries and the residues of defensive lines in the countryside were very poignant.

We paid a brief visit to Lake Madine in one of the regional parks of Lorraine before heading for an aire at Rhodes. This is listed in our copy of 'All of the Aires of France' but without any details. It turned out to be in a lovely position on the edge of Lake Stock in another of Lorraine's region park in an area know as the 'Pays des Etangs' (Land of Lakes). It was a little more than an aire, having electricity and a toilet/shower block and a charge of €15 a night. Parking right next to the lake we immediately spotted a pair of grey herons swooping over the lake and a pair of great white egrets catching fish. I went onto the pontoons of the small marina next to us for a closer look and disturbed a kingfisher that rapidly flew to the reeds nearby. And the view across the lake was pretty good too!

Photos: The picnic area at Rarecourt; Intriguing architecture of Rarecourt houses; Lake Stock viewed from the motorhome.