Albert the Albatross

Name: Albert the Albatross
Address: Crafthole, Torpoint, PL113BQ, GB
Telephone: +447425169194

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Albert the Albatross

The adventures of Albert the Albatross – a page logging the fun and adventures of Albert and the Taylor family as they travel the open road.

31/08/2026

#493-494 #19-20 Summer Bank Holiday
Tunes in the Park weekend?

No, wait—family wedding. Our usual weekend of music, festivals, and beer was put on hold as we battled the Bank Holiday traffic 350 miles northeast to Grimsby for Dawn's brother's wedding. With both of the girls on board, we departed early for the planned six-hour drive, which rapidly turned into eight.

Meeting up with Dawn's mum and Robert at a basic campsite a mile from the venue, they had a good catch-up over a few beers before bed. Saturday was consumed by last-minute shopping for Lily's forgotten shoes 😬, a special day for Abbie and Stuart, and an amazing reception with lovely food and great company. Even Garth admitted it was worth missing Tunes, though his Crafthole friends still tried to wind him up by sending videos of the bands.

It was great to catch up with friends and family and to see the lovely couple walk down the aisle. As an added bonus, the weather even managed to stay dry for the ceremony.

With Dawn and Erin needing to get back in time for a flight to Croatia, we were soon back on the road with thankfully less traffic heading home to Cornwall. We stopped to refill, finding diesel for £171.9—it's cheap up north 🙄, but it certainly isn't cheap to get there! 🤣.

25/08/2026

#492 #18 Home

Sleeping at the port on your last night has its advantages: no stress, no rush, and time to shop. A final visit to the French supermarkets got treats for the girls, wine and beer for us, and a thank-you present for Angus, who helped with Bella when she needed to go to the vet.

Checked in and ready to board, we loaded into the very bottom of the boat. Apparently, it was going to be rather full and they didn't normally use that area; we had to exit through the galley and crew area.

It was very windy, with the boat rocking, rolling, and pitching. There were lots of sick people, but we were mostly OK in our cabin sleeping—until we stood up. Garth made the mistake of going to find food and nearly didn't make it back, stuck on the outer deck trying not to be sick. It did calm down as we approached land, allowing us to spend our free meal vouchers.

Last off and pulled by customs 🙄, we had to race back to meet the food delivery Dawn had booked after we missed the first slot. It was great to see Bella all well. We dropped in to thank Angus and gave Erin a hug before sleeping in the van on the drive. We just couldn't be bothered to unload the mattress back to our bed as it was late.

Holiday done—760 miles of exploration and fun. I can't wait for next year and our move to Belgium. Albert is coming too, so there are lots of adventures to come!

24/08/2026

#491 #17 Roscoff

Up at first light, we donned our cycle gear and headed to the coast. Cycling through the traditional salt flats, where workers were already out harvesting salt crystals from the ponds, we arrived at a WWII bunker complex next to the sea. We had a slightly windy return ride along the same route before showering, taking care of van admin, and getting ready to depart.

With a 3.5-hour drive to Roscoff and the ferry home ahead of us, we decided to push through the final leg and enjoy a chilled last night with no morning transit rush. When we arrived at our planned aire, it was full! A large German overlander had beaten us to the last spot 🙄

Anyway, we filled up with water and found parking nearby to explore the coastline around Roscoff. We took a gentle stroll along the beaches and rugged headlands, exploring old WWII bunkers, white-sand beaches, secluded coves, and numerous rocky islets. It was good to stretch our legs and blow away the cobwebs in the stiffening breeze

Back at the van, we packed up and drove to the port, where they had dedicated motorhome parking for the night. Dawn cooked special fried rice, and we finished the last of the beers before bed. The wind was howling around the van, and the sailing looks like it will be rough tomorrow 🤢🤮.

23/08/2026

#490 #16 Guérande

We stopped campsite loafing and hit the road. Our first stop was an art installation Garth had been wanting to visit for quite some time; he had always planned to take the girls, but it just never happened. Serpent d’Océan is just my type of sculpture—loved it. We even had free entertainment from a random bouncy-shoes class.

Next stop was the Guérande aire. High drama at the barrier when our card wouldn't let us in! With only one space officially left, it resulted in a quick call to the Camping-Car operator, and we were in.

Post-lunch, we took an amazing walk around the medieval walled city—the best I've seen for a while. The defenses were fully intact and the buildings beautiful, though unfortunately it was a real tourist trap full of overpriced (but nice) shops. On the way back, we called in at the supermarket for some saucisson, soupe de poissons, and extra-strong (8.5%) beer 😬.

An evening run of 5 miles and 5 miles of walking—I think we earned a beer or two! 🍺🍻

22/08/2026

#489 #15 Dog Drama

The day started with a call from Erin. Bella, our furry friend, was being sick all over the house—she had even deposited what looked like a sweetcorn husk. After some Googling, we waited to see how she was; however, it was playing on our minds all day.

A quick cycle to stock up on wine, laundry tablets, and bread, followed by a proper wash of our sports kit using the on-site washing machine (Garth was stinking like a skunk 🦨). A spot of fishing on the smaller lake brought in a couple of carp (4 and 7 lbs). Dawn went to the pool again. Later in the afternoon, Garth redeemed himself with 12 and 15 lb carp from the bigger lake, alongside his only catch on maggots: a tiny 3-inch, silver-looking fish.

Back to the dog: it was evident that Bella still wasn't happy. Luckily, our great friend and neighbour Angus was able to take Bella to the vet with Erin. It was nearly an overnight stay for her, but after X-rays 🩻 and some medication, she was sent home with a nice little £833 vet bill 😬. Dawn nearly had to call 999 for Garth, who went into near cardiac arrest over the cost. On the plus side, Bella is still alive 🙏🏻.

21/08/2026

#488 #14 Campsite Fishing

A quick call to the campsite to confirm space, and we had a plan 🫡. We restocked the van's food supply, fishing tackle, and a tub of maggots at the next-door SuperU. We hit the road early, made a brief stop to empty our waste tanks at another Aire, and meandered north for about an hour to our selected campsite with a fishing lake—woop-woop! 🙏🏻

Garth hit the fishing lake immediately, while Dawn explored the adults-only swimming pool and did a little workout. A relaxing afternoon was had by both. For once, Garth was successful and caught four massive carp 🎣🐟🦈🫍🐬. In fact, he was very proud of catching his biggest fish to date at 22 lbs, which is the same weight as a 10 kg dumbbell. Not wanting to catch all the fish in the lake, especially as the biggest had escaped before he could land it, he retired to celebrate with a pizza, a bottle of wine and a wander around the campsite looking at the sights including a few random farm animals.

20/08/2026

#487 #13 Les Sables-d'Olonne

Beach visit over—a quick 35-minute move up the coast to the home (start/finish) of the around-the-world yacht race.

High drama before we left the old Aire: Dawn watched a French van having a go at a German van for trying to drive off-site with its waste leaking all over the ground. They even deployed a mad, raving woman and a small, fat bloke with a large dog to abuse the German 😂. Garth missed the drama as he was in the shower 🙄.

Spaces were tight at the Aires in Les Sables; it's obviously popular. We sneaked the last space in our Aire and then smugly watched numerous other vans try to get in 🤣.

Walked around the town—interesting to see the yachts readying themselves for the Golden Globe Race '26, which departs on 6 September. We found an interesting street, 'L'Île Penotte', with the walls covered in murals made of seashells; they were quite good and something different. The beach was beautiful and the sea looked inviting, so we decided to go for another run instead 🙄 (5-mile walking tour of the town and a 5-mile run).

Feeling a bit tired, it was a night in reading and a couple of crafty Grimbergens 👍🏻.

19/08/2026

#486 #12 Beach Life

We escaped city life for a day chilling at the beach. An hour plus drive north to a small airer by the beach. Our first attempt was full but we managed to get into the second Aire. A couple of hours in the sun, a dip in the sea and back to the van to read our books. Chilli for tea and an evening stroll to watch the sun go down

18/08/2026

#485 #11 Île de Ré

We were going to drive to Île de Ré, but Dawn suggested cycling. With dedicated cycle lanes all the way and zero bridge tolls, it sounded ideal. What she failed to mention was the traffic jam—I’ve never seen so many unbelievably slow cyclists. Alongside the Tour de France, France must run a secret national competition for the slowest cycle pace possible; I’m still not sure how half of them didn’t fall over.

Rant over, the history tour was brilliant:
Fort La Prée: A 15th-century fort captured and promptly lost by Lord Buckingham (a total buffoon).

Abbaye des Châteliers: A striking ruined abbey

Saint-Martin-de-Ré: A fortified town whose citadel held its ground against Buckingham before routing the retreating British.

After a warm, much smoother 3 km pedal back across the bridge with the mobile roadblocks out of the way, we showered, grabbed a curry, and stumbled upon the official drinking spot for the La Rochelle rugby team. Excellent craft beers and top IPAs, they even topped Garth's beer up when he clumsily spilled half of it. Very friendly bar and worth a visit, it made for a fantastic end to a long day in the saddle.

17/08/2026

#484 #10 La Rochelle
The absolute best part about middle-of-nowhere aires? The ability to cycle down blissfully deserted country roads feeling like Tour de France contenders 😂. After a lovely morning spin it was time to hit the road for La Rochelle.

With the forecast promising a comfortable 27°C, Plan A was a campsite near the old harbour. Unfortunately, even Garth dusting off his best French accent and unleashing full-throttle charm couldn't bribe us a spot. Denied! On to Plan B: an aire with the capacity for 112 motorhomes, success we squeezed Albert into the ranks.

Eager to explore, we hopped on a bus to the centre for a self-guided walking tour. Honestly, the city blew us away: old and beautiful, which are two words mostly used to describe us but equally fitting for La Rochelle.

Naturally, we paused for essential "cultural research"—French IPA, French fries and a large glass of Grimbergen. The best part, practicing the noble art of elite harbourfront people-watching. Absolute perfection.
Suitably entertained, slightly light headed, we walked back to the aire in the evening sun.

Address

Crafthole
Torpoint
PL113BQ

Telephone

+447425169194

Website

https://www.polarsteps.com/AlberttheAlbatross?referral=true

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