Virgin, Connie, Antares and Guiness
At the end of May, 2013, I went down to Cestas, the service area south of Bordeaux on the A63, to collect 2 dogs from Spain. This has become a regular event for me, Passion Levriers specialise in rescuing maltreated and abandoned dogs to new homes or foster homes in France. Michelle, my contact, collects them from the border where they are brought from the rescue centre and we do a changeover in the parking area. Not ideal but this time they chose the northbound side (there is a tunnel connecting the 2 carriageways) where there is more room and a grassy area to walk and water the dogs before their onward journey.
It is always on a Friday, something to do with the transport arrangements in Spain, but I am attempting to make it a day earlier in future if possible. Most of these dogs go to NE France, often Douai and this means that I have to deliver them on a Saturday making my return home late that day or even Sunday. I have plenty of other things to do at the weekend and, in any case, the routier restaurants where I overnight are not usually open.
However, on this occasion, there were just 2 dogs. Virgin, a gentle and forthcoming Galga (Spanish Greyhound) destined for Rabastens, near to Montauban, I was to deliver her the same afternoon, and Connie a large wire haired dog of indeterminate parentage. She was to go all the way to Belfort, in one of the smallest departments of France, the Territoire de Belfort. It was originally in Alsace but, because it was French speaking the Prussians did not annexe it after the Franco-Prussian war of the 1870s and it became its own little department.
At the end of May, 2013, I went down to Cestas, the service area south of Bordeaux on the A63, to collect 2 dogs from Spain. This has become a regular event for me, Passion Levriers specialise in rescuing maltreated and abandoned dogs to new homes or foster homes in France. Michelle, my contact, collects them from the border where they are brought from the rescue centre and we do a changeover in the parking area. Not ideal but this time they chose the northbound side (there is a tunnel connecting the 2 carriageways) where there is more room and a grassy area to walk and water the dogs before their onward journey.
It is always on a Friday, something to do with the transport arrangements in Spain, but I am attempting to make it a day earlier in future if possible. Most of these dogs go to NE France, often Douai and this means that I have to deliver them on a Saturday making my return home late that day or even Sunday. I have plenty of other things to do at the weekend and, in any case, the routier restaurants where I overnight are not usually open.
However, on this occasion, there were just 2 dogs. Virgin, a gentle and forthcoming Galga (Spanish Greyhound) destined for Rabastens, near to Montauban, I was to deliver her the same afternoon, and Connie a large wire haired dog of indeterminate parentage. She was to go all the way to Belfort, in one of the smallest departments of France, the Territoire de Belfort. It was originally in Alsace but, because it was French speaking the Prussians did not annexe it after the Franco-Prussian war of the 1870s and it became its own little department.
But that was not for this week, much too far for me, so Connie was coming home to us in the Dordogne for the weekend. We did not expect any trouble from Ramona, our Beauceronne, who likes everyone, or Sami, the aged Springer Spaniel. He likes females.
The way south east was obvious for me but involved along the old N113 the passage of several delaying towns including Agen and Montauban. Normally this isn’t a problem but this time, Friday evening, I decided that, for a few quid, I could ensure a return home by taking the autoroute, rather than staying out the night. It wasn’t an easy decision. I hate spending money that isn’t reimbursed and I do have an excellent regular eating spot near to Montauban, but home won the day so it was the A62 all the way. Besides, the money I spent on the péages was roughly equal to what I would have spent at Jean-Francoise’.
I found the house I was looking for up a quiet lane and was greeted by Virgin’s new owner and an enormous male Great Dane. The Dane was not at all overwhelming, although interested in the new arrival, and Virgin not worried at all as she explored every room in the small house making it very difficult for me to get any photos of her.
The way south east was obvious for me but involved along the old N113 the passage of several delaying towns including Agen and Montauban. Normally this isn’t a problem but this time, Friday evening, I decided that, for a few quid, I could ensure a return home by taking the autoroute, rather than staying out the night. It wasn’t an easy decision. I hate spending money that isn’t reimbursed and I do have an excellent regular eating spot near to Montauban, but home won the day so it was the A62 all the way. Besides, the money I spent on the péages was roughly equal to what I would have spent at Jean-Francoise’.
I found the house I was looking for up a quiet lane and was greeted by Virgin’s new owner and an enormous male Great Dane. The Dane was not at all overwhelming, although interested in the new arrival, and Virgin not worried at all as she explored every room in the small house making it very difficult for me to get any photos of her.
We chatted over coffee but after half an hour or so it was time for me to leave. It would be another 4 and a half hours before I got home and I was keen not to have a very late dinner. As I did so I was arrested by 2 gifts, a small memento of the region and a pack of 3 bottles of the local wine. Very nice indeed and something to look forward to.
We had stopped on the way from Cestas to allow the dogs a little wander and, although Virgin readily took advantage of this, nervous Connie refused to leave her cage. Thank goodness she had a cast iron bladder as this was to be a recurring feature of our onward journey. I stopped again north of Cahors but no, she wasn’t budging.
At around 8pm we rolled into my garden and, with a 10 metre lunge attached and anchored outside for safety, Connie was left to her own devices with both cage and car doors open. Ramona and Sami came to visit and introduce themselves and eventually, with no humans in close proximity, she ventured into the garden and had a long, long pee. I could almost hear her sigh of relief. A little later she was persuaded to enter the house and immediately took up residence in one of the large cages available. Later still she discovered that she would be even more secure at the end of the veranda on the concrete of the still un-tiled floor. As this seemed to be the place where she felt most comfortable we laid some soft blankets to improve her stay.
At around 8pm we rolled into my garden and, with a 10 metre lunge attached and anchored outside for safety, Connie was left to her own devices with both cage and car doors open. Ramona and Sami came to visit and introduce themselves and eventually, with no humans in close proximity, she ventured into the garden and had a long, long pee. I could almost hear her sigh of relief. A little later she was persuaded to enter the house and immediately took up residence in one of the large cages available. Later still she discovered that she would be even more secure at the end of the veranda on the concrete of the still un-tiled floor. As this seemed to be the place where she felt most comfortable we laid some soft blankets to improve her stay.
A bright day greeted us on the Saturday. Connie declined to come outside the house until I clipped her up for the walk. On the lunge she followed me at a distance in the field and forest but refused treats when offered with a terrified retreat. Back home, even though I fed the other 2 first and left her alone in the kitchen with her bowl, she still refused to eat. Later in the day though, when I placed the bowl before her in her chosen refuge, she did eat half of the bowl, including all of the meat.
Sunday was little different as far as Connie was concerned. She continues to spend all of her time at the end of the veranda and it was a struggle to get her to come out into the fresh air. Eventually I did though and put her on the lunge rein at the front. After some wandering she finally settled down in the shade at the rear of the house just in front of the water butt. There she stayed until I brought her back in in the evening. I had to physically lift her though, otherwise it would have been another tug of war and I feared for her neck as she dug her feet in.
While there though she did eat the whole of the bowl of food I left with her.
I was keen for an early start on Monday morning as, after delivering Connie to Belfort, I was due to get as close as I could to Paris to be well placed for my 8am rendezvous the next day at Chilly Mazzarin. I had hoped to be in Belfort at 3pm but was told that the adopter would not be back from work till 6. She had offered me a meal and to stay for the night but I had declined because of my tight schedule the next day. Thus I delayed my departure till 8.30, much of the almost 720 km route is of a standard that I knew would allow me to average around 75 to 80 km/hr, and there was no point in arriving too early and hanging around before doing another 3 or 4 hours to park up.
While there though she did eat the whole of the bowl of food I left with her.
I was keen for an early start on Monday morning as, after delivering Connie to Belfort, I was due to get as close as I could to Paris to be well placed for my 8am rendezvous the next day at Chilly Mazzarin. I had hoped to be in Belfort at 3pm but was told that the adopter would not be back from work till 6. She had offered me a meal and to stay for the night but I had declined because of my tight schedule the next day. Thus I delayed my departure till 8.30, much of the almost 720 km route is of a standard that I knew would allow me to average around 75 to 80 km/hr, and there was no point in arriving too early and hanging around before doing another 3 or 4 hours to park up.
Two stops on route made no difference to Connie, she still refused to take advantage and stretch her legs. At my lunch stop I tied the lunge to a tree and left the cage open while I sat nearby chatting, as best as we could, with a Polish lorry driver. It made no difference. She stayed put. And so to Belfort, the entry routes were different to the last time I was here and I found myself in the centre of town. With little in the way of direction signs I made a very rare visit to my Autoroute programme which doesn’t require an internet connection. It has severe drawbacks as regards route finding but it has one saving grace, it has a GPS locator, so that once plugged in and fired up I can see at a glance on a rudimentary street map exactly where I am and in which direction I need to go. 5 minutes later I was at the door of my destination.
Connie was only persuaded to leave her temporary home with great difficulty but once inside her permanent one set about exploring every room. Not quite the same as Virgin though, she had been exploring out of interest, Connie was obviously searching for the exit and I warned her new owner that she would have to be very careful when opening outside doors in case she made a bolt for it. The resident small dog and a cat were no problem for Connie though, nor her for them, so, after a brief chat and a welcome cool glass of orange, I was on my way towards Paris.
I passed a couple of otherwise suitable routiers on my way but I had to ignore them and press on to make the maximum use of the time available. In the end I parked up at about 9.30pm just west of Chaumont. There was no problem about having a meal at that time, in fact the Patronne said that they didn’t close till the last customer arrives and leaves. The other side of that coin is that they don’t open till 9am, the latest I have ever seen, for the vast majority a 6 o’clock start is regarded as late. Which meant no early black, sweet propellant in the morning and I would head for my preferred choice of stop had circumstances been different, a very well regarded routier just before Troyes.
Nevertheless, I had a very good meal and retired to bed to read a little before sleep at 11pm.
I set off just after arising at 5, and reached my original preference an hour or so later. It is as I expected, a popular place and the barman told me that I would have been too late at 10.30 last night to eat but in future a phone call might get them to save some food for me. There are sufficient routiers on this road so I don’t think that will be necessary but it might be useful if I am only a few minutes late.
My next passenger was to be a large male Dobermann, Antares, at the behest of PAD, the Dobermann rescue association. He had been picked up as a stray in the area and had spent the last 3 months in the local authority kennels on the site. His destination was the association’s kennels on the outskirts of Bordeaux where he would be looked after by their local representative and frequent fosterer, Virginie. I was grateful though, in view of my later departure from Belfort, that yet another Dobermann, from Chartres for Bordeaux had been cancelled at the last minute. His owner had decided better of his original decision to give him up for adoption.
I passed a couple of otherwise suitable routiers on my way but I had to ignore them and press on to make the maximum use of the time available. In the end I parked up at about 9.30pm just west of Chaumont. There was no problem about having a meal at that time, in fact the Patronne said that they didn’t close till the last customer arrives and leaves. The other side of that coin is that they don’t open till 9am, the latest I have ever seen, for the vast majority a 6 o’clock start is regarded as late. Which meant no early black, sweet propellant in the morning and I would head for my preferred choice of stop had circumstances been different, a very well regarded routier just before Troyes.
Nevertheless, I had a very good meal and retired to bed to read a little before sleep at 11pm.
I set off just after arising at 5, and reached my original preference an hour or so later. It is as I expected, a popular place and the barman told me that I would have been too late at 10.30 last night to eat but in future a phone call might get them to save some food for me. There are sufficient routiers on this road so I don’t think that will be necessary but it might be useful if I am only a few minutes late.
My next passenger was to be a large male Dobermann, Antares, at the behest of PAD, the Dobermann rescue association. He had been picked up as a stray in the area and had spent the last 3 months in the local authority kennels on the site. His destination was the association’s kennels on the outskirts of Bordeaux where he would be looked after by their local representative and frequent fosterer, Virginie. I was grateful though, in view of my later departure from Belfort, that yet another Dobermann, from Chartres for Bordeaux had been cancelled at the last minute. His owner had decided better of his original decision to give him up for adoption.
My journey to Paris was uneventful until I reached the 104, the outer ring of the city, then the traffic jams started. I didn’t help my case by misreading a sign and setting off in the wrong direction. Fortunately I am very familiar with this road and was soon able to return to my route. The Mairie at Chilly–Mazarin is very large, more befitting a city rather than a large suburb but I soon found the right person and Antares was introduced to me in his kennel. Once collared and secured I led him towards the car, he needed no encouragement and leapt straight into, not only the car, but the cage, then sat looking at me as if to say, ‘so what are we waiting for?’
For most of the journey he was calm but seemed to be troubled whenever the movement of the car and the steady road noise decreased. At those times he became quite excited and, at periods of lengthy traffic jams, such as met us at the very end at Bordeaux he became quite manic, hurling himself from side to side, rocking the car and worrying me that he might injure himself. We stopped at Etampes for fuel and again at Confolens, where I gave him a chance in the open air to stretch his legs. This was the second outing for him because I updated my emails at McDo’s near to Chateauroux as well. Unlike most dogs in transit, Antares was thirsty for water and, in fact, drank all the water on board, including emptying my own small bottle.
Leaving the rocade in Bordeaux, the last 15kms to the pension were the worst of the whole journey. A half hour crawl made even worse because of one car towing another very gingerly on a slack tow, illegally. I turned at the roundabout towards Lilas, which I had identified on the map but in this tiny rural hamlet found no sign of my destination. Eventually, after asking directions of a resident, I arrived at the end of a long, rough track but it appeared to be deserted of humans. I phoned Maryvonne, the PAD Presidente, after failing with a call to Virginie and the former rang the latter on another line while, back at the refuge, a young woman appeared from the caravan/office.
Virginie was soon there and we had a photo call outside before I was able to set off for my overnight stay under the Aquitaine Bridge. The main road on which I arrived was only 100 metres away so returning was much easier, as will be my next delivery here, now I know.
I was looking forward to my first visit to a favourite stopover from working days since retiring, the Albatross, but when I got there it was under new management and name. The pleasant young woman now in charge showed me to the rest of the drivers outside on a cool terrasse. The meal was very good and she advised me not to sleep outside but at the industrial estate nearby where it would be much quieter and was guard patrolled. It tuned out to be very good advice. She also, in answer to my question about opening time told me that, as I had eaten there this evening, my shower in the morning would be free.
The new day was clear and there was a promise of the fine weather to be continued. But I wasn’t homeward bound. The last journey of the week was for another Dobermann association, Dobermanns en Detresse (DED), and was to collect a dog thought to be at some risk in a household where the owners had misled themselves about the requirements of a large dog and the problems it could cause if confined. The journey for the dog was not long, but I would be taken far out of my way to move it and this would necessitate another night out.
Thus I was up at 5 to reconstitute the cage ready for Guiness later and then drove round to the restaurant for my morning coffee and ablutions. The promised shower was warm and clean and I will certainly return again.
I was away much earlier than I intended, 6.45 in place of 8, and that left me running early for the rest of the day. It was no problem for anyone, neither the donors, who were younger than expected, living in a large and tidily gardened house, nor for Jim Woolford who was pleased to receive his new ‘baby’ sooner. As I arrived without any problems at the house Guiness, a beautiful and dainty female Dobie, was at the gate to meet me.
I was looking forward to my first visit to a favourite stopover from working days since retiring, the Albatross, but when I got there it was under new management and name. The pleasant young woman now in charge showed me to the rest of the drivers outside on a cool terrasse. The meal was very good and she advised me not to sleep outside but at the industrial estate nearby where it would be much quieter and was guard patrolled. It tuned out to be very good advice. She also, in answer to my question about opening time told me that, as I had eaten there this evening, my shower in the morning would be free.
The new day was clear and there was a promise of the fine weather to be continued. But I wasn’t homeward bound. The last journey of the week was for another Dobermann association, Dobermanns en Detresse (DED), and was to collect a dog thought to be at some risk in a household where the owners had misled themselves about the requirements of a large dog and the problems it could cause if confined. The journey for the dog was not long, but I would be taken far out of my way to move it and this would necessitate another night out.
Thus I was up at 5 to reconstitute the cage ready for Guiness later and then drove round to the restaurant for my morning coffee and ablutions. The promised shower was warm and clean and I will certainly return again.
I was away much earlier than I intended, 6.45 in place of 8, and that left me running early for the rest of the day. It was no problem for anyone, neither the donors, who were younger than expected, living in a large and tidily gardened house, nor for Jim Woolford who was pleased to receive his new ‘baby’ sooner. As I arrived without any problems at the house Guiness, a beautiful and dainty female Dobie, was at the gate to meet me.
She happily climbed into the car and, after some sad, but I thought relieved, goodbyes we were off down the road in the heat of a very sunny day. Thank goodness for the clim. Unlike Antares, Guiness settled down to sleep from the start and I was hardly aware of her presence the whole 2 and a half hours to Jim’s. There, released into the garden she was pestered by Duke, formally Black, (the dog I collected from Bar le Duc on the way back from England with the new Teardrop caravan) who has not been clipped yet. He pursued her rear end relentlessly and she swerved and snapped to deter him.
She was, however, happy to play and I heard from Jim later that things had settled down somewhat and she had fitted in well. She was reluctant to enter the house for the night though; she had been prevented from that where she had been living due to the electric fence around it! No more of that now, after being physically dragged in by Jim she soon realised that, for most dogs, this was normal.
I left after 45 minutes and, with a stop for emails at McDo’s in Poitiers and another for fuel at Super U Vivonne, I rolled into the routiers south of the same village at about 6pm.
It was so sunny and warm that I decided to have a beer and drink it on the terrasse and was soon joined by a Dutch driver working for a Scottish firm based in Holland. We ate together afterwards with a mixture of companions including a Ukrainian driving for a Portuguese firm where he now lives and pulling a German trailer, and 2 French drivers including one, who lives in St. Pardoux and works for Gauthier, my old Patron.
An early start next morning saw me back at home before Fran was out of bed and I was pleased that she had done as agreed and left the interior key out of the lock so I could get into the house. A large Beaucie and a small Spaniel greeted me at the door after my 5 days away from home. She wouldn’t let an intruder in and he follows her if she disturbs him.
Total distance for the 4 dogs 3,284 kms
It was so sunny and warm that I decided to have a beer and drink it on the terrasse and was soon joined by a Dutch driver working for a Scottish firm based in Holland. We ate together afterwards with a mixture of companions including a Ukrainian driving for a Portuguese firm where he now lives and pulling a German trailer, and 2 French drivers including one, who lives in St. Pardoux and works for Gauthier, my old Patron.
An early start next morning saw me back at home before Fran was out of bed and I was pleased that she had done as agreed and left the interior key out of the lock so I could get into the house. A large Beaucie and a small Spaniel greeted me at the door after my 5 days away from home. She wouldn’t let an intruder in and he follows her if she disturbs him.
Total distance for the 4 dogs 3,284 kms