The Grand Slam

As Wales prepares to take on the French in the Grand Slam decider in Cardiff tomorrow my thoughts have turned to my very own Grand Slam.

No, you evil minded people! Not the same as Glyn's (Llwynhendy's answer to Sacha Distel), but a Caravanning Grand Slam.

Six teams compete for the Championship and Grand Slam each year.  These being Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy.

What are my favorite camp sites in each of the coutries?

Wales

We have stopped on sites all over Wales, but our firm favorite still remains the Caravan Club site at Pembrey.  This site is not only close to home and is ideal for short notice trips away, but it is immaculate and allows easy access to the country park adjacent to it.  You really could be in another world when staying there.

England

We have travelled extensively through England with our Caravans, and with having been our destination for the most times, Cornwall as a region would have to come out on top.  Everywhere we have been has its attraction.

We have stayed at The club site in Crystal Palace.  This site offers excellent access into central London and at a cost of around £25 a night it is hard to fault.  The south coast around Bournemouth suits us as a late autumn destination as the climate is so much beter than ours and we have stayed on numerous sites in that locality.  Also up north on sites in The Lake District the scenery can be spectacular .... even if the climate is even wetter than Wales!

But our fav site has got to be the club's site at Longleat.  This has to be one of the best approaches to a caravan site ever. Once waved through the barrier control at Longleat the splendour of Longleat House and Estate opens up before your eyes. It is quite a feeling towing your outfit past the front door of Longleat House.

The site is located immediately adjacent to the attractions Longleat has to offer and lies alongside the lake where they keep the Sealions which you can clearly hear from the site.

Scotland

Is a bloody long way from Wales and has lots of ginger people!

We have only been to Scotland once and stayed on 3 sites while we were there.  Without doubt our favorite site would have to be the club site at Bunree situated on the shores of Loch Linee.

Long days out sightseeing and walking were followed by the long evenings on site (it barely gets dark in summer) where the boys would take their canoe out onto the Loch while herself and I got pissed.

France

Like Scotland, we have only visited this coutry once in a caravan.  We crossed by eurotunnel and stayed on three sites.

It has to be said that my personal favorite site in France probably comes in at number 1 in my all time top ten.  This is mainly due to it's setting on the southern shores of Lake Annecy in the French Alps.

We were fortunate enough to have lakeside pitches.  Below is the view that greeted us every day.

and much time was spent just messing around on or in the lake.  We also had superb company this trip in the way of our good friends Mrs & Mrs Shag along with mini shag!  Long nights spent under the alpine skies drinking lots and lots of cheap beer from Lidl.

Now this is where my own personal Grand Slam stutters because to date we have not taken the caravan to Ireland (because crossing the Irish Sea requires you to take out a small morgage) or Italy (because it's so bloody far).  I have visited both countries though and my money is on those sites being in Killarney and Lake Garda when we actually do get round to dragging the tin tent there.

Anyway....... C'mon Wales! Do it for Merv.