Campervanning
in Europe. Home Index 2000 Back to part 2
The Erratum of Man's History. - Conventional belief is often mistaken.
1758 - Simon-André D. Tissot publishes his "Onanism, or a Treatise Upon the Diseases Produced by Masturbation" in Lausanne. The book places respectable medical opinion behind the concept of "masturbatory insanity." "The dangers which Tissot sees in masturbation are terrifying. It is hell on earth, but without purgatory." [René A. Spitz, The Yearbook of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 9, pp. 113-145: p. 117.]
Travel Notes, Real History & Free Parking Places, Boondocking.
This is not a conventional travel commentary or guide. There are plenty of other sources of information on where to go and what to see in Europe, so comments are mainly directed at how to save money, where to camp free, with specific locations we found. There will be a few comments on aspects we found interesting, particularly about off the beaten track areas that are not well covered in conventional guides. However the main benefit to the reader will be in picking up pointers on how we did it, and how to seek out your own free camping spots, because there are thousands of them all over Europe.
This symbol in the text and on the maps indicates a good SONPS (Safe Overnight Parking Spots) Either one we actually stayed at, or we considered a nice place to stop, had the time of day required it when we were passing. Other lesser quality SONPS may be mentioned in the text, and may have the smaller
symbol, but are not marked on the maps, as we thought they were only mediocre in appeal, although OK for just an overnight rest stop, but not the sort of place you would want to spend any longer time at.
Generally the scale of the route maps is too small to acurately show the exact locations of a SONPS and the map and the text will guide you. In a selected cases city maps are linked to, to give the exact location of SONPS in Paris, Florence, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Munich, Berlin. These are usually places we stayed, but there would be hundreds of others, in these cities and all over Europe. You only have to look, and follow the principles outlined to find good SONPS almost anywhere.
Toll Roads in France
There are many new toll roads on France, the older free main roads are comparatively narrow, of a much lower standard and slow to travel on, as they pass through the center of every town and village along the way. If you are in a hurry to get to a particular area, or to drive quickly across France to Spain or Germany, you may want to use the toll roads, but it certainly isn't essential to do so.We did not pay a single toll anywhere in France, because we had plenty of time, and meandering through the French countryside and villages was what we wanted to do. Along the toll roads you will find rest areas with toilet facilities and water, tables and seats, and you can park overnight at most.
(Note that in 2002 there have been a few reports of tourists parking overnight at some French tollway rest stops being attacked and robbed. Some cases involved the injecting of some sort of sleeping gas into parked campervans to anesthetize the occupants while the thieves broke into the van and robbed them. While such incidents are fairly rare they highlight the need to be wary. Also they point to the potential danger of boondocking in places where tourists are known to do so frequently, such as tollway rest stops. You would be much safer boondocking on a minor road or in a forest where no one expects to find tourists regularly. The chances of be accosted in remote boondocking spots are far less than in areas where thieves know tourists are to be found regularly.)
They are marked on special maps and listed in the many available touring guide books, but these additional publications are not essential. Along all toll roads in Europe, and on the free Spanish and German autobahns, you will find plenty of places to stop overnight, usually free, often not far from major towns, some with toilets and occasionally showers for a small fee, interspersed with smaller rest areas, many with few or no facilities, but often off the road far enough to get some rest from the traffic noise.
Map of Our route from Calais- St Omer (Route highlited in blue). [87 Kb]
19/04/2000 CALAIS. The first town in France at the ferry terminal, well worth an overnight stop to explore. On leaving the ferry terminal head in to the centre of the town. There is a large free parking area along the sea front. Go through the town main street toward the sea, and turn left (Southwards) along the foreshore for a kilometre or two until you come to the parking area, which is now paved with asphalt. It is adjacent to a sand dune reserve and separated from the beach by rows of hideous beach sheds. There is a toilet at the far end, but no accessible water supply. A number of vans parked there.
There is another official van parking area closer to the main town further north close to where the main street through Calais comes to the foreshore. Toilets, showers, water. Many vans park here, there may be some small fee. No shade in either location.
Inland from Calais are many of the great battlefields of WW1, and a tour of these areas puts into perspective the enormity of the carnage that took place here in 1914 to 1918. I am not a great war history aficionado, but the immense impact of what happened here on the life of the entire world throughout the twentieth century, commands that all but the most ignorant need to have some understanding of the events. Most people know only the superficial history they have seen on TV documentaries, or the little they have been told by elderly relatives or heard on national remembrance days such as ANZAC day in Australia.
Most of this conventional history concentrates on the "mechanics" of the war, the dates and events view of history, stories of battles and heroism, but does not even touch superficially on the real cause of the war. To me the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand of Austria being the commonly cited "cause" of this war, was always an unsatisfactory explanation. Why all this carnage should have come about because of an assassination, which is where most simplistic conventional WW1 history takes up the story, never made sense to me. Of course it didn't come from only that event, that was merely a final trigger, merely an excuse useful for the public explanation of events, and the real causes were not, and are still not, widely known among the sheeple of the world. For knowledge is power, and if you believe the common myths about the causes of WW1, and for that mater about WW2, Korea, Vietnam and even the Gulf War, you will remain devoid of the power of knowledge.
So if you are comming to Europe in a campervan via one of the channel crossings, don't fail to spend a little time touring the battlefields. You will find it even more interesting if you have done a bit of historical homework, based on some of the links in the following, you will then be able to see it all in a new light.
Most war history deals with tales of battles and heroism, of suffering and death, of brilliant generalship and bungling incompetence, of comradeship and bitter ethnic hatreds, of atrocities and liberation. For all these things are the visible parts of war, they are the "mechanics" of war, but they are not the full story of war. For war is primarily an extension of diplomacy, and diplomacy has as it's aim the winning of an advantage. War is the ultimate expression of economic policy, war is about money.
Of course those who fight in wars must not be permitted to know this, for they stand to gain little or nothing and loose everything. The combatants are, "the pawns in the game". That others stand to gain immensely from all wars, must not be widely known.
Somme Area & Real History.
Route map - St Omer - Our tour through the battlefields area of the Somme - [343 Kb]
The French Cemetery at Albert, Somme.
During an earlier campervan tour of England in 1997, I came across an old history book at a car boot sale "A Century of Continental History 1780-1900 by J. H. Rose Litt D. Published in 1911 in London by Edward Stanford".
In reading the book I came to realise that the history of our own century, and particularly that of WW1 and WW2 could not be properly understood without some knowledge of what had occurred before. It placed WW1 in an historical context which is ignored by the popular TV and press propaganda, to which we have all been exposed all our lives. It helped to explain the underlying causes and enabled me to look behind the simplistic TV accounts of the cause of WW1 which do no more than refer to perhaps the final triggering incident, the assignation of Arch Duke Ferdinand.
So began an interest in "Real History" and I started to research on the internet. The more I learned, the more it became apparent that "we" in "the west" ( The UK, Australia, NZ, USA, Canada etc.) have been continually exposed to propaganda and lies, half truths and distortions, and that much has been concealed from us for over a hundred years, and of course it is still going on. Not only in relation to WW1 and WW2, but of the broad sweep of history of our own times, and the underlying motives and intrigues of international money politics that is the driving force of history, and of the emerging New World Order. I am sure that the other side, Germany, in these wars has had her people subjected to similar insidious forces, quite apart from Hitler. However, it is said, history is written by the victors, and therefore the distorted "allied" view to which I refer, is mainly the fault of "our own" governments collective complicity in this ongoing global deception.
I also came to understand that to learn history means to understand the motive forces behind the events of history, not to merely learn a series of dates and events, as a sterile record of bare facts regarding superficial events that have occurred, and as they are usually reported in the mass media. Such deal only with the mechanics of war, not the real causes of war.
Dud Corner Cemetery at Loos en Gobelle. 1700 graves and commemorates 20,000 missing. Along the road from Calais to Bethune.
As I walked thoughtfully in some of the many cemeteries of the Somme, among the millions of dead, who believed, no doubt on both sides, that they were fighting for "freedom", or for "democracy" or "to end war", knowing what I knew, history that most of you reading this most probably still do not know, but can find out if you wish, I honoured them for their simple idealism and heroism, but regretted that they will never know the truth.
They were in the main but sacrificial lambs, on the altar of mammon. They died for the rapacious greed of others, far from the mud of the Somme, for greed for power and above all for money. Their consolation is no doubt that they died believing in their ideals, unaware of the great deceit that had sealed their fate.
The cemeteries are themselves part of the propaganda, to maintain the public myths that it was all not in vain, that it was about "freedom", about justice and preserving, "democracy". Part of the purpose is, that in honouring them, the fallen, we will not stop to question. Why is it so? It does not denigrate the undoubted heroism of those who gave their lives, believing the propaganda of their own times, to understand the reality of history. They were deceived, just as we have been, throughout our lives, and continue to be deceived as to the real motives and forces behind world affairs.The Australian memorial at Mt St Quintin, Somme."Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do or die." (Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote that. Was he an idiot, or just a propagandist for the warmongers?)
Back home in Australia in April 2001 as I write this, there is a highly noticeable flurry of articles in the papers about our role in wars, from the Boer war, WW1, WW2, Korea and Vietnam, right on down to the Gulf War. The very last of our WW1 ANZACS are passing away at ages of 100+, and the press is making a meal of it. Outwardly they are simply pushing the line of honouring our brave old soldiers, seeking not to glorify war, but it seems to create a national mythology elevating them to hero status. To most people, who generally know very little of real history, it seems all very noble. But I can't help wondering what else is behind this campaign, we are being conditioned for the next war!
Our men were certainly fine soldiers, as capable and heroic as any, but again the concentration on these aspects of war, without any real attempt to understand the forces behind the events, is just a continuation of the propaganda.
Some aspects of real or revisionist history that even today few people know of.
Among the lesser known aspects of our history I came to know are the following, (listed below) among many other points, but these are some of the more important. Not through any one Internet site or single authors point of view, but by examining a multiplicity of sources, books, Internet sites, books that have been transcribed onto the Internet, books and documents from my own modest library. It is a process of finding a thread and then seeking corroborative evidence. Many source works are by professional historians who have documented their source references comprehensively with extensive bibliographies and cross references, as is essential to any competent work of historical research. It is surprising how much has been written, and is freely available in the public domain about these matters, yet so few people know anything but the conventional propaganda view which they have been taught by the mass media.
The popular "myth" that WW1 was the "War to end all wars", fails in the face of the real history of two great power blocks struggling for world domination, both encouraged by global financiers who stood to gain immensely from the profits of war.
The mechanism of involvement of the reluctant USA, which had tended with good reason to favour Germany at the outbreak of WW1, following the Balfour Declaration, another pointer to the unseen hand of world money power controlling the great events of history. A deal was done, with Baron VonRothschild, principal doyen of the international banking dynasty, the USA would be brought into WW1, by the exercise of the political influence of the eastern establishment, to aid Great Britain in her war with Germany, if Britain signed the Balfour Declaration, committing her to support the establishment of the state of Israel in Palestine.
The fact that the Russian Revolution of 1917 was orchestrated and financed from New York, by the same international bankers who exercised their political and money influences to draw the USA into WW1, seems incomprehensible, until you understand more of the big picture, of the powers behind the treacherous public facade of what has long been misrepresented in the mass media propaganda as a struggle for "democracy" against the "evil of communism". When you find out what really happened, comes the startling knowledge that "communism", particularly that in Russia after 1917, was a creation of the same people who, behind the scenes, formented the two world wars for profit. Communism was a fabricated "enemy" for the sheeple to fear.
The onerous provisions of the treaty of Versailles, and how it was dominated by the same international financiers whose predecessors had manipulated governments since the time of Napoleon, and the intimate involvement of giant US corporations, that are still today household names, in the rearmament of Germany between 1920 and 1939., The Treaty of Versailles set the scene for WW2 by imposing impossibly onerous financial burdons on Germany, who was blamed forWW1 . Germany was in reality far less guilty than the victors of complicity in the monstrous conspiracy that had led to the tragedy of war.
Moving on to WW2. The history of Neville Chamberlain, "Peace in our time" and the pressures of the press for England to declare war on Germany in 1939, although many English saw no need for war, and Hitler also sought no conflict with Britain. Recent revelations (broadcast only once on Australian ABC Radio news in 2001 after the declassification of documents in the Australian archives) that Australian prime minister Robert Menzies, in letters written in 1939, supported Chamberlain's view that Hitler could be appeased and that WW2 was avoidable, cast more light of reality.
"The Forrestal Diaries" published by the Viking Press, New York, 1951 clearly corroborate Robert Menzies view. James Forrestall was U.S. Navy Under Secretary from 1940, and Secretary for Defence from 1947 until his resignation and suspicious death a few days later in March 1949, they are of the utmost significance.
He recorded the following in the entry dated the 27th December, 1945 (pages 121 and 122):
"Played golf today with Joe Kennedy ( Editors note:- Joseph P. Kennedy, father of US President J.F.K. and who was Roosevelt's Ambassador to Great Britain in the years immediately before WW2). I asked him about his conversations with Roosevelt and Neville Chamberlain from 1938 on. He said Chamberlain's position in 1938 was that England had nothing with which to fight and that she could not risk going to war with Hitler. Kennedy's view: That Hitler would have fought Russia without any later conflict with England if it had not been for Bullitt's (William C. Bullitt, then US Ambassador to France)* urging on Roosevelt in the summer of 1939 that the Germans must be faced down about Poland; neither the French nor the British would have made Poland a cause of war if it had not been for the constant needling from Washington. Bullitt, he said, kept telling Roosevelt that the Germans wouldn't fight, Kennedy that they would, and that they would overrun Europe. Chamberlain, he said, stated that America and the world Jews had forced England into the war."
You don't believe it?. Good, neither you should from just my statements, check the evidence yourself! The Forrestall Diaries book is available secondhand from Amazon.com.
In WW2 the first "declaration of war" was made in 1933 by international Jewry against Hitler's Germany, because Hitler was removing German Jews from positions of power and influence and introducing other petty repressions against Jews.
The London Daily Express reported this "declaration of war". Here is a picture of the headlines, dated Friday March 24th, 1933.
This declaration of war was not about concentration camps, or about "the holocaust", in 1933 there were no concentration camps. In 1933 there had been no program of extermination of the Jews, if there ever was later on.. This was not about preserving England against an invading enemy, or freedom or saving democracy, or removing a tyrannical dictator. Hitler had only recently been democratically elected and was idolized by many Germans. This was about POWER, as are ALL wars. This was because Germany, under Adolph Hitler's leadership had challenged the power of the worlds Jews.
Have you EVER heard this mentioned in all the myriad TV so called "documentaries" about WWII ? That the first declaration of war was in 1933, NOT in 1939, when Great Britian declated war on Germany. I'll bet not, because those so called "documentaries", are in fact mostly PROPAGANDA to reinforce the victors one sided view of history. They don't want you to know that WWII, like most wars, was a Jew's war.
That's what all those American GI's, Aussie Diggers, British soldiers and also their German, Italian and Japanese opponents died for. Because the worlds Jews wanted to punish Germany for challenging their power, and through immerse influence, financial power, intrigue and manipulation maneuvered the US and Britain to fight their war for them. Democracy, freedom, all the other pious sentiments you are taught WWII was fought for, are nothing more than propaganda slogans. The lies and propaganda will go on and on, because the real truth of the matter, these facts you have just read, were it to become widely known, would change the power structure of the world.
Lacking a Jewish state at that time, in 1933 Israel did not then exist, this deceleration of war would be later put into effect through proxies, by exercising influence over the governments of the UK and the USA. So it is an historical fact that the real start of WW2, was as a war between international Jewry and Hitler, into which all other parties were dragged by warmongering influences. Influence was brought to bear on the UK's policy through lobby groups such as "The Focus" of which Winston Churchill was a member, along with prominent English business men, including some of the wealthiest English Jews. It might be said that Russia was already a Jewish state, as communism as an ideology, and the Russian revolution, which was neither in reality Russian, but Jewish, nor a revolution but more a coup, were also Jewish inspired and executed phenomena.
The fact that the Russian "revolution" was financed from New York, by the highest echelon of the worlds elite capitalists, and that communism is not what it appears to be, that it is NOT a peoples revolutionary movement, but is in fact a means of totalitarian enslavement, inspired and financed by the global elite, is unknown to most people. However it helps to explain why America has been funding Russia, and providing every possible technical assistance, since the Russian "revolution" in 1917, during WW2, and all throughout the forty odd years of the "cold war". You don't believe any of this? Well that is not surprising. It is too foreign to your propaganda conditioned view of the world. If you look into these matters. I mean really look deeply, you will find that there is considerable evidence that it is all 100% true, and that the truth of this seeming paradox immediately begins to explain the state of the world as we see it unfolding today.
In Germany at Dachau concentration camp and at the Headquarters of the Gestapo in Berlin, we found references confirming evidence on the internet, that major US corporations financed the rise of Hitler.
Download to full text a book, a detailed work of historical research, by Antony C. Sutton, which documents the full story, "Wall Street and the rise of Hitler" This link is to real history.
The Dachau Massacre - American war crimes at Dachau - 560 German prisoners of war machine gunned at the "liberated" Dachau concentration camp by American GI's on April 29 1945. Follow this link to the book , "Dachau - The hour of the Avenger" by Col. Howard A. Buechner [Medical Corps, U.S. Army (Ret.)] Published by Thunderbird Press Inc. 300 Cuddihy Drive, Metaire, Louisiana, 70005, USA
The history of the bombing of WW2 civilian targets started by the British, not by Germany, and the fire bombing of Dresden, also belies the vilification of Germany as the sole perpetrator of atrocities in allied propaganda.
Why the German army allowed the defeated British to escape from Dunkirk France, fits with the view that WW2 was avoidable, and that Hitler had no desire for war with England.
How the USA was again drawn into WW2 against Germany, by the same Jewish money influences that had drawn it into WW1, is among the most deeply hidden of secrets, now being researched and exposed on the Internet.
The truth of the WW2 1941 Katayn Forest massacre of around 15,000 Polish Officers, while prisoners of war, which was blamed on the Germans at the Nuremberg War crimes Trials, despite the fact that it was well known to the British and Americans that the Russians were the guilty party. Finally Russian guilt was admitted by Gorbachoff in 1991, some 50 years later. This incident seriously discredited the Nuremberg War trials, as nothing more than the show trials that they were, and exposed the gross falsification of documentary evidence presented by the Russians against accused Germans, and cast considerable doubt on some of the other allegations made and the objectivity of the entire Nuremburg process.
The history of the colonial powers in Asia, Opium wars, Sino-Japanese war, and the west's economic warfare against Japan, set the scene for WW2 in Asia and the strategy of US president F.D. Roosevelt in deliberately provoking the attack on Pearl Harbour, by means of economic embargoes and diplomatic demands against Japan, make even the pacific war more comprehensible.
It has been proven beyond any reasonable doubt that US President FDR and the highest levels of government in the USA knew of the Japanese intention to bomb Pearl Harbor, before it happened, but, after removing all of the modern powerful warships from Pearl, leaving only essentially naval scrap iron, allowed it to occur unchecked, as a way of rallying the common people into a great groundswell of hostility, that they might support the entry of the USA into the war in Europe against Hitler, and also with the lesser objective of halting Japan's increasing power and influence in Asia, which might pose a threat to American economic interests in the longer term.
President FDR had made election promises to the American people that the USA would not enter WW2 (which was then only a European war) unless the nation was attacked. However he came under increasing money power pressure to do so, and needed a way around his pledge to the nation. He was also a Boshevick admirer and the same money power that put him into office had also in 1917 financed the Russian revolution.
Provoking and permitting the Japanese attack was his way into WW2. The Japanese naval codes had been deciphered before Pearl Harbour, and the US, British and Australian military intelligence services watched the planned Japanese attack unfold, message by message. You don't believe it?. Good, neither you should from just my statements, check the evidence yourself.
Here is a good starting point. The evidence is massively convincing and is comprehensively set out, with numerous documentary references, at this Pearl Harbour Real History Website.
Many books have been published about this little known aspect of US history in WW2, but the story is never told by the mass media, but it is in official records, Here you can download the text of official US Government files direct from the FTP server at Purdue University, US congressional records, also US Naval and US Army boards of inquiry documents providing conclusive evidence of the truth of all that I claim about this matter.
Many historians have researched them. Many of those involved have told parts of the truth in their memoirs, including Winston Churchill himself. Historians have pieced together most bits of the puzzle. Only a few documents,a few of the many hundreds of intercepted Japanese coded messages, remain classified in US archives, the rest is public knowledge, but few know it.
These things which I came to know are not from a single source. They are knowledge there for the knowing, for those with open minds, and are available on the Internet.
These things you need to know, for millions have died and millions have suffered, and this knowledge of the real history of how and why it happened, and who are the real powers behind the scenes of world affairs, has been hidden by a smoke screen of media propaganda for far too long.
For the best comprehensive overview, in a single volume, of the forces behind all of these things you could read no better book than "None Dare Call it Conspiracy" A work of well documented historical research which cites numerous reference sources for the startling revelations it contains about how the world is really run.
This book was recently available on the Internet for download, but the site has disappeared. You can still buy the book from Amazon.com.
You can buy "None Dare Call it Conspiracy" and read reviews at Internet bookseller Amazon.com
If you start to understand more of the hidden reality of history, you will soon come to ponder the enormity of the lies you have been told all your life. Then think about the millions of innocents, civilians and soldiers, on both "sides" of these wars, who believed all the propaganda they were fed at the time, and ended up dead. No wonder they were deceived, it has taken me over 50 years to even suspect the truth, but once I did, and I stared to inquire, instead of just believe, pieces of the true picture soon started to fall rapidly into place.
If you haven't time to read a book, perish the thought, as the knowledge in "None Dare Call it Conspiracy" is central to your fundamental existence, at least read a shortened real history of the world in the twentieth century. "Censored History", an article by E.D. Butler.
When you see the news on global TV, of any event that shapes the world, remember that the more momentous the events depicted, the more probable it is that you are not being told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but rather are being conditioned by propaganda to accept the view of our ruthless and evil rulers. Such is the lesson of history.
In 2003, beware of "The War on Terrorism."
The war for OIL, and US imperialist (NWO) world domination, another phony war against a new fabricated enemy, "global terrorism". The latest way of manipulating the sheeple of the world. Weapons of mass destruction, democracy and displacing a tyrant have nothing to do with it. US imperialism, preserving the global dominance of the US$ as the world's oil trading currency in preference to the Euro, fighting proxy battles for Israel and control of oil reserves is what it is really about.
I have provided some links so that you can read other relevant documents, because it is better that you find out the truth for yourself. If you don't then you simply are not interested enough to seek the truth, and are content to be a sheep, or just too lazy. I do not wish this to be another propaganda site, but to perhaps stimulate a few more inquiring minds in the search for truth.
It is better that you find and follow the trail of evidence and research that leads to knowing who was really behind these abominations of history. For in so doing you will learn, and the knowledge will be more certain for the fact that you have researched it for yourself. You will come to a greater understanding of the condition of the world. This is not all ancient history, the Vietnam War, far from being a "struggle for freedom against communism" was in fact a struggle for national freedom of the Vietnamese people against the reimposition of French colonialism after the defeat of the Japanese at the end or WW2, and later against renewed western imperialism led by the USA. Communism was but a convenient means to an end for Ho Chi Min, who was a patriot first and a communist second, only because of the incredible arrogance of the allies in allowing the French to attempt to reimpose colonial rule after the suffering of the Vietnamese under Japanese colonial rule during WW2.
No wonder it was not a "popular" war in the USA and in Australia. But how stupid were the antiwar protesters who turned on the humble US and Australian military serviceman, themselves ignorant victims of exploitation and deception, just like their grandfathers and fathers before them were in WW1 & WW2.
The great masses of Vietnam war protesters failed (again) to understand where the real blame lay, with the same unseen financiers and their greed for power and wealth who had caused every major conflict of the twentieth century, and this time the goal was the continuation of domination of Asia, and the economic powerhouses of the 21st century. The protesters could see there was a great wrong, but were misled of course, as usual, by the "popular press" mouthpiece of the masters of the new world order, as to where the real blame lay. --- Not with the "universal soldiers", but with the "global financiers."
The same forces were, and are still, at work. Not just an Anglo Saxon group, not just a Jewish or Zionist group, not just American, English, or German, but including representatives of all of these groups and more, an international oligarchy of the super rich bound together by unbridled ambition and ruthlessness on a scale almost incomprehensible to the common people of the world. Masterminding global affairs of war and peace, of boom and depression, on a scale far beyond the fictions of James Bond, but this is reality, not fiction. Truth is stranger than fiction!
For the first time in history the technology of the Internet provides the opportunity for publication and wide dissemination of the truth.
1st Gulf War, 1991, and the New World Order
Wars are NOT about bringing democracy to oppressed peasants, wars are not fought for "freedom", wars are not about disarming a state armed with weapons of mass destruction. Wars are fought for money and power, (in more ancient times for reasons of religious nature) and seldom for any other reason. In the case of the USA for NO other reasons. Such is the lesson of history. Those who are duped by propaganda into believing otherwise are either fools or Americans.
Concerning the 1991 Gulf War, there is clear evidence that Saddam Hussein was deliberately lured into invading Kuwait by false diplomatic assurances, given by US ambassador April Gilespie in a conference with Saddam, one week before he invaded Kuwait, that the US would not object, as Kuwait was once a part of Iraq.
The transcript of ambassador Gilespie's face-to-face confrontation with Hussein just prior to the Iraqi assault was actually released by Iraq. In it, Ms. Gilespie told the Iraqi dictator that the U.S. had "no opinion on Arab-Arab conflicts like you're border dispute with Kuwait."
Back in the United States, Ms. Gilespie immediately became "unavailable for comment." Then, in March 1991, after all the shooting had ended, she was brought before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee where she insisted that the Iraqis had lied about her conversation with Hussein. In July, however, the same Senate committee obtained copies of the secret cables she had sent from Iraq summarizing the meeting. They showed her far more conciliatory toward Hussein than she had described herself and also showed that the Iraqis had not lied about her remarks to Hussein. Believing they had been "misled" by the Ambassador, the senators voiced their displeasure to Secretary of State Baker.
The facts of this were reported in US newspapers and then in September 1991, a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee conducted more hearings into the matter. Their effort showed that State Department official Margaret Tutwiler had publicly stated essentially the same message given by Gilespie a day prior to the Gilespie-Hussein meeting in Baghdad. Also, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and Far Eastern Affairs John H. Kelly had repeated the identical "no commitment to defend Kuwait" stance when questioned by House members two days before the invasion. The New York Times reported about these congressional hearings with such headlines as "Senators ... Misled," and "Before Invasion, Soft Words for Iraq."
- Jim Hoagland, "U.S. tempted Saddam to invade Kuwait," Boston Herald, September 18, 1990.
- Elaine Sciolino, "Envoy's Testimony on Iraq is Assailed, Senators Say Gilespie Misled Them on Hussein Talks," New York Times July 13, 1991;
- Elaine Sciolino with Michael R. Gordon, "U.S. Gave Iraq Little Reason Not to Mount Kuwait Assault," New York Times, September 23, 1991.
- US Congressional Record, January 10, 1991, Pages S106-S107. Senator Simon supplied constituents with copies of these pages of the CR containing his full statement to fellow senators.
Why Saddam was lured into war in 1991.
During the period of "Desert Shield", prior to the actual shooting by the U.S. in the Persian Gulf, started an important yet unpublicized case in Federal District Court in Chicago. That was October, 1990. PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS ex rel. WILLIAM C. HARRIS [state bank regulator] versus Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, et al., No.90 C 6863. The case was brought by the Illinois State Banking supervisor against the Federal Reserve Board. Joining as an intervening party-defendant was the House Banking Committee, then headed by Congressman Henry Gonzalez [D., Texas]. The banking regulator wanted the Court to order the Federal Reserve Board to get back from the House Committee, super-secret bank records of Italy's largest bank, Banca Nazionale Delavoro, BNL, owned in part by the Vatican. The bank regulators were responsible for supervising the Chicago branch of BNL which was interwoven as almost a twin with the mysterious espionage and assassination funding money laundry Bank of Credit and Commerce International, BCCI. [Despite the media reports that BCCI went under in 1991, it continues through its alter ego, Pinnacle Banc Group, the flagship of which is First National Bank of Cicero (mafia enclave next to Chicago). Dominant force behind the Cicero bank has been Bishop Paul Marcinkus, for many years head of the Vatican Bank.]
Congressman Gonzalez was ordered to return the BNL records because he refused to sign a national security oath that he would not divulge the contents. The CIA General Counsel, whose affidavit is an exhibit in the Court record, said the bank records should not be divulged for severe reasons of national security. The District Judge ordered an injunction to stop the Federal Reserve from revealing the records and required the Congressional Committee to return the super-secret bank records.
Shortly after the short shooting war against Saddam, the U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit, headquartered in Chicago, heard the oral argument and presentation of the case on appeal. Sherman Skolnick, investigative reporter and long time campaigner against judicial corruption in US courts, and his associates were the ONLY reporters that attended. After the hearing, Skolnick interviewed from prior knowledge from reliable sources, two participants at the hearing. He asked: Is it not true that the fight in this case over the records of a secret partnership relates to Saddam Hussein having a secret, PRIVATE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP with George Herbert Walker Bush, then US President. The lawyer, quite familiar with the case, answered YES. Skolnick wanted to be super-careful, so he asked the same question three times. Each time, the answer was YES. Skolnick's next question: What is the reason for the secrecy. Answer: Divulging these bank records would most likely cause a worldwide bank run because of the nature of the documents; which the bank supervisory state officials feel obligated to prevent. Sherman Skolnick then asked the identical questions, three-times repeated, to the General Counsel of the Bank Commissioner. He answered three times, YES. He then volunteered that the Bush Justice Department, in addition, has records of the PRIVATE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP between George Herbert Walker Bush and Saddam Hussein. This of course contradicts the public statements of Bush when he was President and condemned Saddam. In its simplest form, the 1991 Gulf War was a fight between private business partners, which in everyday life sometimes gets violent.
What were Bush and Saddam fighting over? During the period of 1980 to 1990, Iraq was the bully boy of the Persian Gulf. Up to 1988, Saddam fought Iran, thus keeping up the price of oil by destruction of facilities. Iraq was financed by the weak oil sheikdoms of the Persian Gulf. During that decade, the Sheiks agreed to secretly pay Saddam 25% of the proceeds of oil shipped to the West. Some one trillion dollars worth was sent during the decade. That came out to 25 billion dollars per year, or 250 Billion dollars for the decade. Saddam shared the same with Bush, both becoming among the richest people on the planet.
Bush was instrumental in getting Kuwait functioning in the oil pumping business right after 1960, when they no longer were a British colony. Bush and his family had a heavy financial interest in oil drilling and pumping equipment providers. As a payoff, Bush son, George W. Bush, was given an substantial, lucrative interest in Harken Energy whose primary facilities are the sheikdom of Bahrain. Bush as President saw to it that Bahrain became a permanent US Military outpost, thus safeguarding his family interests.
With his share of this petroleum river of money, Bush became one of the largest owners in the US of choice real estate, such as that in Silicon Valley. His interests are disguised through a Spanish named trust, HIDALGO. Saddam's half-brother in Geneva, Switzerland, stated that he would reveal details requiring US authorities to prosecute Bush for treason, if ever the CIA, orchestrated by Bush and his cronies, assassinated Saddam Hussein. The half-brother was later himself assassinated.
Connected with the Bush-Saddam long time business dispute, other secondary motives for tempting Saddam Hussein into the invasion of Kuwait were:-
- to foment an excuse for the US to wage war on Iraq,
- to foster disunity in the Arab world, for the benefit of Israel,
- to stimulate the US arms industry to profit from the vast cost of the conflict,
- to enhance the power and prestige of the United Nations as the global enforcer of the US inspired New World Order.
The first Gulf war (1991) was clearly a planned conflict brought about by the secret cabal of "insiders" who control US global policy and promote the New World Order.
The "New World Order"
President Bush (George the First, Senior) reacted to the 1991 Iraqi attack by immediately sending U.S. military forces to the Middle East. He furiously gathered support for a coalition-backed effort to confront Saddam Hussein. He went to the United Nations where he supported economic sanctions against Iraq, even as he was stepping up his own anti-Hussein rhetoric and sending increasing numbers of U.S. troops into the region. He turned to the United Nations, not the U.S. Constitution to which he'd sworn a solemn oath, for authorization for his military moves. He then began to state his goals — over and over again.
- September 11, 1990 televised address: "Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective — a new world order — can emerge.... We are now in sight of a United Nations that performs as envisioned by its founders."
- January 7, 1991 interview in U.S. News & World Report: "I think that what's at stake here is the new world order. What's at stake here is whether we can have disputes peacefully resolved in the future by a reinvigorated United Nations."
- January 9, 1991 Press Conference: "[The Gulf crisis] has to do with a new world order. And that new world order is only going to be enhanced if this newly activated peacekeeping function of the United Nations proves to be effective."
- January 16, 1991 televised address: "When we are successful, and we will be, we have a real chance at this new world order, an order in which a credible United Nations can use its peacekeeping role to fulfill the promise and vision of the UN's founders."
- August 1991 National Security Strategy of the United States issued by the White House and personally signed by George Bush: "In the Gulf, we saw the United Nations playing the role dreamed of by it's founders.... I hope history will record that the Gulf crisis was the crucible of the new world order."
Two common themes are present in each of these pronouncements:1. The US President is clearly committed to a "new world order"; and
2. His view of this "new world order" in 1991 included his boosting of the prestige and power of the United Nations.
Many people are still unaware that there is such a thing as the NWO, they are still misled by the mainstream press propaganda onto believing that it is only a conspiracy theorist's nightmare. Well think again friends. The US President clearly believes in it, he has said so often enough. That in itself should be sufficient reason to take it seriously, if it is promoted by the US elite imperialist criminal cabal of wealthy oligarchs that secretly run America, and for whom US Presidents are paid mouthpieces, it cant be good for the rest of the world.
Another real cause of the 2003 Iraq war - the US$ versus the Euro.
Now in 2003 with the latest war on Iraq there is a new twist to events. In 1999 Iraq started to sell its oil (under the UN oil for food program) priced in Euros instead of in US$. This change to selling oil in Euros could have enormous implications for the US economy, particularly if other oil producers began to follow suit.
The fiscal case is complex, as to the possible effects on the US, but revolves around the role of the US$ as the worlds major trading and reserve currency, the huge US national debt, the strength of the US$, and the emergence of the Euro as a possible alternative world trading currency.
A major move to trading oil in Euros, if other oil producers followed the example of Iraq, would lead to a profound weakening of the US Dollar's position as the worlds only major trading currency, and in effect begin the calling in of part of the US national debt, weakening the US$, raising the price of Gold, and effectively raising the price of oil substantially in the USA.
In effect the emergence of the European Union and the Euro raises a challenge, by their very existence, without any overt act of challenge, in a world now dominated by the USA superpower, to the future dominance of the USA. A change to trading oil in Euros, even as a parallel alternative to trading oil in US$ would greatly strengthen the EU and weaken the economic position of the USA. The Iraqi example could not be permitted to stand, and hence the action by the USA, and the opposition by France and Germany. The UK having thrown in it's lot with the US as a secondary player, and Australia being only a yapping lap dog of the US through its subservient prime minister John Howard..
So the disunity in the United Nations between the US and Europe, and the real reason for the war on Iraq is explained in terms of the universal causes of war, money and power. As usual "democracy" , freedom for the Iraqi people, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction are only convenient propaganda excuses.
The underlying reasons for the Iraq war are difficult to comprehend, particularly for the 85% of people who are "sheeple" because the illusion that it was for the freedom of the Iraqi people is sustained by the images of cheering crowds as statues of Saddam were toppled by US forces. He truly was a despicable despot, but the fact that his ousting is popular, even highly desirable from a humanitarian viewpoint, does not make it the real reason for the war.
What is forgotten is the fact that he was America's puppet despot originally. The fact that his ousting is domestically popular in Iraq does not change the facts surrounding his coming to power or of long time US support for his regime prior to the first Gulf war in 1991, and during the long Iran-Iraq war. Like most middle east despots he was brought to power and sustained by the meddlesome interference of foreign imperialism. His despotic oppression of his people was of no consequence to the US or Britain as long as it suited their objectives.
Imperialism begat Saddam, and imperialism toppled Saddam. The image of a US flag draped over the head of one such statue as it was about to be toppled, and flashed around the world live on TV, before the political spin doctors could stop it, said it all.
Western imperialist interference in the Arab world dates from the first world war, when countries such as Iraq were arbitrary creations of British colonial policy. Most Arab nations have suffered under the imposed forms of puppet despotic government and the strains of artificial arbitrary borders which fail to reflect ethnic reality. A notable example being the Kurdish question.
More western imperialist interference, even if temporarily popular for toppling Saddam, will do nothing to improve the lot of the Arab world in the long term. Of course the real objective is not to improve the lot of of the Iraqis, despite the popular rhetoric, but to continue to control the oil resources of the region and ensure the supremacy of Israel.
"Sheeple" see only falling statues, they know little history and are incapable of comprehending such events in their real historical context. Hence popular opinion is usually ignorant and emotive and so easily conditioned by propaganda. You can comprehend reality if you want to. The truth is out there, don't just believe me, search the Internet.
The last book to be burned in Germany, in 1955 with the collaboration of the US occupation forces 10,000 copies of the German translation of "Secrets of the Federal reserve" were seized and burnt. It was inspired by Ezra Pound, an American poet and author, who was imprisoned for 13 years after WW2 in a US mental hospital without charges or any certification of insanity, because he had broadcast from radio Rome against US involvement in WW2. Ezra Pound was eventually released in 1958 without any charge or conviction.
Most history of WW1 and WW2 concentrates on the mechanics of war, the dates and events view of history, instead of looking at the real causes of events, by following the "money trails" and seeking to find out, who benefits. This next book, to which I provide links, while not a conventional war history, it is in fact a history of the US Federal Reserve Bank, explains the financing of war, and the role that international financiers have played in all wars of modern times. It names those behind the financing of WW1 and WW2 and the cause of the great depression, and provides literally hundreds of historical cross references to other historical and biographical works, newspaper articles and US Senate inquiries throughout the 20th century. Download free the book:-
"Secrets of the Federal Reserve, by Eustace Mullins" as a ZIP file (450Kb) or view the text in your browser.
or View readers appraisals of this book at the worlds biggest bookshop Amazon.com.
Another book on related subjects is "Pawns in the Game" by William G Carr, Commander RCN (R) available at Amazon.
The truth is out there. Search the Internet. Seek and you will find it.
When you drive among the cemeteries of the Somme, keep in mind some of the things I have mentioned above. Recall the other details you may have read about in the texts linked to above, and see it all more clearly, now that the scales have fallen from your eyes. Most of all explain it to your children. They need to know for they may be the next to be called on to die for greed and power, disguised as the fight for "freedom".
Trenches of the Somme. The Newfoundland monument at Beaumont Hamel. From across the world they came, all believing the propaganda, like lambs to the slaughter.Most of you will not want to believe this, it is too painful, too strange, too radical. I never imagined such things to be possible, until I started to inquire, for myself. I don't ask you to believe me, just because I have written it here. You can, if you want to, find out for yourself, if you are prepared to put in the hard work to do so, research. Don't believe the simplistic propaganda served up to you on TV or in the press, it is part of the great deception, not just about WW1 and WW2, but about current affairs too. It's about control, keeping the masses quietly ignorant, deluded by the illusion of democracy, distracted by mindless diversions.
Nine Elms British Cemetery, on the road to Arras France.Why bother to enlighten yourself? Because it is still going on, the media still serves the same masters. Because "Knowledge is power". Your knowledge gives you power, the power to control your own life, the power to enlighten others, the power to improve your own situation, the power to take a degree of control of your destiny. Because you will become wiser. Because it might help you or your children to avoid becoming sacrificial lambs on the altar of mammon. They may not die in the mud of a foreign battlefield, but they may be effectively enslaved by the ignorance manufactured in their minds by the mass media, made economic serfs in a world where real democracy is an illusion. Because you have been deceived, and it aint right.
20/04/2000. ST OMER. We set out along the N43 from CALAIS to BÉTHUNE we found no good SONPS, very few places you can even pull well off the road for a break, other than parking in towns. We eventually stopped on some open ground near a factory entrance near St OMER for overnight parking. You would be better off heading directly to Béthune.
After a quiet night, we proceeded via LENS on the D937 to ARRAS and D939 to CAMBRAI thence N44 and D917 to PÉRONNE. All along these roads are literally dozens of WW1 military cemeteries, some down small side lanes. We stopped at many to read the inscriptions and wander among the graves, in some cases signing the visitors books.
One of many, the WW1 British cemetery at Vis en Artuis on the D939. 1700 graves and commemorates 9,800 whose graves were never found, missing in the Somme.
We signed the book. Contemplating the horror of it all, the almost unimaginable inhumanity of those few powerful but unseen individuals who planned for this to happen, made it happen, gloated over their evil handiwork and relished the immense profits. Rejoiced that they might be even richer and more powerful than before, and whose successors still perpetuate the myths that the victims died that we might be free. They died as heroes believing in their cause, but deceived, they died to make rich men richer.
21/04/2000 PÉRONNE. There is a pleasant municipal camp ground (FF44 for two & camper sans electric). Good facilities and shade. Like all the Somme it gets muddy when it rains and several vans including ours were bogged on site. Delightful old town and WW1 museum. Good base for tours of WWI battlefield sites.
From PÉRONNE we spent a day touring the Somme battlefields along the N17 to Bapaume thence along minor roads to Pas en Artois, D938 to Acheux en Amienois and Albert and then took D329 southwards.
A German WW1 cemetery in the Somme. The "enemy" were but innocent victims too. The real enemy of common men on both sides was unknown, the financiers who harvested riches from the slaughter.
22/04/2000 We had intended to return to the campsite at PÉRONNE, but as we had spent the whole day touring the Somme battlefield area, and it was late we decided to boondock and parked in a disused road section near the junction of the D329 and the AI and the E44 /N29 roads near the TGV rail line. Quiet road and secluded side road leading to the TGV (high speed train) line. Screened from view by embankment and trees provide some shade. Open farmland, overnight stop only.
Route Map Beauvais - Vernon- Givernay - Paris [169 Kb]
Hitler's War.
A historical work by David Irving - Presented as a protest against censorship and the repression of freedom of expression.It may help the serious student of real history to understand more of the background to WW2 by reading one of the books by noted British historian David Irving. So controversial that he has been banned from visiting the country to speak in Australia, and other countries, because he has been labeled a "holocaust denier". That is because he maintains that some aspects of the Jewish holocaust, in particular mass gassings did not occur. However he does not deny that Jews were executed in large numbers by shooting and that they died of rampant diseases in concentration camps.
In all of his numerous books, he has written around 30 books over a 40 year period, Irving bases his historical research almost exclusively on original source documents, unlike many contemporary historians who are often found to be quoting each other, and thus prone to repeating any original errors. Thus the historical facts of most of his research are difficult to for other more "tame" historians to refute, although some disagree stridently with some of the inferences he draws about the Jewish holocaust. Were it not for this one aspect of his work, which has brought upon him the full fury the global Jewish lobby, he would be undoubtedly one of the most revered historians of WW2.
His best-selling book "Hitler's War" is as usual largely based on original source documents, such as original diaries of high Nazi officials close to Hitler, and transcripts of intercepted telephone conversations recorded by the Gestapo between allied diplomats and their embassies, which were captured after WW2, and some were recently (1992) found in Russian archives, by Irving, after they were opened to researchers by Gorbachov. As such it provides a new view of history, more likely to be closer to the truth than many other historians who have often relied on quoting one another. Naturally Irving reaches some conclusions that don't sit well with the propaganda view of WW2.
Irving's work is undoubtedly generally sound historical research on WW2 military history, although his conclusions about the holocaust are widely opposed by other historians, and some doubts as to his historical impartiality on this subject have been cast on this aspect of his work, particularly as the result of intensive scrutiny by other historians when he sued Penguin Books for defamation in the UK, and lost the case. Praised by the presiding judge for the generally outstanding quality of his WW2 military history, he was found to be less objective when dealing with documentary evidence about the holocaust, and has in fact moderated some of the views expressed in Hitler's War on this aspect of history, when presented with new evidence at the defamation trial.
However to dismiss his wide ranging work, it total, because of one highly controversial aspect, is such an unusual and extreme reaction, that I can only conclude that is is an act of attempted global political censorship. Many of his critics seem to resort mainly to personal attacks and vilification, rather than intellectual argument to refute his views, although this was not the case in the opposing views presented at the defamation trial by other historians. Few historians have been subjected to such rigorous scrutiny as Irving, because he has challenged the conventional views of the holocaust, but apart from his holocaust views, his military history of WW2 remains highly regarded, if one takes an objective view.
It is true to say that his style is sympathetic to the German position, and some consider he portrays Hitler in too favorable a light. However considering that usually "history is written by the victors", such a view may help to counterbalance the usual historical views, which if the truth be known are probably too often slanted in the opposite direction. Truth is stranger than fiction!
I first heard of David Irving several years ago when he was denied a visa to visit Australia to speak about his historical research, because of pressure from the Jewish lobby. Naturally that intrigued me! Censorship is counter productive.
I thought we lived in a country that supported free speech. I had no idea of who he was, or what he was to speak about, until I looked into the matter of why he was denied entry to Australia. Before that I had never heard of any historian taking his point of view on the holocaust, and was surprised on investigating the matter to find that Irving is not alone.
I was even more intrigued to find recently that a moderated Internet news group specializing in WW2 history will not even allow any discussion of any aspect of Irving's work, even if it has nothing to do with with his holocaust views. I am reminded of the mediaeval practice of the Catholic Church which for hundreds of years maintained lists of banned authors and books, among them being Gallelio, who's works were banned for 200 years. That didn't make the Earth any flatter !
In a number of European countries laws have been passed which prohibit the publication of any material which contradicts the "official" story of the Holocaust.
What kind of truth is it, that is so fragile, it must be supported by legislation, and that one man can not be allowed to put an alternative point of view in opposition to the accepted dogma?
I present a link to this work here as an act of opposition to censorship, and in support of freedom of expression, without constraint, no matter how repugnant or popular, profound or inane, learned or idiotic an idea may be, the freedom to express it is the foundation of free speech, which is itself the cornerstone of all freedom.
Such freedom is under widespread attack by "political correctness". Why is it so?
"I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it", is a quotation which should never be forgotten.
If Irving is wrong regarding the holocaust, he will be proven wrong by counter argument, not by censoring his work.
Hitler's War can be downloaded here free Download 4.7Mb. (This is a 900 page book!)
For more information about the battlefields of WW1, self guided and other tour information, click on picture.
23/04/2000 From our SONPS along the D339, we proceeded toward VERNON, south along D329, D929 and D938 to BEAUVAIS and D984 to GISORS. Along the D181 about 4 Kms NW of Venon towards GISORS are several disused road loops where bends in the road have been altered. No facilities, off road, quiet, shade. We parked here overnight and spent a quiet night.
Claude Monet's House in the village of Giverny.
As is the case all over Europe if you arrive early you will avoid the crowds. Europeans are not early risers.
Some of Monet's lesser works are on view in the house, but mainly his Japanese art collection.
Delightful gardens and a seperate large water garden reached via a tunnel under the road. Highly Commended. Combined tickets for house and garden FF35.
You might also find SONPS along the Seine R. near Veron, but you may need to go a few Kms out of town. Vernon is close to the village of GIVERNY where Claude Monet’s house and garden is open to the public. Admission FF35, and a delight to both garden lovers and art connoisseurs. Givernay has an Internet Site with full information.
Highly commended. Allow at least a half day to take in the gardens and the house at leisure, and as usual in Europe, it pays to arrive early to avoid crowds
Claude Monet's water garden, at Givernay near Paris.
24//04/2000 After visiting Monet's house and garden at Givernay, which is north west of Paris, we proceeded along the Seine towards Paris, but according to plan decided to skirt around the western Paris metropolitan area and make to VERSAILLES which is south west of Paris, where we knew there were campsites. We stayed in a private campsite (FF89 for 2 & camper sans electric) after getting a map from the tourist information office. Not many level sites for campers, bare ground, muddy if wet. Not impressed, but site is conveniently located in the town.
25/04/2000. NOISY LE ROI, Not being very impressed with the campsite in Versailles, we spent a little time after visiting the palace in looking around the area and found a SONPS some considerably more Kms NW of Versailles than we had intended to go, north of the outer suburb of Noisy Le Roi. There are many SONPS on side roads off D98 in a forest area. No facilities. You will need a more detailed map of the Ille de France to find the area, the AA Europe Road atlas does not have enough detail for this area around Paris. Get the Michellin 1:200,000 Ille de France map (FF38 at bookshops)
Noisy Le Roi SONPS (From the Ille de France 1:200,000 map) [201 Kb]
To visit the Palace of Versailles and park free we arrived at the Port de St Antoine (Gate on the North side of the park of the chateau) before breakfast, to avoid the busy commuter rush hour. You can park here free all day (no parking restrictions) while visiting the chateau, or doing anything else in town for that matter. A pleasant walk through the park to the main palace takes about 30 minutes. Only requirement is to arrive early, as the parking area is small and fills up by 8AM with locals and chateau workers. You can easily overdose and get "cathederaled" and "palaced" to death in Europe, and it is important to be selective about what you pay to see. The Palace of Versailles is in our opinion, one of the gems worth seeing. Highly commended.
The Palace of Versailles.
One of the must see places on a tour of Europe. Good value, admission is reasonably priced, and admission to the extensive gardens is free, a wonderful place to spend a day or two.
There appears no reason why you could not park your camper overnight here, (outside the Port de St Antoine) there are no specific restrictions. The only general parking restriction we noted was a sign on the edge of Versailles town limits, limiting parking for cars to 48 hours, and trucks to 24 hours within the city area. If campers fall into the "truck" class then it seems that you can still "legally" park overnight almost anywhere. (See the Noisy Le Roi map)
Paris.
26/04/2000. PARIS. The AA Europe Road Atlas is not adequate for navigation in or approaching Paris. Before approaching the city get the "Ille de France" map refereed to above. You will still get "temporarily misplaced", but not so completely! An excellent free detailed map of Paris is published by Air France and Printemps department store, and is available at tourist offices in most French towns and at campsites. Get it before you arrive in Paris.We have said little about Paris, it has been said before and for the best guide go to Jack's Site who does it all so well. We love you jack.
For travelling around in the city get details of the Paris Metro
Boondocking in Paris
The BOISE DE BOULOGNE is a very large forest park on the western side of Paris, this is where you can park free all day and get the Metro subway train into central Paris. Many campervans (and local commuters) park all day along the broad avenues running through the park. There are also places that make good SONPS.
There is a campsite in the Boise de Bologne but the fees are quite exorbitant at over FF330 + for a night for a camper. You don’t have to pay this! It is also a long way from the metro stations to the campground.
The small one way road called Etang de Abbage near the Port de Surenses bridge is fairly quiet and makes a good SONPS which we used on two nights. Many campers park during the day on the roads in the surrounding area, and we observed others also stopping overnight.
Water is available from taps located on green painted drinking fountains at several points in the Boise de Bologne. However they are few and you have look hard to find them.
Several Metro stations are along the Eastern boundary of the Boise de Bologne along the "Boulevard Peripherique" or Paris Ring Road. You can park free all day near the metro station Port Dauphine, and possibly also near the Port D’Arteuil station at the southern end of the Boise de Bologne. The only requirement is that you get your parking spot early, say before 8 AM, and you will be able to park within a hundred meters walk to the metro station, and be anywhere in Paris within a few minutes, as we did.
We spent another night parked on the edge of the Boise de Boulogne near the Etang de Abbage - Port de Surenses area, but in a small lay-by off road parking area. Opposite was a building which we later came to believe may have been a house or club. It was about 10PM and we were just getting ready for bed. After we had been parked for ten minutes the police knocked on the van window. I thought they were going to tell us to move on, or that we couldn't park there, although there were no signed parking restrictions.
One of the officers addressed me politely in French, but on hearing my attempt to respond, switched into fluent English. "Good evening Sir, are you English?" "No Misuer, I’m Australian." I replied. "Are you alone in the van Sir?", he inquired. "No, my wife is here too." I said. After a brief look to see that I was telling the truth, he replied, "Oh! That’s all right then Sir. Good night". Whereupon they both got back into their little police car, and drove off.
There was no question about moving us on, or any suggestion that we should not park there. After getting over the shock of not being hassled at all, we think we figured out what it was all about, and what brought it on.
Some parts of the Boise de Bologne are frequented by prostitutes and their clientele. We had observed during the day a van (not a camper) parked near the Port Dauphine metro station, with red plastic buckets on poles sticking out of the front windows on both sides!!??. Walking closer we observed the occupant to be a very large, almost middle aged woman with more than ample bosoms displayed by her state of scant attire, orange hair, and heavy badly applied make up. Truly a fearsome sight, and obviously not one of Paris's more refined professional ladies. So apparently some of the girls use vans to entertain their customers.
The timing of the police visit suggested that perhaps the residents of the house or club across the road from where we parked had called the police as soon as we parked there.
So the lesson we learned is that obviously overnight parking is well tolerated, even in Paris, regardless of what the strict legality of it may be. As for parking under the Eiffel Tower, for a week, well I wonder about that? But you can visit Paris with your camper, park almost anywhere free, (check the signs if any) find good SONPS and commute on the metro and do it all for no more than the price of food, a little diesel fuel, and admissions.
We walked through many of the back streets of Paris and we noted many campervans parked on the streets. Some may have belonged to local residents, but some were obviously inhabited, or were from other European countries, and appeared to have spent at least the night parked where we observed them. Some were in shady back streets in the heart of Paris within a Kilometre of the Eiffel Tower. From these observations and our own experiences we concluded that provided you exercise the precautions we have outlined for city overnight parking, that you can stay in suitable spots all over Paris.
However travelling on the Metro line No 2 to the ST MARTIN CANAL area we observed some of the cheaper parts of Paris near PIGALLE, ANVERS and LA CHAPPELE, areas that had a distinctly seedy look, and seemed relatively poor, areas where there might be more likelihood of encountering petty crime, and you would perhaps be better off not parking in such areas overnight.
Apart from visiting all the Paris sites we wanted by metro train, we also drove all through central Paris, avoiding the peak hours of course, and had no difficulty at all. If you are an experienced competent and confident driver, neither would you.
Fuel stations are notably few in Paris, many are in buildings with too little head clearance to get a camper into, or are just hard to find, on the other side of a freeway, or down a one way street! I recommend you fill up before getting to Paris and avoid the hassles of finding a suitable one you can actually fit into with your camper.
29/04/2000. We returned to VERSAILLES (campsite FF74 per night sans electric) after three free nights in Paris. Mainly because we wanted to have proper showers. It is about 40 minutes drive on the D985 road, or about 15 on the freeway. We undertook repairs to a leaking window in the van’s fibreglass roof. I purchased a caulking gun and a cartridge of silicone rubber sealant and borrowed a stepladder from the obliging camp ground manager. The price of these items was exorbitant compared to the UK or Australia, and we continued to note such strange pricing differentials in various goods all over Europe.
A Camping Gas refill (2.7Kg) was FF130 at a large shopping mall hardware store on the outskirts of Versailles, although generally elsewhere in France they were FF85-115. Consider this is the equivalent of A$30 to fill a rather small (about 2.7 Kg) gas cylinder, and the importance of taking careful note of the earlier advice on gas for your camper van is apparent.
Route map Paris - Chartres - Chateau Chamboard and the Loir River [177 Kb]
01/05/2000. CHARTRES After great difficulty in exiting the south western Paris outer suburbs, because we kept going round in loops via various freeway exits, caused by an unusual lack of consistent good signs, we drove on to Chartres and stayed at the municipal campsite (FF74 per night sans electric) Many French towns have a municipal camp, and the facilities are usually good and they will offer competitive prices for the area. The camp is very pleasant with shade and individual numbered plots marked out. We stayed several nights as we both were suffering from influenza, but were still able to enjoy this charming old city, and highly commend a visit.
Chartres, old world charm of cobbled streets and half timbered houses.
The best fisherman in all of Europe lives in Chartres and catches fish at the rate of one a minute right in the town near the bridge, while others nearby catch nothing. I couldn’t ask his secret, my French isn’t good enough, but he delighted in holding up some of his catch for us to admire. There is also a little old lady who despite the fact that we could not communicate delighted in showing us where a swan was nesting with her signets on a little island in the river. About all we could tell her was that we were from Australia, she spoke not a word of English.
We found the French always friendly, not at all like we had been led to believe, they always responded warmly to my "Bonjour", perhaps my doubtless funny accent broke the ice. God knows what bad French pronunciation with an Australian accent sounds like to a Frenchman, but it always seemed to get a friendly response.
Another Camping Gas refill FF113.50 at Intermarche- Bricomarche. Gas got cheaper as you go further south in France down to FF85 near the Spanish border.
04/05/2000. LOIR VALLEY. We drove south along N10 and D925 through CHATEAUDUN and BINAS to CHATEAU CHAMBORD. There are nice picnic places with tables and seats in the park of the chateau, but no camping is allowed in the grounds, and it is patrolled by the Gendarmes.
Chateau Chambord
(Admission FF40, recommended, allow a half day to tour the chateau plus time to picnic in the park)
Route map along the Loir via Tours and south on the N10 [105 Kb]
05/05/2000. MOULISMES We drove through the southern outskirts of TOURS, a large regional city, via N10 towards CHÂTELLERAULT and noted numerous parking spots, some suitable as SONPS along this road. Then along D749 (marked as scenic in the AA map, but we considered it not spectacular) The S749 follows the VIENNE RIVER to CHAUVIGNY and thence we went to LUSAC LES CHATAUX to join the N147.
Route map N10 to CHÂTELLERAULT and south to LIMOGES [188 Kb]
Satlat - Mediaeval Treasure.
06/05/2000. After a restful night near Moulismes, in the morning we continued on N147 to LIMOGES and on to the D704. South of ST-YRIEIX LA PERCHE, shortly before LANOUAILLE on the RHS of D704 when heading South, there is an excellent SONPS at a disused tourist information centre in a forest setting.
Route map Limoges to Sarlat and Rocamadour [172 Kb]
A back lane of Sarlat. An entire mediaeval town to explore. A lot of tourists but the original "authentic" atmosphere of the town is preserved.
We drove on toward the medieval town of SARLAT LA CANÉDA, and camped at a private camping park at LERIVAUX a few Kms out of Sarlat. (FF62 for 2 + camper sans electric). Excellent shaded individually hedged sites and good facilities, highly commended. There are several other campsites around Sarlat but we did not inspect them.
A street parade in Sarlat on May 6th 2000
Sarlat is
an absolute gem, a well preserved medieval town of exquisite charm, one of the
highlights of our trip, not to be missed. There was colourful parade of marching
bands and soldiers in antique uniforms in progress when we arrived, atmosphere,
you couldn’t wish for more. Many sidewalk restaurants with menus around FF70
upwards for lunch and dinner. The area around abounds with delightful scenic
drives and smaller villages, rave rave! You will also find many SONPS in the
surrounding area by exploring the back roads.
Colourful period costuumes of the drummer boys in the Sarlat parade.
08/05/2000. We drove from SARLAT to ROCAMADOUR partly via the D703 along the DORDOGNE RIVER and observed good camping or SONPS along the river at various points. When heading East along D703 from DOMME towards SOUILLAC cross over the narrow single lane iron bridge over the river (in a small village) and shortly after the bridge tale a rough track to the right which leads down to a delightful SONPS on the river bank and extends under the bridge. Much frequented by locals as a picnic spot. Track may be unsuitable after heavy rain, check it out first.
The colourful countryside around Sarlat. Geese destined to supply the famous goose liver pate.
Proceeding from SOULLIAC via an unclassified road on AA map, through LACAVE to the D673 thence to ROCAMADOUR, along the way we found no good SONPS. On reflection, and with our now greater experience, one could easily use the extensive grassed and treed parking area in the valley below the town as a good SONPS, which is where many day trippers park (free) and walk up to the town on the cliffs above. At the time we did not realise the full extent to which overnight parking is permitted in Europe and thought we may not have been permitted to stay in the parking area. Now I believe it would be most unlikely that anyone would bother you. The road down from the cliff tops is not recommended for large campervans, (very tight steep turns and low tunnel to get to it. OK for Transits, VW’s and similar small campers) drive down past the old town gate (no traffic allowed in the old town) down through the tunnel and along under the cliffs as far as the dead end road goes into the parking area.
You could probably also simply park overnight at the viewing spots on top of the cliffs, or up near the Monastery, where there is a large car park, either has a nice view, but few facilities.
After admiring the views we wanted to linger overnight hoping for better weather for photographs next day, and proceeded to search for a SONPS, thinking the above mentioned areas too "populated", and from the look of the area hoping to find better. BIG Mistake!. We drove back on D673 and then N20 and D 672 a long way almost to GOURDRON and eventually after some frustration, found a SONPS in forest country and returned next day toRocamadour to take photos.
Route map Rocamadour to Agen [108 Kb]
09/05/2000. Travelling south west via D673, D102 & D656, we noted the sudden change to Spanish style houses between FUMEL and TOURNON D’ARGENAIS. Goods were appreciably cheaper in the supermarkets in AGEN than further north in France.
From AGEN we noted that there were no SONPS along D931. We eventually found a SONPS on the D 931 a long way west of CONDOM just before NOGARO on a disused road loop to an old bridge that had been bypassed by the new road. Only a overnight stop, no appeal and no facilities. The D931 from AGEN to CONDOM is marked as scenic but we were not greatly impressed.
Route map Agen to Airs L'Adour [102 Kb]
10/05/2000. Proceeding south west on N124 to AIRS-L’ADOUR thence on N134 just south of the town is an excellent rest stop or SONPS with toilets, water, public telephone and tables in a park like setting. As this the only place of its kind we observed in many miles it is worth noting and heading for if passing this way.
Further south on the N134 on the outskirts of the northern suburbs of PAU is another good similar area, but the former is more appealing.
By now we had deduced a general rule about French roads, that the lesser used D roads, while having some quiet charms, have virtually no stopping places ( they are often so narrow that there is not even any room to pull off the road) and the N routes, although busier, are probably a better choice, for most travel, as they are better provided with rest stops with various levels of facilities such as toilets, water, tables and seats, phone and shade.
Route map Aires L'Adour - Pau - Lourdes - Spanish Border [128 Kb]
We travelled on to LOURDES (over developed and not appealing to us, but perhaps you like that sort of thing) after cruising the town we proceeded on to CAUTRETS and the Pyrenees National Park at Pont de Espana. (Park fees FF20 per car or FF75 for 5 entries) no camping in vans allowed in the park, although camping for hikers is allowed in the mountains. Very scenic drive from CAUTRETS to the park. Highly commended scenic area.
View from the road up to the Pyrenees National Park near Cautrets.
There is an asphalt paved campervan parking area in CAUTRETS that has water and a toilet dump point for campervans., but no toilets or showers. Electricity Provided, FF30 per night, by a pay and display ticket machine, stay up to 1 week for FF163. Paved area no shade, not very appealing, most suited to just an overnight stop, but very close in to town.
A possible SONPS almost up to the park entrance is on the RHS of the steep road up from the waterfalls & shops, shown in the photo above. Look for a small track leading off down to the river (easy to miss) which leads down to a shed containing some machinery, maybe a generator. There is a boom gate on the track, but sometimes it is open, and you are hidden from the road under trees. We stopped for coffee, perhaps if they don’t close it you could park overnight in a good SONPS, before they tell you to move on.
11/05/2000. After the night in the CAUTRETS van park, (parking officers came to check the parking tickets about 9AM so either pay up, or get up early), as it was raining (again) we did not go back to the park to visit the Ponte de Espana but drove back towards LOURDES and turned off on to the D918, but it was closed by landslides and snow before the Col de Aubsque, so we followed a minor road D 126 (not marked on the AA map) through delightful remote French mountain villages of FERRIERS and ARBEOSJ to join the D35, westward to the D934 south to LARUNS, and on to the Spanish border.
The Northern slopes of the Pyrenees along road D934, almost sub tropical greenery contrasts with the barren rain shadow climate on the southern side of the mountains in Spain.
On the remote D918 where it branches into the D126, at an intermediate saddle in the range, is a delightful small restaurant with modestly priced Basque delights, and a helpful staff that speak French, Spanish and a little English. The Scenery along the D126 is truly delightful. If you enjoy the byways, go this way.
The Erratum of Man's History. - Conventional belief is often mistaken.
1745 - Last execution for witchcraft in France.
1765 - Chevalier de la Barree, a young admirer of Voltaire's refuses to uncover and kneel in the presence of a religious procession. He is tortured, his tongue is ripped out, and he is beheaded. His body is burned at the stake unto which the executioners also commit a copy of Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary. [Wade Baskin, Foreword in Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary, p.5. ]
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