The van diaries
@jennyharlen.bsky.social
Out and about in my little grey van, looking for stories and sun as I explore Europe. Usually found on my bike, with my hiking boots on, or with a book or beer in hand!
Summers in Sweden, winters in France, Spain, Portugal…🚐
Summers in Sweden, winters in France, Spain, Portugal…🚐
Charming houseboats on a quiet spot along the Moselle river. Lots of history in all directions, some Templar remains up on the hill to discover, and a bike path along the river. Perfect place to stop with the van for a couple of days!
📍Pont-à-Mousson, Moselle, France 🇫🇷
📍Pont-à-Mousson, Moselle, France 🇫🇷
April 22, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Charming houseboats on a quiet spot along the Moselle river. Lots of history in all directions, some Templar remains up on the hill to discover, and a bike path along the river. Perfect place to stop with the van for a couple of days!
📍Pont-à-Mousson, Moselle, France 🇫🇷
📍Pont-à-Mousson, Moselle, France 🇫🇷
Relaxing with a beer and a book on the Moselle river after a somewhat tricky day - involving a tow truck, an emergency garage, and a new starter battery.
France is amazing like this, so many beautiful, affordable, ”official”, and safe places to park up.
📍Pont-à-Mousson, Moselle, France 🇫🇷
France is amazing like this, so many beautiful, affordable, ”official”, and safe places to park up.
📍Pont-à-Mousson, Moselle, France 🇫🇷
April 22, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Relaxing with a beer and a book on the Moselle river after a somewhat tricky day - involving a tow truck, an emergency garage, and a new starter battery.
France is amazing like this, so many beautiful, affordable, ”official”, and safe places to park up.
📍Pont-à-Mousson, Moselle, France 🇫🇷
France is amazing like this, so many beautiful, affordable, ”official”, and safe places to park up.
📍Pont-à-Mousson, Moselle, France 🇫🇷
Biked past this age-old village church with a moss-covered porch and the kind of round tower you usually see on medieval chateaux. Graves in the churchyard and bells in the tower. I wonder what stories it might tell? Easter Sunday and a rain-filled sky.
📍Unienville, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Unienville, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 21, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Biked past this age-old village church with a moss-covered porch and the kind of round tower you usually see on medieval chateaux. Graves in the churchyard and bells in the tower. I wonder what stories it might tell? Easter Sunday and a rain-filled sky.
📍Unienville, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Unienville, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Charmed by these old signs in rural France. Wandered by this one, on the cathedral square of Troyes. Factory of the sloe, “a small, dark, purple fruit”. But also, “the apple of the eye, the beloved or cherished”. Who knows?
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 21, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Charmed by these old signs in rural France. Wandered by this one, on the cathedral square of Troyes. Factory of the sloe, “a small, dark, purple fruit”. But also, “the apple of the eye, the beloved or cherished”. Who knows?
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Houses in small villages in mid-France are cheap. And often several hundred years old! Would you take a project like this on if you had the skills….?
Not sure I would!
On the other hand, this village is surrounded by champagne makers…😉
📍 Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Not sure I would!
On the other hand, this village is surrounded by champagne makers…😉
📍 Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 20, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Houses in small villages in mid-France are cheap. And often several hundred years old! Would you take a project like this on if you had the skills….?
Not sure I would!
On the other hand, this village is surrounded by champagne makers…😉
📍 Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Not sure I would!
On the other hand, this village is surrounded by champagne makers…😉
📍 Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Yesterday I meandered on my bike in this beautiful part of the Champagne region. Lots of up and down!
There’s a champagne producer or three in every tiny village, and grapes growing on all the sunny slopes. Bright yellow rapeseed on the fields. Joy!
📍Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
There’s a champagne producer or three in every tiny village, and grapes growing on all the sunny slopes. Bright yellow rapeseed on the fields. Joy!
📍Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 20, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Yesterday I meandered on my bike in this beautiful part of the Champagne region. Lots of up and down!
There’s a champagne producer or three in every tiny village, and grapes growing on all the sunny slopes. Bright yellow rapeseed on the fields. Joy!
📍Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
There’s a champagne producer or three in every tiny village, and grapes growing on all the sunny slopes. Bright yellow rapeseed on the fields. Joy!
📍Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
The french didn’t only rise up in 1789, they pulled together big time in WWII. And it worked!
Today I was at the Charles de Gaulle museum in France. Tears in my eyes for a lot of it. The french really do get this.
📍Columbey les deux églises, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Today I was at the Charles de Gaulle museum in France. Tears in my eyes for a lot of it. The french really do get this.
📍Columbey les deux églises, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
The french didn’t only rise up in 1789, they pulled together big time in WWII. And it worked!
Today I was at the Charles de Gaulle museum in France. Tears in my eyes for a lot of it. The french really do get this.
📍Columbey les deux églises, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Today I was at the Charles de Gaulle museum in France. Tears in my eyes for a lot of it. The french really do get this.
📍Columbey les deux églises, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Reposted by The van diaries
The perfect rose window, in the cathedral in Troyes. Just beautiful with the sun shining through, the light feels like hope.
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 18, 2025 at 9:43 PM
The perfect rose window, in the cathedral in Troyes. Just beautiful with the sun shining through, the light feels like hope.
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
This was once an old water-powered flour mill, built in the 11th century - and revamped many times since! It’s on a river, the water flows constantly under the floorboards where once paddles would have turned the machines to grind the flour. Evocative!
📍 Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 18, 2025 at 2:16 PM
This was once an old water-powered flour mill, built in the 11th century - and revamped many times since! It’s on a river, the water flows constantly under the floorboards where once paddles would have turned the machines to grind the flour. Evocative!
📍 Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Renovation project anyone?!
I’m wandering in this agricultural town in the heart of the champagne district, it’s shabby and old and hardworking… I like it, it’s very real.
📍Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
I’m wandering in this agricultural town in the heart of the champagne district, it’s shabby and old and hardworking… I like it, it’s very real.
📍Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 18, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Renovation project anyone?!
I’m wandering in this agricultural town in the heart of the champagne district, it’s shabby and old and hardworking… I like it, it’s very real.
📍Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
I’m wandering in this agricultural town in the heart of the champagne district, it’s shabby and old and hardworking… I like it, it’s very real.
📍Bar-sur-Aube, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
French brocante at best!
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 17, 2025 at 9:03 PM
French brocante at best!
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
Tucked in here behind the huge cathedral of Troyes, is the old commanderie of the Templar Knights. The order was founded in this very town in 1129. Imagine the knights in their white surcoats riding through the town on their destriers, wearing swords and armour.
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 17, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Tucked in here behind the huge cathedral of Troyes, is the old commanderie of the Templar Knights. The order was founded in this very town in 1129. Imagine the knights in their white surcoats riding through the town on their destriers, wearing swords and armour.
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
The medieval city of Troyes has some extraordinary stained glass windows! Here, the cathedral. Soft, colourful light streaming in from everywhere.
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 17, 2025 at 7:57 AM
The medieval city of Troyes has some extraordinary stained glass windows! Here, the cathedral. Soft, colourful light streaming in from everywhere.
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
It’s hard to believe, but Joan of Arc lodged here in 1429! She was on the way to Reims, to get the french crown sorted for France. It worked, and the dauphin became Charles VII, king of France. It had been long contested by the english, as part of the hundred year war.
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 16, 2025 at 12:52 PM
It’s hard to believe, but Joan of Arc lodged here in 1429! She was on the way to Reims, to get the french crown sorted for France. It worked, and the dauphin became Charles VII, king of France. It had been long contested by the english, as part of the hundred year war.
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
I’m wandering the streets of Troyes, the medieval capital of the powerful counts of Champagne. It’s relaxed: people have had their long lunch break, the shops are reopening for the afternoon, it’s school holidays. Grey and cool, and hardly a tourist in sight. So nice!
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 16, 2025 at 12:35 PM
I’m wandering the streets of Troyes, the medieval capital of the powerful counts of Champagne. It’s relaxed: people have had their long lunch break, the shops are reopening for the afternoon, it’s school holidays. Grey and cool, and hardly a tourist in sight. So nice!
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍 Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
More beautiful wisteria, against a crumbling medieval backdrop in the back alleys of Troyes. One of the great centres of power and trade at the time of the crusades!
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
April 16, 2025 at 11:22 AM
More beautiful wisteria, against a crumbling medieval backdrop in the back alleys of Troyes. One of the great centres of power and trade at the time of the crusades!
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
📍Troyes, Champagne, France 🇫🇷
It’s wisteria season here in the Loire valley! Can’t think of a nicer colour combination than the warm, light-coloured stone quarried from cliffs along the riverbank. It’s a feast of purple: the lilacs are out too, and the irises, smells wonderful when you bike by.🚴
📍 Montsoreau, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍 Montsoreau, Loire, France 🇫🇷
April 15, 2025 at 5:58 PM
It’s wisteria season here in the Loire valley! Can’t think of a nicer colour combination than the warm, light-coloured stone quarried from cliffs along the riverbank. It’s a feast of purple: the lilacs are out too, and the irises, smells wonderful when you bike by.🚴
📍 Montsoreau, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍 Montsoreau, Loire, France 🇫🇷
A crumbling watch tower at Chinon, the medieval fortress where royal dramas once played out. Henry II and his wife Eleonore ran an empire that stretched from Scotland to the Pyrenees. Henry imprisoned her here after she and their sons rebelled; he later died here in 1189.
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
April 15, 2025 at 12:58 PM
A crumbling watch tower at Chinon, the medieval fortress where royal dramas once played out. Henry II and his wife Eleonore ran an empire that stretched from Scotland to the Pyrenees. Henry imprisoned her here after she and their sons rebelled; he later died here in 1189.
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
I was at the medieval fortress of Chinon yesterday. I biked up the steep cobbled road imagining how in 1429 Joan of Arc marched up the same hill. Fired up to convince the would-be king, Charles, to ride with her for the throne. He trusted her, and they did!
📍Chinon, Loire valley, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire valley, France 🇫🇷
April 14, 2025 at 7:59 PM
I was at the medieval fortress of Chinon yesterday. I biked up the steep cobbled road imagining how in 1429 Joan of Arc marched up the same hill. Fired up to convince the would-be king, Charles, to ride with her for the throne. He trusted her, and they did!
📍Chinon, Loire valley, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire valley, France 🇫🇷
This truly brightened my day today! Hope it can give you a lighter moment, too😊
April 14, 2025 at 7:52 PM
This truly brightened my day today! Hope it can give you a lighter moment, too😊
The Templar knights, such a time of bravado and commitment and asset stockpiling. It seemed like nothing could bring them down, until the French king did. Just like that, in 1308, it was over. The pope tried to absolve them, with this document discovered just 25 years ago.
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
April 14, 2025 at 9:32 AM
The Templar knights, such a time of bravado and commitment and asset stockpiling. It seemed like nothing could bring them down, until the French king did. Just like that, in 1308, it was over. The pope tried to absolve them, with this document discovered just 25 years ago.
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
I went deep into a dungeon yesterday, in the fortress of Chinon, and found this remarkable graffiti. Carved into the wall, they say, by the last of the templar knights! This was 1308, and the Templar commanders were chained here for three hideous months. End of an era.
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
April 14, 2025 at 9:07 AM
I went deep into a dungeon yesterday, in the fortress of Chinon, and found this remarkable graffiti. Carved into the wall, they say, by the last of the templar knights! This was 1308, and the Templar commanders were chained here for three hideous months. End of an era.
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
This is the forteresse royale de Chinon, a fort overlooking the river Vienne, just before it runs into the Loire. Eleonor of Aquitaine was jailed here by her husband king Henry II of England, Joan of Arc was here pleading with the king to march for his crown. Stories!
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
April 13, 2025 at 4:26 PM
This is the forteresse royale de Chinon, a fort overlooking the river Vienne, just before it runs into the Loire. Eleonor of Aquitaine was jailed here by her husband king Henry II of England, Joan of Arc was here pleading with the king to march for his crown. Stories!
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷
📍Chinon, Loire, France 🇫🇷