What’s the Sketch?
In July of 2016, and as part of my ongoing quest to attend more geocaching mega events, I decided it was high time to head back to France. Nothing too exotic this time, just a solid, close-to-home trip that would get a decent number of caches under the belt and maybe scratch the itch to go somewhere slightly unfamiliar. The perfect excuse came in the form of the Geonord “Retour aux Sources” event in Valenciennes, in the north of France. It promised a good number of caches, a mega event smiley, and the chance to put a few more French finds on the stats map. Not to mention a decent road trip through the tunnel.
Accompanying me on this trip were Daughterus Minimus, Norfolk12 and Alibags.
A Place to Stay
We didn’t overcomplicate the accommodation. The plan was simple: drive over, find a central hotel, and use it as a base for a few days of caching. We stayed at the Ibis Valenciennes in the town centre. As with most Ibis hotels, it was perfectly adequate. Nothing fancy, but clean and convenient. The location was ideal, within easy driving distance of the main event venues and a few local caches.
Getting There
We took the car over via the Channel Tunnel — one of those journeys that’s so familiar now it barely counts as “travelling” anymore. Still, it all worked smoothly, and within a few hours of leaving home we were pulling into Valenciennes with the alibagsnav telling us where to park. No dramas, which is just how I like it. Well, aside from the bloke in the budgie smugglers at one of the service stations.
The Caches
The mega event delivered exactly what you’d hope from a well-organised French caching gathering. Plenty of lab caches, lots of good-quality traditionals, and a testing walk in the nearby park. Everything was well maintained and clearly well thought out. Many of the caches they created were entertaining field puzzles.
Extras
This was very much a geocaching trip, so there weren’t too many extras to speak of. We didn’t go big on sightseeing or gastronomy. We had an excellent Saturday night at a restaurant close to the hotel. Mostly it was all about the finds, the logs, and the odd conversation with fellow cachers from around Europe.
Individual Posts
Here is the day-by-day account of my trip to Valenciennes for the Geonord mega event in 2016.
