rolfw said:
Yes, my Sister lives near Chartres and their winter is normally colder than here.
Far fewer people burning coal/wood at home, nuclear power for leccy and many miles from any sea water. No surprise it's a whole different ball game on the continent.
As many will know I nip off to Chimay, Belgium each year for a long weekend of road-racing mid-July, and the second time I went, a friend thought he could cut back on the excess travel weight and sleep in his leathers in the tent - (rally virgin).
Unless you have a good sleeping bag to stave off the night time drop in temperatures some 200 miles inland, the 'holiday' aspect disappears rather quickly. (and the local brew really doesn't help)