Blaye

 This morning we decided to leave Ile d'Oleron. We had enjoyed our time there. But with the unpredictable weather forecast we felt it time to move a little further south. A few spots of rain fell. The earthy distinctive smell released when rain falls on dry ground filled the air. The sun failed to make an appearance thanks to​ a stubborn covering of cloud. Before leaving we walked in to town for a baguette.

Also, an impulse buy at the gift shop of a tea towel featuring sardines that we thought would look nice in our newly painted kitchen back at home. Returning to Marge an inquisitive Frenchman asked if we were Ukrainian. What? No. We wondered why so many French people had stopped to look at us and Marge. We'd even joked before we left home that the large U.K. sticker on Marge's rear might confuse people. It obviously had. Said Frenchman also quipped did GB stand for Grande Brexit! With that we fired up Marge and left, leaving him laughing at his own joke.

Our intended overnight stop was the medieval city of Pons. On the way we passed a field where dozens of storks were feeding. Yesterday we'd seen a disused stork's nest high up on an electricity pylon. Then a little further along the road at a garden centre we saw a camel. Have you two been at the fly agaric (magic) mushrooms? No Marge. We have visited Pons twice before.

But after lunching at the aire and making use of the facilities we decided to move a little further south to Blaye on the eastern side of the Gironde estuary. The area is cycling country for us. After some discussion about where to stay we decided to try the aire at Chateau Marquis de Vauban. We're staying at a chateau Marge. You and your chateaus! Not any old chateau Marge, look at the grape vines. We're in Bordeaux country. Angela's in Bordeaux heaven then! By now the weather had settled, the sun was out and the temperature a respectable 17c. We walked in to the town and down to the ferry terminal.

The last ferry of the day was just about to depart across to Lamarque on the west side of The Gironde estuary. Seeing it leave bought back fond memories of us crossing on it with our bicycles.

Although we have passed this way before we had never really taken a proper look at the old town so walked up to the citadel to take a look. A wine festival is being staged here this weekend and lots of activity was taken place in preparation for it. It being late in the day, besides the workmen, visitors were few and we were able to take our time looking around. However, time was getting on, so back to Marge who was happily settled on a grassy pitch by the trees in front of the château, with a view of the vines.

There are two other English vans here, some Belgians, Germans and Dutch. It must be the wine that's brought us altogether. Oh, and the free electrical hook-up! Opposite Marge is a French couple. After our evening walk around the chateau grounds, they struck up conversation. Angela pulling her best French out of the bag conversed with them discussing the weather, the fact Marge was left hand drive, but a British registered vehicle and whether we were on our way back to the Great Britain. Yes, it was nice for March. Yes, April's weather could be one way or the other. Marge is left hand drive because she's an imported vehicle from Germany. No, we were heading further south and would be away for around another twenty-eight days.

Exhausted from all this French speaking Angela cracked open another bottle of Bordeaux.

It is so nice here at the chateau that we are thinking of staying tomorrow night as well. You're O.K. with that aren't you, Marge?