Ondres Plage

Just a short message from us today. Two messages from home, one from a tenant intending to start personal bankruptcy and wondering if we are okay with it, and a second regarding ‘a bit of a water problem’ at our own house has distracted us a bit, but all good for now.

As we travelled today, we both remembered where we were last Monday afternoon, but not with too much sadness, after all Marge is with us, I know she would not have liked this hot weather!

A late start this morning, after topping up our fresh water tank. The water is not very often free, so we had to take advantage. 

John, trekking back and forth to the tap with our 5 litre container, must have brought pity upon us, as a fellow French motorhome owner helped us fill up with a large bucket of water he had left over from his own filling.

We have been travelling south on some faster roads today, so stopped at a service area to make our lunch. Here we were approached by a fellow Englishman who asked of we had a map. It seems his fellow passenger had a little trouble with his sat nav, which was causing heated exchanges in their car. After checking our map they set off, happy or not we don’t know!

Our destination on the coast proved to be a paid aire at 12 euros, so we set of further down the coast and our now north of Biarritz at Ondres Plage, cost 8 euros, supposed to include free electricity, but of course the French got here first and are hogging it all!

Due to the events of the day, sorry there are not many photos. 

The beach bar we looked into then went back for a glass of not too bad Spanish plonk in the van!

Finally for all the fans of French free libraries here is a really different one on the beach, it even had a book in English for Angela!

Tomorrow we will cross the border into Northern Spain, exciting times to exploring a new area.

Very warm here last night, so took a walk out to the beach and saw the end of a lovely sunset.

In a large house across the road a party was taking place, we think it may have been a wedding reception. It made us smile, that the same cheesy disco music was playing that we hear from the village hall behind our house. But the party went on to 4pm I’m told..didn’t stop some of us sleeping! The large beachfront houses, and the shallow large expanse of water of The Bay of Arcachon is similar to Sandbanks and Poole Harbour.

Whilst we were sat reading last night, a praying mantis flew into our van, O.K. if you like that kind of visitor!

Woke to a thunderstorm this morning, but by late morning the weather was fine, so we took a walk into the nearby town to buy our first baguette of the holiday..along with a large chocolate brownie, to take cycling with us as a well earned treat!

After lunch, thinking it would be cooler, even though it wasn’t, we cycled to a town which was holding a fete for leisure activities/clubs.

The local senior citizens dance group did their rendition of Strictly come Dancing, if be it in a slow pace.

There were also some classic cars at the fete. An interesting British Leyland campervan, along with some Citroen kit cars based on the 2CV.

We can’t believe  that it will be Monday tomorrow, and nearly a week since we left home. We will have to decide before we leave here whether to head into Northern Spain or over to the east coast to the Costa Brava where we went last September.

Maillezais

Before leaving Maillezais we took a walk around the town, enjoying the swallows as they dived and swooped to feed their young

We then took at the Abbey St. Pierre le-Vieux

Today we decided to drive towards Bordeaux , and as it’s Sunday tomorrow, we stopped at a Hypermarket to stock up on the essentials, and of course more wine and cider.

With Marge fully filled, we decided to head towards the Atlantic coast, a drive of 3 hours including a hairy drive around Bordeaux’s ring road, what is it with Romanian lorry drivers that their patience doesn’t stretch to 22 year old V.W.’s?

Before Bordeaux we drove through the Marais spotting many heron’s, egrets and birds of prey.

At one point on our journey, we passed through a village we had cycled through a few years ago when we cycled to Narbonne on the Med. So for old times sake, we stopped to take a look at the campsite we’d stayed at by the church. As we’ve travelled, we have noticed we have driven on roads and passed through villages we’d already seen when cycling, probably, as we stay off the toll roads, and try and keep to quieter ones passing through the countryside when we can.

We are now at Taussant right on the Atlantic coast, just to the south west of Bordeaux.  There was just one camping space left among the larger motorhomes, and we just managed to squeeze Marge in with inches to spare, the joy of having a small van!

Even spotted the local free library on the beach, nothing in English though...

Tomorrow we will go out cycling, for a few miles, as we are on the cycle route which starts at Roscoff and goes to Hendaye, just above Spain. Some of you may remember we cycled from St. Malo to just over the border into Northern Spain in 2015 when John was 60. We are hoping to do the Atlantic coast cycle ride again when I’m 60 in 2020.

The temperature in our van is showing at 32f, and it’s 7.10 in the evening, so there’s only one option for tonight's meal...it has to be vegetable curry.

A real treat for John this morning, fresh herbs from Philippe’s garden in his omelette. 

All showered and washing done, we fired up Marge and set of south towards the vendee region.

We love the slow pace of life we've got into, stopping for a leisurely lunch and driving at a top speed of 45 miles per hour, much to the frustration of the French!

Whilst we really love cycle touring in France, being in the van means we can stop whenever we see something interesting. 

This afternoon, we were driving into Vouvant, when we saw some old ramparts. Vouvant is a French town of character. It is the only fortified town in the Vendee.  

It nestles in the oxbow of the river Mere.

It is very hot today, and we noticed the tarmac on the road was melting in places. After dismissing two possible overnight stops we are now settled with other campervans in the town of Maillezais, slightly to the east of La Rochelle.

The Tour de France passed through here on July 7^th. We are right near the church, in the town centre, so it will be hells bells tonight!

Tomorrow we will visit the old abbey which is at the other end of the town.

After a safe night camping under a sheer rock face we set off on the long drive towards the Loire-Atlantique region. Considering the size of France we saw very few people along the way, it was almost like the world had ended when we passed through the villages, either that or they had got word the Hampton's were in town!

The Tour had passed through this area and we saw more bikes by the road.

Stopped at Dick and Angels chateau on the way. For those of you who don't know they are the couple who feature in the T.V. program Escape to the Chateau.

We are now close to Nante staying at our beloved Monbert campsite. If you want to get away from it all, this is my chosen place.

As you will see they have some lovely newborn ducklings here.

Had our first barbecue of the holiday this evening, hopefully the first of many.......

French Connection 1

Exciting times.

We left Longwick yesterday lunchtime to take Marge to France. 

Met a couple in the ferry queue with a van like ours..but newer..we think Marge is suited as being a bit retro!

 All safely installed on the ferry, time for an overpriced meal onboard. Crossing a little rough approaching Dieppe, so to calm the other passengers John starting humming the theme tune from Titanic!

We arrived late at our first free overnight stop at St Nicolas d' Aliermont, a stressful journey as Marge's headlights are more like candles. But in the light of day we realised we'd found a good spot.

Took a walk round the town before we left, taking a look inside the church, which has become one of our pastimes when in France, not sure why!

Set of late morning on our 150 mile trip towards the west, hoping to find the sun, as it's been dreary since we arrived in France.

After stopping for a salad for lunch (something we do every lunchtime while we're away, to avoid eating too much lovely French bread) we continued to the town of Gace, which had a very nice chateau housing none other than the town hall.

We are now at St. Leonard des Bois, where we are staying by the river for the night. 

As you can see the Tour de France came through the village earlier this year.

Heading towards Nante tomorrow, and will stay at a campsite in Monbert run by Odille and Philippe, a couple whose site we stumbled upon when cycling a few years ago, and who we now stay with every year.