Monday 28th April 2014
Today we had to pack up camp and leave for territory new. Simon had a chat to our next door neighbours, Annie and Daniel, whom we had given our town map to yesterday as we drove past them. They were looking rather puzzled as to where they were...easily done with so many little streets and alleyways! Today they returned the favour by showing us a better place to catch the ferry across the Garonne and marked a few free camping aires that may be possibilities for us to stop at tonight. Later on, whilst bumbling about, Simon started to chuckle......he was remembering that whilst talking to Daniel he had called his wife ‘ma cherie’. Simon, being brought up well, on meeting Annie (at this point he didn’t know her name) said,” Bonjour Cherie”! He now feels rather embarrassed at calling her ‘darling’ :0)
Yesterday, as we were cycling the island we realised that my bike had a problem. Simon tried to fix it but, this time, was unable to do anything to improve the situation. We had seen a bike rental shop in the town so we decided to pop in there with the bike to see if they might be able to sort it for us. A rather grumpy owner told us to leave the bike for a couple of hours whilst he had a look to see what the problem might be. Feeling rather obliged, we duly left the bike and went for a walk along the beach. Lots of families were out and about scouring the rocks for oysters...many had full baskets which were obviously destined for tea later on. We wish we knew what we were doing with shellfish a little more as it is so cheap and bountiful here...we’d love to cook it and try it.
On returning to the shop we were now told that we should come back at 4pm and the bike would be fixed...what to do now...? We had made plans to get on today, but instead we are still stuck on the island..... Not a problem though as it’s such a beautiful place to be. We went and revisited La Flotte and had a wander round the streets and harbour.
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THe harbour at La Flotte[/caption]
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Poppies growing wild[/caption]
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Of course, this had to be the right way…![/caption]
This is the oldest village on the island...but I would still say that St Marie is the prettiest and most authentic.
Not wanting to waste time we found a Laverie and got some washing done, as well as picking up a few things from the local supermarket.
It’s been warmer and sunnier today so we have had a lovely day pottering around, getting jobs done and enjoying the island.
The bike was fixed by four and we were off. As Annie and Daniel had suggested that we catch the ferry further south than Royan and said that the scenery along that side of the river was beautiful we decided to follow their advice and head for Blaye instead.
We took the coastal road, of course, and headed further south. Along the way, we saw these amazing little fisherman's houses perched along the edge of the cliff, so we travelled down a bumpy muddy track to get a closer look...but it was worth it...aren’t they amazing? Does anyone have any idea what they catch in those enormous nets?
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Fisherman's huts…lovely![/caption]
Finding a spot for the night required a little more perseverance than usual, but BT came up trumps again. After pretending that Bluebelle was a 4x4 and bouncing along several dirt tracks (trusty Tom Tom said NO!) we found an out of the way little fishing harbour with several unoccupied fisherman's cottages to camp next to...and we had water.
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Camp for the night[/caption]
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Getting the BBQ ready[/caption]
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A view out to the river[/caption]
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Wouldn't be allowed in the UK![/caption]
It was a very quiet, peaceful place to be.... the sound of water lapping, the croaking of frogs and the birds singing their evensong.
Tuesday 29th April 2014.
This morning we were awoken by the car alarm of the bird world..as BT put it...making a non stop noise...telling us it was time to get up. BUT it was raining and yuk...who wants to get up on a day like this? We did manage to drag ourselves up and out...BT spotting a snail with no house (I think he meant slug!!!) (not something he’s seen before so he said quite seriously!!!)..I think it must be water on the brain. After a moment to giggle we packed our soggy gear into Bluebelle and were on the move again .
I wish I could have taken many more photos today as we travelled through one of the wine growing regions of France, but it rained non stop, making the opportunities for picture taking impossible. We passed many beautiful Chateau with acres and acres of vineyard sprawling out before them. We drove through so many pretty little towns and villages with gorgeous houses, roses and wisteria growing over their walls and gateways...just beautiful...meanwhile we had the river Garonne to our right, until that is it split into the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. We never realised that the two rivers split out into the sea at the same place. It is amazing countryside.
We arrived in Blaye, it still raining, hopped out for some bread and a map and decided to move on rather than wait 4 hours for the next ferry across the river.
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Boats en route[/caption]
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Bridge at Bordeaux[/caption]
We skirted Bordeaux and headed towards the coast. Andernos les Baines, which is in the bay of Archachon, was where we decided to stop for the night camping in an aire, along with about 30 other motorhomes! Not the most inspiring place to stop...but it is just for a night.
Wednesday 30th April 2014
Today we were glad to be moving on towards Archachon. We woke up to yet another damp soggy day :0( The local tourist information office had free wifi, so we spent an hour blogging, catching up with emails, looking at the weather and pondering which way to go from here. Our options are to turn left and travel down the Canal du Midi to the Med or right to go to Portugal where the weather is so much better than here at the moment. We spent a fair bit of time discussing all of our options but have decided that we would rather go to Portugal in September, when we hope to have more time to explore, and to cycle and walk as much of the Canal as possible now. We know that the weather forecast for the next few days is iffy, but, we are hoping for a miracle and some sun! So with this in mind, we set trusty Tom Tom to show us the way to Archachon and set off.... As I’ve mentioned before, oyster farming is big business here. Every town and village we pass on the water has row upon row of small wooden shacks from which the farmers sell their wares. Some have cafes and restaurants too.
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Oyster huts[/caption]
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Oyster restaurant[/caption]
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We are constantly amazed that so many exist side by side and all seem to be running seemingly successful businesses from such dilapidated buildings. Neither of us has been brave enough to venture in to a cafe selling ‘huitres’ as we don’t really like them. However, we do feel a little guilty as it’s so obviously the thing to eat here!
These photos were taken outside an oyster sellers hut…obviously oysters can grow anywhere…and tree sprout discarded buoys here too...
Stopping at the harbour at Archachon for lunch and then to the beach we were glad to see some sun, blue sky and turquoise sea.(Still incredibly windy and cold though)
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Taken at a beach next to the dune[/caption]
We decided to park up for a while, get some air and stretch our legs and see if we could cycle along the coast to the Dune du Pilat. Unfortunately, the cycle paths along this part of the coast are set too far away from the waterfront to see any sea at all, so it wasn’t long before we headed back to Bluebelle and set off again. I have to say that the dune is ginormous!!!! Hundreds of people were attempting to climb to the top but it looked like an arduous task .... not sure we are up for that one.
Having been on the road for a few days now we are both wanting to find a place to set up camp properly and relax. A few days in one place, without having to trundle about in Bluebelle is what we are craving.
Last year we went to the Motorhome Show at the NEC in the Autumn to take a peek at the various vans, gather information, buy our fridge and a tent and other bits and pieces. Whilst there we became aware of the ACIS card for camping in Europe. Basically, there are 100’s of campsites throughout Europe that accept this card giving the owner a reduced rate. The most that one will pay per night for a site is 16 Euros...not every campsite will accept the card in the summer months but as prices invariably go up from June, at £14 it’s worth having and could save £££££’s. Along with the card, you have a book that lists all the campsites that are part of the scheme. The reason for telling you all of this is that we purchased a card back in November, and have found the book really useful in locating a campsite today. Biscarrosse is where we have decided to base ourselves for a few days as there is plenty of walking and cycling to be done as well as a couple of large lakes that we could use our canoe on. The first site we went to was huge, bustling with families, had amazing facilities and was by the lake, but, neither of us felt that it was ‘us’, so we took the risky decision, as it was getting on in the evening, to move on. Well, we couldn’t believe our luck when we arrived at Campeole Navarrosse. We feel we have arrived to our own small piece of paradise. We have the campsite to ourselves and a pitch right on a sandy beach with uninterrupted views across the lake.The lake itself is huge, at least 20km across and is edged with harbours and sandy beaches all round. In fact, the whole area seems to be one enormous sand dune. It is stunning and we are very happy.
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Our camp…right on the beach![/caption]
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The view from here[/caption]
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A tranquil moment on the beach[/caption]
For the first time since leaving home we have been able to set up camp, with awning and new tent ...it’s colourful, spacious and home! Simon says he’s going to retire here and sail the days away!
A BBQ on the beach followed by bed in our new ‘home’...heaven!
Thursday 1st May 2014
Today is a non driving day...so I have been told that rain or shine we are cycling, walking or canoeing!!! Fortunately for me, it rained in the night and seems calmer this morning...we can even see some small patches of blue sky.
We have discovered that today is a national holiday in France so most shops are closed...this is not a problem to us as we are stocked with essentials...everything else can wait until tomorrow.
From the campsite there is a cycle path along a canal to the town...about 5km. It’s a flat, pleasant ride. We passed many fishermen hoping to catch tea and many more walkers and cyclists along the route. The town was surprisingly busy....we were able to pick up some fruit and bread and have a coffee before moving on to look at the lake. There are two large lakes and one smaller one. The lake we are camped by is the largest lake which is north of the town, the smallest one sits in the middle and the town itself is next to the third lake.
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The canal[/caption]
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The lakeside[/caption]
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Cycling along the lake[/caption]
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Through the woods[/caption]
We planned a route that would take us by the smallest lake, then along to Biscarosse la Plage, and back to the campsite via a cycle trail that goes through a forested area, down to the far bank that we can see from our tent, and along by the lake to home, in all about 30km...much harder cycling today as we were riding into the wind and there were many more hills to navigate! In theory, it can’t have all been into the wind...but somehow it always seems to be!!!
It was a gorgeous ride...Town, canal, lake, sea, forest...so varied and each stunning in it’s own right. We happened upon a huge market/car-boot sale in Biscarosse la Plage which we wandered through, stopping for refreshments on the way. A couple of showers came our way whilst we were out, but nothing that dampened our spirits....the real downpour came once we were home and dry.
We’ve made paella tonight...yum!
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Cooking[/caption]
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Paella…Billy camping style![/caption]
More rain this evening, but we are so warm and cosy in our little home from home that it doesn’t matter at all!
Friday 2nd May 2014
If we thought the weather couldn’t get any worse we were wrong. We had high winds and pouring rain most of the night. As we awoke there was a respite in the rain, but the wind was something else and very cold. During breakfast, the heavens opened again...torrential driving rain. We both sat, zipped into our Airbeam tent to escape the wind and rain, and looked at each other, not quite believing that it was cold and wet yet again....this is not what we had in mind when we set off.....we had fantastic weather in Normandy, cold evenings, but that was to be expected, however since then we have had an almost persistent cold wind and many rain showers. We haven’t let this stop us from doing the things we want to do and from having a great time, but we are really hoping for better weather this weekend...the forecast at the beginning of the week seemed to imply this so we are keeping our fingers crossed!
Once the major downpour subsided we took a chance on the weather and cycled back into Biscarosse where we knew there would be the local market. Again, we had a lovely cycle along the canal to the town, only being dripped on by the trees waving in the wind! The market was huge and was a feast for the eyes...and stomach if you let it! We were very self controlled and settled for just a morning coffee and a pain au raisin.
On our journey home we took a detour to the local supermarket as we were in need of gas, a new washing up bowl...BT having broken ours by trying to secure it, whilst full, to the back of his bike with a bungy cord for it to only fall to the ground, break and smash a mug en route to the washing up station!...beer, loo roll etc....all the essentials of camping. This supermarket is amazing, you can buy almost anything there including lawn mowers!! Bizarrely you can also get your car fixed there too!!
Back at camp we had lunch...zipped into our tent, before setting off on our bikes yet again along the lakeside to the beach where we locked the bikes up and walked ....dipping our toes in the water (ffffffrrrrreeeeeezing...and BT is suggesting we go boating tomorrow!) and walking along soft golden sand. The sun came out a little and at times we were sheltered from the wind....looks like we might get our wish.
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Bt up a tree taking a photo for the blog[/caption]
Tonight we are BBQing again, drinking Desperado....our new found favourite and sheltering from the non stop barrage of wind...we both have rosy cheeks from the wind tonight...looks like they will get rosier anytime soon when we start our evening proper.
Love to everyone xxx
p.s..thank you to everyone for all the lovely comments…we really do love to hear from you…just sorry we can't reply to you all personally. We think of you all often. Please keep up the messages! xxxx
Our complete set up..Bluebelle, awning and Airbeam tent[/caption]
Electric panel … note the 3 pin socket, run from the inverter[/caption]
Simon made this box to fit between the seats…it carries all the emergency equipment and legal stuff[/caption]
Swivel seat with safe under[/caption]
Safe[/caption]
Built in storage and gas locker..can be removed with just one catch.[/caption]
Gas locker[/caption]
Showing the slide out section to convert from 4' to 6' bed[/caption]
The bed made up[/caption]
Clothes cupboards….one each side[/caption]
Unique doorknobs![/caption]
View from the boot…bed height was designed around the height of the storage boxes[/caption]
Kitchen unit. Designed to be taken out of the van when we stop and set up outside, but can also be fully functional inside. Drop down table too..[/caption]
Amazing kettle…perfect for small spaces…now you see it...[/caption]
….now you don't![/caption]
We made this table and laminated a map of Europe to the top..legs from Ikea[/caption]
Fridge…wouldn't be without it![/caption]
Toilet box…fits under the bed[/caption]
Only used in emergencies![/caption]
The kissing corner[/caption]
Last but not least…Baldwin. Given to us by Harriet as a strong and trustworthy friend on our travels[/caption]
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