A French Fleecing!

Decided to leave today and head north, first stop 30 mins along the road was Dune de Pilat.  4€ for the car park.  The walk up the dune was tough, plastic steps built into the side were subsiding and very difficult for Morgan but using the rope helped; next time we'll just climb up the sand. It’s the biggest dune in Europe and so unlike anything we’ve ever been on before.  Quite strange but also a truly amazing site.

The dune is growing between 1 and 5 metres inland a year so all the campsites in the forest around must be under threat.  Its 2km long,  we walked to the top Chris thinks about 105 metres high.  Evan ran up and was so full of energy – I found it a little harder!!!  We all enjoyed the slide down though! We didn’t have to pay the motorhome prices as we were narrow enough to get through the car exit and thankfully there were no height barriers!

We then started to drive north to begin our planned island tour up the west coast.  Horrendous busy main roads through Bordeaux but as we got the satnav to avoid all toll roads we quickly came off onto beautiful country lanes and through millions of vineyards again.  Really pretty.

We needed to shower so decided to find a campsite for the night, found one in the book that just said only 15€ a night with a pool at St.George-de-Didonne so headed there. Arrived, checked in, gave all my details to the woman and then she charged me 60€!!!!!! I nearly cried!!  But I just had to pay it – I’d conducted the whole conversation in French, all children’s dates of birth, addresses, names etc so I couldn’t change my mind… NOT impressed at all!!  We were shown to our pitch, opposite was a group of really dodgy looking 18 yr old French lads whose body language was awful – they just stared at us.  Then we realised that the couple next to them were complaining about them to who we assume were site managers or could have been the parents of some of them, they’d obviously had a loud night and were being made to apologise!!  Still, put Chris right on edge and we really weren’t comfortable.  We put up our beach tent and put everything inside it.  I bought 1 hr of wifi for 2€ for Chris – another ripoff, and a laundrette token for 5€.  I put as much washing as possible into the machine and hung it out to dry, bought a washing line and pegs for 3€ at the shop which sells everything!!  Despite a rather grey day it was now surprisingly clear in contrast to the weather forecast.  Chris went for shower and shave and to his delight the block right next to us has cubicles with toilet, sink, shower and heated mirror all together with a moveable heater!!! – so it should considering how much we’re paying!! Ha ha!!

I then took the kids to the pool, it had a small 2 ft deep pool for Morgan and Seren  and the main pool which unfortunately got deep very quickly so I had to watch Evan very closely- managed to get him swimming again.  I hope that he can show his instructor in September!!  He was real proud of himself again, and I was so pleased that he could remember!  Came home to spaghetti for tea which the kids were ravenous for!  The French lads were no trouble as they were obviously on best behaviour after last night!!  The site’s music and entertainment in the evening skit was unpleasantly loud, such a mistake to have come her but at least we made use of all the services that we could!!

Lovely lazy day

We decided to spend another night here as this aire is so beautiful.  We were chatting to an English couple last night who were trying to work out the tickets as you can actually buy a 3 day ticket here but if you don’t actually leave the aire then you have no reason to buy another 1 night ticket until you actually go.  So Chris took Evan to the supermarket and left me with guarding the plot duty – easier said than done!!!  A van did come and park right where Flo needed to come in so I had to explain to the French lady that Chris was at the shops and would be back – managed it though!!  VERY impressed with myself!!  The boys returned with lots of food and beach toys so we spent all afternoon back on the lake beach, kids did sand art– I managed to burn my back a bit though L Cant remember the last time I burnt.

Came back and had tinned sausage and lentils which was a nice change although Ren moaned loads.  We’ve been really impressed with the tinned casoulet and dauphinoise potatoes we’ve bought following a friend’s recommendation.  I took kids to play area after tea but like many French play areas you need to be a giant to use them!

Watched a beautiful sunset over the marina and the English couple who we spoke with last night stopped by again to chat so I asked them what aires they would recommend as we go north (as they’ve just come from that way), they gave us a few to stop at.  They were a really nice couple; one of the most striking things about this holiday has been how friendly most people are - we Brits too!  Millions of moths and flies in van tonight - the "Executioner" has been busy!

This stop has been a real pleasure, a gem.  Even more enjoyable as we were not expecting it.  Couple of points to note for Chris; the toilet in the neighbouring field to the aire was very clean and nice to use, but the shower/toilet in the aire itself was much less pleasant, the shower has saloon style louvre doors!!!

Arrived at the coast!

Woke early and packed straight away – one of our new chairs broke last night!! Can’t believe our luck with them!!! Chris got a directors chair style one yesterday which seems to be good as it is upright.  We drove through St Emillion, a gorgeous village, Chris remarked that he would have liked to have wondered around but the kids wouldn’t have appreciated it so the drive is a good compromise!!  This area has fields upon fields of vineyards and dotted throughout are the beautiful chateaux of the name of each wine.  Something about them is really amazing and I love seeing them.  We set the Sat Nav to Biscarosse-plage where we’d seen an aire to stay at, we glimpsed the Dune de Pilat as we drove past, I'm really excited to see it.  The area suddenly has a completely different vibe and the villages are a lot less pretty.  We found the aire but did NOT like it.  It was in a pine forest and crammed full, so, after picking up some massive pine cones, we decided to leave and drove a bit further south to a village called Gastes where the aire is right next to a marina and on the banks of the ‘Etang de Biscarosse et de Parentis’.

We were lucky to get a front row pitch and after scrambling together 7€ for the machine as our cards wouldn’t work, we set up.  It was stunning.  50m away from us was a river beach that had a marked out safe swimming area and lifeguard.  The water was so warm (21C!!!) and felt really strange to walk into – also lots of fish were swimming around much to Evan’s delight. There was a sandy bank at the the back of the beach so Chris went back and got his chair, we were all set up for a fab afternoon!!  Both Chris and I went in, kids had a great time.  It was lovely to see them enjoy themselves in the water so much and know that they are safe – it didn’t get deeper than 90cm, even 100m from the shore.

After food we went for a walk to find the village – didn’t find much just a couple of market stalls selling fruit and veg, so we bought a melon.  Then we were completely ripped off by a guy selling cheese who charged us 17€ for a piece of blue cheese we didn’t even really want!! Felt violated!! It did taste good though! Site was quickly filling up – a French family arrived and put tents and an awning outright next to us which was pretty rude(!) and they were proper arrogant too, had a boat so they were clearly far superior to us.  There was an old German couple also next to us who were lovely.  It rained in the evening and there was a big thunderstorm that passed over – the lady nearly gave Chris a heart attack which she came over to tell us that our vent was still open!!  It was the first evening since we’ve been in France that we had to spend in doors.  2 other German couples came really close to the old couple and we thought that there may have been a row but their quirky bohemian style was obviously charming!!

The hottest day ever!!

Made a quick exit from La Roque as had no breakfast stuff, so went straight to supermarket to buy some and then headed for aire at St.Emillion – a beautiful spot on a vineyard.

Think today was the hottest at 40C!!! Kids played in shade and with water from our pump shower.  It was really restful , only about 5 other people on site.  Chris and I showered behind a tarpaulin on Flo’s back door – worked well!!  Chris had heatstroke by the end of the day, don’t think he’d drunk enough so we went to bed early.

A beautiful trip up the Dordogne

Went to reception to see if we could stay another night, we could have but would have had to move again so after more faffing we chose to leave as we felt like we were paying premium rates but not getting the benefits of having our tent up and relaxing.  Tough for the kids as they’d have loved to have been in the pool today – one of the hottest days of the year, paid 33€ for the night. Before we left we drove up to the medieval village on top of the cliff above the campsite, there were amazing views across the valley.

We chose to go to a village called La Roque Gageac with an aire again right by the river Dordogne.  We stopped at Castlenaud – la –Chapelle on the way and again got out to admire the stunning chateau on the cliff and we also went down to the river access where people were canoeing and kayaking downstream.  Saw lots of fish close to the bank which the kids loved – the river can’t be more than 1 metre deep.

The aire at La Roque is at the end of the car park but right on the river again and we were lucky to get a front row spot which backed onto grass for the kids.  When we arrived it was a  boiling 38C hot, thankfully there was a tree for the kids to play under.  On our left was a British couple – super friendly, and a French couple to the right who we managed to converse with, again very friendly!

We decided to quickly go for a walk to (hopefully) buy bread (knowing we had some from yesterday for Rennie) to make lunch, saw that boat trips were running and the next was in 40 mins time.  So, march on to find boulangerie – I request 2 baguettes and then march kids back to make lunch in time to be on jetty for 1.30.  We made it.  We’re given headphones and receptor by a woman who is neurotic about the order we return the devices and how we operate them.  The boat goes 7km up the Dordogne river to Castlenaud where we were this morning.  Commentary is actually rubbish and mine and Evan’s stop working 1/3 of the way through.
 

 At this point the woman has a go at us for messing with the channels even though I know we haven’t touched them – it worked for about another 15mins and then packed in again so we left it.  Trip was beautiful  the river and really fun to watch all the canoes and kayaks.  Kids loved it.  Scenery was stunning. 

Came back to van and chatted with British couple, they recommended a Passion site near Bordeaux which is an abandoned chateau and sounds really cool.  They live in Spain and tour France during July and August to get away from the heat – they were actually finding this heatwave a relief!!!  Kids played great in the heat with toys and fuzzy felt etc.  Chatted to another British couple before bed whilst the village had a boules competition late into the night  - classic French!  

Enjoyed a nice local French red and (chilled after I requested it) rose wine for the evening.  3€ for the day and 7€ for the night.  

Evan learns to swim!

Woke up prompt and Chris packed tent away – so thankful we bought a pop up easy to use tent.  I paid lady – checked on Google translate how to explain we were leaving after a day despite booking 2!!  Found a proper nice site at Beynac et Cazenac called Le Capeyrou, pg 45 in book.
Impressed myself by asking fully in French for a place.  They first told us they were full but then found us a pitch just for the night.  The site was immaculate, amazing toilet and shower block and we were pitched right next to the river.

We walked around the site and the kids had a go on the playground, then we followed the path about 1 mile along the river to a river beach where hundreds of people were getting in canoes and kayaks to sail down the river and then be collected by minibus and brought back.  Looked great fun but our kids were far to young and they had to be able to swim.  Another boiling hot day and kids enjoyed a Calypo on way home. 

I took the kids swimming in pool just as it clouded over – typical but again had a really great time!!  Encouraged Evan to get swimming and he did it!!  Right across the pool!!!he was so pleased with himself and I was very proud – about 10 metres I think.  Morgan is fearless, she jumped in right out of her depth and went straight under and came up laughing!!  Put a load of washing in laundrette, took a right load of faffing around to work out I needed to buy a token which I managed to ask for confidently in French!!  Clever me!!

Chris cooked  a great BBQ with prawns and steak with a commentary from our English neighbour from Warrington about why he got rid of his T25 for a T5 – quite an irritating man but actually there were lots of English on the site, many of whom were much worse!!

1^st day of hearing so many English and to be honest we didn't like it.  We explained to the Warrington man that we've stayed in some Aires and his ignorance was shocking.  So many Brits not even trying to speak French was embarrassing to me.  Forecast for tomorrow is HEATWAVE!!!!!

Gouffre de Proumeyssac

Woke to a police woman collecting money for the aire, 5€ so great value again although the toilet was awful with no seat etc.  Left in the morning to go to Supermarket at Sarlat-en-Caneda, a medieval town that the guide book says is great.  It was heaving when we went through – the Sat Nav has a dodgy lead so we ended up going through the centre and this was a mistake!  We found a shop selling camping stuff – not a great range still though, no idea where French people but their camping stuff from.  Chris got 2 folding chairs, probably not going to be good enough but better than nothing as my chair also broke last night!!  Found a municipal campsite on internet last night to stay at tonight so can shower again hopefully!

But before we found this we chose to visit the Gouffre de Proumeyssac, the second biggest underground chamber in the Perigord region.  Bought tickets and audio headsets for during the tour.  We somehow managed to get on the wrong tour but the nice guide sorted us out –could have been due to Seren wetting herself in the queue and Chris having to taker her back to Flo to change!!  We walked down a tunnel into the cave but it wasn't lit so we didn't really know we’d arrived.  They turned off all the lights then began by lighting the ceiling shaft where the original explorers entered the cave.  There was a new basket following the original route that you could pay to go in – we didn’t fancy it!!!  Music played to build the atmosphere and gradually the whole cave lit up – it was amazing!!  Water enters the cave in 4 places and where it drips it has created 4 magnificent shaped calcium formations; they are named Jellyfish, Waterfall, Octopus, and the Mermaid.  We then walked down some steps to the bottom of the cave, it is called the crystal cathedral because the hundreds of stalactites and stalagmites that look like a cathedral organ, the roof is a perfect dome just like a church.  Under the dripping water they have put pottery and after a year they become covered in the crystallised minerals from the water, very pretty!!  The water in the pools is surprisingly warm and said to be drinkable.  Lastly we climbed into a tunnel behind the main cavern and saw triangle shaped crystals forming in the pools – apparently they need very specific conditions to form like this and are very rare.  Kids really loved it – as did we.

Left after lunch to travel to campsite in Cazoules.  This site wasn’t great – it was on banks of river Dordogne but was quite wooded so mosquitoes everywhere.  Unhelpful, French woman on reception and no English people on whole site! Not great facilities near us – Chris’ shower was awful….But, there was  a pool so I took the kids in, Morgan’s first time in a pool I think! – got them all jumping in and splashing confidently, they loved it. The boys also played table tennis which Evan loved.  Millions of bites before bed so not going to stay another night.  Cost 19€.

2 places in history...

Lovely bright morning at Marboue so we packed up quickly to make the most of the day.  Had shower in 'pit' toilet room with a kettle full of hot water mixed with cold in the portable shower - worked a treat! Today we went to Orador sur Glane, the memorial village to the people who were killed there by the SS in 1945. Free entry.  Haunting place, very emotional, difficult not to be upset by the brutality of the way the massacre was carried out.  Shattered, smoke stained buildings show the brutality - they preserve the memory of the once prosperous village.  We spent about an hour there and felt we'd seen enough and kids had been good so felt we shouldn't push it - we decided not to take any photos - it just didn't seem right.

Left straight for Dordogne and headed for an aire in a village called Les Eyzies de Tayac.  The road from St. Yrieix-la-Perche to Les Eyzies had awesome scenery, especially from Montignac to Eyzies which had chateaus on every bend and the river Vezere meandered through huge limestone outcrops like I've never seen.  Particularly impressive was La Roque St. Christophe; we could see people in the caves where pre-historic (!) people used to spend winter months and they have found the earliest cave paintings of bison and people etc.  The whole area is full of caves like these and also impressive stalagmite/stalagtite caverns - we're really excited to see some of these.

Les Eyzies is a beautiful village, one of the prettiest we have ever seen.  The river is at the bottom of a cliff face (where the aire is) and the houses are all built into the rock.  It is called "The National Centre of Pre-History" and has the national museum built up into the cliff face; we didn't go there though as didn't look interesting for the kids really.  It was a very hot afternoon, we walked around the village through tiny narrow streets and saw several lizards much to Evan's delight!!  Stopped in a cafe on way back to Flo for 2 bieres and the kids each had a slush puppy, their first experience of one - they went down really well!!  Found ourselves next to a Dutch couple again in the aire, the guy had a rescue dog who only spoke English and they smoked a lot of weed!!  The people weren't as friendly as we were used to at Chinon - we moved Flo away from some right old grumpy French couple!! Our crime seemed to be having children with us!

Heading south

Decided to leave Loire. All the washing was soaking and lots of branches were down all over the site after the storm... we left because we wanted to see more France!  In the morning there was lovely sunshine so we could dry tent easily by picking the whole thing up and moving it into the sunshine - such a great buy!!!! Pop-up tents are definitely the way forward! Said good bye to Dutch couple, never did find out their names, pretty sure the guy was Peter and I called the girl Chrissie but don't actually know!!! Found out yesterday that the site freezes cool blocks and bottles of ice - don't know why I didn't think of it before so I collected some as I paid - total price for 4 nights was 53€!!!!!! BARGAIN!!!! Can't believe how cheap it was!! British sites could learn a thing or two.

So set off about 11ish heading south for Limousin.  Beautiful countryside, lots of sunflowers fields, but so many trees and branches on roads after last nights storms, some entire fields of sunflowers were flattened!! It was very interesting to see the change of roof colours as we travelled.  Arrived at Javerdat aire mid afternoon.  A pretty rural village with church.  Just 4 places in aire divided by bushes, great wooden toilet block and sinks.

Only 1 other (British) motor home in aire.  The aire was on top of a sloping hill with a little park & picnic benches.  Morgan managed to fall off ladder on slide but amazingly held on and hung like a monkey until I got there! Rather annoying flee-ridden Labrador around most of the day but the whole place was very peaceful.  Hung washing out, again (!) hoping this time the rain would not ruin it! Mostly bright afternoon but finished with light shower; Chris was sat in my chair whilst I was on the blanket holding the parasol to keep the rain off!

Sunny Saumur

Chris broke his chair last night so today we went to Decathlon in Saumur to try to buy a new one.  Lovely drive to Saumur, beautiful river.

Decathlon was useless; no chairs but I did get new sandals for my very swollen feet!!.....and a watch that we can't change the time on!! Drove to the viewpoint above Saumur and took some great panoramic photos.

Went around about 50 different shops looking for chairs and ice and fridge solutions but no joy!  Arghhhhhh!!!!! The biggest thunderstorm in the world last night - was clear when we went to bed so I left the washing out to dry again.....BIG  mistake!!! 2am woken up by rain and then followed the biggest thunderstorm we've ever known! Dutch couple's awning blew down! Couldn't sleep through it but very thankful we were not in a tent!

La Fortress de Chinon and dragons!

Feet swollen because of the mosquito bites, ouchy! Leisurely morning tidying tent while kids did Maths and English books - their choice honest!  Then went to the fortress de Chinon, 7€50 entrance for Chris and I, kids free again! Fantastic castle.

 

Great remains and dragon exhibition, kids loved finding dragons as we went around.  Lots of steps up and down loads of layers in towers.  Very hot day.  Wine tasting in castle grounds, arrogant vineyard man let us taste red and rose but offered no English at all - bought red and it was very nice.

Great views across Chinon from the top of the towers! We could just about see our tent on the campsite below.

Spent evening talking with Dutch couple from tent next to us - really good company! Talked about loads; lovely couple.  Did washing by hand - hard work, not doing that again when there is a machine on site!  Big thunderstorm overnight, washing all got soaked, what a waste of time!!