Friday 24th June till Tuesday 28th June-Now it’s getting Hot

Over the last few days we have lived pretty much the same as before with shopping trips to Gramat and by Friday evening the temperature had got much warmer still and more is promised. On Saturday we went to the Bar to watch qualifying for the F1 GP in Valencia only to find that the TV and satellite had been messed up by somebody pressing too many buttons. However after about an hour they got it started just in time for the final qualifying sector 3 and so we could see the starting grid for tomorrow.

On Saturday afternoon after watching we then jumped in to the swimming pool which was reasonably busy and spent a good couple of hours enjoying our selves before heading back for a great steak and salad. Gosh it was hot standing by the BBQ.

On Sunday we watched the race and again the TV and Satellite box had been messed up and as there was nobody available to fix it Noel had a go and remembered what the man did yesterday and finally eight minutes before the race after almost thirty minutes of messing around he succeeded.

Again we hit the pool as it was even hotter today and with the temperature hitting 37 degrees Centigrade it’s was to hot anywhere except if you were in the pool.

A few days earlier some new arrivals parked about fifty yards down the road from us started chatting across a thirty yard gap and one guy was a Welshman (and perhaps used his loud voice for chasing sheep or whatever) but for the last few nights they have a shouted across the road rather than walk across the small gap and have a chat and this had gone on for several hours per night and bloody annoying and so on Sunday night Noel had enough and went down and told them to very kindly stop which was not greeted well. However they did stop and mission accomplished but it is supposed to be a quiet camp site and not for 50 year old kids to shout across the road.

Monday was also too hot to do anything and so we hit the pool and then the shade and by the time we went to bed the temperature in the caravan was about 32 degrees Centigrade and rather warm for sleeping, Oh well that’s life.

On Tuesday we did a little shopping in Labastide Murat and followed by a coffee or two overlooking the town square and watching the traffic go by, well I say traffic more a couple of tractors and two cars after about forty minutes.

The afternoon we got some good news that the window should be repaired tomorrow and so now we had to dash around to find cover at the house which hopefully should work and then back to the pool for some more sun and swimming although the weather over the next couple of days looks a bit iffy.

Maybe a trip out tomorrow if the weather is not good.

Thursday 23rd June- Is the sun coming out or not

We planned to have a quiet day in camp mostly reading as we like to have a long day out and then a couple of days relaxing and hopefully using the pool. Unfortunately around lunchtime Jennifer pulled a muscle in her back which was very uncomfortable for most of the day which meant that swimming was out for the afternoon.

We chatted to our neighbours, the ones who had hosted The Masons Caravan Club rally and they were also very tired and a bit hung-over as they had invited all the members, around 12, to a pre-dinner drink at around 6pm thinking they would all go about 7.30 back to their own vans to have dinner but it would appear that they had all had their evening meal before they arrived and so gaily drank the evening through until about 10.30 by which time mine hosts were hungry and had drunk too much and were now recovering from hangovers.

They also mentioned that one of the members was frightened of travelling with his caravan in France and had to follow a fellow member all the way from Calais to ensure he did not get lost. He even crossed red lights several times to avoid losing his leader and did some nasty things at roundabouts as well. Interestingly Noel is reading the latest Dan Brown book which is also about The Masons but has not yet come across a chapter dealing with a Caravan Club rally yet.

In the afternoon we checked email and had confirmation from the site in a place called Beaulieu-Sur-Sarthe which is a town about 20 miles North of Le Mans confirming our overnight stay for the 7^th July prior to our arrival in Caen where our ferry leaves around 4pm. We will have about 325 miles to cover from Carlucet to the Sarthe site and this will require an early start as we are restricted to around 56 mph, give or take a little.

This evening there was another BBQ at the Chateau which was attended by about 40 inmates and the music being provided by a very good modern Jazz band although the drummer was the same who played for the ‘Old School’ group last time. We met another couple who has just arrived and joined them for the evening but it was getting cool around 9.30 ish and Jennifer’s back was aching and so we left a little earlier than planned. Let’s hope this sun gets going soon as they are promising ,as from Friday, much hotter weather, hot enough o fry an egg on a car, but let’s wait and see.

Wednesday 22nd June- Wrong summers not here yet

Bloomin hell it’s raining and grey and miserable so let’s get outa here.

Our Northern Ireland friends Jerry and Mura recently visited this area and recommended that we visit a couple of towns they went to and so we headed off on a big day trip to see what they saw. We left via Rocamadour and then on to Autoir, where we watched the local fire brigade abseiling down the cliffs, whoa not for us as all the ropes were connected to one tree which did not look to well.

From there we went to and then on via Gagnac St Cere to Loubressac where Jerry and Mura had recommended and they were lovely little towns. It had started rain again as we arrived in a town called Beaulieu-Sur-Dordogne which is also great except that it was very damp and pretty much closed for lunch. There were two places to eat close by, one expensive and the other not and this is what we chose as it appeared to be the workers choice. There was a very limited menu but cheap but still good and it was still raining as we left town and no use to take photos, perhaps another time.

We then went to Goudon to the hairdressers so that Jennifer could have her locks shorn as it it had been growing very well over the past six weeks and so with deft hand language and lots of hope she ended up with it rather short, not quite a Yul Bryner , but not far off either and it cost 38 Euros which seems quite expensive to me who pays only £ 10.00 in Baker Street.

We must have covered about 100 miles on slightly bumpy and very twisting roads and so we were both a little tired

The rain had now stopped and it was looking a little brighter than before so let’s hope the improved weather predicted by Meteo ( the French Weather Organisation ) arrives soon.

A quiet time this evening apart from a quick drink in the bar whilst checking email and finishing up some leftovers as we did not need much after a lunch out.

Tuesday 21st June- Summers here we think

It was wall to wall blue sky when we awoke and we needed a little bit of shopping which was easily accomplished in Gramat before lunch.

By lunchtime the temperature was reaching 28 degrees and so back to the site for a light bread and cheese lunch and the about four pm down to the swimming pool for about two hours of sun and swimming and most enjoyable it was as the pool was not very crowded at all.

In the evening we sat outside and enjoyed the evening sun and warm air and as I sit here at 10.30 pm typing this the temperature is still 28 degrees and Noel is topless which is not a pleasant sight anymore.

Tomorrow we plan some more sightseeing to an area not previously visited although the neighbours are talking about heavy rain and storms overnight so lets see what happens.  

Monday 20th June- Oops the weather is improving

A quiet day around the site, Jennifer did some much needed washing and Noel caught up on lots of other jobs that seem to appear.

The refrigerator is quite full and so no shopping is required for the moment but we enjoyed salads at various times throughout the day as the temperature began to soar up past the 25 centigrade levels.

Tonight we enjoyed Salmon en-croute  with salad and watched to sun go down behind the trees and hoped that tomorrow would live up to expectations.

Sunday 19th June- A day out in Cahors

We have been so many times but this lovely town still fascinates us and when we arrived after a 30 minute stop at McDonalds to use their Loos and Wifi we parked in an almost empty car park in the middle of town.

We walked around the old part of town and it was deserted, we knew the shops would be shut but the locals were missing as well. Noel does not mind looking at shops when they are closed although Jennifer is not so sure. We came across the Cathedral which alays seems to be closed when visiting in the past but this time it was open and boy is it good. It’s a huge building with great little areas off the main church and the Cloisters are really amazing. After looking around the place for a while we left to have lunch in a restaurant we have used before and maybe it was the earlier McDonalds visit that we both ended up ordering the House Burger which was excellent.

We went back to the car to pick ip the camera and drop the extra sweaters  that clearly we would not need anymore as the temperature was going up bit by bit.

We walked down to the ‘Gare’ and then on to the very old St  bridge which is really very attractive which below has a lock where a couple of women who had hired a boat could not understand the workings of a lock, after about twenty minutes we could not take it anymore. They were trying to go up river and in the end they had water pouring in one end and puring out the other. Great!.

We walked around the outer edge of town along to the river bank and then ended up back in the old town and then back to the Cathedral for some photos.

A quiet night in caravan and we watched a John Frankenmeyer film called ‘Ronin’ which was very good

Saturday 18th June- Weathers a bit strange

Well all day the weather was up and down like as the say a Naafi’s girls something or other. First the sun came out and then ten minutes later it started to rain and in the afternoon when we were considering the BBQ it was clearly going to be a last minute decision.

It’s not cold and it’s not hot but the site is slowly filling up with ‘Brits’ and the effects of the Caravan Club’s influence is beginning to work as more and more Brits arrive, perhaps not quite what we wanted but we are positioned at the quiet end of the site than heavens but a long way from the washblock and so our new fold up bikes have come in really useful. It cuts down the journey time enormously as you are so scared of coming off that you don’t have time to tale to other people on the way down which can take 30 minutes to do an eight minute walk.

Finally the weather improved and the BBQ was light and the sirloin steak hit the grill with a couple of sausages we had a good evening before the rain started again. Lets see what happens tomorrow as we are going out.

Friday 17th June- A day trip to Villefranche-de-Rouergue

For some reason we awoke early and thought well lets go and so by 0900 we were in the car and off, wow this is unusual for us.

So we went the country route through Labistide-Murat and then on to Vers where we checked on a caravan site by the river Lot. It’s a lovely site but Municipal run but also to get to it there is a low bridge and what with angles and heights of vans it’s unlikely we could get ours in but perhaps one day if we get a smaller van we may use it.

Then along the River Lot which looked really beautiful in the sun and with St Cirq Lapopie on the hill overlooking the river it was really a lovely sight. The houses in this region are built in this very warm coloured brick and with their red slate roofs this part of France is really very  beautiful. No photos as they have been taken on earlier trips.

We crossed the river at Larnagol and then headed up to Calvignac where we noticed that the local ‘Marie’ has been stripped inside and a major rebuild project is underway. This building is very large and not used for some years and perhaps its being converted in to a house or flats but one thing is for sure they will have a really magnificent view over the Lot valley, umm that would be nice.

Then on to Villefranche and by this time we needed a technical stop and what could be better than McDonalds who always have good loo’s and free wifi.

We had a lovely walk around town and it was very quiet as it is not yet the main tourist season and then on to the Globe Cafe overlooking the River L’Aveyron where we have been many times in the past years and just as we sat outside to eat it started to rain a little but the large trees protected us and so we enjoyed the full French lunch with a small carafe of ‘vin rouge’

Then some shopping at a new large Leclerc on the outskirts of town and by this time the rain had stopped and it was getting quite warm (29 degrees) and so headed back home via Fijeac and finally arrived back around 5.30 pm only to find several more caravans have arrived and one has parked next to us and blocked our view down the site. I started talking about snakes but they still haven’t moved yet but perhaps tomorrow if/when we BBQ that should do the trick.

A quiet evening and it was cool and so we sat in the van watched another episode of ‘Spooks’ which is a great series and shows off London rather well.

Let’s hope the weather stays Ok for tomorrow’s BBQ.

15th and 16 th June- One day quiet and the other ‘interesting’

Wednesday the 15th was a quiet day in camp with only a little resting to do plus catch up with emails and Blog bits and pieces and watch out for more snakes. When Noel started visiting Australia back in the late 70’s he was warned always to look out for snakes as they are pretty dangerous out there and also the famous Funnel Web spider which likes to wait under toilet seats until the prey arrives and then has a big bite and if you are not damn quick to the hospital then generally its curtains and so ever since those days Noel always checks the loo seat before sitting down. He doesn’t like snakes either having been taken to a snake temple in Penang where all the these very dangerous snakes are drugged by a continuous smoke but the snakes are all over the floor and hanging from the ceiling and et al, and the only way is going forward and no going back, a bit like a very dangerous IKEA store, and ever since those days snakes and spider are not his favourite things. Oh well let’s move on to...

Thursday 16^th June and it was pouring with rain overnight and also when we woke up and so decided to use the caravan facilities for shower etc. Normally we use the camp site  facilities, for one thing we don’t have to give it a good clean afterwards and also its often good exercise getting there. Noel went in first and the shower was great and then it was Jennifer’s turn and she also wanted to wash her hair. But first I must describe the workings of the caravan water system.

On the site is a water tap to which you connect your hose to which then goes to a large tank by the side of the Caravan with like a cistern valve and so as the water flow ‘s out to the caravan the tank starts refilling again, but in this case the cistern is only about a quarter to a third full and so as to ensure that the main tap was high enough to keep up with demand from Jennifer’s hair washing etc Noel went outside the van in the pouring rain to check the tap and noticed that it was flat with no water running through it, and so the water in the cistern would be soon gone and so he rushes back to the van to tell Jennifer to stop showering etc. By this time however Jennifer had started on her hair with shampoo and now there was no water. A further quick look along the hosepipe confirmed that that there had been a big leak in the pipe which would take time to fix but as Jennifer was still standing in the shower getting cool and covered in shampoo there was needed a temporary quick fix solution which resulted in Noel using another hose to fill the cistern whilst standing in the pouring rain getting saturated whilst Jennifer finished her hair and showering etc. What a great and wet start to the day!!

Forgot to mention that overnight the storm and no doubt lightening somewhere put pressure on the camp electrics and so with a power surge after the lightning hit, us and many other caravan’ers  had their RCD cut in and turn of the electrics to save the wiring and equipment etc.

Oh the joys of caravanning.

The rest of the day was quite boring after this but the storm also killed the internet connection on site and so no updates on anything.

Friday 17^th June- A day trip to Villefranche-de-Rouergue

For some reason we awoke early and thought well lets go and so by 0900 we were in the car and off, wow this is unusual for us.

So we went the country route through Labistide-Murat and then on to Vers where we checked on a caravan site by the river Lot. It’s a lovely site but Municipal run but also to get to it there is a low bridge and what with angles and heights of vans it’s unlikely we could get ours in but perhaps one day if we get a smaller van we may use it.

Then along the River Lot which looked really beautiful in the sun and with St Cirq Lapopie on the hill overlooking the river it was really a lovely sight. The houses in this region are built in this very warm coloured brick and with their red slate roofs this part of France is really very  beautiful. No photos as they have been taken on earlier trips.

We crossed the river at Larnagol and then headed up to Calvignac where we noticed that the local ‘Marie’ has been stripped inside and a major rebuild project is underway. This building is very large and not used for some years and perhaps its being converted in to a house or flats but one thing is for sure they will have a really magnificent view over the Lot valley, umm that would be nice.

Then on to Villefranche and by this time we needed a technical stop and what could be better than McDonalds who always have good loo’s and free wifi.

We had a lovely walk around town and it was very quiet as it is not yet the main tourist season and then on to the Globe Cafe overlooking the River L’Aveyron where we have been many times in the past years and just as we sat outside to eat it started to rain a little but the large trees protected us and so we enjoyed the full French lunch with a small carafe of ‘vin rouge’

Then some shopping at a new large Leclerc on the outskirts of town and by this time the rain had stopped and it was getting quite warm (29 degrees) and so headed back home via Fijeac and finally arrived back around 5.30 pm only to find several more caravans have arrived and one has parked next to us and blocked our view down the site. I started talking about snakes but they still haven’t moved yet but perhaps tomorrow if/when we BBQ that should do the trick.

A quiet evening and it was cool and so we sat in the van watched another episode of ‘Spooks’ which is a great series and shows off London rather well.

Let’s hope the weather stays Ok for tomorrow’s BBQ.

14th June- Its BBQ night

After an early breakfast we headed in to Gramat to the Brico Marche and also the Leclerc supermarket as we wished to purchase a pair of secateurs to trim back some tree ends over the caravan and some plumbers tape for the odd bit of plumbing that one does with caravans.

The Brico Marche seems to have been extended since we were here last year and had a really good selection of good quality products and its a bit like a B & Q

The food shopping did not take very long and so back to the site for a quiet’ish afternoon although the taps on our pitch seem to be imitating the fountains of Trafalgar Square and when you turn them on more water sprays out that goes down the hose as it is intended. So Noel went to report that, boy what a busy day.

The Masons Caravan Club arrived today and tonight they had requested a BBQ at the Chateau which was well attended by about 45 people fro around the site and there was an excellent three piece band called  ‘Old School’ who played for over three hours withour a break and their focus was on older dance music which they played very well. We were joined on our table by a Dutch couple called Piet and Annette, seems  familiar names, and Annette spoke good English whist Piet smiled a lot and nodded his head quite a bit pretending he was understanding the discussion. When I asked him how long have they been on site he said ten years, so not sure what that answer referred to so I just poured myself a small glass of white wine instead and nodded my head, two can play at that game

The site is much busier this year as the Caravan Clun have started recommending it to their members.but we always mixed views on great sites with view campers which fro lack of support could go bust as against sites which are much busier which we really enjoy which should not go bust, this one is the latter type.

A good selection of salads supported the BBQ chicken, ribs and sausages and with a good bit of dancing by the two of us we returned to the caravan around midnight for good evenings rest. There are no lights on the camp site and it enable you to see a near perfect view of the thousands of stars that dot the skies although there was a full moon tonight which cast its shadows over the site and se we looked out for werewolves of something..

Forgot to mention we found a small snake in the awning this morning which we moved to another pitch, hope it isn’t a venomous one as Noel will checking his shoes each morning before putting them on..

13th June- Another day in the office

Gosh it’s raining this morning when we awoke and so perhaps we shall have a lay in after a cup of tea.

By 11.am it had stopped raining and the sun was on its way but w needed

To sort a couple of minor issues on water supply and drainage which we accomplished in a very space of time before having a lunch looking down the site  as it was getting warmer.

Just after lunch we missed a call re the broken window and had to find a location for a good mobile signal which is not available on site and then when accomplished read the news on the internet and very surprised to see that Button won the Canadian Grand Prix, How did he do that as the latest we had was that he was well down the pack.

The call from our builder confirmed that glass replacement was underway but would take 5/7 working days as we need to match the existing glass etc.

The rest of the afternoon was Burger and onion and beans washed down with a very nice glass of Chablis.

Well this will be the last Blog update for perhaps a few days  as over the next week or so we will tour the same old areas we have done in previous years, do shopping and relaxing an reading etc . Will most likely start the Blog up again when we have been somewhere interesting or do somthing different.

12th June- To the Lot Valley

The sun was shining when we awoke and so a fast breakfast as we knew that on Monday rain was forecast and so an arrival today would enable to get the big awning uo, its so large that Noel has nicknamed it the O2.

We left  Perigueux and took the Motorways to Brive and then South towards to Toulouse but we arrived at our junction and headed off to Carlucet where we arrived at just after 12 am and so it was nice to met up with Stuart and Sheila again before heading to out pitch at the far end of the site and boy this site is now really busy compared to previous years and let’s hope it does not get to crowded as we don’t like that either.

It took us almost 45 minutes fiddling with the caravan to get it level as the site we were allocated sloped in both directions which is bit a challenge for caravans but eventually we did it.

We also set up the big awning and unpacked all the stuff in the car which had travelled many miles since leaving UK in readiness for a longer stint here. By late afternoon we were done and visited the excellent shower block to get ready for dinner as we had booked a table in the new Le Etoilles Restaurant. We arrived in the Bar at around 7.40 after having met somebody on site that we had met last year and then enjoyed and excellent meal with the new French Chef and to cap it off Sheila came to offer us the meal and wine FOC in view of the fact that they had stayed  

With us last year and had a great time.

We has also hoped to watch the Canadian Formula 1 GP in the bar but Stuart has a brand new TV and set up which is not yet set up and so Noel used the Wi-Fi signal on his IPod Touch to keep in touch but there appeared to be a long delay due heavy rain and so we forgot about it in the end

A last drink in the bar and we got back to the caravan at around 11.45 and we were really looking forward to bed and  tomorrow to put the finishing touches to our set up.

Saturday 11th June – Its BBQ afternoon

We had been notified by the campsite that there would be a BBQ on Saturday afternoon and they were expecting at least 50 people and would we like to go and if so make a booking.

The day started a bit grey and even raining and we were a bit concerned that the BBQ would not take place which would be difficult for us as we had no standby food. but by 12.30 it appeared that nobody had turned up and as we felt a little sorry for the owners we headed to the bar and found en route one of the owners doing  a tour of the site for about 5/6 people.

There were quite a few people waiting to serve us when we gor here which was nice but we had a pre-lunch drink and then settles down with a a lite of the hosue wine and steaks which were sort of ok if you have strong teeth and half a day to devote to chewing beef, but anyway overall it was not to bad. Part of the way through the owner cam to introduce a very nice young lady of around 21 who spoke English and it turned out that she had stayed in Stratford upon Avon for two years on a Management Training course and seemed to have enjoyed every minute of it as no doubt it’s a little livelier than where we were. She talked abou the site and that the owners wanted to develop the place and their University Class was looking to give business input and with her class of about eight others were looking to help but my opinion was that they were there for a free lunch only.

After about three hours of steak chewing and a very good desert we headed back to the caravan for a quite evening in preparation for our planned move tomorrow to Chateau Le Comte in Carlucet. It rained in the evening before we went to bed and so we were concerned that tomorrow would be better

Friday 10th June- Perigueux A lovely town to visit

The weather is still in the changeable mode at the moment  and it rained overnight again but there were odd glimpses of the sun through the grey cloud this morning.

However we planned to visit the twn of Perigueux which is only five miles down the road and  we arrived through the outskirts with it’s jumble of car dealerships and many other stores in a very commercial area and so initially we were not so impressed.

We found a car park quite easily and then walked briefly along the river and then up the side of the hil where there is this huge church which is partly under repair but it has an amazing roof line. We walked inside and thought perhaps there was a prayer meeting taking place but no and after a few minutes we came a signboard which had lists of Bible Chapters with timings and the person reading the sermon and it turns out to be a non-stop twenty four around the clock bible reading class, I suppose a bit like a religious McDonalds at Heathrow also open 24 hours a day.

We left the Church and had a quick coffee and started to walk around the old town and it is really a beautiful old town indeed. Unlike Cognac this was much much nicer and with lovely buildings and expensive shops and so there must have been money in the past and also today. There were multiple chocolate shops and also shops selling local produce.

We came across the Petit Train, which is a small train which takes visitors around the town and we have used this in other French cities and it was leaving at 1.30 pm and so we had a quick and light lunch in a bakery which made really excellent sandwiches and Noel finished off with a strawberry tart whilst Jennifer prefers not to talk about it.

We waited for the Petit Train but nobody arrived to drive it and so perhaps it’s not yet operating although there are no signs to say it will not.

So we continued our walk through the old streets and came across a wonderful ice cream parlour where we sampled the produce and the chocolate ice cream was brilliant. We looked in shops here and there and in an old bookshop there was this old’ish guy listening quietly to one of my favourite albums, Pink Floyd and ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ so I gave him the thumbs up!

This is a wonderful place to visit and would be great for a weekend with it’s lovely old buildings, super posh shops and good looking bars and restaurants and we also spotted two sex shops, wow this must be the in place.

We then headed back to car only just missing the rain and arrived back at the Caravan site where there must have been quite heavy rainfall compared to where we were. Around 6.30 the phone went to say that a glass panel in the Library of the house was damaged and so the next hour was spent with Insurance Companies, builders and family and friends telephone calls. What with this bloody Mink and now a broken glass panel, it’s not been a good week.

The rest of the evening was spent reading and catching up with emails as it was again raining but at about 9.30 pm the skies cleared and it became a nice evening, a bit late really, Oh well there’s always tomorrow.

At this moment we are using the Wifi link to upload all the photos and only 486 to go, about a half a day’s work at this slow speed Oh for my Sky Broadband connection.

Please note I have now taken this Blog off Public Access and restricted it to friends and family only

Thursday 9th June- A day to catch up

After being quite busy for the past week we felt it was time to take a day off sightseeing and spend some time catching up on bits and pieces. So Jennifer was able to catch up with the washing whilst Noel could catch up on his photos. It looks like that the WIFI signal reaches the caravan which makes life a lot easier for doing email and blogs etc.

We received an email today from our daughter with regards to the visit of a pond specialist who examined and looked at all the equipment and said it works ok but then said the death and disaster of the KOI was most likely due to a ‘MINK’ which inhabit the River Wey. Foxes are unlikely to go in the pond or water but for a MINK; this is right up their street. To kill so many fish and just leave them either floating in the pond or lying around the garden is a mink’s work. We are now looking at putting electric fence around the pool and with armed guards carrying Tomahawk missiles to get these guys.

The rest of the day was spent uploading photos and also we had a BBQ where we tried cooking Sardines which although a little bony where very tasty and followed by Rib Eye steak and Cumberland Sausages and salads and washed down with a little Beaujolais.

A group of British Motorcyclists turned up tonight with a support vehicle of an old, actually very old, Land Rover Defender which no doubt carried the tents and other gear. The site is still very quiet which we enjoy and we would certainly stay here again.

Wednesday 8th June- Heading to Perigueux

We left Cognac around ten am and heaed back to Angouleme and then round the outskirts but missing the Le Farge factory somehow and then of in the direction of Perigueux  and the journey was not really very long and even going down small country roads we arrived at the site at around 12.45 and by 1.30 we were all set up and ready for some shopping as the fridge was looking a little bare.

We located a large Carrefour supermarket and picked up some food and wine for the next few days but got stuck for a while in the traffic which we thought was due to an early rush hour home but it turned out to be a three car collision with two cars blocking the road. We can assume it must have only just happened as there was no ambulance although the police were having fun controlling the traffic, hence our delayed return to the site.

We had decided to try the site restaurant which we did after picking up emails etc and the food was very good and they are really trying here and there seems looks of work going on here to improve the site which is always encouraging. Jennifer had the rabbit ad Noel the Pork and both dishes were very filling and so NO desert was needed or required.

A nice evening was had and then back to the van where we discovered that the WIFI was reaching our van about hundred yards from its location.

Tuesday 7th June- Looks like more rain

We awoke after rain overnight and it was very grey and overcast and Jennifer was disappointed that she could not do the cloths washing.

So we decided to drive along the North side of the Charente River and down through the little villages but photography was out due to to the purr visibility and the cameraman did not want to get to wet.

It was an attractive drive through the grapes destined for the many private and international growers and distributors of Cognac, in fact we had not realised that there were so many producers.

We checked out another couple of caravan sites en route and one was a municipal site ( no twin axles) in Bourg Charente and although a nice quiet site in great location it was not well equipped, The other in a place called Surieul , and the site was looking a bit sad, perhaps it was the weather?

We arrived in Angouleme and then we spotted a really massive LeFarge Cement factory, thought you might find that interesting, which made us miss the exit for the big Auchan Hypermarket and by this time the rain was really coming down like cats and dogs. We had originally prepared a picnic for lunch but gave up on this idea due to the rain and so bought a sandwich in the Hypermarket.

The reain had eased a little after lunch and slowly passed on as we got nearer to Cognac on our way back down the south side of the Charente River until we finally arrived back in town where a load up of diesel was required. Gosh the pumps and payment process was slow and in fact all of the supermarkets seem to be short on check out staff, perhaps cutting costs, as all the shops have multiple lines with many people waiting.

At around 6pm, the sun appeared for a while which allowed us to prepare the van for its travels the next day.

Monday 6th – A day in Cognac

It was a bit grey this morning and it looked it may  rain which locally they need desperately here as they have had no rain for many months and the ground is solid.

We drove in to town and parked next to the Hennessey Distillery but did not opt for the tour but we did look in the shop which was quite expensive and so we left in a hurry.

Through the streets of the old town Cognac with many old buildings and a very old church which was very simple compared to many over here. Shops here are shut on Monday’s whilst some do a half day but quite frankly there were few people about the town and the streets were mostly empty.

After taking a few photos we ended up in the main town square and as the weather was looking decidedly like it might rain we went to a restaurant but sat outside and had an excellent lunch of Croque Monsieur with chips and salad and washed down with a nice bottle of rose and finished with a nice glass of, you guessed it, Cognac.

Whilst watching the day go by a group of three French elderly folk had arrived and ordered their food which when delivered to the table looked to be entrecote steak with fries and very small frisee of salad.

They all refused the food and the waiter looked very puzzled and headed back inside the restaurant to find the guy who took the order and even he looked confused. So this time the waiter who took the order brought the food back and tried to put it on the table but each time they all stopped him and then ensued a little discussion and the waiter took the plates away. We wondered what was going on and five minutes later he returned with the three plates minus the little bit of salad leaf and this time they accepted the plates, how stupid is that?

It had rained a little whilst we were having lunch but stopped by the time we had finished and so we headed slowly back to the car via the old cobbled streets which had shops each side and mostly all closed.

We reached the car and literally moments later the heavens opened and the rain poured down and boy were we lucky.

I little shopping for tonight and tomorrow and then back to the site where after a very light snack followed by a walk along the Charente River and with the sun shining again it was very pleasant indeed. We met an English couple who keep a caravan on site and spend 13/15 weeks a year here, but its rather a boring place to spend so much time we thought.

Tomorrow we are going to drive down to Angeouleme along the river and check out some other sites and generally nose around the villages en route. It’s a tough life.....

Sunday 5th June- Off to Cognac

It was still raining a little bit when we left and the camp site is now really empty, good time to come here.

We had originally planned to go cross country to our next destination but due to the rain we felt if would be safer to take the Motorways which we did for most of the journey but noticed on the the Motorway going North there were horrendous queues of cars and trucks etc, not sure what caused it but glad we were going South.

The rain had stopped and we were about 35 miles away from Cognac and left the motorway one stop early and then got diverted all over the place due to some road works somewhere but on a brighter note we found a nice place for Lunch of smoked salmon and hard boiled eggs on a baguette and washed down with a 2007 Bordeaux water.

We finally arrived in Cognac and we had to go around the town to get to the site and when turning a very sharp corner with bad cambers the very rear of the van touched the floor but we only lost a plastic moulding which we can replace when we get home.

We arrived at the camp site and there was a big sign saying NO Twin Axle Caravans and that is what we have, damn. This wasn’t mentioned in any of the site books and so we had to consider our next move carefully. Whilst waiting for the site office to open we would have to wait about ninety minutes and so we walked around the site to see just in case there might be some other twin axles there but no. Back to the car park and we noticed that the reception was open and so we popped in and explained our predicament, we had mentioned by email four days ago about our large van but not that it was twin axle, and she said should not let us in but as the site was quiet and if we parked behind the large wash block where we could not bee seen from the road she would allow us to stay the three nights requested, thank god as to move on would have been annoying.

We set up and then drove in to Cognac to get the lie of the land and were glad we had not walked as it was very hot indeed and we were further from the main town than we imagined. We parked in the main square and headed to the first bar we could find and ordered in our best French, une panache and une bier ci vous plait, the waiter said in his best English is that a large or small beer sir, damn these people,

When driving round town the one way system is a complete nightmare and at one point it seemed we came to a crossroads where you could turn left or right or go straight ahead or even go back to where you started from, The Brits have a lot learn from here.

Finally back to the site for a night of blogging and emails as we need to check our next camp site is not restricting caravans of our size.

There is free Wifi here courtesy of the local town as this site is a municipal (Local Government) site and well organised it is as well, except it was not working when we arrived.

Saturday 4th June- Looks like rain today

We did some shopping in the morning at the local Super U supermarket , and then headed back to camp where we spent the rest of the day reading and enjoying lunch and dinner and in the evening we had warm chicken Caesar salad and a glass of nice red wine that we had obtained from somewhere.

All around the camp site the Brits in their tents and mobile homes were packing up to go and we though of staying a little longer as it would be so quiet but then we also want to go the Cognac.

Joanne phoned back in the day to say she purchased a new water pump for the pond which she had fitted and this one now worked but as a result of the work she found another two dead Koi!, could it get any worse we asked?

In the evening we started to prepare for tomorrow’s move and packed away a few things and took the locks of etc and then it started to rain and it rained for most of the night and so for the people who had been camping to leave when they did they were very lucky indeed.

Before going to bed we watched Michael Cane in a film called Harry Brown, excellent film about an old age pensioner who turned vigilante to knock off his best friends killers, it was a very good film

Friday 3rd June-It all started so swimmingly

It was a lovely start to the day and the sun beating down and with our decision  not to do  much today but just enjoy the sun and do some reading. After a latish breakfast and then some time thinking about lunch which we were just about to prepare and the Noels mobile phone rang??

The call was from our gardener who phoned with the very bad news that a fox had got in to our lovely Koi fish pond and pretty much killed them all off. They were lying all over the garden and also in the pond, about 8 Koi Fish in all and worth on the open market several thousand pounds should I have wanted to have sell them.

This was terrible news indeed and Noel nearly jumped off the roof of the caravan and even thought of going home to sort it all out but we also texted our daughter Joanne who also went round the same evening and found that the pump the feeds water to the filter had got bogged down with muck and also refused to work and the pond was in a terrible mess. Bloody Hell!! Could it get any worse?

Anyway the next morning Joanne will go round and try to sort it all out.

Needless to say Noel was not happy and looked for the nearest bottle of plonk. So it was not a very good day really in the annuals of the Groves family.

Thursday 2nd June- A day out by the seaside

We left the site around ten in the morning and visited another nearby Chateau Castel site which was packed with Eurocamp, Keycamp and every other camping company and just like Butlins, not for us at all. Then we headed North to a place called St Gilles Croix which was packed as the market was on plus an open air car show and so with nowhere to park we gave this and headed down the coast through the many small seaside towns, some nice and some not so nice.

We eventually arrived in Les Sables D’Olonne which is based around a working port one side and a major beach the other. To get across the harbour we had to take the little ferry across where we walked around the old and well kept streets and recently painted houses. Today was a public holiday the celebrate ‘The Ascension Day’ and so most of the shops were closed in the morning. We found a little restaurant on the port front and enjoyed an excellent gallette.

After lunch we took the ferry back and then walked around the headland to see the very long and wide beach which was quite busy as the temperature was about 27 degrees Centigrade and quite a few people were enjoying. By this time the shops had started to open and so we walked through the narrow pedestrian only areas enjoying the sun and the shops and finally stopping for a coffee frappe in a side street bar whilst watching the young kids having fun on a small merry-go-round.

Back through the gaily decorated streets to the car park and then back through the country roads to the site and an early tea of Quiche Lorraine and Branston baked beans, boy what a meal!!!

The people across the road we think are leaving tomorrow and so they are having a large party with their travelling family and companions and the smell of garlic prawns is wafting across.

Anyway this evening we  spent some more time studying maps and then have agreed we will go to a place near Perigueux after our stint in Cognac and then its time to move on to The Lot for a month.

Sorry No photos for past week as Internet to slow...

Wednesday 1st June- Just wandering about

It was a day of rest really and to start looking where we plan to go next after this we leave this area, the management decision is Cognac a nice little place on the Charente River.

But this morning we did a walk around the site and the area is quite huge but the place is generally quite empty really although there are a few English families with kids here staying in KeyCamp tents or mobile homes, all of which look in excellent shape.

We toured the site a came upon a room they call the bubble which is like one big balloon with a bedroom inside and from the the bed you can look up in to the sky, interesting idea but of you are planning a bit of rumpy pumpy the other site campers could be a little upset. We then went on to the Tree House which looks good until you find that you need to have mosquito nets as you are up in a tree by the lake, sounds good initially but perhaps then you understand why you can have this together with a tent or mobile home, as there are NO facilities in this tree house at all apart from a bed.

Then on around the three large lakes which support very large carp according to our neighbour who goes of fishing there every day for an hour or so and well worth the waiting.

On the other side of the lake is a large outdoor adventure playground where you can swing through trees, slide on zip wires across the lake and other daring doo’s if you are so inclined but I know my son would like it very much indeed.

We also did a walk around the village which is quite small and when in the shop a French guy approached us to ask is that was our blue car over there which when we arrived was standing far away from anything, we said no and then it transpired that with all this space this guy had just driven in to the side, the Irish owners were not amused.

Dinner tonight was fresh fish served with peppers, onions and cooked in butter and with that we finished of the part empty wine bottles of Champagne and Saint Veran before retiring for the night.  

      

Tuesday 31st May- Its Ruby Tuesday or ‘our 40th Wedding Anniversary’ today.

Well who would have guessed that forty years would fly by so soon it seems, Wow.

Anyway today we had planned a day trip put and to visit La Rochelle a nice fishing port on the West Coast. It took about ninety minutes to get their, slightly longer than expected, but we checked in to the car park by the port just before lunch and hunted down a good waterfront restaurant and in this we were most successful. The lunch was excellent and with a bottle of nice wine we enjoyed a nice fish soup with croutons and béarnaise type sauce and shredded cheese and it was really very good. Noel had the Rougier and Jennifer the Dorade and we both enjoyed a light desert.

We spent the next couple of hours walking around town and working of the lunch and taking a few photos here and there and it is certainly a very nice old town but the new town part on the outskirts of town cannot be recomened except a quick exit through it.

At just after four pm we left and headed back home and stopped en route to pick up some fresh bread, milk and some large prawns which we had planned to eat tonight with a nice bottle of champagne to celebrate forty great years of marriage.

The wind was blowing quite hard as we went to bed and we hoped that it would not blow down the gazebo.

We plan an easier day tomorrow.

Monday 30th May- Go south young man

We left the Ploermel caravan site aroud 10 am after paying a fee of Euros 80 for six nights so the price was very good.

We skirted Ploermel on the ring road and then headed for Nantes which we reached around lunch time and crossed this amazing bridge over the Loire River and it is so high up people on the ground look small. Two Air France 747’s flew under the bridge it was so high, actually thats not true but boy was this bridge high.rs

We left the motorways behind and took to the more local country roads which makes for a more pleasant journey and pulling over when required to let the odd hoard (perhaps two cars) getting annoyed. We arrived at Chateau La Foret at a place called Saint Julien des Landes and it a site where we have stayed before but many, many years ago. It is a large four star site but not crowded at all except for the usual Brits here in their mobile homes for the spring children’s break back home.

We set up all the bits and pieces and shortly afterwards set up the BBQ in readiness for tonight’s dinner of sirloin steak etc.

We did a quick walk around the site to acclimatise ourselves before heading back for a quiet evening watching George Clooney in ‘Up in the Air’, a Good day was had by all.

Sunday 29th May- A French lunch with family

We spent a quiet couple of hours packing up the caravan before heading off to my sister in Kervalo where we spent a very enjoyable afternoon having a great and slow typical French lunch.

My sister’s daughter and Husband had flown in from Uk for a week and so it was really good to meet up again after many years. Mady and Ken together cooked an excellent five course meal which of course took all afternoon to eat and then some time in the garden to let it work off for a while. The duck breast with cherries was particularly good.

And then back before dark for our last night on this site and the nunch of lads with bikes had gone and so it was very quiet night on site.