5th Left L’Abbayotte after a lovely few days with Steve and Helen.
6th Found a delightful canal-side Aire at Artaix on the banks of the canal that runs between Digoin and Roanne. The only problem was that there was no internet connection so as I have work to do I moved on in the morning.
7th. Lapalisse Aire which is close to the town centre has a good connection and the town looked well worth an explore as I passed through.
In the afternoon Casidy and I braved the heat and took a walk round the town and the castle grounds. It is a pleasant town with some handsome buildings. The church is a C19 faux Roman edifice but the Chateau is mostly C16, has been in the hands of the same family since 1430 and has a pleasing exterior. I didn’t pay to go inside.
9th. Over the last couple of days I have been traversing the Massiff Central. It is vast and grand and as I have taken the back roads I have had chance to slow down and enjoy the views which were stupendous. Certainly an area to return to in September on my return to St Jean de Losne. On the highest pass I was at 1401M and there was still snow in little pockets on the tops.
Today I arrived at Meymac. The Aire was not what I was expecting. It was new and a bit bare with no trees. However I have found out that the Aire by the lake still exists and will move on there tomorrow once I have taken advantage of the free water to have a BIG shower. This evening Cassidy and I walked into the town which was charming.
10th Moved to the other Aire by the lake. Lovely shady walks through pine forest round the lake and this was my view!
11th. What a different day. Tempereture plummeted from 30’s to 14 degrees, solid low cloud, limited vis and light rain. Nothing more somber than pine forest on this sort of day so decided to move on to Uzerche. The Aire here sounds really good with free everything including electricity the only caveats being, no parking on Saturday mornings, the 20th of each month and when the fair is on ( no dates given) and also no points for guessing when the fair is. That’s right it starts today. I am in a small parking off the main drag where tourist info says camping cars can stay. Heaven help anything bigger than me that tries it! Took a walk around the old town which is charming and like Meymac has many old stone and slate buildings lining narrow cobbled streets. One remaining gate of the nine on the old ramparts and the crypt of the Abbay that dates back to 1050AD.
Stopped for coffee and met three English couples who wanted me to take their photo. Later, on my way back to the van, I saw them leaving in three gorgeous vintage Margans!
Moved on after lunch to another Aire by a lake at Meuzac.
I had imagined I would stay a couple of days at this delightful spot but the dog that had lain quietly all day in the garden behind the Aire barked on and off all through the night and the early hours.
12th Moved on to Jumilhac-le-Grand, a small village with an attractive Aire and a huge Chateau. Took Cassidy for a walk and settled down to do some work.
15th. St Jean-de-Cole is the first really “chololate-box village” that I have seen in France. Generally they are ordinary with the odd remarkable building or two. This village has given serious thought to preserving the old buildings and a really pleasant ambiance. The church dates back to the C12th as does the old bridge that is no longer in use except for pedestrian traffic. There is a delightful small castle of a similar period and some beautiful little cobbled streets.
Patti came over for lunch, she only lives a 20min drive away, and we have arranged to meet for lunch on Sunday. She has kindly offered to take me to lunch in the village.
18th. In Brantôme on the river Dronne today. I had not envisaged staying here as my out-of-date-Aire-book doesn’t show it as having an Aire. In fact it has a big one on the banks of the river next to the town. The main attraction of this attractive small town is the troglodyte dwellings of the limestone cliffs. Given the presence of nearby dolmen it is probable that the caves were inhabited in prehistoric times but as the ones in town are attached to the Abbay the church chooses to emphasize their ecclesiastical past. The claim is that there was a monastery here as ealy as 910AD. There are also homes in modern use and more utilitarian uses such as garages and fish farms! The town is a chi-chi tourist trap but attractive along the river non the less.
19th. Left before breakfast as I want to cover some ground today and get closer to the coast. Temp was 14 as I left as compared with 45 yesterday afternoon but up to 37 by lunchtime! Stopped at Aubeterre sur Dronne for breakfast and to give Cassidy a run then on to Cozes where I managed to find some shade outside the official Aire parking, no internet connection but good run in the nearby fields for Cassidy.
The countryside changed as I descended towards the coast today. Gentler rolling hills and more intensively agricultural with Maize, sunflowers and walnut groves giving way to vines, vines and more vines through the cognac region. There is a breeze too which makes the heat more bearable.
20th. Did the early start thing again and went to Talmont-sur-Gironde via the Gallo-Roman dig and museum at Fâ. The Gironde is a very large estuary and Talmond is on a little peninsular jutting into it. It is a pretty little tourist trap and I was pleased to have got there before the crowds. The Church is at the edge of the settlement right above the cliffs and the shore is lined with little commercial fishing huts with their nets on hoists held above the mud flats waiting for the tide to come in. It is a pretty spot with a nice walk along the cliff-tops. This is just as well because the Aire, which is new, is just part of a huge uneven car park with no services and no shade and for this they sting you 8 euros! Its saving grace is good internet reception.
As the car park emptied for the night it began to feel isolated and uncomfortable so I moved on and parked in the Aire at Mortagne-sur-Gironde.
21st What a lovely spot. A borne with electricity points and a water tap to every four camping cars on the grass, with trees, besides a long inlet from La Gironde which acts as the port for the little fishing fleet and then further inland behind the sea lock a forest of masts in the marina.
23rd. A short 10k to St Seurin D’Uzet, claimant to the caviar capital of the Gironde. Barely a hamlet it has a nice church with a barrel vaulted roof, a shop selling caviar and other local produce and a little port. It is a miniture version of Mortagne which accomodated about 40 camping cars whereas this one can take four which was the compliment by lunch time, however a 5th pulled in just before 6pm.
I went for a caviar tasting but looking at the price I think I’ll stick to cod row! Bought some sturgeon pâte, one of which claims a 3% caviar content!
Shortly after that a charming little “train” arrived on the grass adjacent and took all the little children for a ride!
In the evening fisherman came down to the estuary with a barrow and net operated on a bicycle pulley.
25th. Short 13k drive to Meschers-sue-Gionde. The Aire is quite large. There are electricity points and it is E8 per night with a maximum stay of 24 hours. I found a parking outside the Aire on some grass with just the cycle path between me and the sea! No services but I don’t need them today anyway. The port is similar to the others with a sea-lock that is closed at low tide to keep water in the yacht basin. The little town was OK but not awe inspiring. Phoned Jon for his birthday.
I would have stayed longer but the circus and fair ground were very noisy till late so…
26th. Drove on to La Palmyre with a stop to look at the Aires along the way at St Georges-de-D’Donne and a walk on a beach which Cassidy enjoyed. I will try to do another wild parking this evening as the Aire is E10 and that is just for parking cheek by jowl with loads of others. The Bay has a BIG tide but there is a sand bar across the harbour entrance that stops it from emptying out, so no sea-lock.
Stayed parked up on the front till after sundown, and watched the kite surfers siloeted against the setting sun, then found a quiet stop behind the funfair to park up for the night.
27th. Headed on Northwards with a stop for a good walk through coastal forest and along a beach.Then crossed the big bridge to the Ilse of Oléron and headed for the Chateau. This is a large fort with at least two if not three circles of protection, each with a moat, on the non seward side. There is a pleasure boat marina and a fishing port and a series of canals boarded by quaint and brightly painted cabins, it sort of has a California/Sisolido feel about it.
28th. Drove on to Boyardville via Fort Royer and the oyster beds. This is a pretty little settlement of colourful huts, linked by boardwalks and surrounding salt water ponds for the oyster breeding. On the drive here there were many oyster and mussel farms with canals bringing the sea water inland to the ponds.
The Aire is rather nice and I managed to get the end spot so facing onto a goodly play area for Cassidy, with an English couple and two poodles on the other, each site having its own electricity point and water for every six or eight. Only downside is the proximity to the road. Walked into the port area of the town complete with tourist tat and fun fair, pleased that it is a bit removed from the Aire! The canal cut inland from the sea and walled against high seas, has a port for the serious fishing vessels and a marina for the serious yachts. A walk to the entrance into the sea revealed the town beach and the Boyer fort.
capetocarpe 