Written by Malc…….
Day 1 Saturday 10th Sept 2011; Eurostar to Calais. A quick trip over to Calais and a helpful suggestion from another camper led us to an Aire in Calais Bleriot Plage – by the beach but also near the port – but also a selection of restaurants. So we decided to start traditionally with “Moules et Frites…….”
Day 2 Sunday: Up early – down to the boulangerie for a baguette and pain au chocolat for breakfast and then to start the long trip down to SW France – 1100 kilometres… We always set the Tom Tom satnav to “avoid toll roads” a) because they are now so expensive b) we like to see the countryside and c) because we don’t normally drive at more than 60 mph anyway…..
Soon after we set off it started raining – and rained pretty much all day. I was determined to drive into better weather – which we did – but only at the end of our trip after 550 kms – in a lovely Loire village called Decize. Shared driving is a must on long trips like this – it really helps. Decize was another Aire – free campsite for motorhomes only but right by the river.
Day 3 Monday: The morning dawned bright and clear – with a mystic mist over the river. Another longish day beckoned but as luck would have it a new (ish) autoroute has been built between Clemont Ferrand and Montpellier. With the exception of a short stretch - covering the magnificent Millau viaduct – it’s all free.
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| Millau viaduct |
As is often the case with a motorhome, it’s easy to change your destination – even en route. This time we decided that instead of starting our Provence adventure in Avignon we would keep south and head for the Med - and a nice beach location to recharge batteries. So, by 1600 we were in a very warm and sunny (air con on for the first time this year!!) Grande Motte. La Grande Motte (and several other smallish seaside towns) lay on a spit of land just south of Montpellier. So – by 1700 we were well kitted on another Aire (this time with toilets, showers and electric hookup!) only 500 metres from a lovely beach and many restaurants. This is real low season for the French and many of the restaurants and small seaside businesses had already closed for the season. There remained a great selection however, all competing for the diminishing trade. So we ate out the first night – on a lovely evening watching the sun go down. Unfortunately this was cue for the Med’s mozzie population to party……..No problems in the van though because we have screens and anti-mos precautions.
Days 4 & 5 Tuesday/Wednesday: The next two days were lovely beach days – being careful with the still strong sun but cooling in the beautiful, calm and warm (even for Karen!!!) Med.
Day 6 Thursday: On the last day we left at lunchtime to head for the town of Arles – only a 55 km drive away. This took us across the famous Camargue – with its fields, horses and bulls (not for fighting any more – now, at various local festivals - they just chase daft folk who get in their way). Of course we had to stop at one of the many wineries to sample the wine and local produce – including nougat, jam, Camargue rice (a speciality apparently although we haven’t tried it yet) and, of course, wine……
In Arles we were parked right on the river and immediately outside the ramparts of this ancient town. Just below us were berthed Rhone cruise barges. Some of them (especially the Swiss ones) looked comparable with high class sea cruising – although the one we saw seemed to have more crew than passengers – must be that end of season thing again.
Arles was a real pleasant surprise. One can walk from one side of the town wall to the other in 10 minutes but it’s packed with history – including a magnificent Roman Amphitheatre built in AD100, Roman baths and several other Roman remains. The Amphitheatre is a work of art (and is still undergoing restoration) but it’s not hard to stand in it and imagine 20000 folk watching a gladiatorial contest. Apparently, the design was such that the place could be emptied in minutes – with the VIPs never having to go near the plebeians…..Of course, all it’s building are Olde Worlde and very quaint. A glimpse inside a few suggested that much work might be needed on many but they seem to suit the bohemian character of many of the locals.
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| Across the rooftops in Arles |
Day 7 Friday: After Arles we decided to head north to the famous Provencal town of Avignon. This too is a walled town (although much bigger than Arles) but still steeped in history. It is of course most famous for its Bridge (“Sur le Pont etc.”) but what we didn’t realise is that the bridge no longer crosses the Rhone – it’s now an historic monument and tourist attraction but stops half way across the river…. We also visited the Palace of the Pope. We had no idea that for several centuries this was the home of many a Pope – where it formed a convenient central point in Christian Europe from where the gospel could be spread and various heads of states entertained. Of course, true to form, these guys didn’t exactly slum it. Much of the original Palace remains –including many frescoes - and an excellent audio tour helps paint a picture of what life might have been like then (great if you were in the Palace, pretty grim - and very smelly in the heat if you were in the town).
By the end of the day we were hot and sticky – so it was back to Bessie (this time on an island in the middle of the river) for a shower and dinner – sitting outside until bedtime. By now, we were suffering somewhat from “cultural overload” so decided to again change our plans for the next few days. So – it’s back to beach – this time with the posh folk in St Tropez……
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| Sur le Pont D'Avignon |
A drive towards the Cote D’Azur on a Friday was pleasant enough over the hills just outside St Tropez. However, the ease of finding campsites thus far had led to complacency and, at “le weekend” the world and his “chien” were out in force to enjoy the sun. Campsite was “Complet”(Full)! So, it was plan “B” – moving just up the coast 10 miles or so to Sainte Maxime. That trip took almost an hour as the traffic was bumper to bumper all along the coast. However, the consolation was that the alternative site was 50 metres from the beach and with more room for awnings (a must in the hot sun), tables and chairs.
Day 8: A relaxing beach day – lovely clear warm water (even Karen got into the water quickly for her!), a short bike ride into the pretty town of St. Maxime and a quiet evening sitting outside….
Day 9: After a week of pretty much unbroken sunshine Sunday morning saw some significant showers and it remained overcast until dusk. A search on Trip Advisor had told us that one restaurant in town stood out above all the many others. So, we made the hours walk to town and had an excellent meal at L’Endroit. The Maitre D’was clear – if the meal was not to your entire satisfaction you would not pay for it. I doubt he gives away many meals………
On the walk home we started to experience for the first time the famous Mistral wind for which the area is famous. By the time we got back it was time to get the awning in before it blew away! The wind carried on all night and into the next morning – in fact until we left for the next location.
Day 10: Away from the coast now and back into the beautiful Luberon Mountains. Our first stop was Lac de St.Croix – a very large manmade lake nearly 2000ft up. When we first approached it we could just not believe how blue it was. Motorhomes and caravans are banned for the very small hillside village but, as it common, provision has been made for a limited number of motorhomes to park just outside the village. The view from this location was one of the best we’ve seen. No showers but toilets, water and waste disposal – all for 6 Euros a night! Camping with style!! All for 5 Euros!!
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| In the electric boat on the Lake |
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| Another poor view from an Aire!!! |
Day 11: A little chilly in the night but waking to a brilliant blue sky and a very still Lake started the day right. So, before leaving we took a walk down to the water’s edge and hired a small electric boat (power boats are banned on the lake as it’s a reservoir) and cruised gently around for an hour or so taking in the view and the tranquillity. Then it was on again across the Luberon Mountains and more stunning scenery to the heart of Provence. On the way, the extensive fruit fields gave way to extensive lavender fields interspersed with fields of vines. The roads were narrow but thankfully not busy. We arrived at the foot of another charming hillside village – Bonnieux – full of Provencale character and artiness…….. Most of these villages (more of them to come…) involve quite a trek uphill – hard work – especially in the midday sun. Temperatures during the day are still in the mid to high twenties but the evenings are pleasantly cool. Sitting outside is possible until 2100. The quality of the air here is amazing – clear blue skies and clear air. On the way it was easily possible to see the Alps (some covered with snow) over 100kms away. We stopped on the way at one of the many farm stalls selling their own produce – and what fantastic produce it was: Beautiful tomatoes of all kinds, cucumbers, peaches, apricots, peppers and aubergines. We filled up!
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| Mt Ventoux in the distance |
Day 12: A much shorter “hop” today – only 20kms – this time another famous village – Rousillion. This is again a hilltop village but is more famous for being what was, in medieval times, one of the main centres for ochre production – due to high orange mineral content of the rocks and sands. This gives the whole are an orange “glow” with some spectacular rock formations, colours and some highly unusual flora – a function of the minerals. Today the whole place is a preserved as a heritage site and it is possible to do the “Sentier Ochre” – the Ochre walk - around what was once an old quarry. To compliment this, our campsite – Arc en Ciel - just outside the town – was also once an old quarry in the hills. Today it provides a tranquil site to camp and relax – with excellent facilities and a welcoming swimming pool.
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| Ochre Rocks in Rousillon |
Day 13: We stayed put for a second day and decided to cycle the 10kms to yet another town – probably the most famous (and exclusive!) of towns in these parts – Gordes. It was great cycling on the small quite roads amongst the vines and lavender. Not too many hills – we are, after all, on the Luberon plateau. That was until we got to Gordes itself! This involved a very steep climb (walk for us – not cycle!). Again the views from the top were excellent and although the town is clearly a major tourist attraction, its charm remains. Time to stop for a very pleasant and simple lunch of sea bream, crushed potatoes and aubergine and of course a couple of glasses of Luberon wine! After relaxing over coffee we wobbled DOWN the hill (much easier!!!) and back to our van and a couple of hours rest by the cooling pool. No dinner required today – instead a simple meal of baguette, those lovely beef tomatoes, cucumbers and Roquefort cheese. Our last night in Provence before beginning to wend our way back north…………..
Villarest:
A longish day's drive north saw us hit quite a bit of traffic. So much so that we decided to use the Autoroute to bypass Lyons. We again changed plans en route and decided on an Aire in Villarest. Another man made lake but very peaceful. It was only when we arrived that we realised that this location was the cover picture on the French Aires guide. We see why.....
Autun:
Our second stop north was the town of Autun. The outstanding feature of this town was its military Lycee (Grammar School). It a long time since we've seen students this smart.......perfect blue shirts tucked into immaculate trousers or skirts....
Lots of great restaurants - we picked one on a recommendation. Great food and service - full on a Saturday evening. Only a diner with a poodle on her lap was a little concerning - although the French regard this as perfectly normal. Gordon Ramsay would throw a "wobbler"!
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| Autun Marie (Town Hall) |
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| Roman Theatre in Autun |
Mutigny:
What could better than having the third stop in the Champagne region. We found an Aire high on a hill in the village of Mutigny. Beautiful views of the valley - and only one other (British) van on the site.
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| Empty bottles outside Mutigny church after a wedding |
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| Sunrise over the grapes |
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| All to ourselves......... |
From Mutigny we drove to the Brittany coast for an evening before driving to the Tunnel and home - but not before stocking up on wine, beer, champagne, magret (duck breast), pate and double cream brie (to be particularly recommended).
Overall, a great trip. We loved Provence and can't wait to return.
Overall, a great trip. We loved Provence and can't wait to return.
Musings on Campervanistes:
The following look to be compulsory for Motorhome owners:
- 1. Crocs (plastic shoes): Indispensible. They are easy to slip on and off and are waterproof. Ladies must have bright pink ones!
- 2. Strange dressing gowns that one would never normally be seen dead in.
- 3. At least TWO dogs……the larger the better. The dog’s size is usually inversely proportionate to the size of the motorhome! We saw one with 3 people and FOUR Dulux dogs!!! (pooooo!)
- 4. A satellite dish. Ideally this should be fully automatic but it’s not uncommon to see the men (NEVER women) spending hours trying to get any sort of signal for a manual set up….
- 5. Men always have to empty the toilet cassette. Women always do the washing. Interestingly, more men than women seem to do the washing up!
- 6. Always wait until some mug (us) has put 2 Euros in the special (Flot Bleu) water dispenser - which provides for 10 minutes of water before rushing to fill up yourself!. After we had filled up we witnessed a rush of folk taking advantage of our "generosity" before the meter ran out!!
Musings on France:
- 1. In general, the supermarkets – particular the large ones (Hypers) blow anything we have in the UK out of the water. The fresh food selection – especially meat and fish – is stunning. Fresh crab and live lobster and oysters are commonplace. Equally the range of chilled cordon bleu ready meals is amazing. We had sardine fillets marinated in lemon and Provencale herbs – in an ovenable foil tray ready to bake in 10 minutes. Tesco eat your heart out!
- 2. The French really appreciate any attempt to speak their language – and are generally very hospitable with a wry sense of humour.
- 3. Prices: Meals in restaurants are generally more expensive than the UK – in spite of a specially reduced VAT rate of 5%. However, the standard of food is generally very good. It is also excellent in Relais Routiers (transport cafes) and in the restaurants of the supermarkets (see above). We had an excellent lunch (one with fresh fish, one with chicken, help yourselves to vegetables – all freshly cooked – including a small carafe (two glasses of wine) for E5.20! Supermarket food is roughly on a par with UK although some traditional foods e.g. duck breasts can be bought more cheaply.
- 4. Petrol/diesel: Standard unleaded is now on par with the UK. Diesel remains cheaper however and can be bought for as low as E1.29 (£1.12) /litre at the supermarket filling stations.
- 5. Wine remains an excellent buy – whether form the supermarkets OR direct from the producers at the many wine caves in the wine regions. Don’t be put off by either wine boxes OR vin du pays – they can both contain excellent quality wines – but be sure to taste first if possible.
- Bread: Every village and town has a Boulangerie - often more than one and the French remain wedded firmly to their baguettes. However, it would seem that economics have overtaken many of them - with the baker simply baking off frozen bread. It's OK BUT it's not the same. Of course, some artisan bakers remain and usually have a good selection. We particularly like the huge round wheel shaped loaf where you buy it by the segment by weight .
- It seems that every village and town - even really small ones - has it's own town hall/administrative offices. We couldn't help wondering about the high cost of such a luxury.
Our next adventure will be in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa starting in December so we hope you'll visit the blog then. Please feel free to add (non rude!) comments.
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