Karen and Malc's Gap Years

23^rd – 28^th May 2012

We spent 6 days on the coast at Agay at a lovely site right on the beach – very relaxing. The last evening was our anniversary and we had a very nice dinner overlooking the sea with a couple from Australia that we had recently met.

29^th May 2012

We drove 230 km to Arles where we stayed on a French Passion site on a vineyard. We had the obligatory wine tasting at 5pm and obviously bought a few bottles of wine! This is not really a wine-growing region and is part of an experiment in wine growing amongst the flat area where they grow rice. As a result of a lot a water on the fields there were SO many mosquitos that we had to stay inside……..only thing to do was drink the wine then!

Our parking space in the vineyard

Sunset........

sunrise......

30^th May 2012

Across the Millau viaduct today to get to our next port of call - it was an amazing bridge and surrounded by the best display of poppies so far...

On to the Lac du Paraloup – another pretty area and a lovely lake. We were following directions from a French motorhome magazine that we picked up last summer which stated that 12 motorhomes were able to stay overnight in a certain area around the lake. If this was the case it certainly isn’t now but after talking to a local restaurant owner she thought we would be fine staying there overnight as it was a quiet time of the year. Our first official bit of “wild camping” !

Early morning cuppa....

31^st May and 1^st June 2012

We passed through some fantastic countryside and decided that we really should stay there for a night or two. At Eyzies we found a French Aire right by the village which was really nice and decided to stay there. The area is renown for its pre-history – with much evidence of man’s existence over 35000 years. This is the Perigord region so it’s famous for fois-gras and duck confit! So, after a day visiting the local museum, walking around the rocks and grottos and then canoeing down the river for a couple of hours we felt we had earned our very nice meal out on local delicacies!!

Yes that is a french loaf!...and Malc!

2^nd and 3^rd June 2012

Over to the Atlantic Coast and a visit to Ile de Re, which we had been told, was really beautiful. All the houses are white with terracotta roof tiles and either green, white or blue shutters. We stayed in Martin de Re near the port where we were spoilt for choice for fish restaurants and, of course had oysters and mussels for dinner that night. The next day we cycled 23 miles around the island which covered most of it as it’s only 50km by 5kms wide.

Saturday 12^th May 2012:

It was a very quiet drive to Dover and a very quiet ferry trip to France – hardly anyone on board! We arrived in Calais just before 7pm and headed for an Aire next to a fishing lake about 40k away. Unfortunately they closed this off at 7pm so we had to go back about 10k to a France Passion site at a bar/restaurant in Salperwick by the canal. The restaurant was closed so we parked in their motorhome area, which turned out to be a field next to some goats and chickens on a farm which was very quiet and rural.

Sunday 13^th May 2012:

We drove 416k to Lac D’Orient near Geraudot. As it was Sunday there were no lorries on the road and the drive was very pleasant. We parked in another free Aire and thankfully, as we had arrived early afternoon; there were a couple of free spaces. It was very busy as it was such a beautiful spot AND very sunny and warm.

We spent two nights here and cycled around the lakes for 28 miles on Monday ending with lunch at a very French family restaurant – lovely.

Tuesday 15^th May 2012:

Today we drove to Arc et Senans about 230k south and stayed at another free Aire behind the town hall and next to the Royal Saltworks which has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. As it was raining when we arrived we decided to do a wine tasting (you have to!) at a local wine co-operative selling local Jura wines. They were very different to other wines in that one od the grapes (Savigny variety) tasted of hazelnuts and changed the way the wine tasted depending on the percentage mixed. We must have tasted about seven different wines and we bought a few bottles too – that was the rest of the day written off! The next day we visited the saltworks itself which was, at the time, also a village in its own right for the workers and all very beautifully restored in line with The Louis 15^th Original style.

Wednesday 16^th May 2012:

We continued South to Neydens near the border of Switzerland and stayed in a campsite for two nights so that we could visit Geneva by bus – thanks Julie and Steve for the recommendation; it was a great site. We drove through a snow storm and several ski resorts before arriving at Neydens at the foot of the mountains.

On Thursday we got the bus to Geneva and spent the day walking around the lake – it was yet another French holiday so most of the restaurants were shut and buses were running Sunday services.

Friday 18^th May 2012:

We had intended to head for Annecy but the weather was appalling and looked to be that way for a few days so we decided to head further south. After 240k we arrived at Pont Au Fosse - which is a ski resort but quite busy out of season too. We stayed at a lovely Aire in the mountains only a short walk from the village where they had a few restaurants and a great butcher’s and boulangerie. We stayed here for two nights and the cost was zero!

Sunday 20^th May 2012:

Onwards then to Castellane. It was still raining but the town was beautiful. Terracotta buildings on a hill and some were very old. We had a Swiss fondue in a restaurant that evening - we were still close enough to the mountains to be influenced by the Swiss. The town sits below a huge rock with a church on the top that we intended to walk to but the weather continued to rain and rain….so we stayed inside and carried on our journey the next day to Trigance. Trigance is only 25 kms away but sits just off the Verdun Gorge – spectacular in itself!

The route to Castellane

The church on the top of the rock with our campsite at the bottom

Monday 21^st May 2012:

Trigance was amazing. A really old town on a hill with a REAL medieval castle at the top (now a hotel) which had 360 degree views from the turrets. It was still raining though! The Aire was at the foot of the hill and cost 5 Euros but included electric hook-up!

The village was very small but on Tuesday morning we bought the best bread from a wood-fired oven bakery before moving on through the Gorge du Verdon to Moustieres-Saint-Marie.

Tuesday 22^nd May 2012:

Only a short drive through part of the gorge to Moustieres and the weather had started to improve too. Moustiere was another beautiful town with some amazing buildings.

We parked at the bottom of the hill just outside the village and spent another expensive night – 6 euros! The sun came out in the afternoon so we were able to dine outside – great Italian food!

The Gorge du Verdon

Wednesday 23^rd May 2012:

Fantastic weather at last for a scenic drive through the gorge again today. They call it the Grand Canyon - which is a bit optimistic - but it was still stunning.

Lac du St Croix

We arrived in Agay on the coast - our home for the next few days at a very nice campsite only a few feet from the beach. Agay sits in a small bay on the Med between St Tropez in the south and Cannes to the North.

From here we went to Monte Carlo on the Friday before the Grand Prix. It was a great atmosphere and really good fun. There was no Grad prix racing but there were track events in the morning and in the afternoon everyone was allowed on the track itself – something the traffic normally prevents. The train journies there and back took 2 hours and were really comical. On the way there they asked people to get off because the train was too full! However, on the way back they packed the double decker trains more than we have EVER seen them on the London underground. It was still a great day.