Pontrieux at last. Or it means the holiday is almost over and it's almost time to go home............

Sunday 23^rd June 2019:

Hottest and sunniest day so far and of course it’s the day we’ve chosen to travel, fortunately we’re up early and the rest of the packing up and hitching the caravan is done before the sun really starts bearing down!

Heading north towards Brittany the temperature drops from 28°C to a much more refreshing 18°C, much more appropriate to setting up camp in an almost empty blissfully quiet campsite, at our go to place, Pontrieux.

After some nice pork and roasties cooked on the Cobb and couple of glasses of Muscadet a gentle walk around town and a swim in the river for the dogs and then bed time!

Monday 24^th June 2019:

Not a desperately nice day, cold (17ºC) and damp and Météo France is rubbish!

For days they have been forecasting thunder and rain in the different places we have been and nothing like it has been happening weather wise.  Maybe some drizzle and a little cloud but not the wrath of God the Frogs have been predicting.
Our UK weather apps have been spot on though, which just goes to prove what we have known since Monty Python and the Holy Grail brought the fact to our attention: you just can’t trust the bloody French!

A day spent driving around retracing old tracks with lunch at Le Bar du Yacht, Lezardrieux, overlooking the river and yacht marinas.

As the weather was forecast by our (UK apps) to be fairly close until later in the afternoon we took the opportunity to get a few bits and pieces that we can’t get in the UK to take home and the pressies for the relatives.

The French TV news has been wall to wall with the heatwave in Canicule, strangely we can’t find Canicule anywhere on Google Maps.
After several hours of trying to hunt this elusive village down we turn to Google translate.  Guess what Canicule means f*cking HEATWAVE!
What was I saying about not trusting the bloody French!

2CVs and a Drum and Bass!!!

Saturday 22^nd June 2019:

Hotter and sunny today - still not 100% - so spent the morning watching the ducks on the river and the 2 CVs heading out in convoy for their drive outs, before heading off to the Lac De Grand Lieu supposedly a local wildlife sanctuary.

We eventually found a car park (with a sports car rally going on) within easy walking distance for Megan as she is really starting to suffer in her old age.  It wasn’t worth the energy walking to the lake as the view was a complete disappointment, so the dogs had a swim and we headed back into the village and took an hour or so over a coffee in a tiny tabac.

As we sat there we saw any number of the 2 CVs from the rally driving past to have their own picnic by the lake. Most impressive was the 5l of Rose that went with each of them.

We drove on but it was just like driving anywhere in France a rural road a small town, an industrial zone and a shopping area. Deciding to save diesel and to get ready to travel we headed back and started packing away.

We got our heads down to a rock band at the 2CV rally and a DJ in town blaring out music. However by about midnight both were still going but at a much quieter volume and we could doze off.

1am, drum and base at an excruciatingly high volume started up making our entire caravan vibrate!

After half an hour it was obvious that the noise wasn’t stopping anytime soon, we didn’t believe for one minute that it could be the rally, being as most of the 2CV owners were well past 40, I decided to investigate!

It transpires that it is actually coming from a caravan about 25m from us where 4 ‘young’ people had turned up earlier in the evening
Getting close to it the volume was hurting my ears so I had to make sure I was heard as I knocked on the side of the caravan. Judging by the fact all for of them jumped out of their skins and the girl screamed I think I’d made my point subtly enough!

The music stopped immediately which was just as well because otherwise they’d have had an electrical failure as their hook up lead took a float test in the river.

Sunday 23^rd June 2019:

Hottest and sunniest day so far and of course it’s the day we’ve chosen to travel, fortunately we’re up early and the rest of the packing up and hitching the caravan is done before the sun really starts bearing down!

Heading north towards Brittany the temperature drops from 28°C to a much more refreshing 18°C, much more appropriate to setting up camp in an almost empty blissfully quiet campsite, at our go to place, Pontrieux.

After some nice pork and roasties cooked on the Cobb and couple of glasses of Muscadet a gentle walk around town and a swim in the river for the dogs and then bed time!

Loire Atlantiqe and Vendee Coast

Wednesday 19^th June 2019:

Pointe Saint Gildas. Being the most westerly point on the mainland hereabouts it seemed like the perfect place to start our trip down the coast. Slight problem, on arriving we realised we had been hear at least 2 times in the past. The largest single lose of life in WW2 took place here when German bomber sunk the Lancastrian evacuating Allied troops during the retreat from Europe. Ironically just over the water you can see Saint-Nazaire what here the RN and supporting Army units made the first major raid on Nazi occupied territory and started the realisation that the Germans may not have won the war after all!

We then headed south to Pornic, the first time we came to France we stopped near here and had two massive steaks that our disposable barbecues failed to cook fully, a good job we like it rare!

After a wander around town we headed back getting some decent steaks and on return tried some Lillet in the campsite bar! Very nice with tonic and ice and a slice!

Thursday 20^th June 2019:

A slow start to the day due to alcohol consumption the previous evening and needing to get some wash9ing done.

Today’s destination the Ile Noirmountier. We headed off aiming for the 3.8km tidal causeway to the island, until recently the only way across.

We crossed over with no trouble but the tide times were suggesting we may have to take the bridge back. On the way over you couldn’t help marvel at the number of cocklers that were out on the flats after a free dinner of shell fish!

Absolutely gorgeous little place full of picture book villages of single storey white washed houses with orange pan tilled roofs.

We needed to stop for a wee and found a huge supermarché and being as it had a bistro we decided to lunch there. A lovely lunch of salad with mini toast and goats cheese, superb ham and gesiers (duck gizzard) to you set us up for the afternoon.

The downside of the place it was a complete tourist trap. No matter what we tried we couldn’t get anywhere near the sea to let the dogs out for a run and a swim so started to head back.

According to the tide times the causeway should now be closing but we though we could take the dogs for a swim: wrong! We pulled up behind what is obviously professional cocklers who were loading up their van and setting off back to the mainland, or ‘Le Continent’, so working on the premise that a professional tends to know better than an amateur we followed them onto to the causeway only to find hundreds of cars and ‘peche au pieds’ still out on the mud flats. We arrived back in plenty of time and parked at the landward end of the causeway to take the dogs for a run long the dyke and drainage ditch.

We then noticed that now the water really was encroaching on the causeway and that the fishers were making a steady but hasty retreat for higher ground.

Sitting watching we looked on in amazement as people continued to cross in cars, vans, bicycles and on foot, only as we watched the water rising, we saw people turning around cars and heading back to their end of the causeway, away from the incoming tide rapidly submerging the causeway until the last fool hardy or brave fool who maybe knew the conditions perfectly shot across in a flurry of spray and just made it across. I seriously wouldn’t consider buying that car second hand, it’ll be full of rust!

On the way back we bought a bottle of Touspinette, just need a Lillet to make the full set of local drinks we’ve never heard of before!

Getting back to the campsite we found that this particular evening the local hunting horn band had taken over from the rock band that has been rehearsing during every day we’ve been here.

Friday 21^st June 2019:

Having read some reviews to the likes of Saint-Jean-de-Mont is a typical French seaside resort of the modern tradition, it was an obvious choice to have a look-see. Rewrite those reviews to our idea

of holiday hell on earth. OK there was a long sandy beach, with a huge viewing wheel to see over town and see but there was also a see front of massive multi-story hotels fronted with amusment arcades, bars, discos and restaurants offering everything from an English Pub to French high cuisine.

Although the place was almost deserted as it is still well out of season over here it really wasn’t our cup of tea. The thought of being in that place in high season fills us with dread and worst of all you can’t take dogs on the beaches.

Where the beach front ends and nature begins we found a dunned forested area that had a walkway to a beach where the dogs could go and where on the way there were plenty of dead things (courtesy of the buzzards that were overflying the grass slopes) for the dogs to have a good sniff at.

Onto the beach and the dogs had a good run heading straight for the water, we followed and to our amazement we found thousands upon thousands of tiny hermit crabs in tiny spiral shells rolling around in the shallows!

We push on south down the coast looking for a spot to picnic and ended up overlooking the harbour at Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, not the prettiest place in the world but acceptable.

Returning to the campsite we found a steady stream of 2CVs and their enthusiasts rolling into the campsite. They did say it could be rowdy, they weren’t kidding!

(PS. Both feeling a little iffy, maybe the mussels in the supermarket shellfish tapas selection weren’t such a good idea).

Exploring the Cognac Region and Charante River

Saturday 15^th June 2019:

Took a trip to Saintés to have a look around (having made sure the stew was plugged in and all the necessary switches were in the correct position!).

There is a Roman Triumphal Arch overlooking the river in the centre of town but it’s almost invisible due to a steel and wire sculpture that encases it on all sides.

I’m sure someone thought it was a good idea but it completely spoils it. That and the fact that there was a children’s triathlon going on using the arch as the start finish point spoilt the view of it.

However we had a walk around the very pretty town centre and took the dogs for a swim in the river.

After a coffee heading back to the car we found a formal park, so let the dogs off their leads at last so they could burn off some energy, what we hadn’t counted on in the formal park was the formal pond and fountain or as the dogs called it a jacuzzi!

Anyway after seeing a fair bit of the town we headed back following the river and avoiding the main roads to find ourselves back at the campsite with a lovely spicy arabiatia stew crying out for some cous-cous for dinner (hoo-fucking-ray!).

Sunday 16^th June 2019:

Angoulême. Hot and sunny as we headed into Angoulême, not nearly as attractive as Saintés so we didn’t hang around for long and probably wouldn’t return, but ho-hum.

We headed back across country again following the Cognac trail through some gorgeous little villages. In one we saw a sign post to ‘Le Port’ so turned off to follow it. We completely missed the turning following a little dirt track across fields and then down a muddy slippery wooded slope until the path was blocked. However just to the left was a little clearing on the side of the river and a long lunch of saucisson, fromage and bread was taken with the dogs taking advantage of the water to cool off. Heading back up the hill the 4x4 was switched on and made a huge difference, stopping the car from sliding all over the place!

As we arrived home early we took a walk around Jarnac town to have a look see and take some more photos.

Monday 17^th June 2019:

Pons. A medieval town with a huge keep. And a 150ft drop over a wall that Jazz decided she’d jump up on to have a look over! To be fair she realised in time and was heading back to the safe side before I’d reacted and yanked back her lead but it was a good job she was on a lead otherwise she’d have probably cleared it and fallen to her death!

Having decided that Pons was seriously over rated we started looking for somewhere on the riverside for lunch when a crown (Kim’s) came off with a chewy mint. Buggered the rest of the day ruined looking for a non-existent emergency dentist!

We’re moving tomorrow so spent a leisurely evening breaking camp ready to travel to Machecoul tomorrow!

Tuesday 18^th June 2019:

As is absolutely typical we chose the best and hottest day so far to travel to the next site, why does this always happen?

Anyway arrived at Camping La Rabine, Machecoul and selected a pitch right next to the river and in a corner away from everything. Top be fair we were warned about the 2CV rally happening at the weekend but more of that later!

We parked up let the dogs out of the car and with 10 seconds they were both in the brown/green semi-stagnant water typical of slow moving drainage ditches. Still the view is pleasant enough!

The site has it’s own little bar so after getting set up it was time for a couple of cold ones and a taste of a couple of local drinks we’d not come across before.

Our sampler tonight was Touspinette a cherry fruit juice stabilised with wine a allowed to mature for a year in brandy barrels, sweet but very refreshing!

Talmont-sur-Gironde and Rochefort.

Wednesday 12^th June 2019:

A drab and chilly day, with rain forecast on and off all day.
So, being as it wasn’t really suited to doing anything much out doors we went for an exploratory drive.

The scenery is very pretty despite the drab weather putting a damper on everything and the architecture feels very foreign and southern European.

The light limestone buildings with the soft red/orange pan tiles do feel very southern European. A total contrast to the granite and slate we are used to at home and are familiar with in Brittany.

As the day wore on the weather did improve and we did get a chance to sit outside for a while before the rain made another appearance.

A couple of final tweaks to the awning now that it has dried out a bit and time to admire our setup, there is a caravan behind that awning somewhere!

As we travel a little light a trip to the supermarket to top up on essentials lead to the discovery of something totally unexpected and highly ironic considering where we had come from……..St Austell Brewery beer on the shelf of the local supermarché.

Thursday 13^th June 2019:

It’s not Friday the 13^th so what could possibly go wrong?

So a slow cooker meal is prepared, a timer is plugged in and set for dinner to be ready at 7pm.

We set off for Talmont-sur-Gironde a tiny walled town on the coast at the east side of the mouth of the Gironde. With fishing huts on stilts and an absolutely lovely day it was a lovely little place to walk around for an hour or two.
It was so good to be there out of season and midweek when you consider the car park is twice the size of the village!

An amazingly simple lunch of a melon, ham and mozzarella salad freshly made as you watch. Half a watermelon and half a galia melon must have gone into it. Absolutely refreshing and filling but in a nice way.

After our fill of Talmont we headed up the coast a bit to a very typical French sea side resort and sat watching the tide come in eating a very nice ice cream each.

So we arrive back and dinner is ready? Nope the timer had been set wrong and dinner was as raw as when we set off! So into the fridge it goes and our second meal at the bistro is taken.

As we’re eating (outside) we can see big, black angry clouds building off to the south. Really, really big, bad, black, angry clouds.  Like seriously big and black!  The sort of clouds that make you think shit, this is going to be bad!

We get back to the van just as the first spots start falling.  And then it happened, the heavens absolutely open and rain is crashing down.  The sound inside the van and awning is deafening, then we hear the rumbles of thunder in the distance!
The sky is being ripped apart as the lightning dances around the clouds. I love thunder and lightning but this is now starting to take the piss.   Carole doesn’t like it and can't sleep and to rub it in the dogs just really didn’t care at all.  and just crash out while all hell lets loose!  Anyway at about 1:30 in the morning it starts quieting down and we can get some sleep between the sudden heavy showers crashing onto the roof!

Friday 14^th June 2019:

So before we leave for our day site seeing we get yesterday's (raw) stew out of the fridge check that the timer is set correctly, it is, and head off looking forward to a lovely stew when we get back!

So we head off for a Louis 14^th dockyard and its famous rope walk.

So we arrive have a look around, yes the dry docks are interesting because you can see what era they were built in by the shapes of the ships they were designed to be building in them. The original dock looks like it was definitely for a ship or the turn of the 1700s by its shape. The second more 1750, slightly more streamlined and less bulbous.

We then go for a drive through the marshy fringes of the coast and discover several forts built to protect the mouth of the Charante and the dockyard at Rochefort.

The final stop of the day was at a little fishing port under that land end of the bridge to the Ile d’Oléron and a view of the Fort Louvois.

After a lengthy drive home we arrived back to find our delicious stew still uncooked. Timer had been set but the slow cooker hadn’t been switched on!

Another meal in the bistro, they must be loving it!

We've arrived! After a very long drive we're finally on holiday!

Well we arrived!
We set off in beautiful conditions but as we go to the English border the weather had a major turn for the worst!
Freezing cold (well 9 degrees in June feels it) absolutely pouring rain and the last 10 miles to the ferry were miserable.

We got on board, drugged the dogs up to the eyeballs with sedative because Megan gets so upset and retired to the cabin after some food and several gins as a nightcap.

After a brilliant nights sleep 'call the hands' was someone plinking out some Breton music on a harp at 06:00 at least an hour before what is commonly thought to be acceptable.

Off for breakfast to find the weather on the French side of the channel was as bad if not worse than at home!

A long long drive south in mostly appalling conditions found us arriving at the campsite at about 16:30 in rain!

We set the caravan up and rigged the awning after some 'interesting exchanges of views'!  Which wasn't actually too bad considering the weather and the fact that this awning is completely new to us.

Due to the appalling weather we both looked like we were heading back from the front line after the battle of the Somme before we took the dogs for a quick walk to stretch their legs.

We found on the way back that the the little restaurant at the entry of the campsite was; A, open, and B, would let us all in considering our wet and bedraggled state.

We discovered the local drink was Pineau made by adding fruit juice to cognac to make a fruity aperitif that went down nicely before dinner.
After a nice meal and several drinks it was definitely time for bed!