We've visited La Rochelle once before, via boat from Ile d'Oleron. This time we took the rather handy train. Only 10 minutes to Chatelaillon station by scooter and 11 minutes on the train to La Rochelle. Easy. A good decision as not a good weather day, grey and chilly. Better walking round a lovely town than braving the windy seafront. Had a lovely day and out of the wind it was a little warmer but we saw lots of people huddled up in their big coats. Very unseasonably cold. There seemed to be quite a number of Euro 2016 supporters about, especially Irish. The town was buzzing with lots of visitors, all wandering about taking in the sights the same as us. We had a picnic in the main square for lunch, courtesy of the local ... read more

We've moved further south and back to the mainland. Chose a good day to drive as raining in the morning but cleared up and sun came out once we had arrived at our campsite. Not a terribly interesting drive, very flat in the Vendee and we didn't go through any pretty villages. Just the nature of the countryside in this part of France. All the area along the coast above La Rochelle is a string of seaside towns just waiting to be filled with thousands of summer visitors. The campsites are pretty well wall to wall for miles. We headed for La Rochelle and accidentally almost went through as the turn towards Rochefort was badly signposted. Bob managed to find a roundabout to turn round just as I was attacking the food cupboard which had come ... read more

Woken with a start at 8.30 by sound of loud speakers at the campsite entrance. Looked out and there was a crowd of men just outside. Thought for a moment it might be one of the current strikes but pleased when we realised it was a boules tournament. Never seen so many men throwing to many little silver balls about. Obviously a major event in the region and it was all being taken very seriously. Today we were headed for the coast, in fact off the coast at Ile Noirmoutier. We've been to the island before but must be 10 years ago. We took the autoroute part of the way as needed to avoid both Angers and Nantes, neither of which are ideal cities for navigating through the centre in a 3.5 ton motorhome. At least ... read more

Drive down through Normandy avoiding motorways, as usual (as they send me to sleep) and keeping to the quieter roads which take us through pretty little villages. All very rural and pretty wet. There's been a lot of rain in this area, and indeed throughout France for several days now. We are consoled by the fact that it's raining at home too. The prime concern was to get over the Seine without going anywhere near Rouen as that is somewhere we try very hard to avoid having twice in the past encountered problems there. Bob instead navigated a route over Pont Bretonne and down through Port Audenay. Then we were in the area of lovely Normandy timbered houses. If this area was a bit warmer it would be lovely for a full visit but we are ... read more

June trip all planned. 1 week to South of France, ferry to Corsica. 2 weeks round the island, ferry back to Toulon then slowly home. Then the French started playing silly wotsits and striking and burning tyres all round France and especially the areas we needed to be to get to Corsica. Plan A Corsica put on hold. Ferry rescheduled for September when hopefully the strikers will have got bored and gone back to work. Plan B. Let's go to Tuscany in Italy via Switzerland which will require only minimal driving through France and therefore no problem with lack of fuel. Packed and ready in good time but found it difficult to motivate myself as had developed a rapidly worsening cough and throat. Got up to leave first thing on the Wednesday, unable to swallow, cold, ... read more