Geo: 43.3142, 3.13947(The hasty last posting was due to finding a free wifi hotspot at the Carrieres de Lumieres in La Baux on Sunday. The wifi at this site is on the pricey side so we are being frugal.)Sunday night was bottle bingo night at La Bienheureuse so although it is not our usual cup of Earl Grey, we decided to mingle with fellow campers, particularly as one of the staff, David from Scotland, had called by to personally invite us. Eyes down was at 9.00pm and there were about forty or so players of all nationalities and ages, with the numbers called by David in both French and English. Some of the bingo phrases were known to us, such as 10 'Downing Street' or 21 'key of the door', some were clearly French ones which ... read more

Geo: 43.6201, 7.12581Sunday, we did not venture out, partly to keep off the busy weekend roads. The temperature was soon in the low 30s again so for some of the day we stayed in the shade of the awning. The bedtime temperatures that night were particularly high too, to such an extent that if you moved you had to peel yourself off the sheet! However, on waking Monday morning, there were distant rumbles of thunder, followed by rain, so it was then a scramble to batten down the hatches (roof lights and windows) to make the caravan watertight. The awning was a different matter since the side panels were not installed, so the 'outdoor' stuff got a thorough soaking as the wind drove in the rain and puddles formed on the pitch.By 10.00am the storm had ... read more

Geo: 44.1843, 8.35322Wednesday morning, we took the free shuttle transport from the site to Finale Ligure to explore a little, which is clearly geared up for the 'seaside', tourist market, complete with the occasional beggar to prick the conscience and North African 'lucky, lucky' men selling fake handbags, sunglasses and what seems to be the latest kids craze, a splat ball. The tourist info office supplied us with some excellent brochures in English on things to see and do, but their recommendation for a fish restaurant was useless since it was closed on Wednesdays! We opted for (you guessed it) pasta, but with house white this time to go with David's seafood sauce.We strolled the streets and along the pretty beachside promenade for a couple of hours before catching the transport back to the site.Yesterday (Thursday), ... read more

Geo: 42.8841, 11.5358Thankfully, after Thursday's deluge, we have had no further thunderstorms or heavy rain. From early morning, we have had sunshine pretty much throughout the last couple of days and been content to stay close to 'home', strolling around the town, reading, puzzling and the odd afternoon nap. David also got in a couple of bike rides up the mountain, which was too steep for me.Yesterday we returned to Corsini's, the bakery in the town, for cappuccini and more delicious treats - they do a rather yummy version of a croissant with a custard-flavoured cream filling, dusted with icing sugar which I had never come across before. Tomorrow (Monday) will be our last opportunity, so that is a 'must do'.Today (Sunday) we just did takeaway and came back with bread and a selection of their ... read more

Geo: 42.8837, 11.5353Wednesday (yesterday), we awoke to sunshine and rising temperature, though the ground was still sodden from the previous evening's thunderstorm. We set out the damp bits and pieces out to dry off.After breakfast, I logged on to the excellent free wifi (not available across the site, but there's a spacious sitting cum relaxing room where there is a fast, strong signal) to check mail and the weather outlook.After seven weeks on the road, my hair was in need of attention. Despite having a short crop by my recent standards back in May, it had become difficult to manage, so off I went to ask about local hairdressers. Not only were they able to recommend a salon that would take 'walk in' clients but Antonio kindly offered to run me down into the town and ... read more