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Published: December 14th 2007
Magic Spring!
joining the locals at the natural thermal baths, Ax-les-ThermesBonjour (hello)
And over the hill we came, from Andorra and into France. Famous for: Paris, croissants, wine and cheese. Oh and the current hosts of the rugby world cup. So we have been to Paris before so no need on this trip, croissants now mandatory for breakfast, good wine and cheese is ALWAYS part of our staple diet and well in terms of the rugby it is probably sacrilege to be here and do no live games however it was still a great place to catch all the action. Yes welcome to France!
Our first stop was a little gem of a town that is well known for its natural hot thermal springs so we of course thought…..pamper all the way. Unfortunately the main spas are all for medicinal purposes only. So after unsuccessfully trying to convince the locals that we were all really ill we had to settle for the main shallow pool in the town centre to just dip our feet.
The next stop was a big one as it was the weekend of the rugby world cup semi finals. We ended up at a great campsite just outside St Jean de Luz. We were
It’s out there somewhere?
grand view at St-Jean de Luz delighted when on the Saturday morning we got a visit from one of the foreign locals. Foreign locals? Are you confused yet? This is what we call the people who often spend months on end in one campsite. It is often the English and German caravaners who migrate to Spain and France for the winter. They normally know everyone around and are a wealth of information on the area.
So Peter, the foreign local, was from England and he wanted to let us know that he had arranged for the campsite pub to open so we all could watch England v France semi-final. We had a great evening and it was good as England won. The next night he arranged the keys again for the other semi-final, South Africa v Argentina. As France and England were not playing it was only the few die hard rugby fans left however it was still a great evening and the SA win setup a grand finale with England. Hey guys, Pete, Sue, Bob, Anne, Martin and Judith, thanks for a great weekend of rugby. After all that excitement we checked out the local villages, good beaches and grand coast.
Bordeaux is the
More sea and sun!
skulking on the beach, Hendaye world’s largest fine wine region and its varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot(red); Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc(white). So as we were sort of in the area and are massive Cab and Merlot fans it had to be done. The banks of the rivers Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne aligned with grand Châteaux’s with majestic fields of vines and the scrumptious tasting wines almost makes for a romantic and fairytale setting. Well the wines were that good the only one minor detail, it was harvesting season and most of the bigger estates were closed for harvesting or you had to make an appointment months in advance. We did however find a small splendid farm in Biston. So we had to do the mandatory sampling complete with a tour of the vineyards and cellars. Armed with a few bottles in was time to head off.
Next stop was Toulouse and sadly time to say goodbye to mom, our travel companion for almost 4 weeks. The van was certainly a little quieter for a few days after she left. Thanks mom it was great sharing some of our experiences with you.
From here we made our way to Le Bugue,
What fine red grape!
wine tasting in the Bordeaux region, Biston Brillette near Bergarac. It was another great campsite so we stayed a few days. Did the normal housekeeping, caught up with the blog, sorted out insurance stuff from our debacle in Barcelona and did some awesome cycling. We also met another fantastic English couple, Rob and Norma. There was a little battle still to be decided, the rugby world cup final - the Boer war all over again. The campsite owner said we could watch it in the reception bar area, or we think that’s what he said in French. So that evening armed with drinks and all dressed up we joined them to watch the final. We had a grand time and it ended up a close match. We all know the result, South Africa triumphed. Hey come on England that was not a try!!! See pic as proof and you had your time at the last world cup. To our surprise Rob and Norma pulled out a bottle of bubbly so we could all celebrate in style, win or lose rugby was the victor. Cheers!
One of the nearby towns we visited is certainly worth a mention, the medieval town of Sarlat. Said to have been inhabited since
Barrel of fun
Wendy in absolute heaven. the Gallo-Roman times and became prosperous town at the end of the VIII (8th)century. From its many cobbled streets and handsome buildings with old facades to magnificent stone roofs and quant old courtyard’s it was a great sight.
Narbonne was our next destination however we got side tracked in Carcassonne with the huge medieval fortification towering out above the main town so we decided to stay somewhere close by and explore it in the morning. The campsite and the Aire (a carpark like camperstop and often free especially in France) was nowhere to be found, no thanks to Satnav, and no it was not Wendy this time anyway. We eventually ended up free camping on a hilltop with majestic views, overlooking the lush landscape and vineyards with a beautiful sunset and no-one around, see pic. Sometimes it pays to get lost! But hey, don’t tell Wendy! The Citadel of Carcassonne is a perfectly restored medieval town and is a fairy-tale sight of turrets and ramparts overlooking the Basse Ville below. We would not be surprised if this is used in film sets for every medieval movie made.
Eventually we made it to Narbonne and it was fairly uneventful
Who drank all the wine?
Wendy and mom all dried up at Lacanau-Ocean until we decided to leave. Oh Yes! We did not get far from the campsite when the road we were travelling on was barricaded closed so we had to turn around. We were heading back in the direction of the campsite and unbeknown to us there was another Fiat van that had just left the campsite and was heading in our direction. As we were passing each other we heard a load BANG and the van shuddered! We had clashed mirrors and ours was broken in half. The road was fairly narrow and being the same make van as ours the mirrors are exactly the same height. The other couple, Dave and Sandra were also English and as it was Saturday all the Fiat dealers would be closed until Monday. They were heading to an Aire in Gruissan which was only a few km away so we decided to join them until Monday morning. We really enjoyed Gruissan and had a fantastic time with them over the next few days, putting the worlds wrongs to right! Life is surely bizarre at times.
While cycling in Gruissan we stumbled upon a fishmonger selling fresh mussels so we bought 1.2kg, sautéed them
Apple thief
Wendy helping herself in the orchards in white wine and lemon juice, cut open a fresh baguette and washed it down with a good French white wine, well it was lunchtime! Oh the joys of travelling in France. Anyway, come Monday morning and none of the local dealers had stock of the side mirrors, especially for campervans as the arms are longer. We decided to, “Make a Plan” and bought a small cheap mirror that we taped onto the broken arm. It worked ok but at least we could drive with it until we found a new mirror.
We were making our way up the east coast and eventually into Italy. If we could not handle the French roads how on earth would we cope with the mad drivers and narrow streets of the Italians, surely interesting times lay ahead? Watch this space!
Another great site was the Pont du Gard, outside Nimes. It is a 2,000 year old aqueduct and is considered to be a major feat in Roman engineering and at 49m it was the highest bridge they ever built. We cycled across the bridge and viewed the aqueduct on the top tier (there are 3) from every angle, it truly is
Our new abode in France
a little chateau in the vineyards...well maybe one day it will be ours! grand and a great feat in its day.
And finally Avignon! Again an overload! What can one say about Avignon? Phew! We walked around the town and made our way to the Palais des Papes which is the most dominant feature in this town. It is believed to be the biggest Gothic Palace in the World. The Popes palace is both a powerful and magnificent and was the seat of the Christian world in the 14th century. This palace has seen 9 Popes who succeeded each other, the most famous being Benedict XIII and Clement VI. The other famous feature in Avignon is the unfinished bridge. What was that song about the bridge? This legendary bridge was built in the 12th century and was often damaged by the raging flood waters of the Rhone River and by wars. It was repaired and rebuilt many times and eventually abandoned in the 17th century. Enough history for now!
Well that brings an end to our visit in France, for now that is. This is truly a country that you could happily roam for months on end and still not discover it all. Our few weeks and mainly in the south
Lady in RED!
very rare occasion, Wendy in a dress? Poncing about! and the east has given us a small taste. We will be trying out her ski slopes and exploring the northern parts on the latter part of our epic journey.
Next is Italy, even more culture and crazier drivers!
Au Revoir
The travelling Golly’s
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