Mountain to donkeys

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In the space of 36 hours we have gone from mountain to walled city to chateau to donkeys in pyjamas. Bonkers. We left the pyrenees layer then planted (normal service resumed there) managing not to leave anything behind. Slightly worried that the ants were making an appearance again having found a couple on Seths toy case...... I'll keep you posted. We made our way to Carcassonne, weirdly 4 years to the day since we last went, in the sun, passing fields and fields of sunflowers. I still want to be a sunflower farmer! No song turns and we find pyre way to the place where all of france was yesterday. Literally all of them. Seth was overwhelmed by the city walls, castle like and huge, but less overawed by his pizza lunch! He had pretty quickly clocked that there were dogs selling you weapons and somehow we ended up buying him a wooden axe...... We definitely need help! Soon it was time to try and nashe up some hours and head to our next hotel in the garonne. In theory we were in a chateau, in practice we were in a strangely decorated (red and black grafitti wallpaper in one room, pastel landscales in another anyone?) gite next to the chateau. Felt like we were in something from only fools and horses in the Costa del doodah!

This morning was an earlyish start and, after a play on the slight death trap kids last thing at the hotel, we were off. Lunch was at a services. I shopped, ash entertained and then i lost them. Genuinely spent 5 minutes convinced I was going to be in my own version of that Tom Hanks airport film but in a services off the A62 in France! Blissfully reunited, we ate, threw food on the floor (a lot, none of it intentional ) and watched crazy people. Eventually we made it to Ile de Re, third time for us, first for Seth. It was again the place where all the french people had come today (they're all following us) and safe to say social distancing is but a distant memory. We did though find the donkeys in pyjamas (now we knew where to look, the first year we missed them by about half a mile!) which did amaze Seth. He got a ride on a Merry go round, we watched the least concerned French parent be seemingly unbothered that her toddler daughter was trying to climb on a moving ride and Seth had a jolly good time. After an ice cream and people watch we headed to find our campsite (not actually camping, don't panic, just a holiday chalet for a couple of nights) and i conducted the entire check in in French, both sides, yay! Tomorrow, the beach ??️

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