Arrival in Provence

The first vineyard !

Well, almost the arrival !

We have spent the last 4 days slowly travelling down through England and then France and now we are ensconced outside the reception area of a charming french campsite in Provence - just a few miles from Avignon and even closer to the village of Langes.

Beautifully landscaped with many trees and hedges for privacy.


We have arrived at the ungodly (to the french) hour of the mid-day meal. All is closed here for 2 and a half hours !! One hell of a sandwich and salad break ?? So while we wait for the office to open, we have had a delicious sea food salad (courtesy of Waitrose) - thank god the caravan has an amazing fridge and we stocked up with goodies for the 4 days in advance.


Today though the fridge is looking very bare and a shopping trip is necessary. Yay. I have been v good the last few weeks - hardly any wine, no bread or carbs, just loads of fish, meat and salads !!

Now I can just enjoy the week ahead and not be concerned about the calories!! Afterwards though ......hmmm

Anyway I sit here in full sunshine, with the Mistral blowing dust wildly around us. The pool is just the other side of the driveway in and only one brave young boy has ventured in so far. This tells me that the water is probably unheated !! A few are sunbathing and reading though.

 I will pop over when we are settled in and maybe dip a toe in ?







As we made our way to the village we had to pass through a large lay-by and in here were numerous gigantic motorhomes!! In fact it was almost like an encampment and on the return ramble I counted over 40 and by then quite a few had left as there was to be an artisan market there the next day and the wagons had to depart!!!

 

 

 







After setting up, we first got our costumes on and went over to the pool area. I took a french book and Philip actually went for a swim, brave chap. I declined and just chilled and read a good long while.

Later, we went for a ramble, mainly along the river Sorgue, and ended up in Fontaine de Vaucluse. An incredible place - there is a spring which wells up from deep underground and then gushes down past a few weirs, locks etc along which there are several canoe and wild looking slalom runs.

 While we were there, the river was extremely fast flowing and a most beautiful turquoise colour due to all the recent rainfalls. The whole place is a bit of a tourist trap but very charming neverthless.


View from castle ruin





I have a bit of a beef about these motorhomes just parking up when and where they like as they do not have to pay any overnight fees. Caravaners have to fork out on average between 20 to 30 Euros a night but at least we are secure on a site and it is our choice to be safe. Still tho, what could we do with the extra cash ?? quite a bit really.

At the end of our return walk we stopped at the bar in reception and had a cooling glass of rose and a 'pression' - lager - for dad.

Much needed by then as we had walked miles and were footsore and weary. 


We spend a peaceful evening, chat with our dutch neighbours and settle down in preparation for an early depart in the morning.

 One thing in the shower/toilet block absolutely tickled me pink (as they say !!) - and you'll never guess what it was - an electric toilet brush !!! honest - never seen one before and could hardly imagine someone designing such a thing.

I actually chortled in amazement and promptly went back to the caravan to fetch my camera.....proof...

my husband can't quite believe that I'm going to take a picture of a toilet brush ...

it's quite unique I tell him...

See !!

Journey through France

We camped the first night at Troyes municipal site - 21 Euros. The campsite was awash with water - they seemed to have had weeks of downpours and we had to drive around a few times to find a suitable pitch as all the hardstandings were taken. Eventually we just parked up on the edge of the driveway round and made sure the steps came on to the road surface. It really was very soggy and muddy underfoot on the ground and not at all what I wanted to be tramping around in and bringing in to the caravan.

A quick stretch ?

Behind us (on one of the hardstanding areas) were 4 british motor homes - they had planned to tour Normandy - but, because of the atrocious weather there, they had decided to come further south in the hope of a little sunshine. Unlucky souls !! their dogs seemed happy enough though as they just love a little paddle.

On the journey down from Troyes we stopped at a motorwway cafe for a coffee and a pitstop ! we parked up next to a row of enormous lorries and I hovered in the car while Pip went off to do whatever !! We are always wary these days of being mugged and pay attention to whoever comes near the caravan.

A young chap jumped out of the lorry, tied his laces and was scrutinizing the car and caravan intently. Oh no I thought, here we go again..... but he walked casually over and came round to the passenger door side. In fact to talk to him, I had to ask him to open the door from the outside as the child lock was playing up!!

Anyway, it turned out that he was Polish and he also had a caravan back in Poland and was very interested in our journeys round Europe. He mainly camped in Poland as he found it so much cheaper but this year was thinking of venturing to Romania and maybe further as he had a new girlfriend and I gathered was out to impress her !!

As we chatted I mentioned to him that one of my best friends at school had been a girl from a polish family, the father having been tortured by the germans during the second world war and eventually he'd escaped from europe by stealing a small boat and finding his way over to britain (he actually told me he'd rowed ?).

After the war he'd returned to Poland, claimed his childhood sweetheart and they had lived all their married life in Wales. He was such a hard worker despite his hands having been mangled - and ended up by owning a local mansion and farm.

I mentioned to the young lorry driver that we used to go to the Polish Harvest Festivals years ago and that the food was amazing. He was surprised that I liked Polish food and said - wait - and ran back to his truck and returned with a chilled jar of his mother's paprika sauce called Lecho or something that sounded like that. We had it with our next meal and it was delicious. In return all I had to gift him with from britain was a jar of WI marmalade (but a special one with whisky and ginger) and he was overjoyed.

His name was Sebastian and he was a real gentleman and spoke english very well. I was pleased to have met him.

The journey down so far has been fairly easy - except for the hellhole which is LYON !! At least this time we avoided the circular route that took us almost into the city centre!! no fun with a caravan in tow.

Those welcome hedges....

Our next overnight stop was in the Ardeche valley - quite a lovely sight really. We drove off the motorway and over the Rhone into a narrow spectacularly rocky valley - a few miles along we found the campsite, nicely tucked away.

Here were the most amazing hedges - the whole site was bounded by 20 foot high leylandii - a wind barrier and also all the individual pitches had a cuter version. They were much needed shelter belts in the valley and made our overnight stay here fairly peaceful. Not so much rocking!

 It was a strange experience taking a shower in a cubicle which had large open areas where the wind just whistled around you and cooled you down very quickly. Almost like being showered out in the fresh air.



We awoke the next morning to brilliant sunshine and hardly a cloud in the sky.

The only cloud !!

 Bliss. A leisurely breakfast and off we set again.

This time the journey was very pleasant as we knew it was only for a short while and we would soon be at our destination and could relax and stretch our legs a while.

Here we go !

First conundrum - what do I call this new post ?!!

Last meal in wilts for a while ?

another big adventure .....

new beginnings......

we re buggering off......

at last . . . .

I could go on......and on ....

My intention at this stage is to write a little of our doings/travels almost every day and post it when and as I can. I have found that wifi is really not very effective in most campsites unless one is sat in the reception area and practically on the receptionists' lap !! Most unwelcome and unwise. Still needs must .....at times ..... no, only joking...

I am sat on the P & O ferry, early morning, swigging a delicously frothy cappuccino - a pick me up is definitely needed having been awake since 5.16 am !! The howling wind at the Black Horse Farm campsite (just outside Folkestone) was like an early alarm call - the caravan rocked gently now and then as the gusts buffeted us and the clattering of various shutters/blinds racketed away making another snooze impossible for me but not for my other half !!

Bless him, he could sleep through Armaggedon I reckon ! and wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the off....

Today is in fact the second day of our new journey, yesterday we shut up my mother in law's house for the last time, emptied the garage totally and headed off into the blue or rather towards the M25. Sadness but also relief and the expectancy of an adventure in new places.

Friday, June 25th is our big target day - a family gathering in Provence. The first time in goodness how many years that all our nearest family and their partners will be together. How blissful is that going to be ? I just can't wait, a whole 10 days of being 'ensemble'.

A murky Calais !

We plan to take the journey down fairly leisurely, arrive a day early and do a quick shop for 'nourriture' and find out about all the local attractions, vineyards, cycle tracks and so forth.

Our son, Trystan and his partner Leila are already in France, having flown over from Australia to Paris and then on to Biarritz by train to meet up with his old uni surfing crowd. He'll spend a few days with them and then eventually head over to Roussillon where the fabulous villa we found is buried deep in the Luberon forests. It all sounds idyllic, and let's hope it will be.

I just love Google local as you can whizz in and down anywhere on the world via satellite images and take a peek around the area and even at the actual house and garden. But the BEST thing is that you can also do a street view and walk up and down the lanes. Quite amazing and brilliant. So, I feel I almost know the area we're heading to already. It is on the Ochre Route as the rocks of the area are an amazing colour and have been quarried and ferried all over the world. Should be interesting to see.

The town of Rousillion is named aptly as it means 'russet' in french and is perched high up on the red cliff face. Can't wait to see it for real this time. Should be an awsome sight. Travel is a wonderful things and an education in itself.

We have not booked a campsite for the first evening, we'll just see how far we get by lunch time and then simply estimate how much further we want to travel and phone ahead. We carry an assortment of european campsite books and always look for the easiest option or simply the nearest to the motorway for ease of access on the immediate journeys.

For the proper holiday I would always rather have the campsite with the biggest swimming pool I can find - not always easy in France. Flumes definitely don't do a thing for me !!

Anyway, as preparation for the time we plan to spend in France I have been busy revising my french !! I have a book - L'enfant et la riviere by Henri Bosco - and have been studiously reading, reading and re reading out aloud to get my mouth around all the sounds!! and hopefully absorb the frenchness.....

Also I've been very organised and had a pad and dictionary by my side so when I come accross new word I jot it down, look it up and write it out as a memory jogger. Should help.

Off we go....

On this trip I also plan to finish my sunflower tapestry, and start another mohair stole (my fourth !!). This time in a beautiful soft russet colour - quite apt I thought.

Now it's time for breakfast and a walkabout on the ferry. We shall be sitting for hours to come although we stop every hour and a half on average to stretch the legs and ease our bums!! and to get some fresh air into our lungs.

I'll be back.

Hotel San Antonio

Well, this was my first proper long holiday in a proper hotel !! I am sixty and can you believe that I've never done it before ?

I have stayed in many a sort of hotel/b n bs/ self catering etc but to have breakfasts and evening meals provided for a whole fortnight was a real treat and definitely a first.

 It was great not to have to spend time shopping, cooking and washing up !! I really really hope it's not the last time.

The hotel was mostly full of german tourists and in fact we were the only brits but the staff all spoke amazing english so communication was very easy.
 

 

The space seemed a real luxury especially as we were sharing the suite with our youngest daughter Isabel.


Normally, in the caravan, we have to ask her to vacate her sleeping area and pack it all away so we can sit down and have our breakfast !! 

This was actually the main reason we chose a large caravan over a small motor home - no daily bed making up and packing away all the bedding etc....

A real pfaff.....phaph.......ffaff...whichever !



Take a peek at the photos and decide where you would rather have been -

Wiltshire .....   or Tenerife ..... ?



　

　

Twitching !



Griffons ?

 I never knew I loved bird watching so much till last year really !

We have always taken our binoculars on journeys and Philip has amazing long-sightedness so can spot any bird at about half a mile !!! no I jest. But certainly a good couple of hundred yards it seems. I struggle even with binoculars. I can make out a bird-like shape but keeping up with a bird in flight or hopping-about-mode takes some skill and for me a great deal of patience and a great deal of frustration.

Trying to differentiate between birds of a similar genus is even more trying even with the birdbook in my hands - are the wingtips really black is it because the bird is in shadow etc.

hoopoo - our noisy companion!

While in Portugal we did some serious bird watching days from hides high up on the cliff tops in the Tejo valley. Absolutely fantastic walking to get there in the first place - once with a herd of wild pigs on our right hand side - we never saw them but certainly could hear their snorting and snuffling in the undergrowth and the signs of their rooting around were everywhere - I was practically jogging along by now to get out of their sights, just in case!


The only other time we've been so close to the wild boar was on a ramble in a particularly wild n jungly part of Tuscany can you believe ?? It was somewhere near Volterra we got hopelessly lost as the paths petered out fairly quickly and Philip was determined to just carry on so we had to fight our way though fairly dense undergrowth for miles and somewhere we came accross a sow with a swarm of little piglets in tow !!

All very cute but we kept our distance and headed away from her fairly promptly as we remembered the warnings of how protective the sow can be of her young uns!! lesson taken.


Tejo National  Park

On several bird watching occasions we were well rewarded and spent many an hour squinting both down to the valley bottom and up to the sky and watching a variety of magnificent raptors wind their way up into the heavens and off into the distance. Goodness only knows what they find to eat as we saw more rabbits in our garden in Hampshire than we did in the wilderness !! but they obviously thrive so there must be something out there that they can survive on.

We saw mainly Griffon vultures as they are commonplace in this part of the world but to our eyes were still outstandingly enormous birds and we loved watching them take from the cliffs and come crash landing back down with twigs in their beaks sometimes. Nesting season ?


 

We also saw the Spanish Imperial Eagle (although I noticed that on the information boards on the Portugese side of the Tejo valley it was simply called the Imperial Eagle - nothing spanish about our eagles thank you very much!!! ). We actually saw these twice, both in different locations.


The first time, we pulled over on the roadside, whipped out the binoculars, got out the book which we carry in the passenger side door and studied hard. Yep confirmed sighting. Exciting. The second time, there were so many raptors about that we took a lot longer to study and watch them before we decided that two were the eagles. Part of the decision process was that they behaved slightly differently in flight and also were happy to land on the island in the middle of the river and seemingly bask in the sunshine. The 'pack' were mainly griffon vultures again !

I don't say this with distain as they were still magnificent creatures indeed.

As this part of Portugal is particularly rural we were alone in the wilderness most of the time - well apart from the wildlife of course the odd smallholding.


Tejo river

 The deer were beautiful and larger than the ones we commonly see on our orienteering forays into woodlands back in Britain and they were not overly startled by our appearance in their territory - mainly because humans were probably a rare sighting for them and we were as curious to them as they were to us !! Sadly my little pocket camera wasn't up to getting a good clear photograph.


Hubby playing silly billy !

 There was significant evidence though of hunting - discarded cartridge shells abounded sadly. We even found a skull, complete with an impressive set of antlers - stuck in the middle of debris in a stream which we were crossing - I just had to pick it up though of course ! It was clean and well water washed thank goodness. It is now at my brother in law's house near Ross on Wye and I'm sure he'll find a good spot for it on his land or garden.

He has an impressive binoculars (he calls them a 'scope') perched atop a tripod and most of the time they seem to be set up in his dining room where he can study the birds of prey that land on the raptor table 20 foot high in the garden. His house is high up on a hillside amidst woods and a perfect place for the passing buzzard or two to spot a little lunch when offered them !!

The first person I ever knew who did this was my friend Kerry from the Towy valley in Wales. Her husband had erected a platform at the bottom of the garden and all her chicken carcasses were offered to passing birdlife. In fact it was the only way she could stop or at least discourage local foxes from rummaging in her bins for the carcasses or anything vaguely edible it seems !! and the birds profited from her ingenuity. A win situation all round.

We still have not purchased a 'scope' but it is definitely on my 'wish list' for the future. It is so much more exciting when what you are watching is clear as a bell and every ruffle of feathers and stretch of wings is almost at your fingertips it seems.   Can't wait.

p.s. one of the best things about a good long ramble in the wilderness is a delicious picnic afterwards - well deserved and anticipated on the up hill climb back to car !!

Aaahhhh yum....





 

Mutts !

　

A little commentary on the whole wonderful doggie world !



Hubby patting a pooch,

Since I met my husband, 37 years ago, we have never ever had a dog !! I was brought up with a variety of dogs having spent quite a few years on the family farm and also when my parents had a wonderful 16th century coaching inn with a good few acres of land.



A free roaming flokati carpet ?

On the farm we had a variety of dogs, all working -- none were idle or thought of as pets as such and never allowed in the farmhouse at all. There was a few border collies for rounding up the sheep and cattle and a terrier for ratting (I was never allowed near this fierce little bugger and was well trained to avoid him !) .

There was also a lean greyhound which my uncle used for racing at the grounds in Aberystwyth. I suppose he was as near a pet as a farm would allow (or at least, my grandfather) in those days. A pampered pooch though? - doubt it very much, everything had to earn its keep. I am talking about the fifties here when money was scarce and resources well managed!! No easy-to-get bank loans.




He adopted us at the last campsite

The nearest thing to a personal pet a I had as a very young child were orphaned lambs. These were cute but not soft and fluffy as one imagines (their fleece was quite wiry when very tiny)and their feeding with glass bottles and teats fun to start with even though their tugging at the bottles was ferocious. Sadly they soon outgrew me and became very boisterous indeed. Then it was time for them to join the flock and mingle a little more with their own kind !!?

My next personal pet was a POODLE !! A little black ball of fluff and fun...... looking back, I reckon my mother got me this as a distraction when my father went into hospital full time. Looking back, I think she thought it would help me by being a sort of surrogate for my father. A transference of love from daddy to a new and exciting puppy all of my own.

I actually gave her the name of SOOTY as at the time I was a great fan of the Sooty and Sweep Show, most unoriginal, but what do you expect from a 7 year old ?? My brother got the hamsters to keep him busy !!

So back to the mutts ......



 

 A shaggy pile enjoying the sun.

Dogs in this country are almost always on a lead, especially in towns and around children in parks etc. In Spain and Portugal, the opposite is the case !

  I have yet to see a spanish owned dog out for a walk with their owners - they are mostly regarded as watchdogs for their properties and bark/snarl/charge at fences and gates whenever you pass by on rambles etc. A bit disconcerting and sometimes quite frightening !! I'm a wimp when it comes to growls and bared teeth....


The other thing they do is just let the dogs wander at will ... anywhere and everywhere... especially in the country villages. These have a great life and are obviously traffic savy enough to survive the manic drivers too - we never saw any corpses scattered around the lanes like we see mangled badgers here - a very sad and quite commonplace sight nowadays.

The bigger one was very snappy !

Have often wondered if you can eat badger (it's about the same size as a decent turkey I figured). We went through a phase of hoicking dead pheasants off the roads and casseroleing them - quite delicious in red wine and lots of thyme.

Once we got them home, I'd pop on my rubber gloves and instead of trying to pluck the feathers off would simply flay them with feathers intact straight into a plastic bag, gut them and then leave them to hang in the garage a few days before they hit the pot !! Simples....I love food for free.

Was a bit upset a while ago to have missed a hind - passed her on the roadside legs up on the verge - but had a client to go to first and when I got back she'd been snaffled !! Shucks..think hubby was relieved though, all that butchering to do....

Our permanent doormat !

Anyway, these free roaming dogs are the cutest looking as they are proper mutts..see what you think. Invariably scruffy, scraggy and adorable on the whole with a whole lot of character ....


They especially seem to find my husband adorable, but then so do I !!
 





 

 Soooooo cute, aint they ?