When last we blogged we were just on our way to visit Mick & Denise in their chateau somewhere in France. As always, we spent a delightful two days with them and a couple of other family members out on a visit who live in a Welsh chateau somewhere in Wales......Fang’s Aunty Violet, and another of Fang’s cousins and Denise’s sister Ann, known in the ‘family’ as AnnyGetYourGun.
This was the first time we have paid a visit to the chateau in the summer and we spent most of the time relaxing out in the garden eating & drinking el fresco around the pool.
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| I like to feel safe in the water.....it takes years of dedication to get a body like this |
On the second day we thought it would be nice for us all to go out to a local restaurant for lunch. As there were six of us we decided to pile everyone into the Trundle Bus and off we went.....well not exactly, turned the key and nothing !*”? Again. Rather than sort this out now and spoil lunch, Mick suggested he make two trips in his car to the restaurant to get us all there and so our lunch went ahead as planned.
After a nice lunch I set about trying to fix the Trundle. Now I remembered from the problems Stuart had back in Wales, that there is a dodgy connection to the starter motor which happens when a nut comes loose (Fang has the same problem with the bolt in her neck). As luck would have it, Stuart had discovered this when the new starter motor wouldn’t work after he fitted it, and he had shown me where the problem was; even more luck would have it that I actually listened to what he had to say! I now needed a set of sockets which I didn’t have in my tool kit. I went in search of Mick; yup he had a set and would bring them out to me. Now you will remember from last year that I suspected Mick has some experience working with vans.....good to his word he turns up with said socket set......dressed in black shorts, white t-shirt with ‘Jesus Loves a Sunbeam’ written on the back and a black balaclava. ‘This is what you’re looking for mate’ he mumbles through his balaclava. ‘Just the ticket’ says I. ‘I’ve done a bit of work on these Transits myself’ he mumbles cracking his knuckles. ‘I think I’ve got this covered Mick’ says I, forming a vision of going back to Fang with the news that I had sorted the starter motor but the doors were missing. Anyway, a bit of faffing with the sockets and I had managed to tighten the offending nut and....hey presto the Trundle roared back into life! This will utterly amaze the 4th emergency service back in Macclesfield who has never seen me knowingly fix anything without his assistance! ‘Nice job’ mumbles Mick through his balaclava, ‘But I think we need to go down to Bricos’ and get you sorted with a socket set’ he mumbles. Through all this mumbling I assume Brico is some sort of nickname for a mate of his like Nicko or Dicko or Ricko, who deals in sockets.......Turns out Brico is a DIY store like B&Q.
Later on in the evening, after dinner, AnnyGetYourGun (also known as AnnyTheCutter), offered to give me a haircut.....now when AnnyTheCutter says she wants to give you a hair cut you shut up and sit down.....and when AnnyTheCutter says how do you like it; you say anyway you want Anny. Fact is AnnyTheCutter is a fully qualified NVQ, GSE, OBE, MBE hair dresser and I now look like Maurice Chevalier on speed.
The next day we are due to be on our way into the Dordogne, but before that the girls had arranged to go to a local town for market day. Now let me tell you something about Aunty Violet and AnnyGet YourGunCutter.....they are FEROCIOUS shoppers. If there is an open shop (actually they have been known to ‘jimmy’ their way into the shop if it happens to be closed), a market stall, a change de bureaux, or a grab & buy charity table for Lost Welsh People they will be there rummaging through looking for bargains.....and if they can’t find a bargain they have been known to call in the rest of the family to persuade the hapless shopkeeper that he might reconsider his pricing policy.
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| A stall holder just after he told AnnyGetYourGunCutter that he didn't do discounts |
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| Two seconds before this the stall holder had everthing neatly folded! |
A couple of hours later we were ready to get on our way.....well sort of, because this is the family of the long goodbyes and it took another hour before the actual departure. As always we had a smashing time with the bestest host and hostess in all of France, and look forward to our next visit....and if everything goes according to plan, eventually moving in with them!
Next stop was Perigueux, nothing much to report here as the town didn’t really impress so we just stayed the night and moved on to a little village called Les Eyzies-de-Tayac. It is in this area of France they have found a lot of evidence of per-historic man living in the surrounding caves in the cliffs along the rivers Vezere and the Dordogne.
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| Some of the dwellings in the cliffs in the background |
They have found evidence that 17,000 years ago man was far from a grunting, dinosaur clubbing Neanderthal......in fact they lived in very sophisticated communities with spiritual and artistic themes running through their society. The artistic, and perhaps the spiritual, are no better displayed than in the caves of Lascaux. In 1940 four boys stumbled upon the entrance to the caves while out playing and on investigating discovered that they were full of paintings of animals. The experts have since agreed that they are some 17,000 years old! There is still some debate as to why they are there but most seem to agree that there has to be some spiritual significance. The caves are deep in the rock face so there is no natural light; the paintings were created using just candles made from animal fat. The original caves have now been closed as 2000 visitors a day were damaging the paint work. They have reproduced an exact facsimile of the original cave known as of Lascaux II. Regardless of the fact that it’s a copy the visit is still a fascinating insight into our highly artistic and cultured ancestors of 17,000 years ago......plus Fang fell in love with the very French guide and shook his hand and drooled for far longer that either he or I felt comfortable with.
Next stop was a place called Sarlat.....an enchanting medieval town with bags of cobbled side streets and wibbly wobbly houses which are so tall I can’t find photo’s small enough to give a valid picture of the place.
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| Market day in Sarlat |
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| Sarlat |
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| Sarlat |
Then on to Domme, another medieval hill top fortification overlooking the beautiful Dordogne, where we stayed 2 nights below the castle walls before moving on to a spot in a village called Limeuil.
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| Fang at Domme overlooking the Dordogne |
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| Fang doing her post cards.....didn't get one? Must have got lost in the French post |
Limeuil is built into a steep hillside at the confluence of the Dordogne and Vezere rivers. We have been staying here for the last 3 days camped right on the river’s edge in an absolutely idyllic spot. Fang has been getting up at 7:00 every morning to go and sit outside in the early morning quiet to watch the Herons, the White Egrets, the Cormorants and even the Kingfishers wake up for the day.
Today we decided to hire a canoe and take a trip down the Dordogne to see the countryside from the river. The deal is that you decide how long you want to be out for and the guy drives you up river so that you can paddle your way back down the river going with the current. We decided that a 3 hour trip should be about right as there were two of us to paddle......yup, suckered again! Fang sat at the front of the boat like the African Queen snapping her camera and directing me; with me paddling like Crocodile Dundee through the rapids and fighting off the piranhas ........I think most of you will have the picture! It was actually an enchanting day out just coasting along the Dordogne.
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| This is Fang's idea of paddlling! |
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| A swan taking off |
As always we are not sure where our next stop will be but when it’s time to move on we will consult our map and pick a destination. Actually as I am writing this Fang is outside the van talking to a couple from Aberystwyth! Talk about a small world.......
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It’s now the 10th October and we haven’t managed to get an internet connection to upload our blog so we are continuing from where we left off.......
After another week or so of trundling around the beautiful Dordogne we finally broke out of its enchanting spell and started to head south......the Mediterranean was calling.
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| When they say Public WC....they mean PUBLIC! |
First overnight stop on the way was up in the Black Mountains where we were parked beside a beautiful lake nestled in the pine forests and surrounded by towering mountains. The temperature here was a good deal cooler and a bit wet at times, as we were fairly high up, but this was easily a small price to pay for a couple of days in this magical location.
On day two we decided to go for a walk. I had seen, on one of the tourist type notice boards, that there were several walks through the mountains ranging from short to all day hikes. We chose a walk that I told Fang should take about 2 ½ hours, which was about right for us. Off we go into the wilderness and the pine forest and the mountains like a couple of mountain goats......FIVE hours later we crawl back to the Trundle bus! Not exactly sure what happened, but at some stage we turned left up the mountain when we should have turned right down the mountain.....blood and sand you should have heard Fang......after 3 hours she said ‘I thought you said this ruddy walk was 2 ½ hours’. After 3 ½ hours she said ‘I thought you said this ruddy walk was 2 ½ hours you fool’. After 4 hours she said ‘I thought you said this !#%$@* walk was 2 ½ hours you imbecilic moron’. After that she said nothing......for 3 days!
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| Fang going the wrong way into the lake |
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| It's either left or right |
Anyway, after a night’s sleep we are off again and headed south, next stop the fairy tale medieval city of Carcassone. We had been told such a lot about the enchanting city that our expectations were high. We pulled up for the day and night in a camp site just outside the city. The walk to the city did not disappoint, the city placed high on a ridge really does look like a fairy tale scene, you expect to see knights in shining armour charging out to challenge you at the City Gates as you arrive.
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| Enchanting Carcassone |
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| The Queen of the castle looking for her knights |
However, inside the walls disappointment awaits (for us anyway). It’s really just a tourist attraction with a collection of tacky shops and expensive restaurants......not our sort of thing, but hey ho.....you have to go to find out. We think the best part of the city is seen from outside the walls....
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| At night |
Heading south again the next morning we finally reach the Med. What a welcome........the wind was howling, the rain has beating down and there was thunder and lighting. It seems we had got caught in the tail end of the storms that had been working up through Spain. We found ourselves a sheltered spot and prepared to hunker down and ride out the storm. As luck would have it the next day we were back to sunshine and shorts.
We found ourselves parked up in a nature reserve right next to the beach in a little place called Leucate just north of Perpignan. The beach is a playground for wind sports; wind surfing, kite surfing, buggy kites, beach sail buggies. We spent a smashing couple of days wandering along the vast beach and watching the wind junkies.
We then drove south along the coast to the beautiful medieval town of Collioure. The castle is still used by the military as a training base for the Commandoes. We happened on the town on market day which is always a bonus, as wandering around a French market is a delight.
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| I was just getting into a conversation about spices with the stall holder when she just wandered off! |
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| Fang on the look out for a Commando |
We are now nudging up against the Pyrenees so took the opportunity to drive the stunning coastal road over the mountains and into Spain......just a trip there and back for the pure fun of it....well I thought it was fun; but Fang was apoplectic most of the way; hairpin bends and shear drops off the road 200 feet down into the Med! We stopped at Cap Cerbere which is the most south westerly point in France; from where you can see the Pyrenees literally drop into the Mediterranean Sea.
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| It's a bit faint, but if you look in the background you can see the Pyrenees dropping into the sea |
We then decided to start heading north following the Pyrenees but keeping to the foot hills and stay with the Mediterranean climate. The drive took us along the stunningly beautiful and dramatic Aude Valley; at first through the sweeping glacial valley and then through the towering river gorges, all the time in sight of the majestic Pyrenees. We were headed for a little town called Lapradelle with the Chateaux Puilaurens on a mountain top towering above, inviting us to come and visit. The climb up to visit the chateaux was one of the main highlights of the trip for me. I don’t think I have ever been anywhere as dramatic.....the pictures do not really do the scenery justice:
It is now the 7th of October; we are still in shorts and t-shirts, staying in a delightful little village called Routier, just outside Limoux. Everywhere we look we are surrounded by gently rolling hills covered in a blanket of vineyards with the Pyrenees Mountains in the back ground......I tell you, it doesn’t get much more chilled out than this! It is grape harvesting time and the locals are busy gathering in the crops, not by hand unfortunately but that’s progress for you. The machine goes up and down straddling the rows, shaking the vines and collecting the bunches of grapes in the hoppers; they then empty the hoppers into waiting trailers which are taken to the local co-operative a couple of miles down the road.
Also staying at Routier in his motor home is Fang’s new best friend Clive the Oracle. Clive has been living in his motor home for the past 8 years, and spends his time just following the sun around Europe with his two Spanish dogs; Lucas & Paco. I think Clive the Oracle is the first person I have met who is a truly free spirit by choice rather than circumstance or misadventure.
About an hour after meeting Clive he took us walking and our first lesson in foraging; everything you see on this table; grapes, figs, walnuts, almonds, tomatoes, pomegranates and apples we collected on that first walk.
We had a brilliant couple of days with Clive the Oracle before he moved on down south to Spain for the winter. Clive also introduced us to Ian Mr Fixit, another Brit, who has a beautiful 7 bedroom house in the village, part of which he rents out as a holiday home. We spent a couple of very pleasant evenings with Ian and his adorable black Lab Riley in his lovely home. Fang wants me to mention we watched Strictly Come Dancing at Ian’s house, as this will impress Penny.
We are currently staying at an Aire in Belpeche village, which costs nix to stay overnight and has free electric hookup, so we always shop in the village to support the local economy.
We have now booked our ferry home for the 26th October from Calais. We plan to stay in the south to keep the Mediterranean climate for as long as possible, and then make a run up north to Calais.
