Southern France!

Carcassone is the quintessential walled medieval town - it’s even impressive from far outside the walls with its pointed towers and high elevation. Click here for great pictures and history.  It has a moat and two walls around it so that if the enemy breached the first, they were attached from the second! I had been here years ago and was excited for Dermot to see it in all its historic grandeur.  So when we arrived on the Auld (river) side entrance to the town, it was very strange to see huge yellow circles seemingly painted onto the exterior walls and entrance. At first, I was dismayed but once we read that this was an art installation which was supposed to be a conversation about historic places and their relationship with modern use and life, I felt better about it.  Thankfully, it was only on one side and not yellow-striped throughout.

There was a band playing Rolling Stones songs as we arrived at the castle which was nice, but it was alittle hard to imagine medieval life with the accompaniment of “Jumping Jack flash its a gas, gas gas.” 

Our pictures here.

The day was hot but we forged ahead through every open doorway, up every tower, along the ramparts and experienced the castle and surrounding town.  It's so large that the pictures, as usual, can’t capture the essence of it. Dermot was intrigued by the increasing number of machine-gun toting Gendarmerie assembling in the courtyard of the castle.  There was apparently going to be a ceremony such as a cadet graduation. Eventually, the heat and thirst drove us to a square with shade and lots of seats where we relaxed with over-priced drinks. We toyed with the idea of staying for dinner. Rick Steves highly recommends seeing it lit for the evening but it isn’t dark until after 11 and our campsite closes its gate for the night at 10:30! So we bought some groceries on the way back and had a great dinner then watched some more soccer.  The night was hot making it difficult for me to sleep and we decided either the beach or heading north would be good.

Friday we took care of some bills and researched going south to the beach, but the sites wanted us to stay for a full week so we decided to go to Arles instead. We hit the camp’s “fitness area” which consisted of a large field with fairly ineffective workout machines set about the perimeter and a short zipline. Then we went to the pool for a swim and a bit of relaxation before more soccer/computer time then we made dinner.  The pool area has a great view panoramic since it sits on top of a hill. The wind blows over the mountains and creates a wonderful sound through the pine trees. 

The Dordogne region has alot of walnut trees, wheat fields and corn fields (the corn being to fatten the ducks and geese). This area we noticed has alot of vineyards and or trees we noticed the door down has many walnut trees and olive trees. We had quite a scare when we thought we’d lost one of the sets of keys to the camper (they were found by a fellow camper in the pool area) then we had more soccer/computer time.

I have to say that after having foie gras de canard on Dermot’s birthday I developed a craving for it on the following day. We had picked up an expensive can of foie gras d’oie (which is fattened goose liver) and it was calling to me but we are saving it for an emergency. 

Saturday we headed for Pays de sites Cathars (Country of Cathar sites.)  History usually extolls the virtues of the victors of wars and the losers are reduced to the footnotes but this area seems to hold onto its regions’ Cathars history.  The Cathars (or Albigenians) were a group of Christians who held a unique interpretation of the early religious writings.  They eschewed materialism as evil and were vegetarians. Though many in the area tolerated them, they were seen as a threat by the Catholic Pope and were deemed heretics.  Thereafter there was a crusade against them and men, women and children were tortured and murdered. 

One Cathar ruler held out at Chateau de Peyrpertuse castle what was a strategic place near the border between Spain and France in the 11th century.  When he was defeated, the castle was rebuilt and enlarged and used for centuries.  It lost its importance/strategic position in the 1600’s when a treaty between France and Spain moved the border south into the Pyrenees. This ruins required a lot of up and down (but mostly up) climbing to get to the ruins.  Once there, it was really fun to scramble up and down the ruins checking out all the views and poking into every room like kids. A good audioguide explained the rooms and what they were used for.  Dermot got a kick out of waiting in a darkened room to scare me!

 More pictures and history here.

The views were magnificent and stretched all the way to the Pyrenees. It made the hair-raising drive up to the cliff and down again worth it and we returned to the campsite drained but satisfied.  Then we went out for a canal-side dinner at a local restaurant. 

Beautiful Dordogne

La Roque

As we left the Loire Valley, I was trying to prepare to present myself to register for the validation of my long stay visa. This is a bit tricky because the instructions are designed for people who will have an address in France. Once you send in your paperwork, they will send you a letter telling you when to come for your appointment/interview and medical exam. That letter could arrive anytime - up to two months later. Sigh. All this doesn’t fit well with our plan to travel at will.  So we decided to pick a central location in France, have me register there and plan to return for the appointment.  That central location was Poitiers. We had to get there early because, like most businesses, they close in the middle of the day and there were a lot of miles between there and our campsite for the night. I took notes to answer imagined questions and practiced explaining my predicament to the officials prior to arrival. They were polite but not very impressed with my French and also not particularly happy with my nonconformity. They asked where we were going next and then thereafter and responded that it was “complicated.”  I'll let you know when we hear something . . .

On the way to the campsite, we decided to tour the Lascaux cave and museum.  It was a great introduction to the primary draw of the area: the prehistoric cave paintings.  The original Lascaux cave had to be closed due to damage caused by visitors bringing in pollen, pollutants and changes in atmospheric conditions. They have re-created most of the original cave and paintings underground so you can some as close as possible to the actual experience. They also provided a tablet guide and an interactive museum that were very well done.  Highly recommended.  I had visited Font de Gaume with an English-speaking guide about eight years ago and it was very moving for me.  

Sarlat-la-Caneda

Afterwards, we made our way to the camping place which is just a 10 minute walk (downhill) to the lovely town of Sarlat-la-Caneda that becomes a 20 minute walk back uphill. This suited us fine and we walked into town for an evening meal after a lot of driving.  

Crazy coincidence #1 of the trip happened next.  Dermot ran into Tom - a co-worker from Siemens and his wife! They were on a self-guided biking trip thru the lovely towns of the Dordogne. They invited us to join them at the restaurant where they had made reservations and we had a great time sharing stories with them.  We parted late in the evening and walked back up the hill still shaking our heads at the odds.

Saturday was market day in town. We walked into town and the streets were packed with vendors and shoppers. The number of sausages, cheeses, veggies and other general goods were overwhelming. I put pictures of the market day on the “This is how we roll” blogpost.

Sunday was a quiet day in town and we followed Rick Steves walking tour.  It's a beautiful town with lots of history. We made it back in time to do laundry, make a blogpost, watch part of a soccer game and try out video-calling.  So, this was kind of a “downtime” day in relation to most.

Sunday we took care of some essentials in the morning and headed into town in the late afternoon.  The crowds were gone and we were able to concentrate on following Rick Steves suggested self-guided walk through the town.  I love these - he explains the history and points out architectural, cultural, historical and even art-related information that I’d never know otherwise.  

Being Father’s day, the rest of the day was dedicated to Dermot catching world cup soccer games in the campsite TV room and a quick dinner prepared in the campsite of market finds including a 4.50 euro bottle of wine of the region that was very good.

I met and had a great conversation with two other campers while doing dishes. Campers are wonderful people and we ended up trading contact information and we were even invited to stay at the home of a couple who live in Brittany if we’re ever in the area! 

Now that I’ve “checked in” with the French officials, we’re free to slow our travels down and go at a more sustainable pace. It feels really good!

Monday we launched into tourist mode after a breakfast of pain au chocolat for me and pain noix (walnut bread - specialty of the region) for Dermot.  We headed for the pretty towns of the area among the Dordogne river.  We visited a church built in the middle ages, made a run at Domme, but missed the road that makes the town accessible to camping cars. Then we went to La Roche-Gageac which was very cool. Right on the river, it climbs up into the cliffs made of limestone. We took lots of pictures of this little (very touristy) town. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years. Caves were formed both by water and the same systemic activity that formed the Pyrenees.

Next we went to Castelnaud - a castle built in the middle ages that was the scene of many battles and changed hands seven times during the hundred years wars. This one takes the prize for having the most interesting information available including videos and a town model with light and narrative depicting a pivotal battle.  The "Musee de la guerre au Moyen Âge" Is housed here which includes 11th century chain mail, huge trebuchets, and cases bristling with hand-held weapons of war, cannons, guns and crossbows. I imagined what it would be like to see a combatant wielding any of those and decided I had it very, very good in this century.  Afterwards we relaxing with a limonade for me and a beer for Dermot in a cafe in the "medieval village" just outside the castle.

We decided to squeeze in one more castle - Chateau de Beynac the largest of the day castle along the Dordogne river.  It was dizzyingly high and offered great views of the other castles in the area. During the war years, these castles were built to spy on each other. We decided to have dinner there but, after ordering drinks found they were closing so we headed for home, found a supermarché along the way and cooked dinner at "home." Later Dermot watched the last 20 minutes of a world cup game.  Many of those at the campsite were happy when England beat Tunisia 2 to 1.

More photos here.

Tuesday - This being Dermot's birthday, I offered him his choice of activities and he chose to not have to make decisions! We took a kayak trip down the Dordogne River and took pictures of all the castles we had visited on the previous day - very relaxing and lovely.  We walked into town for dinner in Sarlat to celebrate and then back to camp for more - you guessed it: soccer! Happy birthday sweetheart!!

The Loire Valley

We headed to the Loire valley which is known as the land of a thousand chateaux.  Dermot has posted some pictures on Facebook so I'll just add a brief post on this area with some more lovely photos in clickable albums.

More Chenonceaux pictures here. 

They have a great audio guide for many of the rooms. In the photo album, you'll see a picture of a hall.  That was used as a hospital during WWII and the bridge across the river was used to get people out of the then-German controlled part of France. There's lots written about the history of the place and its pretty fascinating.

Next we went to Chateau de Chambord -it was enormous and had a double spiral staircase that was both beautiful and a design marvel.  They also had a guide on a tablet that, in certain rooms, allowed you to witness what it would have looked like hundreds of year ago - including straw on the floor, different room layout, furniture and gaming tables. This place was overwhelmingly large and was built to be a symbol of King Francoise's power. Turns out, he only visited 18 times for an average of 4 days each time.  Kings traveled alot then and their furniture was broken down for the trip to be transported with them.  Most of the time, the place was pretty empty in the early days.  In later days, the furniture was built to stay put and was more comfortable.

Photos of Chateau de Chambord and Amboise here.

We rounded out the day with a drive in to the town of Amboise.  The photos include a picture of a clock tower but what you can't see is what really makes travel special.  It's impossible to capture travel in pictures because the experience is made up of small discoveries along with the big sights to create a whole.  Each post feels like just a sliver of the experience.  For example, I was carrying my iPhone with a Rick Steves ebook guided walk thru the town.  The book points out how the town was built up thru the ages and the wonderful clock tower that stands in the middle of the street that was part on the original town wall. What isn't mentioned is that there's a small restroom built into the foundation just under the tower at ground level. The massive wooden beams are at odd angles with huge metal pins through them showing the original, seemingly haphazard construction. The toilet and basin are very modern and the ancient wood is all painted white.  So a simple restroom becomes a true marvel if you happen onto it and look around. It's also hard to know what will touch you.  This was a very cool discovery for me but it didn't register with Dermot who was in the same room - French bathrooms not being divided.  On the other hand, he often points out something he's noticed that I missed entirely.

Next, we headed to the Dordogne region but that will have to be another post . . .

This is how we roll.

This is a long overdue post that will just feature life in a camper van.  I’ve tried to include a video but seem to have failed at that so here are some pictures of inside of the van.

 Photos of the inside of the van here.

Dining Room/Study

Food :We've had some wonderful food in restaurants here in France. For example, after tasting "stuffed mussels" Dermot said he'd never make them again.  They were served on an oil and butter herb sauce that was so delicious we used bread to finish it off.

Fillets, steamed potatoes, salad, fresh herbs and wine.

Some campsites have herb gardens and they invite you to snip off what you want.  That little container in the picture contains fresh parsley, chives, rosemary and thyme.

Chef Dermot cooking marinaded lamb skewers.

Seafood smorgasbord that neither of us could finish.

Breakfast is usually in the campervan.  Each campsite in France has offered bread delivered fresh each morning - croissant or pain au chocolat.  Lunch is often eaten in the campervan in a parking lot. Dinner is based on circumstances.  If we’ve had a busy day without time for shopping, we hit a restaurant.  But we bought a Safari Chef and Dermot has cooked alot of our meals on the grill.  We'll scour the store for fresh veggies and often a marinaded meat.  One of my favorite finds was skewers of lamb and peppers - yum!  We've even made fresh white asparagus on the grill. We also have burners inside the van we use to steam potatoes, etc.  

Aldi in France is really special.  We found a set of six terrines for five euros and tried the most exotic - wild boar with chestnuts first. We liked that so the rest must be good too! Today we went to market day in Sarlat en Caneda.  

More pictures of food in France here.

I don't think this video will work but I left it in just in case.

Goodbye England, hello France.

London

We’re new to driving a camper van and driving in London in one changes you. Normally cautious, after being stuck on a road reduced to only one passable lane for awhile with cars lining up behind us I found myself saying “Play chicken! Play chicken like you mean it!” Dermot did, and we made it. Phew! We stayed one night in London at an actual hotel room to meet with Mark, Sharon, Finn and Cian. The boys had grown a lot and were still full of energy.  

Folkestone

We booked at a campsite close to the crossing point and booked three days to prepare.  Once we’d prepared by checking French road signs, etc. we decided to take our first “tourist day” to explore the cliffs of Dover. It was beautiful as the pictures show. We had thought we’d try the Chunnel to cross into France but then learned you have to book a Chunnel passing a week or two ahead so we decided to go by ferry. We booked a passage at 12:05 but when we arrived early, they let us go on the one that departed at 11:10 instead! The day was foggy, rainy and gray so there are no pictures of the cliffs from the ship. The passage went very smoothly and we headed to the campsite we had booked nearby.

Pay-de-Calais

 The area is on the sea and looks idyllic in the travel brochure - white cliffs down to the ocean just like Dover, but we didn’t even try to find a look out onto the ocean.  Our arrival in the area was forestalled by a closed road which required us to take a long detour on rough gravel tractor roads between farming fields. Dermot was traumatized.  We arrived at our campsite in the very, very small town of Cap de Nez Blanc early. The day was very cold and dreary and we weren’t able to connect to the internet with our shiny new mi-fi to book our next campsite.  So we headed out to the only place open, ordered a drink and used their wi-fi.

The campsite was several notches below what we were used to in England.  Most surprising were the open air toilet/shower facilities. There was no female and male side. There were separate cubicles for each function (e.g., shower, toilet, and sink) but no toilet paper and no exterior walls so the cold wind was with you throughout.  Urinals were just open air attached to the back of shower stalls completely exposed. 

You were asked at check in if you wanted to take a shower and charged one euro for each shower. They give you a token for each shower.  We toyed with the idea of skipping showers but once we committed to the idea, the shower experience was not as bad as we had imagined. Dermot reported that there was a couple taking a shower together in the next stall.  I guess they're true water conservationists! Yeah, Dermot loves France now!

Rouen, France

We picked this city as our next stop to troubleshoot our internet problems. The campsite was better and that lifted our spirits. Monet had made the cathedral in Rouen famous by painting it in all kinds of atmospheric light with few details - some of the first examples of impressionism. We took a few minutes to appreciate the outside, but spent most our time trying to deal with our communication/internet issues.  

Mont Saint Michel

A very touristy but lovely area. This is only the second day dedicated entirely to enjoyment.

St. Michel with soccer ball.

Dinan, France

A beautiful medieval walled town. We walked through the town and were stunned by the half-timbered houses that are centuries old. Walking the walls around the town was beautiful and relaxing. Click the link below to see lots more pictures!


Click here for more photos.

Parking and Internet Access 

These have been our biggest challenges living in the camper van. We need the internet to find information, book campsites, download maps, etc.  So we bought new sims cards with UK numbers and a mi-fi device. I’ll spare you the details but its a recurring and on-going problem. Campsites being outside of populated areas means we’ve resorted to driving into town to get connected which requires us to find a big enough parking spot for us (difficult and scary on small roads), then pay for parking. We thought we’d do more sightseeing than dealing with logistics!