Return to Ile D'Oleron

Another return to France. 

At the end of May we went to two islands Ile de Re and Noirmoutier . Now a return to the Ile D' Oleron was calling!

We first visited a few years ago and really enjoyed the ambience and the campsite. Knowing we were travelling in August we did book all the sites on the way down and 16 nights at Les Lauriers, to the North of Ile D'Oleron in the village of St Denis D'Oleron, a five minute stroll to the beach.

As it was August and in the middle of a heat wave, we decided to have a road trip to get there, travelling no more than 3 hours or so. As we were going "Le Shuttle", a nasty drive along the A303, which we knew would take longer than it should. We had booked a night at Broadhembury just outside Ashford. A nice site with a pub along the back lane, where we had stayed earlier in the year.

Our first stop once we had negotiated Le Shuttle was our old haunt. Les Erables at Escalles, a one nighter. We were pleased we had booked this one as the site was "Complet". 

A nice meal in one of our favourite restaurants Les Falaise, a table booked on-line. Again, very busy so we were pleased the on-line booking worked!

The next day, an uneventful drive for a two night stop at Camping St Nicolas in Le Bec Hellouin. We we arrived around 1pm, got a lovely pitch in the sun and booked a table in the restaurant. It was HOT. Actually although August we could have winged this one. If you arrive before 2pm, you just site the van and there were loads of spaces. Later it was a bit busier, but still room.

The following day off to Camping Neuville near Le Mans, which we discovered on our last trip.

Just as nice as we remembered and the swimming pool was open. The river sadly had succumbed to the dreaded blue algae, notices posted, so no swimming there. 

We had booked but there were loads of spaces. We enjoyed two quiet nights and very hot days. Happily, we were able to catch up on shopping in the very nice local supermarket around the corner and clothes washing!

Our final two night stop on the way, was at Camping de Saint Du Lac de Saint-Cyr.

This was I admit, rather a disappointing stop. We had hoped we could try the paddleboard out here. Sadly the lake had blue algea, so no swimming. Apparently there had been no swimming for over 3 years. Shame that wasn't mentioned on the web site , although it was on the booking form in tiny print. It was a lovely spot and in its hey day had obviously been very popular. The lake was huge and around the corner was a massive sailing complex. There was still sailing on the lake and pedaloes but no swimming.

The campsite was pretty empty and to make it worse all the BBQ areas were also out of bounds due to the heat wave. We wondered how badly tourism in the lake areas had been impacted by the weather. There was also a large lakeside swimming pool complex with sliders which was boarded up and  neglected because of the no swimming ban. Huge parking areas were deserted, all in all a bit depressing really! Still, we had a peaceful two nights sleep, a walk around the lake and a reasonable meal in the site restaurant. The views were beautiful.

So off to Oleron and Les Lauriers. A small site in the village with only a few touring pitches. We were pleased we had booked as the site was full for most of the time. This site is all about location.

We had a great pitch with loads of shade which we really needed. 

We managed walks on the beach.

Loads of meals out in the port.

Bike rides around the island and up to the lighthouse.

Loads of very nice Oleron wine at 5E a bottle.

A lovely quiet break. We really liked the island. Very uncommercialised in the north and we thought the cycling was better, as fewer people on the tracks. The restaurants and bars were busy but we always managed to get a table. Always something going on to watch, either on the sea or in the town. There was a festival while we were there and a road race which was very well attended.

The beaches were busy with families and the sea was shallow and safe. 

We are definitely going back next year as there is loads more we want to explore.

Our journey home was pretty uneventful. We decided to do one night stops and pretty much backtracked our downwards journey. We re-routed the journey home slightly and stopped at Cholet on a new to us site, called Camping La Nuit Lac Du Verdon.

Very much like the St Cyr site it was by a lake. No swimming, algae again, but fishing allowed. We presumed the fish were not for eating!!

The site was very quirky a mixture of chalets, tents and animals. There were resident chickens and sheep, which wandered around. We had a huge pitch.

There was also an outside bar and restaurant. Open when weather permitted. Heavily used by locals we had a great burger and wine and the atmosphere was lovely and friendly. Strange how loads of people suddenly turned up, they were mostly locals we thought.

A beautiful spot with brilliant sunsets. 

One more stop at Les Erables and we were finally homeward bound. Dover just across the water!

Spring Trip. Vendee. Noirmoutier

 Our first trip to Ile de Noirmoutier and we haven't been disappointed. A real mixture of weather. Heat wave, temperatures up in the 30's, rain, winds, everything really, just like at home.You get to the island via a bridge, or if you are relly brave a tidal causeway.

The campsite Les Roussieres is at the north end of the island, which is much quieter and less touristy. A really handy spot just a short walk to the large beach across an interesting plastic floating bridge.

When we arrived we were given a few pitches to look at. As it was very hot we went for part shade, under a few trees but very private.

We loved the spot. The pigeons loved pooing on the van!! We persevered for a week, Den fought pigeon poo, we then  moved to a more open pitch.

The beach is unspoilt, goes out a long way and is pretty uncrowded.

Not bad for the second week in June.

The campsite was not busy and although we had booked in advance there was no need at this time of the year. There is a small bread shop open until 11am and a bar restaurant open evenings Wednesday to Sunday. The toilet facilities are immaculate and very clean with loads of hot water.

A 40 minute amble takes you to the main town Noirmoutier. Loads of shops bars and restaurants. 30 minutes in the opposite direction, takes you to the village of La Vielle where there is a supermarket, bar and small tabac. 

Noirmoutier is a haven for cyclists and there are bike paths everywhere around the island. A thirty minute walks takes about 6 mins on the bike so well worth taking them.

We did a few rides, one to the top end of the island to the port of L'Herbaudiere. A small interesting port. We did a few more on the very empty back lanes on some very hot days, till the wind set in..... no we weren't really lost!!

Of course, this area is famed for shell fish so fish shops are everywhere. We didn't try mussels here because apparently you should only eat them July to September! ( You live and learn) If we were French, we may have gone digging for them. If the shell fish are under a certain size you have to put them back. A whole page devoted to "Peche a Pied" ( Fishing on foot) in the campsite info.

Loads of holiday homes on the island. I guess in July and August it will be quite busy.

The port at L'Herbaudiere.

All in all, we have whiled away almost two weeks here. Noirmoutier is somewhere we will definitely return to. 

Time to move on soon and our next stop Ile de Re. Should make a great contrast! 

Spring Trip. Vendee Islands. Noirmoutier & Ile de Re

 This year we have decided to do two shorter trips to France. With Le Shuttle booked in January, we were quite relieved that with fuel rises we had decided to do two shorter trips.

Our Spring trip started with a short one night stop on the way to Le Shuttle. As it turned out, it was well worth it and cut down the driving. 

So, our first stop was Broadhembury at Ashford, a short drive to the tunnel the next day. We had booked an afternoon trip, so we were looking froward to a leisurely start.

Nice tidy site with good clean facilities and a pub a short walk away. We made full use of the facilities and wandered to the pub for a pleasant meal.

Definitely somewhere we would stop again and really convenient for Le Shuttle.

The next morning we were up and off, arriving in time for an early crossing. Little did we know that there had been some problem and we were delayed by an hour, so back to our original time. Le Shuttle didn't seem too busy, no real checks except for making sure the gas was off and we were ready to go.

A short 35 minute buzz underground and we were there! Soon happily on a nice pitch overlooking the Channel at Les Erables at Escalles, a stop we had used many times. We made our way down to the village and a very pleasant meal in the local restaurant.

Bluebirds over the white cliffs! Not quite, but a lovely spot for the night, though windy as usual.

The next morning brought the heat wave! So it was to be for the next week. The temperature quickly rose to the high 30's. Luckily not too far to go to the other side of Rouen a 3 hour drive. Our second stop. Camping Nicolas at Le Bec Hellouin.

Two nights here. We had a lovely meal in the restaurant and the next day set off down through the woods to the village. It was HOT!!

Down hill on the way there. Coming back was a slog!!!!

Le Bec Hellouin is beautiful, dominated by the monastery and grounds. We had a lovely peaceful wander around.

Den liked this one!

Two hot days, a cooling dip in the swimming pool and we were ready to move on.

Our next stop for two days which quickly turned into four. Camping Neuville near Le Mans.

A cracking site run by an English couple. Very clean and tidy with huge pitches. A five minute walk to the local village which had a bar, supermarket, bread shop and butchers. Sadly the swimming pool was out of action.

Right by a lovely river just made for paddling in.

Loads of lanes to wander about in. If it hadn't been so hot we would have taken the bikes out. Very near to Le Mans with a local train to the centre. £12 for two with a wrinkly discount. Maybe one for another visit.

A lovely short stay and we will do a return visit on the way back.

Review Brittany Ferries .Portsmouth to St Malo and Back.

 It had been around 20 years ago that we last travelled on the Portsmouth St Malo route. We decided to give it another go as we were travelling to Spain and using the Western route through Bordeaux. 

We booked the ferry back at the beginning of the year as originally we had been going in April/May. Due to the purchase of our new family member "Pebble", we delayed the trip until August. Changing the original booking was relatively easy as we had booked a "flexi", a Commodore cabin on the way out and a 4 birth indoor cabin ( which was all we could get) on the way back. So both overnight sailings. I guess we had rather a rosy view of our last Portsmouth sailing many years ago and thought it would make a relaxing start to the holiday.

Our sailing from Portsmouth made for a much shorter journey from Somerset and as we were not sailing until 20.18hrs, we had all day to get there. This felt like a good idea when we booked it initially one cold wet January day. However, in reality, it meant we spent the whole day hanging around waiting until 15.00hrs to leave home. It felt a bit of a wasted day as we were really itching to get on the move. 

The actual drive to Portsmouth was very simple and quick, we were soon lined up on the dock waiting for the off. No real in depth checks, passports stamped and we were pretty much at the front of the queue.

 

The new St Malo ship was huge. Boarding was straight forward and we were soon happily settled in our Commodore cabin. Nice big bed, mini fridge, TV and bathroom with a porthole. Good start. The lady who showed us to our cabin  muttered something about the special lounge for our complementary breakfast, as it turned out we should have paid more attention 😔.

This was the positive start to the journey! ⛵⛵⛵

We were actually starving, so made our way to the restaurant Le Littoral on Deck 7. Seemed OK and not much of a queue. We got a table for two but the tables were very close together, so in reality we may as well have been on a table for four or even six. We got drinks and decided to go for the buffet with a main course 28.30 euros each, so not too bad price wise for food. That was before we got the bill at the end, when we discovered our mediocre bottle of plonk, which we thought was 17 euros was actually 27 euros, a bit steep we thought! 

The buffet was acceptable though a pretty small selection, we noted they didn't top up the smoked salmon or prawns, so I guess we were lucky to be early. The main course was OK, a beef stew of some description. After the wine we just wanted to get moving and then get some sleep. The ship bobbed on the water but didn't actually go anywhere!! We left the port finally at 22.30hrs, apparently waiting for fuel. The total bill for the meal was 93 euros, not too bad but we felt the drinks were a rip off. Maybe we should have bought a meal deal package, still you live and learn. The service was pretty good though but we had got to the restaurant pretty smartly, when it was relatively empty.

What can I say about a peaceful night sleep...NOT! What with the engine noise and aircon blowing and doors banging it was anything but peaceful. To add to our enjoyment and relaxation the "peaceful" wakeup music went off at 5.30am as cabins had to be vacated by 6.15am. Never mind, a complementary breakfast coming up, we couldn't wait!!

Eventually we found the mysterious Commadore Lounge behind an unmarked door at the end of a corridor. We should have paid more attention when we boarded. Interestingly, the lounge was packed with people in the know all munching on their free fayre. There did not appear to be any checks on who was in there, which begs the question about "complementary" food and who qualified. The breakfast was very poor quality, mushy scrambled eggs, beans, mushrooms and bacon on a bain marie. Drinks in paper cups from a machine and dried up overbaked croissants and pastries, we didn't bother.

Disembarkation was simple, no checks and we were soon on on the way to Spain. 

So much for a relaxing start to the holiday, we were shattered.

The return journey was much of the same. The parking in St Malo port is dire, so do not arrive early as parking is restricted. As our return ferry wasn't until 20.30, we drove out to Cancale along the coast and spent the day overlooking the sea, which was very pleasant. 

Boarding for the trip home was easy, again no checks. We had been very good and were not carrying any contraband food. 

We tried to get a cabin change onboard as we had altered our return trip and been allocated a disabled dog cabin, as the only one available. Interestingly it seemed OK with an enormous wet room. I was not too keen on the "doggy" aspect of the cabin though it seemed very clean. Den went for a quick shower which quickly turned into a deluge, as the whole cabin flooded. Literally water everywhere, we were sailing or rather sinking!! 😟😟 After a visit to Reception, we were quickly moved to a drier 4 birth cabin, what a relief. The ferry definitely wasn't full and there were other cabins available, C'est la vie. We spent a quiet uneventful night and even got an extra hours sleep with the move back to GB time.

Another meal in the restaurant, much as on the way over, except it was busier and the service poor. We avoided the wine, but had a small drink in the bar before bed time, wine was only 8 euros a glass ( another rip off), listening to the entertainment with the other cruisers. An early night was welcomed and we had the excitement of telly in our cabin.

Would we use this crossing again......NO. Far too stressful and hugely expensive. A drive to Folkestone or Dover perhaps, with a night stop on the way, may be on the cards for a future trip. Possibly consider one of the shorter ferry crossings if pushed.

Sorry to the lovers of Brittany Ferries. This is very much our personal view and no doubt many feel, it's the perfect start or end of a trip for them. Each to their own opinion but definitely not for us.

Our Motorhome Camping Journey. 38 Years and Rising. Part 2

 2003

Everyone has aspirations and ours was to own an "A Class". Looking back on it now I'm not quite sure why, but it seemed a good idea at the time. 

The children had left home and we decided we needed a little more comfort. Our last van had served us well, although bed making  had started to feel too much like a chore. A pull down bed and more lounging area was just what we wanted. We still carried sailboards and two bikes, so underfloor storage also seemed a good shout!

A Pilote Galaxy fitted the bill perfectly and the dealer in Bath was relatively local. The new van was ordered, with loads of extras, air con, fixed bike rack, tow bar, safari room and satellite TV. After all this van was going to be a keeper.

The start of a new adventure. Lovely van to live in with loads of room inside, a dinette and comfy seating. The large windscreen gave the inside a very open airy feel. I did love the shower in this one, huge with a proper shower door and I could even wash my hair! Easy to live in, relatively easy to drive and not too long.

Always up for improving our set up, we bought a gazebo. Not a good idea, ultra heavy and a pain to put it up, Looked good though and was handy, though a bit too big. Another purchase from a motorhome show, strange how you get caught up in the moment. We reverted back to the large awning and the gazebo went into the loft! Years later we sold it to someone who wanted a covering for their swimming pool, so it went to a good home and we got most of our money back.

 

Our next "improvement". "Let's get a road legal buggy". So we did, a Chinese import on a very heavy fold up trailer. It was supposed to fit in the garage but I guess our measurements were a bit out, so it lived on the drive. We justified the expense by using it at home. Den drove it to work.  Great fun, it struggled up hills with two of us in it, but always attracted attention. It even had a roof rack which the sailboards fitted on. We enjoyed it for a few years and it was great fun, but totally impractical.

Ever "upwardly mobile"!

" I know let's get a car to tow!" Something a bit more comfortable for Den to drive to work in the winter.

The next "improvement".  A convertible soft top Smart Car, on a lighter weight trailer and so it came to pass.

Great to have a car to find all the hidden spots we had missed. Painful to tow around park and reverse! But it gets worse.

Our Pilote Galaxy after 10 years was just beginning to show her age. The final straw was having to change the windscreen when we were hit by a stone chipping. It took ages to wait for a new windscreen and eventually after three attempts it was fitted, though never perfect. 'A' Classes were out!!

 The next folly would have a fixed rear bed. Could 25 feet fit on the drive....just! Our poor neighbours. Billy was about to arrive.

2013

Our Bailey Autograph, called Billy was a lovely van. Masses of space and sleeping arrangements made it feel like we were sleeping in a nice hotel. The bed was super comfy and there was loads of lounging space and a dinette. Lots of extras including air con and a satellite TV. We had a tow bar fitted so we could take bikes but preferred to take Smartie on the trailer. With hind sight total over kill. 

Lovely, if you were parked up and didn't move but painful to park when on the move. Also the van was wider than usual so useless on country roads. We found we needed to plan all our routes. Billy also had a safari room, again almost unused 3 years later. I think our surname should have bee "All the extras!" Yes, it was the next forever van........ sadly NOT.

OK Billy and Smarty looked good but 12 wheels take a lot of looking after. I was always anxious about getting the car on and off the trailer. When towing it was always of slight concern that other vehicles would not realise we had a car on tow. 

Time for a radical makeover.

2015

Our next van was a panel van by IH a Leeds company specialising in high class makeovers. We went for an IH630RL who we christened April. A rear lounge, shower and loo, with a front end kitchen. A good part exchange for Billy sealed the deal at the Malvern show.

 

A lovely looking van in slate grey. The back doors were removed and fitted with a fibreglass pod, which gave us a boot with a hatch door. Nicely finished inside though the doors all emblazoned with the IH motif was a bit over the top. The van on a Fiat bae drove really well and was so much easier on country lanes and camp sites. We had abandoned the TOAD but put our two bikes on the back which worked really well. We had a large pull out awning on the side and loads of lounging room inside the van.

April did well taking us on loads of trips but we had loads of issues with the build quality. Sadly we had to return to the dealer and then the factory numerous times, mostly things wee fixed but we were never really happy with the quality. The final deal breakers for us at the time were small niggles like a kitchen tap that I struggled to lift up, lack of kitchen work space and the drop down bathroom basin which we hated!!

Despite all the niggles we did loads of European trips and enjoyed the whole concept of a panel van which really suited us. 4 years on and time for a change!!

2019

 

A Vantage Neo next. Identical layout to the IH van, except it had a longer kitchen worktop and a fixed bathroom sink. With  and extra solar panel and the addition of a small pantry behind the drivers seat. A compressor fridge made life on the move a whole lot simpler. This van was also an automatic which was so much easier to drive. Everything about our new van, who we christened Krystal, was perfect for us. We had an inverter fitted and a tow bar on the back for our bikes. This time we opted for silver grey.

We really enjoyed Krystal doing 32 000 odd miles in her over 6 years. 429 nights and the bed still really comfy.

On an 180bhp engine she travelled very smoothly with extra power when needed. Vantage were a lovely company to deal with and we did an annual pilgrimage to Leeds each year for the habitation check. Very few niggles with this van and any minor problems were sorted out very easily. However, all good thigs come to an end and we have finally almost said goodbye! Krystal has gone for sale and we have just ordered a new van arriving any day soon!

Another panel van from a local dealer ( the round trip to Leeds was becoming a bit of a chore!) This time we have gone for a Knaus Boxlife 600MQ. Exciting times ahead. A slightly shorter van, just under 6m with a fixed rear that goes up and down and a front dinette. Can't wait to pick her up!