Sorry for the delay, gave up looking for a free WiFi spot and bought another dongle, Only problem we have to get yet another in Spain. Anyway, lots to say so here it is.
Monday 8th October
It was a hot, airless night and we both woke up rather warm so at 7.30 it was a relief to get up and make tea. We decided today was going to be an easy day. After all we have walked into St Tropez every day so far. Also the washing was calling. Petra’s turn to do that. Almost at the end of that chore Luc and Greta, a very friendly Belgium couple offered to take us to the supermarket with them. This was very fortunate indeed as we were running short of food and wine and didn’t fancy running the gauntlet of the St Tropez traffic. They are a well travelled couple and gave us some advice on countries to go to and also not to camp at Port Grimaud. This would have been our next stop. We will probably go on a ferry for a day trip instead. We rode to the supermarket in their Dethleffs and made good friends with their delightful granddaughter, Elizabeth, 3 years old and very smart.
The supermarket was huge, Geant casino, with many other outlets contained within the complex. The food on offer was various, fresh and plentiful. We didn’t have the faintest idea what some of it was. They have some very interesting ideas for keeping food fresh. The display of lettuce had a tube extending 2’ above the produce which sprayed a cold mist over the lettuce. Also they had tanks containing live crabs and lobster. We made our purchases including 6 bottles of Cotes du Rhone for 19.75 Euros.
We completed the washing chore back at camp and a had late lunch. We spent the afternoon enjoying the sun and getting up to date with the blog. Weather report: it is 26.1 degrees inside the shaded Campy and 34 degrees outside in the sun.
After dinner we went over to Greta and Luc's for a few drinks joined by Kay, Julie and Tony. A lively, enjoyable evening.
Sunday 7th October
Another beautiful day. We took our time getting up, had a lazy morning and set off for St Tropez at 11.30, beach path. Sunday being the day of rest, all the vintage classic sailing yachts were still in harbour and the sight of all these amazing vessels took your breath away. They were gleaming with shiny bronzes, brasses, perfect varnished teak and stunning teak-laid decks. Some of these boats are huge and have 4 spreaders up the mast. We both felt very lucky to be in St Tropez at the time of ‘Les Voiles’ and to witness the gathering of such an amazing collection of vessels. We spent most of the afternoon watching the yachts and the people on the yachts watching the people on the shore. St Tropez is full of a bewildering amount of people and a fair percentage of them are eccentrics. Yes, there are the beautiful people, dripping in designer gear and the wealth is apparent. But there are a group of people who wear some of the most bizarre clothes which in a different environment, such as walking down the high street in England, they would be laughed at. We were walking past the cafe Senequiler we saw what looked to be a French police officer, he was gesticulating to drivers in their cars on occasions putting his tongue out at them and sometimes strutting around like a chicken. We suspect he wasn’t a police officer at all. Another strange thing we saw was a magnificent AC Cobra, dark blue with a very soave looking gentleman at the wheel. The only unfortunate thing was that his car had broken down but was being ably pushed along by three police officers. Not the most salubrious way the enter St Tropez.
We love St Tropez. It’s one of those places where it doesn’t matter where you look or where you sit something is always happening. It has a vibrance all of it’s own and is completely unique. It will be a shame to have to leave.
We shared a baguette and cake for lunch, on the quayside watching boats and passers by. We then walked down the Mole Jean Rivelle to the lighthouse at the end of the harbour wall. At the base of the lighthouse is a concrete seat and we sat there at the mouth of the harbour with a 250 degree vision from one side of the bay to inside the harbour. It was a lovely viewpoint to watch boats go in and out.
We headed back at 3pm along the beach. Lovely walk as usual and we saw an octopus at the waters edge, grey and translucent. Whilst we were away new neighbours had arrived, an English couple had parked in the spot next to us. Julie and Tony from Oldham. So this evening there were 5 of us having drinks outside Campy. A lovely day and a great evening chatting and comparing travel experiences. We got some good tips for our future travels in Spain and Portugal.
Saturday 6th October
Today we decided that we would do a bit of washing at the double-tapped station situated in front of the owner’s house in front of the Aire. We were half way through when one of the campers advised us that today was market day and that we really should go. We were aware that Saturday was market day but for some reason we thought today was Friday. The market is situated in the centre of St Tropez and closes at 2pm so we had to hurry along to take advantage of the fresh produce.This time we took the main road route instead of walking along the beach and just before we reached St Tropez we met Kay (also camping on our site) who is a retired scottish lady who is also touring in a small campervan like our own. She had ridden down to the market on her bike.
The market was just 100 yards further on and was fantastic, selling all manner of produce, art, furniture, jewelry and anything else you could think of. We bought provisions including local olives to have with our G and T. We then went in search of bread and virtually walked all the way round town, finally seeking help from locals who sent us in the right direction. We got a long baguette and our lunch (a pork & salad baguette for sharing) and a piece of flan. We then made our way to a shady rocky bay behind some buildings and ate lunch whilst watching boats play in the sea.
We walked back to the campsite along the beach which was by now becoming very familiar. Such an enjoyable walk. We dropped off the shopping in campy and grabbed our chairs etc and spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach.
That evening we invited Kay over and drank G&T and wine, ate nibbles and talked until the late evening. A very pleasant end to a lovely day.
Addendum. Whilst we were in Nice we started to be plagued by mosquitos. We both have many red blotches on our legs. They are very irritating and ugly. No matter what we put on we can’t relieve the symptoms, despite copious amounts of Lifesystems expedition insect repellant and then bite relief cream after the event.
Friday 5th October
As much as we enjoyed staying in Nice we were quite pleased to be going this morning. The Aire was too noisy. So at 7am we were ready to leave and headed off towards St Tropez along the coast road. The drive through the outskirts of Nice and Cannes was quite hairy as it was rush hour traffic and French roads have very complicated junctions needing a great deal of concentration. Nevertheless, we weaved our way through the two cities and then we took the route across the mountains which was very picturesque and totally different to our journey through the Alps, at times very twisty and steep sided. The journey was only 100km so we were in the queue waiting to get into St Tropez by 10.40. The campsite is situated to the East of St Tropez close to Canebiers beach. Once we had settled Campy we had our lunch and decided to walk along the beach into St Tropez some 2km away.
The walk along the coast path from the camp site to St. Tropez...
The walk was absolutely beautiful. Calm, blue mediterranean seas, blue skies and a temperature of 28.5 degrees. As we walked the terrain altered from beaches covered in seaweed, to a sandy beach, to craggy rock formations with paths built into them. It was an inspiring walk made all the more interesting by the hundreds of sailing yachts in the bay.
We are very fortunate to have arrived at the tail end of the St Tropez regatta and today was the turn of the large sailing yachts. One vessel which stood out to Kevin was the Classic yacht the 'Velsheda', one of the best yachts of its type and arguably the most beautiful yacht in the world.
We walked on and left the beach walking past a cemetery, we both agreed that if you have to have a resting place this isn’t a bad spot. Arriving in St Tropez we walked down some narrow streets and through a few shops until we reached the harbour. It did seem rather strange to see the harbour empty of boats as when Kev came 36 years ago with his best friend Keith Sadler it was packed with super yachts. We are not sure if Keith reads the blog but Kevin hopes he remembers the holiday with the fondness that Kevin does.
We walked the harbourside and then sat on the stone bench which circumvents the round building of the harbour office. It was fascinating to watch all the yachty-types going about their business. We walked into the backstreets which were full of clothes and designer label shops including Louis Vitton, this time here is the photo of the window display to prove it.
The proof....
As we came to the Place de Lices we both decided that a long, cold beer was called for and we sat at a table outside the bar to enjoy a drink and watch people and cars go by. It was interesting to note that in the space of only a few minutes a large number of super cars went by including Lambourgini, Ferrari, Porche and a couple of very good looking VW T5s with very nice lights and wheels. Seven Euros later we decided to walk back along the same route that we had arrived by and headed back to the harbour. By now the yachts were coming back in from their race and we couldn’t resist a look at Velsheda. What a superb piece of kit that boat is.
Walking back the wind had freshened and the sight of all the boats returning to harbour was a spectacular site. The viewpoints were lines with hundreds of people.We arrived back in camp tired but exhilarated from a great day.
Thursday 4th October
A jolly nice lie-in today before our day in Nice. We were eating breakfast with the side door open (nice and warm here in Nice) when the dustmen came along to empty the bins on the site. One of them came over to admire Campy and said that she was “petite” but perfect for two. We quite agree with that.
It was with great trepidation that we left Campy entrusted to fate but hopeful that the residents in the cemetery opposite would keep a careful watch on her. As we walked away she was still glinting in the sunlight from her previous day’s wash. 100 yards down the road was the bus stop and as we arrived the No 52 drew up. Bearing in mind that we were travelling some 8 or 9 km into Nice centre we were expecting to pay around 10 Euros. So imagine our surprise when we were told that would only need to pay 1 Euro each. Our ticket entitled us to travel anywhere on this route for 74 mins. It is our opinion that the French have got it right when it comes to public transport. Plentiful and cheap. One nil to the French.
As it happens we didn’t go the full 74 mins and got off shortly after the airport stop and the commencement of Promenade des Anglais. This was the coastal road used by English families and their carriages from 1820 after it was built. These days it has become one of the most clogged thoroughfares in France, a six lane highway five km long, on which only the aggressive survive (including our lady bus driver).
The beach consists of light grey pebbles which one can imagine in the height of summer getting as hot as bbq bricks. Although we were very lucky to have had yet another scorching day (in English terms) 25 degrees, it’s difficult to image how unbearable it can be when the temp soars to 40 degrees.
Wandering along there were restaurants on the beach and one restaurant had a row of four poster sun loungers - how decadent is that? On the other side of the six lane highway are some of the grand old properties including the famous Hotel Negresco which is the equivalent of Brighton’s Grand. It is a national monument where visiting heads of state occupy entire floors. The American dancer Isadora Duncan was staying at the hotel in 1927 when she had her fatal accident. Her scarf caught in the wheel of her Bugatti car and broke her neck.
We came to a gap between hotels which was the shopping area and we had a browse around the shops. There were many high class shops and we stopped to look in a window at a display of red and white candy striped tubes. The only item actually for sale in the entire window was one handbag, it’s price tag was strategically placed on the floor (1300 Euros) We soon moved on! As we approached a Bank on the left an Arab looking man was crouched on the floor shouting at the top of his voice at a Bank clerk who was trying to console him. This continued until another man shouted at them both from his upper floor flat. We can understand a bit of French but can only guess why this chap was having a rant.
We started our ascent to Cimiez and the Musee Matisse. It’s a 3km steady climb; the quality of the housing improved as we walked further on. some of the properties were enormous and of fantastic architectural design. At the top of the hill was the Regina hotel, another incredible architectural wonder from the Victorian age and Queen Victoria’s favorite winter retreat. Apparently she could have been seen wandering round the streets in Cimiez.
A short walk away was the Musee Matisse, nearby Roman ruins and an area used for Jazz concerts - there was even a bust of Louis Armstrong in the gardens of the museum. The museum, free to enter, held a large collection of Matisse’s works from an early age until his death in 1954. we could see how his style changed from his early oil paintings, through his impressionist phase to the time when he was unable to paint and he worked in collage. Also dotted about were some impressive bronzes and the odd decorated pot.
After our visit we wondered down to the shopping centre and picked up some lunch from a patisserie and ate it in a lovely little gated park right in the centre of Nice. As we walked in there were crowds of students sitting on the grass eating pizza out of cardboard boxes and sitting in the shade of a tree. They all looked smartly dressed although casual and when they finished their meal they collected all their rubbish up and dropped it in the bin. Experience has shown that this would not have been the case in the UK and litter would have been left on the ground. France two, England nil.
Finally we walked back through the shops and caught the bus back to Campy who was patiently waiting for us. We had some new neighbours, a couple from Holland with a large Hymer and 2 big black dogs.
We settled ourselves down with a mug of tea and made plans for tomorrow. We have been thinking that we should go to Monaco but decided that we would prefer to have a scenic drive along the coast road to St Tropez and spend a few days there. Time to relax and soak up some sun.
Wednesday 3rd October
Another early morning saw us up and ready to go in 45 mins flat. We like to get up early to beat the rush hour traffic when camping around cities such as Lyon. The Aire we stayed in last night was about 11 km from Lyon and the Sat nav took us onto the toll free motorway that circumvents the city. It was now 7.15 and the whole of France was trying to get into Lyon at the same time. So we now know where all the people go from all those little villages that are deserted when we drive through them during the day. It was quite nice driving on the motorways but, true to form, as soon as the toll loomed the Sat Nav took us off the motorway and onto ordinary roads.
Before we arrived in Lyon we could see the mountains in the distance and heading on our country path they loomed larger and clearer. Also the buildings started to change to chalet type construction. In general the villages appeared prettier than in the north. For example crossing over bridges we notices pots of flowers festooning the bridge. We stopped for breakfast at a viewpoint at the roadside looking over a valley and completely surrounded by mountains.
At Semons we stopped for provisions at a patisserie and supermarket. The baguette was still warm and we couldn’t resist nibbling at it on the journey. We stopped at 12.30 for lunch - more baguette of course. We ate it with Brie and Cornish butter, sadly our last pack of Rhoda’s butter from Cornwall.
Our lunch stop view...
The saga of Campy’s creak continues. After lunch Kevin got his bag of tools out and tightened up some screws, nuts and bolts around the back seat area. This helped a little but has still not resolved it completely.
From this point on we rose steadily up to the French Alps. It seemed to take ages for the sun to rise and the mountains were silhouetted against the sun and looked flat against the sky with various shades of grey. As we grew closer we realised how enormous they were. As we climbed it became apparent that vehicles coming the other way had a lorry at the front followed by an entourage of car owners, youngest at the front, oldest at the back. The former bobbing in and out in a fruitless attempt to overtake.
The journey continued to it’s peak and the views were simply breathtaking. Huge rock formations jutting out onto the road. Massive slabs of rock forming an entire side of a mountain. The roads on occasions went through holes in the rock and reminded us of Durdle door. Others went through whole mountains. About 80km from Nice we drove past a resevoir - Lac de Castillion. It’s colour was the most beautiful shade of turquoise, the likes of which we have never seen. It was simply stunning.
Unfortunately, as with a lot of the great views to be seen on this route there are very few stopping places. Those that we did see were often shrouded with trees. Petra took a few photos whilst we were driving along. We arrived at Nice at about 3pm. Which meant today we have driven for 7hrs and 46mins and a distance of 443 km. We did 13.3 km/litre and on arrival the temperature was 23.5 in Nice.
The route that we have taken from Lyon to Nice is of course recognised as one of the great drives in the world. There is so much to see and for the eye to take in a as you pass breathtaking views it is impossible to put into words everything that we have seen today. If anybody reading this blog should have the opportunity to do the journey you must. We both agree it’s the drive of a lifetime and should not be missed.
Now you would think that having done all that we would have simply put the kettle on, relax and have a cup of tea. Campy, bless her has done all of the work and hasn’t been cleaned since Dorset. So, as nobody else was on the Aire she was given a good clean. The front was encrusted with dead flies, everywhere. Luckily Auto Glym has the product to deal with this and they were soon off.
The Aire here in Nice is not very nice. It is situated on a hill above Nice, opposite a cemetery and on a main road and therefore noisy. We are also close to the bottle bank. We do not like to hear the sound of breaking glass. Anyway, there is safety in numbers and there are 8 other motorcaravans with us and we are nestled into the corner.
Tuesday 2nd October
It turns out the Aire we are staying on is quite noisy and not condusive to a good night’s sleep. We both had a restless night with the wind blowing and the road traffic from the main road about 100yds away. Also there was a huge bang in the night like someone smashing there way in to a glass door with a sledgehammer. By 6am we decided we had had enough and put the kettle on. It was too early for breakfast so we packed the van up and we were away by 7am.
We decided we would head for Lyon after all today 444km from our start at Reims. As we were so early, Reims was very quiet and we were soon out of the city and on into the countryside watching the sun rise again. We continued with our determination not to use the motorways and that is exactly what we did. It was well worth it as the scenery was fantastic and we virtually had the roads to ourselves. There was one stretch of road, the D396 not far from Vitry-le-francois which is some 20k long and was an old Roman road it was a straight as a die it undulated before us to the horizon. Again the sun has been out all day and the clouds have been few and far between.
Petra had a go driving for the first time today and managed very well, even driving through Dijon as cool as a cucumber. We arrived at the Aire at 3.30 in Trevoux, nr Lyon. It is much nicer than the one last night and we feel sure we will have a good night here. We had a walk along the river in the early evening and watched a river boat preparing for an evening cruise.
We have found over the last couple of days that we have a rattle in the van that has become really annoying. It sounds like a creaking metallic noise coming from the back of the van. Petra said it was coming from the right side but from where Kevin was sitting in the drivers seat it sounded from the left. Whilst Petra was driving Kev jumped into the back of the van and located the noise near the leisure battery compartment it to the back drivers side of the van, so Petra was right. It turns out that the wire we used to use for attaching the old solar panel was banging on the metal tray. So when we arrived on site Kev got his tools out and removed it. Somehow we think this has solved part of the problem but not all. If it creaks tomorrow we will carry on trying to locate it.
A bit of a dilemma for tomorrow as we would like to make it to Nice but the Sat Nav says it’s 8.5 hours and 550km. So it really would be a long day. We’ll take a view in the morning.
Monday 1st October
So we were up this morning at 4.30am, and it was dark; black as black in our field in the middle of nowhere. We were so organised we were ready to leave the campsite by 5am. It was only 8 miles to the docks and we were checked-in and in the queue by 5.50am. The ferry was due to depart at 6.40am so we had a short wait and took the opportunity to have our breakfast, a jam sandwich and hot cup of tea.
Before long we were called on to the ferry and up the ramp to the parking bay. We left Campy sandwiched between a boat trailer and a crappy white van. Still she really did look good. Then we went upstairs and found a seat in the lounge next to the window. We were amazed that the ferry was almost empty and walking around the ship it was evident that the staff were short of things to do. No matter to us, it just meant we had a nice quiet crossing and enjoyed the most glorious sunrise. Just as the beautiful orange sun reached it’s full size another P&O ship passed in front of the sun. It looked lovely. Unfortunately, the windows were dirty and we couldn’t be bothered to go on deck so no pic’s.
France is one hour in front of us so we put our clocks forward. Kev had already changed the Sat Nav to Kilometers and Campy’s computer trip thingy, so we are all set up for driving on the continent. We even have the black stickers on the headlights. We arrived in Calais at 9am French time and before we knew it we off and driving on the wrong side of the road. Surprisingly, it all went swimmingly well and only on a couple of occasions did Campy find herself on the right side of the road. Luckily, Petra was on the ball.
We decided before we started the journey that we didn’t want to go on the motorways. Firstly, because we wanted to see the French countryside and secondly, because we didn’t want to pay the toll charges which if you add up the cost of going from one end of the country to the other mounts up to over £100 or put another way a tank of fuel. We were surprised to find by the way that diesel is cheaper here in France not only as a price comparison to the Uk prices but also than Petrol. One has to ask why on earth is UK diesel more expensive than petrol....?
One thing we also noticed was that whilst driving through the villages we didn’t see a single sole. Not one person! There were hardly any shops to be seen and most of these villages were in the middle of absolutely nowhere. The roads were almost deserted for most of the day, we did go through a couple of larger towns such as St Omer, Arras, Peronne, Laon, which were busy and as you would expect. All in all we had an easy day but we were glad to arrive at the Aire in Reims for a rest. We arrived at 3pm it’s situated behind a college and theatre and is free, so fine for our needs. It was a good job we arrived early as by 6pm the Aire was choc-a-bloc with big white plastic vans.
Up early tomorrow heading for Dijon or possible further on to Lyon depending on how we feel.
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