Contrary to the previous blog we did not move on??? We were enticed to stay at the mention of amazing Roman ruins within walking distance of Saint Remy - they are a combined passion so there was no doubt we would be heading that way.
Walking the kms back into the township and through the other side we were amazed at how different the atmosphere was compared to Sunday - it was so very, very empty and quiet and many shops were not open. We however trudged on, up the hill to the ruins, in the sunshine - the day was beautiful - to find the gates closed!!!!!! A notice stated that on this one particular day there was an "exceptional closure"??????? Mmmm.
Not to be beaten we found a track across a donkey meadow and up another hill which took us round to the back of the ruins where we could look down on the whole archeological site albeit through a high fence. So all was not lost and we were 15 Euro better off!!!!! To add to this we also discovered the much neglected quarry site where they chipped out the large blocks of stone to build their structures. Bonuses all round.
That night the couple from Australia - Sandy and Donald - invited us over for pre dinner drinks and conversation. Donald is like Neil - a mine of information - and they have been travelling for 3 years so their help was invaluable. It is great when you meet like minded people and hopefully we will stay in touch. During our conversations it was mentioned that there was a market in the town the next morning so we decided to stay yet another day. This is the beauty of the way we travel - free spirits!!! During the night though the weather turned and rain set in. We said our farewells and hightailed it out of there, packing up in the wet, heading for the South West French coast and hopefully more sunshine. There will be another market in another place that we can peruse.
So the GPS is set for Marseillan just outside of Agde and the rain is following us. We pass by Arles, seeing its Old Town, but it is just another big city really. We whip through St.Gilles where boats look rather bleak lined up along the Petite Rhine bobbing around in the pouring rain. Le Galat, Lunel, Lunel Veil, Ballargues are all places which would have been much nicer to see in the sunshine. We drive through "uncared for looking" vineyards, the vines laden with ripening fruit. We drive through huge Industrial areas and wonder where we are going and why? We drive along a peninsular and the vineyards slowly start to improve in appearance and the sky begins to clear as the rain has stopped. Eventually we arrive at the Marseillan campsite and finally the sun emerges. A very late lunch and a glass of wine under the awning - all is good.
Planning on staying here at least 4 nights as the forcast is sooo good we have plenty of time to explore the region and mainly on foot. Marseillan is small and is obviously a seasonal town. Most shops, including fresh food shops are either closed or closing and have some amazing bargains to be had - if you need anything that is. Freshly rotissoried, absolutely delightful chickens, with enough french fries to feed an army, are available for 11 Euro - believe me that is cheap here - and that equates to two meals for us. Wine is cheap, especially if you are around when a shop is closing. 3litres = 5 euro and I have found the best Mielle Fuilles since Bath!!!!!
We are actually having a lot of fun here. The camp closes, along with everything else, on Tuesday so it is not very busy but all its facilities are still up and running including the big outdoor heated swimming pool with waterslide, whirl pool and anything else you might need. Everywhere is fresh and immaculate with plenty of loungers poolside plus 1 hour free wifi per day in the pool area. Nowhere is crowded and there is plenty of room to spare.
The beautiful sandy beach is across the road which stretches for miles and the sea is still warm. Yesterday we walked left along the beach to a pretty harbour and today we walked to the right - hoping to walk to Agde. Tripping along the waters edge, absolutely awesome, with Crocs in hand, the sky blue and the sun shining, we saw notices saying we were leaving Marseillan Beach but with Agde in our sites we floated on chatting away. Suddenly Gary's jaw dropped and he mumbled "has that girl got anything on?" "Course she has Gary - don't be silly" I say, squinting into the sunlight for a better look. Next thing 2 male joggers flopped past - totally naked! Next thing a man further ahead suddenly stopped and bent over to examine a shell in the sand - totally naked and not a nice look either! The beach was becoming more densly populated by the minute and everyone was starkers!!!!!! I have to say at this point that there were some amazing bodies on that beach but most were gross and secondly, if you are not already aware, there are so many different types, shapes, lengths, positions and sizes of men's penis - it is truly astounding. I have never seen, firstly, so many limp penis flopping from one leg to the other as they are marched up and down the beach and, secondly, so many men playing with themselves!!!!!! Why do both men and women, of all ages I might add, choose to lie on a beach, legs splayed, displaying their genitals to all and sundry and risk sunburn to boot? The pendulous breasts, the sagging tums, the enormous waistlines no longer seem so bad after todays excursion but there was one naturist I really did respect. A woman - tall, brown, slim maybe late 50's - with just one breast and one mastectomy scar. In my mind that was courageous.
This beach went on for at least 2kms and abruptly stopped at the entrance to a harbour. Phew we thought - over it! Nah - the harbour was Naturist and so was the surrounding massive village, with highrises and houses, shops and restaurants. All in all the beach and land complex would easily have covered 5km if not more. We desperately tried to find our way out of this "sight assault" but an hour later in the scorching sun we were still stuck inside this never ending village. Have to mention here we were not the only ones walking around clothed but we were definitely very much in the minority. Mustering our combined strength and eyes firmly fixed above waistline height we bravely walked into a restaurant and had a drink. My goodness we needed the fortification because we had just realised there was no way back to Molly other than retracing our steps along the beach. Another 2km of................!
To put the record straight we have nothing against nakedness, nor the male female body form but this was almost sleazy by some. If there had been another route for us to take we definitely would have. Maybe a notice or two on the beach? If nothing else it would have saved us at least 5kms worth of Croc wear and my rose tinted glasses would not have been shattered. Hey ho - just another adventure!!!!!!
So our 4 nights are up and the time has arrived for us to move on again as we slowly head towards Spain. We are travelling to Montolieu today with a stopover in Carcassonne to explore the Medieval city and its beautiful 12th century Chateau. Finding some sort of parking spot is a mission in itself but eventually we plump for one off the road and outside an apartment complex. Molly fits well in the space but I am sure it was not meant for her????? 15 mins later we are at the gate of the Old City walls on top of the hill. This place is magic and if you let your imagination roam free you can visulise medieval people gracefully walking through the streets and the hub bub of then daily life. Now, as you walk the well worn cobbles, the streets are filled with souvenir shops and expensive restaurants but the architecture, the buildings, the amazing way in which they were all constructed so many centuries ago is mind blowing. We could have stayed there a lot longer but the day was getting late and we needed to get to our campsite. This place was well worth the visit.
Arriving in Montolieu at a very nice campsite for only 10 Euro a night we realised we had arrived at a village that purely associates itself with books and maybe a bit of printing history thrown in as well and is otherwise known as "the Village of books". So next day we amble, once again to the top of a hill, into the village to explore these "libraries". Today is Monday and throughout most of France Monday is another day off and most things are closed - that is if you can find much open in the first place. The streets were sooooo quiet but we did find a few second hand bookshops (libraries) open to rummage around in. They also have a great tradition of leaving books on windowsills and other shelfy places for you to exchange for free with one instruction - that when you have finished reading the book you leave it elsewhere for someone else to enjoy. This town used to be fortified and stretches out on a rocky bluff between two steep valleys. It was very picturesque and rugged and we even found a Boulangerie open for bread and a cafe for coffee but there was nothing else to stay here for.
Unfortunately that night it poured torrentially and next day we were informed that the surrounding areas were flooded so we relaxed there for another day before setting off for a campsite in Cassagnabere-Tournes.
This was a very pleasant pretty journey mainly through vineyards and fields of sunflowers and as we drove west through sleepy villages (Moussoulens: Alzonne: Castelnaudary: Avignonet) we drove into sunshine. Knowing our penchant for driving the wrong way down one way streets, during our search for an ATM, we did just that in VilleFranche .......again! Safely getting out of that one........again, we carried on through Neuloux, skirted around Auterive (very large city) finally coming to a stop in St Silpice-sur-? after Gary spied an ATM. Here we got some money, bought our first piece of Rocqforte cheese from a market, met a lady in a Boulangerie who sold amazing Mille Fuilles and was totally obsessed with Ritchie McCaw, won 5Euro to spend at the local supermarket so bought 2 bottles of wine, had our card refused at the petrol station and had to pay 50cents to use the air machine for Mollys tyres which incidentally didn't work!!!!!! We shall not forget this village in a hurry but on we travelled once more through Boussens: Le Frechet and on to Aurignac where we stopped again mainly because this was a village with some interesting looking ramparts, archways and churches. We were not disappointed either as we wandered the streets, once more alone, uphill and down dale. There seem to be no shops in these villages......where do people buy their food and where do all the people go? The villages have so much history attached to them and are so gorgeous but they are empty!!!!!
So now we here in Cassagnabere-Tournes and it is hot. We are staying in an Eco campsite and there are just 3 campervans here. We are immediately adopted by a very pretty cat and are welcomed to the site by a delightful English couple, Russell and Daphne, who we spend a very enjoyable first evening with.....yes drinking plenty of wine and eating good food. Unfortunately the next morning they leave along with the other campervan so we are the only ones in the whole of the campsite - although it sounds as though someone else is here now.
After waving goodbye to Russell and Daphne we head into the village. Mmmmmm............what is with these villages. They are beautiful but there is no sign of life! There is not one shop in this place but there is a closed post office. Up a side street a few men are doing some roadworks, but it is hot and there seems little forward momentum. We do hear children laughing - there is obviously a small school somewhere - and there is a cock crowing and a hen rushing around in a yard with three baby chicks. We are just thinking there is nothing special in this place when we come across a restaurant and boy this place was special. We ate and drank so much good French food and wine, all for a fixed price, we had to lie down when we finally got back to Molly so very little has been done today.
Tomorrow we move on again and slowly but surely we are moving closer to Spain.
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