FRANCE - PART 2

It seems a long while since I have written a blog. Our journey has been so picturesque and enjoyable there seems to have been very little time. On that note I am truly serious however strange it may sound. Where our days go in this beautiful country is confounding but the very warm weather with endless hours of sunshine has a big part to play in our enjoyment. We love France and really feel it's character.
On Thursday morning we set off from Plage de Pors Peron heading towards Malestroit where we hoped to spend one night freedom camping. Passing through Confort Melas, St. Yvi and Pont Aven (a very busy tourist town) we stocked up at our favourite supermarket - Lidls - in Quimperle. Good French cheeses and wine on board we set off again and suddenly we experience an earsplitting screeching which scared the pants of us both. It was the heat/smoke alarm and the only reason we believe this happened was the inordinate heat of the day.
We have now crossed the District border from Finistere to Morbihan and we traverse Vanne (too big for us) through St. Marcel and onto Malestroit defined as a "petite city of character" and it was. The down side of here was that the Aire for motorhomes had been closed and was now in an open paddock where more than 50 motorhomes were parked cheek by jowl along the canal. Scuttling to an overgrown corner away from the huddle we were quite happy, walked into the village which was very picturesque, stopped for a wine in the village square and toddled off early the next morning heading for Rablay sur Layon.
If you are map following us on our travels we passed through: St.Congard; St.Grave; Peillac; St.Vincent where we stopped at the village market and bought the most amazing French lettuce for 1 Euro; Redon; Derval; Lusanger; through fields and fields of corn and maze; Chateaubriant; La Touche; St.Julien de Vouvantes and into La Chapelle Glain where we stopped to have the most exquisite French Formulae lunch which for Gary included the biggest piece of Tuna I have seen!!!!
Replete we continued our journey on through La Pin; Cande; skirted Angrie; through Le Loiraix Beconnais; Becon-Les-Granites; St.Augustin des Bois; St.Georges sur Loire; beautiful Savineres with it's extremely narrow streets; over the Loire river where there had been a very nasty accident; through Rockfort sur Loire where we started to see vineyards again - as in Marlborough, vineyard after vineyard creating the most fascinating views over the steep hillsides and finally into Rablay sur Layon where we overnight free-camped in a small aire at the base of the village. Walking into the village it was desolate - not a restaurant, not a shop of any description. Although the village was obviously very old and had great history and architecture it had seemingly been given over to the artistic community and this particular evening it was deserted and uninspiring. We did note that the following morning there was a pottery exhibition in the now empty town square which gave us a little hope and decided we would stay and explore in the morning before moving on. Well I am sure you know what I am going to say next...........it was FANTASTIC!!!! Some of the talent was unbelievable and in the very French style of fine leaves of clay layered and rustic and rough. The village was rocking too and much to our surprise we discovered an Artisan Gallery in which we spent an hour or so as it was so absorbing. It was a shame we could not bring any items home with us, such was their uniqueness, but for those on facebook getting our photos you will know what I mean as I try to describe my memories.
Happy that we had stayed and seen some life in the old village we travelled on again this time heading for the coast - St.Palais sur Mer. Plotting a course through Chemille; La Barre; St. Georges des Gardes; Cholet; we dropped down into the Vallie du Puppe. All this time the All Blacks are playing their first game in the Bledisloe Cup against Australia and along with navigating, taking photos and writing down where we are, I was reading the live commentary to Gary from my phone. The down side is that I am on the left of Gary in Molly B!!!!!????
We are travelling for 5hours plus today and we cover a lot of territory as we whizz through Endrennes; St Vincents Sterlanges; les troix pigeons; La Leue; Feole; St Hermine; Le Magny; St Jean de Beugne; La Cherant Maritime; Borge Champon and suddenly we have left all the charming delightful little villages behind along with their narrow roads,village squares and colourful hanging baskets and we are out on very flat plains full of fields of sunflowers turning their big yellow heads to kiss the sun.
Skirting around the very big City of Aytre it is full time and the ALL BLACKS HAVE WON 42 - 8!!!!! and our happiness is complete.
Rochefort, Marennes and Le Gua fly past and we move into the Oyster area of France - St. Sulpice de Royan (very cute) and Taupignac and then we are where we set off to be - Saint Palais sur Mer where we plan to spend 3 nights which turns into 7????? Funny that.
Setting up our campsite - so easy and straightforward with our amazing new van Molly B - we are first welcomed by an elderly ex school teacher couple from Britain who join us in a glass of wine and a chat. Departing the next morning we wave goodbye, wish them good travels and settle down to relax, read and enjoy the amazing sunshine we are experiencing. There is a beach across the road - very rocky unless the tide is out - and a soft, sandy beach just along the promenade which, when we arrive there, looks like it is infested with ants it is so busy, This is quite an expensive, touristy place but there are some good walks and there is a circus coming to town. The campsite is very busy with people coming and going every single day and we are really just marking time until the school holidays finish. People at this campsite are very interested in us coming from New Zealand, some of whom are mystified as to how we got here with our camper, some of whom have visited New Zealand and seem to know the North Island quite well!! Eventually we meet a lovely Irish couple who we spend time with, give us lots of travelling tips and who we hope to meet up with again in Roses, Northern Spain later. Una had a wicked sense of humour quite belying the serious person we thought we had first met.
The circus did come to town as mentioned above - took all day to set up their huge encampment and animals - had just one show that night and by dawn the next morning had gone!!! It was a though they had never been. We sat watching the set up for a few hours as it was quite fascinating and entertaining for many reasons. The animals were definitely well cared for on the ground but to be constantly on the move in 32 degree heat must take it's toll on humans and animals alike. The amount of humans and machinery it took to set up was incredible - most seem to be conversing in Russian.
We were content here for a while, relaxing, but after 7 nights and the intrusion of a nearby smoker we decided it was time to move on.
So on Saturday 27th we headed towards Oradour sur Glane via the Vallie des Cheronte, Cherac and Cognac where we parked by a river and had lunch. So many small, sometimes very plain and sometimes very pretty villages of little significance appeared almost on top of one another - Chateaubernard, Hiersac, the historic town of Anguoleme, Suaux, La Peruse, Etegnac, St.Junien and suddenly Gary veers off the road to our right. He has spotted the perfect overnight parking spot next to the river Vienne just before the river Vienne meets the river Glane. It is perfect for freedom camping and we are eventually joined by another campervan to keep us safe and cosy. French people come and picnic beside the river and fish along the river - it is very nice.
Next morning we set off for Oradour sur Glane just a short distance away. This is a village which was surrounded by the Nazis, all its inhabitants killed and the village and bodies set on fire. This was a retaliatory move after a German Nazi officer was captured. Over 600 men women and children died here and the village has been left exactly how it was found after the massacre although any bodies or bones interred. Heaps of Singer sewing machines, cars, bikes, prams, metal bedsteads burnt and rusting litter the village. It is heart breaking and soul destroying to see. Mans inhumanity to man never ceases to make us despair. The sites were shocking. The French have kept the memory of the villagers alive and they have done it well.
The same day we travel on to Limoge where we had the most amazing 4 nights at Camping Montreal. Initially we had thought we would camp at a different site with a swimming pool but on arrival and a quick glance around we realised things were not how they had been portrayed in our ACSI campsite book. "It will be like swimming in a bucket" came from Gary as we spotted the pool. Mmmmm how true that was.
So we moved on to our next site at Saint Germain Les Belles overlooking a man made lake with a swimming pool to die for and not many children if any at all. Run by a Dutch couple Hans and Leonie they did everything on the campsite including cooking for and running the restaurant which was busy every night. The food was great and the vin cheap. Once again we met some fabulous people here Gillian and Alan who we hope to also meet in Roses and John and Glenda who we hope to meet again in the Lot valley. One little incident had us laughing though. One morning I woke up to only one Keene sandle outside the door and when I enquired of Hans if this was a regular happening he had to admit that yes it happened often but not just with shoes although this was his speciality. He would take buckets of food, clogs anything he could pick up and carry in his teeth. He never damaged what he took, just moved it from one place to another. It was a night-time habit of a local black dog and it was our job to seek and find. Of course we did find it, hidden behind a chalet several metres away, intact and unchewed. Much was my relief.
It was hard to leave here. Once again we came for 2 nights and stayed for four. On the morning we were leaving so many people came to our site chatting, giving travel advice, saying their goodbyes and giving us their best wishes it was awesome. We finally left with a container of homemade Aioli, a gift from Hans and Leonie - very special and delicious - and headed for the Dordogne. We have looked forward to this part of our journey for so long and we were not to be disappointed.