Running for the border

 

Talk about good timing! France locks down at midnight Friday and we are on the last ferry  - well, just about! Another dry, if grey, morning as we exit Les Sables d’Olonne northwards. I purchased delicious buns in Ste Marie de Ré yesterday just in case we fail on the boulangerie front and we have to get breakfast before we hit Loire Atlantique because they are in Zone Rouge where bars are closed. Nip and tuck, dear reader, as we got as far as Beauvoir sur mer before stopping. Ironically we probably could have driven down to our moules frites caff at Port du Bec for coffee but thought that would be just a touch too nerdish. Instead a noisy PMU bar as usual with three tvs on different channels, one of which is always MTV, and today the unlovely vision of a young Mick Jagger contorting himself.

Across the Loire at St Nazaire again. Very murky and the first rain for a while. Didn’t last long however and the rest of the slog up was mostly bright. But sooooo busy! We reckoned people must be stocking up before lockdown and everyone dashing back from half term too. Somehow I made a wrong decision re luncheon. My image had been of us partaking of soupe de poisson and shellfish on the terrace of some picturesque beach shack. But we didn’t get to a suitable turn off until after 12.30 because of traffic. It was Concarneau, a nice town with many restaurants near the water. But no - I thought it would be too busy and sent us off down winding roads towards a little port. This proved to be less than pretty, though it did have a few eateries. One was big and busy, the others looked dreary. We tried big and busy but they were heaving and told us to wait on the terrace and someone would come. Fifteen minutes later no one had so we used the facilities and left saying oh well we’re not really that hungry. Then to rub salt in the wound ended up going through delightful Concarneau with happy diners at the outdoor tables in the sunshine. That could have been us!

More motoring up through Finistère. More roadworks, detours and rats fleeing their sinking ship. Mention was made of stopping for crisps and ham (left over from previous days) but nothing came of it and as if  by magic there we were surrounded by cauliflower and artichoke fields outside Morlaix. We needed a mini emergency shop for our return home to tide us over until Sainsburys deliver on Saturday. So into Leclerc St Pol de Léon, where we were met by a wall of panic buyers. Amazingly we managed to get milk butter bread pastis and yoghurts and get out in the space of ten minutes!

 I reckoned St Pol must have a Salon de Thé. We parked near the cathedral and there was one - open. Nice lady who fed us good coffee and cake. 

There was still an hour before we had to show up at Brittany Ferries so we spent that in Roscoff at the Chapelle Ste Barbe gazing out sadly at the town and the Ile de Batz in the sunset. Pont Aven was lurking by the quay. We also did a sorting of the garlic! It had been stinking the car out for days, which is unusual so we knew somewhere there was a rotten one . Several in fact! 

Reluctantly we joined the queue checking in. So many British prepared to quarantine and rather a lot with non EU registration plates. Judases! Security checked everyone’s boots (car), sniffer doggies ran round excitedly, passports were checked by French border control.  In the fullness of time we got on board and into our cabin then passed an hour overlooking the fancy atrium bar with orange juice and crisps - what a balanced diet we had today!

Slightly rough crossing but nothing major and we slept well. Once again our  radio failed to transmit the soothing wake up music but we were awake so had plenty of time. Unloading took ages because of UK Immigration but because we had our Passenger Locator Forms visible on ipad screens we were waved through quite quickly although the Officer did look quizzically at my photo - taken when I had a severe fringe and had recently had a hair colour mistake with very dark brown!

Anyway now we are home and heating is on, log fire blazing, tea and toast consumed.

A little Ré of sunshine

Not raining in La Rochelle this morning ! We got up lazily and filled in our Passenger Locator Forms for UK Immigration then set off for the  Île de Ré. It was sunny and clear with a stiff breeze but no sign yet of the predicted awful storm. 8 euros to cross the lovely bridge and then we were onto the island in search of lighthouses and views. 

The first lighthouse was Chauveau just off the east coast and clearly visible as we crossed over. Down a little track and into a muddy carpark on the headland from where we walked to the beach. Me shod in totally unsuitable leather shoes but that’s all I had. Anyway the beach was clean with hard mudstone so that was OK.

A few people were gathering mussels off the rocks. 

The airforce were roaring above making pretty patterns with their vapour trails and a kestrel hovered above us totally unphased by our presence. 

In fact we saw loads of kestrels today - everywhere!

The  Île de Ré is gorgeous but unfortunately very popular and once you get into the little towns it is terribly crowded. Nowhere to park, gangs of people on bikes. And it’s half term so hundreds of children too! Never seen so many. They seem to be a must have accessory like dogs are in England. We eventually managed to grab a parking slot and had a very good coffee at reasonable price surprisingly.

Then up to the top end to revisit the Phare des Baleines. This is the most visited lighthouse in France and today there was a massive queue to go up it. 

No social distancing here but mask wearing is compulsory everywhere on the island, even outdoors. 

Great spot with walks along the beach and big seas. There was now a bank of cloud to the north that we thought was bound to hit us but somehow it just stayed put looking ominous and we remained in sunshine.

We had hoped to go to a seafood shack in the salt pans for lunch but because we thought it would rain we bought sandwiches earlier so that idea was out! I did go and snap the place for future ref though. 

Instead we drove to another headland where we had a good walk and explore before munching the delicious filled baguettes. 

The birdlife is fantastic here - great flocks of waders moving overhead, harriers, starlings, aforementioned kestrels and of course, gulls.

Time to leave, sadly. We only had to motor up through the Vendée marshes but it all takes time and we did want to get to Les Sables d’Olonne in time for a walk around in daylight. As we moved north we hit the rainclouds briefly but luck was with us and we arrived in Les Sables in the dry. Hotel not brilliant as they had no parking available so we’ve had to leave the car in the street. 

But we braved the increasingly strong wind and had a few hours wandering along the quay and harbour watching the boats and the surfers and the waves. 

Les Sables is a major fishing port - this boat must have been glad to be home this evening.

It’s Vendée Globe time too.

I took far too many photos. More in the album if you are interested. And tonight’s Presidential announcement, although widely expected, makes us feel very lucky we are leaving when we are. Getting out just in time!

Soggy Bottoms

It wasn’t raining as we left Sarlat but it was only a matter of time. Such a shame we saw so little of the town but conditions were not exactly favourable. Another time. Breakfast stop was at Les Eyzies, home of Cro Magnon chappie and various other major prehistoric features. In season it must be heaving but today it was quiet and local. Just a few people walking up the street and a couple of blokes outside the café where we had coffee and fresh warm flaky croissants. 

Amazing rocks jut out over the town and inside some of the buildings too and there’s also an impressive skew railway bridge!

We continued through the golden forests and walnut groves with oolitic limestone rock faces looming above us,  and eventually into rolling Cognac country, with brandy as far as the eye could see. Pouring down now hence the spattered raindrops on the picture of this deconstructed barrel on the roundabout. 

It was obvious that our planned seafront stroll at Royan was not going to happen. So instead we rerouted down the Seudre estuary in search of an atmospheric picnic spot. This is a watery world at the best of times and today it was on overdrive. We got out for a walk and returned quickly, absolutely soaked. 

But we moved on along the winding roads and found a long track heading for the oyster beds where we parked up half way across the channel (or so it seemed). 

There are buildings scattered all along the channels and among the old salt pans. Oyster sacks and wire cages piled up here and there.Flat bottomed boats moored up waiting to transport the juvenile oysters to different waters. All very organised.

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It’s oyster production on an industrial scale,  but there was no one around at lunchtime and we had the place to ourselves. 

After our ham, eggs and last night’s baguette and chocolate eclairs we headed for the Marennes bridge. Just at the roundabout end was this structure commemorating the recent passage of Le Tour. I was sent out in the downpour to capture it!

The lighthouse is Coubre which is just down the road on the Atlantic side of the peninsula

Our final stop on the tour of the marshes was Brouage, the 17th century former port citadel, now well and truly landlocked. The sculpture is Le Guetteur (lookout) in the rather bleak grounds of the old barracks. He looks like he couldn’t see much today through the driving rain.

And so here we are in Première Classe La Rochelle again and once more in a spiffing huge room with vast wetroom! Yippee.

Long slog

Got up at 6.30 and for the first time ever had cornflakes for breakfast before leaving. Why? Ah well, 54 départements are in curfew and that also means bars are closed. Also it is Monday, and finding the only boulangerie in the village en route might prove tricky. We drive through curfew land until well after lunchtime so better safe than sorry. House cleaned, bags packed, water off, shutters closed and we leave. With much sadness as this has been too short a stay and who knows when we can return. Poor little house.

Today’s route was via the Cévennes and skirting the Gorges du Tarn, via Rodez and into Curfew free Dordogne to Ibis Sarlat. Good weather to start - even sunny. You will know that I am not a huge fan of hills, even less a fan of edible chestnuts. However the Cévennes conspire to combine both into a glorious riot of autumnal colour. Every slope clothed in orange, bronze, gold, red with occasional clumps of vivid yellow. The default tree here is the sweet chestnut you see and its friends are birch and poplar. 

Roads strewn with fallen marrons - best place for them! Roadworks were omnipresent with half the carriageway carved away into sump ripping terraces. No quarter given by the oncoming road rollers either!

After going the (logically) ‘wrong’ way down the A75 in order to pick up the cross route to Rodez it started to rain and from then on we passed through torrential downpours interspersed with bright sun. Not much to report...cows, sheep, ploughed fields. Stopped for sandwiches and ate them up a farm track watching a kestrel try to get her own lunch. Then onward to Sarlat. Which is much bigger than I imagined. By now it was tipping down so we thought we couldn’t be bothered to tramp the streets in search of an eatery. Not on a Monday! So I dashed into a boulangerie and got bread and eclairs. Ah but then we saw a place immediately opposite the hotel that looked OK, so weakened. The bread will be fine tomorrow.

Food was nice and service good ... that is until it came to pay the bill....zzz. We realised after a while that we were not alone. Other diners were sitting wearily, one couple said they’d been waiting 45 minutes. Another chap opined that it was a pity Sarlat wasn’t under curfew because we’d all have had to get out by 9!

Now is there some sort of Apple Maps Convention here? The reason I ponder is that in the hotel carpark there are at least half a dozen white Subarus with roof cameras and the legend Apple Maps Image Collection. German and Spanish registrations.

A quick peek at Google (haha) reveals that Apple are doing France this year...

Lieux de passage des véhicules sur la période : juin à octobre, 2020

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Haute-Loire, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Savoie

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Côte-d'Or, Doubs, Haute-Saône, Jura, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, Territoire de Belfort,Yonne

Bretagne

Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan

Centre-Val de Loire

Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret

Corse

Corse-du-Sud, Haute-Corse

Grand Est

Ardennes, Aube, Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Haute-Marne, Marne, Meurthe-et-Moselle,Meuse, Moselle, Vosges

Hauts-de-France

Aisne, Nord, Oise, Pas-de-Calais, Somme

Îlele-de-France

Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis, Seine-et-Marne, Val-d'Oise, Val-de-Marne, Yvelines

Normandie

Calvados, Eure, Manche, Orne, Seine-Maritime

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Charente, Charente-Maritime, Corrèze, Creuse, Deux-Sèvres, Dordogne, Gironde,Haute-Vienne, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Vienne

Occitanie

Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Gers, Haute-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées, Hérault, Lot,Lozère, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne

Pays de la Loire

Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe, Vendée

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Hautes-Alpes, Var,Vaucluse

Before and After

 Last evening the slate skies that had circled around most of the day got together and exploded over us. Lightning, rain, nil visibility. Just for an hour. Then all was sweetness and light again and the storm moved on. 

This morning it was as if it had never been. We were back to sharp blue skies and cool north breeze. Still mild but crisp with puffy white cloud instead of the fluff coloured wadding. 

We delayed going to the market because we thought the bar might be shut.  Vaucluse is now in curfew mode and we had a feeling that meant bars were closed. However, apparently not. 

When we arrived all was as usual and we sat in the sun one final time with our café crème. Half term so it was busy and some people have a curious idea of what mask wearing entails...under chin, under nose...

After depositing the supplies back home it was off to Roaix for a last lunch. Surprisingly only 15 people there. We chose pizza but really should have had the magret or the Côte de Veau aux cèpes. Still it was very nice and good to go and we weren’t really desperately hungry. I think they are finding it tough going and we want to support them.

And then a walk up on the hillside enjoying the wonderful palette of autumn hues in the vines. 

Tomorrow is packing - will we get all the wine in?! Not that we can compete with the Kaiser cargo of 120 bottles and two 10 litre bibs! Still who knows when we can return and how much we will then be allowed to bring back. Better stock up while we can.

The Great Sablet Curtain Twitch

 

My oh my. We thought today would be rather dull. Beds were stripped, repairs effected to shutters. We had a brief walk round in the grey and drizzle, noted the huge hole where once a plane tree had stood, deposited books in the book box, played with a bored cat on the Place des Barrys, came home and ate pâtisserie.

Then...out of the window I noticed activity. Two vans drew up emblazoned with the legend Ressourcerie. 

They were joined, curiously, by a pick up full of squashed grape skins. I think this was a coincidence! Anyway, the Ressourcerie vans disgourged several young people who entered the house across the road and proceded to bring forth the contents. 

Really everything from mattresses to children’s toys, chairs, lamps, shelves, linen - even a pair of crutches! I leapt out and asked if they had room for the Albatross we were lumbered with, to whit, the roof box abandoned by IOM visitors. That and a deep fat fryer that for some reason Louise thought we should have. Maybe they said, but only if they had room. Otherwise we can take it to their depot at the tip. That’s what we’ll have to do, as they trundled away fully laden.

But hold hard! At 6.45 the chief tattooed lady shifter knocks on the door. Yes she can take the items in her Renault van. Hoorah! Sterling wench. And she spoke English. Result.

Let them eat steak

 Strange weather.  We’re just out of the line of fire from Storm Barbara but you can see the edge of the front to the north and there’s a strong south wind.  And it’s warm - in the mid 20s. We went to Malaucène market in search of monkfish but hopes were dashed - no fish stall. In fact rather a reduced offering of stalls generally despite it being half term. So we got a couple of dishes from the Vietnamese stall, had a coffee and moved on. To Puyméras for steak and chips. But first taking a detour to Faucon in case the Boulangerie had a slice of tarte aux pruneaux for tea. Hollow laugh! There was a sign saying closed 20-26 October and also closed Wednesdays. So, we’d have been disappointed anyway, what with this being 21st AND Wednesday.

The Café des Barrys in Puyméras was bustling with lots of noisy locals and we got a table on the edge of the terrace in the sun. Nice place and quite different from our other haunts. One of the cats who sit on cars came past and greeted me ‘where have you parked the warm bonnet today then?!’

After lunch, a drive through the tapestry of yellow, red and orange vines to the Toulourenc for a walk. This place heaves in season but now there were just two or three cars and we scarcely saw anyone. 

You walk down through the vines onto the white pebbles of the river bank and along between banks of willow, wild rose shrubs festooned with red hips, poplars glowing yellow, fiery-leaved shrubs. 

All flanking the trickling clear waters of this untrustworthy river. Its turquoise pools can become raging torrents funnelled through limestone gorges and there are dire warning notices all over the place.

Today was tranquil though and all we heard were the usual invisible birds. Aha, not quite! I snapped a long tailed tit.