Beauvoir-Sur-Mer

Last night passed by quietly with only a call of an owl breaking the silence. This morning a beautiful start. A fresh off shore breeze chased around Marge. Despite vans arriving until late yesterday evening none slotted in next to Marge. In the eyes of the French, it seems we are all Brexiters. 'You and your Boris Johnson'. 

A walk along the nearby coast path took us to coves of flat sand and volcanic rock exposed by the receding tide. Oysters and mussels in abundance clung to the glistening wet rock, vulnerable to the foragers that picked through them. We love walking on a beach, picking through the treasures on offer.

 One treasure we didn't expect to come across was a man who appeared from swimming in the chill waters of the Atlantic. Are those skin tone trunks he's wearing? After a cheery bonjour he laid himself on the sand to dry off. Our friends Trudy and Andrew who live in Cornwall like to swim in the sea. We wondered if they adopted this drying method as well.

The local fire brigade were practicing rescues on a cliff face below us.

Early afternoon it was time to move a little further down the coast. Today being Friday meant there was a good chance the French would head to the area En-masse. The road took us over the suspension bridge at Saint-Nazaire. It is over sixty metres high and around three thousand four hundred metres long.

We actually cycled over this bridge a few years ago after returning by train to Nantes when we cycled along the river Loire to Nevers. A ride of nearly three hundred and fifty miles. That evening in September was warm and the air still. Today however a speed restriction was in place of around 45 miles per hour because of the wind. Hold on to your hat Marge. In fact, hold on to everything, we're going over. She didn't enjoy it. We didn't enjoy it, and were glad as we began the descent. 

We were heading to La Pointe Saint Gildas, a pretty spot overlooking the Loire estuary. But the parking area for the vans had become commercialised. Sixteen euros was payable to join a card scheme and to stay overnight. No thanks. One, too expensive. Two, why throw ourselves to the Lions. We would have been the only English van there. Moving on, the next stop was five euros and very exposed. That's a no then. Eventually we found some free van parking, a little more sheltered, down by the Passage du Gois.

The causeway links the mainland with the Ile de Noirmoutier. Twice a day during low tide it is exposed for vehicles to cross. The next crossing time is just before eleven thirty tonight. Just before nine o' clock someone went for it! It's not for us though. Marge is already suffering from the salt air that surrounds her at home in Poole, so we do not want to expose her to any more of this than is necessary. Tomorrow, we plan to drive to Ile de Noirmoutier over the new road bridge just along the coast. 

This evening darkness fell at seven forty as the last of a sky of marble faded. We are loving these longer days. The next ten days weather is set to be fine, just as it is back home. We've waited a long time for it, so enjoy everybody. 

Escape to the Chateau fans. Filming about to start on new series of Escape to the Chateau. How does Angela know. Email from Dick and Angel. Just saying. Promise to stop chateau talk now. Don't want to get a name.