L'Houmeau

Where are all the English people? Apart from three Dutch and a handful of Germans, visitors from other countries are thin on the ground here in France. We haven't seen a U.K. registration plate since March 15th. It just shows it really is low season here despite the good weather. Yesterday we passed mile after mile of large campsites and they were all closed. Never mind, lack of visitors means more space for Marge. 

This morning as we breakfasted the municipal police drove by. Since Brexit you must ensure you have all your vehicle and other documentation in order when travelling in Europe. Vehicle log book, motor insurance, photocard driving licence, proof of vehicle purchase in Marge's case as she's an imported vehicle, travel insurance and passport. We'd read the police may stop you if you're from the U.K. to check everything is in order. But this morning they just drove by with a smile. 

Planning to stay another night at Pointe de L'Aiguillon we drove to the nearest supermarket to stock up. But it was further away than we expected, so we decided to drive around the bay to the other side. En-route we stopped at a service area for vans where we took advantage of enough water to be able to wash Marge's solar panels which were still covered in the red dust from the Sahara. Just before the stop John spotted a Hoopoe, a bird with a distinctive crown of feathers. The last time we'd seen one was in Italy in 2019. 

Taking advantage of the pleasant spot the service area was at we lunched on a sausage and egg salad. Nicer than it sounds with lashings of French coleslaw with a hint of Dijon mustard. John managed to drop coleslaw on his trousers. He's got carrot on his crotch. Alright Marge. Rude!

Having lingered a little longer than we expected over lunch we carried on travelling along quiet roads which we recognised from cycling. We even came across spots we had stopped at to rest or eat lunch. It brought back great memories.

Our destination was L'Houmeau. Once again, we have views across the bay towards Il de Re, with the bridge connecting it to the mainland clearly visible. Tomorrow we will drive across it. We walked out along the seafront and down to the Port du Plomb. The nearby restaurant re-opens on April 1^st, so we guess this is when the holiday season in France opens up. 

Once again, the evening has been mild so we have been able to sit in Marge with her side door open bringing the outside in. John really loves it when we can do this. The day ended with a beautiful sunset over the Ile de Re. It's now ten days since we left home and we can't believe how quickly it's passed. Perhaps rising earlier and spending less time in supermarkets would be an idea. No Marge, the pace suits us just fine.

As darkness falls orange fairy lights on the far side of the harbour punctuate the inky sky. Just Marge and another van tonight. The wind is a little stronger than of late, but we don't expect it to disturb us during the night. We're excited about tomorrow and our trip over to the island. Looking forward to it Marge?