Camping Amitie Et Nature, Saint Nicholas de Brem

At eight this morning the lady in charge of the campsite appeared. She was quick to notice there were now four pitches occupied, not three. Somewhere had sneaked in late. She made a bee line straight to them! The sun was slow to appear, so once again it was a none thirty start. John doesn't like to pack the tent up wet.

Then a flat ride across the Marais to the coast, stopping along the way to watch coypu in the waterways that criss crossed the marshland. Opposite the large ears of a hare could be seen protruding from the long grass. An ever hanging canvas of flora, fauna and wildlife. Arriving at St. Jean de Mont we found a shady spot to sit and observe the market.

The fruit and vegetable stalls a root of colour. John fancied a couple of apples, after queuing for some time whilst each customer asked about the stallholders and discussed their on growing toenail, or some other ailment he finally reached the front of the queue. Now he understands why it takes Angela so long in the supermarket here.

A lunch stop by the beach eating filled baguettes bought earlier whilst we waited for the tourist office to open at 2 pm.

Then a cycle along the coast, through the sand dunes until we were too tired to carry on. Another expensive campsite, now we're on the coast. Enquiring in the office about a supermarket we were told a Lidl was a mile out. Could we have one of the local paper maps. No, we could not. It was swiftly put back in the cupboard along with 100 more. They'll be just for the French then! Angela decided to set off with a little idea of where she was going, stopping along the way to check with two ladies out walking. At a road junction she just wasn't sure. Opposite a man leant on his front gate. Sending she was lost beckoned her over. After some schoolgirl French, Angela understood and was off on the right direction. Returning to John, salads, soft drink, fruit and of course pain chocolates he informed her he'd just felt the earth tremor. Did she? Upon investigation it turned out there had been an earth quake, 4.8 on the scale just down the coast near La Rochelle. We've not pitched under a tree have we?