La Flotte, Ile de Re, Charente-Maritime. (Day 11)

The French are great recyclers. They leave boxes of items outside their homes for people to take, and the same at recycling points. John loves this type of thing, and Angela quite often has to restrain him from taking any of the items. She's not sure though if a part used packet of large Tena pants up at the campsite's recycling area is something that would interest him. Despite still being hot, the weather is a lot fresher, so we walked along the coast to the Abbey des Chateliers.

Built in the twelfth century the beautiful ruins dominate the coastal landscape they sit in. Today is our last day on the island, and we wanted to take a couple of walks out, for old times sake. The garden at the abbaye is a haven for bees and butterflies. Back at home we hardly ever see butterflies, but here in France we've been spoilt, seeing species we've only ever heard about. 

(Brimstone Yellow)

Today feels a little sad. Steve and Lynn, the English couple who moved to France twenty years ago left the campsite this morning. We enjoyed their company, they were good fun, and this evening it feels strange not to be able to wander across to their van and have a chat and a laugh. It's true what they say. It's not always the places you visit that you remember, but the people you meet along the way. Tomorrow we'll continue our journey. We feel incredibly lucky to be able to travel, almost without restriction, where and when we wish. We realise others would love to be in our position. Our message is, if you can, go for it! As you know, Angela loves a quotation. And today she wants to end the blog with this one.

 'New Beginnings'

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we imagined. The path we planned may shift beneath our feet, and the dreams we once held close might slip through our fingers. Sometimes, life has other plans, ones we never saw coming, ones we never would have chosen. But that doesn’t mean the journey is over.

Don’t waste the time you’re given waiting for perfect conditions or wishing things had gone differently. Use this moment, this breath, this heartbeat, to begin again. There is still beauty to be found in the unexpected. You can still laugh through tears, find hope in the ashes, and dance in the rain.

Even when the skies are gray and the map is unclear, your story isn’t finished. You can always dream new dreams, build new beginnings, and write a future that honors both where you’ve been and where you’re going.

 by Spirit of a Hippie