La Flotte

During the night the wind increased which was a little concerning as we had to take Marge up and across the bridge today. Angela was tired as some person with something to prove insisted on annoying us all with his fart car for ten minutes during the night. There's a name for these people. Small d-ck! 

The scene this morning was beautiful. So clear we could see right across the bay. Taking our time over breakfast, as we always do, we watched the port slowly come to life. A large excavator down on the foreshore moved large boulders to build up the sea defense. The crunching and grinding of the stones sounded all around. Before setting off we once again walked down to the port. We were on a mission to snaffle some more rosemary from a bush near a restaurant. But alas, the restaurant was open so we sheepishly admired the plant and walked on.

O.K. Marge let's do it. Turn left. Perhaps not. After a short while we encountered a barrier barring our way. The road narrow with soft verges Marge was carefully reversed to a safe point to perform a three-point turn. Right let's try again. 

The wind still seemed fairly strong so Angela was a little nervous. Eight euros paid at the toll booth and Marge began her ascent. The wind blew from the side. No problem for Marge. She sailed up and over descending gracefully on to the Ile de Re. As soon as we arrived on the island, we felt a different vibe. It felt very Mediterranean and expensive. Our chosen aire was busy. One van had decided to park sideways. Ignorant. We agree Marge. But there was just enough space for us to squeeze in front.

We were adjacent to a cycle path and quickly began unpacking our bikes. Bicycles are the preferred mode of transport here, and there are many cycle ways to keep you safe away from larger vehicles. Quick. That man's just left. Grab his space. Alright Marge, we see where you're coming from.

We forsake our sunny spot for one under the pine trees, but we would have a side garden. The side garden always wins with us. Tomorrow though we would have to use our auxiliary solar panel that we lay outside or on our windscreen to provide more electricity to run our fridge and lighting, Marge's solar panels now in the shade of the trees. 

Shorts on, time to top up last year's tan. We cycled into La Flotte.

Bought a baguette, fresh tomatoes and pate and enjoyed a simple but tasty lunch sat by the harbour wall. 

Then on to Saint-Martin de-Re. A bustling touristy town with 17^th century ramparts. Here we heard English voices from a couple of young men. We were not alone! We took a look around and then sat a while by the harbour. The temperature climbed to 23 c. But the locals obviously found it cold. Their coats buttoned or zipped to the neck. Some even wore scarves. That's nothing though. Ile de Re is famous for Poitou donkeys which used to be used to work in the salt industry dressed in pyjamas. Why? To relieve the donkeys of the constant aggression of the flies and mosquitoes found in the salt marshes.

As we left the town we stopped to look at a drove of donkeys in a field alongside the cycle path, spared now of their pyjamas. They seemed pleased to see us. We are going to spend at least two nights on the island making the most of the good weather and our little side garden where tonight we set up our outside grill. The setting up of table and chairs and barbecues is not allowed on the aires. But that rule doesn't apply to the French as they all do it. So when in Rome etc! Burgers sizzling on the grill, a little dog from a nearby van caught the scent. We'd been caught. But nobody cared.

We are in to our second week of travel in France now and find the welcome to La Flotte sign outside the aire amusing. In English it says Drive on the Right. A little late to tell you now don't you think Marge?

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?

Pointe de L'Aiguillon (nr: La Rochelle)

 

Despite the aire being full last night with most vans the size of studio flats, the night passed quietly. Opposite us was a huge German registered Cathargo van. This morning John discussed the wheels and tyres on it with its owner as he'd like Marge to be fitted with slightly larger tyres. Size matters!  

Before we left this morning John decided to strip Marge of her screen wash bottle. Steady! For some time now it appears to have been leaking. Meanwhile Angela tidied Marge while one of the neighbours watched with a critical eye. Marge loved the attention. Angela did not. Marge spick and span the critical neighbour opened the door on her van and began to pack up. What a mess. It looked like a travelling skip!

Before leaving Barbatre we needed to find the service point. Finding ourselves up against no entry signs at every turn made the chore quiet frustrating. Marge seemed a little off colour. Her brakes didn't seem right and she felt lethargic.

As we left the Ile de Noirmoutier over the bridge Marge wheezed and her engine went in to safe mode. Oh no, not again Marge! We thought we'd cured you of this problem. Slowly we eased Marge up and over the bridge much to the frustration and annoyance of a group of motorcyclists who were hoping to power over it. Pulling over to the side of the road we tried to remedy the problem with a spray of WD40 and a wriggle round of the turbo charger operating rod which normally works. Not this time. After some thought John realised that the vacuum pipe from the vacuum reservoir had come loose whilst investigating the screen wash problem. That would also explain the braking problem as the braking system also requires a vacuum to power the brakes. Thank God. It was starting to look as if our trip was about to become a bit of a nightmare. 

Marge well again we travelled on to Les Sables-d'Olonne. The van stop wasn't up too much so we stayed just long enough to have our lunch and then continued on towards La Rochelle. It was late afternoon before we arrived so most of the weekend visitors had already left.

Marge is settled in a pleasant spot behind the sand dunes with views across open marshland.

After spending much time in the van we were keen to stretch our legs and walked through the dunes and along the beach towards the point.

The sand was covered in oyster shells interspaced with small pretty shells and skeletons of crabs. We know a little boy who would have loved spending time on this beach throwing the shells back in to the sea. In the distance, across the bay of       

L' Aiguillon we could see the bridge that connected the Ile de Re to the mainland. The Ile de Re is where we're headed having not been there before. But we may leave it a day and stay here another night. Marge has a nice spot on the grass and we have nice views. The other vans are a little further up. The call of the skylarks pierces the air and rabbits run through the grass. It's a peaceful place. There's no rush is their Marge? After the day you've had today you could probably do with a rest.