Kate & Clarky's Spring Saunter.

[Clarky]

It is early March and that means, for the meteorologists, it’s now spring.

That also means we are on a search for some early sun and warmth so are heading south once again.

We have had a couple of mini jaunts already this year, a week in a rather chilly and wet Derbyshire and a quick one nighter to Staffordshire to get the habitation/damp check done on the van.

Before all that we had a long wait for a new windscreen to be sent from Germany after a large crack appeared during a short break to Northern France in December.


At last all the home jobs and motorhome services were done and we were free to leave for our planned trip.

Not, as usual, that much had been planned. Last year we met up with friends while down at Gruissan and they were singing the praises of Portugal and gave us details of a few aires and camping spots that they liked. About three years previously we had spent some time in Portugal and really liked the more northern parts but not the very built up Algarve. This time the very rough and ready plan was to head for rural Portugal and hope to find some warmth and sun.

Leaving home at mid-day on a Saturday we took the tunnel and stayed at Cite Europe for the first night. Next day we travelled down to La Mailleraye-sur-Seine, one of our favourite stopping places, beside the river. This year the price has been increased a little to €6.80 a night for two people. Despite all the services being closed for winter the price was still charged. With everything covered over I couldn’t even empty the cassette.

Next day we continued south and thought we might try the aire on an island in the middle of the Loire at Saumur. Although quite expensive for an aire, at around €12, it has all facilities and hook-up and we thought it would be good to explore Saumur again. When we arrived we took a look and both decided that we were very underwhelmed. We carried on for a few more km to the free aire at Montreuil-Belay where we have stopped before.

Those who have read our blog will have seen lots of photos of the places described as we have stopped at them several times in the past. For that reason I haven’t added any photos this time.

The aire at Montreuil-Belay has changed though. The old aire was just a piece of rough land used as a carpark but had lovely views of the chateau and the old monastic buildings. The aire has now been moved to the far side of the adjacent camp site and is purpose built and laid out with proper access roads (GPS 47.13085º -0.16048º).

There should be space for around 30 vans. Although it’s not quite finished there are all services and cables are in place for electric hook-ups to be installed. There are also cables in place for a barrier system to be put in so it will no longer be a free stopover.

Unfortunately it is also a little closer to the busy main road so not a quiet as before and you lose most of those views of the chateau.


On Tuesday we took another jump south to the old wine town of Blaye, north of Bordeaux and sitting on the banks of the Gironde.

Some people who have left comments on the various camper apps dislike the aire, (GPS 45.12557º 0.66600º) saying it is just a carpark with no services, which is quite true. We rather like it though and always go prepared.

Although parts of the town seem a little ‘faded’, the facade’s of the large buildings lining the ‘front’ make a rather elegant group in the evening sunlight. With the impressive Citadel behind and the river alongside there are 360º views to enjoy. The charge for 24hrs parking is €3, paid by credit card at the machine.

As we had been driving for four consecutive days we stayed at Blaye for two nights. After a day of showers the wind got up during our second night and roared and howled around, giving the van a real battering. Unfortunately we were sideways on to the wind and at one stage it was so bad I was halfway out of bed with the intention of turning the van round so that we were head on. Eventually it all died down and peace and quiet returned.

This and all our other trips can be accessed on our blog:- https://motorhomemoments.wordpress.com/trips/

 

[Clarky]

All change.

After our overnight battering at Blaye we had a good look at the weather apps to try and get a steer on the likely forecast for the next week.

Do we keep heading south and down the Atlantic coast, then on across Spain to Portugal, or should we re-think?

The forecasts seemed to show weather fronts coming off the Atlantic for the next week and as we didn’t come abroad to sit in rain and gloom we might have to change track and head east towards the Mediterranean.

The south east corner of France, around Narbonne, was looking good and so it took milliseconds to decide to head there.

South to Bordeaux, then a short stretch of péage on the A62, before going across country to Moissac for an overnight stop.


We have stopped at Moissac before and the very smart, newish aire, is excellent.

We were surprised by the number of vans there, expecting it to be almost empty like everywhere else we have stopped on this trip. At €6, paid by CC at the barrier, it includes hook-up as well as water, dump etc so is popular with full timers. A number of vans looked settled in for the long term. There are marked out pitches separated by shrubs, picnic tables and the whole place looks tidy and very well cared for. A bread van called in the morning.

The aire is set between the River Tarn and the Canal Lateral la Garonne in a very quiet area. A small gate at the back of the aire takes you out to the canal towpath and a very pleasant walk in to the town.

After a quiet night we set off again toward Toulouse where we once again jumped on to short sections of péage to get us past the slow and busy areas round the city.

With the sun shining and quiet roads we were happily heading to our home from home in France.

After a quick fuel top up at Narbonne we drove over the hills of the Clappe and down into Gruissan.

Once again we were surprised by the number of vans on the marina aire, expecting it to be almost empty.

I’m not sure why we like Gruissan so much, we just do.

The aire is just a large dusty carpark but it does have good views across the lagoon and in the distance are the snow covered Pyrenees. An evening stroll around the marina is always pleasant and there are miles of cycle tracks, mostly quite flat. The drawback, particularly at this time of year, is the wind, which can be very gusty. When the wind drops and the sun is up it can be glorious though. We frequently come here intending to stop for a couple of days which turns into a couple of weeks. The same could happen this time.

 

[Dilwyn]

That's a very detailed and useful write up - thank you. Keep them coming!

 

[tuscancouple]

Once again we were surprised by the number of vans on the marina aire, expecting it to be almost empty.

Great write ups, however I would probably describe this aire as nearly empty

Enjoy your travels, we'll be following you next week.

Mick

 

[Clarky]

Great write ups, however I would probably describe this aire as nearly empty

Enjoy your travels, we'll be following you next week.

Mick

Well spotted that man! That photo was this morning.

When we arrived at lunchtime Friday the aire was very busy and stayed like that on Saturday.
On Sunday it was quite empty and stayed like that today. Now it's evening it has filled a bit but still loads of space.
I think there are a lot of 'snowbirds' heading back north after the winter and using this aire as a transit stop. Lots of big German rigs with trailers and cars on tow.

Richard.

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[Clarky]

Don’t panic, don’t panic.

Monday morning and I can hear something clicking.

It’s a fast clicking/tapping sound but I can’t tell which direction it’s coming from. It is very windy and gusty though and we have a window open so it could be anything………..I take no more notice.

Later on the same faint sound. Could it be a seagull on the roof? Could it be the fridge igniter trying to re-light the gas? It stopped again so thought no more of it.

For the third time we heard the mystery sound, only just audible above the sound of the wind, and it was time for serious investigation.

This time as the ‘clicking’ stopped the water pump cycled for a couple of seconds. Ahha, had we found the culprit. The pump is buried deep in a locker underneath the seats and is almost impossible to get at, not helped by having the pump and ‘gubbins’ for our self levelling jacks fitted in front of it. While Kate held the seat cushion up I crawled under the table and, lying flat on the seat base reached in through the small lift up flap. With the aid of a torch I could see tiny traces of water that was slowly seeping from the base of the pump and into the electrical connections underneath. At that point the pump, which had been working fine, stopped completely.

I usually carry a gallon container of fresh water in the garage but this time, when it would be useful, I hadn’t brought any. With a decent container one can always have a supply without having to pump it up from the tank.

A few miles along the coast from where we were was a Carthago dealer who, with luck, might just have a pump in stock.

Navi d’Oc is tucked away in a small industrial area of Vendres, not far from Béziers. Although they were busy and only had two fitters working they had a pump in stock and would fit it while we waited.

The poor technician really struggled to get at the pump, like me he had to lie under the table with his head down the small hatch and work with one hand. Eventually after much struggling and I think a few French oaths, he got the other fitter to help, one crawling half in to the side locker and reaching past the hydraulic pump and the other with his head and one arm down the under seat hatch.

Eventually the job was done and two very relieved motorhomers went into the office to pay the bill. The Pump was €95 plus one hours labour (the job took about an hour and there were two guys working for part of the time) total €137. A very fair price to get us out of trouble.

Thank you Navi d”Oc.

 

[Clarky]

Moving East.

After our pump trauma we spent a relaxing day at Gruissan on Tuesday.

The stiff breeze dropped and we spent a while sitting in the sun. I went for a few miles bimble on my bike across the causeway and along the beach.

On Wednesday we headed east to Palavas-les-Flots, south of Montpellier. It is one of those towns that has sprung up along the coast that is separated from the ‘mainland’ by huge etang’s, vast shallow lakes and marshes that make a great home to wildlife. The most popular are probably the flamingoes with their rather exotic pink plumage.

There is a large aire situated beside the marina and the river Lez. It is also right beside a busy flyover but we didn’t find the noise of traffic at all intrusive.

The aire has full facilities, including 10amp hook-up, toilets and showers. For an aire it’s not cheap at €17 per day (@Lenny HB & @Northernraider would have a fit. ) but to our surprise, knowing how the French hate paying for aires, it was extremely busy. By arriving early, at lunch time, we got one of the few vacant pitches with a view over the river and a distant view of flamingoes on the etang. The pitches are marked out and there is just room to get table and chairs and perhaps an awning out. It appeared that a lot of vans are there for the long term.

On Thursday we continued east with a short drive along the coast to Aigues-Mortes.

Last time we went there, a few years back, we drove round looking for an aire but after passing loads of carparks with height barriers, gave up and drove on. This time, armed with Camper Contact, we were well prepared and thought we might stop for a night. Sure enough we found the aire/carpark and set off to explore the walled city.

The huge fortified walls look magnificent in that flat landscape, indeed they look so pristine that it’s hard to imagine that they are medieval. They look as though there must have been a great deal of restoration over the years.

We walked through the quiet, almost deserted, streets, through a couple of squares and into the busier and more commercial area of the old city. There was a funeral taking place in the church of Notre-Dame-des-Sablons so we didn’t go in but the main square, by the Hotel de Ville, was very attractive with its statue of Saint-Louis, known as the founder of the city.

Despite the ancient beginnings of the city most of the buildings show little sign of their early years. Unlike many old villages and towns in France these buildings seem to have been modernised over the years, so one doesn’t get the impression of being in a very historic city.

Apart from one or two things there was not a lot to keep us interested so after about an hour or so we left and returned to the Mo-Ho.

It was still only mid-morning so we set course east.

Taking back roads we had a lovely drive in the sunshine, across the Camargue towards Arles. There we joined the very busy N113 and, crossing the Rhone, headed south east in the general direction of Marsailes. At Martigues we turned on to the D5/D49 and on to Carro.

We have been to Carro a couple of times before and love the views over the sea.

At this time of year the aire is €7, including water and dump, and is set right on the sea shore with panoramic views of sea or harbour. Pitches are marked out with just enough room to open doors and lockers between the vans, if you want to sit out you have to leave room in front. No white pegs and 6 metre rules in force here, the ‘elf ’n safety brigade at the Caravan & Motorhome Club would have a blue fit!!!

Like most of this coast it can get pretty windy and when we arrived it was blowing a hooley.

That didn’t deter the wind surfers who were out in force with the sea roaring and the waves crashing onto the rocks. During the night the wind moderated and by morning it was just a very fresh breeze. Friday was beautiful, a shorts and tee shirt day and 22ºC, just the ticket.

The evening view from the cab with the lighthouse flashing on the headland.

 

[pandas]

3 weeks ago we passed the aire in Quarteira in the Algarve, 30 min from Faro. It was rammed and I was pretty pleased we flew into and out of Faro this time. Good weather though. There is another motorhome parking area just west of Faro airport on the beach and that was also just as busy. Not sure where all these people come from!