Sun, Sea & Pink Flamingos

Hi once again,

Well we left the mountains and it was certainly a sad day saying goodbye to Francois, Marc & her staff at Le Martagon campsite & restaurant, she said that as Julie and I were leaving and also Pete and Debbie a few days after us she might as well shut the bar altogether, what that means I don’t know!!!!!.  Once on the road we stopped off for a bit of shopping to stock up then opted to stop overnight on a site by a large lake just south of Grenoble which isn’t really that far from Meribel but at the start of this tour I always said I didn’t want to do huge mileage/driving between stopovers or spots. We pulled into the site at Laffery right on the far end of a huge lake with the still snow capped mountains along one side and steep pine forested hills the other, it still felt that we were up at altitude so we pitched the van and went for a walk along one side and to our amazement there was a local rigging up a windsurfer by the lake and we both looked at one another and thought sod that, but in a second breath said that if the sun was out we would probably get the kites out and have a go as it was proper windy.  

After a good nights sleep we opted to hit the road again and head for a place called Fontaine De Vaucluse so we punched in the GPS coordinates and off we went, all was going OK until our sat nav said do a left and when I looked at the start of the road it had more warning signs than the Highway code nothing bigger than 8m long, nothing more than 3.5 tonnes, nothing more than 4m high, no trailers, no explosives and on and on they went so I said to Julie in for a penny in for a pound let’s have it.  Well some of the hairpin bends took me two shunts to get round and at points Julie was nearly on my lap because of the drop at the side of the van as it was only single track, god knows why it had took us this way but the road and scenery was amazing but after about an hour we hit a main road and it all felt a little easier.  We stumbled across a huge EDF dam/power station so I pulled over and grabbed the camera but as I went down the steps the view to the bottom of the dam was so far down you couldn’t see it and I hate to admit it but  it gave me the heeebe jeebees, mad really to think I can jump off a mountain connected to some strings and a kite but can’t look down a deep ravine.  We continued through some amazing scenery known as the gorges of St May tracking the snow melt rivers through what resembles the grand canyon but obviously on a smaller scale.

We landed at our destination at about 3ish, a very nice new camper aire with WIFI and all the basics in a very pretty little village with water flowing through it and quaint little bars & restaurants. Our book said there was a natural Spring that started here which was the source of the River Sorgue so next morning we walked up to the source of the river which we had also googled and it said that it resembled a large still water pool but actually pumped out 200 cubic metres of water a second which had filtered down through the rock from some 250m above and from up to 20km away.  As we walked up beside the torrent of water the noise was unbelievable so we kept going as if going into a dead end of a gorge and then it all went silent and there it was this still looking crystal clear pool approx 20m round but it was actually a massive spring so a load of photos and then walk back into town beside the river.  We both couldn’t believe how hot it was so decided to get the chairs out and the sun cream and sun ourselves but the only problem being all our summer gear is at mum’s but Julie said check the kite gear bags in the back and luckily we both had board shorts and flip flops in there - result.  We chilled for a while then thought sod it it’s cheap food in town not like the alps so said come on lets eat out as it was such a beautiful setting.  It was only about 4.30pm so we walked into the main square and to our amazement everywhere stopped serving food only were only doing coffee, beer or crepes so after a cheeky beer next to the river it was back to camp for omelette, chips & salad cooked outside in the sun - it was great to cook & wash up outside for a change.  

The next morning we packed up camp and headed for Saintes-Maries-De-La-Mer which is about the nearest you can get to Beauduc a kitesurf/windsurf paradise on the med coast.    We found an aire right on the beach but on arrival the water wasn’t on and there was nowhere to empty waste water or our toilet cassette but right next to it was a campsite which Julie had already researched months ago so we opted to book in there for a couple of nights.  Once the van was set up we found the track that leads to the Beauduc area so began to walk along it with it’s massive lagoons inland and the med sea to your right, quite a strange place!!! Then Julie said what the hell is that to which I replied a Pink Flamingo then when we looked there where hundreds walking, flying and eating in all the lagoons, really bizarre as you don’t think of wild pink flamingos in France.  Julie later googled the area and there is somewhere in the region of 140,000 pairs that live/breed in the Carmargue region and we also found out that the locals grow rice in paddy fields.  When we were driving along the main drag in we saw a lot of stables either side of the roads leading to and from the area full of white horses so Julie googled that too and it said they were Camargue horses a breed specific to that area and are bred to round up the wild black bulls and also do horse trekking across the area.  One other creature we came across was evidently the most ferocious type of mozi in France but luckily there weren’t many about so we thought until our last night when they seemed to home in on us after Julie had read about them and decided to pay us a visit, thank god for jungle formula mozi repellent!!

On the road again this time heading for Barcares just north of Perpignan slowly working our way back to mums.  As we drove down some of the main roads I began to spot some provocatively clothed women standing in lay-bys and commented to Julie are you thinking what I am thinking!!!!! Yes ladies of the night but working the day shift, this went on for about 30 miles or so on and off and I suggested to Julie that if we run short of money on route at any time I could drop her off for the day to help top up the bank balance while I go kiting but I said I would need to interview her first to make sure she knew the ropes!!!!!! Once at Barcares we found the aire but weren’t really happy with it’s location so drove a few miles back up the road and fell upon a lovely looking aire at Leucate overlooking a lake it had a handful of vans in all with windsurf gear so looked like a good spot and a bargain at only €7.20 a night.  While in the van that night we decided to check out a few other spots in the area on route back to mums, number one was Leucate Plage then a quick look in one of the local kite shops which was massive and did just about everything involving kiting then of to La Franqui then finally Gruissan where we found a massive aire in the port so parked there for €8.50 for the night and went for a walk around the beaches and town. Just before it started to get dark van after van rolled in each one getting bigger and bigger with even bigger trailers with bigger cars on the back and they were nearly all german all I can say is they must have big campsites in Germany or maybe it’s a bit of a status symbol but I must say I did feel a bit inadequate in our van!!!  Today we headed back to mums to see her & Alan before they go back to the UK for a quick visit and to pick up all the summer gear ready for the next leg of our adventure.

Oh and Julie told me I now resemble a wire head fox terrier so I think my beard will have to go!!!

That’s all for now.

J&J