We're here because it is a place recommended by Carole. It's called ANDERNOS-les-BAINS N44.744746 E1.110323.

After making sure that we'd not suffered damage from last night's gale, we went in to Ken & Carole's for breakfast to find that they had no electricity (didn't stop breakfast) and that some of their guttering had been blown down .

Once we'd said our goodbyes we took to the road again. At least we didn't have to drive for miles down the single track road that we'd come up yesterday.

We had a kind deed done for us today. We were trying to get ourselves into a Super U Express fuel station but it was too tight and some chap came up and was telling us that there was an Intermarché down the road somewhere. He then proceeded to get into his car and lead us there. He was possibly going there anyway but wasn't that a nice thing to do.

We had a pretty uneventful drive here until we got to a road off the Bordeaux rocade that we needed. Guess what! The road was shut off, blocked, closed, impassable! No diversion signs, no reason why it was closed. We took the next turn off the roundabout, thinking we'd be able to get back to where we needed to be. Oh no! Why should we make it so easy for you to get to your destination.

With two GPS machines arguing with each other we eventually arrived here. We're Billy-no-Mates. There are two areas for camper parking and the smaller one has four vans in it with no space for us so we're parked about 100 metres up the road where there's space for 20 and all by ourselves.

Carole had told us that this was a good place for oysters and that there were good restaurants here. We're debating whether to walk or drive and find somewhere to park. I favour walking as I definitely need to do something other than sit and eat all day but at the same time I don't fancy getting soaked.

The rain stopped so we walked to a restaurant called Chez Huguette and both had a plate of assorted shellfish which included oysters, shrimp, prawns, large winkles, clams, whelks, mussels, langoustine and a small crab, served on a bed of seaweed. I've not eaten winkles since I was under 10 years old. Tried a whelk once but found it like chewing rubber but I thought I'd give them a second chance! The winkles, clams and whelks won't be getting a third chance. I won't say I didn't like the meal, just that I wasn't over enamoured with those particular shellfish. We finished our meal off with my favourite - crème brûlée and coffee. The bar next door had live music - a head banging rock band, a little too noisy for us 'old' people.

It sounds like we've got back to the camper just in time as the heavens have now opened once again.

FREE