For a change we’re not starting with a reflection but a tale of woe and, finally, redemption! It’s September 1. We have 30 days left in our European sojourn before heading back to the UK. We’ve been in France for the last week but haven’t been able to post anything (or email family) because wifi has been difficult to get – we’ve stayed at three campsites so far. Two of them had ‘broken’ wifi, and, third had very weak 2G only! So off we went to purchase a data sim as we’ve done in all the major countries we’ve visited. We bought an Orange sim card for €30 because it promised us 2 GB of data for a month but it simply would not work. We’ve read of other people having problems with Orange but thought we would do things properly. Big mistake. They were right. After their technical person had tried for over half an hour to correct the problem and then blamed our wifi unit (which has worked faultlessly in the UK, Germany, Austria AND Italy, we were told “your equipment is not compatible”. To cap it all, after Peter had been his usual nice self he was told (in response to asking for a refund). “Non, imm-poss-iiible”, followed by “You are narrow minded” (the narrow-minded remark was in response to Peter pointing out that every other sim had worked well so it was an Orange problem). Well, that got Peter going which saw the salesman back off and offer us a special address to ask for a refund. He also added in a more reasonable tone that “This is France, we do things differently here”. We’re pretty sure that France Tourism would not agree with him.Now you may think that our stay in France has started on the wrong foot. The truth is that we’ve encountered the same mix of people we’ve found in any country we’ve been to. Some great, some so-so, and just a few ‘difficult’ ones! Anyway Peter with unusual persistence tried the Orange outlet in Carcassonne. They tried for about half an hour but no go. They suggested we visit their technical person the other side of the town. We did . . . . they spent a total of an hour and quarter on it and wonder of wonders got it working. We now have great reception. The two that helped us left us with a much better feeling about all things Orange.
So, what have we been doing? First of all we made a big decision that with only a month left and so much of France to see it is not going to be possible to visit Spain on this trip
. We want to get a good feel for southern France and savour its many delights.
The drive from Albenga to our first stop – Aix-en-Provence, was lovely. Although an autostrada, it wound its way around and through the mountains and valleys and it seemed that every corner brought a fresh village or town into view. We were recommended to spend a few hours in Cagnes-sur-Mer but when we drove onto the beach front we quickly found out that parking a moped would be a challenge let alone Le Van! Once again the “August” problem had confounded us! After a leisurely drive down a few kilometers of the promenade we headed back to the autostrada and Aix (those of us who've been there can call it “Aix” the rest of ‘youse’ must use the proper name).
The town was very picturesque (this is a word we use far too often, we know, but it does convey the reality of these famous European towns and cities.) Actually it was in Aix that we had our first real French croissant. Fantastique!. Interesting lanes and cobbled streets filled with little shops, restaurants, bars and bakeries
. We visited a number of the local sights but no museums or galleries this time – we needed a break.
Our next stop was the walled city of Avignon, which is a place we will definitely return to for more than the two days we stayed. Absolutely fabulous! The most absorbing activity was our visit to the Palais des Papes. How Catholic are we? Never knew that for almost six centuries the papacy was at Avignon, not Rome. This was the time when Clement, the something, and his successors built this magnificent palace with the most awe-inspiring halls, chapels and rooms. And so much of it is still preserved. Much of the statuary is still in excellent condition too, except for the heads, most of which were knocked off in the Revolution – let this be a lesson to all who espouse that greed is good!
Before leaving Avignon, we must also mention the Pont D’Avignon – a medieval bridge, four spans of which still jut out into the Rhone. The view back to the Palais des Papes? Magnifico! What else did we do in Avignon? Walked the old quarter, which saw Kathy find a wonderful hairdresser who managed to bring some control to her errant locks
. Despite it being August our visit to the Calvet Museum (more an an art gallery with a collection of stunning Egyptian antiquities) was simply terrific. Had the place to ourselves for two hours. It’s always a pleasure to be looking and absorbing when hordes of people are not milling around.
Narbonne, our following stop, turned out to be exactly that - just a stop. The campsite we stayed at was a fair way out of town with no bus service and a fairly cavalier attitude towards customers that had us deciding to limit our stay to one night and move on to Carcassonne. We must mention here what led to the comment about the cavalier attitude. We laugh about it now but it wasn’t funny at the time. When we checked in we were given tickets for two free drinks at the bar at 5:30pm. That’s early but suited us. Arriving at the bar at 5.31 pm we were told that actually the drinks would be at 6:30. After trotting around looking at the campsite we arrived back at 6:31 to be told that free drinks would be served at 7 pm “after the speech”
. Are you laughing yet? There’s more. Kathy slopes off to the bar after the ‘speeching’ was over and presents the tickets. In return she is given two plastic drinking mugs half filled with a very sickly sangria. We looked around for the hidden cameras but when we saw there weren’t any we realised that this was as good as it was going to get. All of this leads us to the cavalier moment . . . Peter trots off to the bar to give back the sangria (cloying and undrinkable) and swop €6 for a beer and glass of dry white. The barman, seeing that we had only sipped the ‘free drink’ adopts an almost comically ‘what the . . . ‘ look and slams down the beer and wine. Mind you it was a pretty skillful slam down because he did not slop a drop!
After that digression back to our illuminating drive to Carcassonne. Why illuminating? Because after spending huge amounts of euros on the myriad toll roads we decided to go “off toll”. So, what did we get? A highway in good condition with numerous passing lanes, a speed limit of 90 kmh (which suits us down to the ground), a journey which only took about 15 minutes longer than the freeway, and a saving of around €15
. In addition, we saw interesting countryside, and drove through a number of villages any one of which deserved a stop and ‘look around’. So, that’s on the bucket list for next time. Our campsite, Camping Le Cite, is a twenty minute walk from the old town, and is very shady and private.
This part of the post is being written in Toulouse, after two days visiting Carcassonne – which is a fantastic town! What a history! And what a wonderful presentation! We are so glad we stopped there. We had heard it was bit touristy and it is, but not over the top like some places we’ve been. We have seen and experienced so much in the two days that we couldn’t possibly go through it all, so we won’t. A synopsis, though, would go like this: Wonderful walk along a side tributary of the L’Aude River, first of all to the Medieval City, and, next day into Carcassonne itself, a 1.5 hour cruise on the Canal Du Midi looking lustfully at the hire boats plying their way through the two locks we encountered. The highlight, however, was definitely the (audio) guided tour of the Medieval City's Comtal Chateau and inner ramparts
. If you’re visiting France, definitely put this place on your list. We should also mention the view from our campsite of the Medieval City which is lit up at night. We’re praying that some of our photos have come up OK.
So, onwards to Toulouse after a lovely drive through the French countryside. Travelling off-toll through interesting little villages and twice ignoring Sheila’s commands to “turn right” or left or whatever. This led to, in one case, finding ourselves wrong way down a one way street with absolutely no room to turn! We survived. Toulouse will not be hosting a visit from us because we are heading for the Dordogne. It’s a question of priorities!
Tonight is our last night in gorgeous Sarlat, staying at Camping Indigo. It has been the most beautiful, peaceful space, not too many campers around us, but the few that are, have been so pleasant and full of tips for further adventures. Very green, lots of trees, not many 4 legged friends, but there are 3 swimming pools - an indoor and 2 outdoor pools, and we have taken the plunge a few times as it has been quite hot
.
The little town of Sarlat is beautiful, with a medieval centre, not too overcrowded with tourists and plenty to see, and, they sell the most stunning nougat. One of the highlights of our walkabout occurred when we walked up to a large wooden door next to the cathedral. It had a plaque to tell us it was the so-and-so chapel. The door looked like it was tightly shut but Peter gave it a nudge and it opened . . . . . We then spent the next twenty minutes being enchanted by a Japanese tutor helping a young women master a piece of work on a grand spinnet. It was not just a beautiful instrument to look at, it also sounded divine, and the interaction between tutor and pupil was likewise a pleasure to see. We left with broad smiles on our faces!
We did so much walking and our campsite was up a gradual incline which took the wind out of us on our trek back to Le Van. Oh! The pain we endure enjoying ourselves! We are heading to Bergerac tomorrow and the campsite is on the Dordogne River. Everywhere is a sight to behold really
. There is so much history here and all the travellers have a story to tell or tips to give us. It's such a convivial community. Oh Man! We love this life!!
Dear Readers, if you ever do a trip like this (and we hope you do), for goodness sake go ‘off-toll’. We have absolutely enjoyed the drives so much more than the tollways. Anyway our latest drive has brought us down the spectacular banks of the Dordogne River to the town of Bergerac. Needless to say, the town has a history stretching back to the 11th century. It has also adopted Cyrano de Bergerac as the town hero and there are two large-nosed statues of him in prominent places (Peter feels quite at home in fact). Our saunter around the town was interrupted by a trip on the Dordogne in a very old (around 150 years) flat bottomed boat. Our guide was a youngish French girl with a raspy voice and a throaty laugh. She was entertaining without us even taking in anything she said! Our campsite, Camping La Pelouse, is right on the banks of the river, so our pitch looks straight onto the water
. Could we ask for any more? Non. Well, ‘tis almost time to post our latest effort and we will. But only after our walkabout in Bordeaux tomorrow.
Our drive to Bordeaux was again very, very scenic even accounting for the first third being in a fairly thick fog. Certainly concentrates the mind when you’re driving a 3.5 ton oversized van. Campsite Le Village Bordeaux is once again wonderful. Lovely pitch, clean facilities, excellent location on a small lake and, with the holiday season all but over – it’s quiet! The forecast for the next week is for high twenties and sunshine all the way up through Brittany.
Bordeaux is a another fab city. Quite rightly most of the historical inner quarter is UNESCO heritage listed. We read somewhere that this city is not a place to see stuff but to savour the architecture and wine and dine. Well, you know us – apart from steamed veg, wining and dining is not something we do to any extent! But, we still found enough ‘stuff’ to see and marvel over and agree that we must stop for a few days next time
. As we arrived home from our Bordeaux experience this afternoon, two gorgeous French Gendarmes were overseeing the departure of the local pervert. The previous day, Kathy could hardly avoid noticing the young man opposite our pitch as he casually crawled out of his tent totally naked with his derriere in the air, and just as casually turned over and exposed the rest of his weedy body before he returned to his abode. On our arrival home this afternoon, it was clear he’d been continuing the exposé, and someone had reported him because the two gorgeous gendarmes were overseeing the folding of his tent and by the time we ventured from Le Van later, all evidence of the flasher (and the drop dead gorgeous gendarmes) was gone. That’s all for this post. Next stop is La Rochelle and the Isle del Rey, and thereafter to Brittany.
France - the beginning
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Aix, Avignon, Carcassonne, Sarlat, Bergerac, Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France
Other Entries
-
1Still at home . . .
May 08125 days priorGerroa, Australiaphoto_camera5videocam 0comment 11 -
2The Emu has landed!
May 18115 days priorFolkestone, Canterbury, United Kingdomphoto_camera8videocam 0comment 4 -
3The Show goes on . . .
May 27106 days priorCambridge, Upper Halling, United Kingdomphoto_camera10videocam 0comment 13 -
4Where did we ever find the time to work?
May 29104 days priorYork, United Kingdomphoto_camera5videocam 0comment 6 -
5Further and further North . . .
Jun 01101 days priorBerwick upon Tweed, United Kingdomphoto_camera9videocam 0comment 5 -
6Wet and Dry in Scotland
Jun 0696 days priorInverness, United Kingdomphoto_camera12videocam 0comment 8 -
7From the Far North to Glasgow
Jun 1389 days priorJohn O'Groats , Inverness, Glasgow, United Kingdomphoto_camera13videocam 0comment 12 -
8Carlisle to Chester and Beyond…...
Jun 1884 days priorStratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdomphoto_camera14videocam 0comment 5 -
9From Stratford to Folkestone and parts in between
Jun 2874 days priorFolkestone, United Kingdomphoto_camera10videocam 0comment 9 -
10The Crossing and trek North . . .
Jun 2973 days priorDunkirque, Oostende, Turnhout, Amsterdam, , Netherlandsphoto_camera14videocam 0comment 6 -
11North Holland and into Germany
Jul 1062 days priorHarlingen, Groningen, Hanover, Magdaberg, Berlin,, Germanyphoto_camera19videocam 0comment 5 -
12Dresden and thence to Praha (Prague)
Jul 2448 days priorDresden, Prague, Opatov, Czech Republicphoto_camera15videocam 0comment 13 -
13Ahhh Austria!
Aug 0239 days priorVienna, Grein, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Austriaphoto_camera20videocam 0comment 8 -
14The Alps and Dolomites - WOW!
Aug 1427 days priorTrento, Sola, Pieve Vecchia, Italyphoto_camera19videocam 0comment 12 -
15Italy - oh so Italian . . . .
Aug 2516 days priorFlorence, Pisa, Lucca, Deiva Marina, Albenga, Italyphoto_camera24videocam 0comment 11 -
16France - the beginning
Sep 10Aix, Avignon, Carcassonne, Sarlat, Bergerac, Bordeaux, Francephoto_camera25videocam 0comment 9 -
17Isle de Rey, Carnac, Le Poldu, the Centre
Sep 111 day laterIsle de Rey, Carnac, Le Poldu, Chartres , Francephoto_camera24videocam 0comment 6 -
18Paris, Amiens and finally, Calais
Sep 3020 days laterParis, Versailles, Amiens, Wimereux, Francephoto_camera24videocam 0comment 12 -
19Ye Merry Olde England - reloaded . . .
Oct 1636 days laterEastbourne, Lyme Regis, Tintagel, Wells, Glastonbury, United Kingdomphoto_camera25videocam 0comment 8 -
20The Final Entry - London, Statistics and Thanks!
Oct 2848 days laterLondon, United Kingdomphoto_camera17videocam 0comment 7
Comments

2025-02-10
Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank
Alex Warner
2014-09-12
Oooooooohhhhhh! I'm so envious. Just loving your posts and so great to see you are really having such a marvellous time! How wonderful to be doing it in such a leisurely fashion too. In a week we are off to Turkey and then France..I think we'll just miss you in Brittany...we won't get there till 16 October. I'll be very interested to hear your experiences. Of course, for the French sector of the trip we will be travelling with Lisa and 11 month old Marcel....DONT ask!!!!! Missing you, see you in November! xxxx Alex
Neil
2014-09-12
Don't you just love the SIM fiasco with telecom giants. Suffered same in France and Italy. Hours wasted getting it sorted. What's the point of EU when you can't cross borders with SIM card. One day they will wake up and make it easier for travellers.
Are you coming back? Sounds like you are having too much fun.
BTW don't feel too bad about paying tolls. You will be pleased to know that some of your money comes back to OZ thru dividends with Macquarie Atlas Roads who owns part of the French toll roads!!!
Enjoy. Looking forward to seeing you when/if you come home.
Laurel & Derek
2014-09-16
We had similar telco experiences with Vodafone in Italy and Spain but my rants fell on deaf ears - staff simply shrug and say "that's how it is". Fortunately there are so many pluses to travelling there you overlook the aggravations. Your posts are whetting our appetites for another motorhome trek!
Joan McMurray
2014-09-17
Hi travellers, having no wi-fi sounds so SA, I thought we were the only ones who suffered inefficiency ... just goes to show. What a lovely time we're having (armchair traveller) I love all that catholic stuff being a radicalised/fundamentalist/indoctrinated catholic (lol). Thank you so much for all the wonderful detail I feel like I've been with you all the way. What a holiday!!!! Enjoy your last month hoping to hear from you anon. Love Joan