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Tyres

In my conversation with Holgier and Sabine at Amboise, they had posed the question about what happens if the van breaks down. Sure enough 2 days later, I was literally having one of my many moments of mindfulness re how well Monte2 was running, and giving the dashboard a thankful pat with verbal..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Equipment, The Good, Van

Escaping the heatwave

As my outline plan had already been to visit southern Brittany, the forecasts of a major heatwave to hit most of France except there, was very convenient. But as France is vast, and given my preference for all the advantages of driving on non-toll motorways, the Loire area offered itself as an attractive..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in France, Places

Volcanoes – Should I stay or should I go now – followed by the Limousin

For this western odyssey, I had roughly planned to see alot of Spain, then Portugal, then back through France before returning to the UK for the high season period – ie to avoid the much more expensive, booking-needing weeks of mid July to late August particularly given that I’m targeting..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in France, Places

It’s All Too Beautiful …

What did we do there – well , there’s the Ceze river at St Denis, our closest favourite place

there’s the Chassezac river and Mazet Plage

Looking downstream…upstreamJust round corner from downstreamDive-bombing kayakers

there’s the Cascades de Sautadet..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in France, Places, The Good

French ‘Durrells’ house via brief stop at Montpellier

Time gallops on as I realise it’s almost a week now since I drove to Courry, a small village on the edge of the Cevennes and Ardeche areas, to spend time at my Mum’s house with 2 of my offspring, their other halves, and a couple of friends. I spent about 45 mins driving round the uni..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in France, Places, The Good

Naturists R Not Me

Decided to stay on the Med at Marseillan Plage, next to Cap d’Agde for a few days of good weather forecast on the way to staying with extended family in the Cevennes/Ardeche area.

An ‘old friend’ was staying at a more expensive! campsite nearby, so decided to surprise them..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in France, Musings, Places

Stowaway Released

Whilst the ski boots and clothing did not make the final essential inventory, the body board had been biding all this time, knowing the Atlantic coasts were there, but needing the opportunity of a beachside location and the warmth of the Med to finally fulfill its destiny.

After all my practice..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in France, The Good

Will

On the campsite Au Fil de LOo at Bagneres, I met this young man, who was temporarily living out of his surfer dude VW, basically kitted out, while he and his girlfriend, who was in the UK just then, bought an apartment next to the cable car station.

They really liked Bagneres from a previous..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Meetings - the non-work sort

Beautiful drive – D11 Pyrenees towards Med & LPG Success

Had a lovely drive today, through the countryside between the Pyrenees to Toulouse and heading for Agde and Montpellier. Particularly the D11, which runs from Carcassone towards Beziers, with the Canal du Midi, boating and cycling, running alongside and within the vineyards and hills of the Minervois..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in France, Places

Bagneres de Luchon – Harrogate’s Twin Town

From San Sebastian, drove to Bagneres de Luchon in the Pyrenees which my son’s youth brass band visited a few years ago now, – we weren’t part of that trip so it had been on my radar, with my decision to visit confirmed when Sharon and John recommended it.

Stayed a couple..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in France, Places