Roiu
We decided this year to have our summer holiday in September. It's the last time we'll be able to go out of school holidays so we thought we'd make the most of it. However, after my ambitiously jam packed summer organisation I was wishing we had gone in July as I only had a couple of free days either side due to visitors. We were supposed to go for two weeks but had to cut it a few days short due to work commitments that Matt had to do. I was a bit dross at first but it all worked out ok and it meant that Alex could start kindergarten more than a week before I then traipse them off to New Zealand.
Anyhow, after studying Google Maps at length, I decided that we should go to France. I spent ages planning routes which then of course change and then at the last minute decided we needed a couple of guides which were useful and a map or two.
We were heading for the Giens Peninsula in the South of France but as it is a 10 hour drive we stopped for two nights next to Lake Lugano in Italian speaking Switzerland. It was a quiet site next to the lake with mostly permanent caravan things and just quiet really. The lake was lovely and warm to swim in.
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| Enjoying being tossed in the air and splatting in the water |
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| Demonstrating my Tupperware Turbo Chef is a great camping tool. | |
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Our destination was a vague campsite next to the beach. I kind of found it on Google Earth but no information about it and then discovered some neighbours of ours had been to the same one and they gave us the info about it. Good job too as we would never have found it. It was hidden down a bumpy road and was a run down garden centre with beach access and camping amongst the bamboos. It was pretty basic with cold water only but it was right on the beach. When we arrived it was so hot and humid as a storm was brewing but didn't come until the next morning. I liked it but it was funny. I think that although we like to swim and I like the beach, we generally don't like camping near beaches quite the same as being in the mountains. Not sure why really. Maybe as there is not so much to do except go to the beach. Matt is not so relaxed ont he beach. We stayed 3 nights and it was lovely swimming in the sea and walking round the cliff in the morning to buy bread and croissants. We took a boat trip with the kids bikes to the island of Porquorolles which would have been like being in the Caribbean as the sea was so blue but it was so windy that although the sea was lovely, it was chilly getting out.
There were several Germans there and I think this must be in some German Guide book. It's the kind of place that would be in Rough Guide I think.
Alex ate mussels for the first time and loved them. Unfortunately Katie ate a bad one and spat it out but threw up in the night. I washed her sleeping bag in the cold shower!
Katie was amazed at the stars when we got up the night to go to the toilet. We have "The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark" on CD and in it there is a bit about the stars and Orion. I pointed Orion out to her and I think she couldn't quite believe that it was really real. She thought it was great.
So, we enjoyed our beach bit but then we moved on and into the Luberon in Provence . . .
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| Heading out of the campsite to get bread |
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| Bread! A storm is a-brewing |
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| Our patch |
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| wave jumping |
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| Finding mermaids tears. |
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| jumping |
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| Flamingos |
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| Exploring round the cliff a bit but not wanting to be photographed |
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| More mermaids tears |
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| Restaurant next to the campsite |
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| Cutie Alex |
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| Next morning to get bread - not stormy |
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| beautiful first thing |
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| "Our" beach |
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| Off to the cliff path |
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| Eating Pain au chocolat |
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| Landed on Porquerolles and cycled up the hill to start. Overtook people pushing their bikes! |
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| Off to the beach. The kids got impressive cycling looks the whole way |
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| The beach. Too windy for a long stay |
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| Swimming |
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| And then we wen tot a castle |
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view back across to the mainland
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| And off the the restaurant from our campsite with a torch for the way home. |
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| Mussels |
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| Primitive shower and toilet block |
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| find the sink |
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| Early morning on the beach |
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| The campsite |
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| Our bit |
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| Back with the croissants but no sign of movement |
We went to the only campsite in the Footprints Book "South of France with Kids" which was in Rustrel. I wasn't sure about it from the description in the book as anywhere that says it has a swimming pool I tend to try and avoid. However, it turned out to be a great site and the pool, I realised is there due to the fact that the site is not next to water, eg a lake, river or the sea. I remember this from last year - the pool is a bit old but the site is quiet due to the fact that it is not so close to water. It was set up in Ochre land of Provence and as we didn't requite electricity we were sent up to the high part of the site which was up a steep hill. It was so lovely in this woodland with a nice toilet block too. It was very quiet but lots of room for the kids to bike about.
We had a lovely few nights visiting the Ochre Quarries of Roussillon, Avignon and driving up Mont Ventoux, (but with a view to bike it one day) Provence town of Gordes.
The quarries were quite touristy but we had a lovely time there and the kids enjoyed covering themselves in the ochre dust.
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| Roussillon |
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| Getting covered in the red dust |
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| Eating Lavender ice cream - bleurgh |
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| Just a funny sign translation |
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| biking on the campsite |
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| the campsite. Less hot than the coast |
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| Gordes |
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| Lavender! |
We went to see these Bories which are stone huts built for shepherds and some are hundreds of years old. It made a great exploring place for the kids.
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| Running round the Bories |
We went to Vaucluse to see this spring where masses of water erupts from the ground. The spring was unimpressive but the river appearing from seemingly nowhere was quite impressive. It was a nice stroll fro the kids and more ice cream was consumed.
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| Vaucluse. |
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| a tactical error - no alcohol beer! |
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| cutting cheese |
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| a chilly morning |
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| The castle at Avignon |
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| Inside by the big fireplace |
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| The catalogue pose |
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| and an antique carousel |
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| "sur le pont, Avignon . . ." |
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| On top of Mont Ventoux |
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| The only sunflower field we saw |
I really enjoyed Provence, but then we had to make our way back home. We decided to drive as far as we could then camp by a lake and have a relaxing warm day before the next long drive back home. Unfortunately, once we left France and headed into Switzerland, summer seemed to end and when we found a great campsite and pitched our tent right next to the lake - Neuchatel in French speaking Switzerland. My idea of sitting by the lake and swimming was not going to happen when it started raining in the evening and rained and was windy most of the night. Oh well, the idea of lazing by the lake was nice, but summer felt definitely over! We enquired what to do on a damp day and were directed towards some caves.
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| Alex was keen to swim. He didn't but the water was warm |
We seem to have a cave theme on holidays and tend to find underground terrain to explore. I hate caving, but I quite enjoy tourist caves and these ones were great! We could go round on our own and turned lights on when we got to certain points. It was cool and there was a huge pools of water and a raging river. It was a great way to spend a damp day and when we came out the weather was perking so we hiked up through the forest to the Fairy Cave.
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| The caves |
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| Pools of water |
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| The huge cathedral in the cave with the life size model of a caver |
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| The fairy cave |
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| Being silly |
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| glugging beer |
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| Matt set them an obstacle course |
And so endeth our holiday. We arrived back in the wet and summer definitely having given way to autumn. It was good fun and the children are great car travellers and campers.
And so to the next adventure!
