Thursday 11th June 2009
Just a little bit for those of you who think we are just on one long holiday, it is more like just normal life, except we are doing it where ever, in France at present. So today (Thursday) we know we will be leaving tomorrow, and it is necessary to do some washing, and a little shopping. We still manage to fit in a drink or two, a nice cycle ride and a bit sunbathe (weather continues to be hot and sunny, with clear blue skies and temperatures of 27C plus).
We are quite surprised to notice that the site is quite full, and on most days, several people are turned away since there are no places available. We would have expected this in the “busy” times, ie July and particularly August, but this is not even mid June yet, and School holidays have not yet started.
Showing posts with label Cavalaire-sur-Mer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cavalaire-sur-Mer. Show all posts
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
De la Baie, Cavalaire-sur-Mer (ACSI2009-1274) N43.16954 E6.52966
Monday 8th June - Wednesday 10th June 2009
Wednesday is market day. Now I have heard it said “once you have seen one old building you have seen them all”, or “once you have seen one old church/cathederal you have seen them all”, well the same must surely be true of French markets. Every single one of them sells the same selection of brightly coloured tablecloths, tacky jewellery, cheeses which are so smelly you could not stay in the same room as them…. Etc etc. Plus, for some reason the French insist on taking their silly little dogs to the market with them, so you need to be constantly vigilant in case you step on one of the stupid little things (a good move) or in one of their deposits (a bad move).
By lunch time we escape the market, and decide (uncharacteristically for Kathleen) , to have a take away for lunch. We buy a whole chicken, ham, potatoes, and ratatouille, from a small stall in the street, all ready cooked. This is no fast food junk, it is all beautifully cooked, and tastes superb. True it cost 20Euro, but there is enough for two meals for both of us, plus I suspect a sandwich this evening.
The guilt trip starts after we have pigged out on the takeaway, plus a couple of bottles of beer (not me, I never feel guilty about being a pig), so we spend the afternoon cycling it off.
Wednesday is market day. Now I have heard it said “once you have seen one old building you have seen them all”, or “once you have seen one old church/cathederal you have seen them all”, well the same must surely be true of French markets. Every single one of them sells the same selection of brightly coloured tablecloths, tacky jewellery, cheeses which are so smelly you could not stay in the same room as them…. Etc etc. Plus, for some reason the French insist on taking their silly little dogs to the market with them, so you need to be constantly vigilant in case you step on one of the stupid little things (a good move) or in one of their deposits (a bad move).
By lunch time we escape the market, and decide (uncharacteristically for Kathleen) , to have a take away for lunch. We buy a whole chicken, ham, potatoes, and ratatouille, from a small stall in the street, all ready cooked. This is no fast food junk, it is all beautifully cooked, and tastes superb. True it cost 20Euro, but there is enough for two meals for both of us, plus I suspect a sandwich this evening.
The guilt trip starts after we have pigged out on the takeaway, plus a couple of bottles of beer (not me, I never feel guilty about being a pig), so we spend the afternoon cycling it off.
Monday, 8 June 2009
De la Baie, Cavalaire-sur-Mer (ACSI2009-1274) N43.16954 E6.52966
Friday 5th June 2009 – Sunday 7th June 2009
Today we head off for Cavalaire-sur-Mer. When we arrive, it turns out to be a quite large “resort” type place, but not in a tacky Blackpool sort of way, so it promises to be good, with a large selection of bars and eating places to choose from, plus a marina full of rather smart boats.
Like Au Paradis des Campeurs, this place is almost all Dutch people (at least 80% I would guess), it makes you wonder is Holland completely empty?, or alternatively, what would happen if they all went home, would it be standing room only?
It is Friday, so the weekend looms near. This means only two things, ie church and hair washing day. The facilities at the site are given the thumbs up for hair washing, and the electricity supply is 10amps, so operating a hairdryer and straightners for an hour or so should pose no problem. This only leaves the search for the church. We set off on our bikes, with vague directions from the Receptionist, after a false start we find the church and establish mass times. Then a cycle along the seafront, followed by a pitcher of chilled Rose, in a small bar.
We have reached that point in the trip, where the end is now clearly visible (ie about four weeks to go). This is time to begin worrying about supposed weight gain by one of the party. So today (Saturday), we cycle along the coast. We do about 10 miles in total, mostly along a dedicated cycle track, and get as far as a small place called Port de Croix. Here they are in the process of setting up a stage and marquees etc to celebrate D Day landings. I was not aware of this, but according to the notices and a plaque on the beach, American and French troops landed here to begin the liberation of France from the South. No mention of us Brits.
Our little trip was rounded off by a trip to a pavement café to watch the world go by, and in deference to the drive to lose weight (by K), a couple of coffee’s rather than a beer or wine. The weather today is hot (28C) and sunny, but there is a strong wind. A quick look at the BBC website shows us that at home the weather is showers and 11C, no contest really, it still warm enough to allow us to swim in the site pool!
This evening I decide to treat Kathleen to cocktails, on the basis that this morning she did the 10 mile cycle ride without complaining once. So off we go, we resist the temptation to have “sex on the beach”, and instead settle for a “Blue Lagoon” (Vodka, curacao etc), and a “Mai Tai” (rum, cointreau etc)., followed by a couple of gin and tonics.
While we are in the bar a group of four elderly French people arrive, complete with four of those silly little dogs they like to carry around. This was a first, would you believe they had a childs buggy, in which three of the dogs were riding.
On the way back from the bar, we meet two Polish chaps, a little tipsy I suspect. They ask us “do you speak English”, when we tell them “yes we do”, they proceed to talk to us in Polish with only one English word (which is “beer”), quite why they asked us if we spoke English when their English vocabulary is limited to the phrase “do you speak English” and “beer”, is a mystery. Eventually we understand they are looking for a supermarket which sells beer, and is open. It is too late for supermarkets, so we direct them to a small shop further down the street. Off they weave.
Sunday of course is church day, it turns out to be a very long session, they are having first communion, just like Molly at home, so it lasts from 10:30 until 12:15. Gives me time to read almost all of the Sunday paper undisturbed.
Today we head off for Cavalaire-sur-Mer. When we arrive, it turns out to be a quite large “resort” type place, but not in a tacky Blackpool sort of way, so it promises to be good, with a large selection of bars and eating places to choose from, plus a marina full of rather smart boats.
Like Au Paradis des Campeurs, this place is almost all Dutch people (at least 80% I would guess), it makes you wonder is Holland completely empty?, or alternatively, what would happen if they all went home, would it be standing room only?
It is Friday, so the weekend looms near. This means only two things, ie church and hair washing day. The facilities at the site are given the thumbs up for hair washing, and the electricity supply is 10amps, so operating a hairdryer and straightners for an hour or so should pose no problem. This only leaves the search for the church. We set off on our bikes, with vague directions from the Receptionist, after a false start we find the church and establish mass times. Then a cycle along the seafront, followed by a pitcher of chilled Rose, in a small bar.
We have reached that point in the trip, where the end is now clearly visible (ie about four weeks to go). This is time to begin worrying about supposed weight gain by one of the party. So today (Saturday), we cycle along the coast. We do about 10 miles in total, mostly along a dedicated cycle track, and get as far as a small place called Port de Croix. Here they are in the process of setting up a stage and marquees etc to celebrate D Day landings. I was not aware of this, but according to the notices and a plaque on the beach, American and French troops landed here to begin the liberation of France from the South. No mention of us Brits.
Our little trip was rounded off by a trip to a pavement café to watch the world go by, and in deference to the drive to lose weight (by K), a couple of coffee’s rather than a beer or wine. The weather today is hot (28C) and sunny, but there is a strong wind. A quick look at the BBC website shows us that at home the weather is showers and 11C, no contest really, it still warm enough to allow us to swim in the site pool!
This evening I decide to treat Kathleen to cocktails, on the basis that this morning she did the 10 mile cycle ride without complaining once. So off we go, we resist the temptation to have “sex on the beach”, and instead settle for a “Blue Lagoon” (Vodka, curacao etc), and a “Mai Tai” (rum, cointreau etc)., followed by a couple of gin and tonics.
While we are in the bar a group of four elderly French people arrive, complete with four of those silly little dogs they like to carry around. This was a first, would you believe they had a childs buggy, in which three of the dogs were riding.
On the way back from the bar, we meet two Polish chaps, a little tipsy I suspect. They ask us “do you speak English”, when we tell them “yes we do”, they proceed to talk to us in Polish with only one English word (which is “beer”), quite why they asked us if we spoke English when their English vocabulary is limited to the phrase “do you speak English” and “beer”, is a mystery. Eventually we understand they are looking for a supermarket which sells beer, and is open. It is too late for supermarkets, so we direct them to a small shop further down the street. Off they weave.
Sunday of course is church day, it turns out to be a very long session, they are having first communion, just like Molly at home, so it lasts from 10:30 until 12:15. Gives me time to read almost all of the Sunday paper undisturbed.
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