roemin around

It was a lovely day today, full sun and a cooling breeze, best weather for a while. Ideal for sitting around in the big pool complex if you like that sort of thing. After a lazy morning we decided to take the back exit to the site which leads to a coastal path. One way is to the St Naziere bridge, but a bit too far, or the other way round the headland to St Brevin-l'Ocean where we walked yesterday.  Along the way we passed some of the huge German fortifications from WW2, they were really massive concrete structures built into the dunes. We also stumbled into a sort of craft workshop where they were handmaking wooden models of some of the big old houses and things in the area. We bought a little model bathing hut for the bathroom and a typical fishing machine of the region for my wall, all for €12. We had a sit down in the village and a coffee and got back in time to catch a few more rays from the afternoon sun.

It rained all night, very heavy at times, so it's a relief that this morning was just grey and murky. We left the Aire after a morning coffee, then had another coffee and croissant breakfast, at the super U market before doing the shopping. Apart from usual provisions, we bought 3 sea bass cos it was 'buy 2 get 1 free' and some of the local fleur de sel (fancy salt) in a souvenir pouch. PS no queues at petrol stations today! We have come about 40 miles up the coast just north of Pornic and close to the mouth of the Loire. The skies cleared as we reached Le Fief site in the afternoon. It's a nice site with pitches scattered between the many cabins and it has a big pool/spa complex. Not very busy despite UK half term so we effectively have our own sanitares block. Walked into St Brevin, not much there and it was deserted, after cooking the fish and did not get back till 10:00pm. Red sunset, no rain forecast, beach or pool tomorrow!

It did not rain overnight, but it's been chucking it down again all morning  with the odd clap of thunder. Not good for local restaurants, it's Mothers day in France today! There was a brief respite at about 2:00pm, long enough to go over to the market, which was just closing, to grab something for lunch. More rain in the afternoon so we watched Lincoln on DVD before going back into town for dinner. It was still raining and the town was almost deserted. We had moules and a pizza in one of the few places that were still open. - a photo album of Noirmoutier - Most of the big motorhomes are gone now, we are on our own in one row. Observing the days happenings, the big posh motorhomes seem to be owned by middle aged couples with a poodle (or similar). They use them like weekend retreats. They arrive Saturday afternoon go to the market for oysters etc. have lunch with friends on Sunday and leave about 3:00pm. Probably a middle class status symbol.

We left the Indigo campsite in brilliant sunshine and did a tour of the island this afternoon, it's not very big just 12 miles long. First to L'Herbaudier on the northwest tip, a fishing port and marina with a big boat in shrink wrap waiting to be fitted out by the Beneteau workshop. We had coffee and a snack sitting on the harbourside. It was very warm and humid today. On to La Gueriniere, half way down the south coast. Beaches and old windmills where we watched an old couple fishing for clams up to their waists. Finally Le Gois where there is a causeway to the mainland. We were there about an hour before low tide just as cars were starting to cross. A lot of people gather to watch. We came back to the main town again where we are spending the night in an Aire with at least 85 other vans. It's close to the town, so we walked into the shopping area for something simple to prepare for dinner and an ice-cream to cool down. We could see a big storm on the mainland near P...

Rosemary Titanic pose on the jetty A fine start to the day, so we did the reverse walk to yesterday and strolled along the jetty to get a panoramic view of the Bay de Dames. We returned in time for Pecheur a Pied, (fishing on foot) a local pastime. I went with  my pink bucket at low tide and gathered a couple of inches of winkles to make a starter for our dinner. It took 10 mins to cook a few dozen of them and 20 mins to winkle them out with a sewing needle, for Rosemary to gratin. They were a tasty starter, sort of Escargo de la Mer, but you would starve waiting for a main course if I were doing them. The mosquitos have won. We are going to the Aire in town tomorrow afternoon for another (hopefully mosquito free) night on Noirmoutier. I emailed the Caravan Club to get our ferry rescheduled to 8th June, so we will be home just in time for Queen's jubilee tea.

A typical bit of beach at the waters edge. Plenty of live shellfish here to be gathered. It's called Pecheur a Pied - fishing on foot.

The main object of the day was clothes washing which Rosemary accomplished with the aid of the sites aging washing machine and tumble drier. The promised fine day was actually quite damp to start and it wasn't until late afternoon that the sun broke through.  We walked along the fine sandy beach, which is scattered with shells and small dead crabs, for about a mile to an attractive headland where there was a fashion photo shoot just finishing off. We had an ice cream and a sirop (popular cheap cold drink) and walked back down the lane through the woods. There are a number of fine victorian houses hidden among the trees. Google will tell us more later. We finished the day with a fishy supper and Grand Marnier crepes. Its 4: 3 to the mosquitoes at the moment  (bites : swats ) but I have got the vaporizer working so we are now winning.