We came to Serignan for a couple of nights to take advantage of Yelloh’s Camping Le Serignan Plage. We would then continue east to Italy, stopping off at the beautiful little coastal town of Martigues on our way. I’ll write about Martigues later.
A little about Serignan first and then a great deal lot more about La Serignan Plage. I make no apologies for focusing on Camping La Serignan Plage at the expense of Serignan Town. We needed the break and, anyway, Serignan is mostly about it’s beautiful beaches which Yelloh Camping Le Serignan Plage has in abundance.
Serignan is situated in the Herault department of Occitaine, less than 10 miles south of the thriving town of Beziers and, perhaps, 14 miles west of Agde with it’s fortified cathedral. It sits on the banks of the River Orb and comprises a small compact old town, a port, some beaches and, not forgetting, the Orpellieres Nature Reserve.
Starting with the old town, the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de Grace is at the heart of the old town. It’s foundations date from the 10th century but it has been modified numerous times; most recently during the 1960’s. It’s a large church for such a small place; 3 naves and 10 chapels and there’s a small trapdoor in front of the choir which leads to the graves of 40 canons who have been interred in the church over the years. To my mind, it’s most impressive features are the 7 tall stained glass windows in the apse
The River Orb and the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de GraceThe 7 tall stained glass windows…… and again.
Serignan’s port is a bit of a misnomer. There used to be a port and it used to serve the city of Beziers but it’s long gone. In it’s place is a burgeoning marina for leisure craft; sailing yachts mostly. In terms of it’s facilities I think this is best described as work in progress for the moment but I don’t doubt, the authorities will get it right here.
Serignan’s Port Marina
I’ve said already that Serignan is all about it’s beaches. I’ve read that there are four in total; La Chapelle, the Seoune, the Grand Maire Beach and a naturist beach which hasn’t been given a name (probably to discourage voyeurs from goggling googling it). However, I believe there’s a fifth beach, L’Orpellieres, with it’s impressive dunes, which fronts the Orpellieres Nature Reserve.
Of course, the Yelloh Camping Le Serignan Plage has pride of place amongst the beaches. They are wonderful… but, everything about Le Seignan Plage is first class. Small wonder they are ranked amongst the top 10 of France’s 12,000+ campsites. We have long been impressed by Yelloh La Brasilia down near Perpignan but, after a couple od days down at Serignan, I think Le Serignan Plage just edges it.
I’ll let the photos do the talking…
An approach to the beach…… and the view towards Agde.I love fountains…… and heated pools.Balneo & La Villa Restaurant EntrancePart of the BalneoFilet Mignon de Porc with a Jus Reduit au Cepes and Gratin Aveyromnais from the Lou Pas d’Oc RestaurantFloating Islands Dessert from La Villa Restaurant in the BalneoThe Lou Pas d’Oc Restaurant…… and inside.Finishing a fish dish in La Villa…… and then on to the show.
… and there is so much more about the place; their own baker, butcher, even a fishmonger; minimarket, shops & hairdressers, etc. You need only look at their web site for full details.
We’d have stayed longer but for the weather which was bringing mosquitos out in ever increasing numbers. Where’s the hot sun when you need it?
We decided to move to Galicia by way of Candas in Asturias and paused at the tiny hamlet of Ceceno on our way to Candas. The already uncertain weather across Spain was becoming increasingly unpredictable and we thought to tarry for a day or two on the Cantabrian coast until the weather situation in Galicia was more obvious.
The drive from Haro took us northwest through the Cantabrian Mountains. It was an easy drive of about 2.5 hours and the weather, for the most part, was kind. Vanya chose Ceceno because she had found an apparently good campsite (Caravaning Oyambre Cantabria) a little to the northwest of Ceceno and within easy walking distance of the coast. Also, the pretty towns of Comillas and San Vincente de Barquera are nearby (we visited both places as part of our travels during Tour 4) and, more importantly because our supplies were running low, the larger town of Torrelavega with it’s Carrefour Hypermarket is just 21 miles away.
The drive through the Cantabrian Mountains was pretty (not my photo)
Caravaning Oyambre Cantabria proved an excellent campsite and we were happy to stay two nights. The facilities were excellent and included a heated swimming pool and fitness area (neither of which we used); a small shop and; best of all a decent restaurant-bar. The food in the restaurant-bar was good and reasonably priced.
Plots were good…… restaurant-bar was better.That was just my starter!…and Vanya’s.
While staying at the campsite I took a short walk down to the beach at Oyambre, crossing part of the Oyambre Golf Course on the way, but it was quiet and with very limited facilities. Perhaps it would be better in the summer?
Oyambre Beach
We visited Torrelavega to buy supplies (Cava mostly, because the weather in Galicia and Asturias was getting worse and it seemed likely we would have to head east back into France) and, upon the recommendation of a member of the campsite staff, took time to visit the little town of Cartes just to the south of Torrelavega. I’ll write separately about Cartes.
The weather in Galicia was deteriorating. Very reluctantly we decided to leave Spain but Vanya was suffering because of the damp and cold. In Cantabria, the weather during our short stay remained dull but the rain at least held off and as we departed for France the clouds lifted, briefly, from the mountains. There’s a lot of snow up there on the peaks.
Haro – Probably Vanya’s favourite town in Spain. We keep coming back and this has to be our 5th or 6th visit in the last few years. On this occasion we were looking to stay for the Friday and Saturday nights but ended up staying on for the Sunday night too. It was another party weekend in Haro.
I’ll not risk repeating myself by writing in any depth about the town and what it holds. You only have to read my earlier blogs for that information. Instead, I’ll write a little about how the people of Haro always seem to have something to celebrate. Vanya and I are convinced this town is the party capital of Spain. I’ve written previously about the annual wine celebrations of 29 June when the people of Haro and Miranda de Ebro have a wine fight and 3 day wine party (see Tour 6) and, more recently, I wrote about the ‘Battle of the Bands’ (see Tour 9). Well, as we arrived this time it seemed a football party was under way and this too was set to last for 3 days.
Haro Wine FightHaro Battle of the Bands
As we arrived on Plaza de la Paz for pre-dinner drinks, it was clear something special was going on in Haro. Crowds of people wearing Athletic Bilbao football shirts were gathering and almost everything on the plaza was bedecked in Athletic Bilbao’s red and white colours; including the Bandstand upon which two bands, Los Otros and a Metallica tribute band called Harollica, were noisily tuning their musical instruments. Oh, and one of Haro’s ‘oompah’ bands wearing red and white were playing lively music and strutting their stuff all around the old town. Haro appears to support Athletic Bilbao almost to a man and they were hosting the 51st International Congress of Athletic (Supporters) Clubs which would see some 400 more Athletic fans from all over Spain descend on the town for three days partying. That the festival should have started the day after Athletic Bilbao had lost 3-0 to Manchester United in the first leg of the Europa Cup semi-final was perhaps an unhappy coincidence but; no, if anything, it seemed to add to the occasion. It appeared the Athletic fans were determined this setback should not ruin their celebrations especially since their team are having, by any standards, a very good season.
Gathering crowds….51st Congress of Athletic Clubs
Athletic Bilbao are currently 4th in Spain’s La Liga and have reached the semi-finals of the Europa Cup. That’s no mean feat given that they operate what is known as the ‘Cantera Policy’. This Policy limits the club’s player selection to those who are either born in the Basque Country or have been trained in football within the region. They’ve operated this policy since 1912 and it is born of a will to promote local talent and, most especially, preserve the club’s Basque heritage. To date no player without Basque origins or ancestry has ever played for the club. Of course this means that they have a considerably more limited pool of players to draw upon than any other Spanish football team and for them to have made even the semi-final of the Europa Cup is a great achievement and well worth celebrating. So they did. They went mental and we were delighted to have been able to share in their celebrations.
There was one downside to the sudden influx of Athletic Bilbao fans from other parts of Spain. The bodegas in the station district were packed solid; so much so, we were unable to get into the MUGA! We did however get into Bodega Balbainas (which very much pleased Vanya) and for the first time ever, they allowed us to bring Nala and Beanie inside. Once again Vanya broke with tradition and started drinking during the day (she was never going to resist the Lumen) and I discovered a very excellent (if expensive) red by the name of Vina Zaco. We had a great time and by the time we had finished, we were wiped out for the rest of the day.
I’ve long wanted to visit the Costa Brava town of Cadaques (and the Cap de Creus National Park) but the single road in and out of Cadaques has been restricted to just motorbikes and cars. That changed late last year and motorhomes may now use the road. It was a no brainer where we would be going once we crossed into Spain. We booked ourselves into ‘Wecamp Cadaques’ for the two nights that I thought would allow us sufficient time to experience the small town of Cadaques and give me the opportunity to explore some of the Cap de Creus National Park. I thought a hike to and from the Far de Cap de Creus would do the trick – that’s the lighthouse.
Cadaques is one of the more picturesque towns I have visited in my time – a jumble of steep cobbled alleys and whitewashed houses over which the 17th century Santa Maria Church presides. It has changed over the years; fishing has slowly given way to tourism (we were told that just three fishermen in Cadaques are now licensed to fish on a commercial basis) but that is to be expected in a town with the pulling power of this one – Salvador Dali – and it’s general inaccessibility has ensured it is not at all tacky.
Cadaques is most famous for being where the Surrealist artist Salvador Dali and his wife Gali lived. They bought a house on the water’s edge in the PortLligat area in 1930, just a stones throw from Wecamp Cadaques and he lived and worked there until his wife died in 1982. The house has been left very much as it was when they both lived there (complete with unfinished canvases and the paintbrushes he was using) and now serves as a museum. It has been described as “weird and wacky” (as is expected of someone like Dali) but the Salvador Dali House Museum draws thousands of visitors throughout the year. It has also served to draw numerous other artists to the town and there are plenty of art galleries, workshops and craft stores dotted around the place.
Dali’s House……and PortLligat
The Santa Maria Church on the tiny Plaza de la Iglesia is a must see; if not for the pretty church itself, for the panoramic view over the southern side of the town and it’s coastline. There are numerous pretty coves and beaches to the north and south of the town. The Playas des Llaner Gran i Petit are the two in the town itself.
The nave of the church…… and the rear.The view from the Plaza de l’Iglesia
Cadaques is also home to the Michelin Recommended Compartir Restaurant (I think I mentioned that in a Roses blog?) but we weren’t inclined to try it. There were enough other good restaurants in Cadaques and they weren’t charging anywhere near as much as Compartir.
One of the two days we spent in Cadaques was Sant Jordi’s Day – that’s Saint George’s Day in England. Sant Jordi’s Day is also the Catalan holiday of ‘Books and Roses’ which is not unlike our Saint Valentine’s Day except that in Catalonia, men buy women roses and the women buy men a book. I’m not entirely sure of the significance of the book but, judging by some of the book covers on the stalls of an impromptu market that day (three stalls selling roses and three stores selling books), it could be that the women buy the men a book with a view towards educating their man about a woman’s particular wants and needs…
Inspired by Dali…… a red rose & manchego…… for Vanya.I was up early…… for these two photos.You need good…… walking shoes in Cadaques.Art everywhere…… especially on junction boxes.
Our last night in Cadaques was special. We sat for many hours outside a tiny, very friendly restaurant across the bay from the centre of the town… drinking the local wine, eating tapas, talking and watching Cadaques change as night came on.
We finally made it to the north of Burgundy. I’d promised myself this for some time (Auxerre has long appealed) and… Vanya? Well, Vanya was heard to remark only last week that she has “always enjoyed drinking champagne in Champagne and that it could prove equally pleasant to drink chablis in Chablis”. I’ll not argue with that logic especially since Auxerre and Chablis are both in the Yonne Department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comte and only 15 miles apart.
The drive across from the Aube to Yonne was enjoyable and one to be repeated except; next time, we will overnight at two of the places we drove through – the village of Les Riceys (to sample some of the area’s famous ‘Rose des Riceys Champagne’, so beloved by the French King Louis XIV) and the Yonne town of Tonnere (birthplace of the Chevalier d’Eon; site of La Fosse Dionne and; very close to where Chaource Cheese is made). But that is for a future tour.
For the present, Vanya had found us a tiny, very welcoming campsite (Camping Les Coullemieres) on the outskirts of the small agricultural village of Vermenton; which is in easy reach of both Auxerre (15 miles to the north) and Chablis (13 miles to the north east). We expected a very quiet evening in Vermenton. It was, after all, a Sunday and (no offence) but, nothing ever seems to happen in France on a Sunday evening. We were in for a pleasant surprise.
I was returning from a quick exploration of the town and noticed that the Cafe de la Gare (down by the railway station) was serving drinks. It wasn’t long before Vanya and I, together with our two dogs (Nala and Beanie), were seated outside the front of the bar with a most friendly crowd of locals knocking back wine after wine. To give you some idea, two of the locals insisted on taking turns to give Nala gentle back massages and one of them insisted on buying us a drink as he left to go home. I should mention also that early during the evening, the landlady of the Cafe de la Gare introduced us to Chintry (red and white) which, she claimed, is a local wine considered every bit as good as Chablis. We stayed with the Chintry (which everyone was drinking) but resolved to put her claim to the test at the earliest opportunity.
The villages of Chablis and Chitry are situated just a little to the east of Auxerre and within 7 miles of each other. That settled it; after visiting Auxerre the next day, we headed east to compare the Chablis and Chitry wines. Initially we had it in mind to progress our comparison with one of the major wine producers in the area (at Les Caves Bailly Lapierre) but changed our minds at the last moment and found a smaller family run business (Domaine Elodie Chalmeau) which produces the Chablis and the Chitry (together with Aligote and Cremant de Bourgogne but that’s another story). After the tasting Vanya and I were agreed that the only difference between Chablis and Chintry is the price (not that there is much in it) and both were very enjoyable. When asked what the difference is between the two wines, one of the owners of Domaine Elodie Chalmeau (Christine) told us that grapes grown to the north of the D62 (which road passes through the centre of Chitry) are used to make Chablis while those produced south of the D62 are used to make Chitry and that most locals drink the Chitry. Funny how some people swear there’s a difference. For the record, we bought 3 bottles each of Chablis, Chitry and Cremant (but only Vanya is allowed the Cremant – she claims it is the best she’s ever tasted and the Aligote was too dry for me).
Bailly-Lapierre Caves…… and tasting area.Family ChalmeauVanya, ready as ever…… in the tasting area.
Wonderful wines! Next I’ll talk a little about Auxerre…
Vanya chose Dienville in the Aube Department of Grand Est because, she said, she wanted to stay at Camping Le Columbier (which site has a very good write up) but, there are two champagne producing areas; one in the north around Reims, Epernay and the Valle de la Marne and another to the south-east of Troyes (the Aube) which, we have been told, produces the better grapes. As we approached Dienville, I couldn’t help but think it was perhaps the Aube champagne which was luring her to this area. No matter, it is an area that is new to the both of us and, of more interest to me, steeped in Napoleonic history.
In the blog on Brienne Le Chateau I mentioned the Battle of Brienne. On 29 January 1814, while at war against the 6th Coalition, Napoleon attacked the Prussian army at Brienne and very nearly captured the Prussian General, Gebhard Leberecht Von Blucher. Three days later, having been reinforced by Austrian troops, Blucher attacked Napoleon at La Rothiere (2 kilometres east of Dienville) and forced the French Army to retreat. It could have been a great deal worse for Napoleon had one of his Generals (Etienne Gerard) not held the bridge at Dienville against Blucher’s Austrian allies. But that’s enough of Napoleon.
Camping Le Columbier is fine – a very pretty, quiet little campsite near the centre of Dienville. Dienville itself is a village with just 700 inhabitants. There’s a bar, a baker and a chemist in the village centre but not a lot else. The village grocery store closed down but there’s a small farmer’s market every Sunday morning and a Vietnames food wagon visits the village centre every Friday evening. The owner of the wagon is actually from Laos but what the hell – his Vietnamese chicken is great!
The village’s church, L’Eglise Saint Quentin, is a bit of a gem for such a small village. It has some very impressive arches and beautiful stained glass windows. It also appeared to be surprisingly well attended. Well, it was on the Sunday morning we were there.
Another impressive feature of the village is the Market Hall building which is located directly behind the church and opposite the Hotel de Ville.
On the other side of the River Aube to the village is Port Dienville. It’s a large boating lake and leisure park at the edge of the Aube Reservoir (now known as Lac d’Amance). The reservoir was created in 1990 to regulate the flow of the Aube and Seine Rivers and the port area now comprises a burgeoning marina with a few bars and restaurants, a water sport facility and a beach area. It was fairly empty while we were there and appeared a bit of a white elephant. I hope I am proven wrong in this regard because it is a pretty area and could bring great prosperity to the village.
Okay, so there’s not a great deal more I would say about Dienville but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the village and the campsite is perfectly placed from which to explore the Aube Department. We were planning on visiting Bar sur Seine (surprise, surprise – Vanya has identified a champagne house there that she would like to visit) and I would like to visit nearby Essoyes (where the artist Renoir lived out his final years).
In Northern Europe, no matter the time of the year, it is often difficult getting into a campsite halfway through a weekend. This is especially true of popular sites near the coast. In high season there are so many more camper vans on the road chasing a finite number of places. In the low season many campsites close and, at least during weekends, competition for the reduced number of places increases. As a result, as the weekend approaches, we look to book a place in advance for the Friday and Saturday night and this is how it came about that we were destined to stay a whole weekend on a site in Merville-Franceville. One night would ordinarily have been enough.
Nothing against Merville-Franceville, it is a pleasant friendly family resort with a good selection of restaurant-bars and a fair amount going on in the area… if it is a warm sunny day in the high season and if you are interested in the D Day landings. We were out of season, the weather was cold and, unlike me, Vanya has absolutely no interest in D Day. That being the case I was delighted Vanya had booked us into ‘Camping Seasonova Le Point de Jour’. It’s a well appointed campsite with direct access to a sandy beach and just 15 minutes walk from the small town. Most important, it has a couple of tame goats wandering the site which were always going to keep Vanya amused while I went off exploring.
The local beachThey were happyShe was happyOur Van was in the adjoining plot
After a lazy morning playing with the dogs on the beach, Vanya repaired to the Van to check out the goats and I set off towards the town to check out the local sights and find a decent restaurant for the evening.
I started with a walk through the town and along the beach to the River Orne. I could see Ouistreham across the estuary and thought to cross the river via the Pegasus Bridge (the scene of a WWII Battle on D-Day) but the bridge is a few kilometres inland at the small village of Benouville and “a bridge too far” (blame Cornelius Ryan for my pun). Instead I made my way back into Merville-Franceville and then inland along Avenue Alexandre de Lavergne to the WWII Merville Battery.
Looking across the Orne Estuary to Ouistreham
I should perhaps explain that, as part of the D Day landings during WWII, various British Airborne forces were ordered as part of Operation Tonga to seal off the eastern end of a 50 mile long invasion area that would later be known as the Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah Beaches. Sword was the most easterly of the beaches and Utah the most westerly. Amongst other things, Operation Tonga required almost 200 glider troops under Major John Howard to seize and hold the Benouville Bridge (later renamed the Pegasus Bridge, after the winged horse of Greek Mythology and the military patch worn by British Airborne units) and a further 700 paratroopers under Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway to parachute into France near Merville-Franceville and neutralise a German artillery battery located there. The size of the concrete emplacements housing the German artillery suggested the guns themselves were large calibre (150mm), with an estimated range of about 8 miles (13 km), which would threaten the impending landings all along Sword Beach which stretched west from Ouistreham.
Major Howard’s part of the operation (to seize the bridge at Benouville) was a complete success with 5 gliders landing within 50 yards of the target and the bridge being taken just 10 minutes later with very few casualties (two British soldiers were killed, Lieutenant Den Brotheridge and Lance Corporal Fred Greenhaigh). The bridge was held until relieved by Lord Lovat’s Commandos and elements of the 7th Parachute Battalion. Ironically, one of the officers amongst the reinforcements was an aspiring actor, Lieutenant Richard Todd of 7 Para, who would subsequently play the part of Major John Howard in the film ‘The Longest Day’. Not many people know that.
Colonel Otway’s mission got off to the worst possible start with a bombing raid on the Merville Battery completely missing the target. In truth, the complex was never going to be an easy target from the air; comprising as it did, an underground command post, four gun casemates with 6 foot thick steel reinforced walls, a concrete trench system with ancillary bunkers to accommodate men and ammunition and a 20mm anti-aircraft gun. Worse still, 9 Parachute Battalion were dropped all over the countryside and; if that wasn’t enough, one of five gliders carrying essential equipment lost it’s tow rope and came down in the English Channel (killing everyone on board) and the remaining gliders were scattered and landed off target in flooded marshes. With the loss of the gliders, the assault force lost it’s anti-tank weapons, mortars, heavy machine guns, ammunition, demolition equipment, mine detectors and marking tapes, etc.
I should have mentioned earlier that the Merville Battery fortifications also included multiple heavy machine gun positions, an anti-tank ditch and mine fields but, even so, at 04.30 hours Colonel Otway attacked the Merville Battery complex – with just 150 men. The following plaque is be seen at the site which now forms a WWII museum:-
The attack on the Merville Battery was by no means a complete success. The guns were found to be of a lower calibre than expected. Some of the German garrison locked themselves in their bunkers and the victorious paratroopers didn’t have the weapons to clear them. Moreover, the paras didn’t have the demolition equipment to permanently disable all the guns before moving on to their next objective and two of the guns were subsequently restored to active service. However, none of the above detracts from the incredible bravery of the men of 9 Parachute Battalion – Utrinque Paratus.
I make no apology for devoting so much of this particular blog to the battles at Benouville and Merville. D day is a major feature of this Region’s history but, that is enough about the war for now.
Normandy is one of the 13 administrative Regions of France (there are another five outside of the country) and Normandy has long had it’s own quite unique culture and traditions. Principal amongst them is gastronomy and, especially, seafood (not to mention the five “C’s”, being camembert, cream, crepes, cider and calvados). I was charged by Vanya with finding a decent seafood restaurant in Merville for at least one meal out. I found Le France on Avenue Houdard.
Le France comes with mixed reviews and is not cheap but we enjoyed it. The welcome was warm, the service was attentive and the seafood was very good. I would recommend it.
Le France RestaurantTasty OystersThe biggest profiterole
I’d recommend Merville Franceville too and as for Nala and Beanie…
So, after a disappointing stop in Nevers we made our way to Amboise. We first visited Amboise during Tour 3, some years ago, and very much enjoyed the place. During that particular visit I spent a fair amount of time in the Chateau Amboise following up my interest in the Tudors and Stuarts. This time I wanted to focus a little more on Leonardo de Vinci. He lived and worked in Amboise between 1516 and 1519 when he died.
Chateau Amboise from L’Ile d’OrChateau Amboise during Tour 3Chateau Amboise during Tour 3
After parking the Van up in the Municipal Campsite on L’Ile d’Or (Gold Island) in the middle of the Loire, I went off on a quest to learn more about da Vinci. I started at the tiny Eglise St Florentin, as much to get my bearings as anything, and then continued on through the Tour de L’Horloge to the town’s main square, the Place de Michel d’Ebre.
Eglise St FlorentinEglise St Florentin
The Chateau Amboise fills one side of the Place de Michel d’Ebre and totally dominates the town. Leonardo da Vinci is, by all accounts, buried in the Saint Hubert Chapel up in the chateau grounds but; I don’t know how anyone can be so sure about that without performing a DNA test. Originally interred in the grounds of the Eglise St Florentin, his relics were supposedly moved by some of Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops to the chapel. However, I would be surprised if his grave was not dug up in the early days of the French Revolution when both the Eglise St Florentin and the Chapel were thoroughly ransacked by the mob.
It’s little more than a 10 minute walk along Rue Victor Hugo from Place de Michel d’Ebre to the small chateau that is the Maison du Clos Luce where Da Vinci lived and worked until he died in 1519. The house is well preserved and both decorated and furnished much as it would have been when occupied by da Vinci but, most interesting, are the many scale models dotted around the house and throughout the extensive gardens of some of da Vinci’s most imaginative inventions – airplanes, helicopters, parachutes, armoured tanks, etc. Absolutely fascinating. The man was a genius and hundreds of years ahead of his time. The Clos Luce is a must visit site during any visit to Amboise.
Chapel Hubert from Clos LuceRue Victor HugoInside Clos LuceDa Vinci’s bedroomGarden featureGarden feature
As always when I go out on my exploratory walks, a primary objective is to find a decent restaurant for the evening. I really struck lucky this time, choosing the Restaurant Anne de Bretagne on the Place de Michel d’Ebre. We had a fantastic evening there with the welcome and the food proving outstanding.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Vanya and I were amongst the last to leave the restaurant and, consequently, we had the old town almost to ourselves as we made our way back to the Van. There was just one other person on the Place de Michel d’Ebre – an accordianist playing the most French music. Wonderful!
Place Michel DebreOn Place Michel DebreRestaurant Anne de BretagneA final view of the Chateau from L’Ile d’Or
After a pleasant drive across what was once Cathar Country (passing the 16th century Fortress de Salses and the Salses Leucate Lakes near Fitou) we arrived at Camping L’Escale Occitane just 1 kilometre from Alzonne, a small village of some 1,600 people.
Fortress de SalsesSalses Leucate LakesSalses Leucate Lakes
We were intent on revisiting Saint Remy de Provence but stopped off at Alzonne (Camping L’Escale Occitane) in the Aude Department of Occcitaine to meet up with some friends (Chris and Tessa) who live in nearby Fanjeaux. We spent a little time with them earlier in the year (Tour 9) and I promised them my Thai coriander curry when we next passed through.
The campsite proved to be an inspired choice. Set amongst a series of small vineyards, it’s a tiny pet friendly rural site of 16 pitches (8 of them intended for motorhomes) with excellent views towards the Pyrenees. It’s run by a very welcoming couple, Remy and Nadia. What surprised me most about the campsite was that despite it’s relatively small size, they run a very popular little restaurant. We didn’t get to try it because I’d promised to cook for Chris and Tessa but… next time.
L’Escale Occitane……and a sunset.
Oh… and the campsite keep a decent range of local artisan beers. The Ciutat Blonde from Carcassonne was pretty good.
Chris and I shared a few of the beers before dinner (it was his birthday) and, while my curry wasn’t at it’s best (I didn’t add enough coriander), it could have been worse and, besides, the company of Chris and Tessa more than compensated for the shortcomings in the food.
There is one final point worth mentioning. Just down the road from the campsite is a small winery, going by the name of Chateau Sesquieres. It’s a very small affair run by Gerard Lagoutte but he produces a surprisingly wide range of very pleasant wines. Vanya and I popped in on the off chance he would be open and we struck lucky. He let us sample a few of his wines and we ended up buying a mixed case. We’ll be popping in again next time we are in the area.
Chateau Sesquieres vineyard……and grapes……and wines…… and customers.
I really like this part of France. We have been to the Vermillion Coast (la Cote Vermeille) a few times now; visiting Collioure, Banyuls sur Mer and, of course, little Saint Genis des Fontaines (where I buy my vin rouge de la maison).
Argeles sur Mer is not a town I have ever thought to visit before; largely because of it’s reputation as being one of the most popular holiday resorts on the south coast of France. It currently has a population of less than 11,000 and yet attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year. The town was busy even as I arrived during the middle of September although; a fairly stiff breeze was forcing the great majority of visitors off of the 7 kms blue flag beach and on to the Boulevard de la Mer which runs behind the beachfront buildings lining the promenade.
It took me about an hour to walk from Camping Le Dauphin into town and along the promenade to the harbour area.
It would take a great many people to fill this beach
The harbour area is more of a marina than a port; there being so many leisure craft docked there. It’s probably the most developed part of the town; lined as it is with restaurants, boutique shops and apartment blocks. There’s little on the seafront (and I include the harbour in this) to suggest the town was ever anything other than a tourist resort (except perhaps the few brightly coloured Lateen boats bobbing on the water) but, for all that, Argeles has not become a tacky tourist resort like so many. I quite like the place.
A small Lateen
Carry on south beyond the harbour area and you will reach a small sandy cove edged by what were once fishermen’s cottages and/or temporary homes built by Spanish exiles. I don’t know which is true but they all now appear well tended and attractive. Behind them are some shops and a few small apartment blocks. This is the tiny hamlet of Racou and it seems a world apart from Argeles. It makes for a much quieter day on the beach too.
A Tourist Office Photo of Racou which I could never reproduce
There’s a path from Racou up to a viewpoint with views over Argeles. It connects too with the coastal path to Collioure. It was getting late and, much as I like the place, I had neither the time nor the energy to go on to Collioure. Instead I sought out Argeles’ old town and in particular L’Eglise Notre Dame del Prat (Our Lady of the Meadows).
The 14th century Eglise Notre Dame del Prat is situated at the heart of the old town on the Rue de la Republique. A narrow lane, Rue de la Solidarite, runs around the back of the church and the delightful little cottages that edge this lane, together with the buildings opposite the front entrance to the church, form a pretty little square which is home to a traditional market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The church is full of character and famous for it’s Catalan paintings of various saints but it was the altar which most caught my attention. It is truly stunning. The 14th century bell tower is also impressive. It is a listed historic monument and it is possible to ascend the tower but only with an official guide at prescribed times. I missed out on that one.
Eglise Notre Dame del Prat…… and inside……that altar is impressive…… and more impressive close up.Part of the square formed by cottages on Rue de la Sokidarite
It was at least a 3 mile walk back to our camp site (Camping Le Dauphin) but I made it in time for pre dinner drinks with Vanya. Camping Le Dauphin is an excellent 5 star campsite by the way that didn’t charge silly money (we paid an off season price of just 26 euros for a plot with private showers, etc). It is an excellent stop over place but a bit too far out of town for Nala (and probably Vanya too).
Would I return to Argeles? Yes, provided it was out of season and; given more time, I would be keen to undertake the 8km walk up to the Tour de la Massane for it’s views of one of the prettiest coastlines in the south of France.
