Janes adventures in France June / July 2019
Friday:
Our trip to France starts with a detour to Grasmere in the Lake District – to
Dove cottage to be precise, the home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth. Geoff
is taking part in a conference entitled ‘What is natural’ and is kicking off
the conference with a birdsong walk on Saturday morning, followed by a
presentation with Mike Collier and Bennet Hogg. Arrive at Grasmere at 7pm after
a rather fraught day getting things together. Have a stroll around then go
through the plan for the next day.
Saturday:
We all meet at the Jerwood Centre which has the most fantastic collection of
books by Wordsworth and other English romantic poets plus original prints by
Thomas Bewick. Set off on the walk which involves people wearing radio
headphones and being able to tune into the sounds that Geoff is picking up with
the reflector dish he uses for recording. He has led walks with people using
headphones a few times before and they have gone down very well. Half way along
the walk, Bennett introduced us to using the wind to play the violin, making it
sound rather like an Aeolian Harp.
Great morning. After lunch leave a very busy Grasmere to head to
Birmingham to spend a night with my parents.
Sunday:
Leave Birmingham at lunch time to get the 6.45pm ferry from Dover to Calais.
Remarkably straightforward to get onto the ferry, despite a rather disturbingly
squealy noise from the van wheels. Hopefully nothing too serious. Arrive at
Calais and drive until midnight to the outskirts of Rouen. We wanted to get a
bit further but we’re very tired so decide to pull up in an Aire for a few
hours sleep and get up early the next morning to navigate Rouen which looks
pretty scary on the map.
Monday:
Up at 5am and back onto the Autoroute. Navigate Rouen successfully (it wasn’t
as bad as it looked) and on to our destination of the Brenne. It’s a lovely
area with an array of Etangs (lakes) we have visited before – the last time in
2006. The Lakes attract a variety of
birds and wildlife. We arrive in the Brenne and are aware that things are
starting to warm up. Temperature predictions for the next few days are 38-40
degrees – a heatwave has hit France and we are in a camper van with no air con!
Get to a campsite on the side of the Etang de Bellebouche,
park the van and go for a swim in the lake to cool down. Walk along the edge of
the lake as the sun is setting and come across a magnificent area of un-mown
grassland with a cacophony of crickets, bush crickets and grasshoppers. It’s just
fabulous. It’s getting late though and Geoff is too tired to record the
soundscape now so he decides to come back tomorrow night to record.
Etang de Bellbouche
Tuesday:
Geoff is up early and goes for a walk to have a spy as to what’s around and
guess what – the farmer has been out since 6.30am mowing the cricket meadow –
what a disappointment to put it mildly. Drive to the local village for a look
around, a few provisions and a coffee in the square. Come across a lovely
butchers/deli and get homemade goats cheese tart for me and marinated pork
fillet for Geoff to BBQ later. Spend the afternoon going around the different
lakes to see what’s about. Great views of Purple Heron, Black Necked Grebe and
a very splendid Golden Oriole which most certainly lived up to its name. Back
to the campsite for a swim in the lake to cool off, a very cold beer and wi-fi
in the campsite bar followed by a BBQ.
Watch out for the European Pond Tortoise
Wednesday:
Spend the best part of the day trying to keep cool which wasn’t very easy as
temperatures reached 38 degrees. Shower. Swim in the lake. Shower. Swim in the
lake. Shower. At 10.30pm we are basking in a temperature of 33 degrees in the
van. Also spend the day saying ‘blimey it’s hot’ in various different ways and
with varying phrases. Slightly apprehensive about tomorrow as temperatures are
predicted to hit 40 degrees. I love the heat but even I’m finding this a tad
warm! Stay overnight in a shaded spot on the side of a lake and Geoff puts his
mikes out to record whatever is occurring.
Maintaining a stylish hair do in a 40 degrees heatwave is a touch difficult
Thursday:
Wake early and the Golden Oriole are amazing – there were two of them singing
at each other across the woodland.
We leave for our next destination, the Auvergne. As it’s hot
and the destination is pretty hilly we decide to go as far as we (and the van)
can manage. Stop along the way to experience the loveliness of a large Super U
super market – so cool and with a wonderful array of food. We have to reign
ourselves in though as our van fridge is very small. Drive on and have a
seafood salad lunch (courtesy of the Super U deli counter) next to a lake. Go
for a walk around the lake and see Little Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Pelicans,
Storks, Coypou and a gorgeous bright green frog.
Carry on and make to the Auvergne, to a campsite next to
a lake, with a small but beautifully clean pool. Lovely swim, supper of cheese,
pate, bread, celeriac remoulade, olives and tomatoes. As we were eating, Geoff
tells me that a Chaffinch singing overhead is doing a ‘rain call’. Quite
amusing given the weather! Walk along the lakeside to catch the setting sun.
Friday: Get out early to walk to the local village.
An explore of the village, coffee in the square before shopping for basic
provisions (bread, wine, fruit plus octopus for Geoff). Back to the campsite
and its started to heat up. Swim in the
pool, lunch then time spent doing chores such as cleaning the van awning of
spiders and bugs, washing clothes and dealing with emails. Another swim, supper
and another sunset lake walk. I also finish the book I’ve been reading ‘Eleanor
Oliphant is completely fine’. I really enjoyed it, although I think it wouldn’t
be everyone’s cup of tea. Get sorted for an early start tomorrow.
Saturday:
Up and off early while it’s still relatively cool to head for the centre of the
Auvergne and Puy de Dome which is a dormant volcano, 1465m high and an UNESCO
world heritage site. It’s a really impressive sight on the landscape. When we
arrive we decide to do the tourist thing and get the electric train to the top.
Set off and It’s really very good with spectacular views, but two thirds of the
way up I remember I’m not very good with heights so I start to feel slightly
scared though I’m surrounded by children who are having a great time. Get off
at the summit and have a walk around. There are paragliders jumping off the top
to glide back to where the railway starts and I start to feel slightly queasy
at the thought – how on earth could they do that? I can’t even face some of the
paths as they go too close to the edge of the cliff! On the top of the Puy are
the ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to the god Mercury built around 2nd
century AD. It’s quite mind blowing to think that people (slaves) dragged
whatever was needed for the temple to this height and built it, 1900 years ago
at that.
Leave the volcano for Mont Dore via a very up, down and
winding road. It’s a pretty spa town nestled in the mountains, with renowned
hot thermal springs that I don’t think we’ll be making use of. Get a late
lunch, faff with provisions before a final assent for the day to the camp site
we liked the look of. Make it to the campsite at 1400m on a plateau overlooking
Mont Dore. Have a cold beer in the small but cosy bar and although the site
doesn’t have a pool we ponder using the Jacuzzi that’s available. I decide
against it though as it’s a touch Louis Theroux Swingers documentary / ‘Come
dine with me’ awful experiences when one of the hosts has a hot tub and expects
everyone to get in it at the end of the meal. Have a walk through woodland to
cool off instead. Just discovered that we are camping over the height of the
Cheviot and Cairngorm mountains – no wonder our poor van got a bit hot and
bothered!
Sunday:
Walk through woodland and beautiful flower meadows to a waterfall. When we get
back to the campsite there’s no one in the Jacuzzi so I decide to put aside my
Louis Theroux/Come Dine images and go for it. A slightly strange experience
being pummelled by very hot water jets in a hot jacuzzi on a hot day! Later in
the day, after the heat of the last week the weather is changing – it’s getting
very breezy and thunder is echoing across the valley.
Monday:
Thunder storms didn’t materialise as we thought they might. Leave the campsite
early for the top of the Coll and a walk to see what’s around. Geoff sets off
trying to record an elusive Quail but not much luck so we have breakfast out on
the plateau. Descend the other side to the Vallee de Chaudefour which is a
nature reserve on the volcanic slopes of the Puy de Sancy. What a stunning spot
– have a lovely walk through woodland and out onto a wild flower meadow with
volcanic rocks all around. Geoff goes off recording grasshoppers and
photographing while I sit in the shade enjoying the scene. Back to the van and
after an ice cold lemonade in a bar by the car park, we drive on and park
overnight in a spot off the road, 1km from a very small village. Quite an odd
place - we feel as if people are driving past to have a look and check us out!
Tuesday:
Drive into the village to find a nature reserve marked on our map – didn’t find
it but do find that the village feels like a French equivalent of Royston
Vasey. It also has an art trail around the village, mainly based on the theme
of cows.
Drive out of the village a little way and stop by the side
of the road for a late breakfast. Geoff gets excited about Black Kites calling
across the valley so gets out recording but then Red Kites join in so it all
gets a bit confusing. A bit further along our journey we stop and come across
the most amazing insect I have ever seen – it’s an Ascaphalid, I am reliably
informed. Manage to get a good photo but
we wish we had tried to film it too as it’s incredible when it flies around.
Drive onto a forest where we are planning to spend the
night. Find a nice spot up a small track, get settled for the evening then it
starts to thunder, quite dramatically. It’s very atmospheric but we are aware
that the spot we are in could get waterlogged and boggy so eat our supper and
decide to move the van elsewhere. Unfortunately, as Geoff is reversing out he turns
the van to miss a soggy spot and ends up in an even soggier ditch. Despite our
valiant efforts to dig the van out, we are well and truly stuck. We are a bit
concerned as we are on a very small road in the forest, I have no mobile
signal, the road is so quiet hardly any cars come along and it’s getting dark.
We sit pondering our options when we hear voices and out of nowhere walk three
people on an evening stroll – they live 1km away and have a tractor and offer
to help. How lucky are we! They agree that the guy will come back at 8am
tomorrow morning to pull us out.
Wednesday:
And pull us out he did – what a star!
Drive out of the forest via a spot with Black Woodpecker’s
calling and a lovely red moth (fiery clearwing) proudly spotted by me. Park up
on a municipal campsite near Murat, clean the van, eat and listen to music
including Songs of the Auvergne which was one of Geoff’s dad’s favourite pieces
of music and was played at his funeral two years ago. Also listened to Django
Reinhart and the spectacular Dakha Baraka which for some reason felt very
appropriate for now.
Thursday:
Stay around the campsite in the shade, sort out a few emails and Internet stuff
then late afternoon move on to the Plomb du Cantal which at 1392m is fairly
high. I was apprehensive as I was concerned that the roads might be poor and
too steep for our van to manage, but it was fine. The road is very good and I’m
guessing it’s because this is a ski area and with ski lifts on the top of the
Plomb, it is a year round destination. Funny to think people ski here as we
enjoy/endure 30+ degrees! We find a nice place to park up beside a cricket /
grasshopper city.
Sitting in the van, reading and writing notes when Geoff
says “look at that” and a Short Toed Eagle is sitting on a branch of a tree
just in front of us. He jumps out with his camera and moves forward slowly,
taking photos as he goes, until he is just a few meters away. The eagle just
sits there, turning to look at him now and again. Amazing!
Short toed Eagle
Friday:
Gradually wind out way down from the Plomb du Cantal towards the Gorges de
Truyere via an E Leclerc shopping experience. Get fresh bread, salads, food to
BBQ later that day and swimming shorts.
The campsite we are heading for is down a really really steep wooded gorge
and I really really hope we don’t have to drive up it on our way out. Get to
the site which is set into the hillside and go for a swim in the pool, cold
beers in the bar and a BBQ back at the van. Later that evening, on our way to
the bins we have a lovely chat with an older French couple who live in Clermont
-Ferrand but have a chalet on the site. Lots of broken French and
gesticulation!
Saturday:
Decide to stay here another night as we can’t face a day of driving in the
heat, the site is shaded and has the bonus of a pool. Sit outside the van with
my morning coffee and a Red Kite flies past so close I can see his beak clearly
and his eye looking in at me. After lunch we walk up the hillside – it’s a
steady, steep walk but the views along the way are fabulous. We eat fragrant
wild strawberries along the walk to keep us going and see poplar admiral
butterflies, lots of marbled whites and fritillaries. Back to the site for a
swim, cold beers (bit of a routine this) followed by a van meal of ratatouille
with fresh fennel and mushrooms a la greque.
Fritillary
Sunday:
Leave the site for the Dordogne and Causse de Gramat. As it’s Sunday, we don’t
expect any shops to be open so we will have to make do with what’s in the van
cupboards; however, we drive through Chaudes- Aigues and its thriving, with a
boulangerie for lovely fresh bread, a charcuterie for home made quiche and pate
en croute and a hotel/casino offering ‘stud poker’, whatever that is.
En route to our destination Geoff decides he wants to go a
roundabout way to explore the Truyere gorges even further. Ummm I think – it’s
very high with winding, narrow roads but I agree primarily because he’s
driving. Go up really high and I don’t like it at all, sheer drops to the left.
My dislike of heights is getting worse as I get older. At one point, near the
top Geoff says “Wow, look at that for an overnight parking spot – it would be
amazing for Raptors”. Well, you’ll be on your own for that one I think – leave
me in the hotel in Chaudes-Aigues for a game of stud poker. Although it is
spectacular, I’m pleased when we leave the gorges and get on a steadier road
(albeit with plenty ups and downs). Get to the Causse and find a quiet spot on
the edge of woods to park up for the night. We have noticed that the sounds
around us are changing. The cricket and grasshoppers are being drowned out by
very very loud cicadas.
Monday:
Leave our overnight spot and wind our way over towards Rocamadour, which is
stunningly beautiful but heaving with tourists and traffic. Geoff is searching
for a recording spot that he visited in 2006, when we were last in the area and
find it he did. Back then he got Stone Curlew and Honey Buzzard recordings and
is after seeing what might be around now. Pick up provisions then make for a
spot we also visited in 2006 on the side of the Dordogne river so we can go in
for a swim. It’s so lovely and barely changed in 13 years. Swim to cool off and
watch small fish in the edge. They were coming close to us as our feet were
disturbing the river bed and there might have been food around. Follow signs
for camping and find a very nice site on the edge of the picturesque village of
Creysse, on the side of the Dordogne river. Swim in the pool but leave when it
gets taken over by Belgian, Dutch and French teenagers. We have noticed a
difference this week with an increase in busyness – school holidays must have
started. Have an evening stroll along the river and see Coypou in the edge.
Tuesday:
Walk around the village which is beautiful and book ourselves into the local
Auberge for our first meal out of the trip. It’s Moules + Frites + Dessert
night and although we may have fancied a choice we decide to go for it as it
will no doubt be delicious. Back to the site for a swim in the river and to try
out our newly acquired swimming / canoeing shoes which make walking over stony
river banks and stony river beds so much easier. Late afternoon it starts to
thunder and there’s a heavy but short lived downpour. It dries up before we go
for our meal which is nice so we don’t have to wear waterproofs over our ‘going
out’ clothes. The food was good, as was the wine kept cool in an ice bag. When
it came to dessert, there was a choice of ice cream, tart au poire (pear tart)
or iles flottantes. Now, I’ve come
across iles flottantes whilst watching the aforementioned ‘Come dine with me’
and any time one of the hosts tries to make it, things go wrong – so – I
thought – it’s iles flottantes for me, to see how it should be done. Delicious
it was too – a base layer of caramel type syrup with vanilla custard and a
light soft meringue on top of that then finished with toasted almonds. Geoff
went for the pear tart but when he asked for it he said poivre (pepper) tart
rather than poire which made the slightly dour, harassed waitress smile.
Wednesday:
Use the campsite wi-fi to book our ferry home – Saturday at 9.15am from Le
Havre to Portsmouth. Leave the site and
explore an area not too far away when Geoff has to stop the van to record a
deafening Cicada chorus.
Get to a different bit of the river for a swim – it’s quite
a busy picnic spot but lovey with large fish (probably Roach) in the edge and
damsel flies landing on our head as we swim. Then make our way back onto the
Causse and find a spot to park up for the night. As I sit reading, I look out
the front window and there is a beautiful big fox with black tipped ears about
to jump over a wall.
Thursday:
Wake up and look out the van and there is a lovely Hoopoe scuttling along in
front of the van - he/she is very intent on looking for food to feed its young.
Have an explore of the area on foot and then by van, to remind ourselves what
it’s like and to also spy potential camping out spots should we return next
year. Make out way back to our favourite river swimming spot for a few swims
before we get in the van and onto the Autoroute north. Decide to go back to the
Brenne as our stopping off point to Le Havre. It’s a good halfway point and
Geoff is keen to see if he can get recordings of Turtle Dove that eluded him
when we visited two weeks ago. Get to the Brenne, park up for the night on the
side of a reserve and there you go – Turtle Dove outside. Go for a walk as the
sun is setting.
Friday:
Potter around our camping spot – Geoff goes out walking / recording and sees a
Pine Martin which I didn’t see unfortunately as I was sitting in the van
reading my book. Serves me right for sitting around reading (although it’s very
enjoyable). I don’t imagine he would want me following him when he’s recording
though as I find it difficult to be quiet for long. Go into Mezieres en Brenne
for a coffee and breakfast (as we did 2 weeks ago). Chicken, bacon and cheese
en croute for Geoff and goats cheese tart for me plus some herby mushrooms for
lunch. Start our journey to Le Havre and it’s not too bad until we hit Le Mans.
Bit of a nightmare to get around even though we have an up to date road atlas.
Everyone seems to be driving like idiots – maybe living in Le Mans means you
have to drive as if you are on the race track. Find the road we want but one of
the slip roads onto it has a height restrictor which we don’t see until it
bashes the roof box on the top of the van. Fortunately, we realise what has
happened and quickly turn off the slip road. We breathe a sigh of relief and
carry on. Find an overnight woodland spot to camp, about an hours drive from Le
Havre and through the night are serenaded by a wonderful tawny owl.
Saturday:
Up at 6am to drive to the ferry terminal. Go over a spectacular bridge crossing
the estuary and river Seine. At Le Havre, customs police search our van and
different police search it again in Portsmouth. Guess they are looking for
people but not sure why they are choosing us! From Portsmouth go to Geoff’s
mum’s in Surrey for a few hours before savouring the delights of the A1 north
and home, to plan our next trip.
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