Week 9

Day 57 – Friday 4^th May 2018

Another windy day in the Camargue, had a lie-in then off to the market at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. The usual stuff on sale…

That didn’t take long so I thought I’d see if we could makes it to Arles today.

It was a very blowy 25 miles to Arles on Zippy but we made it okay. Arles is only a small town and it’s only real attractions are its Roman amphitheatre and Roman theatre.

Both of these have had modern bleacher style seating fitted so they can be used for events which sort of spoils them as ruins.

We walked round the town,

There were some nice squares but it was a hot day out of the wind so we didn’t stay too long.

Day 58 – Saturday 5^th May 2018

Another lie-in!

I wanted to go back to the Riviera today but the two campsites we are interested in have no room as next week is a big holiday week in France with two public holidays. Going to try our luck on Monday when there should be more churn.

Lazy morning reading then a walk along Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer’s eastern beach

Day 59 – Sunday 6^th May 2018

Lazy morning reading. Boiling day today and the aircon is now proving to be a very good investment.

In the afternoon we went of a ride on Zippy and then back to the aircon.

We move tomorrow but we have had trouble getting a confirmed pitch at any of our preferred sites. Everywhere is chock-a-block for the week so we’ll just have to wing it. Where ever we end up it’ll great to get away from the fuckin’ mosquitoes.

Day 60 – Monday 7^th May 2018

Goodbye mosquitoes, hello Riviera.

Back at Les Mûres and couldn’t be happier.

Day 61 – Tuesday 8^th May 2018

Fantastic to wake up and not have to wonder how we’re going to cope with the mosquitoes today. I don’t react too badly to mozzie bites, I just get a lump, no itching but Julie has a bad reaction to them and her foot is in a right state. I have a picture of it but I’m not allowed to post it.

Today is a holiday in France, it is WWII Victory day. No, seriously the French get a day’s holiday every year for winning WWII.

I know the French suffered terribly in WWII, nearly every town has a memorial to people who were murdered by the Nazis, but if they get a day off for their efforts then we should get a week off and it should all be paid for by the bloody Germans.

Thought we’d check out the two campsites we are interested in, one in La Croix-Valmer , where Joan’s place is and the other in Cavalaire-sur-Mer. Both were small and hilly and neither was really suitable for Nelly so I think we’ll stay put for a couple of weeks. I just don’t need the drama.

La Croix-Valmer is a small town about a mile from the sea.

Cavalaire-sur-Mer is a swanky town with a large marina stuffed to the gills with restaurants.

In the late afternoon I went exploring the headland behind St Tropez on Zippy. Got soaked to the skin coming home, the rain was bouncing off the road and huge puddles formed. The local scooter riders didn’t bat an eyelid; they carried right on overtaking everything on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the bollards.

Day 62 – Wednesday 9^th May 2018

Mixed morning, weather forecast is for rain just after lunch so we went for a walk through the smart Prairies de la Mer holiday resort to Port Grimund for a coffee. Do not want to be two up on Zippy if it hammers down.

The rain arrived at 7ish, all 3 spots of it.

Day 63 – Thursday 10^th May 2018

Up early and to the beach to relearn how to fly my drone. Couldn’t even get it started! Ended up downloading the user manual. I’d like to send it across the bay of St Tropez and along the front, we’ll see.

Into Sainte Maxime for an Italian market.

Some new English neighbours arrived at lunch time. They say they have just spent 3 months in Spain. They started drinking rosé on arrival and after a snooze under their awning moved on to G&Ts. They are properly retired, all they have to do is eat, drink, read & sleep. I wonder how long it will take me to get to that exalted level.

Late afternoon we went to Mini Golf La Palmeraie for the 2018 St Tropez Classic – a duel in the sun!