No Particular Place To Go

With the men’s Tour De France over we spend a couple of days catching up on the laundry, shopping and giving the motorhome a tidy because it’s been rather neglected in the last couple of weeks. 

However, it isn’t long before we realise that the Femmes Tour de France is due to start and with no other plans we decide to go and watch a few stages, however, I’m not sure if we are gluttons for punishment or just bonkers as we set off back through the regions we only crossed a few weeks ago. 

Today we watched the last stage of the men’s Tour de France and it’s been so hot we just wanted somewhere quiet for the night so we found the camping car park in the small village of Bregnier-Cordon. It’s too hot to cook so John and Pete walk to the Pizza van to get dinner.

This morning we say goodbye to Lorna and Pete and head to the village of Virieu sur Bourbre. As soon as we arrive at the aire we realise we had been here in 2019. We are the only ones here and it’s quiet, however, with the arrival of the local youths wheel spinning in the car park we soon decide to move on. Thankfully we had managed to have a walk around the village to take some photos before the village idiots arrived. 

The view into of an old shoe display in a shed in someone’s back garden is just off a narrow road. 

The paddle wheel in Virieu sur Bourbre works by the weight of the water pouring from the above weir, half filling its troughs forcing the wheel to turn every few minutes we hear the gushing sound as the troughs empty. 

The artist Johan Barthold JONGKIND 1819 – 1891 who spent time in the village and mainly produced watercolours of the La Côte Saint-André and its region is a prominent figure as you turn the corner. 

This work entitled “The House of Artists and Know-how” is a tribute to artists, craftsmen and industrialists who have left their mark on local history and heritage. This fresco was produced in the spring of 2022 by the painter Charline Chargelegue. 

It’s a Friday evening and it’s proving difficult to find somewhere quiet for the night so we end up parked in the picnic area in the village of Massieu next to the Maire.  For such a small place this too turns out to be a noisy place however it does quieten down just after midnight. 

Within the grounds of the Maires house is the vegetable plot that the children from the local school maintain. Built with recycled wood from local industries the project is to teach the children about the economy, recycling, and growing produce. 

The children collect the food waste from the canteen and deposit it daily into the compost bin, then at a later date use the compost in the garden. There’s a whole array of fruit and veg which the locals are invited to pick and taste in moderation, it’s for all to share. 

Cooking his own dinner tonight

In need of a quiet night, we find the camping car park in Yssingeaux and sit outside in the sun.

Another day, and another park up, this time in Chanac which is located 21 km west of Mende and we find a spot next to the church to park up for the night, there are only a few vans here and they are all shapes and sizes, even a converted lorry. 

It’s too hot to sleep in Chanac tonight so we have a wander around the pretty village with lots of narrow, steep streets packed full of history since medieval times. 

This garden is full of old toys even the old well gets a display 

Like the rest of Europe, the weather here is bonkers we go from blistering hot to stormy, cold, rainy blustery days. 

We stopped to use the services at Sévérac d’Aveyron and the view across the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park is amazing they cover nearly a third of the Aveyron department. Wild and preserved, this vast territory, is made up of high limestone plateaus, steep gorges, shimmering hills and forest-covered mountains

It’s a lovely walk along the l’Aveyron river to Rodez with lots of Herons searching for food

Rodez is a small city and commune in the South of France, about 150 km northeast of Toulouse. We parked below on the outskirts of Onet la Chateau village and walked along the river however we didn’t anticipate the uneven steps and the steep climb we had to tackle to reach this busy centre.

Coordinates for Aires used in France

Bregnier-Cordon

N 45° 38′ 27

E 5° 37′ 43

Virieu sur Bourbre 

N 45° 28′ 54

E 5° 28′ 38

Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue

N 45° 15′ 52

E 4° 29′ 17

Yssingeaux

N 45° 7′ 53 

E 4° 7′ 32

Pradelles

N 44° 46′ 31

E 3° 53′ 15

 Chanac

N44.46530

E3.34568

Onet-le-Château

N 44° 21′ 26

E 2° 35′ 36