It’s Monday morning and our first port of call today is the supermarket to stock up and try to purchase a French sim card. Since the 23rd of May this year the rules on using data a broad changed limiting mobile use outside the Uk and applying additional charges ranging from £2 -£5 per day depending on which country you are in. John’s mobile phone company have honoured his old contract but mine is a relatively new contract and after receiving one hefty bill we certainly don’t want another.
Over the next two weeks, we continue to move Northwest however we had not seen the news for a few weeks so we were unaware of the fires breaking out across the Maine et Loire department until we receive a message from Alison warning us of the situation so over the next few days we continue to check the news daily.
The heat has once again dominated what we do most days, and it seems that I spend most of my time moaning about it but in recent days it’s been unbearable. When John reminds me, that in less than 10 weeks winter will be here and I’ll be moaning about the cold, so guess I better just sweat this one out.
Wanting to get past the town of Nantes before stopping today proves to be tiresome at times, there are road works and diversions everywhere and just when we think they are finished there’s another one.
Up until now, we hadn’t seen anything of the reported fires but as we head towards Brittany we soon spot long stretches of the black burnt fields, the strong smell of burning and firemen damping down the fires that are still smouldering.
Campsites aren’t normally our thing and the ones we look to have the vans packed in like sardines or with little or no shade at all and parked on the dry arid ground which makes us wary with all these fires so we go in search of places with more space.
As we move more into this patch of northwest France, where the Channel meets the Atlantic, it is supposedly France’s version of Cornwall, however, the volume of people here makes it near on impossible to see the glorious advertised beaches or pretty coastal villages so we decide to move further around the coast.
Finally, the forecasted rain and storm arrive bringing down the temperature so it’s much cooler and we can get out and about again. Either the tourists have gone home or are hiding from the rain because it’s quieter and we find some great spots to stop at.
With further predicted storms heading our way, we decide to park up for a few days in Plougonvelin. It’s just a short walk from the village and the beach and with an ever-changing view across the bay, it doesn’t matter if we are stuck inside.
So far Brittany hasn’t lived up to what we were expecting but hopefully, that will change the further round the coast we go.
Most nights it stayed around 33 degrees Squatting mosquitoes and flys seems to be a nightly past time at the moment In the village of Lencloitre we find a shady spot under the trees but it’s near a busy road so at 6 pm when it starts to cool we move a few miles down the road to a goat farm in the village of Thurageau where we share the fields with just two donkeys.At the farm in Thurageau we don’t see any goats just the donkeys Saint -Loup Sur Thouet is in the southern part of the Loire valley. From where we park it’s a few minute’s walk to the village and at first glance it looks a little run down until we turn the corner to spot the most amazing Château. Saint-Loup Sur Thouet, back at the motorhome, we sit outside until the sun goes down and there’s a slight breeze. Unfortunately, the aire is next to a road where we can hear the constant noise from the passing lorries.Château de Saint-Loup Sur Thouet is French Architecture at its best and was awarded in 1993 for the restoration of its historical gardens. Once a family home it’s now a hotel and events venue.Airvault villageWe don’t venture very far before stopping today and thankfully the sat nav knows where she’s going because if we relied on the tiny aire signs we would have missed the turning.Privately owned the Old mill house at Moulin de Chaligny is on the outskirts of Saint-Amand-Sur-Sèvre. Set in on the La Sevre Nantaise river it’s a lovely place to stop and depending on which river bank you stand you could find yourself in a different department. With just two other vans, the Belgium scouts pitched up in the field next door and the odd customer for the small bar they run it’s a quiet night where we can leave all of the windows open. La Sevre Nantaise river which splits the departments Duex Sèvre – Vendee flooded in 1960Our hosts send us on our way with their homegrown produce Tomatoes and CourgetteOver the coming days we pass acres of land destroyed by the firesMallievre hill was a lot steeper than it looksWhen we arrive at the aire in Muzillac and realise it’s someone’s back garden. Soon the owners come out to greet us and they are very welcoming. We have a big space with shade and the best part of all a small pool to cool down in, who needs a campsite Late evening walk in RiantecIt’s another sweltering hot day so we find another garden to stay in on the outskirts of Coray where we have a 5-mile walk around the country lanes once it’s cool.The picturesque village of Le Faou is towards the western end of Brittany where the Faou river meets the sea, so the village has a natural harbour.Houses, where the upper stories protrude over the ground floor in this way, are called ‘Maisons à encorbellement’ and can be found in many places villages across France. The harbour in the centre of Le Faou is still a centre of activity as it has been for hundreds of years, although nowadays you are more likely to see pleasure boats and groups of tourists than gangs of labourers loading wood from the nearby forests onto ships.Tonights view in BrestLocated near the western tip of the Brittany peninsula is the important seaport city of Brest. The city was historically the centre of the French navy and, as a result, is home to many interesting naval history sites today.On the tip of the Finistetr facing the Iroise sea is the small Breton town of Plougonvelin dotted with little shops and amazing views. When the rain starts our neighbours keep us entertained, they have relocated three times in the last 20 minutes only to lose the spot they originally had.
