France - We've landed!!

France – We’ve landed!!

Getting out of St Malo and Mogs navigation skills…or lack of…are starting to show!

Attempted to head for Vannes but ended up in Rennes – found campsite on outskirts of city in a huge park with lakes

Mogs first run on the World Tour round the lake

 Next day off to the West coast with many recalculations on the sat nav!  Reached Pornic but realised nearly all the campsites shut on 30 sept – it’s now 2 October!  After asking the locals found a small one that was open – Pornic quite cool with Chateau and harbour.  Loving the spicy noodles Pete gave us – kettle on…dinner done J

Eventually found a campsite at Pornic - liking the Sat dish on van next door!

Pornic by the harbour and Chateau

Weather a bit grim in North France – time to head south….

Down coast road – Mogs first attempt at driving!  Lasted about half a mile then a bus was approaching and a tiny roundabout and panic set in as it’s a bit bigger than the mini!  Try again tomorrow??

En route decided to give Vannie a car wash!

Made it to La Rochelle on West Coast – weather even grimmer but found a campsite open and walked to beach to watch the kite surfers – decided we need to head way south and try and catch Annie and Graeme in South France and gatecrash their honeymoon before they head home on Friday – 400 miles to drive tomorrow across France!! 

Early morning and it’s pouring down – def time to move on!!!

Dave not enjoying the weather and sorting the leccy lead before heading off!

The further south we drive the better it gets – woooo – here’s the sun J  D’s loving driving Vannie down the motorways and getting road rage at the Frogs!!  We have a random post code to get to G&A’s and our Sat Nav is taking us the direct route via small villages and vineyards….

Vannie isn’t built for small villages we soon find out and Mogs navigation is up to its usual standard where we are recalculated all over the place….at one point we are on a dirt track driving through a vineyard…reach a main road but the sat nav takes us over and onto another dirt track!  One rural town had a warning that cars under 2.3 can’t go under a bridge…we didn’t realise till too late – Vannie is 2.3 and managed to get thru…just!

Tiny lanes and driving Vannie through vineyards!

Eventually reached Agel, east of Carcassonne, where G&A are staying – in the middle of rural France - what a fab place and great to see them - gatecrashed the honeymoon and their quiet time wasn't so quiet! 

Goodbye drinks in the morning!

We are now also in the largest wine growing area in the world – vines everywhere and G has found a local shop where you take your 2 litre water bottle and they fill it up with wine for 2 euros J  Time for Mogs to get a 10 litre wine box for Vannie for about 12 euros!

D does have his rum optic though in Vannie!

Great night with G&A drinking out the water bottle ;) Next morning we all had a skinny dip in the freezing pool – I’m sure the pic G took will appear somewhere at some point!  Morning walk through the hills with vines and olive and fig trees and great views before we said goodbye to G&A who were heading home – M&D continued on their tour to a spot recommended by G&A – Minerve ……………