A bientôt EU

Day 77 & 78 - Vandieres

Similar days.

Before our arrival on site we had planned our meals, and were prepared for four dinners, plus lunches and breakfast. All we needed was to remember to catch the baker. Ben happened to overhear me mention this to Clare and responded, "I think you had better have a rope ready then". He must have had some image of us lassoing some hapless French baker as he passed.

We caught the baker both mornings, and had lovely fresh bread for breakfast and lunch.

It is lovely being on a site where everyone either knows us or knows of us as the boys can wander a little more freely. Jack thinks nothing of toddling into someone else's campervan- so long as they are there- and always remembers to take off his boots first.

Both days we went out cycling, Meg trotting along with us. Ben's quite capable, but after a certain point he suddenly runs out of energy and says his legs have stopped working. When that happens Clare balanced his bike on her handlebars, and I have one boy on the child seat and the other sits on the rear rack.




The Champagne tasting was on Saturday night. Ben and Jack were so excited to be in a room with so many people that I had to take them out, and I missed the tasting. I hope Wim organises another wine tasting next year - it will be Clare's turn to look after the boys.


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Day 79 & 80 - Vandieres to Tours to Ile d'Oleron

After the rain came mist on Tuesday morning, and we packed a wet tent. As we left Vandieres at 12.30 the sun came out and bathed the rich vineyards of the Marne Valley in glorious sunshine.

We had a good drive to Tours on empty roads, stopping at several aires for comfort breaks, and a supermarket in readiness for four meals on the campsite

The campsite was uninspiring, apart from a wonderful bouncy castle type slide for the boys. We pitched and dined on pork chops and salads.

None of us slept well, the site was too noisy, right next to a busy road. We breakfasted on fresh bread and butter, and then made the decision to move on immediately. We need to gain 5 days on our outline schedule anyway to make a date with my parents in Cadiz, 3 nights is a good chunk of that.

We packed in the sunshine and managed to dry out everything, leaving the site at 2pm. We made a brief stop at a supermarket for break and were on the empty roads again. We got to our campsite at Ile d'Oleron just before 6pm. A lovely site, with plenty for the boys to do, and replacing the dull whine of rubber on tarmac with the constant crashing of waves on the shore. Perfect.


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Day 81 - Ile d'Oleron

We had a wonderful day. After breakfast we went cycling to the beach. The closest part is just a kilometre away, but we went further along with Meg trotting alongside. The beach was empty, and the boys loved playing in the sand, and Meg loved chasing butterflies in the dunes.



After lunch Clare had a doze and I took the boys to the site's swimming lake, a shallow purpose built pool, filled with white sand and water. I told the boys that they weren't to paddle above their knees, and for about a microsecond they did as asked. Soon it became apparrant that their clothes would get wet, so I took them off: Ben naked and Jack to his nappy. Ben immediately started to pee in the water, looking just like that statue in Brussels.



Other parents looked on shocked, but I expect it was more relief that it was someone else's child and not theirs.

For dinner we had Cadac grilled pork chops with fried potato and onion; Jack correctly counted the five pieces of mandarin that I gave to him (he's not yet 2 1/2).

Clare put the boys to bed and I washed up and walked Meg.














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Day 82 - Ile d'Oleron

We hoped that we had a fully off-grid power solution with 200 watts of solar panels fixed on our roof charging our second battery during daylight hours. However, for the first time in 80 days away from home we experienced power issues. Behind out front passenger seat we have a 28 litre capacity Waeco compressor fridge - sufficient for milk, butter, a few yoghurts, cheese, salami and a couple of beers. Last night, soon after the compressor came on, it would cut out.

After seeking the advice of fellow members of the VW California forum, it seems the issue is one of low voltage from our leisure (as opposed to starter) battery. This is probably because our leisure battery isn't fully charging.

i checked the solar charger in the boot, it was showing the leisure battery charged to 2 bars out of 5 (30% to 50%), and 12.5 volts. The panels were generating 0.4 amps at 14 volts, a tiny 5 or 6 watts. The campsite is well-shaded by mature trees, and we are parked directly under a tree:



When the voltage to the fridge drops, the fridge cuts out to avoid draining a car's starter battery. The bods at Waeco know that some cars have leisure batteries, and that running them down to low voltage is not such a problem, and the fridge has a setting "hi", "nd", or "lo" referring to the voltage cutout point. I knew all this after reading the manual when I first bought the fridge, but over time the knowledge had evaporated from my head.

I set the fridge to "lo", and it worked again. Before we left for the beach, soon after midday, some sun was filtering through the trees to the panels giving 5.6 amps and 17 volts. The battery was showing 4 out of 5 bars (70% to 90%) and over 13 volts.

While daylight lasted for between 18 and 24 hours in murky Scandinavia, we can expect it to drop below 10 hours in Southern Europe, 9h 31mn in Palermo on Ben's birthday (the shortest day of the year, north of the tropics, falls either on my birthday or Ben's birthday each year).

The lesson for us is to camp somewhere where the panels will get direct daylight at some point in the day.

We had another lovely day paddling on the beach, marred only by a Frenchman whipping Meg with his dog's lead after Meg had a minor fracas with his dog. I might have understood if it had been during the argument that he attacked Meg, but his attack came after I had recalled her from the other dog and she was submitting to me. I wanted to retaliate against him with our dog's lead, but Clare wouldn't let me. She was probably right: it would make me no better than him.












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Day 83 - Ile d'Oleron

Glorious sunshine again today. Clare and the boys made pancakes for breakfast, which took up most of the morning.

I took the boys and Meg for a cycle ride, there's a track which runs through the forest parallel to the beach. After lunch Ben and I went shopping for ice cream, and bought a pack of lemon and raspberry sorbets in sugar cones - delicious. We then went swimming in the lagoon, which was freezing.

While washing up after dinner I was called granddad by a drunk Brummie. Being older parents, we get this a lot, perhaps me more than Clare. People usually apologise when they learn of their mistake. The Brummie just looked questioningly at his glass of wine.

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Another way to look at it. Some are grandparents at 27 years of age

Day 84 - Ile d'Oleron

Our greatest challenge of this trip around Europe is the necessary 24 hour care we need to give to Ben and Jack. They are now a little older and more experienced with our routines from when we set out, but they do both need occupying during waking hours. This campsite is pretty good - there's a lovely playground and a superb lagoon with naturally filtered water.



It has a sandy beach all the way around and the boys can dig and excavate in it endlessly. But although that leaves them occupied, they still need supervision. Clare and I have no time to ourselves. In Estonia we managed an evening together on our wedding anniversary by getting the campsite owner's adult daughter to babysit - but that's been about it. For this reason we might very well be joined on our travels by a young Spanish student for three months. Julia's training course as an ancillary nurse begins in January, so she is available until then.

We are of course concerned that five of us living in the van will make things worse not better, but we are willing to give it a go if Julia is happy to join our family. Watch this space to see if it all works out.


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That's the problem with kids you have to look after them.

bigmac77 said:

That's the problem with kids you have to look after them.

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Yes, but one day they might be picking your nursing home so do it well.

Day 85 - Ile d'Oleron to Bimbo

Yes - you read it correctly, we are staying in a place called Bimbo, Camping Bimbo, just off Chemin de Bimbo. Unexpectedly full of rather nice people. The 'sanitary' block is just about the best we have come across - except... no toilet seats, no toilet paper and no bathroom soap - how crazy is that. Even the EU's most easterly loo (see day 47) had toilet paper.

Since camping in France, we've come across some pretty strange toilet arrangements: a men's urinal in the middle of a shared gender washroom cum laundry room cum corridor, guarded only by a yucca plant; toilets without seats; toilets without soap and toilets without paper, but the Bimbo feature of toilets without soap, paper and seats is a first for us.

Euronating aside, this is another excellent campsite. Undoubtedly the very best swimming pool we have come across. I should say swimming pools, there are four, with depths of 10cm, 40cm, 1m20 and 1m55 with a shallower integrated jacuzzi. The boys love it, so do we.

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bigmac77 said:

That's the problem with kids you have to look after them.

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I used to ache for some time away from being 24/7 carer for my son. He went to uni on Friday, and now I'm just aching .....

Make the most of your little cherubs. I didn't take well to motherhood and made an almightly cock up of it for the first few years with PND and all sorts, but I can't tell you how bereft I feel today.

These feelings will pass, I know, but your post just caught me having one of my moments .....

Verity said:

Make the most of your little cherubs.

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We do, and it's now looking likely that we will have to... it is less likely that Julia will be joining us on our autumn jaunt around Spain, Portugal, the Med coast of France and Italy.



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Amarillo said:

We do, and it's now looking likely that we will have to... it is less likely that Julia will be joining us on our autumn jaunt around Spain, Portugal, the Med coast of France and Italy.



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I'm almost tempted to apply for the job myself! But then I remember how hard I found it dealing with one toddler .... Good luck!! Perhaps you could persuade some members of your family to join you for a week here and there, and then you could have some grown up time?

Verity said:

I'm almost tempted to apply for the job myself! But then I remember how hard I found it dealing with one toddler .... Good luck!! Perhaps you could persuade some members of your family to join you for a week here and there, and then you could have some grown up time?

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My parents are joining us for a week in Cadiz mid October, staying in a chalet on the same campsite, but they are both in their eighties. They and us are also living in a villa for ten nights over Christmas near Palermo. Clare is likely to fly home during part of those two periods to spend valuable time with her rapidly ageing dad - so I'll have my hands particularly full.

I do have 10 nieces and nephews (by three brothers) all of whom are of baby sitting age or above, but school, university or work is an unfortunate impediment to engaging one of them. October half term is a possibility.


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My friend used to have a friend & family to stay for a few weeks, over from Germany & used to put the kids in school. I know your kids are much younger but maybe a nursery every-so-often?

Day 86 - Bimbo

There there is a camping discount card - ACSI ClubCard which we used a little earlier on our trip in Scandinavia, but is really proving its value now. It entitled the user to big off season camping discounts. Here in camping Bimbo we are paying a fixed 15 Euros per night for 2 adults, 2 children, 1 dog and (if we wanted it) electric hook up. However, bizarrely, it doesn't entitle us to those three sanitary essentials, toilet seats, toilet paper and toilet soap.

I know I harped on about this yesterday, and I'm going to harp on about it today too. The facilities at this campsite could be truly outstanding- here are two photos of the children's toilet and washroom.


Spotlessly clean, child height pan, wash basins and mirrors, and a hook for a wash bag. A lined bin and a brush are provided. The lighting is good, and plenty of space for boys to swing toothbrush chargers at each other. So why no paper, soap or toilet seat? I suppose I can see the lack of a seat as a French toilet evolution from the squat toilets of the 70s - but no paper and no soap! That is unforgivable.

Example - today I was swimming in the pool with Ben. We changed into our swimsuits in our tent and went with towels, crocs and an inflatable ring. I guess the cool water had a contraction effect, as soon after we got in Ben cried, "I need a poo". I know, from odious experience, that when he cries these four words, I have precisely 49 1/2 seconds to get him sitting on the pan.

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -5 - 6 swim to the edge 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 out of the water 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 wrap boy in towel 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 -- 23 - 24 fumble with child-proof gate 25 - 26 - 27 -28 - 29 - 30 open child-proof gate 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 put on crocs 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 sprint to the loo 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 pull down one piece elbow to knee swimming costume 49 - 49 1/2 sit boy on seatless seat. Phew - Ou la la, quell horreur! Ou est le papier!?

There was, of course, none. So abandoning Ben to his business I had to run off to find some, and soap.

For a nation that considers swimming shorts unhygienic, preferring budgie smugglers, I find this lack of paper and soap wholly bizarre.


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Tom , we used 4 ACSI sites and the discount card last week afther leaving the champagne meet and have used the discount card a lot before as we like the low season in France.
Only one out of four last week provided toilet paper .
The thing probally is that in low season they have less staff and close some showers/toilets , clean less due to less people .... therefore offer a discount giving less support.
I can see your point with a family of four having need to use the toilet a lot but we always carry a roll or two and never found it a problem.
Back in the days there was hardly never any toiletpaper at campsites

Many campsites offer less service in the low season.
That does not mean i think they should not provide the things like a toiletseat , toiletpaper and soap to wash your hands . I also think those are essentials but the French seem to think not .
Let us know how it will be in Spain when you go there later.

Edit:
now come to think , be happy the French discoverd the toilets as we know . And bit by bit the hang toilets where changed in to pots.
Alway wonder how they wiped thiere @ss while hanging on those handle bars!
Also the reason we carry a Porta-Potti

hotel california said:

Be happy the French discoverd the toilets as we know . And bit by bit the hang toilets where changed in to pots.

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That is exactly where my forgiveness for the French lack of seat lies: the evolution of the pan from little more than a hole in the ground to low pans with no seat. One is expected to squat over the low pan. In contrast, in 16th century England town toilets were upstairs seats overhanging the street below: modern flushing toilets evolved from these. I'm sure there must be a book somewhere of toilets around the World.

Here's a rather amusing Chinese toilet sign:




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Amarillo said:

That is exactly where my forgiveness for the French lack of seat lies: the evolution of the pan from little more than a hole in the ground to low pans with no seat. One is expected to squat over the low pan. In contrast, in 16th century England town toilets were upstairs seats overhanging the street below: modern flushing toilets evolved from these. I'm sure there must be a book somewhere of toilets around the World.

Here's a rather amusing Chinese toilet sign:

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Well, things are improving.

Borris said:

Well, things are improving.
View attachment 26139

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All things conciderd better than hanging from handlebars...

Day 87 - Bimbo

The campsite we site we are staying on is one of several large holiday parks in the area on a lake near the town of Biscarrosse. The whole area is well-served by cycle routes. It was along these cycle routes that the Crispin clan rode for a picnic by the lake.



Perfectly golden sand on the edge of a pine forest, and being out of season, completely deserted.


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Day 88 - Navarrete

Perhaps fortunately, Julia pulled out of joining our family for part of our trip. We were never sure how five in our van for more than a few days would work. Not bound to meet her in Bilbao, we radically changed our route into Spain, and went via Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a popular starting point or staging post for a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. We are likely to make the journey in Amarillo, and not by donkey as tradition suggests.

It was nice to be back in the Pyrenees, my fifth visit, the most memorable being when I cycled along them from Hendaye to Cerbère over nine days crossing no fewer than 29 mountain passes, unsupported, carrying full camping gear.

As we crossed the green lush foothills we realised that we would be passing by Pamplona, the town where a former au-pair studies medicine. Blanca lived with us the previous summer, helping with the boys and Meg's litter of six border collie puppies. We gave her a call and she was in and she was free for the afternoon. We stopped in Pamplona to meet her, and she showed us her town. Remarkably, Ben recognised Blanca immediately, running straight at her for a hug, he was only 2 1/2 when he last saw her. Meg seemed to remember her too, making a fuss and bouncing as she does with familiar people.

We arrived late at the campsite, and decided not to pitch the drive away awning, but to use our new side panels for our wind out awning to make a safari tent. It works brilliantly giving ample stowage space for child seats and sufficient luggage to make up the lower bed without fully unpacking.Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

Tom , i saw you where in Biscarosse , hope you did not go past the Dune des Pylas without a visit?

I have the same experience re toilets in france. My wife who works in health care always comments the lack of lid which makes the air polluted much more. The hole is probably the best arrangement for people with difficulties emptying the system.

hotel california said:

Tom , i saw you where in Biscarosse , hope you did not go past the Dune des Pylas without a visit?

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We sailed past, oblivious to its presence.


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