Road Trip - France, Spain, Portugal

[Betsycalifornia]

Day 47
Collioure and Castelnou
We planned to visit Perpignan today, but woke up and decided we couldn’t be arśed to walk round a city, so had a morning in Collioure followed by a trip to Castelnou, nice mountain castle village thing that’s been converted into basically an art shop. Nice though and very chill. Narbonne tomorrow…probably.

If you fancy a ride out a little further Carcassonne old town is stunning, can park overnight for free as well in the top bus/motor home car park right outside the old town. New town is good too, but not seen an overnight park there. A bit like a small village within the walls.

 

[GillianC]

Day 47
Collioure and Castelnou
We planned to visit Perpignan today, but woke up and decided we couldn’t be arśed to walk round a city, so had a morning in Collioure followed by a trip to Castelnou, nice mountain castle village thing that’s been converted into basically an art shop. Nice though and very chill. Narbonne tomorrow…probably.

Wow the mention of Perpignan takes me back 40+ years when I caught a coach from London with my BF at the time to go grape picking near Perpignan. There were no grapes so we spent nights sharing a massive room in a hostel with quite a few others before hitch hiking round France and Spain. Some interesting times on that trip!!! I arrived home and my Mother took one look at me, ran a hot bath. Decontaminated my clothes and I slept for 24 hours.
Oh to have owned a van then!!!!!

 

[willwander]

Wow the mention of Perpignan takes me back 40+ years when I caught a coach from London with my BF at the time to go grape picking near Perpignan. There were no grapes so we spent nights sharing a massive room in a hostel with quite a few others before hitch hiking round France and Spain. Some interesting times on that trip!!! I arrived home and my Mother took one look at me, ran a hot bath. Decontaminated my clothes and I slept for 24 hours.
Oh to have owned a van then!!!!!

Ah, you never forget adventures like that.

Hot bath, yes please.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Day 46
Collioure, France.
Bonjour. We are back in France and immediately everything is more civilised, the difference is striking. An early start allowed us to spend most of our day in Collioure which is very lovely, (Thank you for the recommendations). I suppose it’s still quite touristy, but it’s been very tastefully done. Stripey sailor tops are de rigueur. We are staying at campsite ‘les Criques de Porteils’, nice site with terraces overlooking the sea. Feels a bit cooler, but weather today very good.

View attachment 130123

Bon vacances! There’s a rather lovely restaurant with a terrace at the far end of the cove (to your right looking out to sea)

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Day 47
Collioure and Castelnou
We planned to visit Perpignan today, but woke up and decided we couldn’t be arśed to walk round a city, so had a morning in Collioure followed by a trip to Castelnou, nice mountain castle village thing that’s been converted into basically an art shop. Nice though and very chill. Narbonne tomorrow…probably.

If you go to Narbonne, Les Halles (the food halls), are worth an hour or so if food is a thing for you.

There’s an ex rugby player there who runs a steak frites joint. When you order, the butchers (vache or cheval), chuck the meat across the market.

He barks the orders out through a megaphone. Great theatre.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Enroute from Narbonne up toward Beziers & the A75, there is a nice town on the Canal du Midi - Capestang. You will find one of the finest patisseries in France there on the square next to the church.

Buy a cake or pastry & head to one of the bars on the square & enjoy!

Up the road is a lovely chateau that’s been turned into a restaurant & houses/flats. Chateau Les Carrasses. Lovely views over vines from the terrace

 

[TripleBee]

You can also stop at Pézenas. Ask there at a bakery if they have Petit Paté. Very tastefull.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

You can also stop at Pézenas. Ask there at a bakery if they have Petit Paté. Very tastefull.

Pézenas is lovely

 

[willwander]

Day 48
Millau.
Spent the day in Narbonne, which was nice, ate too much. Set off to Pézenas but weather not good there this weekend, decided to keep driving and somehow ended up in Millau. Got a good look from the viewpoint and followed the sketchy road down into town, fun drive. No idea where we are going tomorrow ha.

 

[TripleBee]

If you keep continuing on the A75, take a stop at the aire de Garabit! Nice view at the Viaduc de Garabit.
Saint-Flour is a nice stop. They have the Camping de mon village (Camping-Car Park). A nice setup, but the sanitary building is closed now.

CAMPING-CAR PARK - Aires d'étape et de services pour Camping-Car

CAMPING-CAR PARK est le 1er réseau européen d'aires d'étape et d'aires de services pour le stationnement des camping cars, en toute sérénité, 24h/24.

www.campingcarpark.com

They have another camping, to the north, just off the A 75, but it seems to be closed now.
Another great tip: Chaudes-Aigues (Hot Water, freely translated). There you have the Source du Par, 89°C. straight from the underground.
You can follow the Gorges de Truyère.
You can find the Pont de Tréboul.
Then you can visit Château d'Alleuze.


And so on and so on...

 

[kurienp]

Day 48
Millau.
Spent the day in Narbonne, which was nice, ate too much. Set off to Pézenas but weather not good there this weekend, decided to keep driving and somehow ended up in Millau. Got a good look from the viewpoint and followed the sketchy road down into town, fun drive. No idea where we are going tomorrow ha.
View attachment 130166

wow! nice pic. What a view. that is one view that's on my to do list.

 

[CaliforniaSeb]

I think you should do a Lonely Planet blog or campervan travel book. Most out there are out of date .

 

[willwander]

I think you should do a Lonely Planet blog or campervan travel book. Most out there are out of date .

Haha, that’s not going to happen.

 

[willwander]

Day 49
Spent the morning in Millau town, which we liked, busy little high street with some interesting shops. Bought some posh cheese with blue bits in it, (goes very well with cheap wine) and some posh cakes from a patisserie. Drove up to Saint Flour, but it’s chucking it down, so spent the afternoon in the van. Plenty of entertainment here, watching motorhomes get stuck in mud.

 

[TripleBee]

Day 49
Spent the morning in Millau town, which we liked, busy little high street with some interesting shops. Bought some posh cheese with blue bits in it, (goes very well with cheap wine) and some posh cakes from a patisserie.

Just south of Millau you have Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. That is where they make the cheese (Roquefort).

Drove up to Saint Flour, but it’s chucking it down, so spent the afternoon in the van. Plenty of entertainment here, watching motorhomes get stuck in mud.

Where are you in Saint-Flour?

 

[willwander]

Where are you in Saint-Flour?

Cheese was lovely.

Camping-carpark mon village Saint-Flour, I think it’s the old municipal camp site. Bit of a mud bog today. We had some right thunder last night.

 

[GillianC]

That looks like my idea of perfection! Wine in tumblers, strong cheese, pastries and doggy companions! Wonderful.

 

[willwander]

Day 50
Saint-Flour & Neris-les-bains
If there is one thing that the French are very particular about, it’s shorts in swimming pools. We’ve been in aires, needed a shower, so went to the local swimming baths, I was promptly throw out before I reached the pool. Luckily they were kind enough to lend me a pair of smugglers.
The pool was great.
Actually another thing they are particular about, Sundays, everything is closed, Saint-Flour was dead.
Had a lovely drive to Neris-les-bains, not much here, very peaceful and gorgeous countryside.

I’ll spare you today’s photo, ha.

 

[willwander]

Day 51
Bourges
Chores. Supermarket. Laundry.
Getting colder and darker.

 

[ChrisTravel]

51 days on tour has anyone done 90?

 

[Skylark2.0]

Day 43
Alcossebre, C. Tropicana
It’s been nice here, good site, lovely beaches, lovely weather. It’s been relaxing and we’ve had a great time, but tomorrow we move on.
View attachment 130089

I love it that you stayed a few nights to chill

 

[GillianC]

Day 50
Saint-Flour & Neris-les-bains
If there is one thing that the French are very particular about, it’s shorts in swimming pools. We’ve been in aires, needed a shower, so went to the local swimming baths, I was promptly throw out before I reached the pool. Luckily they were kind enough to lend me a pair of smugglers.
The pool was great.
Actually another thing they are particular about, Sundays, everything is closed, Saint-Flour was dead.
Had a lovely drive to Neris-les-bains, not much here, very peaceful and gorgeous countryside.

I’ll spare you today’s photo, ha.

Oh go on, show us!!!

 

[DanKavanagh]

Day 50
Saint-Flour & Neris-les-bains
If there is one thing that the French are very particular about, it’s shorts in swimming pools. We’ve been in aires, needed a shower, so went to the local swimming baths, I was promptly throw out before I reached the pool. Luckily they were kind enough to lend me a pair of smugglers.
The pool was great.
Actually another thing they are particular about, Sundays, everything is closed, Saint-Flour was dead.
Had a lovely drive to Neris-les-bains, not much here, very peaceful and gorgeous countryside.

I’ll spare you today’s photo, ha.

I think I’d heard about that before but it never properly sunk in.

As a new Cali owner I’m going to have to add this to the list for next year’s trips to France.

- ACSI card
- V5
- UK sticker
- Hi-vis vest in door pocket
- Budgie smugglers

(Thanks for this fantastic travelogue - entertaining and inspiring!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kurienp]

I’ll spare you today’s photo, ha.

 

[willwander]

Day 52
Bourges
Few more chores today, ahead of ‘La Toussaint’ (All Saints’ Day) a French public holiday this Friday.
Followed by a wander round Bourges a nice little place with a well preserved medieval quarter and some lovely old streets and shops. Bourges is twinned with Peterborough, who knew!
Dogs did some Christmas shopping!