1598:  And So Out of Italy

Tuesday 21st July 2020

Briancon is a pretty town … we didn’t walk up to the Vauban style part … too hot and too lazy.   A large LeClerc, so I pulled the shopping trolley and stocked up on a few essentials for self catering. Amazing how often the trolley gets used!

Upper Vauban Briacon.

Not a long drive, just down and then up to Ailefroide.  We lunched and then walked back down through the huge campsite amongst the trees to the reception to pay the municipality our EUR10.  An ice cream stop was EUR10 for 2 ice creams with cream … not too bad.  But the coke was EUR3.30!!!  Really going to struggle with these prices.  A lot of eating in!  If I don’t fancy cooking, it will be a trip to the supermarket deli counter!

On the drive, can’t help but get excited when you see hills like these.

Really must clean the windscreen!

River walk … the water looks so icy and we spotted people swimming in it the next day!!!

1599:  Shifting Down the Mountain

Wednesday 22nd July 

An active start to the day.  J ran up the road …. a steady slow up hill.  I pilates’d and then walked CO2 back along the river.  We used the motorhome service on the way down ..always a good feeling when you are empty and full in all the right places. We stopped in L’Argentiere-la-Bessee to visit the silver mine and museum.  A detour up to it, so we stopped about 1.5km away.  Left CO2 and walked up to the museum.  It opened in 10 mins … we waited.  No, you had to pre-book and we hadn’t.  Ho hum!  So back down the hill to lunch in Jez.  At least I scrumpied apricots – the tree was laden and overhanging the path!  Not in the mood for a town, we parked up beside a small pond on a gravel car park.  

A bit of dog walking and knitting completed the day.

Large pond.

we had it to ourselves for a while, but overnight joined by another 4 vans.  

1600:  Entrevaux Again

Thursday 23rd July 

Another running morning … along the River Durance.  A leisurely start all round.  We rarely do the “up and at ‘em” early mornings.  Although, we have been recently so that it is not too hot to exercise.

A drive down through the mountains to Entrevaux.  We’ve stayed here a few times and really like it.  Stunning medieval town on the river, with a free parking complete with services.  It was one of the places we looked at for property purchase.  

The sun may be shining, but that water looks cold and not about to test it!

Drive down to Entrevaux.

Entrevaux citadel over seeing all.

We had a wander in more for a dog leg stretch, but then were tempted by a couple of glasses in the small square.

1601:  Antibes, or Rather Biot

Friday 24th July 

Supermarket shop on the way down, past Nice and straight to our camping site.  We’ve used a number of site around Nice and Antibes over the years but Camping Les Treilles was new to us.  We’d booked it as it was a LOT cheaper than the others we’ve used before in peak season and it was closer to Sarah.  Small, no pool, basic and old fashioned, but without all the frills to attract loud families.  It is only open until the end of September as it is in the flood risk area – you may remember the Nice area floods a few years back … 9 people from Biot died and many campsites were destroyed.  The only negative is that it is right next to Marineland, a huge water park.  But the noise of this is drowned out by the cicadas!

Having set ourselves up, Sarah came and fetched us.  Supper with her and the children.  Sarah explained she is cooking a lot for a Joe Wicks low carb book … I had a flick through, impressed and then ordered 3 of his recipe books.

I drove us back to the campsite in the spare car.  A VW Golf that has done 135,000km and is going strong.  It is insured for all Sarah’s visitors.  We had missed Gareth by about a week.  Jade was heard to explain to Cian that Daddy had to go back to work as they’d run out of money to buy things like electricity and sausages … the essentials in life!

Cian aged 2.  He starts big school come September and they will both travel on the school bus.

Princess Jade, aged 5, just!

1602:  Bimbling in Biot and Getting Lost in Antibes 

Saturday 25th July  

A run for both of us in the park, great as CO2 can be off lead.  I headed out into Antibes to buy dog food and visit a huge Carrefour, which left me bad tempered.  So big and busy that I couldn’t find everything I wanted, but I lost the will to live.  My temper was not improved as I took a couple of wrong turns … all the roads look the same and I was trying to drive in traffic and navigate from the iPhone.  A late lunch and then I prepped dinner to take up to Sarah’s.  Great to cool off in the pool … did I mention, they have a pool!?!

All forgiven.  Asleep after they’d had a falling out!

 

1603:  Lunch in Antibes

Sunday 26th July  

James did his longest run for a good while – 6km with Sarah on the sea front form Antibes.  I ran with CO2 in the woods.  We met Sarah and co. in the centre of Antibes for lunch.

Clune running crew.

Pudding was a visit to the ice cream parlour.

Dog Handler.  Corrie trotted along nicely, but other pedestrians are expected to jump!

Until October when we expect (hope) to come back on our way back out to Crete

 

A pic I forgot to put up … our super meal in Maribor, Slovenia.

 

A Recommendation  …

A group of sensible people have formed a group called CAMpRA … Campaign for Real Aires UK.  We know a couple of folk who are involved in it … The aim is very much to encourage land owners, be it council or private, such as the National Trust to provide basic aires along the lines of those found in France, Stellplatz in Germany etc.  A supply of water, grey and black waste emptying.  They are working at putting a business case and costs to owners.  With the increasing numbers of motorhomes on the roads, more service areas are vital.  

Another aim is changing public perception.  It is rarely the motorhomers who leave rubbish, light fires and crap on paths … we have facilities on board … but we are blamed for the day trippers rubbish.  An example of the proactive nature of this group is to print a sheet and attach it to a rubbish bag, stating that the rubbish collected from the site was collected by a motorhomer.  

Please do look for them on FaceBook and join the group.