Lost in France

31st May


From St Chamas we headed up to Lac de Sainte-Croix "Lake of Saint Croix" in search of somewhere to relax for a few days before heading into Italy.
On-route we drove around Aix en Provence and up the D96, driving alongside and over the Verdon river a few times, passing quite a few hydro dams along the way. Then into the Valensole area with it's fields of lavender, and honey and lavender oil for sale.
We are now in the foothills of the Alps and in the Regional National Verdon Park, the scenery is stunning, we plan to stop here a few days and plan our route back to the UK, on the proviso that we have decent internet.

87 miles 2hrs 15min

 

We are stopping at Camping le Moulin 16.60€ pn with EHU including 1.60€ for Max? 43.814609 6.225150

The site has everything we want, great walks for Max, set in the countryside, and we plan just to relax and nothing more!
I tried for two hours to load the blog I had ready, but was unsuccessful, with the battery drained on my PC, I gave up frustrated and had a few beers to relieve my stress.

 

 

1st June

 

 

Once again I tried to upload the blog with no success, I found out later through Google'in my problem, that Google was to blame, that was after loading Google Chrome, and making it my default browser, on their say so? Since removed as I found it shite!!

I now had to cut and paste from Live Writer to the blog, and that caused endless problems with the spacing etc. I gave up that day and hit the bottle!
 

 

 

2nd June

 

 

What was supposed to be a relaxing few days, was now bringing my stress level up to the thin edge! I struggled to edit the blog and upload the pics, and I posted another update. Managing eventually to get it online in some shape or form I then retreated to my lounger, while Sam spent 2hrs re-arranging and making some semblance to it.

 

Lake Saint Croix

 

 

Les Salles-sur-Verdon (new village)

 

The original village was levelled in 1973, and now underwater, to make way for this man made lake for hydro power.

 

 

3rd June

 

 

Today we headed for Bagnols en Foret, we are then heading into Italy within the next two days.

 

52 miles 2plus hours

 

A nice place on private land on the outskirts of the village, 43.53563 6.68951
When you arrive you have to phone the owner, thank god for Sam's French. The owner Michel arrived within an hour and was very pleasant and helpful, 5€ pn, and 4€ for EHU if needed, it also has good wifi. Michel offered to set up a ping pong table if we needed? I declined never seen the point of the game.
We are the only ones here, and sat out till dusk in the warm evening. 

 

The small village of Bagnols en Foret

 

 

 

We arrived here late, so will stay tomorrow to look around.

 

 

 

 

4th June

 

 

A glorious hot sunny day, the village of Bagnols en Foret is built on an hillside, the walk up nigh on killed me, and Sam & Max were flagging also.

 

Not a one man jail as I first thought, but an old water well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The village is a maze of small streets that intertwine with sloping alleys that join them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are old photo's around the town showing as it was many eons ago, the old fountain shown in this picture still stands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

This old church built in the 17th century, whose bells still toll daily, sits at the top of the village, the only place higher is the cemetery, not the first time I have noticed this with hilltop towns, possibly something to do with being closer to God?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another nice place, we have enjoyed the south of France . Since we arrived here from Andorra, we have done just over 800 miles in 20 days, and stopped at 12 places, visiting many more.  

 

 

The blog is going out early.
Tomorrow we will be eating spaghetti or possibly a corneto on a beach, somewhere in Italy