City Stop and Wedding Belles!

Our first City stop was to Nantes,  the campsite is only 2km from the centre with a cycle route and trams into the city.  The site Nantescamping.com is a large modern site with large spacious pitches and lots of trees.
There were a few English here but most are just visiting the city like us so lots coming and going.
The city has a large cathedral and I managed to get Neil to go in!

Nantes reminds me of a quiter version of Barcelona with the old tall stone buildings with the wrought iron Juliet balconies and cafes and restaurants everywhere you look. I think we were in the minority wearing shorts though, everyone else was dressed in wintery clothes and boots! The locals must feel the cold, it was 23 degrees! We definitely felt like tourists!

We stopped off for a well deserved coffee then a wander around the cobbled streets lined with shops as far as the eye could see.

The 15th century Loire Chateaux is a stunning site with the moat and its Original drawbridge and an added bonus it is all free to walk around apart from the museum.

Think Neil wants to play!

The most amazing site of all in Nantes is Les Machines de Lile! This Grand walking 12 metre high  Elephant made of steel carries 50 passengers at a time and sprays water out of its trunk to surprise its audience. There is also a 25 metre working carousel depicting strange marine creatures made of steel which apparently is dedicated to the sea, another weird and wonderful sight!

We have decided to leave a day early from the City as tomorrow is supposed to be hot and we have seen the sights we had planned to see so we are onwards to where we are happiest, by the sea. We stopped on-route for a break and had to try some french cuisine!

Our next site is 150mtrs from the sea and next to a small town called Chatelailllon Plage,  our camp site is called www.camping-port-punay.com. The pitches are quite spacious again but the ground is very dry and not as many trees but I did ask for a sunny pitch! We are also next to a stream  and the Mozzies have taken a liking to Neil, they usually do! We have noticed the roads leading to the pitches on this site have hi-de-hi tannoy's I wonder if we get an early morning call "Morning Campers!"
The toilet block is quite strange too, some of the pitches overlook a row of toilets with the doors opening onto the road and pitches opposite. Some of the french toilets have seats on them but most don't, they are usually mixed shower blocks and sometimes you can walk straight past the open mens toilets to see the mens urinals! Not a pretty site! A couple of the toilets are a basin with two raised feet and i presume you just stand either side and fire away!?

I remember going to Athens when I was little and needing the toilet and the public toilet was a hole in the floor some things don't change!

Our Pitch

We saw this run down house on the beachfront and wondered if it could be our next refurbishment project??  It was the only house that was looking sorry for itself the frontline row  but what a lovely setting.

The huge beach is sandy we would have had a swim but after a stroll last night and seeing a half metre jelly fish by the rocks we decided not to risk it.  We biked along the promenade this morning, Neil looking like a loaded mule but there wasn't a soul on the beach? It was mid-day and 25 degrees?

The resort was busy with people having lunch and then the afternoon came and the beach was packed?! Are we missing something?

We stopped at an ice-cream parlour and the flavours on offer were amazing! Neil had Lemon meringue and i had Pistachio Violet! I am already planning my next flavour for tomorrow!

 

                                                        The beach in the mornings!

We passed this lady on our bikes yesterday thinking she was pushing her grandchild,  she stopped at a restaurant pulled down the mesh cover and got her dog out of the pram! It was a special pram for dogs! So cute.

I had a Melon ice-cream today and Neil had the lemon meringue again we also couldn't pass the patisserie without buying a dessert for dinner later!

I had the strawberry slice!

Saturday 12th September

Today is a special occasion, our friends Andrea and Paul are getting married in Scotland. We will be raising a toast to you both at 3.30!  Congratulations Mr and Mrs Webb and hope you have a wonderful day!

We had a thunderstorm in the night but the ground is so dry you wouldn't be able to tell we had rain overnight. We are going to have a chilled day go for a swim then catching up with washing and cleaning Bessie.

This site is quiet compared to the last one, noone seems to dare talk to each other, the couple next door who are english don't speak to anyone and don't talk to each other either, opposite there is an older english couple and she just gives out orders to her husband and argues she wears a little apron and has a hotpot going outside and poor hubby can't seem to do anything right! Not that we are people watching or anything. Thankfully there is a fun english couple down the end of the road and we have been invited up for aperitif"s  tomorrow evening bearing in mind they have a full box of wine out plus g&ts they have already offered us and told us not to bring any drink so should be a good night!

You know i said I thought I had seen it all with what people bring, well this couple have a lampshade on their ceiling light in the awning and 2 microwaves, it does make me smile! I thought we had brought alot1 Every home comfort possible I think I have now seen but we will see!

                                                       Bessie glowing in the Dark.