October 2015 - Last Post (Edinburgh)

In a mad moment my first evening back in Edinburgh I managed to put the best part of a mug of coffee inside my laptop - which it didn't like - perhaps it was the three sugars that did it in - and I am about £300 poorer - thank goodness I get a pay rise in January.

So my photographs from the last few weeks of my trip have been lost along with a few other bits that I hadn't backed-up on Google Drive. 

To illustrate the final throws of my trip I had recourse to Google for some images. Apologies and recognition of the original posters and their copyright.

7th September 2015
Axat - France
Section 103 miles
Trip 6853 miles

Left Agde after a week of variable weather, very strange things go on in the sand dunes after 6pm there. Routed around Beziers into the Pyrennean foothills, past some of the Cathar sites that I visited last year, to end up in a small village aire at Axat. Staggered up the steep hill to the castle the next morning before heading off for Spain.

Axat - Tight squeeze and keep your head down on the road through the gorge

8th to 27th September 2015
Torredamborra - Spain
Section 103 miles
Trip 6853 miles

Crossed the Pyrenees via the Cerdagne, a high level agricultural plateau, with the famous narrow gauge Tren Jaune still running, to cross into Spain, or perhaps more correctly Catalunya, at Puigcerda, which is just south east of Andorra. Headed down towards Barcelona and then down to the coast to the great value campsite at Torredamborra, where I stayed last year - to be greeted with open arms by the proprietor who remembered me to her colleague at the reception as 'este es el amigo de Carmen'. Not sure what I had done last year to be remembered so clearly. Unfortunately, Carmen had stopped working the day before and gone back to France, so we didn't manage to meet up again.

Spent three lazy weeks doing nothing much at all! Great three course lunch at the campsite restaurant - 10 euro with bread, wine, coffee and postre included. The pitch only worked out at 10 euro a night. So one could comfortably live here out of season for 30 euro a day and not have to do any washing-up - I really miss my dishwasher when I am away! I detest washing up - it just accumulates in a bucket until it is over flowing or I have run out of clean stuff to use.

Torredamborra - Route to the beach, just 150m from the van across a nature reserve

29th to 5th October 2015
El Campello - Spain
Section 309 miles
Trip 7333 miles

After a nearly totally disastrous start when I managed to loose my wallet and passport for about two hours - fortunately found by a Spanish guy and handed into reception, headed off on a longish trip via Valencia to El Campello, near Alicante, to meet up with an old friend, Pat, from Lancashire who was on holiday there for a week with her partner. Had three pleasant days enjoying their company, good food and warm weather. Stayed at a campsite about twenty minutes walk from the main beach.

El Campello - Beach, Castle, Marina nd Mountains

Crema Catalan - Yummy memories of dinner with Pat and Bart!

6th to 9th October 2015
Moraira - Spain
Section 41 miles
Trip 7333 miles

By strange coincidence my sister was staying just a few miles up the coast at Calpe the next week. So I headed up to a really beautiful campsite at Moraira - in a shady, pine clad hillside location with panoramic views down to the bay, hills and rocky headlands. Swimming pool and marble sanitary facilities included. 

Just ten kilometres from the urban spall of Calpe, Moraira is a much quieter and  more laid back resort built round a genuine Spanish town. So more eating and drinking in company this time with Mandy and Steve - only marred by a very wet chilly Thursday - compensated by a gorgeous day, their last day, on the Friday. 

Moraira - Must be the classiest campsite in Europe with its marble 'facilities'

Moraira 

10th to 13th October 2015
Olivia - Spain
Section 36 miles
Trip 7410 miles

Moved up the coast to another campsite I enjoyed last year, between Denia and Olivia, for the last few days in Spain. As soon as I parked up met an English couple who lived between Valencia and Tarragona; but were down here for a weeks break in their van. Went to do the dreaded washing up one day at about 11am and started chatting and finally stood up at 7pm to make some dinner! What a pleasant way to spend your time.

Olivia - Looking towards Denia and the mountains behind it

14th October 2015
Cascante - Spain
Section 292 miles
Trip 7702 miles

Grrrr....start of the trip back to the UK. I can not believe I have been away for nearly six months the time just seems to wizz past. Routing through Spain is difficult as there are few decent stop overs inland - every one I speak to seems to have the same issue. So decided to initially follow the same routing as last year - via Valencia then around Zaragoza to a small town aire at Cascante. It's a shame because the middle of Spain has stunning scenery, ancient towns and open roads - but not easily accessible to campers.

Cascante - Town and Monastery

Cascante - Amazing Jinkyard/Museum at the edge of town

15th October 2015
Pomarez - France
Section 166 miles
Trip 7868 miles

Over the Pyrenees via the main pass used by the Route of St James (yes him again!) and down to St Jean Pied Pont to stop off at a town aire at Pomarez for the night. Right next to the bull ring with loads of free electricity and of course no charges! Oh, I dread returning to greedy, grabbing and grubby GB.

Pomarez - The aire is in this car park next to the Bullring (not sure if they still have fights in France though)

16th October 2015
St Priest-Taurion - France
Section 229 miles
Trip 8097 miles

Northwards across the Garonne at Marmande through Perigueux to Limoges (all held by the english crown in the fourteenth century!) to park up all one my own as it was getting dark in the aire, next to the sports ground in a small village, with a grey, dreary, drizzly outlook over the river. The weather definitely took a turn for the worse today after the Dordogne. 

St Priest-Taurion - River Taurion and weir adjacent to the aire and sports ground

17th October 2015
Cravant - France
Section 270 miles
Trip 8327 miles

Honestly, I can't recall a single thing about this stop or the day's drive..it's either the grim weather or dementia.

Cravant - Oh yeah...I do remember - thank you google!

18th October 2015
Laon - France
Section 127 miles
Trip 8494 miles

Had decided some days back to book the return through Dunkerque to avoid the never ending hassle and problems with both the tunnel and ferry at Calais. Have to be there by 10am on the 20th. Memory has recovered, an interesting day passed through a town that promoted itself as the "City of the Stuarts", well I guess the equivalent in french. Odd, odd I thought at the time appears from checking on google that it was awarded to a Scot for services to the french crown in the Hundred Years War and after they died out about 300 years later to a bastard daughter of Charles II - finally becoming totally French again in around the middle of the nineteenth century. 

Finished the day at the panoramic aire at Laon, which is just below the town walls on the north side of this impressive hilltop cathedral town. The sun came back in the late afternoon after about four days absence.

Laon - Cathedral and City Walls 

19th October 2015
Dunkerque - France
Section 174 miles
Trip 8668 miles

Pottered up to Dunkerque through endless memorials and graveyards to the Flanders dead of WWI - names one recalls from books and films and many I've never heard of - Cambrai, St Quentin, Chemin des Dames, Arras. Lens, Valenciennes. The frequent wide channels crossed on the route did bring home how important these were as stop lines during the German advances in 1914, 1918 and 1940 to infantry advancing purely by foot. Ended up in an aire just at the end of the promenade and behind the dunes at a seaside resort just to the east of Dunkerque - Malo les Bains.

Malo-les-Bains

20th October 2015
Preston - UK
Section 353 miles
Trip 9021 miles

Woke up bright and early and nearly missed the ferry through getting mixed up with a 8km queue of wagons! Anyway, made Preston five minutes late of my predicted time of 18:00 a week previously! Stayed the night at Viki and Graham's, who kindly allow free parking on their drive (again). Viki makes great crackling!

21st October 2015
Edinburgh - UK
Section 183 miles
Trip 9204 miles

Nearly back, went via the A7 from Carlisle to take a look at the recently re-opened Waverly Line (now Borders Railway from Galashiels to Edinburgh) as I had done some work on it a couple of years ago. Work...work..what's that?

Had wanted to call in at Pat's in Whittle-le-Woods on the way but needed to get back to Edinburgh, get the car started and in for its MOT that had expired. Sorry Pat, but it was just as well as hassle, the AA and £600 were required to get it all sorted!

Finally got home at about 8pm with just a back pack having travelled the last ten miles on the bus - at least it's free with my bus pass!

 Here are a few stats from this year's trip:


Away:                                    183 nights
Camping:                               98 nights
Aires                                      82 nights
Roadside and driveways:        3 nights
Number of places O/N at:      94 different locations
Total mileage:                     9204 miles
Max section:                         473 miles 
Min section:                              9 miles
Fuel:                                      286 gallons
Fuel:                                      £1141
Average fuel use:                   30.8mpg (would be much better at 50/55 mph !!)
Countries: France, Belgium, Germany, Spain. Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia.

Summer 2015 - 9th Post (France)

18th to 20th August 2015

Montclar (France)
Section 55 miles
Total 6305 miles

 

Circular route via Lidl to do the weekly shop. Was heading to Revista (sounds Spanish), but it was a hot day and the Aire as in a rather unpleasant large car park - so headed a bit further south to the Tarn and followed signs to an Aire at Montclar. Small village on top of a ridge with panoramic views along the Tarn Valley, Cuases and Cevennes - especially from the water tower that was converted to a viewing platform.

Pleasant large shady Aire with only one or two other vans with free electricity hook-up points for all.  Ended up staying three nights. Walking one day down to Coupiac, to see the castle, and doing a side trip to Albi the next, 108miles, to get the gas cylinders refilled: The gas system has been misbehaving. Problems driving back along the Tarn due to width restrictions of 1.8m in old railway tunnels being used as road tunnels. Resulted in kilometres of diversions! Stopped of at a couple of places on the Tarn Ambialet (built on a virtually cut-off meander - the remaining slither of rock is crossed by a road tunnel and a small hydro-electric plant that uses the fall of about 3.5m around the meander for power generation) and the Chateau at the village of Brousse-le-Chateau.

 

Montclar - Tarn Valley from the Chateau de Eaux view point

Montclar - Lilac and geraniums

Coupiac - Chateau and Church

Brousse-le-Chateau

Ambialet

21st to 22nd August 2015

Florac (France)
Section 108 miles
Total 6621 miles

After the bad experience of the narrow tunnels on the road along the Tarn the day before - decided to follow the Tarn by a higher route on the north side of he valley to Millau. Stopped at an interesting fortified village at Chateau-Peygarols. Arriving in Millau discovered that the Aire now imposed a charge of 9.50euro a night. It was hot and in a  built-up area next to a busy ring road. So carried on along the main Tran Gorges to Florac. The Aire there was pretty busy probably because the Gorge is a big tourist must do in this part  of the world.

Spent a couple of nights at Florac. There was a free concert in the Temple on the Saturday evening; the local flute group - but after over an hour including the Triumphal March from Aida on flutes I really had had enough and slipped out. Did a longish walk up and out of the main valley on to the Cevennes the next day which included the impressive site six Golden Eagles, I think, soaring on thermals at the edge of the cliffs above Florac.

Tran Gorge between Millau and Florac

 

Chateau-Peygarols

Cevenenois Ladscape from near Montclar

Chateau-Peygarols

F;lorac - Limestone Cliffs above the town



Florac - Cevennes plateau above the town



23rd August 2015

St Jean-du-Gard (France)
Section 33 miles
Total 6654 miles

The weather turned nasty and stormy overnight. Had intended a panoramic route over the Cevennes; but there seemed little point as the cloud was totally covering the hills and it was pouring with rain. Still couldn't see much apart from fog the way that I did go! Parked up near the old railway station, which now services a tourist steam service in the summer.

 

24th August 2015

Anduzes (France)
Section 10 miles
Total 6664 miles

Weather dried up overnight and headed a short distance down to Anduze. Small town with a lot of visitors. Spent the afternoon following a footpath out into the hills to the east. Parked up next to the railway station with the stem train and a pleasant view.

 

Anduze - Great view from the railway station and Aire



Anduze - Clock Tower

25th to 27th August 2015

Arre (France)
Section 41 miles
Total 6705 miles

Planned a short hop to the Aire at the medieval village of Sauve, on the southern side of the Cevennes. Only to arrive to find it closed for a village fete. Moved on west and ended up in the at a great little Aire at Arre in a deep wooded valley  of the River Arre a few kilometres above Avese where I stayed lat summer. That aire is now closed off by 2m high barriers.

Spent a couple of days here, walking in the surrounding hills and the edge of the Cevennes including the hillside village of Esparon.

 

Arre - Villages of Bes and Esparon (just below the rock outcrop0

28th to 31st August 2015

Lunas (France)
Section 53 miles
Total 6758 miles

Scenic drive out of the Arre valley and up on to the Cevennes. Stopped to watch a pair of Golden Eagles soaring over the pass at the head of the valley and then stppoed of to visit the fortified Templar Village of la Couvertoirade. Ended up at the small town of Lunas in a very hot wooded valley. Next to the hard paking for the Aire, at the Lesuire Park on the edge  of the village, a huge field had been opened up for free parking - just like a campsite. Great! So I stayed here for a few nights. Definitely getting close to the end of the French holiday season. When I arrived there were about thirty vans and bay the time I left it was down to five. So strange in France how everything begins to close down so quickly the last two weekend in August.

The weather was hot, about 30C, but did do some walking around the town, up to the old chateau and into the adjacent hills.

 

Templar Village of La Couevertoirade

Templar Village of La Couevertoirade

Templar Village of La Couevertoirade

Lunas - Buildings below the old castle



Lunas - the new chateau and river

1st September 2015

Marseillan Plage (France)
Section 90 miles
Total 6848 miles

End of the French holidays - so cheap seaside camping again! Headed down to the coast near Sete. Had intended on staying at what was supposed to be a free coastal aire (most charge) only to find a barrier and a need to pay. As the campsite down the road was fourteen euro a night (with all modcons including free internet) headed of there for a week - just hanging out on the beach and energetic stuff like that. Weather was mainly dry and mid-twenties - but often a strong a Mistral.

 

Summer 2015 - 8th Post (France)

27th July 2015

Medreac (France)
Section 50 miles
Total 5466 miles

Following a some what cool and mainly wet week camping at Erquy - fortunately interspersed with occasional better weather with local walks and visits to the beach - I started a trek south towards the Lot and the Tarn in SW France. Headed south through Brittany passing west of Rennes to an Aire outside the Municipal Campsite at Medreac. Interesting walk around a some what dilapidated garden at the Chateaux Couellan and a side trip to some stone alignments, Alignements de Lampouy, and a large standing stone, Menhir del la Pierre Longue.

Alignements de Lampouy

Menhir del la Pierre Longue

 

'Just ahead, turn right' - Don't always rely on your SatNav!



Chateaux Couellan



28th July 2015

Messac (France)
Section 51 miles
Total 5517 miles

Another very wet grey day through Britttany to end up at an Aire next to a marina and la Vilaine. Found a supermarket with a washing machines and drier on the way so managed to catch up with the laundry. Also a jet wash - so the van got its first reasonable clean (apart from Graham's good work with the Bug-Off) the first time since Edinburgh in April.  Managed a walk in late afternoon to take a look at a large mill on the river.

 

29th July 2015

Mauleon (France)
Section 115 miles
Total 5632 miles

Brooooommmm..Vrooomm..Broooommm..Vroooooommmm.....A TGV went flying past full pelt on the railway line about 30m from the van at 5am! No chance of getting back to sleep after that rude awakening! The day looked a bit more cheerful and I had an early start on the route south. Passed out of Brittany into the drier and more arable Vendee with hectares of wheat fields. Stopped of at an Aire adjacent to the municipal Swimming Pool in Mauleon. Biked around the hilltop town and surroundings with an interesting castle and abbey

 

Mauelon - Abbey Gate

30th July 2015

Boisme (France)
Section 12 miles
Total 5644 miles

Onwards and southwards into Poitou with its endless fields of wheat and sunflowers in shallow valleys and open plateaux. Stopped off at Bessuire to wander round a huge and dominating medieval castle that belonged to the Duc de Beaumont. Quite typically there was a large 18th century house within the main  part of the castle. The Beaumont family living here for about 800years - finally moved out in the 1960's. Even had a room with a plaque noting that General de Gaulle spent the night!  Ended up at a pleasant Aire in a village park next to a large lake at Boisme. Fairly hot; but, managed a 10km circular walk around the village in the afternoon.

 

Bessuire - Chateau de Besssuire

Boisme - Park and Lake at the Aire

31st July 2015

Celles-sur-Belle (France)
Section 54 miles
Total 5698 miles

Another hot day - middle thirties. Arrived in Celles-sur-Belle at lunch time, parking in an Aire, at the bottom of the village, adjacent to the impressive Abbaye Royal with its ornamental gardens. Interesting circular walk through forestry and fields in the afternoon.

 

Celles-sur-Bel - Chapelle Royale

1st August 2015

Burie (France)
Section 84 miles
Total 5782 miles

South into the Saintonage. Passed through a small village called Aulnay and stopped off to look at its UNESCO listed and amazingly ornately decorated Eglise St Pierre de la Tour. Wanted to stay at a very shady Aire at Matha (with free electricity) but it was going to be closed overnight for a Brocante (Car Boot Sale) so I ended up a bit further south at a small grassed village aire in Burie. Passed an Abbey on the way into the village and spent about two hours walking along a blazoned route from the village looking for it - never found the bloody place.

 

Aulnay - Eglise St Pierre

Aulnay - Eglise St Pierre

Aulnay - Eglise St Pierre

Burie - Church
Just about 20km from Aulnay and absolutely basic

2nd August 2015

Cadilac (France)
Section 100 miles
Total 5882 miles

Crossed the Isle at its confluence with the Isle at Libourne to finally end up in the Garrone Valley. Yet another day of blazing sun. Staggered around the this walled bastide to take in the sights - the Chateau de Ducs d'Eperon, walls and partially arcaded market place - avoiding two large gaggles of Americans on an organised tour on the way. Apparently, the founder of the eponymous American car company came from this town and named the company after his hometown rather than using his own name.

Cadilac - Chateau

 

3rd August 2015

La Temple sur Lot (France)
Section 69 miles
Total 5951 miles

Finally, after stopping off at the medieval town of La Reole on the Garonne and the bastide at Montsegur for lunch, including a hot circuit on foot, I ended up at the  confluence of the Lot with the Garrone at Aiguillon and stayed overnight at an aire in a park adjacent to and interesting village with a restored Knights  Templar Commanderie.  This part of the world is covered by plum trees and famous for prunes! All the farms have large slatted wooden drying sheds that must have been used to dry the plums.  Bloody hot again with no wind. I tried cycling in the evening to get cool! But it didn't work. Odd architectural note: As you go up this part of the valley there is a lot of medieval brickwork combined with stone or half-timber construction.

La Reole - Market Hall founded by Richard I (Lionheart)

Sunflowers, Wheat, Woods and Hills

La Temple sur Lot - Knight's Templar Commanderie

La Reole - Townscape from the Lot

 

4th and 5th August 2015

Prayssac (France)
Section 50 miles
Total 6001 miles

Stopped of at Fumel to take a look at the hillside Chateau and have lunch. Hard to believe that there was formerly a huge steel works here in what is now a dominantly agricultural area. After lunch I wanted to visit the impressive Chateau de Bonaguil; only to find when I arrived that it was bursting with visitors to a medieval Festival. So sadly it just became a photo-opportunity. Ended up at a pleasant village, Prayssac, for a couple  of nights in a neatly laid out aire at the edge of a park. The temperatures have got silly. In the afternoon it was 39C at the van and 41C in the village square when I crawled in to get some provisions at 5pm. However, with an early start the next day I managed to get a blazoned walk done before midday  - the Circuit de Dolmens - three of four different types of stone burial chambers mainly lost in the trees.

 

Bonaguil - Chateau

Fumel - Chateau
Now the town hall.

Prayssac - Trying to keep cool in the shady town square

Preyssac - Circuit des Dolmens
Domed masonry interior roof

6th August 2015

Albas (France)
Section 4 miles
Total 6005 miles

East along the Lot to a Aire adjacent to a barrage and small hydro-electric power station. Still in the mid thirties and struggled on a 20km walk along the Lot and deep wooded valleys. As often happens I lost the signage and had to do an extra five or so kilometres to get back to the van.

 

Abas - le Lot next to the Aire

Abas - Church, Chateau and le Lot

7th August 2015

Cahors (France)
Section 20 miles
Total 6025 miles

Further up the valley to the town of Cahors within a huge meander if the Lot. Braving the sun walked around in the afternoon. Interesting cathedral with the nave composed of two domes and no aisles. And, of course, the famous fortified bridge the Pont de Valentre. Followed footpaths up the steep valley side to eventually get back to the van via another long diversion.

 

Cahors - south side

Cahors - Interior of cathedral with the double domed nave

Cahors - Cathedral

Cahors - Cathedral Cloister

Cahors - West side of town and Pont de Valentre

8th August 2015

Cajarc (France)
Section 49 miles
Total 6071 miles

Complete change in the weather overnight to have rain and low grey clouds down Lot Valley through Bouzies and hillside town of St-Cirq-Lapopie in the afternoon. I should have taken a look at the latter; but, even with the earlier rain it was heaving with visitors so given a miss. Definitely an out of season job. It's the only place I have seen police controlling traffic and parking! Stopped at Cajarc another bastide, in the old station car park just above the River Lot.

 

Near Cajarc - another hillside village in the Lot Valley

9th/10th August 2015

Montsalvy (France)
Section 56 miles
Total 6127 miles

Had intended to stop at Figeac; only having arrived to find a huge cycling event and the place packed out so went on to Montsalvy. A fortified village with an abbey church. Leaving the limestone scenery Lot valley behind for a while and passing through schists and granites at the southern extreme of the Cantal. Greener and much more rounded hills. Stopped a couple of nights at the hilltop aire on the edge of the village with extensive views to the west. Interesting walk up to the local view point, le Puy des Arbes, the Cantal to the north and the Cevnnes and Grand Cause to the east. Unfortunately, dense heat haze making photos a waste of time.

 

Montsalvy - Walking back from le Puy des Arbes

Montsalvy - North Gate

11th August 2015

Villeneuve (France)
Section 19 miles
Total 6146 miles

Back down to the Lot at Entraygues-sur-Truyeres, the confluence of the Truyere and the Lot. I travelled up stream to close to the source through the impressive limestone Gorges des Lot last year. So turned right and headed down stream back towards Cajarc to pick up the section of the Lot that I missed out with the diversion to Figeac and Montsalvy. I hadn't realised that this part of the Lot is cut down into granites, gneiss and schists - as opposed to the limestone both up and down steam. Makes a darker, wetter and more densely wooded landscape to the steep valley sides. Overnight at a landscaped aire at Villeneuve with its chateau and church. Hot sun continues, biked up the valley for a few kilometres in the 'cooler' evening.

 

Villeneuve - From the Lot

Like above

Villeneuve - Slates, Church and Castle

12th August 2015

Boisse-Penchot (France)
Section  miles
Total 6161 miles

Down stream to Boisse-Penchot to a very hot 38C afternoon hiding in the shade in Boisse-Penchot at another neatly landscaped aire adjacent to the Lot. The aires around here seemed to be built more like campsites that casual overnight parking areas. Change in the weather overnight to become much cooler, about 18C with low grey clouds and occasional thunderstorms. Went off for a wet walk in the morning along a 10km blazoned trial which included part of the Way of St James the GR35 I think (can't seem to avoid these routes!).

 

13th August 2015

Peyrusse-le-Roc (France)
Section 37 miles
Total 6198 miles

Driving down stream for a few kilometres, before heading south, I finished my route along the length of the Lot. Recommended to others especially upstream of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. The rain cleared up a bit in the afternoon and it was strange to end up at this hill top aire, with its partially ruined village and castle, that I had stayed at in June last year. I didn't realise until I arrived that I had been here before. Not sure if it was due to too many aires or just plain dementia?

Peyrusse-le-Roc - Chateau Inferior

Peyrusse-le-Roc - Town  Square, Boules and Church

 

14th August 2015

Monteils (France)
Section 25 miles
Total 6223 miles

Awoke to another wet, grey and cloudy day - reminiscent of Edinburgh except about ten degrees warmer! Headed towards Monteils, neat village with the usual few shops, church and chateau...even ancient silver mines in the vicinity! Aprt from a quick walk to the Tabac between showers I was dead lazy, stayed inside and carried on with re-reading the Rebus series of novels by Ian Rankin - up to Resurrection Men at the moment - about the thirteenth book in the series.

 

15th August 2015

Sauveterre-de-Rouegue (France)
Section 35 miles
Total 6258 miles

Weather improving as I went up and down steep wooded valleys and hidden streams to the bastide at Sauveterre-de-Rouegue. Stopped at a free municipal campsite, they just ask you to pay 2 euro a day for electric hook-up at the Tourist Office. But based on honesty - you don't get a receipt and no one checks up. Like European campsites in general - where you pay when you leave regardless of whether you have been there for a night or a month. I only recall once having to pay upfront last year in he Dordogne. Met up with a couple from the UK. In fact, it was the first time I had parked-up on a site with another UK van since I was with G&V in Brittany, at least three weeks ago! Mostly just French vans with a sprinkling of Germans, Dutch and the odd Belgian. And considering that it is middle of August (peak season) I have never had a problem parking-up. This couple had  sold their houses and spent fourteen years full timing in a huge American RV, having retired at 45 and 50, spending the winter parked up in Portugal (what do most of us do wrong  working to around 60 or more?). They are 65 and now rent an apartment in Portugal and have a campervan for general transport and trips away. They were off to the UK for six weeks to meet up with family there. Great little spot so I ended up staying for a few nights.  Couple of meals out here and walks around the local countryside.

Sauveterre - Market Square with complete arcades surrounding it

Sauveterre - Menagerie of Ducks in the Town Moat
Never before seen so many different species in one place

Sauveterre - View from a Walking Circuit