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.