23. Sep, 2022

23. Sep, 2022

23. Sep, 2022

23. Sep, 2022

FRIDAY 23-09-22

Despite our best efforts we didn't manage to eat all of the pizza last night. Before setting off down the road The Chef prepared a salad and covered it with Clingfilm. This was to save time when we got back with what should still be, a hot pizza.

Apart from the dough for the pizza base, it was all made to order right in front of our eyes, and at a cost of thirteen Euros we were quite happy. Even happier when we returned 'home' and I broke out the bottle of local wine I'd bought and chilled from the local supermarket that day.

We slept well having watched a couple of episodes of 'One Foot in the Grave'. If I think of it, I will share the list of the DVD's we're carrying on this trip when I upload the Travelscript and expenses after we get home.

We checked the weather forecasts first thing this morning and Arles doesn't look quite as wet as they were guessing yesterday. We'll just have to wait and see. I did revisit the Travelscript on Google Maps and refresh my memory of where I had planned we would be doing our shopping before arriving there. Having done so I'm happy we'll be fine doing a big shop when we get there. It being a Saturday if parking is an issue I've now identified a quiet parking area round the back of the supermarket which is probably the service area and staff car parking.

We decided to take a packed lunch out with us today, and so whilst I was doing some chores The Chef popped down the road to buy a baguette. I was fortunate enough to still be healthy enough to undertake such tasks having successfully survived another battle with the Vario-Therm showers. They really are quite the most uncomfortable showers I have ever experienced. It is almost dangerous to have shower water coming out cool one minute and then seconds later coming out too hot to stand under. There's no point in adjusting the temperature on the plumbing because that seems to make matters worse. For a whopping thirty-one Euros campers should expect better facilities than are on offer here. But I suppose if we're all prepared to pay that money, and the owners can fill the campsite there is no incentive for them to spend money improving things.

We had a nice surprise when we arrived by the marina. They had a market on and we always enjoy walking round them absorbing the colours and smells as we do so.

Lunch was spent back down on the sliver of rocks we came across yesterday under the promenade wall and along from the beach. It's really quite private, unless of course you're joined by other tourists who tend to sit there for a short time and then move on.

We debated as to whether or not we should go on a boat ride. I told The Chef that I really wasn't fussed either way, but if she wanted to go on one then let's go and do it. I think it was when we followed one of the boats out and timed it. That one was clearly a forty-five minute ride because the boat hadn't even cleared the bay before it had to turn round and come back. So if you're going to do one you've got to do a long one. The longest ride was two hours, but even so that's only one hour out along the coastline before having to turn back. So we didn't bother and instead started making our way back. Before we reached the bus stop outside the Casino I intended to pop in to the local supermarket and buy a bottle of wine produced in the vineyard down the road from the campsite, but the bus had just pulled in and was due to depart five minutes later and so gave it a miss as I knew I could buy one for a couple of Euros more from the delicatessen down the road when we got back. And so it was. I bought the bottle of wine, probably one of the most expensive I've ever bought, and then walked one hundred yards to the vineyard entrance and took the photograph.

So this evening I need to iron a couple of bits which will get worn tomorrow as we leave here heading for Arles. We've been there before, but it's quite nice, and quite historical, and besides the Camperstop is cheap and it's as good a place as any to sit out the wet weather. After that it's La Camargue.

22. Sep, 2022