1990

1990 - Challans, France

Our third holiday in France was near Challans where we stayed in a very nice gite adjoining the owners house.

Friday 13 July
After a busy day getting everything ready, we left home at 1750. The roads were not too crowded and we arrived at Portsmouth at 2030.
We boarded the ferry at 2230, found our cabins and set sail at 2345. The cabins were small but comfortable. I shared with David who went to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Saturday 14 July
When I got up at 0530, I had to wake everyone else up.
We drove off the ferry at about 0700 and our first problem was finding the road out of Caen. This took about ½ hour. At about 0830 we stopped at Villers Bocage for breakfast of croissants and hot chocolate.
Our next stop at 1100 was at Bruz south of Rennes, where we did some shopping and shared a baguette in the town square. After Bruz the road improved and by 1300 we had arrived at St Brevin after crossing the toll bridge at St Naraire over the Loir, 30F. Lunch consisted of crêpes and ice cream.
We then drove to the gite at La Chiron and met M Brochard and his wife. They showed us round the gite, which is the best equipped we have stayed in. Then we were invited into their house for wine and coffee. I happened to mention the Tour de France so they switched on the TV for us to watch it.
We then unpacked, went to see the families in the gite over the road, had a light tea and as we were all very tired went to bed early.

Sunday 15 July
After a good night’s sleep we awoke to find it cloudy but warm.
We decided after breakfast to go to the nearest beach at St John-de-Monts. As it was the Sunday after Bastille Day, the roads were very congested and the beach not very inviting. Therefore we came back to the gite, had our picnic in the garden and tried to sunbathe on the grass.
In the evening we went to Challans and had a nice meal at La Marais returning to the gite at 2130.

Monday 16 July
A cloudy start to the day again but it was warm. As we had decided to stay in, Dorothy and I went for a bike ride around the lanes.
After lunch the clouds cleared so we went to the beach south of St John-de-Monts. A very nice sandy beach but crowded.
On the way home we called in at a supermarket in Challans and bought supplies for a barbecue. In spite of this being our first ever attempt at a barbecue, it was quite successful.

Tuesday 17 July
Hot and sunny. Spent most of the day on a quiet beach south of St Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. It consisted of a number of small coves with not many people around. Must explore further.
In the evening we went to a crêperie in Challans. The crêpes were excellent but the waitress enjoyed ridiculing my French.

Wednesday 18 July
Decided to have a day off the beach, so we went to La Roche-sur-Yon. This town was designed by Napoleon and in its day must have been very impressive. However, it has been rebuilt and except for a few areas it is rather drab.
For our meal in the evening we went to a restaurant in Challans where both the food and service were excellent. Must return.

Thursday 19 July
Another hot and sunny day, so back to the beach at St Gilles. This time we came off the main road and headed for the beach along a track. With a little help from a passing Frenchman we found an almost perfect beach, quiet with clean flat sand.
As David had been going on for a few days about having a Fruit de Mer we went to Pornic. But the only place we could find with a Fruit de Mer on the menu was rather expensive. In the end we settled for a crêperie where he had a Fruit de Mer crêpe.

Friday 20 July
Returned to beach at St Gilles where it was extremely hot. After lunch on beach we returned home and called in at the supermarket at Challans to buy in supplies for a barbecue.
When we arrived back at the gite the temperature in the shade was 39oC. By 1830 it was cool enough for the barbecue – chicken, sausage, bacon and melon.

Saturday 21 July
Each year in Challans they hold a Fete where all the people dress up as they would have done in 1908. They wore costumes of that period and groups were dancing in the street.
In the morning they had a street market selling ducks, chickens and pigs [alive]. Craftsmen were making and selling their wares and a blacksmith was making horseshoes. But the highlight of it was the school. The children and teacher were dressed in the period and acted out a typical classroom scene of 1908. Even though we could not understand what was being said, it was still very funny. They appeared to spend most of their time learning by heart the French Departments and grammar, and were awarded points when a correct answer was given. After crêpes in the town we went home.
The rest of the day consisted of eating bread and cheese and reading.

Sunday 22 July
A slightly hazy day with a few clouds about, so it was back to the beach with a vengeance. We arrived at 1030 and left after a marvellous day at 1630.
However, when we got back to the gite we soon discovered that we were all suffering a little sunburn (except for David who just goes brown).
In the evening we returned to the restaurant we went to the previous Wednesday [Chez Charles]. After I had my melon, the main course was served up and I felt so bad that I had to leave the restaurant and sit in the car. After a while I went back in and sat there whilst everyone else devoured my meal.

Monday 23 July
Woke up to find Paul had blisters on his shoulders. I don’t think they were painful but they were uncomfortable. Due to our infirmities (except David) we had a day off the beach.
After lunch we visited Paulx to see the wine cellars. Found the Cave de Moulin where we tasted some wines and then bought 4 bottles of wine and 2 of Pineau.
We all then went for a pleasant bike ride around the fields, keeping to the farm tracks.
Our evening meal was crêpes at Challans.

Tuesday 24 July
Tuesday is market day in Challans, so after breakfast off we went. It was much larger than we had expected, selling everything from houses to sunglasses. Food was being sold in the indoor market and I bought tuna steaks, sardines, prawns, strawberries and grapes, all for our evening barbecue. We also bought a round plastic tablecloth for our garden table at home.
In the afternoon we went to St Jean-de-Monts and the Plage de Demoiselles. This was a long expanse of beach with apartments facing the promenade. It looked like Blackpool on a hot day.
The evening was the barbecue with the tuna steaks – delicious.

Wednesday 25 July
Today was to be the day to cross the causeway to Ile de Noirmoutier. We arrived at the causeway at about 1100 to find the tide in and the causeway covered. After a drink we watched some of the cars try to cross before the tide had gone out.
At about 1215 we crossed the causeway. As we crossed, it appeared the for some this was the their main entertainment, parking on the side catching shellfish in the mud.
On reaching the other side we drove to a beach near Noirmoutier and had lunch. Everyone, except me, liked this beach but I persuaded them to move on.
Back through Noirmoutier Paul spotted an aquarium. It was well presented and entertaining, with a large variety of fish, turtles and 3 seals.
Just south of Barbâtre we found a nice beach and played with the American Football in the sea (and tried to wet each other). It was then back over the causeway and a return to the gite.
In the evening we went into Challans with the intention of going to the crêperie. As it was closed we went to the restaurant of Le Marais. The food was very good, English menu, head waitress spoke English and service by waitress excellent.

Thursday 26 July
As we had drunk too much the night before, we got up later than anticipated. But by 1100 we were on the beach and had an excellent day there, getting back to the gite by 1700. We all ensured that we did not get too much sun and covered up at regular intervals.
Our evening meal was at La Crêperie again. This crêperie must rate as one of the top ten crêperies we have eaten in.
The day was rounded off by a game of Game of the Year and an unfruitful search for a satellite.

Friday 27 July
This should have been our last day on the beach, unfortunately we woke up to a cloudy day. In fact later on it actually rained during my holiday!
In the morning we went shopping in Challans and bought our supplies, ie cheese and cider to take home.
In the afternoon we went for a bike ride, Paul gave up, he was tired. I won the race.
The evening found us in Challans eating in Le Marias. Afterwards it was a game of Yatzee and we put our name on the map.

Saturday 28 July
Up at 0700 and after breakfast we started to pack the car. At 1000 we said our farewells to the Brochard’s and were on our way.
Luckily the weather was cloudy and it was cool. We made good time through Nantes and Rennes but decided the we would not have time to see Mont St Michael, so headed straight for Bayeaux.
We were fortunate that the first car park we found in Bayeaux was almost next to the Tapestry exhibition.
The first part of the exhibition explained the background to why the tapestry was made and detailed the history of the period. It then went on to tell the story within the tapestry.
We then went on to the tapestry itself and wore headphones which again gave the story whilst walking alongside the tapestry.
After a quick look at the cathedral we made our way to the D-day beaches and stopped to see the Mulberry harbour.
We then drove on to the ferry. We boarded at about 2315, found our cabins, had a drink in the restaurant and put Paul and David to bed. To get into “Thatcher’s Police State” we had to see the immigration officer. Got to bed just after midnight.
[Just to explain my previous comment, I get very annoyed that I can travel throughout western Europe without a passport but to get in or out of my own country I have to prove my identity. Maybe one day things will change.]

Sunday 29 July
A good night’s sleep was had by all and we finally left the port at about 0645. At the breakfast stop Paul celebrated his return to Britain by having 2 sausages, 2 slices of bacon, a fried egg and a slice of fried bread. The rest of us had a more reasonable breakfast.
Home was reached at 0915, then all we had to do was to unpack and find out what had happened in our absence.

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