All posts by Kim

Quinson Walk, the Lower Verdon Gorges

Saturday 28th October 2017

Our campsite was due to close on Sunday, so Ray headed off to reception to pay our dues and check if we were able to leave on Monday.

He returned, having paid our bill, clutching details of a walk. (9.5 kms and over 3 hours!).  It began in one of the villages close to us, Quinson.

We drove to the suggested car park near the museum of prehistory and made our way towards the bridge over the River Verdon and our start. The view from the bridge is lovely and gives you a glimpse of the gorge and the river.
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2nd Fête de la Courge at Esparron-de-Verdon

Sunday 22nd October 2017

We were reliably informed by the owners daughter, who spoke impeccable English, that there would be a local festival in the town today, celebrating ‘squashes’. Hooray I hear you say.

When we approached the town yesterday, we were aware of a number of pumpkin decorations throughout the town. We had wrongly thought that these probably related to Halloween.

When in Esparron-de-Verdon………. what else could we do but give it our attention. The fête was on for most of the day, so we saddled up and rode into town around lunch time.

The weather was delightfully sunny, but incredibly windy, which didn’t make it easy to cycle.

Our impressions of Esparron were already good and the journey through yesterday had confirmed one of our thoughts of what an ideal provincial town in France would be like.

Picturesque houses, a cháteau, some bars and restaurants, all situated on the edge of a lake, with turquoise coloured water. What not to like!

The fête  was just like most English village fetes but with added sun and that je ne sais quoi!

There was a variety of stalls in the main part of the village. Tables were laid out with all manner of produce squash related. You could buy fresh squashes, jams, chutneys or hand made decorations which depicted squashes.

There was even a monsieur who spent the entire time carving squashes with very intricate patterns and decoration. He had a lot more patience than I would have done!

But the highlight of the day, for us, was when the band arrived and began to entertain the crowds, who were now beginning to swell. (Well just a bit).


Welcome Fanfare Pêna Sunrise!

They were fantastic, full of energy and certainly did not disappoint.

We lingered for some considerable time to listen to several renditions.

All the right notes but not necessarily in the right order but played with enthusiasm and gusto! Bravo!

After a pause for ‘beer o’clock’ , clutching our handmade pumpkin ceramic, we headed back through the village and up the hill home.

A fantastic start to our time in Esparron-de-Verdon.

Surprise Soirée

Friday 20th October 2017

A ride out on our bikes today didn’t take us far. Massane is located on the western side of Etang de Berre and our campsite was in a residential area with one main road.

We attempted a ride off the beaten track, in the vain hope of following the edge of the lake but it came to a dead end. Although we did pass a nice looking pizzeria, which we thought we might check out later.

We then headed off out of Massane towards the south, but soon realised that the uphill trek was only going to get tougher and there wasn’t much to see either.

Luckily the journey back was downhill most of the way, which meant a quick return to the campsite.

We decided to take the car and head out to check out one of the villages situated on the south coast, which we had passed on our train journey yesterday to Marseille.

Sausset-les-Pins is a pretty seaside resort along the Côte Bleue. Our descent into the village was through delightful pine forests and Sausset-les-Pins was much larger than our perspective on the train had led us to believe.

We parked up on Avenue du Général Leclerc opposite the main beach, Plage de la Corniche. It extends for over 600 meters and is mainly made up of gravel, with some sandbanks.

The promenade along the coastline was lovely and it was possible to walk in either direction for quite some time, taking in the delights of the sea and the warmth of the sun.

The port of Sausset was delightful; full of numerous sailing vessels, and edged with a range of cafés and bars. We wandered slowly around the water’s edge, passing the area where the fisherman sell their ‘catch of the day’ and headed around the other side of the port.

We arrived at the smaller pebbled Plage du Port. The tide was on the turn and the waves were crashing on the rocky shore. Delightful!

Back at the campsite, Ray decided to ride out to the pizzeria to see if it was open, despite the fact our campsite host Léo informing us that it had closed at the end of September.

Ray returned tout suite and confirmed it was open and appeared quite busy, so we got our skates on!

As we approached the restaurant, Le Macciana,  the sound of music resonated all around and the place looked lively and inviting. Wood burners and outdoor heaters lit up the venue.

As we headed towards the entrance we suddenly had a thought. Perhaps Léo our host was correct; it was closed and this was a private function!

Oh well, we had got this far, what was the worst that could happen? A quiet walk back to the caravan and throw something together for supper!

We were greeted by the owner, who welcomed us and immediately proceeded to show us to a table for two and explained that tonight was a buffet €20 each. Job done!

The restaurant was very attractive and dining was on the outdoor terrace. It had an instant warm feeling.

I say warm for two reasons. One for the welcome and the setting but two, for the array of outdoor heaters strategically placed around the terrace!

Luckily for us, our host found us a table on the edge of the terrace. We left the locals to enjoy the warmth, as it was obvious that they were feeling the ‘cool’ evening air, more than we were!

The evening did not disappoint and we enjoyed the variety of local dishes, along with some delightful  Provence Chardonnay and musical accompaniment by the owners son.

Our host was fantastic. He came to check on us throughout the evening and apologised for his lack of English!

We discovered that his son, who worked for BP,  was married to an English girl and they lived in Walton on Thames! A place which he enjoyed visiting.

We left late in the evening, thanking our host and his family for a superb evening and delicious meal. We would definitely be back.

Martigues

Wednesday 18th October 2017

We needed to check out the locality of the train station, to take Le Train Côte Bleue into Marseille, as well as parking facilities. Our host at the camp had suggested we use Istres station, which was just a little north of our site.

We had read that there was a train strike on 18th & 19th October with limited journey times, so thought best to check out our options.

French rail network is very susceptible to strikes, delays and cancellations, so always check your travel arrangements prior to departure.

Using our Franglais we managed to purchase our tickets for Thursday. (Timed tickets for each journey).

Tickets sorted, we made our way to Martigues. We had read that due to the charm of its canals, bridges and islands, it is also known as the Venise Provençale.

Using our trusty Google map app, we found a car park and started to walk towards one of the quays. We hadn’t gone far, when two fire tenders, with sirens blaring, pulled up at one of the buildings.

The traffic wasn’t going anywhere, especially as a large coach now had no possible way of passing the emergency vehicles and was holding up all the lunch time traffic! The noise of car horns was deafening and the lengthy queue of traffic just appeared to mushroom in all directions. Axe in hand, a fireman made his way up one of the ladders and began hacking at the window shutters. Time to make a hasty retreat.

Boy, were we glad we had made it into the car park when we did!

We began by walking along the Quai des Girondins. In the distance we could make out the rather towering sight of the Viaduc de Martigues. It is the autoroute A55.

Along the quay side were numerous restaurants which made choosing one for lunch challenging. Each was advertising a wonderful ‘menu du jour’, on typical chalkboards.

We had taken to using Trip Advisor to help with our decision making, and went with  Les TerrassesA nice table for two in the sun. Perfect!

Stuffed ravioli to start and entrecôte steak with Roquefort sauce & frites for Ray. Squid in aioli & mussels for me. Yum! We were not disappointed.

Our only plan following lunch was to take a stroll in the late autumn sun,  along the quays and waterways, through the cobbled streets and squares.

Leaving the quay on the north of the island known as  Ferrières we made our way onto the central island (L’Île). We wandered down the Rue de la Republique pausing briefly to peek inside the large open L’Eglise de Sainte Madeleine. Neither of us are religious, but we are always in awe of the interiors and exteriors of the many churches we encounter.

Leaving the church we passed over the Canal Saint Sebastien and spotted a most picturesque quarter, known as Le  Miroir aux oiseaux.

Here were quaint pastel coloured dwellings, former houses of the local fishermen, with a variety of pavement cafés, bars and restaurants. Truly a peaceful and picturesque spot.

We then followed the quai des Anglais, where many anglers were hoping for a catch and the large palms graced the pavements. We watched the local shuttle boat pass by and head towards the south of the town, Jonquiéres.

We then looped back around L’Île, admiring even more boats and imagined dining at one of the quayside restaurants in the evening.

Whilst we were walking we spotted an incredibly large jellyfish in the clear waters near the bank and were thankful we were not bathing at the time.

Later we made our way over the drawbridge towards Jonquiéres as we were here. There was a very large car park and lots of markets and shops in a maze of streets and pedestrian zones, if you enjoy that sort of thing.