Les Bateaux du Carton

We are back at our favourite campsite in La Tranche sur Mer.

It's not blazing hot. The French have had a summer a bit like ours but it's warmer and drier than dear old Bishop Auckland.

It's much the same as last year and their efforts at moving most of the sand from one bay to the next have had as little success as the Council's attempts to change Seaton Carew at home.
We have a pleasant routine...wake, eat breakfast, walk to the SuperU or the market, buy bread, wine and food for dinner, eat lunch, laze about, promenade through town for ice-cream or coffee and return to drink wine and cook and eat dinner.

We prefer the boxes of white bordeau and red merlot.
Entertainment was provided yesterday by some local company doing staff team building exercises on the beach. They seemed to have to build a boat out of cardboard boxes.

And then take it to the sea half a mile away (low tide is really low) and row it in a race.
Quite a few of us had gathered along the promenade to observe their skills with cardboard and duct tape. The lightest member of each team donned a wetsuit and life jacket and off they went.

The winners were awarded a silver cup, a certificate and a bottle of champagne and rewarded by the cheers of the crowd.
Cheers Gillian

The Road to The Lakes

Not far from us the A66 crosses the Pennines to the Lake District in the west. We set off on Tuesday to bask in the sun at Pooley bridge.

The Park Foot Camping area has a field near Ullswater where you can park for the day or camp overnight with super clean toilet block and lovely views with a footpath to the lakeside.

This stream trickles by, under the trees.

And the lake was like a sheet of blue glass through the trees. A path along the lakeside leads northwards into town or southwards down to the boat club. We walked to town and had a beer and crisps in the pub garden of The Crown while we watched the waterbirds.

This young swan had joined a family for their picnic. Hunger took us back to the van for a BBQ. Some sausages sizzled while I buttered buns and got the tomato sauce ready. Our own family of waterbirds hurried along to join us.

Mum was the bravest.

Our journey in the morning was slightly delayed by some covered gypsy wagons heading to Appleby for the annual horse fair.

Others had decided not to waste a lovely day on the road and were settled in on all the verges within an easy ride of Appleby, so as to be able to get there later in the week.

At least the weather is good for them this year.
Cheers for now
Gillian