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RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Chris KC - 21-08-2018
I like your cool bag Ruairidh. We found big cool (catch) bags on the fishing stall in the weekly market. Tbh they were a bit too big for the fresh food alone but they fit very neatly in the footwell behind the front seats in the Micra.
Sprout cubes made me laugh! Tres inventive!
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Ruairidh Dunford - 22-08-2018
We woke early and packed up our things into the trailer, today we aimed to be with our Friends near Toulouse, the journey would be hot and flatten out quickly.
We passed through the very centre of Albi so that we could see the largest brick building in the world, the cathedral (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albi_Cathedral). It is quite spectacular and we had been told the rest of the city is very pretty as well - my fear of parking the car and all our belongings anywhere near a city stopped me from visiting further however.
On our last tour in the Chummy my side rear view mirror was filled with the views behind us and our daughter looking out of the side the car - it was the same this year, daughter had grown a little however....
The countryside was changing from a meandering valley to large open fields of sunflowers, we picnicked (on a huge but delicious tomato) under the shade of a tree and a few hours later I was shaking the hand of my schoolfriend.
Our days in Launac were either spent in the market buying food or sitting at the enormous table eating it - a life I could happily have slipped in to - forever.
All good things must come to an end however and now, at the most southerly point of our journey with a long way still to go, we pointed north and headed for the Dordogne.
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Chris KC - 22-08-2018
Lovely photos
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Duncan Grimmond - 22-08-2018
Wonderful stuff Ruairidh! I hope there will be more.
I can't imagine why you were advised not to cross the Milau viaduct. I went over and under it in my Pembleton Brooklands in 2009, no problem from side winds and the most stunning drive through some soft low cloud at the southern end into sunshine at the northern!
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - jansens - 22-08-2018
(22-08-2018, 06:16 PM)Duncan Grimmond Wrote: Wonderful stuff Ruairidh! I hope there will be more.
I can't imagine why you were advised not to cross the Milau viaduct. I went over and under it in my Pembleton Brooklands in 2009, no problem from side winds and the most stunning drive through some soft low cloud at the southern end into sunshine at the northern!
I think they went under it so they could see it, get a view (and great pics!) of the viaduct, not a view from it.
Same thing in New York City, if you want a good view of the Empire State building, go up to the top of the Rockefeller Centre not top the Empire State building itself!
Good thing you're not in Dixi Ruairidh, you'd have to have gone north-east and come in via the Ardennes
Simon
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Ruairidh Dunford - 23-08-2018
We had a relatively short day ahead, our destination was Belves in the Perigord/Dordogne area, passing a number of Bastides the buildings becoming noticeably older.
This part of the holiday was the one the girls were really looking forward to. We had stayed in the same campsite a few years previous - unlike most of the municipal sites we normally stay in this one had pools, a children's club and activities. I normally have a huge allergic reaction to such places but this site is different and the people who run it work hard to make it a very personal (rather than commercial) experience. Importantly the girls (who by now had endured nearly 2000 miles crammed in the back of an Austin Seven for 9 hours a day) loved the place!
The owners greeted us like long-lost friends and proudly directed us to the very same spot we had camped previously. We would be here for the week the girls went off to feed the animals, Tanya read her book and I slumped into my hammock with a glass of Ricard and "real" ice to cool it!
This area is rich with histrionical sites, chateaus and fortified towns - we explored.
That evening I made contact with Winston Teague who was holidaying nearby with his family and friends. they had three Chummies with them so we arranged to meet up at Beaumont the next day.
The town had a huge Brocante on and Winston purchased some deck chairs to compliment his car!
I was introduced to the legendary quincaillerie at Beaumont (see here: http://espritdepays.com/dordogne/des-hommes/la-maison-bariat-un-siecle-de-quincaillerie-a-beaumont-du-perigord) which sells everything from lamp wicks to a special pig"s collar for hunting truffles! After we picnicked beneath the trees and headed to Monpazier - the beautiful bastide.
Bargain hunt was still on and Mr Marsh could not help himself leaving with this "bargain"!!
We left our friends to continue their holiday and waived them off at the crossroads - it was quite a site to see a Chummy with four people and a boar's head roar by then disappear into the distance!
Back at camp the giant frog had made his appearance and was leading the children around the site with lanterns and off to their disco!
I checked that my Ricard was not Absinth and decided it was bedtime!
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Reckless Rat - 23-08-2018
The artist Vincent van Gogh used to hang about in Arles with his mate Paul Gaugin, drinking absinthe in the Café de Paris. One day Paul came into the bar to find Vincent already sitting at his favourite seat and asked him if he wanted another drink.
No thanks he said. I've got one ear...
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Ruairidh Dunford - 23-08-2018
Bah-ding (cymbal crash)!
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Hugh Barnes - 23-08-2018
You know Vincent van Gogh remembered everything that anyone ever told him.
It used to go in one ear....
RE: Family camping holiday touring France in an Austin Seven Summer 2018... - Bryan Downes - 23-08-2018
Enjoying your pictures and story very much. Thank you for all your time and effort putting it all together for the Forum. Great stuff Ruairidh and a wonderful adventure for you and your family.
Bryan
Enjoying your pictures and story very much. Thank you for all your time and effort putting it all together for the Forum. Great stuff Ruairidh and a wonderful adventure for you and your family.
Bryan