My step father said on his 85th birthday the oldest of friends are the best of friends.
And so the best two days of our travels were meeting up with old friends.
Firstly Ed with whom we studied at university 1982-85 and went on our first Inter rail trip.
So we started week two with a visit to our old friend Ed and his lovely wife Chris in Lignac.
We parked Dora in the quiet square by the church before popping into see Ed and Chris. True to form we wined and dined in Lignatian style.
We were awoken by Lignac’s own alarm clock – the church bells which seem to have a quarter hourly snooze function.
The weather is heating up so we drove back towards the coast were we found an amazing site in Bignac, on the way to Cognac.
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The site is very spacious and has a lively looking bar and cafe.
Just as we drove along to our pitch I spotted 2 other old friends Sue and Andy whom we hadn’t seen for many years.
Bizarre but tue!
The site is in a lovely quiet village with a medieval church.
The map shows routes to explore by foo or bike, but due to the heat we just chilled with a cold beer.
good night everyone
And a new sunshiny day begins.
Today we head back to the coast to find a bit of a breeze.
The journey through the vineyards around Cognac was beautiful.
Ad we arrived at the campsite on the Gironde estuary.
Fortunately has a pool. And it would be rude not to use all the facilities for 16Euros a night so I had a lovely afternoon swim.
The Gironde estuary here is not particularly exciting, but we have shade and a cooling breeze.
Campsite very quiet, but planning a lovely supper of fish for me and steak for Kevin
Tomorrow off to Bergerac.
Oh dear attacked by the mosquito in the night so not feeling too well first thing.
Short drive inland to Bergerac.
Great riverside campsite.
Just a short wander into Bergerac. Trip to pharmacy for antihistamine tablets – so the old O Level vocal from at the chemists proved handy.
Looking forward to exploring more tomorrow
And so to day 2 at Burgundy.
After a leisurely start to the day a river trip awaits.
The boat or more correctly known as a Gabarres is a traditional flat bottomed wooden boat.
Due to my love of technology I texted the always reliable Kevin that i would be sailing past the campsite (He did know I was on a boat trip!) and he took the above photo from the shore. And I being like an inmate of Foucault’s ships of fools who roamed the rivers of middle Europe in the Middle Ages took one of him on the river bank.
I edited the photo to zoom in on him!
The trip on the Gabarres ticked all my boxes – river trip and herons and giant egrets.
And plenty of talk about the history of the area and the migratory birds visiting the Dordogne.
As I was wearing my Budapest hat fortunately they had no idea I understood both French and English and left me alone at the front of the Gabarres. Thank goodness for the old O Level French conversation ‘on the boat trip’. Thought it useless at the time but hey ho understood every word!
A typical Perigoud style house on the river – made of local limestone and a high roof for drying tobacco as soon time long ago a virus from America killed the vines – no wine. Merde!
Thankfully the tobacco industry did not survive and wine production restarted.
And back to Bergerac in time for lunch and a chat with a very interesting fellow camper re sites in Spain.
Afternoon stroll around Bergerac proved fascinating.
Cyrano de Bergerac never actually came here but the author lived here. Nevertheless they have capitalised on their tenuous link.
More interesting are the medieval buildings.
And back to Dora for dinner!
We left Bergerac quite late as I could not get out of bed. That’s the unfortunate side effect of peace and tranquility.
And so another sunny morning.
The view from my cab bedroom.
And first stop Decathlon to purchase a ground sheet. The sites here are quite dusty despite being described as dust. I had been using the picnic blanket which starred in many a sensory story for the fantasist IB groups and communication groups at New Bridge. But it simply was not big enough.
We travelled south an had defy Dave the Sat Nav when we came across a road with signage indicating we were both too wide and too tall for the road ahead.
And so we arrive a St Julien just before lunch.
A day to rest and complete domestic needs. Somehow more enjoyable in the southern France sunshine.
Dora’s lovely little bathroom cleaned. OK the decor may need a little attention once we return to the UK. And laundry sorted. i know a little mundane for a blog but just in case anyone else fancies travelling for an indefinite period of time these re things to consider.
A calming washing line attached to the canopy. No sooner out than dried.
Our only worry now Kevin has put the canopy back is the falling acorns!
He’s a good lad Kevin and kinda agreed to share a bottle of red wine as we watch the sun set and listen to the birds and the thud of acorns falling.
So good morning Bergerac.
For anyone in a motor home in the Autumn in France try not to park under and oak tree.
Bang bang and bang throughout the night as the acorns bounced of the cab roof in my beloved Dora.
Anyway parked opposite the facilities and made full use before travelling a long way south to the French border with Spain.
And so our last day in France started with deciding on cereals!
As at home we do not do a supermarket shop as a pair. It just does not happen. Kevin is practical and I like to wander aimlessly from aisle to aisle.
Eventually we left LeClerc in Bayonne and travelled onto McDonalds. Not somewhere I would ever normally eat but the lovely Kevin felt we should.
Early afternoon we arrived at 
And so I had a great afternoon exploring the local area.
A footpath leads from the site to the local beaches and tourist town.
Both beaches have green category for bathing
And I chose i a nice dip at the quiet beach.
Busy little port
And great location at the foothills of the Pyrenees
And tomorrow Spain
Exploringwithdaveanddora 