Coast, Cols & Changes

Ok, so now heading into blog #14 and well into week 11 of being away - seems like only yesterday we were packing our final bits and pieces and saying fond farewells, but by the same token we feel like we've been away for ages!

Last blog was down in the Bay of St Tropez with us planning to head out on Monday towards the Gorges of Verdon. Well, after posting the blog, and hitting the beach for what we thought would be the last time, we checked the weather and had a bit of a rethink, realising that heading north perhaps wouldn't be the best idea. It is thunderstorm season in central France, and some areas have really had it bad this year. Regular blog watcher Tess sent us a link to the devastation in the Champagne region - it looks very much like most of this years growth has literally been washed away, which is a real shame. Armed with that information, and with the local weather looking more favourable we started to discuss a plan to stay a few more days at the seaside.

Monday morning arrived and with it a huge thunderstorm at 5am! Having all but decided to stay put we had a lazy morning, and extended our stay until Thursday. As the day was set fairly cloudy although still warm, we headed out on foot to walk to Port Grimaud, just a few kms up the coast. For the walk up, we used the cycle track which was roadside, but for the way back we had worked out that the beach would run all the way back, which made for a much more pleasant stroll. The Port itself was very pretty, and has been likened to Venice - nowhere near as big, but with plenty of inland waterways and bridges, not to mention the many gelato sellers, you can see how it happened! We had been hoping to pick up a few supplies in Port Grimaud, but being on the Cote D'Azur certainly comes with a fair hike in prices! Our camping has been very reasonable for the stay, but food not so much. We decided to leave the purchases and "make do" with what we had on board - a good chance to head into the treat boxes and run supplies down! Back at the van, and after lunch we spend a good few hours cleaning and sorting the van, finding a hidden treasure of more toiletries - it's amazing how little things from home do lift the spirits! While working away, we heard some noisy aircraft approaching - initially we thought this was just more air traffic taking the rich home from Monaco after the Grand Prix, but no, this was different. Jase shouted and I leapt out of the van to see 3 water bombers heading beachside! We hastily locked the van and headed beachside - no time for the camera sadly, but we were treated to all 3 aircraft running in formation picking up water then dumping it back in the sea - awesome!

Tuesday was back to normal clear blue skies and warm temperatures so we headed off on the bikes, initially towards St Tropez but then picking up a road route towards the Beau village of Gassin which sits high overlooking the bay. It was a fairly stiff old climb (the percentage sign at the top says 13%!), but well worth it for the sweeping views down to the coast. The ride back down was of course much easier!

Once back at the van, we had a quick lunch then headed beachside with our books & swimmers. Another happy few hours spent taking in the rays and splashing around in the lovely warm (once you get in) Med.

Wednesday morning was cloudier and a bit wetter, but again still warm. After a lazy start we had a lovely beachside walk over to Port Grimaud where we both enjoyed a stunning Italian ice cream. The afternoon was brighter, so we headed beachside for a final time.

Budget wise, and with making do, we'd come in under budget by €85 for the week.

Thursday was moving on day - one thing I have come to realise with #Jexit is the best thing is also the worst thing! Stresses are fortunately few and far between, but things definitely go up a notch when it comes to moving on! Our plan was to head north back towards Valence to see the Criterium Du Dauphine, then spend some time in the Alps, before slowly head towards the Loire for a pre-arranged booking we have towards the end of June. However, those of you close to #Jexit planning will know that Le Mans has been on and off the table more times than I care to remember - even in the last week we've discussed and discounted it about 4 times! Anyway, long story short, and on looking at the Alps for the time we planned (8th or so June), we realised that there is a big Dutch event taking place right at the point & place we want to be, which means a) prices are well up (and our ACSI doesn't apply) b) it will be very busy c) all the campsites are full anyway! Cue the biggest replan of the trip so far! We bailed Valance (huge sorry to Rusty and Kay as we'd planned to meet for the weekend) instead heading into the Alps early, and then picking up the Dauphine later in the tour. By doing the Alps earlier, it also means much more clear air to get to Le Mans in time. Two tickets purchased, and finally that decision can be put to bed!

So, the route for Thursday ended up being Grimaud to Rochetaillee which is near Le Bourg d'Oisans and Alpe d'Huez and all the riding that area entails. It was to be a long driving day, again avoiding the toll roads - google maps reckoned 5hrs+ and the TomTom was nearer 6, plus we really needed food supplies so planned to stop near Sisteron to stock up and have lunch. We had decided to take the route just slightly to the side of the Gorges of Verdon which meant we were alongside Lac De Saint Croix for a good part of the journey - views simply stunning, and with a good few lakeside campsites, this is definitely an area to return to.

After a successful (although expensive) shop at Sisteron we opted to take the D1075/E712 route towards our final destination. We've never travelled to the Alps from this direction before, but it was simply breath taking, making a long journey even longer with plenty of photo stops!

On arrival in the general area we headed towards Vaujany as we'd hoped to get a night in a free Aire. I don't mind paying for a campsite, but when you arrive later than 6pm it always feels a bit less value for money! Unfortunately, although the views were stunning, the Aire had been closed in favour of building a new ice rink!

We headed back down the valley and to Camping Belledonne. We stayed here before, about 10years ago on our first Tour De France experience. The place has changed a fair bit, although at least for now, it is fairly calm!

Again, from our experiences before, and having checked the weather, the Alps does tend to be somewhat changeable in the weather sense, with lovely mornings and then thundery afternoons. With that in mind, we were up early on Friday and rolled out on our bikes for a ride. The campsite is located at the bottom of the Col de la Croix de Fer which is a 30km long brute of a climb used in many of the Tours. We started our ride by "seeing how far I could get" - I must admit there was a large part of me that hoped I'd morphed into a riding god over night, if only to see the views! It wasn't to be of course, although I did get a very respectable third of the way up which meant 600m of climbing in about 10km - or an hour of going uphill - the last photo was the point I got to - called "turning point". The views were stunning though, and well worth it.

After coming back down we decided to ride in Bourd d'Oisans as we'd missed the slot for bread collection and needed lunch. It was a fairly tough ride into the wind and not what I needed after the earlier exertions! One way or another, I did make it and we shared a pizza for lunch to get me back in one piece! Back at the van, we spent a nice few hours pottering (Jase) and watching TV (me - I'd managed to get a GBBO fix by downloading some bits on All4!).

So now, it's Saturday. The morning was lovely again, but I was way too broken to get on the bike today, so Jase has gone out to check out some other routes for us. The views here are awesome so I've spent a good few hours watching the birds & mountains around me. The campsite remains quiet, but with that air of something being about to kick off. That said, with the amount of Dutch in St Tropez, and another load arriving here, it will surely be a case of "last one out turn the lights off" for Holland!

No questions this week as i've gone a bit early and my sister has been on a well deserved half term break herself. If anything comes to mind, feel free to drop me a line and I'll include it in future posts.

Hope you are all still enjoying our stories, til next time, stay safe

J&J x