This morning started in a very Rainey way…. In fact from 2am it threw it down…. We got up I the night to peg down the van and it felt damp. The canvas was drenched but we were relaxed and ready to roll with it. I always agree with the phrase “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes”…..

Last nights tea for stew and I was a plate of oysters and a baguette, and we used all the butter…. So I took Fraser in his jammies to get the goodies for breakfast….. And we didn’t disappoint. Noirmoutier butter with salt crystals and baguettes from the bakery…. Went with a great handpresso coffee , oj and chocolate twists left over from yesterday. I’m sure I’ve not mentioned the jam we have bought yet ( perhaps that’s for tomorrow!) but needless to say its plentiful. We sat with the scamps wrapped in sleeping bags whilst the wind howled around us! After breakfast we took shelter in the van for 20 mins for a downpour. We knew we needed to move pitches early, but had to wait for it gone empty. So we donned our waterproofs, got out cockle rakes and headed for the black sands. I was wearing fetching pair of jelly shoes…. It’s ok sarah b, no one knows me here! It was like Fraser had never seen the beach before, he was loving it! We caught crabs, oysters, clams, moules and sea snails. Penny meanwhile was having a brief spell as a purple minion!!

When we got back from the beach the scamps went to the park and we commenced operation move pitch…. We threw most stuff in the van. Stew drove with nearly all the black out blinds on, we got onto our lovely new pitch in record time.its a fab spot too.

I fixed the awning (yes mum and mil…. It involved sewing!!!! SArAh the sewing goddess!!!! Kaboom!) and we had a sort out whilst the children were at the park. We swapped new engine stories with another mad Vw owner and got ready for a bike ride.

Fraser was desperate to go on his bike on his own today rather than the tag along, so we let him. We ended up on a 5 mile mile round trip along main roads. He confidently informed stew it was his first Time doing a round about on his own…. And by the end of the ride he’d done 4! Our aim was to get to a windmill! We never did get there! We went through some of the most beautiful old French houses and gites, a Forrest and couple of towns… If Id been a windmill it would have lived there!! It was really blowy. I’m clearly not the only one who thought this as hundreds of windsurfers had the same idea!!

We got back with a thirst… The scamps had orangina with the worlds longest straw, whilst stew opened the beer keg he’d invested in…. For a lovely glass of froth!!!

At this point, stew and the scamps went to the beach and I had a shower!!! They really enjoyed playing In the sea, as it’s so salty and buoyant.

Dinner time…….we went to the local resturant.. I use the term loosely, as it was a falling down house, whitewashed with a few plastic tables outside with a grumpy teenager serving….. For us it was moules all round, well 3 out of 4! Penny had a pizza whilst the rest of us had mussels, Fraser had an adult portion…. And polished off nearly the lot! The perfect dinner… The sound of the sea, the taste of the sea with a view to match!
A short cycle home and the scamps were ready for bed, a quick chapter of the book and the a cut throat game of pétanque for the grown ups…. Just a bit of training!!!! 11:7 I’ll let you decide who won!!!

Now we are chilling with an enormous view of the moon for the first time, the telescope is out and we have some star gazing to do…. First on the list is to find the Helen Knight star shining brightly!

Laters peeps!!