The last couple of days have been perfect! Yesterday we fished when the tide went out, did a 15km cycle to a fete which had a bouncy castle, chi chi’s, candy floss and wine for €1 a glass. We got back and had drinks with the family we’d met in Saumur and the children played so nicely we didn’t have dinner until 9pm.

Today was all about the fishing again! We pitched up to the beach and tried to catch the big one…. Action Matt (the man who made the cool kitchen) had a fishing utility vest with literally everything you could need, including scissors on extendable strings and a little pot of those worms you get in tequila. Meanwhile I was doing a spot of fishing with prosciutto ham! We all had a few bites but no one caught anything. The sea was so clear we could see the fish below but they weren’t hungry…. or didn’t fancyworms (who could blame them!) or the ham ( it was lovely ham, perhaps they were vegetarian)

Fraser was absolutely in his element! Penny meanwhile, was sitting making loom band things which her and her friend decided they would sell at the park in the evening!

As the tide went out further the children all had a swim, and the grown ups decided that we should have a seafood feast! Stew and action Matt headed off to the supermarket, whilst Jules and I fed the children. Once the men were back we embarked on the next hunter gathering event… we went out when the tide was at its lowest scraping for clams. The sandy, stoney black sands when the tide is right out are full of clams, cockles, oysters and mussles. http://uk.ile-noirmoutier.com/activities-outings/shellfish-gathering

You can gather the food and it’s all safe to eat. There is no shortage of locals to watch how they do it! We picked enough to go with our meal and headed back.

On the menu was moule, prawns, oysters, smoked salmon, clams and squid, sausages for the less adventurous children and lots of baguette! After dinner the boys went off to fish with nets, and the girls to sell loom bands! They made €2.50! The boys didn’t catch anything but from the pitch beside the beach (not ours, the Jenkins!) we could watch them having a ball…. more of the same tomorrow I think!

Our last morning on ile d'olleron was a nice sunny one. Stew and penny cycled to the village for bread, whilst fraser "helped" me with sorting the clothes and tidying up ready for packing up.

Whilst we packed the children went for a last swim… our last campsite doesn't have a pool…. just the sea!

We left and because it's the French bank holiday weekend the traffic was awful… we put on the apple maps app and ended up skipping around a lot of the traffic, although the roads were significantly less favourable! We ended up Going a very convoluted route which took us to…… another decathlon! Our fourth of the holiday and just the same as the rest!!! Stew still couldn't come out without making a purchase!!

We did a big supermarket shop…. essentials like sausages, wine and oysters! Stew has been concerned at our lack of heavy alcohol consumption, so we have expanded the bar service at "au bar freckle".

The children got macaroons as big as their heads, stew had 2 choix buns and I had an amazing chocolate twist! Mmmmmm

Back on the road for the last stretch to Noirmoutier. We saw on the map an alternative route onto the island and realised that the causeway linking the island to the mainland at low tide was available to us! I was really excited as the first time I heard about Noirmoutier was on the program one man and his campervan… and I knew it existed but had never seen it.

As we approached the causeway there was a lot of French warnings… we think they said that the tide was on its way in… but there were still cars crossing and we were taller than they were…. so we decided to do it! It was so exciting! Lots of people were taking pics of Freckle and waving! Dad – I don't think it's one for the caravan!! There is a webcam on the causeway too. http://uk.ile-noirmoutier.com/ot-noirmoutier-en/principal-en/my-useful-info/meteo-marees-webcam-en/webcam

We got to camp and got set up… it's just so nice here! The tide was high and the sun shining. We had a BBQ, the kids had oysters again and this time fraser loved them (and then ate 3!) and penny enjoyed it but stopped at 2! The oysters were from ile d'olleron and were small and sweet. I think that there was much more commercial production of oysters of d'olleron…. huge areas growing them.

The children were out like lights and we weren't far behind. Just time to look up at the persides metor shower…. the sky is so dark here!

The Mosquitos love it here too!

We woke up late his morning, expecting rain but stepping out into lovely sunshine. The children and I cycled to the patisserie and whilst we had some yummy pastries and very fresh bread (too hot to hold!) we packed away.

The children had this plan that they would make a cinema in the back of the van and decided "we need to get this show on the road" so we headed off in the direction of l Rochelle.

My bikes brakes haven't worked for a few days so we thought we would try A decathlon to see if they could fix it… they couldn't but we still came out with new goggles, new towels for the children and new sandles for penny! Plus hopefully the solution to my bike.

We stopped in for some essential supplies (gin as we'd not bought any on the ferry!) and sausages! And headed on into the centre of la Rochelle for an ice cream… we ended up with ice cream for lunch… such a beautiful city!

We headed on down to ile d'olleron and whilst the children try their new goggles, stew is setting up camp. I'm not sure how this place will work out… it has all the right ingredients for a happy adamson place, trees, a beach and oysters but it feels a little bit like the Isle of Wight!

A very lazy day today, featuring exhaust putty, and lots of swimming pool
Action!

The first proper lazy day of holiday but I got he washing done and got shouted at by s lady for removing her pants from the washer when it finished! If she was that bothered you would have thought she would have waited for it!

The kids had a fab time in the pool as it's the last campsite this holiday with a pool. We had a BBQ for lunch and a couple of g&t's and the children enjoyed the revival of loom bands for their afternoon entertainment.

We all got dressed into something nice and went out for dinner… we went to a bar for a dink as they have a band, and realised they had a basic food menu which looked spot on! Fraser said that he would eat more chips at home if they were like French ones and penny was hoovering up the home made coleslaw! (With a hint of apple!)

The children had seen some people eating dessert and fancied what they had had… it was tiramisu so fraser thought he would try it…. penny opted for the cheese cake. Once I told him it tasted a little boozy he thought it was hilarious and cycled he whole way home in a wiggling line on purpose! Bless him

Daddy had to do the washing up as hey didn't take cards and penny made the band a loom band butterfly as a tip!

Off to Noirmoutier in the morning!

After I posted last nights blog, the children had been tucked up in bed as they were pooped and Stew and I were reading our books, and contemplating some chicken wings to accompany our wine and we saw a flicker in the distance… then again…. and then again followed by a clap on thunder. We discussed for a few minutes if we could be bothered to put up our orange shelter and decided that as it was going to rain between 9 and 10 (precisely) that it was probably worth it. As we started putting it up it became clear that he thunder was approaching and literally the moment we had finished putting it up there was an almighty clap of thunder and the heavens opened. It was great as whilst the storm was overhead the whole campsite was peaceful and we could just cook the chicken, drink the wine and enjoy the sound of the rain!

We only went to bed when our light ran out of charge and snuggled down for a stormy night.

We woke up to more rain this morning and were really lazy, all in our beds late and then after a lazy patisserie breakfast more coffee and reading.

By the time it got to about 3pm we decided we should go for a bike ride and headed in the direction of la flotte. We had a walk around and then decided that as we had the fishing lines in the bike basket we would stop for a drink by the harbour. The small people set up their stuff and we ordered the drinks… only to hear fraser shout that he's caught a fish. He held onto it so I could take a photo, and went to throw it back in whe instead he chucked it onto the pontoon below… the fish was dazed but still alive so penny climbed down below to the pontoon and picked it up by its tail and it slithered away…. as fraser shouted "come on up Penny I'm going to catch it again!"

The port itself couldn't look more French! The children were after an ice ream and as we could see the stall we encouraged them to go and get their own and use their French… the practiced and apparently chucked out at the last moment asking in English… but they still did it themselves and they were looking very proud.

We found a shop selling oysters and popped into a small supermarket to grab some essentials and headed back to the campsite for the children to have some savoury pancakes and for a late swim in the pool!

All in all a very relaxing and fun day!

After a somewhat restless sleep we woke up to beautiful sunshine… we are camped on the only pitch the site had left and it's right next to a main road… never mind, it's a pitch!!

Stew went off for a cycle to find some milk to resume his position as camp barista…. a somewhat neglected position! He excelled by returning with pastries though and then made a fab coffee using this years coffee maker of choice the Aeropress… thanks FIL/Dad, it's absolutely perfect for the camper and works a treat!

http://www.aeropresscoffee.co.uk/

Highly recommended for maintaining high coffee standards where space and appliances are limited!

The children had decided the days should start in the pool, so a quick dip before some chilling time back at the van.

We got ready and headed off in search of what was a real highlight for me last year…. we found a seafood restaurant literally on the sea shore with their own oyster farm. http://degustationhuitres-iledere.fr/

Just outside Saint Martin de Re, opposite a vin yard, Re Ostrea doesn't have a menu (just a chalk board) and the tables are halves of trees.

We ordered some food, which came with a glass of really cold white wine and the kids clambered over the rocks to paddle in the sea and try to catch fish!

It was really great and has definitely made us want more fish!! After we headed into town for a nose at how the other half live, where penny's sandles snapped and we had to make an Emergancy flip flop purchase… a pit stop for some supplies and back along the cycle paths of ile de re to camp…. well along more cycle paths than strictly necessary as we got lost…. we were also over taken by a runner, who was hurtling along having a good old chat with his mate on a bike.

Penny cooked dinner, pasta and sauce and then used our new melon baller (thanks turners for the idea!) to fill a bowl with the local melon!

The children headed off to the park for a play, but changed their minds when they realised they could sneak in for an after hours play in the pool.

The weather doesn't look so good for tomorrow… stew was telling me
It looks like it will rain between 9 and 10… then I over heard fraser telling penny that if she woke up early enough and it was still before 9 she could go into his tent and they could play for an hour in his tent… I'm not quite sure the forecast will have quite such precision!

After a lovely evening last night, we woke up to sun streaming through the side of Freckle… that kind of warm feeling you know means the day will be warm.

We had the usual pastries and bread with some of Sue's home made loganberry jam, and some coffee before we packed up our pitch and did some washing.

We headed back up the road to the adventure park… for more fun on the pedalos and for Penny to try and steal a pigmy goat again!! I have to admit they were much cuter than the larger goats but Stew still can't convince me that we should have one and sell the lawn mower!
We lit a BBQ at lunch time in the park, and a French child of about 6 critiqued Adams technique and took the tongs out of his hand to improve the situation!

After lunch we found the small sandy beach which the adventure park have constructed, and whilst the children played in the lake, the grown ups snoozed on the beach… for at least 5 minutes!! The children wanted to go and try out the water slide, so they headed on over!

Honestly I can't tell you how much fun the children had at that eccentric little place, it would have provided another couple of days of fun….. we couldn't think of an age of children who wouldn't have enjoyed it.
https://www.campingetang.com/en/

We headed back to camp and the children had a last swim and an ice cream whilst we finished loading the van and headed off down the road in the sunshine…

The landscape really changes as you get towards the coast… so flat! Finally we crossed the bridge onto the island (thanks dad… the toll thing worked!!!!) and the sky was bluer than blue.

The children helped set up (willingly!!) and in return they got a cheeky extra dunk in the pool whilst we waited for a takeaway pizza for their tea!

Stew and I are sitting in the bar feeling very on holiday!