Vineyards, Sand Dunes and - a storm?

Monday 5th October.

What's not to like about stopping in a French vineyard courtesy of the France Passion scheme? Well, nothing really apart from the weather. The last couple of days we've stopped at Chateau Bonhoste in Aquitaine 44.80121 -0.12489 about 15 kilometres south of Libourne and the weather has been a bit dreek but we tasted, and bought, some delicious wine and just chilled for a couple of days. We arrived a little later than anticipated due to a coordinate situation! Once again I managed to enter the details for east of the Greenwich meridian rather than west which wasn't too dramatic and only involved another thirty minutes driving through a torrential rainstorm unlike the time I did the same thing in Spain a couple of years ago which involved about four hours extra driving. Anyway we'll be west for some time now so we should be ok. The vineyard welcomes motorhomers and provides us with spotlessly clean toilets and showers and free WiFi which meant I was able to watch Arsenal fillet Man U yesterday. It wasn't the best WiFi so it was a bit like watching a game of underwater football but I managed to see the goals and an impressive second half defensive display. Mind, the aggression and rivalry is a little lacking from yesteryear so here's a pic to remind you all of the good old days.

 

I went out for a final look at the stars last night (euphemism alert) and nearly trod on what I at first thought was a brightly coloured reptile. In fact it was a fire salamander like this guy here.

 

I've never seen one before and shouted to Phil to come and have a look but as she was snug in bed she declined.

This evening we are parked up at Capbreton 43.63663 -1.44702 about 40 kilometres north of Bayonne. We are in a car park for camping cars beneath the dunes and we've just come back from a walk along the long, wide, sandy beach complete with big waves and, of course, the surfer boys and girls. We left in the rain this morning but as we drove further south the clouds broke up and it became warmer and warmer so I'm back in T shirts and shorts. Mind, the sea is pretty chilly.

The beach at Capbreton:

 

We haven't had a sunset pic for a while:

And here we are all safely tucked up for the night:

The lass has just called round for our payment (€8 which is reasonable) and as there are some big black clouds about I asked her if it might rain. She told me to expect heavy rain, thunder and lightning tonight!! Hatches will be battened.

This is our last day in France, tomorrow we are heading for San Sebastián and a feast of Pintxo washed down with a Solito or two.

Pat

 

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