Hyeres

Tuesday 12th April

We are parked up this afternoon in a vineyard which is part of the France Passion scheme, (43.117223 6.083937) Domaine Bouisse-Matteri,which means we stay for free and have the opportunity to buy even more wine direct from the producer. This wasn't our plan. Hyeres looked like an interesting town and after consulting our various guides discovered that we could park overnight for free in the car park of the massive LeClerc supermarket. We set off this morning after another night of howling wind - it's been really windy for days now and it was starting to drive us crazy, trying to sleep with the van rocking and everything flapping. Looking at the routes the Sat Navs had shown us it looked like we would be skirting Marseille which was ideal. Even now I'm not quite sure what went wrong but skirt we did not. Now I don't know what you have heard about Mediterranean drivers but it's all true. I was cut up so many times at junctions and roundabouts that I'm surprised I didn't need a blood transfusion afterwards. It took us the best part of an hour to get through the city, miraculously in one piece and the sighs of relief as we finally got onto the A50 could have been heard in Paris. We stopped at the first aire for a coffee and a fag, set off again and skirted Toulon without further problems and arrived at Hyeres. Where there were roadworks. Route Barre! - the sign we dread. We could see LeClerc, we could see motorhomes in the car park, they were getting closer! And closer! Round and round we went and eventually we arrived, parked up and popped into the supermarket for a few essentials. Back to the van where we decided that although a supermarket car park wasn't the prettiest location we'd have some lunch, explore the town and it would be OK for an overnight stop.

Halfway through lunch (cannelloni as you asked) we noticed a couple of security guys coming our way, one with a walkie talkie and a younger guy with a clipboard. They went to the other four French vans first, knocked on the doors and said something to the occupants. Then they came to us, at first confused because our habitation door is on the "wrong" side but once they'd worked that out they spoke to us in a polite manner. When I explained that my French was tres mal and I understood nothing they were saying the younger guy explained in English that we were welcome to stop in the car park but only when the supermarket was closed, between 8pm and 8am. Looking around at the three quarters empty car park and our spot at the extreme far corner I enquired if that was because there was pressure for parking spaces. He laughed and said he was sorry but "My boss you know, it's what he says" Ok no problem but may we finish our lunch? Yes, take your time, have a nice day.

To be honest we didn't want to stop at another vineyard because although there is no obligation to buy anything I think it's rather rude not to and with the van groaning under the wine we have already we weren't really in the market for anymore. Still, we can always find room for a 5 litre box of Cotes de Provence Rose and we're parked in a field of clover overlooking the vines with the peak of Le Fenouillet in the distance so not too much to complain about really. And there's no wind! Unfortunately we're a little way out of Hyeres now so we didn't get to explore the town.

Tomorrow will be our last day in France and on Thursday we'll cross into Italy.

View from the vineyard:

Pat

 

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