summervanlife
Travels In An Elgrand
A summer on the road
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30 August
Drive day - not much to report. The alarms went off and we responded. Adults showered and Nia & Cian helped pack up the tent and car. We continued towards Grenoble enjoying the last few mountains and then headed to the northern flatlands. We drove 860km (530 miles), stopping four times (wee, wee & lunch, refuel & wee, surfboard re-tie). Our campsite was at Autingues, just 45 mins from Calais. We pulled in at around 1930hr and set up for the night. Nia and Cian enjoyed the swings and the badminton field. Dinner was giant couscous with bean salad and cheese. It got dark and we sat watching the stars. It also got cold, really cold. We donned fleeces and pile jackets - those 450 miles had a significant effect on the weather! Outside, wrapped up in blankets, with Clare as a pillow and the Captur roof-protecting sleep mat as a bed, Nia and Cian reclined - watching for shooting stars as Clare read Eragon. Then we made the walk to ablutions and back before settling in to our last night in France and our last night in the MSR tent.
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29 August
The alarms were set for 0730hr. Jay showered followed by Clare. Tea and coffee consumed and then the task of waking Nia and Cian. Both were reluctant but when told that pastries were waiting they agreed to get dressed without much fuss. It wasn't until they got to the table that Jay insisted Nia and Cian ate muesli first to fortify them for the walk - nasty trick but it worked. They each had a bowl of muesli, a croissant and a pain aux chocolate! Ravi had set up his camera to capture the eight of us for one final time. We smiled, betraying the sadness at leaving these lovely people. When eating was done we packed the final pieces and strapped the surfboards to the car roof. Hugs and kisses and more hugs before we set off from Bauduen, heading west towards the Verdon river lake out-flow and a small town called Quinson. It was only 45mins. The route took us through sunflower fields, a far cry from the ones we saw in Loire valley. These were very sad; they hung their wilting heads looking at the ground rather than the sky. An army of mourners, they knew our trip was coming to an end. Then the lavender field. Clare had been desperate to see the lavender fields in full bloom, but we had been too late in the season to catch them. However, for some reason this field was still in bloom. Jay pulled over and the photos were captured. A few minutes down the road we passed through Quinson and found a car park. Loaded with water and sun cream we set off to find the pathway along the gorge. The noise from the kayakers gave it away. We climbed up a number of steps and followed a concrete path around and back down. The view opened up before us. Fabulous blue water with plenty of craft. A climbing and abseiling session was underway and we had to duck under the ropes to continue. The guidebook had promised suspension bridges, cable protection and tunnels. It sounded amazing, and in fairness by the end of the walk we had thoroughly enjoyed all 9km. But the 'suspension bridges' were a mistranslation of a single duckboard walkway and the 'cable protection' was a steel handrail. However there were tunnels, loads of them. They were remnants of the canal which ran alongside the river. We weren't supposed to go in them, but a little bit of climbing gave easy access and there were no bars - it was fine! On some sections Nia and Cian made their own way though and Jay and Clare tried to work out where they would emerge. The first half of the route remained in view of the water. We walked on the elevated pathways added to the cliff side and then the canal embankments. Beyond that we walked along the dry floor of the canal itself and then into some cool woodland. The sun was strong and to be under the canopy with the bright light illuminating the leaves and sprawling mosses was lovely. We found a cave entrance big enough for all us to get in, but it soon became low. Nia and Cian were sent to explore on their own. The reports were of lots of mud, dust and constriction - they returned to the forest. The walk looped back but in doing so took us to the top of the gorge plateau. It was a very steep climb but the spare pastries that Jo had donated to us did the job. Soon we were running down endless steps back towards the river. Jay avoided jumping on a green snake as it darted from its warming spot on the step into the bushes. Our deadline for getting back to the car was 1400hr. We managed it with 30mins to spare. Everyone agreed that we should put swimmers on and swim in the river. We were surprised at how shallow is was for so much of its breadth. The river bed was slushy mud so we ended up doing breast stroke for at least half the swim. The four of us made it to the far side and back, skilfully avoiding the canoes, powerboats and pedalos! It was exactly what we needed before setting in for the afternoon drive. By 1430hr we had set off in earnest after securing lunch supplies from Quinson. The drive was amazing. We were heading for somewhere just south of Grenoble. The scenery was fantastic. Peaks of increasing size appeared round every corner. Scale was tricky - but they were huge. We were in the foothills of the Alps but it felt imposing all the same. Clare had found us a campsite in Varces. We pulled in at about 1930hr. There was a pool, and Cian and Nia made use of it before dinner. A first aid repair on a snapped tent pole proved successful, but we know that after this trip our 3 man tent has had it final big trip - we are just too squished in nowadays! With Nia and Cian showered and dry we sat down to eat. The monster limestone mountains providing the backdrop and a tree trunk covered in red and black beetles kept us wondering as we snuggled into the tent for book and sleep.
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