After what has been one of the worse summers in years, September proved to be absolutely delightful in every way. It had all the hallmarks of an Indian Summer, and most of us bathed in the warmth and almost endless sunshine that the month brought with it. I was especially thankful because I had pre-planned some trips away in my pod. The first of my adventures was to the Île de Ré, an island off the west coast of France and just 2hrs from home. The toll bridge links it to La Rochelle.

It is one of those places that really feels very different once you leave the bridge; narrow roads, a much, much slower pace, sandy ground and lots of pine trees and white houses. I was staying at the north end of the island right beside the Phare (lighthouse) des Baleines. The campsite was incredibly busy and I was really amazed that over half of the visitors were German, followed by the Dutch and then French. It was really nice to see that the place was well supported, and I am sure that the campsite owners were breathing a sigh of relief after the Covid restrictions of the past years.

I don’t usually park so close to the pod, but I was still unloading stuff!

Setting up in the nice weather is always a bonus, but at 28c it had me sweating. Thankfully I had some shade. After drinking litres of water, we set out to explore our new surroundings. It’s always a real pleasure to find some nice walking places for Maggie and this turned out to be perfect. Just 50m behind me was the sea and a great coastal path that went for many kms.

The Phare des Baleines.

Beach near the campsite

Once the evening started to draw in, it seemed that everyone (and their dogs) in the campsite headed for the coastal path to watch the sunset. I have to say that the smell of the sea, the sound of the various sea birds calling and screeching with the waves crashing and the spectacle of the setting sun really did make me feel as if I was truly on holiday. It was stunning.

Even Maggie sat and watched the sunset!

A Bientot!