The Motorhome Diaries
  • Welcome to our Diaries
  • About us
  • Where have we been?
  • Iran
  • Snapshots from our travels
  • Argentina
  • Belgium & Holland
  • Croatia
  • Denmark and the Baltic States
    • Denmark
  • Estonia
    • Tallinn
    • Soomaa National Park
    • Laheema National Park
    • Narva
    • Puhtitsa Convent
    • Lake Peipsi
    • Saaremaa Island
  • France
    • Aires de service
    • Mont St Michel
    • La Venise Verte
    • WW1 sites
    • Burgundy
    • Cycling the Burgundy Voie Verte
    • Chateaux
    • Cycling around Lac de Liez
    • Mirepoix
    • The Camargue
    • Minerve
    • Carcassonne
    • Blois
    • Millau
  • Hungary
    • Introduction to Hungary
    • Saraspotok
    • Tokaj
    • Hortogbagy
    • Budapest
    • Tiszafured
    • Eger
    • Motorhoming tips
  • Italy
  • Japan 2014
    • Food
    • Izu Penninsula
    • Temples & Shrines
    • Our vehicle
    • Tokyo
    • Western Honshū
    • Michi no Eki
    • Central Honshū
    • Kyoto
  • Tips for Japan
  • Japan 2016
    • Tokyo 2016
    • Nikko
    • Waterfalls & Lakes
    • Snow Monkeys
    • Matsushima Bay & Ishimomaki
    • Mount Myogi
    • Gorges
    • Dewa Sanzan
    • Oga Peninsula
    • Zenkō-ji
    • The Japan Alps
    • Matsumoto
    • Obuse
  • Lithuania
    • Klaipeda
    • Haapsalu
    • Vilnius
    • Hill of Crosses
  • Latvia
    • Riga
    • Jurmela
  • Morocco Introduction
    • Morocco
    • Morocco slide show
  • New Zealand 2012
    • New Zealand - Highlights
    • More New Zealand pix
    • Practical Tips for NZ Motorhoming
  • Poland
    • Krakov
    • Zakopane
    • Salt Mine
  • Portugal - an introduction
    • Wintering in Portugal >
      • Terra da Maio Azinhal 2015
      • Folclore Evening
      • International Zip wiring
      • Vaqueiros Hot Bread and Fresh Cheese Fair
      • Keeping fit
      • Querença Sausage Festival
      • Algarve Markets
    • Loulé Carnaval
    • Armaceo de Pera
    • Aveiro
    • Bragança
    • Camping on the Douro River
    • Citania de Briteiros -Celtic settlement
    • Elvas
    • Evora
    • Lisbon
    • Monsaraz
    • Obidos
    • Porto
    • Tavira
  • Romania
  • Slovenia
    • Introduction
    • Bled
    • Bohinj
    • Vintgar Gorge
  • Slovakia
    • Introduction to Slovakia
    • Spiss Castle
    • Dreveny artikularny kostol
    • Wooden Churches
    • Vlkolinec
    • Motorhoming tips
  • Spain
    • Cadiz
    • Salamanca
    • Burgos
    • Segovia
    • Santillana del Mar
    • Santiago de Compostella
    • Cordoba
    • Torcal de Antequera
    • Barcelona
    • Guadix
    • Italica
    • Monfrague
    • Trujillo
    • The Alhambra
    • Ebro Delta
    • Seville
  • Turkey
    • Istanbul
    • Hattusas & Yazilikaya
    • Cappadocia
    • Mount Nemrut
    • Sanliurfa
    • Harran's beehive houses
    • Eastern Mediterranean
    • Aspendos
    • Olimpos
    • Myra
    • Saklikent Gorge
    • Pamukkale & Hieropolis
    • Ephesus
    • Bergama
    • Trip Home & Conclusion
  • Birdwatching
  • Contact Us
  • Comments
  • Useful links&info
  • Useful apps

Camargue

 

We camped at  Saintes Maries de la Mer on the Mediterranean coast in the Camargue. It looks and feels remarkably Spanish – it is a huge water/marsh area with lots of semi-wild horses and bulls, lots of gypsies, shops that sell saddles and flamenco dresses, and a virgin that gets paraded around town during festivals. Donâna by any other name. Though Saintes Maries de la Mer hasn’t the charm of El Rocio, it is a lovely low-rise little holiday resort and – unusually for us in France – it is fully open and bustling. Perhaps this is partly down to the fact that it is the weekend, and partly because the weather is hot and clear – 28oC yesterday and it didn’t cool down until a decent breeze came along at sunset.


 

We went for a walk along La Digue to see the birds. Lots of Flamingos, Little Egrets, Grey Herons, Black-Headed Gulls, Yellow-Legged Gulls, one solitary Common Sandpiper and a pair of Purple Herons. Some Cormorants in the distance and a couple of flocks of small waders too fast to identify. The Flamingos are pretty when just standing there, but stunning when  flying – you see much more of  their red colouring. Yesterday we saw another water rat in the lake next to the Aire.

 


 

We stayed  in one of two Aires (€8 per night with access to water, waste water disposal, Turkish bogs which double as chemical toilet disposal) both of which seem to be full. In addition, some ‘wild’ camping further along La Dique was also fairly packed (there may have been a charge here as well – we saw a man on a quad bike who looked like the rent collector). See picture below to see just how close you can park to the water.

 Our Aire is close to a small Spar supermarket and a bread shop, and only ten minutes walk into town. The aire is on the opposite side of the lagoon shown in the picture above. Just about the only drawback is the Turkish lavs. Their use requires some preparation – you have to empty your pockets to make sure nothing vital slips down the hole – and a certain sense of balance, otherwise you might fall down the hole. Altogether not a pleasing experience and I can only imagine that the French persist with them because they are easier to clean – a decent hosepipe and a stiff brush does the trick and you can swill everything away without getting too close to the nasty stuff.

 After the aire we shifted to the Clos du Rhone campsite next to the beach, so that we could get some washing done, have a shower, clean the van, get on the internet and charge up all the things which need mains. And get the TV going again – which it did with surprising ease.What was a shock was the price, 27 euro a night and this was the low season.


Independent travelling - tailored by us for  us
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Pergamon, Turkey
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Cistern at El Jadida.Morocco
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Jerez de la Frontera
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Driving through the Andes in Argentina
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Inuyama Castle, Japan
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Japanese snow monkeys
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