Three nights. €24. A beautiful lake. Two very tired dogs. One slightly battered hand. And Steven discovering that standing up on a paddleboard is considerably harder than it looks!
Day 20 of our European motorhome adventure turned out to be one of those wonderfully lazy touring days where you don't really achieve much… but somehow have a brilliant time doing it.
After all the travelling, we decided to stay put at Lake Idro for another night. And what a good decision that turned out to be. We paid just €24 for three nights, giving us a gorgeous little lakeside spot and the chance to slow down and actually enjoy where we were.
A Lazy Day by the Lake
The weather had completely turned around from the previous day's downpour. Instead, we had sunshine, warmth and just a few clouds, pretty much staying put kinda weather.
The site itself is absolutely beautiful. In fact, looking back at the photos and drone footage, we both agreed that, purely for its position, it has to be one of the best places we've stayed on the trip so far.
The downside?
Bins. There aren't any.
Fortunately, everyone seems to respect the place and takes their rubbish away with them, which is probably why such a basic site remains so wonderfully clean.
And the site had certainly become popular. When we arrived there were only 4 motorhomes, but by the end of the day there were around 25. Clearly, word is getting out!
Steven vs The Paddleboard
Now, regular readers will know that Suzanne has been keeping a close eye on Steven's attempts to injure himself.
Today it was the turn of the paddleboard.
We headed down to the lake for some stand-up paddleboarding, and, much to everyone's surprise – including Steven's – Suzanne actually stood up!
Unfortunately, standing up was only part of the challenge.
There was a small matter of balance and then there was the falling off. And then there was the hand.
Let's just say that the shallow end of the lake won that particular round. Suzanne managed to hurt her hand somewhere between her thumb and wrist, although neither of us could remember what that particular bit of anatomy is actually called.
Very technical medical terminology here at Touring Ideas.
Still, it was great fun, and at least the paddleboard got a good rinse in fresh water before being packed away.
And Then There Were Paragliders…
The lake also happens to be near a paraglider landing area. Steven took the opportunity to get the drone up and capture some footage of our beautiful surroundings. That was until a paraglider suddenly appeared in the camera view. At that point, Steven realised he might perhaps be a little too close to the landing area and decided that discretion was definitely the better part of valour.
Drone down! Still, he managed to capture some fantastic photographs and video before bringing it back in.
Tilley and Frankie Have Had Enough
Meanwhile, Tilley and Frankie were having their own relaxing day.
The dogs absolutely loved the lake and were completely worn out by the end of it. We even discovered that Tilley has some very particular opinions about retrieving things from the water. Throw a stick? Fine. Throw a ball?
"No thanks. That's not the colour I ordered."
She apparently has standards.
The Three-Mile "Quick Walk"
Of course, no lazy day is complete without the obligatory quick stroll to find a shop.
We spotted what appeared to be a little corner shop on the map and thought it would be easy enough to walk over. Google Maps suggested it wasn't far. So naturally, we walked and walked and walked.
Eventually, the supposedly short stroll turned into around three miles, until we found the shop!
The bikes could have been used, of course, but apparently neither of us could be bothered getting them off the back of the motorhome.
The joys of a lazy day!
Walking Boots – The Signs of Getting Older
The walk did reveal something else, though. Proper walking boots make a massive difference.
We were both beginning to appreciate the value of proper footwear.
Unfortunately, this discovery also came with the uncomfortable realisation that we may be getting old.
Creaking joints.
Sore ribs.
Injured hands.
Suddenly, our European adventure is starting to sound less like an action movie and more like an episode of Last of the Summer Wine.
Next Stop – Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Tomorrow we're moving on towards Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
The plan is fairly simple: arrive, park up and spend the following day heading up into the mountains on the funicular.
We've found a campsite for around €50, but parking will be free, it's right by the funicular and gives us easy access to the town. We sacrifice the facilities for the free park up, but that's something we are set up for.
We're hoping to revisit one of the little restaurants we know from our skiing trips and see what Bourg-Saint-Maurice looks like in summer.
It'll be interesting to see how different the mountains are when the snow has disappeared and the ski lifts have been replaced by mountain-bike activity.
The Never-Ending Water Saga
One thing we do need to sort out before moving on is water. We've used quite a lot and are now down to around 50%, so finding somewhere to empty and refill the tanks is becoming a priority.
That's one of the realities of long-term motorhome touring that doesn't always make it into the glossy Instagram photos.
Beautiful lakes? Absolutely.
Mountain views? Definitely.
Standing on paddleboards? Apparently.
Finding somewhere to fill the water tank? Now THAT'S the real adventure.
We're hoping that once we're back in France we'll find somewhere suitable along the route.
Three Nights for €24 – You Can't Complain!
And that's really the story of Day 20.
We didn't travel far.
We didn't tick off a huge list of attractions.
We didn't conquer a mountain.
But we spent a fantastic day beside a beautiful lake, went paddleboarding, flew the drone, walked the dogs, got some fresh air and generally enjoyed doing absolutely not very much.
And sometimes, that's exactly what a touring adventure needs.
Three nights beside a beautiful lake for €24? We'd happily do that again.
Tomorrow, the mountains are calling…
And hopefully Steven's ribs, Suzanne's hand and dignity survive the journey!
Day 20: done and dusted.
Goodnight from Lake Idro. ❤️
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Day 20 European Motorhome Adventure | Lake Idro & Paddleboarding
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Join Steven, Suzanne, Tilley and Frankie for Day 20 of their European motorhome adventure. Lakeside camping, paddleboarding, drones, dogs and a €24 camping bargain!
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