Location: Somewhere in Central France
Distance Covered: 265 miles (Bourg-Saint-Maurice ➔ Mystery Mountain Hideaway)
Co-Pilots: Steven, Suzanne, Tiley, and Frankie 🐶🐶
"Where Are We Again?" 🗺️
If you’ve been following our European adventure on touringideas.co.uk, you’ll know that Steven and I (Suzanne) don’t always deal in rigid itineraries. Case in point: Day 23.
We set off from Bourg-Saint-Maurice around 10:10 AM, braved the French toll roads (we daren't look at the credit card statement just yet!), shared the driving, and eventually arrived somewhere in central France at around 5:00 PM.
Where exactly in central France? Honestly, we’re not entirely sure! We just plugged a nature campsite into Google, trusted our gut, and hoped for the best.
What we do know is that we are right in the heart of France, surrounded by the most stunning mountain views. The campsite itself seems to have been around for a long time (and we’re pretty sure a few of the static caravans haven't moved since then either!). It’s got swimming pools, tennis courts, volleyball, and a lovely residential, "hippie commune" vibe. Plus, we seem to be the only English couple on the entire site!
Checking In… Stripped Back Style 😳👀
Now, as some of you know, we tried out a naturist site earlier in the trip at Le Colombier and absolutely loved the sense of freedom. So, we decided to give it another crack here.
However, nothing quite prepares you for check-in:
- The Reception Manager: A chap casually hanging out in the corner wearing a t-shirt... and absolutely nothing else.
- The Receptionist: A lovely lady in an unbuttoned denim shirt (again, nothing else), displaying a magnificent, completely natural 1970s retro "muff" and a shirt that looked like it hadn't been washed—or taken off—since 1983.
- Steven’s Eyes: Absolutely fixed.
I had to turn to Steven three times and whisper: "Stop staring! Stop staring!"
The t-shirt-only look on men always cracks me up. You put a shirt on to look decent, but your bits are hanging out for the world to see! To be fair to Steven, he put a proper shirt on before wandering around. Good lad.
Carrefour Instincts & Mini-Beers 🍻🛒
On the way here, we needed to restock the pantry. Google Maps and the satnav both failed us completely, but Steven had a "gut instinct" that the nearby big town would have a massive Carrefour.
Bish, bash, bosh... he was right!
Although letting Steven loose in a French supermarket is always a risky strategy:
- "Oh, I’ll have that!"
- "Ooh, let's try a bit of that!"
- "Ooh, look at this beer on offer!"
He ended up buying a crate of 40 bottles of Desperados. Only when we got back to the van did we realize they were cheeky little 25cl mini-bottles! No wonder they were cheap! Mind you, given the rate he’s knocking them back while sitting looking at the mountains, the size doesn't seem to be stopping him...
What’s Next? 🏊♂️☀️
After a wander around the massive site with Tiley and Frankie (note to self: flip-flops are not suitable footwear for steep mountain campsite walks), we’ve settled in for a 3-night stay.
The plan for tomorrow:
- Zero driving 🚫🚗
- A long lie-in 😴
- A bit of swimming and sunbathing 🏊♀️
- Reading Ken Follett’s The Key to Rebecca 📖
- Good food, cold (mini) beers, and relaxing 🍷
After this, we’ve got a massive 510-mile trek up to Saint-Pol-de-Léon in Brittany before heading back across the Channel to the UK. But for now, we're soaking up the mountain air, the views, and the complete liberation of van life!
Until next time,
Suzanne & Steven (and tail-wags from Tiley & Frankie!) 🐾
#TouringIdeas #VanLifeEurope #MotorhomeAdventures #FranceByVan #NaturistCamping #TravelWithDogs #DogFriendlyTravel #ClermontFerrand #Over50Travel #VanLifeHumour #RoadTripFrance #DesperadosBeer #FreedomOnWheels
motorhome touring france, van life european adventure, clermont ferrand campsites, naturist camping france, touring ideas uk, travelling france with dogs
Add comment
Comments