Weather Report..................

I’ve been using our amazing dry spell to get the fleet ship shape. The van is cleaned up after our last 3 week excursion, Xantia fully rewaxed after it’s thousand mile adventure to Coventry and the 2cv waxed after it's little excursion to Hamilton last weekend. Qashqai got a new mot today so just tyres to fit to the 2cv tomorrow and a new aircon condenser for the van on Monday then all will be in order. Still dry this evening.
 
We left the wildcamp at the Priory yesterday and followed our noses under a brilliant blue sky to the Mediterranean, where we planned to stop on a campsite for a day or two in order to do the beach thing. We'd identified a site or two but found them fully booked.
Which was a huge relief.
The whole 'holiday by the coast' thing was full on and absolutely awful. I can't really imagine why I even contemplated stopping there.
So we followed the Canal du Midi for a few kilometres, found a wildcamp spot on it's right bank and sat in the warm afternoon sun exchanging waves and pleasantries with the passing boat people.

Colin ???
 
Overnight the lightning, thunder and then rain kicked in. No sleep from 03:00 but just lay and enjoyed the spectacle.
This morning it's still banging and crashing out there with one discharge making the Moho reverberate.
A quick look at the Blitzortung.com website confirms the fun down here (the green lines link the detection stations to a particular lightning strike):

Screenshot_20190614-082725.jpg

The Beeb promises an end to the display by noon and hot sunny weather starting tomorrow for the foreseeable future.
.
.
.
Apparently.

Colin ???
 
***** said:
Colin I know a nice spot on the Midi
it is Homps. South of Trebes also Le Segala north of Carcassone
You can park by the canal basin (parking has decreased here) or just a 5 minute walk away by the nearby lake.
You can park right adjacent or the better place down the bank from the lake, but no view
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, Graham.
We plan to follow the Canal du Midi to the Atlantic and I'll add your suggestions to our short list of possible wildcamps. It's always good to have recommendations!

Colin ???
 
2cv said:
I’ve been using our amazing dry spell to get the fleet ship shape. The van is cleaned up after our last 3 week excursion, Xantia fully rewaxed after it’s thousand mile adventure to Coventry and the 2cv waxed after it's little excursion to Hamilton last weekend. Qashqai got a new mot today so just tyres to fit to the 2cv tomorrow and a new aircon condenser for the van on Monday then all will be in order. Still dry this evening.
Click to expand...
Just had a thought, Bill...
If only Bentleys had decided to build their new van on a Citroen chassis,....
It would be a perfect member of your fleet. !
Cooler and cloudier, this morning.
At one time, I even had to put a tee shirt on, during breakfast on the upper terrace.
 
Full Member said:
We left the wildcamp at the Priory yesterday and followed our noses under a brilliant blue sky to the Mediterranean, where we planned to stop on a campsite for a day or two in order to do the beach thing. We'd identified a site or two but found them fully booked.
Which was a huge relief.
The whole 'holiday by the coast' thing was full on and absolutely awful. I can't really imagine why I even contemplated stopping there.
So we followed the Canal du Midi for a few kilometres, found a wildcamp spot on it's right bank and sat in the warm afternoon sun exchanging waves and pleasantries with the passing boat people.

Colin ???
Click to expand...
That brings back memories, Colin .Over a series of summer holidays,with teenage kids, we followed the Midi from Castelnaudrey ,via its offshoots to Arles and Narbonne, along the Petite Rhone and across the Etang du Thau up to Sete.
We Retraced a lot of the route when we took up Motorhoming.
Enjoy your trip and keep the pics coming.
 
Rain, rain and more rain, but FINALLY! A bit of watery sunshine is poking through and the clouds seem to be lifting a little. Yay!

You'd never think it is going to be summer solstice in just a week!!! Eek! :eek: :oops: ☹

Let's hope we get a good old Indian Summer afterwards to make up for it ;)
 
Pauljenny said:
Just had a thought, Bill...
If only Bentleys had decided to build their new van on a Citroen chassis,....
It would be a perfect member of your fleet. !
Cooler and cloudier, this morning.
At one time, I even had to put a tee shirt on, during breakfast on the upper terrace.
Click to expand...

I will tolerate the Bentley not being a Citroen as I really love the trafic for its Citroenesque ride. They allowed me in to the Citroen 100 anniversary celebrations in it last week, possibly on account of it being French, despite being born in Luton or Rotherham.
It drizzled briefly here this morning, but quickly became another gloriously sunny day. ☀️☀️☀️
 
mariesnowgoose said:
Rain, rain and more rain, but FINALLY! A bit of watery sunshine is poking through and the clouds seem to be lifting a little. Yay!

You'd never think it is going to be summer solstice in just a week!!! Eek! :eek: :oops: ☹

Let's hope we get a good old Indian Summer afterwards to make up for it ;)
Click to expand...

We're beginning to think the is a touch of Devine Providence about this Shingles episode.. While it started off scary and nasty and until this last few days, mainly dreadful, for Jenny.
In that time, we've had so much help and goodwill that we'll never live long enough to repay all the kindnesses.
We were going to sell the van, before leaving in September, anyway.
This was made much easier... AND....
We are avoiding having to stay in the van through all your evil weather...!
It's your turn for some Devine Providence, now, Marie.
 
We left our wild camp by the Canal du Midi near Vias as the rain stopped and the sky quietened. We drove into Beziers for a top up of LPG, then on to the rather unusual flight of 9 locks just outside Beziers.

IMG_20190614_131338.jpg

Nothing unusual about flights of locks but this flight has a somewhat unusual wall design. The walls bow outwards to better support the inward thrust of the surrounding soil when the lock is empty of water - think stone arch bridge layed on it's side:

IMG_20190614_131452.jpg

The structure is more noticeable when a boat is alongside:

IMG_20190614_134136.jpg

So on to one of my 'must stop' places in the area under a much brighter sky - the Olive Cooperative Oulibo. They are the only growers and producers of their kind in the Aude and grow several local, unusual varieties of olive, my favourite being the Lucques. And they also happen to support the local insect population:

IMG_20190614_144421.jpg

So happy with plenty of bottled sunshine and other olive related products on board we headed for the marina at Homps (as mentioned by *****) for tonight's wildcamp by the Canal du Midi.
It's a clear night with a gentle, warm breeze originating in Portugal then wafting to us across the Iberian peninsula.
Thanks, Paul.

Colin ???
 
Well wouldn’t you know it, last full day in France and the 7 hour drive from Fouesnant to Calais was bathed in full sun, hottest day in the last fortnight, still it was good driving weather and the kids have enjoyed the overnight stop here at Guines before finally getting them settled in bed. Fingers crossed that the Chunnel is behaving itself in the morning ready for our trek back to Cheshire.
 
You've excelled yourself, again Colin.
We're even considering taking up canal cruising again, if our wrecked knees would allow.
You're welcome to the breeze, there's plenty more on it's way.
Southerly, at present and balmy.
34' in the Sun, but a max of 27' forecast for tea, ( Gin, actually ), time
 
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