Pushing south, wine country

13th September 2010
After a couple of days at 'Les Vikings' (a holiday park in Barneville-Cartaret) we headed down the coast towards Granville, where we'd stayed in the hot summer of 2003, and which we remembered fondly.  When we eventually found the aire at Pointe De Roc it was completely full, so we headed off down the coast to find another place to stay.

As we passed the youth hostel by the port we saw a dozen motorhomes parked up in a free carpark, so turned in and joined them.  In addition to the aires and France Passion sites, camping caristes in France also seem to benefit from the French instinct that if something's not expressly forbidden it's allowed, and if it is expressly forbidden it's probably allowed anyway, or ought to be.

We settled in, filled up with water from the free tap and walked to the port to eat on the terrace at La Phare, where we'd eaten last time.  In the morning, as we returned from another trip into town to buy fish, we met the Police Municipal whowere going from van to van politely asking people to move on.  They'd even been considerate enough to leave it until almost mid day to start the evictions.

14th September 2010
Leaving Granville a little damp and breezy, we set off for a 180km push south on the autoroutes, looking for the sun.  As we approached Nantes we saw fields of sunflowers and vineyards for the first time, the sun began to shine strongly and there was a  real feeling of having crossed a threshold.  This felt like The South.

Tonight's stop was another France Passion site, the Domaine de la Pichonière in Haute Goulaine, where the vendage was in full swing.  Here Isabelle and Michel Olivier grow muscadet and gamay grapes which go to make the muscadet sur lie that the area is best known for, but also, red, rosé and mousseux wine.

The vendage was in full swing, with trailer loads of grapes pulling into the farmyard.  The grape presses were throbbing and the air was heavy with the sweet syrupy smell of fermenting fruit.  Inspite of all the activity Mme Olivier took the time to welcome us and led us on her bike to a plot of grass at the front of the house where we could camp.  Once we'd settled in, she showed us her products and treated us to some generous samples.  Inevitably we left with our arms full.

 At the far end of the vineyard top-heavy tractors, tall and spindly like Salvador Dali elephants, were harvesting the grapes which hung in full heavy bunches on the vines. 

Back in the camping car we filleted and fried our Granville gurnard with boiled potatoes and green beans, and ate outside in the  late evening sunshine.