Day 36 Mortagne-sur-Gironde  To:  Meschers  Open:16368  Close:  16381

                            
Date:  Tuesday 4th July 2017       Weather:  Brighter, sunny periods   Mile:  13

We drove off our camping spot at Montagne-sur-mer at 1115hrs and headed for the other side of the estuary towards the boatyard and the Camping Car ‘Aire Service’. Here we could open the grey waste water tank valves to discharge, remove the WC cassette and dump down the drain and most importantly, for the sum of E1 we could take on two minutes of fresh water to fill our FW tank. We have this off to a pretty fine art now. Today there is no rush. There is no queue at this late hour. Earlier or at the busier Aire Services you need to be quick on your toes. It’s akin to a ‘hot refuel’. Well Ok I do switch off the engine but in all other respects it’s pretty-slick. Having already retrieved the 15 metre cassette of lay flat hose from the boot, the procedure goes something like this.

Ignition off. Handbrake on. Jackie leaps out with cassette hose and fully unreels ensuring no kinks. Unlocks the water fill point in the van inserts one end of the hose then connects the other end to the tap. Slips a Euro into the coin slot and holds onto the hose in the filling point till full. On completion she reverses the procedure and returns to seat in van.

Mike meanwhile has exited the vehicle, as usual catching his shorts over the handbrake handle and hanging there helpless for a while. Legs and arms flailing. On release, he moves to the WC cassette locker and removes the cassette, moves to the drain and unscrewing the discharge cap from the cassette empties the contents down the drain. Watch out for splash back! Then rinsing the cassette several times using the rinse tap, not the l’eau potable tap, wipe it dry with disposable tissue, place a litre of clean water inside, add 60ml of chemical, return the cassette to the WC locker wipe down hands and area with bacticidal wipes and return to the cab. Power up and drive off. Simples. Should Jackie be driving and I navigating we retain the same role. It’s just that she never seems to get hung up on the handbrake. Probably ‘cos her shorts are better fitting than mine.

We take the D145 coast road towards our next stop Meschers-sur-Gironde. We hope to be able to find a spot on the ‘port’ again next to a small marina. Angie and Tom had her birthday lunch here a few weeks ago and they thought it delightful so we decided to give it a try.

I was a little concerned as it was lunchtimeish and most of the spaces on the smaller ‘Aires’ fill by mid morning. We arrived at 1230hrs hours and to our amazement there were a few spaces. I reversed into one. We were backed onto a grassed area with a small stream further back. The circus was in town and parked opposite us. As we looked out the window a couple of camels looked back in. Off to one side we could see Llamas and various other animals grazing. It is E10 a night to stay here including a good electric hook up. Unfortunately the machine was ‘casse’, broken. A notice stated ‘No bank cards’ and the coin slot for E’s was jammed solid with paper. Well that’s it then a free stay ce soir.

Off to find Angie and Tom’s Restaurant ‘Le Moussaillon’ With the tide on the way in the lock gates to the marina are still closed so we walk across the lock gates, a shortcut and walk past the ten or so eating establishments. There is at this point only one road and it leads to a small car park at the end of the road which parallels the outlet from the marina to the Gironde, next to a tiny beach. There on the next to end but one is the Resto we are seeking.

It’s pretty empty but we are early. We sit and attempt to decipher the menu. Fifty percent we can understand the other fifty? No chance. My ‘petite question’ to what various things were elicited a reply which made no sense to me so we just went for it. The Panache and Kir arrived ‘tout suite’. Followed not long after by a carafe of house white which Angie insisted we try as she thought it the best ever. Well that’s subjective! We had opted for a three course set meal at E24 each. I had ten large scrimps with a cream sauce and Jackie, well we’re not sure what. I thought it was a warm goat salad but think I managed to misinterpret the menu. Checking later we discovered it was 'gizzards' the throat and neck. Jackie thought it was delicious. I suspect if she new what it was she wouldn't have even ordered it. My main was steak and frites. The steak I had bien cur and the chips were skin on curlies. Bootifull. Jackie had a delicious salmon with marrow and veggies followed by lemon meringue and I a Choco sponge with crème anglais. The grand total E63 £40 quid. More than enough for lunch. It was pleasant sat here looking onto the river and out to sea. Across from our table we could see the fishermen in those quaint sheds on stilts with the square nets on pulleys. How much luck they were having remains to be seen.

The marina. Can you spot Mummy duck and the ducklings?

Standing on the lock gates looking seaward.

The return to the van was slightly longer as now the tide was fully in and the lock gates open. This allow free access from and to the marina behind the gates. Thus no short cut for us but it gave us the opportunity to walk past more circus animals grazing on common land. Didn’t see any lions, tigers or elephants!

Mum plus ten. Tomorrow? It'll be only nine I'm afraid.

The remainder of the day till 1900hrs we spent sat in the sun or under the shade by the van reading and chilling, watching mummy duck swim up and down our stream with the ducklings. Then with the cool of the evening we went for a short walk onto the point and gazed across the Gironde. Here we are near to the mouth of the river, and it is a damn wide river. When the tide is out you have hundreds of metres of mud flats. Not easy dragging a Klepper over that and not leaving tracks for the Germans to spot if you’re on a commando raid into Bordeaux! It was at this point that we spotted a lone Kayaker pulling his canoe on a trolley. I approached and started chatting. He confirmed it was him we saw come ashore yesterday at Montagne. He was a student from Bordeaux and was conducting a small survey of some description of the estuary for a summer thesis. I think that’s what he said. About 250 kilometres of kayaking in six or so days. He was putting ashore here to camp for the night.

We sat outside for supper. Cheese and biscuits with some fresh fruit. Still stuffed after lunch!