Île d’Oléron

There’s no toll to cross the viaduct to the Île d’Oléron, which was our next destination after Fouras. Our first stop on the island was at Le Chateau d’Oléron where we overnighted at Camping Airotel which proved to be at bit too far a walk into the Citadel, but Catherine made it.

As well as the citadel there’s a fishing port, famous for its colourful huts.

The next day we set off by the back roads to tour round the island. We stopped at Boyardville and had another look at Fort Boyard from a different viewpoint.

We got caught up in a ‘deviation’ at St Georges where we went round in circles in narrow lanes. We kept passing another motorhome also trying to escape. We eventually made it to La Bree les Bains where we parked up by the beach for lunch.

 We set off for the Pointe de Chassiron and the ‘Phare’ at the tip of the island.

Our stop for the next three nights was Camping Le Sous Bois just a couple of kilometres from the port and town of La Continiére.

We walked down to the harbour to watch the fishing boats waiting to come in on the tide.

Just along the road there’s access to the beach and coastal path.

Apart from fishing, the main activity in La Continiére is eating mussels, oysters and crustaceans of all kinds.

Our campsite was a little gem set among mainly deciduous trees with a full complement of singing blackbirds.

 We’re now in the rain at Camping du Futur near Poitiers on the first leg of our journey home. First time we’ve been ‘trapped’ in the motorhome in the rain in 5 weeks, hopefully it won’t last long!

p.s.After 14 years and 160,000  miles our electric step refused to retract this morning as we were about to set off: the rain is preventing further investigation!