Sun 28 May to Sun 4 June Avignon camping

[Wowbagger]

That was a fantastic 10 days and I would love to go back soon. Marvellous place, great campsite chosen by Speshact. I will do a write up at some point. For the moment, I am trying to retrieve my belongings from France. I left my Tilley hat in the restaurant on Sunday evening - telephone and email contact made with the owners so hopefully that will be retrievable - but the journey south was so fraught/painful, trying to carry a Brompton in a bag, that Canardly and I decided to send them back by courier. I received an email this morning to state that the bags were not on the company's system.

It transpires that they were not collected because a) the reception was closed when the driver arrived and b) the campsite owners were in hospital because the lady, who was very heavily pregnant when we were there, isn't any more! So, I might have to go back to France sooner than expected to collect my Bromptons...

[Speshact]

An excellent week with Wowbagger and Canardly. Sad to hear that the bike transport scheme didn't go too well for the return. With somewhat less luggage, I managed to get back fairly easily on the bike and train (although it is hard work taking all the luggage off the train at Lille on the return trip to go through customs and passports before getting back on the same train in the same seat). When I've remembered how to add photos here I will do so...

[Canardly]

Some pics but where to begin....the famous Pont d'Avignon with a certain well known hill climb in the distance perhaps. These are phone shots, I am pretty certain better quality photos will follow in due course from les autres.

[Canardly]

We visited Chateau Neuf de Pape sort of...........the French are building new railways which put ours to shame. This line was opened in 2015 and has lots of dangly bike and luggage space. The irony is that the trains were manufactured by Bombardier.

[Canardly]

Decision making was horrendous, eat, drink, visit amazing 2000 year old amphitheatre, van Gogh locations and more..... Arles is a tad breathtaking. We actually did also manage a quite respectable 42 miles on the bikes in the Camargue, believe it or not, on the same day. The bikes also generated much interest wherever we went but we did spot a new Brommie at an outdoor flea market a day or two later.

[Canardly]

As in breathtaking....

[Canardly]

Campsite was great. Staff were very helpful, costs reasonable. Wcs etc immaculate and scrubbed daily, showers best I have used in France, site shady, quiet and full of tame wildlife including red squirrel. Swimming pool next door free for campers. Excellent choice. The owner also does a really good  fish and chips supper for a fiver. Would I go again, certainly. Sorting out the bike issues needs to be addressed. You can actually buy a reasonable bike locally at Decathlon for  £100, we know 'cos we cycled there. So the question is...........Dining out was relatively expensive but not ludicrously so. I understand that Avignon restaurants carry a premium of about 12% over other parts of France. You can of course DIY at sensible cost or use snack bars where a steak baguette with frites and drink will cost around 6-8E.

Villeneuve is gorgeous. You dine surrounded by 14th Century houses and overlooked by a major castle.

[Polar Bear]

See what you mean about the tame wildlife ...   

Looks and sounds fabulous. 

[Canardly]

A little known international match was played on the journey home.

[Canardly]

The Popes were there only a short time but they built this, which unfortunately has been stripped of its contents over time and has also suffered a bit of destruction during the odd revolution or so. Tourist trap restaurants serve meals in front. Look at that sky!

[Adam]

That was a fantastic 10 days and I would love to go back soon. Marvellous place, great campsite chosen by Speshact. I will do a write up at some point. For the moment, I am trying to retrieve my belongings from France. I left my Tilley hat in the restaurant on Sunday evening - telephone and email contact made with the owners so hopefully that will be retrievable - but the journey south was so fraught/painful, trying to carry a Brompton in a bag, that Canardly and I decided to send them back by courier. I received an email this morning to state that the bags were not on the company's system.

It transpires that they were not collected because a) the reception was closed when the driver arrived and b) the campsite owners were in hospital because the lady, who was very heavily pregnant when we were there, isn't any more! So, I might have to go back to France sooner than expected to collect my Bromptons...

That's a bugger.  For our last Netherlands trip via train, I packed a little collapsible trolley to wheel the Bickerton around on at the stations, which then simply strapped to the base of the rack, with the bag on top.

[Wowbagger]

I believe the bikes are now "on the system" and should be delivered next Monday.

[Wowbagger]

And they have been! Phew! Now I won't have to go back to Avignon to collect them. 

[Speshact]

All's well that ends well 

[Wowbagger]

And my Tilley hat has ben returned! Time to organise another holiday, I think.

[Canardly]

I accidentally discovered yesterday that we cycled very close to the location of Van Gogh's yellow house in Arles, adjacent to the roundabout and  not far from the now demolished railway bridge.