So we decided to weave inland a bit and making our way towards Barcelona via our friends house on the way. Staying off the toll roads leads to some great roads and little towns to pass through.
Grasse was our first stop after the coast and we stopped on the car park of a local produce shop. Unfortunately for this stop the produce shop was the best part. Not sure if we just hit at a bad time but there was a protest happening and waking through the small streets it was the first place we did not feel completely safe.
The next stop was parked at the back of a winery in a small town that had a cathedral nearly the size of the town. Quite an amazing building almost the size of York Minster. Down in the crypt there was a skull enclosed in a gold statue, it is believed to be remains of Mary Magdalene.
Avignon was next and again a pleasant surprise. It is dominated by the Palace of the Popes, a UNESCO site. In the 1300s seven successive popes resided at Avignon. Next to the palace is a large cathedral with a large gold statue of Virgin Mary standing at the top. The old walled town was beautifully presented with designer shops and cafe surrounded squares.
Having spent 16 years in Australia I have got quite a bit of knowledge about their wine but my French wine knowledge is based on the really cheap stuff I drank by the pint as a teenager or the really nice bottle of red I had on my 23rd birthday which was from Chateauneuf Du Pape. So as we were driving along I did a google maps search and as it turned out it was on our way and there was a Chateau offering free motothome parking on their site.
So we found ourselves parked at the Chateau Maucoil looking out over the vines. First stop the tasting room, yummy. We then walked for about 20 minutes to the Chateau next door and tasted there also. Both beautiful wineries. Luckily Rollie has got a big boot area.
Next morning we headed for another UNESCO site Pont Du Gard. This is an amazing 3 tiered viaduct built around 20BC (a long long time ago!). Awesome walk over the lower level.
Connor got a fishing rod a week ago and he has been desperate to use it. With this in mind we stopped at a motorhome park which is also a fishing park. So we took our chairs and limited fishing gear and cast into the lake. As it is only just coming into spring here I think that the fish will still be asleep at the bottom as we never saw any movement as all. But we did get to try and will persist. I think he may need his Uncle Steve’s expertise in this area.
Our friends live north of Beziers so we took advantage to stop by and enjoy a few nights parked at their house enjoying their company (and shower for us and Bosun who was showered and clipped). Lovely countryside with great walks and even BBQ weather.
We found another winery near to Beziers and only a ten minute walk to another UNESCO site the nine locks on the Canal du Midi. We watched a great 3D show on the construction on the canal and the locks which run across the South of France form the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. Amazing construction task undertaken in the 17th century.
Our final night in France for a while was at a pleasant little fishing and cargo port called Port Vendres. The marina was crammed full of little fishing boats and yachts, including a very large square rigger and a large cargo vessel. All around the town they had vines that were planted on the sloping hills in terraces.
