SATURDAY, 19th August 2006 – Cognac to Chateuaneuf-sur-Charente

Looking for Passion

Despite having not pre-ordered our bread, Annie managed to prise a loaf and a couple of croissants out of the little campsite shop, se we enjoyed breakfast. Showers were so-so, and we dumped our grey water at the back of the pitch, next to the wood (there was no grey water dump that we could find), emptied the Thetford cassette in the proper place, and filled a thirsty Polly up with water. We were off again.

Less than an hour later, we were at Chateauneuf-sur-Charente, following signs for the Super-U supermarket. We were able to stock up on food and a battery-powered camping light. And another Camping Car magazine – this one called Evasion Camping-Car. “A new look at the Camping Car, it trumpets, and at issue no.2, could I have a collector’s edition? Something tells me I need to get the back issue no.1 before I can truly start my collection. Obsessive? Not me.

Now, to find the France Passion site – a certain Ferme de Bagatelle. The directions didn’t match the roads we were seeing in front of us, Catherine knew nothing about it again, so we followed our nose into the centre of town. Bad move. Because Saturday, as everyone knows around here, is market day. We trundled slowly around the town square, funny looks abounding, and the width of the already narrow road being made narrower by the haphazard parking of cars. At one point, we felt the need to drag in the mirrors, and open windows so we could check clearances between us and other vehicles. No mishaps, fortunately, and once again I was glad we have one of the smaller coachbuilts on the market. Remind me never to consider buying an RV.

Out of town, and we stopped at a Citroen garage to ask for directions. I thought I was doing very well at following the “droits” and “gauches” until the man I was speaking to asked if I was English. He then proceeded to tell me the directions again, to my ears, totally differently, and to tell me he was a professeur of English. Well, I’m glad he was because despite missing the obvious signs twice, we found the site. Lovely flat field, chickens and goats to the side, and we were more than happy to buy some of their goats cheese, honey and wine. What more could we wish for?