Kindness and Grumpy Old Men

The first people we met on arriving at L'Orangerie were Jan and Terry from Teeside.  They are seasoned explorers of France so we were pleased to accept their offer of hints and tips about the 'must sees'  and 'don't bother with', places to visit and camp in Brittany.  The following night after dinner we knocked on the canvas of their (very posh) awning and were welcomed in with a Kir.  Deidre and Ger from Ireland joined us later.  After a glass or two we were chatting and laughing like old friends.  That is until a very taciturn GOM looked in through the door and asked us to keep the noise down as it was 10.30!  As more than two of us in the group are personnes du troisieme age and none of us were dancing uproariously to loud music (there was no music at all) we were gobsmacked.

However, as always respectful of others, the group broke up soon afterwards.  As we hadn't got round to the 'must sees' and 'don't bothers' we arranged to meet at ours the following night. But dear reader when we started motorhoming we quickly came to realise that for most people caravanning and camping is a social activity.  We expect sometimes to hear other people chatting and laughing well into the night.  If we haven't been part of their group, it has never occurred to us to complain or to try to spoil their enjoyment.

Glace de Cassis in Benodet

Jan and Terry's great advice led us to beautiful Benodet, then Carnac and Concarneau.  Bendodet is a picturesque ville situated at the estuary of the River Odet.  It was sunny and warm when we got there so we got the best of both worlds - a gorgeous river, boats bobbing in the sparkling Port, then the curving sandy bay and bright blue sea.  Fantastic - we loved it.  I took some photos - but they didn't do the place justice.  But we did enjoy the best cassis glace we'd ever tasted, so here is a photo of the ice cream.

As well as loads of hints and tips about where to go Jan also solved a domestic problem for me which has irritated me since we first bought motorhome Wanda.  We chose fitted carpets (first big mistake) then tried to protect them with rugs of a similar colour (neutral - second big mistake). I swear that these rotten rugs are alive.  They are perpetually walking and crawling up the front of the cupboards.  I must pull them back every 20 seconds several hundred times a day!  I have also invested tens of pounds on gizmos meant to hold rugs in place.  All of them useless.  They have become my Achilles heel that I speak about to anyone who will listen.  Jan, bless her generous heart not only listened but gave me, yes gave me, The Solution.  A large white rectangle of  'stuff' that sticks to the carpet and the underside of the rug.  Bingo!  No walking, or at least so slowly that my sanity is saved!  Merci beaucoup Jan.

Kindness didn't stop there.
Terry a Country and Western musician gave us a copy of his CD ''Live at the Rimswell''.

Watch Terry on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuGN7DrrWsU&feature=related

We are looking forward to getting together again at the Western Motorhome Show in Malvern later in the year. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Shows/The-Western-Motorhome-Show/_sh6