The day had come for us to bid a very sad farewell to Switzerland, which had exceeded any of our already high expectations. As we packed up, the weather turned and our journey out of Switzerland was grey and drab. A bit like how we were feeling! We did however have one final chapter remaining of what was turning out to be a phenomenal trip, and so as we competed the 6 hour trip to Orange, France, we began to look forward to the next few days.
Before arriving at our campsite, we stopped for fuel and supplies at a large supermarket near to the campsite. Gandalf had astounded us – we’d completed 680 miles on one tank of fuel- this came out as 38mpg- incredible considering we had the bikes on the back. Supplies replenished we made our way to Camping Manon, on the outskirts of Orange. Whilst we had booked a pitch, we hadn’t needed to as the campsite was quiet being out of season. We settled into our lovely glade and enjoyed the sudden temperature increase- we’d gained 13 degrees since leaving Switzerland. We celebrated with a bbq!
Next morning and we were up and out early. As we’d tacked the Matterhorn on to the end of Switzerland we had lost a day at Orange. Also, tomorrows itinerary was affected by a day of strikes in France and also the star attraction in Nîmes, where we were heading was closed, so it was going to be a two towns in one day sorta day!
We walked from the campsite to the triumphal arch, and were instantly floored by how incredible it was. The Triumphal arch in Orange dates from the 1st century, and is in an incredible state. It’s listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and we could instantly see why. The intricate carvings all along the monument is largely in tact and it’s great to stand at its base and gaze up to admire it.
From here we continued down the Main Street, which is lined with many historic buildings, and oozes French character.
We made our way to the Roman theatre, and if we were floored by the arch then we were flabbergasted by the first sight of the back of the Roman theatre wall. It was huge. I mean seriously big! And what is astonishing is that a busy road runs mere feet from the base of the back of it!
We were pleased to learn that Jazz the dog could come inside the theatre ruins, as it meant that we could both enjoy the visit together. Inside the Roman theatre we got an even better view of the other side of the theatre wall, which measures 103 metres long and 37 metres high. There is still a large 3 metre high original statue of the emperor which sits high at the top of the wall. The auditorium is also very well preserved and the audio tour was particularly good. We were completely blown away, and also slightly emotional to be in such a great example of the Roman empire’s history.
From here, Jazz went into his backpack briefly to enable us to visit the art museum across the road and included in our ticket entry for the theatre. Inside this historic town house was a great example of Roman maps which had been found nearby.
We spent some time looking at the other historic sites of Orange, before going to retrieve Gandalf from the campsite. We were on a quicker schedule than intended , and it would definitely be possible to enjoy some time in Orange.
There is a Motorhome Aire right next to the triumphal arch, but we enjoyed our stay at Camping Manon. The site is a little dated, but the showers were hot and not push button ones. The glades were lovely and it was a very quiet area. We’d definitely return here to enjoy some of the cycling in the area.
From Orange, we drove the short distance to Nîmes, where we arrived at our next stop, a park 4 night stopover on the outskirts of the city. This place, names as Bernard’s place, is a wonderfully quaint private stopover in Bernard’s back garden. He’s landscaped the area to allow for around 8 motorhomes to stay over, has provided electricity and a water tap and even chairs and picnic tables. It reminded us of a certified location in the UK. The whole area was secure and situated behind a large gate so you felt very safe.
Bernard and his wife were perfect hosts and made us feel very welcome. He also provided a wealth of information on the local area, and had converted his conservatory into a map room/ tourist info area. For €20 a night – with electricity – we found this to be a good value stopover and we enjoyed meeting Bernard and his wife Sissy.
After a quick lunch, we walked the 30 mins into Nîmes. We passed some impressive street art on our way and soon arrived at the Roman Augustus city gates.
Our first stop was the Maison Carree which completely took our breath away- it’s a 1st century Roman temple and is unbelievably well preserved. Jazz was allowed in in his rucksack and we enjoyed the exhibition inside.
From here we made our way to the amphitheatre, again a magnificent example and enjoyed our visit inside (it’s dog friendly – we had Jazz in backpack as it was busy but dogs are allowed in without backpack).
The only thing we didn’t like inside was the horrible scaffolding seating which in our opinion completely ruined the lion of the original features. We understand it’s used still as a venue but there really must be a more sympathetic on the eye solution than the harsh metal!
Nether the less, we enjoyed our visit – it’s impossible not to be moved by these majestic buildings.
By now, it was most certainly beer o clock. so we enjoyed a beer with a prime position view overlooking the arena,
before walking up to the Fountains park and the Magne tour.
This is a Roman tower that was once part of the city walls, and we had the opportunity to climb the many steps (with Jazz in backpack again!) for views over the city. This isn’t an activity for those with vertigo or claustrophobia!
By now we’d covered 5 Roman ruins in 2 cities in 1 day, and our energy levels were dropping. We’d made good use of the attractions card in Nîmes which allowed entry for the three Roman sites for €17 pp. We had a last wander around Fountain’s Park, which is said to be inspired by the gardens at Versailles,
and then after a quick beer stop over looking the temple of Dianne, we made our way back to Gandalf. By the time we made it back we’d clocked up 10.6 miles of walking- But we’d had the best day!
Dinner was a simple meatball supper- we were still channeling our inner Roman- and we had an early night!
Thursday arrived, and it was time to move on. We made our way back on ourselves (not ideal but necessary because of the closures in Nîmes) to Pont Du Gard. This was a major bucket list tick for us both. We paid the €9 to park and strolled down the river 300m before we caught sight of this hugely impressive Roman aqueduct.
We spent time enjoying the views, and taking it in from every angle possible. It really didn’t disappoint! Just marvellous! In the summer months you can walk down the top tier water channel which I’m sure would be an amazing experience – and if we were in the area again, one I’d probably try to do.
There is a museum here also, but we decided to give this a miss as Jazz wasn’t allowed even in his rucksack, and we were going to move on to Arles.
On arrival at our campsite in Arles, we were hit with an inconvenience. The campsite reception was shut for two hours for lunch and therefore we had to wait to check in. We were hoping to crack on and explore Arles that afternoon, so we debated sacrificing our booking here and moving to another campsite down the road which were open all day. However in the time we were debating this we got blocked in by another motorhome also trying to check in. The owners of this motorhome went for a walk and therefore before we could do anything about it we found ourselves blocked in! We therefore had no choice but to sit out the wait for reception to reopen at the gate. When the receptionist arrived she was really very unfriendly- told us off for blocking the entry barrier, when we explained she were blocked in and couldn’t move she didn’t care- it was all our fault. Desperate to crack on, we pitched up in super speed time and unloaded the bikes off and we’re cycling into Arles.
Our first impressions at the site were bad, and during the ride into the city they didn’t improve. The cycle path disappeared and we found ourselves in an industrial estate and then through some seedier parts of town. By the time we got to the tourist info we were both agitated! Luckily, things soon improved, starting with bike parking outside the tourist info which was a relief. The town of Arles is pretty and is also home to lots of Roman ruins including a theatre, ampitheatre, baths and under street foundations. Unfortunately, unlike everywhere else we’ve been on this trip it’s entirely non dog friendly- even in a backpack. I offered to sit them out, I’d brought my kindle and was happy to find a bar and have a couple of hours reading whilst Jazz people watched- his favourite activity! We walked around the perimeter of the amphitheater, sneaking glances in where we could and Keith came to the conclusion that he was happy to just enjoy the external views- which were impressive. We could see like in Nîmes that the seating was scaffolding again.
We walked around the perimeter of the amphitheater, sneaking glances in where we could and Keith came to the conclusion that he was happy to just enjoy the external views- which were impressive. We could see like in Nîmes that the seating was scaffolding again.
We also managed to see most of the theatre site from the outside and it was no where near as impressive as Orange. The same with the baths. So we enjoyed a beer together overlooking the amphitheatre. Keith did go inside the cryptoportiques whilst I enjoyed a wine at the cafe in which Van Gogh painted in 1888. Soon he had joined me (Keefy not Van Gogh!) after his visit which he had enjoyed.
After a little more of an explore, including the town walls, we went back collect our bikes and made the journey back to our site, Camping L’Arlesienne
We found the showers there horrendous, they were outside, which I’m sure during the peak of summer is lovely but in a fairly fresh April, it was so cold- I lasted 20 seconds tops! The water was freezing and the washing up area manky. Definitely not a site we’d recommend or return to.
Given that we didn’t like the site, we made the decision to move on a day early.
On leaving Arles, we stopped at the vets (we’d pre made an appointment on the phone two days earlier). There are two English speaking vets at this practice and we were able to get Jazz’s return to England tapeworm treatment provided and administered along with the paperwork for €45.
Realising how close to the Med we were, we decided to find a sea view pitch somewhere along the coast for our final two nights. We struck gold- and bagsied the last sea view pitch at Camping la Plage, at Marseillan Plage. On arrival the site staff couldn’t have been nicer, a vast contrast to the one at Arles and before we knew it we pulled onto our glorious sea view pitch (number 100).
The best thing about European sites is that we can go on most of the pitches sidewards- rather than the regimented style of UK club sites, and this pitch was certainly made for our sliding door.
We wasted no time in cracking open a bottle of wine, setting up a cheese board and spent the reminder of the afternoon chilling outside the van and taking in the magnificent sea views. For the first time this trip, we just stopped! I read my book, Keith read some magazines and it was just perfection.
Dinner was cooked outside – we’d set the canopy out to avoid some showers and enjoyed chilli burritos for dinner, before enjoying more sea views as the light faded and it became bedtime.
Saturday dawned with glorious blue skies despite a stubborn breeze, and we spent the morning having a lazy time of it whilst enjoying the views!
We took a short walk to the town of Marseillan Plage to pick up some fresh bread and found a local wine cave offering tastings next door. It seemed rude not to partake, so we enjoyed a glass of red each and a glass of white. We were even brought out some complimentary tapas.
The town of Marseillan Plage is very small, just one Main Street sits behind the beach and there are a number of restaurants and clothing shops along with those selling hats, bags, lilos etc. there is also a small supermarket (coop) and a cash machine. It felt a very understated place to spend some time, and we really enjoyed the small scale size of the resort.
On the edge of our campsite there was a beach bar so we tried a drink in there, and enjoying watching all the French devour their Moules for lunch. We were almost tempted to join then and probably would have had we not got a kilo of mussels in the fridge ready for dinner tonight tonight.
After our drinks, we made the short journey along the beach back to Gandalf and settled in for an afternoon of chilling some more and a paella lunch.
It had been a sensational couple of weeks, but we were quite tired, and we had a long drive ahead of us, so we found this a great place to just stop and rest. Our final dinner en vacance over was moules marineres, followed by cod and veg.
Before we knew it, it was Sunday morning and after a beautiful sunrise over the sea, it was time to pack the bed away and drop the lid for the final time on this trip. As we were planning to drive back all in one go, we spent time preparing on the go snacks.
We left the campsite at 10.30 am, in very high winds, but had an exceptional journey north. With a couple of comfort stops on route we rolled into Calais at 9:30pm and straight onto a train 4 hours early. This meant we were home for 00:30- 14 hours after setting off. This style of journey home wouldn’t suit everyone, but for us it was brilliant. It enabled us to max out the time away and we just loved it!
This will go down as one our best trips yet! We cannot recommend these places highly enough. We hope you’ve enjoyed our adventures- stayed tuned as more to come soon!
Until next time
Lx
