Autumn Adventures by Motorhome ’23 : Part 5 – The Loire Valley to La Rochelle

A very warm welcome once again to our channel. Thankyou to our new and existing subscribers and fasten your seatbelts for our Autumn Adventure, it’s great to have you along !! 🙂

We’re off again and this trip will take you to Atlantic coastlines, stunning French towns and villages, the beauty of the French Alps and everything in between!

In Part 5 we travelled a bit further to the South to a small settlement a few miles south of La Rochelle on the Bay of Biscay coastline. The settlement was Chatelaillon-Plage and we were only a couple of hundred metres from the beach. La Rochelle itself has a significant history and has some lovely old streets and buildings mixed with the more contemporary 🙂

We are on a mission to avoid toll roads for this trip – the routes give you a chance to see a lot more of France and some of their lovely towns and villages :))

This series of films follows our 2023 6 week trip to France in our A Class 2021 Mobilvetta K-Yacht 79 Teknoline, towing a small trailer on which we now have ‘Peggy’, a 2023 Lexmoto Pegasus 300cc scooter 🙂

We were staying at Camping Corsaire des 2 Plages:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7BBFQz1EBNM4kbrH7

OR here:
https://www.gocampfrance.co.uk/destination/campsite-le-village-corsaire-des-deux-plages-pitch-only

La Rochelle is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Rochelle

El Kado, that wonderful guitarist, is at – give him a like and subscribe – a great talent:
https://www.youtube.com/@mrelkado69

Morning guys very warm welcome back to motor home adventures today we are off to larelle um along the west coast of France and we’re looking forward to that we’ve been in the uh Lair Valley and that was a very nice couple of days there wasn’t it beautiful yeah you could

Have very easily spent more time there very easily there’s so much to see and do there lovely yeah absolutely uh but we’re looking forward to a bit of sea um and a bit of Coastline and uh a bit of exploring in and around larell yeah no idea where we’re going to

Stop yet I’ve set the SAA somewhere just south of L roell and um will’ll no doubt show you the site when we found it ourselves absolutely so we’ve got about 150 miles is it Trel today about 150 between tours and L relle so um yeah

It’s going to be a nice nice rund down there absolutely so uh yeah so stay with [Applause] us [Laughter] [Laughter] Well we arrived in Taro shell got a very nice pitch actually another another super good size just a drive on in aanda look we even got our own Street light hopefully that’s not flashing all night but um by Cy there was some rain we got here and it was dry

There was a big old gray cloud coming in from that direction and then uh the heavens opened and yes it was pretty biblical the poor people in the little tent to our right there they were literally underwater their pitch became a lake um but then as fast as it came it

Disappeared again and uh an hour later and we’ve just got a nice bit of sun peeping through as we approach evening we’re about qu to8 in the evening now um these are the uh toilet blocks just there which are very nicely set out squeaky clean got some uh outdoor

Washing up space some L some cubicles with your basins and Stuff yeah usual shower cubicles as well do the job nicely and some uh even hand wash your bits and pieces as well everything you need lovely so let’s have a stroll around see what we got that was a good uh a good mix again as always a good mix of

Um of Chalet sort of mobile homie type things and then pitches good size though as you can see Electric in the corner we actually went for non- electric here because it was about 6 6 and 1 half EUR we’re here for about three or four nights about 6

And half EUR so it saves about sort of 2022 what’s that about 181 19 quid so yeah one option walk down another very nice little Avenue treelined Chalet bit of a pirate thing going on at this place as well it’s called Uh La Village

Corel uh de D Plage so the sort of yeah two beaches and something to do with pirates but of course being uh what are we um midt Mid September everybody’s on hunt the bin this evening because they’re hidden quite well behind that uh behind that building there in fact fact he’s

Probably guarding him look see what I mean about the pirate theme they were hiding around the back there the bins so that’s the second lot we’ve we found who are looking for bins but needless to say um apart from the beach just over the way there’s a pool here as

Well it’s got a bit of a theme Rob yes I know it’s very pirate have you seen the little PIR look the pirate up there he’s looking out the you oh you can’t see you already got one eye yeah bit of a pirate theme going on there even the

Gallion but yeah I think it’s only a matter of a couple we haven’t actually been out the gate yet it’s only a matter of a couple of 300 meters I think to the uh to the fabulous Atlantic Coastline so it’s about 50 we pay for three nights uh so far about 50

1 so about 17 in that’s as I say without electric um if not just add another 18 20 quid on you know but um I still play area there but I but I do think that I mean when you think that well perhaps our last UK one you know you get your pitch

And that’s about it um whereas in these ones invariably you’re getting a lot of extra facilities there are a couple of restaurants on site Pizzeria here shop obviously all the play spaces the um playgrounds the swimming pool swimming pools I should say two so um it does when you’re paying 16

17 a night represents fantastic value for a stay be on the slides later then will you or in the morning oh fine look at that I think I need to go on the Spanish gallion or the French gallion of course tomorrow there you go vage cor

Deage wow and that’s the name of the area we’re in chatel chatel Plage um yeah so we’re uh just up on the corner there G 11 which uh she gave us a nice large pitch cuz I asked her whether she had one or I didn’t have to take the trail

Off so that’s dead handy uh and we’re obviously stood at the moment in reception but or in the car park so let’s wander out see what’s see where the SE is oh there you go through the uh there’s the second one the big indoor pool that’s a lot bigger than the other

Ones very nice yep about 100 meters out of the gate and uh there’s the Atlantic our first um visit for many a year to the French Atlantic Coast it’s right back in the um ’90s when we were last on this Coast with the uh camping with our two daughters when they were mere

Scraps fabulous holidays under cam us in a tent looks like a good old park up there just coming up to the beach and as you can see look at that isn’t that fabulous and A procession of tankers coming along bisque watching us watching us watching you

Lovely so now above us there that should be another place we came to in the ’90s which is the E and then um that’s partnered up with the E both lovely little Islands attached to the coast by Bridges roads I think there is a um there is a toll charge on the

Bridge to the yield array might try and get back up there and revisit revisit old stomping grounds on Peggy the scooter while we’re here it’s a lovely Beach to swiming does look very nice doesn’t it yeah don’t you just love the sound of waves sun setting look at the size of that current

Bun just a tiny smidge left farewell for another oh there it goes farewell for another few hours as I say it’s about 8 mil but um would you believe it cost £113 which is amazing when you think bus fairs in the very few occasions I’ve

Taken the bus in the UK even in around TMI it’s like 3 or 4 quid to do a couple of miles and that was a pound well I think we could definitely take some lessons about um providing more realistic public transport or options but anyway enough of that we’re

In the middle of lar shell which looks really Pretty it’s like loads of different different ways to uh see the city boat taxes they got um those higher anywhere bikes bit like the Boris bikes bright yellow here anyway to see the city wow lotss of information posted about some of the history here this amazing buildings some history in them there

Walls aren’t sure yeah those two big towers Cy going back to the 12th century and used as a prison in the 16th Century get thrown in there if you’d been a miscreant never to come out how’s the Atlantic there and the same company that uh brought us in on the bus yellow yellow by name and color Ando the bikes looks like they’ve got little water taxis as Well looks like that might be the old town over there might go and have a look at that for a bit on lunch who knows just up from the port there’s a little um Municipal camping spot there to 26th of September camping Municipal the if you fancied stain in the middle

Of the uh city of Nell well it had to be done didn’t it one Euro one Euro to come across the uh from one side to the old town over the other side any excuse to get getting a boat Electric dead Qui Tide’s almost at its lowest point by the look it comes up a fairway looking at the marks on the Wall literally does about 2 minutes across saves you walking all the way around just has to be done it for a euro look at the uh quantities of shellfish wow even got a little one person docking thing drives into the front of that solo Operation into that lovely French Vibe of pavement dining and of course a little search for some lunch why not eh just coming into the old the old part of Lell it’s pancake time again isn’t it that was good bucke pancakes no gluten Nikki’s happy again and it goes on does that look good yeah but look at yours I know well you know I’m just making sure the quality is up standard oh my word look at that I think that’s

All rather big yes homemade ice cream yeahum well that was a yummy bit of lunch less than 40 quid all of that cost coffees water main dessert that’s pretty good to be fair about 30 32 I think it was just gazillions of eating places on the Main Street that’s a lovely grand house isn’t it look at that I’m just over the other side of the wall here it’s the uh it’s the harbor itself it’s probably some sort of sea defense this Some lovely Doors Out to the amazing Atlantic Tide’s still way out nice bit of a Sandy Beach We just strolled into the uh Park shui which is uh a massive bit of Parkland here in the city town I Suppose about 8 ,000 inhabitants apparently in arell but this is a really big b of Park you can actually hire bikes to get around the park it’s that Big very nice that amazing assortment of trees isn’t it Yeah great that they keep in spaces like this and loads of activities as well in the Park from Crazy Golf to you name it I think there even a little Zoo Area love the variety in these French buildings so much different architecture within 3 or 400 m massive building there big Bank uh French Bank bank to France he’s don’t enough charge around those scooters wow get up get up some real speed there D little balcony with this pots up there right next to something big and new I’m round in a sort of big circle now just coming back towards the Port bet some of these walls have seen off a few Invaders over the Years sound of buskers in the distance sounds really lovely that does bit of spanishyo look at That wow now there’s some skill wow that’s beautiful isn’t It oh I love that that is really good Great slightly more advanced than me yes no I don’t know another year or so is practice you’ll be up to This Handsome devil as Well [Applause] hey wow wasn’t that guitarist fabbe amazing yes absolutely we’re strolling towards the grand R the big wheel of larel shelm we’re considering having a sky view of the city well 5 ahead and we’re going up well Nikki always did say I used to sweep her off her feet

So I’m sweeping off her feet again in the uh on the wheel nice it’s where our Spanish uh Spanish guitarist was down the bottom there over by the tower wow that’s an impressive Old Ship there look at that fancy standing up at the top there in the Crow’s Nest wind howling house in

The Atlantic there now which rope do I pull to get the main sail up is no don’t know one or two ropes on there isn’t there for 90 OD EUR per person you can go out for a day sailing in her she’s off out Tomorrow leaves at 9:00 back at 5:30 full day I should think that’ll be something else wouldn’t it out on the Atlantic Wow there’s those uh yellow bikes as an occasional user 150 for 30 minutes €150 and then uh €2 for each half hour period after that simple plug in and off you go electrical Assistance or otherwise non-electrical we a little bit less there a Euro for the first half then 150 for each half

Hour so many ways to get around L Ro shell really got uh got lovely and warm this afternoon got yeah up in the top 20s I should think but the breeze is really Nice so next stop I think will be the bus back down um the 7 or8 miles back down to our campsite then we might just use their swimming pools as it’s quite warm and apart from being the uh cheapest bus in the world or the cheapest public transport every single person who got

Off in the last 10 miles old young school kids adults you name it all said thank you and goodbye to the driver isn’t that fantastic nothing like a good oldfashioned bit of courtesy o those pools are looking inviting I think we’re do for a swim up

On the gallion is it I’m going to be on the gallion maybe not dive with complete disregard for your own safety into the pool below this is it or alternativ be have a bit of a lounge in the pool that’s the reception area I came in at yesterday wow there’s one of the

Restaurants see we got that pirate theme definitely going on majorly part’s closing up for the season now we’re uh September 18 so probably is everything starting to calm down now all the kids back at school and there’s resi street light didn’t come on last night Peggy still on the back enjoying a

Bit of sunshine oh look at the state of the van absolutely minging in places not too bad oh Nikki’s on a mat on a mat Quest the mat’s out we know we’re here for more than a night when the mat’s out well that was a lovely stay there

Wasn’t it at camping uh Laos yeah um just just about I would say about 4 miles south of larell um easy access into larell we caught the bus um on one day and um for the rest of the time we used our scooter but either way uh

Larell is very accessible so um great campsite uh facilities were absolutely fine clean um nice and quiet and we had a really nice big pitch actually didn’t we yeah it was yeah asked the reception there so that we could uh keep the trailer on the back CU actually the best

Place is it uh is it when it’s locked on the back so um uh yeah they were very obliging found us a good size pitch as you saw on some of the footage there and um thoroughly enjoyed that stay yeah it was good really nice I should imagine it

Gets busy in the summer when it’s children’s holidays pirate theme wasn’t it yeah a pirate theme S Pool but there’s also an adult pool um which we really enjoyed I know I wanted the pirate theme I was I was quite happy to like put a headscarf on and a and a

Saber were you well yeah yeah yeah Fair enough anyway it was very nice each to their own okay guys we’ll be on the road again shortly and no doubt we’ll check in with you as we head further south about 150 OD miles and we’ll let you know where

We’re off to on the next film yeah see you soon take care bye Bye Oh