There's Still Time for Camping

Few weeks ago we went camping for a few days to a place we've been before, on the shores of the river Tarn. It was Mon Cheri's birthday and anyway, we wanted to get a little break while we can, before my knee-operation in October.

The drive took just over an hour and we passed through Millau on our way there. Here's some views on our approach.

You can bypass Millau completely, if you wish, by taking the Millau viaduct, apparently the tallest brigde in the world. That will save time if one is in a hurry, but the road toll will cost you about 8 euros on high season and couple of euros less off -peak.

'Located in Southern France, the Millau Viaduct is the tallest bridge in the world. Constructed in three short years, the bridge is an engineering and architectural marvel. At its highest point, the bridge soars 343 meters (1,125 ft) above ground, that’s 19 meters (62 ft) taller than the Eiffer Tower!'
(https://twistedsifter.com/2011/06/worlds-tallest-bridge-millau-viaduct-france/)

Ok, camp all set up and ready, now we can relax! And this late in a season there's not many tourists around either, so the campsite was nice and quiet. Just what the doctor ordered!

And looking at these views, how could you not feel relaxed! The river runs right by the campsite and its full of fish. Ducks also swim by regularly in hope of some food and one day we saw a heron that was hunting his lunch on the little islet in the middle of the river. The tent places are nestled among the trees and all we heard all day long was the little birds singing their hearts out, flying from tree to tree. One day there was a squirrel on a tree just next to us and both nights, just after it got dark, we could see many bats flying around. A real nature-lovers paradise!

What a pleasure it was to remove my sandals and get in contact with the earth. Not much chance of that where we live now, since everything is covered in asphalt, broken glass and dog shit.

In my youth I used to run around with bare feet all summer long and hence my soles were constantly  black. My mother put a bucket of water next to the front door and I needed to scrub my feet carefully before coming in. Which is probably one reason why I stayed outside most of the time.

Aah, bliss!

Somebody was swimming in the river. I didn't go this time...must be getting old.

The view was great from inside the tent as well.

Hubert, a Solitary Male from Mount Aigual, was looking for a lady friend, a soul mate. Any takers?

We haven't had any bbq's this summer, so it was about the time to grill some sausages and eat them with our very own tomatoes. In the village we found a shop that sells the most delicious, local sausages (on the left) and the merghez (on the right) were not bad either.
There were some tomatoes growing on the campsite too, which the campers were welcome to pick and eat. Now that's what I call service!

The nature's own bounty; wallnuts collected from the campsite.

Views from our walk near the village.

The weather was still incredibly hot and I questioned the sanity of our decision to hike up a hill in search of a forest. One must not be lazy though and think that it is better to lie in the camp reading a book with a cool drink in a hand. First work, then fun!

Our funny little neighbours. What a delightful and refreshing little 'holiday' we had!