After a few days of doing not a lot in Die, we move on to Tain-l’Hermitage, just across the river from Tournon, where we were a few weeks ago:

Maybe Chocolate City tomorrow.

Église du Prieuré de Tain

Vines from the right bank

Headed east, as going north looked like rain:

We are in a place called Die. The road here from Le Pouzin is great, even in a big lumbering motorhome, with nice views. Stopped at the Intermarché Hyper in Loriol-sur-Drôme, which is selling a decent range of LPs.

View from outside the campsite at Die

Nearly into October so time to start moving north, before the weather turns dire. We are off again, then, not before visiting the Sunday market in Lourmarin, which was memorable for its expensive items, and being devoid of tat.

The route:

We were aiming for Camping l’Albanou, with its bar, pool, food and all mod cons, but managed to turn into the campsite next door, which has no bar, or anything really. Nice place, nevertheless, so we stayed.

Camping de l’Ouveze (next door to l’Albanou)

We need to find something interesting to do tomorrow.

Ferrari in Lourmarin

Lourmarin – nice place

Finally warm weather, for the first time this month.  Lourmarin is a very nice place.

That Fiat again

Fridge empty, no wine, no food, and as much as it is nice here, we decided to move on.  Big debate as to whether to go to Massane, which we love, but where we were only four months ago, or somewhere new, or to somewhere we had been before but not for a while.  Last option, then.  We visited Lourmarin about six years ago and liked it a lot.  Topped up at the Super-U at Puyvert, a supermarket that is nearly impossible to find in the middle of nowhere.  Fridge now full and we have some wine on board.

Nice Fiat 500 (original) causing traffic chaos in Lourmarin

Route from Avignon, a scary place to drive out of during lunchtime rush-hour – even the locals were driving one another nuts with much pushing in tooting horns :

Having spent many hours tramping around the city yesterday we decided to give our feet a rest and go on a cruise on the river Rhône:

We are now in Avignon.  This was not part of the plan, if there is ever any plan about anything.  The cupboards are running bare so we were going to stop at the Leclerc supermarket on the outskirts of Apt, but it was mobbed.  The GPS kept wanting to take us back there, so we carried on clueless until we eventually found ourselves on the outskirts of Avignon, where we stopped and programmed in a local campsite.

It has been a few years since we were last here, but the local   enterpreuners were still manning the traffic lights going into town trying to wash your windscreen and demanding money with menace.  All smiley at first, until you don’t pay, or tell them to go away (in anglo-saxon).  If they were homeless types desperate for a meal, or students wanting some beer money, fair enough, but these are clean, well dressed and well groomed people just seemingly out to harass people for cash.  Annoying.

Anyway, got to campsite, went for a stroll, and will explore further during the next few days.

Pont d’Avignon

How we got here:

We left Tournon with no idea where to go next.  Here is what happened:

We set off for Apt, where we have been before and found it a pleasant town with a good market and a decent campsite.  Not this time, campsite packed, apart from a little bit near the loos, where there was electric madness, cables everywhere, and not nearly enough to go around.  Shame it has gone so downhill, so off we went.

Next nearest campsite http://www.campingleluberon.com/ which is a lovely place, not at all packed, and, since we missed the entrance on the way, we found the village of Saignon:

A view to die for

And a nice big car park to visit this lovely place

This is a pleasant enough place.   However, the town beggar is somewhat annoying, demanding money from everybody, and some of the locals are high on something, though they seem harmless enough.  The cruise ships park (dock, moor, whatever?) outside the campsite on the river and run their engines while people try to sleep.

The campsite was full for most of the three nights we stayed, but everyone generally well behaved until we get this joker:

What a clown

There was a perfectly good pitch (numbered) next to us and an even better one opposite (also numbered), but this clown decided to park on the access road right in front of us.

Headed South, easily clearing Lyon without too much disruption.  Now in Tournon-sur-Rhône:

Nice place, overlooking the Rhône with hills of vines on the opposite bank.  Decent stop either after or before negotiating the occasional chaos of Lyon.

Lovely vines

Footbridge lit up at night

Château-Musée de Tournon-sur-Rhône