France 2006

Caves 'n' Corals

All photography on this site by Estelle Sandford

Our 2 week Tour de France

16^th May

Arrived at Calais early afternoon and drove to Rouen. Found a cheap hotel and food (and rain for the evening).

Quick explore around Rouen including walking down the Seine to the Gros Horloge (church with a clock with only one hand) and Eglise Jeanne d’Arc and Cathedrale Notre Dame before moving on to Caen. Visited the Chateau de Caen the onto Mont St-Michel. Stayed at a chalet (wendy house!) at Camping Haliotis.

18^th May

Off to the Loire Valley and a visit to Chateau de Chambord. Stayed overnight in Blois.

19^th May

Visited Chateau Royal de Blois before moving on and then onto Chateau d’Azay-le-Rideau then drove down to Bordeaux and stayed at a really grotty hotel next to an Irish bar where Guinness was 6 euros a pint!!!

20^th May

Raining so aborted the planned trip to the Atlantic Coast in favour of heading into the Dordogne. Stopped at St Emilion and then onto Bergerac for information and found a lovely budget hotel at a place called Mauzac – right on the Dordogne.

21^st May

Sun back out, so off to visit some caves and local sites. Grotte du Grand Roc, Le Thot, Grotte de Lascaux II, La Rogue St-Christophe, Gouffre du Promumeyssac and then back to Mauzac for a second night.

22^nd May

Off upstream of the Dordogne to Chateau de Castelnaud with its museum of medieval warfare and then onto Gouffre de Padirac. Camped at Severac l’Eglise.

23^rd May

Visited the Millau Bridge and then onto the Gorges du Tarn in the Languedoc, then onto Nimes where we stayed for the night.

24^th May

Visited the Amphitheatre in Nimes, then carried on down to Marseille via the Camargue.

25^th May

Spent the day on the beach at Marseille and visited Cassis.

26^th May

Visited the Iles du Frioul and Chateau d’If and spent the rest of the day in Marseille.

27^th May

Left Marseille early afternoon for the start of the journey north. Stayed at a campsite just north of Grenoble in the French Alps with an amazing view.

28^th May

Continued north and stayed in Reims for the last night.

29^th May

Left Reims and up to the Cite d’Europe for some retail therapy then the ferry back to Dover and home.