The French Riviera - Another Day, Another Border

We apologise for our lack of photo's for this post!! Our next stop is Southern France. We cross the border from Spain and immediately notice a difference, from the sticky, clammy, hot city air we experienced in central Spain to the cool, crisp sea breeze that was now whirling around the camper. It was a welcome change and we were both glad to be back on the coast again.

Our journey from Vic to Perpignan was 140 miles and was somewhat uneventful. The journey was mostly motorways and when we got to the border it was busy with police checking people's vehicles and passports. As soon as we entered France the backdrop changed, rolling green mountains which echoed grey shadows that went on for as far as the eye could see. Some of the peaks were out of sight, high in the clouds, the Southern Alps.
 

We enter a sleepy seaside town with what looks like an old disused water park and funfair, there are not many people around and it resembles a ghost town. We arrive at the campsite and get settled. We get showered and changed and head down to the bar to watch the England v Costa Rica game. The waitress brings over an appetiser, a kind of pork pie situation but cut into squares with a soft glazed pastry casing. It didn't last long and the taste of some carbs has forced us to order a chorizo pizza. We waddle down to the beach with Oscar for a quick run around before watching the sun set and heading back to the camper. The following morning is a slow start, the weather has turned so we are camper bound making the most of the wifi and planning our next few stops. We check out and set off around 11AM. 

The journey from Perpignan to our next stop in Toulon is 325 miles. We travel along dual carriageways lined with vineyards, each one offering free wine tasting. There are numerous farm shops selling meat, cheese, homemade preserves and fruit & veg but we resist the urge to stop. We notice four flamingos flying alongside the van through a field at one point, we are both dumbfounded, neither of us are quick enough to get the camera. We reach Marsielle, a bustling city where we sit, stuck in traffic for two hours. We are at a standstill high up on a bridge alongside the port, watching the freight trains plastered with bright, colourful graffiti come and go along the busy train network, from up here it resembles a bowl of spaghetti. We enter the port twice by mistake as our satnav spins 360 degrees at a frantic speed trying to figure out where we are. Eventually we drive alongside a marina, busy with little fishing boats and expensive yatchs, the water is clear and inviting and almost level with the road. Opposite the marina the streets are lined with shops, cafés and bars busy with locals.

Wild Camp 13: La Seyne-sur-Mer
A few miles outside Toulon, the road follows the waters edge for miles until we reach a maze of one way stretches, we follow the sat nav to a large sports complex where locals are playing football outside. There are already four other camper vans here, not to mention the dozens we noticed wild camping in lay-bys and on pavements along the waters edge. We park up and claim the second to last spot and within 10 minutes another camper has arrived and the car park is full. We cook dinner and go straight to bed both exhausted from the long journey.

 

Our next stop is Cannes. Quiet fishing village turned millionaires playground, unfortunately the film festival took place in May but we are excited all the same. So excited that we left la Seyne-sur-Mer at 5:45AM hoping to miss the traffic and avoid sitting in the heat, our camper is too old for air conditioning. By 7:30AM we are at a standstill. All the patisseries are busy with people buying their breakfast pastries and French sticks before heading to work. We eventually reach the campsite, 8KM outside of Cannes around 9AM. We get settled and wander into the town, there isn't much to see although we do come across our first European charity shop. Residents of the French Riviera have a somewhat individual style so we didn't pick anything up but it's always fun having a rummage through the rails. We sit outside a small bar and watch the world go by for an hour or so.

Later that afternoon we head back to the camper for a siesta and a break from the sun. It's starting to get so hot now and a little nap in the shade does us the world of good. After this we head down to the beach and watch some people playing volleyball. We can see Cannes right along the shoreline, it's beautiful. There are lots of luxury beach bars and posh seafood restaurants and Oscar's nose is working overtime. He snifs his way right along the beach to the beautifully lit up Casino Royal. The sun has gone down and it's starting to get dark but there are still lots of people sitting in groups along the beach with BBQs and wine. We walk along the river into the town before heading back to the camper. The next morning we drive through the centre of Cannes. It absolutely stinks of money here, the seafront is lined with designer shops, Louis Vuitton, Mui Mui, Gucci, Prada and Michael Kors to name a few. There are wealthy residents and a few tourists meandering along the pavements laden with shopping bags. We don't stop for long, our budget couldn't withstand more than about an hour here. We press on to the next wild camp about 32KM away. It was our intention to stay here for one night and make our way to Italy the following day.

We turn up and the wild camp is full, probably due to its location just outside Cannes. We decide not to hang around and head straight to Italy. If we are lucky we'll arrive before dark.