Basil pointed his nose south and set off down the Rhone valley for our journey to the mediterranean. We noticed spring has just begun in Provence. There is blossom on some of the trees and the wild rosemary, among other flowers, is coming into bloom. Another week or so and the countryside will be fully alive.

Our journey to our intended overnight spot was uneventful, although our non toll route took us through Marseilles and the aggressive driving of the locals kept me and Basil on our toes. We then followed the coast road through deserted seaside towns, with covers over the parking meters, shut up for the winter.

The weather, as predicted, was overcast with occasional rain; although it was a temperate 14ºC.

We arrived at our planned destination to find that the Aire we had selected from one of our books, had now disappeared. The town of Six-Fours-les-Plages was quiet so we were able to park up on the promenade for lunch, along with several other motorhomes. It would have been possible to overnight here but the adjacent road would have made it unpalatably noisy.

The Cote D’Azur at last

After lunch we had a walk along the seafront so the dogs could stretch their legs. Most places were shut up tight waiting for the season, when the promenade would no doubt be heaving.

See how the beard’s progressing!

Six-Four-les-Plages

I use several sources to find places to overnight. The ACSI camping book is one and I have a Dutch book written in English, detailing places for motorhomes to stop covering the whole of Europe. In addition I have some country specific books detailing Aires in France and Italy. Finally I have some apps on my phone detailing official and unofficial places for stopping.

It was in the best of these apps, imaginatively titled Park4Night, that I spotted a marina , at La Coudouliere, just a mile up the coast that accepted 4 motorhomes out of season (43.097132, 5.811488). So after our walk this is where we headed. Fortunately there was only one other motorhome camped there when we arrived, although at the time of writing there is now a full complement. The cost is €10 including electricity, showers, toilets and supposedly WiFi, although this does not seem to work!

Marina at Couloudiere

Basil’s ego was suitably massaged to be parked alongside a bevy of Cote D’Azur yachts. We likewise loved the location, overlooking the small marina and next to a pretty little beach. There is a boulangerie across the road, so all is well with the world. With luck the view will improve further with sunshine tomorrow.

Spot Basil