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Home→Tags Eatons

Tag Archives: Eatons

French Camping 2023, Day 4 Arçais and Spiders

Blasdale Home Posted on September 2, 2023 by SteveOctober 18, 2023

2nd September 2023

There was no damage from the heavy rain. Even the ground appeared surprisingly dry. It turned out to be a hot sunny day.

We were given a tour of their son’s barn, which is next to their house. Some excellent renovations with plenty of style.

Preparing for supper

Linda drove to the nearby town of Coulon to purchase some ‘pork spiders’, or Araignée de Porc, also known as ‘pope’s eye steak’ (!) for the BBQ in the evening. Sausages and some bread were also acquired.

My Boggie Tel eSIM

I had been receiving text messages from Boggie Tell suggesting that I was going to be cut off, unless I phoned them on some premium number and confirmed my ID. This sounded like a scam, but with the aid of Google, this appeared to be true. I phoned the number, but there was a rush of French telling me to press some number. With the aid of Linda, we navigated this menu. For future reference, it was 1, then 1.

We then were talking to a call center operator; they do speak both English and French. They wanted my passport number and name. This apparently is the French law. Anyway, it all worked out, I was not cut off on my 30-day SIM, and I had no idea how they were going to charge me on the premium rate number, because they did not have my payment details.

One other positive aspect of the Boogie Tell eSim is it allows roaming throughout the EU, and also free roaming in the UK. In fact, I downloaded the eSIM and activated it in the UK before I left for France, using both data and making phone calls.

The Afternoon

Lunch was bread and cheese. I went for a five mile walk in the afternoon. Crossed the river using the ferry. This is a small ferry and operated by chain. You haul yourself across the river. Linda was surprised it was still in operation. There had been trouble with the ferry, vandals sinking it on occasion. The town mayor was considering removing the crossing. I then headed back along the river towards Damvix. I did not reach Damvix, time was short, and crossed the river at the locks and headed back up the road.

The evening was wine and a BBQ of the ‘pork spiders’, and sausages. There were glow worms about, which proved very difficult to photograph. There was a lovely clear night and I saw a trail of satellites which must have been launched this very day by musky boy.

France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais
France - Arcais

Posted in France | Tagged Arcais, Eatons, France, France 2023 | Leave a reply

French Camping 2023, Day 3 Arçais

Blasdale Home Posted on September 1, 2023 by SteveOctober 18, 2023

1st September 2023

It had rained during the night at Le Bec Hellouin, so it was a damp start to pack away the van. We set off to the Eatons in Arcais in the rain, using departmental roads. The Google route was bizarre, at one time taking us down at least 20K of single-track road.  As we drove south the weather improved and the sun came out

We stopped off at a supermarket for lunch and topped up with 1.75 diesel. Very warm, stripped off our outer layers. We also stopped at the Aldi in Niort to buy some wine.

Arriving in Arçais

Arrived at the Eatons around 4.00. Had tea. Supper was a lovely veggie Lasagne with Aubergine, made by Madame.  The house martins and swallows were sitting on the TV aerial making a freak display. A couple of starlings joined them. Mike mentioned the number of birds was a lot less than last year.  Very few bats out tonight. We did not see any, but the bat detector did hear them a couple of times.

After dark, I took some pictures of the stars and the van. There was tremendous thunder and lightning storm over night.

France -Arcais
France -Arcais
France -Arcais

Posted in France | Tagged Arcais, Eatons, France, France 2023 | Leave a reply

Arcais 6th – 8th September

Blasdale Home Posted on September 8, 2018 by SteveOctober 2, 2018

Today we packed up the van and left the campsite for Arcais, some five hours drive. A short break, with an hour left to drive, where we went to the loo and drank a coffee.

We arrived in Arcais at 16.21. We chose a pitch in the usual location by the lake and watched a man wade around the pond trying to retrieve his fishing tackle. The van was soon readied, so we walked up along the water ways to see the Eatons who gave us a very good pork supper.

Our next day was a lazy stay at home day. We walked up to the Eatons after breakfast, spent time on the Internet and at lunch. Linda and Rosemary disappeared off to a charity sale, come car boot sale.  R ended up buying 4 glasses to replace the one she’d broken on our first day. In the evening we walked back to the campsite along the canal with bat detector on. We heard bats, but also some other strange sounds at 20Khz which sounded more like a throbbing engine. (I have heard these since and they are quite localised in a tree. Some insect I expect. Wasps fanning in a nest??)

On Saturday we all went into Niort and searched for somewhere to eat. On the walk into town we passed books being given away, (for a donation if you wanted, R never saw the donation bit). R bought a Simenon, and was amazed to see it was first published in 1931 and Maigret was portly. Mike was keen to eat at a particular Thai restaurant, but it was alas closed on Saturdays, but said the patron with great pride, open on Mondays. Does that actually help?? We discovered a new Thai restaurant which did takeaways, and had some tables on the street. The food was fine, but not chilli hot, instead toned down for the French pallet.

Walked around the city and ventured into the old part where there were some fine buildings.

Back in Arcais for the evening, we all ventured to the “hippy bar”, which is open three months a year and has some live music. Tonight, we were entertained to some French Hip-Hop music. R surprised herself by thinking some of it was not bad.

Beautiful bright starlit evening in the campsite.

Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort
Niort

 

 

Posted in France | Tagged Arcais, Eatons, France, Niort | Leave a reply

France day 3 – Arçais

Blasdale Home Posted on September 6, 2017 by SteveAugust 27, 2018

Walked up to L&M after breakfast. Weather cloudy and sunny and warm.  R&L spent time collecting beans from the allotment.  Lunch and supper at L&M.  I did go for a short cycle ride on one of their bikes.  A tad uncomfortable and tremendously heavy.  Spent a while in the garden photographing a bumble bee in a passion flower,

Passion flower
Passion flower
Passion flower and bee
Passion flower and bee
Passion flower and bee
Passion flower and bee
Bee
Bee
Bee

Posted in France | Tagged Arcais, Eatons | Leave a reply
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