Camping conundrums…

...It seems that camping in France is changing as has been demonstrated by a recent stay at Gannat.  A campsite I have visited many times over many years.  Read on...

Arriving at the campsite, which sits above the village of Gannat, has always been a pleasure because as you pull onto the site, you get your first glimpse of the fabulous view across the valley.  Check the photo on the right.  Naturally having visited many time I have my favourite spots and the pic is the view from my pitch when I last visited.
Whenever I arrive, I always pull up and go to the office.  But in September and June it’s mostly the same scenario.  Office closed, and you pitch up and come back to register when the office opens at two or four or sometimes as late as six.  This is a scenario that is employed all over France.  Indeed, the three campsites I used before getting to Gannat all employed the mentioned scenario.  Checking the office at Gannat, I found it was closed even though there was a clearly typed notice on the door stating it would be open until mid-day.  I checked my watch, it was 11.45am.
Camping conundrum number 1.  Why advertise a service that you then deliberately don’t staff?
It turns out that the site is under new management, and according to the new management, it is not acceptable to just rock up and pitch.  You are expected to wait or go away and come back at two in the afternoon when the office re-opens.
Camping conundrum number 2.  Why was the barrier at the entrance to the site still raised when I arrived if I’m not allowed to check in until two?
I checked the information about the campsite in the two most popular campsite books which I always have with me and which are this year’s editions.  In neither of those books—Camping Card ACSI and Le Guide Officiel Camping Caravaning FFCC— does it give any indication that access to the site is after two.
Camping conundrum number 3.  If the new management wants to restrict entry, then why not let us, the paying customers, know that by adding a simple note in the two most extensively available books?
I’ve been camping and travelling in France since I was a teenager, and in my experience, the general rule is that dogs on campsites are kept on a lead.  I’ve been on many sites where this is a stated rule or is adhered to by all campers as an unwritten understanding.  So, I was very confused by the new management’s attitude.  The new management has a dog that is left to roam freely around the site.  As it did on the pitch I was using and, of course, it did what dogs are prone to do and left its own calling card.  I was not impressed.  Another camper arriving a couple of days after me mentioned that she had found a little present from the dog on her pitch.  So I took a walk around the site, and yep, you’ve guessed it, other pitches with little presents!
Camping conundrum number 4.  I would like to know what the new management’s policy is.  Is it one rule for the paying customers who must keep their dogs on leads and a different rule for new management’s dog who can go wherever it likes.  Is that really a fair policy?
Camping conundrum number 5.  On my walk around the campsite, I couldn’t see any dog parcel disposal bins.  After all, if we, the paying customers, are expected to clean up our own pitches after a visit from the new management’s dog, I would have expected to be provided with the capability to do so.  Is that something that will be arranged for next year?
Finally, I couldn’t help noticing that some of my camping companions consciously and deliberately chose to ignore the magnificent view across the valley.
Camping conundrum number 6.  Why would anyone sit facing their van when you have a view like the one above?
 
I have other camping conundrums for you Here

I hope you will be able to join me ...

... and three other fabulous local authors at Leeds Central Library on October 25th. Read on for more details ...

I will be at Leeds Central Library on October 25th for a special event about writing cosy crime. Gianetta Murray, Anne Wedgwood, and Catherine Yaffe will also be joining me.

Gianetta Murray is the author of an anthology of humourous paranormal tales called A Supernatural Shindig, which was released at the beginning of this year. Moved to Murder, the first in her cosy crime series featuring amateur sleuth Vivien Brandt, was published a couple of months ago. The second book in the series is already being drafted.

Anne Wedgwood is the author of The Botanist, The Soloist and The Narcissist. All three of these books are part of her 'Twist in the Tale' series of crime novels.

Keeping us all in line and asking us questions will be Catherine Yaffe. Catherine is the author of The Tangled Web series of crime thrillers. She has also recently released Catch Me Twice, a Detective Inspector Ziggy Thornes thriller.

The event, Making Crime Pay, will take place at Leeds Central Library, Calverley Street, Leeds LS1 3AB, at 6.30pm and will last about an hour. Join us as we discuss what makes a successful protagonist, why location is important, and many other facets of today's cosy crime novel. There will be time to talk to us afterwards, and we will all have copies of our books with us if you would like to buy any.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, this event is being re-arranged.  As soon as a new date is agreed with Leeds library, I will announce it here.  Keep watching this space.

Come and join me ...

...at the Craft Fair in the beautiful village of Kirk Smeaton (WF8 3LB) on October 19th...

This super event will run from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and is being held in Saint Peter's Church.  It may be a small building, but it dates from the 12th century and has an interesting history.  Have a look at the chancel arch, which is thought to have been constructed around 1160.  There is also a large stone font that is thought to be a little earlier.

In 1862, the original building was enlarged and restored and, as a result of over-work on the restoration, some of the detail from the early features has been lost, unfortunately.  The full history of the building is also very patchy, so it is difficult to be precise about any of the attributes visible in this stunning little piece of architecture.

However, what is not in dispute, is the village listing in the Domesday Book - Domesday being the middle English spelling of our modern-day title, Doomsday.  Dating from 1086, this incredible piece of ancient documentation can now be accessed online.  The book records who was owner of the land, both before William's invasion and afterwards, and the church is briefly mentioned.

One other little bit of information that might interest you is that the current name of the village orignates from Smedetone which is a composite of two words from Old English.  The first meaning 'smith' and the second meaning 'estate' or 'farm'.  The Kirk - derived from the old Norse word for church - was added later and is first documented in the 14th century.

And if the history doesn't encourage you visit on October 19th, then maybe the details of the Craft Fair will.

There will be all sorts of stalls with lots of hand-crafted items. I will be there, too, and I will be signing and selling books. I will have all six of my Jacques Forêt Mysteries with me. So, if you would like to chat about France, the Cévennes, the stories, or even Jacques himself, please drop by and say hello. I will also be able to give you the latest info on the next book in the series.

I will be bringing the three fabulous Miss Moonshine anthologies as well.  If you are in need of a feel-good, heart-warming read for autumn, then these collections of gentle stories will see you through the holidays.  They are ideal for those few moments when the kids are busy, and all you need is a cuppa and a bit of me-time.

In addition, I will have all four of the multi-genre miscellanies of tales from the Seasonal Collective.  So, if you want to discover some new authors, these collections are just for you.  And who knows, something to read might be the answer to that nagging question about what to get aunty so-and-so for Christmas this year.

In addition, refreshments will be available throughout the day, and you can also try your luck in the raffle.  I can guarantee you a lovely day out in stunning, historic surroundings.  So please drop by and say hello.  Entry to the fair is absolutely free.

October 19th, St Peter's Church, Main Street, Kirk Smeaton, WF8 3LB

Entry to the fair is FREE

Rivers of France ...

… I’m taking a longer stopover in the city of Vendôme on my journey along the river Le Loir.  Come and join me as I do some more exploring …

 
First things first, and that means a trip to the boulangerie - Epi d’Or - in the market place.  I’ve been so often whilst I’ve been here that Madame now recognises me.  She tries to guess what I want today.  I’ve espied another favourite, and in preference to the offered tarte-au-citron I ask for a Mille Feuille instead. With lunch all packaged and paid for, it’s a short walk back towards the Abbaye de la Trinité.  The magnificent church sits at the top of rue de l’Abbaye.  Built in the gothique flamboyant style it is a magnificent piece of architecture which dominates the skyline when viewed from above and overshadows the town from within.  The main entrance to the abbey is reached by a couple of steps and is flanked by an ornate arch and window.  This façade was completed in 1508 by Master Mason Jean Texier who is usually referred to as Jean de Beauce – Beauce being a region in north-central France situated between the rivers Seine and  La Loire.  It covers one modern-day département and parts of three others.  Texier and his sculptors have left behind one of the most imposing pieces of stonework that I have thus far seen in France.
Inside, the vaulting – constructed in the eleventh and twelfth centuries – sits alongside much older Roman.  The original building here was founded by Count Geoffroy 1 in 1033.  From the eleventh century, the abbot of the Benedictine monastery bore the title of Cardinal.  This link to Rome provided the establishment with certain powers and independence.  It was a privilege that lasted until the revolution - that’s almost eight hundred years.
The stained glass windows and ornately carved choir stalls all date from the sixteenth century.  In its time this place has been changed, enhanced and rebuilt, leaving us with a mixture of history in the walls and accoutrements that are around us.
From the Middle Ages right through to the eighteenth century, merchants could pay money to the abbey for the right to sell their reliquary, religious trinkets and images, candles and birds to whoever came in.  Today, the abbey is calm, a cool refuge from a strong sun, and very quiet.

As I leave the abbey and walk back to the campsite I see that the predicted event at the memorial garden is about to take place.  The road is closed off.  There’s a throng of people, some in uniform, and there’s a flame burning at the foot of the war memorial.  In a few moments, a small cohort of marching elderly men, their backs perhaps not quite as straight as they used to be, but their regimental berets and medals worn with precision and pride, take their place at one side of memorial.
I quickly do the maths in my head and realise it’s eighty years since the liberation.  There are speeches, wreaths are laid, and the Marseillaise is sung.  I wonder in how many other little towns and cities across France similar events will be taking place over the summer …
 
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like to read my earlier posts from Le Loir  Châteaudun and my previous post from Vendôme  There will be more from Le Loir next month.