More Mediterranean coast

18^th August

We drove down the coast to our intended next stop it had 150 sites, 30 or so with power. It was absolutely boiling again, well over 30 degrees, hundreds if not thousands of people streaming down the roads on bicycles, in cars, campervans or in the “plages” (beaches) areas on foot.  When we stopped at the site we had marked in our book all the sites with electricity were taken, which in hindsight was a blessing.  There was the option of trying back up the road a bit but instead we decided to continue to our next option in our book, about 80kms further south.  The trip was straightforward, we didn't miss any turn-offs and all the roads were clearly marked with their route number (which is rather unusual).  The drive was very pretty, beautiful dark blue sky, the Mediterranean glimmering blue and silver, patches of vineyards with the green of the vines contrasted against the orange tinted soil underneath. The towns are filled with orange Spanish style half round tiled roofed buildings with peachy coloured plastered exteriors. There are palm trees scattered around, all the round-abouts are decorated with interesting sculptures or fountains or flower beds.  If it weren’t so crowded with holiday makers and tourists (like ourselves) it would be heavenly. We think the school holidays finish either this weekend (it’s Saturday today) or next which hopefully will lessen the load on the beaches.

We found our camping area relatively easily, again it was well signposted, which is always a help. It isn’t at the beach (which is probably why it is so nice), it is more rural, about a km from a small village/settlement called Latour-Bas-Elne, about 15-20kms from the Spanish border. It is in Catalan (I thought that was part of Spain only, but this is definitely France (though people do speak Spanish as frequently as French), they fly the Catalan flag everywhere and many signs are in Spanish as well as, or rather, than French. 

The campsite is on grass, with trees scattered (could be a few more for shade on the days like the last few we have experienced) but nice and quiet, and calm, an oasis amongst the hurly burly of the seaside holiday spots.

Once we arrived we put up our awning, got out our deck-chairs, and slumped into them, letting our damp backs air in the slightly cooler shade.  We had an afternoon of doing nothing much, reading, drinking any fluid we could find, chatting and just coping with the temperature.  We didn’t even explore the area, not that there is anything in the immediate vicinity, but we didn’t move more than 2 metres from the truck.

19^th August

We need some work done on the truck, it has an issue with its tappets I think, it taps in the left front wheel when we go around biggish corners to the right. We had hoped that the bloke here could do something as he is a campervan repairer, but when we talked to him (very limited dialogue due to major language differences) he pointed us in the direction of the Fiat repairers in Perpignan. Perpignan isn’t far away at all, it was just the thought of going near a big city again, and trying to find a garage without GPS, map of the city, or more than a street address. The woman who runs this place, and has slightly better English than her husband (and far better English than my French) told us it was in the “Sud” with a whole lot of car dealers, so we headed off to the South of Perpignan in search of the Fiat dealer. We didn’t really know where we were going, but we have learnt that most of these big European cities (or even quite small cities) have big industrial parks on their outskirts, where all these types of place are. We headed to the south (on our map in the map book which is excellent, but which only does 10kms to about 2.5cm, so doesn’t have detail of urban roads. We stopped at a supermarket at one point to get mainly some fluids as we are drinking like fish in this heat and humidity, and when there asked if anyone knew where we needed to go. Well half the supermarket wanted to help. One lad from the butchery department knew exactly where we needed to go, and drew an excellent map which we followed diligently. It was a long and complicated route from the supermarket, and at times I wasn’t totally convinced we had got it right, but we trusted, and were rewarded with finding the Fiat place just where he said it would be. Of course by then they were all closed up, having their 2 hour lunch break, but we parked up and had a lunch break of our own in their driveway, while we waited. When they opened up again we abandoned our lunch and went in to try to explain the trucks symptoms to the man at reception. They could only do the mechanical repairs, being a Fiat engine, but are not able to help with the other problems. They have a “rapide service” system, which basically means they diagnose the problem there and then, and then give you a date and time for repair, once they have had time for any parts to be ordered and delivered. So they put the truck up on the hoist and checked it out while we sat in their cool show-room, playing cards. Unfortunately it is expensive repairs that need doing, something about the transmission, and I presume also the tappets??? Don’t know, but I do know it will cost 1500 euro to repair. Fortunately we got a guarantee with the truck, so we are only liable for half the cost (something to do with the mileage, that we don’t get it all? I’ll check that out later. So next Thursday we need to take the truck back to have its repairs done. So meanwhile we will stay here again tonight and tomorrow and then go away for a few days before returning for a night or so to allow the repairs to be done. They said it should only take the morning on Thursday, which is great, because our truck is our home.

We stopped at a McDonalds to check out the internet, particularly where the nearest Hymer dealer was (the brand of the body of our truck) so we could try to organise some other bits (like a new rear-view mirror to replace the one which met with a huge stick poking out over the road when I pulled over to not crash into a car which was coming towards me in the middle of a narrow coastal road on our way here). The internet showed us a dealer which was only about a km off our intended route back to the camping site, a blessing indeed, as Hymer dealers are a relatively rare breed. So we worked our way to the dealer, only to be told they didn’t deal with Hymer  (dah, why did they come up on the search????) and the nearest place was Toulouse (not within spitting distance even in a cyclone). So we had to settle for a temporary solution, a piece of mirror-like sticky card stuff which you put over the mirror. I had to buy it even though it cost a bit because there is no glass in the mirror at present and so I can’t see a thing behind me on the right which makes changing lanes incredibly dicey and nerve wracking.

The day had begun a bit cooler, it had been in the high 20’s for the morning and very early afternoon, however by 3pm it was up to 36 degrees with a humidity around 85%. That is exhausting, not inclusive to doing much so we didn’t once we got back to the campsite. We just lounged outside in the shade, drank dozens of cups of tea, guzzled lemonade, and eventually organised dinner.

We have instituted some rules of behaviour to our time. We are all rather stressed, and very picky, angry and downright rude and non-understanding of each other at present. It has culminated in many nasty outbursts, and nobody can claim to have been any politer than anyone else.  I guess we are all finding it pretty hard being in a very small area, with no personal space, and little opportunity to get “alone time”. I know I am one who has always cherished personal space, and why I love shift work, because that way when on an afternoon duty I can have the morning all to myself if I choose. Whilst I have trouble with myself (I have many short-comings, and don’t always think I am the best person around, and need medication to keep me in line, I do need my own company in order to stay pleasant.