Camping Pasteur

       

I came to Camping Pasteur in Arès at about 2:30. It had been hot but easy riding on the straight asphalted bicycle trail.

When I signed in and said where I was from the girl exclaimed "Sault Ste. Marie" out loud and called Thierry over. His parents moved from FlinFlon Manitoba to Sault Ste. Marie when he was 4. They started a bakery and stayed for a few years before moving to Quebec and starting a bakery there.

They had a spot for me in the yard of this mobile home. I could use the electricity inside and the table and chair on the deck. It is the most I have paid at 15 Euros but I was just happy to have a place today after all my failed efforts to go to Bordeaux. I also bought 2 pops for 2 euros each and gulped them down as even though I drink a lot I think I am still dehydrated.

The problem was that it was dusty black dirt full of ant holes. Thankfully it was not going to rain and I decided to use part of my groundcloth as a little carpet of sorts.

All set up. I even had a drying line.

I spent over an hour in the pool before showering and dressing.

The campground is really for trailers and camper vans travelling by. I walked around looking at license plates and there  were about 5 from Denmark, one from Ireland and one from Britain and the rest from France.

In the evening I went for a walk to find the water and was surprised to find that this part of the basin is low and full of grassy water plants. The boats were all sitting with no water.

In between the plants it is all mud because the tide is out.

The beach part is sandy.

There are cannons at both ends pointing to the water.

Signs telling some of the history

I walked out to the end of the pier to see the MUD...

and more MUD in every direction.

All night long I could hear acorns dropping from the tree above me.