We arrived in a place called Burg, literally in the middle of no where, ready to do some work for a british couple . They had a beautiful farmhouse situated just outside the village of Burg surrounded by picturesque views of the pyrenees. We spent a week here which was more than enough.. as lovely as this place is its very secluded and far too removed from civilisation for us ! We love the countryside but this is something else ..the nearest shop being half an hours drive away, let alone the nearest pub . We definitely got some inspiration from this place though and Jess made a new doggy friend called buster or bastard as it was nicknamed .
After leaving Burg we went west to Biarritz on the coast. Biarritz is a surfing hub of Europe and the waves were immense ! Although the place itself wasn’t as exciting as we’d hoped. Saturday night and the bars close at half 10 but i think thats just a trait we’ve noticed in France . The town also didn’t have alot to offer except expensive designer shops and restaurants which we were surprised about for a coastal place . Not really our cuppa tea but was worth seeing those waves !!
Well after searching long and hard and exploring to the ass end of France we have currently found the perfect french town ! We arrived in Salies de béarn to be greeted with some of the first smiles we’ve seen on the faces of those frogs . They couldn’t be nicer if they tried. There was an annual festival kicking off when we arrived which probably helped alot too. It was a big street party and a parade and everyone was wearing berets and getting merry..and not one fight or violent incident ! everyone in this town seems so happy to be here and you can see why. We also have stumbled upon an Irish pub, probably the only one of its kind in France (even the ones in paris are lame) . . Its a bit of a hub for the pretentious british property owners in France but if you get there after 9pm then its a different story. The landlord is an old English bloke who is pretty much a legend really . We were welcomed with open arms, especially Jess who has certainly made a big impact in this town. We’ve had every dog in town stalking Jess and they do not give up ! Even the pub landlord(whos name is Tom and daughter is called Cat) has a female dog called Lucky who is equally as fond of Jess as the males ! and even better ..he stays open until 2 am and you can’t leave without a drink on the house.
So we are currently loving this town and i think we will stay here for another few weeks to save some cash for moving on to the next place . We have just purchased a cheap laptop but we’re still struggling with internet access so we will try to be in contact every couple weeks !
Ciao for now x

We reluctantly left La Rochelle after becoming quite attached. We got a job offer down south in a place called Maussane which is apparantly in the top 5 most desirable places to live in France. It is a really gorgeous village but full of pretentious houses and people.
We travelled accross to montpellier next which was a nice change from being out in the sticks. However somewhat shocking that in a big city like this there is nothing open on a Sunday. In fact on that note there is rarely anything open at any time in France it would seem. They have siesta time for 3-4 hours in the afternoon which is the exact time you want to buy food so you have to travel out of the city to the big supermarkets. It quite gear grinding.
Not to paint a bad picture of the french but most of the ones weve come accross are rather obscure.
We headed West in search of more work and stumbled on a wonderful place called lake salagou. The most crystal clear lake weve ever seen. And whats more the lack of salt water meant Jess was free to bite the moving ripples of water to her hearts content. And she did!lots! We were so shocked to be the only camper staying there for 3 nights. I think the french are too lazy to even come out and see the beauty of their own country!
It is hard to believe that they dont seem to charge for parking anywhere though. At least theyve got something right!

We headed north from la londe to a place we thought would be a bit cooler for Jess and ended up in a highly dodgy city called St Nazaire(dont go there) but we stayed briefly due to the cheap internet access. we stayed in a neighbouring town called st Michel chef chef for health and safety reasons and it was a million miles away from the slums of st Nazaire. Then we decided to explore some little towns on the west coast and have gradually worked our way south again and are in La Rochelle. This is definitely the most beutiful city weve seen here, with old stone buildings, arch lined pavements and brilliant coastal views. The centre of the city is focused around a mariner with quaint market stalls and lots of cafes and restaurants. Also lots of street performers some more terrible than others..(and yes you can buy an indian pan pipe cd off the street)

Well one week and a bit in and everything is going well. We have managed to find places to camp for free every night! The drive down was nice and peaceful as we avoided toll roads. We stopped at some lovely places..a little town in the alps called sisteron (google it!) was quiet,very french and breath taking. Now we are on the south coast the med enjoying the warm weather and sea and living on fish, cheese and baggette!yum! jess is happy but keeps jumping at the waves, biting the sea water and then vomiting.;so we have to keep her away from that now.

Tom and Cat

This is the beginning!