Since leaving Bordeaux we have explored a little more of central France and got into the swing of camping life, or should I say Hi De Hi.
As always our destination was left to the very last minute...in the Bordeaux hotel car park while we could still reach their wifi. Tim plucked a camp ground out of mid air for us to aim for. And as always he came through with the goods.
Three swimming pools, a kids club type programme and loads of space, oh and of course the price was right.
With plenty to explore in the region we had loads of options to keep ourselves amused.
Each morning started out with aqua aerobics at 10. Well for the kids anyway. The pool was not exactly warm. It seemed to me that there was a set criteria for these aqua sessions too...a) you had to be under 10 years of age, or b) were rather well endowed in the chest department, to aid in flotation and be knocking on 60. Neither which I fit, so I played it safe and took up the role of life guard instead.
After a long and leisurely lunch we would head for the hills and hunt out the stunning chateaux. Most being from the 1200's or earlier and in differing states of renovation and ruin.
Boys and weapons...go figure.
I am picking this stained glass window is not an original.
Not the best shot, but trying to show the thickness of the castle walls. Not really the best spot for breaking and entering.
Another afternoon expeditions was to Chateau de Chazeron.
We learnt quite a bit on this tour as we managed to link up with a french guide.
One of Jacks favourites were why the stone steps going up to the sleeping quarters were so steep.
The reason being that knights in armour would really struggle to bend at the knee to ascend the stairs to attack while the Lords slept.
It was also used as a prison in the second world war
We wereled down a few secret passages and hidden rooms accessed by pulling or twisting the torch stands. The kids thought it was extreemly ceative for 800 odd years ago.
And as often is the case there was a doomed love story to keep the girls happy. Where the Lord was forced to marry someone he didn't love to seal family ties, they had six daughters together. He was secretly in love with a servant woman and they ended up having a boy...our of wedlock, shock horror! He wanted to legalise the bastard son to carry on the family name and thus causing a few tense family meals in the grand hall. He was eventually formalised and given a family crest with the same design as his fathers but of different colour to show the world he was not of pure blood.
The evolution of the castle..over 500 years
Check out the size of the kitchen fire place. If only these walls could talk.
Not a bad view really.
The kids have been super amazing at making the language barrier work for them and spent any extra time up at the playground with their new friends.
And of course there was the disco night, where all the camp kids put on a show. Not really up Jacks alley when he was told the boy had to dress up as girls and girls as boys. For some reason the french boys didn't seem to mind.
Thanks for reading our family blog. I hope you are enjoying checking out what we have been getting up to.
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