REFRESHED WITH A FRENCH TAN!

Setting off early in the morning, we arrived at Dover at 05:30 ready for a bit of French air. Sailing was smooth and we finally made it to Calais at 08:25 local time. Exit from Calais was very quick.

After a 6-hour drive, we decided to stop at La Chapelle St Laud.

I am really impressed with these spots ("Aire-de") as they allow you to enjoy the countryside without necessarily stopping at service stations to spend a penny.

After paying €42.1Euros in toll fees and a 15-hour drive, we finally arrived at the lovely campsite. Set in 14 hectares of tranquil land, the campsite has a swimming pool and enough space to lay your weary head. Although it does not offer disabled facilities, it is very easy to move around in a wheelchair and the showers are pretty decent.

With 2 rascals in tow and a mum who does not swim, we decided to visit Le Chateau des Aventuriers.

This is a very lovely adventure park - ideal for families who prefer a bit of history, nature and fun without the stomach churning rides. The adventure park is about 1 mile from the campsite but you need very comfortable footwear for the 3 hours of fun!

Down the road is La Rochelle - a very historic old town with a marina and very expensive shops. I almost wet myself when I had to drive the family to this place.

Further down the coast is Les Sables d'Olonne with a beautiful sandy beach. A very very lively place with lots of places to eat.

We could not travel all the way to France without a trip to Paris. With this in mind, we left La Vendée for the 6hour drive. With temperatures around 25°C, I was not in a good mood when we had to queue at a toll booth (about 60km from Paris) for an hour!!!!! It was very chaotic and expensive as well at €25.20Euros.

Although I have visited France on several occasions, this was a first trip with a disabled "teenage" daughter. One thing I noticed was the constant stare which was sometimes uncomfortable.