France 2022

Tuesday, June 7 – Wednesday June 8

Long day today.  We left SFO Tuesday afternoon and, after a layover in Amsterdam, arrived in Nice in the early evening on Wednesday.  We picked up our rental vehicles and a quick pizza dinner and headed for our campsite for the night.  Everyone was tired but happy to be in France.

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Thursday, June 9 

Today we had a busy day starting with a Patisserie run for chocolate croissants. When our bellies were full we went grocery shopping and then on to Villecroze for a limestone cave grotto tour and lunch. 

In the afternoon we went to the Rhône US Military Cemetery where we retired two flags and toured the grounds. Then on to Castellane where we will camp for the next four days.

Friday, June 10

We woke up to a beautiful day in Castellane. Breakfast was hard boiled eggs with bread and cheese. We divided into two groups, one for electric mountain biking around Lac de Chaudanne and the other for an Aqua Rando trip on the Verdon River. After lunch the groups switched activities.

For the Aqua Rando, we donned wet suits for a combination of hiking and floating through some really fun rapids for approx 1.5 km. The guides were terrific and everyone enjoyed the trek. It entailed scampering over boulders, swimming and jumping into the water something all youth love to do.

The mountain bikes were electric-assisted and everyone quickly got the hang of it. Makes the hills easy. The biking was not without drama though, we had a couple of spills. One sprained ankle and one serious injury that required treatment in a regional hospital. He’s going to be fine and the crew was very supportive and helpful. So after an exhausting day, dinner was mac n cheese and was relished.

Saturday, June 11 

Saturday the Crew had a more laid back day. After breakfast we shuttled into the village of Castellane for sight-seeing and for a visit to the 

morning market in the square. During the afternoon the Crew had a swim call and enjoyed the campground pool. We ended with a delicious dinner of rice and stew.

Sunday, June 12 

Sunday morning we embarked on cave exploration. The first of the two caves was a challenging underground ropes course called Via Souterrata. The crew put on overalls, rubber boots and helmets. We descended by ladder always clipped on with harnesses and traversed various tunnels and chambers. Sometimes we had to wiggle through small openings while at other times we crossed over tightropes and bridges. Everyone emerged with glee, but looking very muddy!!  

Next we drove to Cave de Baume Obscure which was very different. Following lunch, we had a guided tour through a limestone cave rich with stalactite formations. It was well-illuminated and had ambient music. This was great for picture-taking. We all appreciated the cool temperatures in the cave because it was over 90 degrees outside. 

After the caves we went back to Castellane, stopping at Chapel Notre-Dame de Gratemoine in Seranon on the way.

Monday, June 13 

The following morning we started our drive to Avignon.  Along the way we stopped for a kayak adventure on the Verdon River. 

Next we drove to the Senanque Abby. The Abbey provided a guided tour which was embellished by Mr Frydenlund. The Abbey was established in 1148 and was surrounded by fields of lavender ready to bloom. Many people bought lavender gifts from the gift shop!!

From there we traveled to our campsite in Avignon. It was a beautiful park on an island in the Rhône River directly in view of the Pope’s palace. Our dinner of tuna and pasta with Alfredo sauce was a delightful end to a very full day.  

Tuesday, June 14 

On Tuesday morning the Crew had a tour of the Papal Palace in Avignon. After strolling around the walled city, there was a visit to the ruins of a Roman Aqueduct in Pont du Garde and a final supermarket restock.

This was a less vigorous day which was welcome since the heat remained in the 90’s.

Wednesday, June 15 

The morning was spent driving to Toulon via the scenic Route des Cretes. On arrival we took the cable car up to Mont Faron for spectacular views of the Mediterranean vista. Atop there was a WWII museum that we toured. It was very informative about the Southern Allied Campaign.

After our descent, we rolled into our final campground at Ste Theresa’s Church yard. There we met with a troop of French Scouts for an evening together. We broke the ice raising and lowering our National flags side by side and each group sang their National anthem. Then we shared a wonderful dinner together and ended with songs. A truly marvelous and meaningful experience. 

Thursday, June 16 

We started the day by visiting the local Coast Guard Station for Toulon and were treated to a slide show presentation by a young Officer who then gave us a tour of the Operations Center. Lots of computer displays and technical details. Then after lunch we headed to the beach for an afternoon of wind surfing. That night we had a pool party and barbecue hosted by Ms. Carrot.

Friday, June 17 

Today was a leisurely day devoted to sailing on the Mediterranean.  It started with a continental breakfast at a port side restaurant, then we boarded a wooden sailing ship.  Crew members helped to raise the sails and we left the harbor behind.  We anchored by a seaside cave and has time to swim, kayak, and snorkel.

The evening was spent back in Nice, where we stayed at a hotel so we could shower and get ready to go home.

Saturday, June 18

Katie’s mom picked her up in the morning for further adventures in France and the rest of the Crew headed to the airport.  After an uneventful set of flights, we arrived in the evening and were picked up.