Dune du Pilat

Laundry day! The French have 24 hr laundry machines in car parks - and they are great. We got up super early to get the laundry done, lovely sunrise too. Spot of shopping then on to the dune of Pilat on the west coast nr Arcachon, the tallest sand dune in Europe. 100m high, 2.7km long. Sea on one side and forest on the other. Very impressive. Was a barefoot hike up in 22 degrees. Why people took their dogs up I’ll never know, poor things. Great views. Drove a couple more hours south to Messanges, still along the west coast, along the longest beach in Europe. A lovely campsite for the night. Was actually proper hot for the first time this trip. Realised someone had left my door mat in the car park of the services when he moved the chairs out of the way to make a sandwich! Will have to get a new one as it’s v handy to stop trailing in mud/dust/grass to the van.
Walked 2 miles to the beach but it was worth it. Had an epic swim in the sea, some great surfing waves. Very busy though. Walked back in time for dinner, shower and planning the next leg (España). Was a stormy night last night, lots of lightning and thunder (plus rain) but still warm this morning. Up early to make the most of the day.Read more