Loupian

We had just bought a few groceries from the Carrefour Market in Mèze, packed them in our day-sacs and were pedalling back to the Camping Municipal in Loupian, about three kilometres up the 'piste cyclable' which winds its way through the Picpoul de Pinet vineyards. The sky was a sort of misty chalk-blue, the breeze light and warm, and the local padre was giving his belfry a bit of serious welly. I speeded up slightly and drew alongside Gill.

"This is delightful," I remarked.

"Indeed," Gill agreed.

Then we carried on back to the van without further comment, as in truth there was nothing more which could be said about the matter. The only noise disturbing this idyllic scene was the whirring of our electric bikes, which at slow speed can sound remarkably similar to a Coop milk float of mid 1970s vintage.

The cycle track between Loupian and Meze

We stayed three night at Loupian. The village is set back a few kilometres from the Bassin de Thau, the salt water lagoon that stretched between the ancient ports of Sete and Agde. The village itself is a forgotten sort of place, a warren of narrow streets and tumbled down ramparts. On the outskirts a large church stands among the vineyards Maybe in times past the village was more important. Certainly the area has been settled for millennia, the remains of a large Roman villa can be found just outside the village.

Loupian's church among the vineyards

These days it's the nearby fishing village of Meze and the self proclaimed 'world capital of the oyster' at nearby Bouzigues that attract tourists We first visited Meze two years ago and has a very pleasant lunch in a harbour side restaurant. Even in Mia-August the place was hardly packed out, and now in October, it's positively laid back, but far from being entirely closed down. Enough grey haired motorhomers chasing Summer to keep the cafés open.

The elevenses noisettes

relaxing in the sun

views from the table...

The villages along the lagoon are now joined up by a cycle track. It was great fun cycling-off to buy the day's provisions, then doing a bit of sightseeing before pedalling back to cook on the Cadac under the stars.

The campsite, at €13 per night is good value, the facilities simple, but clean. It closes at the end of this week, but given that it is situated just a few miles from the southern end of the free autoroute from Clermont Ferrand, I can see us using it again in future trips south at this time of year.

The only downside is how mosquito plagued this coast is, even in autumn. Gill gets eaten alive, and whereas in the past I was fairly immune from the problem, these days I get nibbled too. I blame the blood thinning pills I'm on, I suspect they marinade me, ensuring I'm extra yummy to the local mossies. Well that's my half baked theory for the day!

On to Marseillan Plage tomorrow, just a few miles down the coast. Time to throw myself in the sea again