Photographs

There is a wonderful diversity of flora and fauna in the valleys of the rivers Thouet and Dive and the area is well known amongst ornithologists. Regularly seen birds (depending on the time of year) are the Barn owl, blackcap, black woodpecker, buzzard/honey buzzard, chiffchaff, cormorant, crow, goldfinch, greenfinch, grey heron/purple heron, hoopoe, house martin, jackdaw, kestrel, lesser spotted woodpecker, little ringed plover, little grebe, great crested grebe, melodious warbler osprey, red black shrike, black redstart, booted eagle, cuckoo, golden oriole, jay, kingfisher, montagu harrier, short toed eagle, woodchat shrike, spotted flycatcher, stone curlew, black kite, peregrine falcon & yellow hammer. Butterflies include the brimstone, chalk hill blue, clouded yellow, comma, common blue, gatekeeper, marbled white, red admiral, white admiral, marsh fritillary, orange tip, painted lady, peacock, swallow tail & silver washed fritillary. On the camp site itself you will also see the humming bird moth and the humming bee and in the adjacent woods, meadows & river banks it is often possible to observe coypus, otters, water voles, large hare and small deer (chevreuil), plus the occasional sanglier (wild boar), grass snake & whip snake. This year 2 of our guests alos spotted (and photographed) the first beavers to be reported in the area!

Only 15 minutes drive from the camp site is the Divine Way - a network of 50 kilometres of pathways running alongside the River Dive, used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders alike. Encompassing beautiful countryside, spectacular wildlife and quaint villages with their waterside 'lavoirs' , a feature of the paths is the signs describing the fauna and flora of each given spot. The river itself is only a couple of feet deep in most places so fish, eels and brilliantly spotted frogs can be seen quite clearly in the water.

Legends and folklore of giants, sorcerors and river sprites abound in this area and are re-enacted in the ghost walks that take place along the valley at nightfall during July & August!

It's hard to believe that we've now been in France for 4 years...and that this is already our fifth season! The longer we're here, the better life seems, though in true fashion, the season started with it's challenges.....

Hopefully the following photos, taken over the course of a year, will give you an idea of the setting and ambiance of our campsite, which is just 300 metres from the River Thouet and within 15 minutes stroll of the medieveal town of Airvault itself.

Meet the Staff!

Within a 15 minute stroll from the camp site you can discover the centre of Airvault, which today retains much of its Mediaeval charm with its covered market, underground spring, quaint streets and half timbered houses. The 12th century Eglise Abbatiale St Pierre, a gem of Romanesque architecture, is well worth a visit, as is the museum of traditional arts & crafts, housed in the former Augustine abbey.

As an aside, Voltaire , whose family once lived in the town, reputedly chose his pen name by inverting the syllables of the word 'Airvault'!

Read more about the town and its environs on www.cc-airvaudais.fr or visit the tourist office website http://www.tourisme-airvaudais.fr/ 

Despite our rural location off the main tourist track, there are many interesting places to visit within an easy drive of the camp site. A selection of these appear below. (Click on the photos to read more about each location) 

The  market towns of Thouars, Parthenay and Bressuire can all be reached within 25 minutes. Web links to each appear below:

http://www.francebalade.com/poitou/thouars.htm,  http://www.francebalade.com/poitou/parthenay.htm, http://www.ville-bressuire.fr/ 

The Thouet River lies approx 300 metres from the site and is a haven for both wildlife and fishermen. There is a 3/4 kilometre stretch of water with pontoons for the disabled, where it is possible to fish for pike, perch, zander, roach, bream, black bass, minnow, carp and trout, to name but a few. There are also wonderful walks along the river banks, through woodland and meadows, where you will find a diverse variety of wild flowers, butterflies and dragonflies. Look out for kingfishers and otters, not forgetting the montagues, hen harriers and buzzards as they patrol the skies above. It is also possible to explore the river by canoe - the Airvault Office de Tourisme organises escorted trips in July and August. More info on www.valleeduthouet.fr.

From May to October we run a series of events, from French courses and walking holidays, to quiz nights, wine tastings, boules tournaments and speciality food evenings - to name but a few! Friday nights are barbecue nights, where you bring along your own meat to cook, but we do the rest...including frites, puds, wine and in-promptu entertainment! It's a great social evening! From May to September, we organise weekly escorted walks, leaving in the morning and returning to the camp site for a  lunch time Plat du Jour. Click on the photos below to discover more.