Monday August 6

La Ferme Prunay is 2.5 km outside of Seillac, a tiny town surrounded by farmland, about 20 minutes down the Loire from Blois, which appeared spectacular to me as I approached from the south and crossed the bridge over the river. I can’t wait to go explore it tomorrow.
The owners of this campground are a family with young children, and the reception is in a barn adjacent to their old stone farmhouse. Madame convinced me, when I called to reserve a tent space, that a caravan would be better—more “calme” for my writing. A good thing that I agreed, because in Digoin it began to pour at exactly the moment I finished loading the car with the tent and all the camping gear. Monsier told me when I went in to settle the bill (78,42 Euros for 6 nights, including electricity) that rain was forecast for the next two days!
“Vous avez emmené le soleil “said Madame at La Ferme, “You brought the sun”. But it still looks iffy for tomorrow.
So here I am in a kind of Euro-hippy Yasger’s Farm—and the caravan I’m renting belongs to a Dutch couple, Sherry and Pau. They seem to live in a bigger one in a garden next door, shielded by shade trees and ornamental shrubbery. Mine is tiny and adorable. It is reached by going through a leafy arch into a smaller garden off theirs, and then passing through an opening in a tall hedge draped with honeysuckle vines and with a little slatted wooden walkway. There are flowers and pretty little hanging ornaments in ‘my’ garden. My caravan’s living space consists of a tiny stove/sink/fridge unit, a table booth, and a double bed tucked into the rear under a slanted picture window that frames a field of sunflowers as far as the eye can see, and it is extended by an awning and enclosure, creating a dining room that is outdoors yet sheltered, with a ‘sideboard’ that holds a toaster, microwave and coffeemaker. In a corner of the little lawn is another table, white plastic with two chairs. The long side of the lawn borders on the sunflower field, and there’s an shower rigged up there so you can shower au naturel on a fine day. The only thing missing is a shower and toilet—they aren’t functioning—but I’m now used to using the camp facilities anyway, and it’s a short walk.
The Ferme is promoted as having Wi-Fi, but when I asked about internet connection I was shown a cable in the reception area where I could hook up my computer and get online. I’ve never seen a wireless connection with a cable. We’ll see about that tomorrow.
Beau had a great run through the fields in pursuit of quail hiding in the wheat field, and is happily sacked out on his sleeping bag laid over the bed in our caravan. I got a salade composée from the bar—a ranch-like open air pavilion with rustic wood ceiling, next to the small but shapely swimming pool with the sweeping view of green, white and yellow fields crossed here and there by islands of dark trees. The salade of tomatoes, tuna and corn was copious and will last me two days. It’s humble, but delicious. 5 Euros. Add to that 2 Euros for a grocery-store jambon buerre with emmenthal and lettuce that I had for lunch in the car, and that’s the sum total of my vittles today. Pas mal.