Camping Cotentin Website

I took the decision to be conservative and safe for my first night on the ‘Continent’. Honestly, I only drove about four km from the ferry terminal but on the way I found I had used all my data allowance and I could not access google maps. I had to spend some time talking to Vodafone and resetting my network.

Without Google maps, I could still locate the camping and see me as a dot on the screen, so I advanced in the right direction. When I got to a fork in the road, I stopped to make sure I had the right direction. A car pulled out from behind me and a hand waved out the window for me  to follow. I think the maybe the caravan was a giveaway , but they realised I was going towards the Camping. At the next junction, the driver got out and there it was – my first time speaking French in eight years and it came out perfect. I had to catch up quick to get what carrefour (crossroads, not the supermarket) and tout droit meant – (not turn right but straight on), but it was wonderful to be using the language again. A curious head peered out from over the wall  beside us and disappeared just as quickly. As the friendly driver went back to his car, someone tooted from behind. The head appeared over the wall again – ‘Patience!’ This time I could see it was a man with a small ponytail working in the garden.

I drove on behind the car and they signalled the correct turnoff at the roundabout. The friendliness of the French is greatly underrated.

My welcome at Camping Cotentin was equally friendly. Especially when I found it impossible to reverse the caravan into a very tight space. The owner, Odile, allotted me another one and a neighbour helped me back it in.

The clean, orderly campsite is perfectly organised. €13.67 per night including electricity. Many older occupants who own their homes spend the summer here. Across the road is a beautiful beach -Plage Collignon. I had my first swim of the year and I was glad to see my arm that broke when last December is working perfectly even for the overarm crawl. Watersports are popular here, with sea kayaking, surfing,  and windsurfing.

I had a pizza from the cabin on the road – delicious thin crusted and a bottle of craft cider from Armagh washed it down nicely.

This is a quiet spot, perfect for me to plan and regroup. I am tackling a spot of fibre repair on the back of the caravan where I had a collision ( or a collision was had in my caravan as I cannot remember it happening). Lets see how that goes.