The aire is clearing out this morning and when we are ready to leave four vans are queuing for the service point, so we decide to give it a miss and get on our way.

Soustons Plage is 3 - 4 miles from Soustons town where we find a Leclerc supermarket, which, this morning is heaving with people. Ali gets a few things then we set off to meet Chris and Mandy in their gite. We have to reroute as Monday is market day and the main street is closed with stalls and hung with bunting for the various festivals advertised on boards, but a few minutes out of town we find the gite.

Ali loads the washing machine which runs while we sit with our friends under the shady veranda and have lunch together; ham, rillettes and tomatoes grown by the gite owner.

Later in the afternoon we go a mile down the lane to Ferme Darrigade, a Passion dealing in duck and asparagus products. It's a beautiful spot looking over acres of farmland and a little hamlet of neat houses. Our parking place is under trees with pink, feathery flowers which we keep meaning to look up. We buy some pickled white asparagus and a pot of fois gras and enjoy the peaceful location.

Later we are joined by two French motorhomes and in the evening Chris and Mandy stop by on their way back from the beach.

It's too hot to cook so we pick on cheese and olives with crusty bread and a glass of red wine.