This is the one but final catch up post (only because we have moved again since I started catching up!). An unplanned 8 night stop on the shoreline of the turquoise Lac de Monteynard was just what we needed. The days were mostly spent trying to unwind, rest, enjoy the weather, eat healthy food as well as work through a few personal issues together. Much was explored and talked through and for various reasons, we both feel we left 9 days later two completely different people and consequently much stronger as a couple. We actually explored very little of the surrounding area but that means we will have to plan in a visit to this special place in the future.
The reason for our change of plan,
when we were camped at the edge of the Bodensee in Germany, was to find a nice campsite which offered a good ASCI discount in peaceful surroundings with good weather. Since arriving back in France the weather had been very fine, making things feel a lot better. We hadn't originally planned to seek out Camping de Savel but they offered a good price (12 euros) and as a bonus they had a pool! Until driving down the one way road to the lakeside camping, we'd no idea it would be as peaceful as it was (good thing we'd stocked up on our fresh supplies the day we arrived). It was just what we needed, although I don't think either of us knew just how much we needed it when we arrived.
We'd settled in to our private lakeside pitch, set up our awning (for the first time this trip) and also made much use of our new chairs, enjoying many outside diners. Having driven a long way in the past few days to turn our plans around, we took the time to relax and unwind with books, meditations and some nice music. It reminded us both of childhood holidays! So much so
we even took to playing with Lego!
During the afternoons the temperature would peak so on a couple of the afternoons we made our way to the small campsite pool. It had a lovely setting overlooking the lake but wasn't heated and so was surprisingly 'fresh' to enter! (Dan was too much of a wuss and instead preferred to stick to the loungers!)
On some of the evenings as the temperature cooled, Dan took the opportunity to jog back up along the road we'd travelled down. On a couple of occasions I joined him by walking a little of the way. Very quickly, it was very easy to get a sense of the impressive surroundings the lake was situated in.
My tummy issues were continuing to improve but I was still suffering from some sudden drops in energy levels. On several days we had planned to try something more active, like hire a canoe and join the countless others enjoying the many water sports the lake had to offer. Or, after spending a lovely evening getting to know Pamela and Michael, a lovely British couple who'd kindly let us also enjoy a tour of their motorhome, and hearing how much they'd enjoyed it, we'd hope to take the very popular boat across the lake and then walk back crossing two suspension bridges. But we had to remind ourselves that exploring and activities wasn't the reason we'd come here and although at times it was a little frustrating, we knew a little more rest time would serve us well in the coming weeks. By the end of our time there, having focused on good food, rest and also incorporating another 3 day only water-fast, we did feel very different.
We soon realised that the cloudless blue sky with the green hillsides which framed the turquoise lake (reservoir to be technically correct) was a very inspiring setting. It became pparent that since setting off, things hadn't been quite the same as last year and there were still issues in our 13 year long relationship which need addressing. Towards the end of last year,
we reflected on how motorhoming had affected our relationship and how we felt we had come through the several 'heated' discussions and attempts to improve our communication (necessitated by living in a 6 x 2 m plastic box!) feeling much better and more connected. But 13 years is a long time and that ultimately means a lot of baggage, both individual and as a couple. All I'll say for now is that instead of saying that last year we only 'just scratched the surface', it might be more appropriate to say maybe we didn't then know what the real surface was. There's still many things to work on but we both feel our time here has led to a massive leap forward on our journey back to health and happiness.
Funnily enough, whilst we were in Holland, we'd chilled out one night and there happened to be a typical, easy to watch, generally unrealistic, always ending happily, American rom com on the telly and rather we mindlessly we sat through the 90mins of 'Couples Retreat' with Vince Vaughan and some other popular American actors. In a slightly funny way our time at Savel reminded me of parts of this film. There were some couples who had come to the tropical island in search of fun and adventures but who had inadvertantly been signed up to 'talk through their issues as a couple', They thought that everything was fine and there were no problems in their life together. But as the couples had to open up, the more the band aids over old wounds became exposed. In the end the couples in film stayed together but came away stronger, appreciating and loving their significant other in a completely new light.
Two very different, happier and more refreshed people set off from Camping de Savel on 1st July. We would have stayed long but the ACSI rate ended and our fresh supplies were all out. But we will definitely be back.
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