France holiday part two: pedalos & pools and the beach!

(read part one of our Eurocamp holiday here!)

Friday

After our little trip to the supermarket to stock up on French goodies we decided to check out the pool. We'd passed it on our way in and had a glimpse at the water slides which I know Theo was dying to go on, so we changed and made our way over. The sky was looking a bit heavy so it was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.

The pool complex had this great glass roof that could be opened or closed meaning it as perfect for if the weather wasn't too warm or raining, or feel like you were still outside if the weather was nice and sunny with the roof open. Inside (if the roof was closed!) they had a large pool with lots of different steps, jets and a little jacuzzi area, this was pretty good for playing games and letting Rohan have a good kick around. There was also a dedicated baby/toddler pool which had its own dedicated little slides which were great, it was also the warmest pool. Then inside there were two different types of slides, a twisty one that went outside and in the dark then a really fast slide that three of you could go down in a row. None of the slides were that busy and each had their own plunge pool at the end. We were pretty surprised at just how fast the fast one was, but for a 7 year old, he was in his element. In addition to the inside pools there was also an outside part that had a lazy river with bridges and ramps. There is also the main bar and restaurant located by the pool, which looked pretty good.

After a few hours Rohan had had enough so we left Theo and Rob playing in the pool (honestly Theo could've stayed in all day) and walked the short way back to our home just as it decided to start to pour down. I love that cosy feeling of once you're all dry of sitting and watching the rain pour down. We sat on the decking under the canopy drinking tea and relaxing before the others returned and we started dinner.

Once we'd eaten dinner and the rain had cleared up, we decided to explore the campsite a bit more. I knew there were a few lakes and we wanted to get our bearings and ended up doing nearly a complete lap of the park. I love going out for an evening walk and it was a great way to get a feel for the place. Just past the swimming pools we found the fishing and boating lake, there was also a great play park by here where Theo played for a while. There was also a covered ping pong place, as well as extra things like trampolines, mini go cart track and other things you can pay extra for (we didn't actually get time to try any of these out, yet another reason to stay a little longer next time!)

It was so peaceful walking around the park, seeing families out together and it really felt like we were on holiday. I love how bedtime routines aren't as strict and it was great not having to worry about getting up early for school and our daily routine.

We saw that you could hire out pedalos too, so made a note to come back the next day and chose which one we wanted (I wanted the swan or flamingo but Theo chose the dragon!)

We then found the beach lake, complete with a beach side bar and restaurant too. I loved how there was the option of having this beach to go to as an alternative to the pool, and we couldn't wait to come back the next day and try it out too.

Saturday

We managed to check out the Eurocamp kids club and sent Theo off for the morning session of games. It's always a bit of a relief having a few hours break and I know it does Theo so much good to be around kids his own age for a while. They actually had kids club for all ages (from 6 months to 17!) including Rohan, but we didn't get round to doing one with him, but next time we will definitely check it out as I'm sure he'll love it. We spent a few hours just relaxing back at the holiday home having a slow morning until it was time to pick him up again. We had a little lunch back at the home before gathering up our beach things and heading to where we'd explored the evening before.

First stop though, the pedalos. The sun had been teasing and trying to come out properly all morning, and decided too just as we got out on the lake, so it was pretty hot, especially with all the pedalling! I think it was the first time Theo and I think he really enjoyed giving it a go, Rohan seemed to enjoy it too as it's pretty relaxing when you're not the one having to pedal and can just watch the water, and he looked very cute in his life jacket! We had half an hour (which Theo got a bit panicked about keeping to?!) which was actually the right amount of time for us all especially Rohan.

So next stop, the beach! I have a bit of a love hate relationship with the beach most of the time. I love being close to the water and being able to swim in the sea, but I have a slight phobia of putting my feet down, unless it's super clear. I also am not the biggest fan of the sand to have to sit on, I don't mind playing in it, but I HATE it when it get's all over your things especially if you're trying to eat.

But luckily the pool had lovely grassy banks with sunshades to lay your towels down, which meant that no sand went near our belongings and the sand was just there to play on. As the whole beach and lake are man-made the sand was lovely quality too and not gritty and horrible. The water was great too, and had a good gentle slope which did actually get pretty deep right out in the middle, I don't think I could stand up (but was also a little afraid to put my feet down to test!) You were also able to take your big inflatables out on the water which was great for floating and playing games. It was also pretty big so even though there were lots of people playing and swimming it didn't feel overcrowded at all.

Theo loves being buried in the sand, so of course we had to do this. Rohan on the other hand was all about the water, and this holiday seems to have really cemented the fact that he is happiest when he's in it. He had no fear about shuffling into the water and just wanted to splash around! We do have a baby float for him but I think he wants to be free now! We just need to find him a float to put around his waist to keep him a little more upright as there was quite a lot of face plating the water going on!

It was so good to see the boys being able to finally play together in the water, they loved splashing and chasing each other (Rohan's actually pretty fast and was able to bumshuffle even in the water!)

We all were able to get in and play together, and after a while Rohan and I just sat and watched Theo been thrown in the water over and over again by Rob, much to the delight of them both. Rohan just sat giggling.

After a while we got out and treated ourselves to an ice-cream from the bar, as well as some chips and a beer whilst we dried off. They did more food too, but there wasn't much option for vegetarians (as a lot of it was rotisserie chicken!) but we did note that they did crepes too! We had such a fun afternoon hanging out at the beach, and the best part of it was that we didn't have to pack up the car after and drive home. We just walked the short way back and got ready to have a bbq!

It was a really great day, and we ended it by drinking wine and playing card games together on the decking.

I also made a little video of our days so check out that!