Weekend in Arcachon

After a couple of days with Lizzie and family just outside Bordeaux we set off for a weekend camping with all the family and one extra (Lewis's friend Harry). Adults to sleep in the camping car and children in the very large tent. Hence not much sleep for any of us on Saturday night! However a good time was had by all.
We found a lovely campsite 'La Foret' next to the dunes of Pyla. The campsite had all amenities you could need including a very cold pool, and was set in lovely surroundings of pine forests. The pine cones were bigger than any I've seen before and the bird life was fantastic. We had swallows, martins, redstarts, sparrows and very small little rock sparrows that were very much like your ordinary sparrow but smaller, more distinct markings with a black stripe above each eye - had to look them up in my bird book and they're only found in southern France and Spain.
Main feature of the weekend was the dunes - they're enormous - around 100 metres high and stretch for 15 kilometres along the coast from the Arcachon basin. From the site there is a metal stairway going straight up the dune finishing about 20 foot from the top. The kids were up like lightening but it took me ages to climb up - a bit scary when you're about 300 steps up (there's 410 altogether), however I reached the top and the view is tremendous. We took a parachute type kite - which got into a real mess as the wind just wound it round and round and Josh took his small remote controlled plane which worked very well until the battery ran out. Altogether I managed the dune twice but avoided it Sunday as it was so hot - something like the Sahara at mid day - however the bar, restaurant was no mirage and we could take shelter in it! Eric and I stayed for Sunday night as well to have a bit of down time and relax in it's beauty (and also to have a very nice meal for two in the restaurant). Set off Monday morning back up to Dixme to do a bit of washing and clean the sand out of the camping car before heading North again.
Pics of campsite and the Dune

Overlooking the atlantic ocean - from the top looking over the other side of the dune - sand bank in the middle.

A bit like the poster - footprints in the sand in real life.

Had to stop four times on he way up - but made it!

Laura and Harry waiting for the call to let go. Its a parascending paradise as well - they just jump off and go up with the thermals