France by Motorhome 2026
Day 6 of 8 – A Close Call in Ornans
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
After another relaxed morning and a leisurely breakfast beneath the awning, it was time to continue our journey through eastern France.
At around 11.00 am, we said goodbye to Camp Jura and set off for Ornans, a picturesque town nestled in the Loue Valley, approximately an hour and a half away.
The drive itself was a pleasure. Quiet country roads wound through rolling hills, dense forests and charming villages, revealing yet another beautiful corner of rural France. One of the joys of travelling by motorhome is that the scenery changes gradually, allowing you to appreciate every mile rather than simply rushing to your destination.
Finding a Campsite During Bastille Week
We arrived in Ornans at approximately 12.40 pm and checked into our pre-booked four-star Camping La Roche d’Ully, an award-winning eco-campsite set amidst the stunning scenery of the Jura foothills.
Securing this campsite had not been easy.
The previous day, Nitin and Bharti had spent several hours telephoning campsites across the region. Because of the Bastille Day holiday, almost every campsite was fully booked with French families enjoying a long summer break.
This was the only campsite with availability, so we had little choice but to book it. Although it meant facing a much longer drive back to Calais on our final day, it also brought us to a destination we might otherwise never have discovered.
Sometimes the best journeys begin with unexpected changes of plan.
We were delighted to be allocated two excellent pitches side by side. As before, we parked one motorhome facing forwards and the other in reverse so that both families could share a single awning, creating our familiar outdoor living room.
Within minutes the tables, chairs and bicycles were out, and it already felt like home.
A Perfect Campsite
The weather remained warm, although dark clouds hinted that rain and thunderstorms might arrive later in the day.
Before they had the chance, everyone headed straight for the swimming pool.
Camping La Roche d’Ully certainly didn’t disappoint.
The complex featured both indoor and outdoor pools, a four-lane waterslide, a relaxing jacuzzi, a gentle lazy river and separate areas for swimmers of all ages and abilities.
The children disappeared almost immediately, racing each other down the slides and making full use of every part of the water park.
As for me…
Well, I was experiencing another first.
French swimming pool regulations meant I once again found myself wearing my newly purchased speedos.
I have to admit, after a lifetime of wearing ordinary swimming shorts, I felt rather suffocated in this !
A Frightening Few Seconds
There is something I should probably confess.
I have never learned to swim.
That has never really bothered me because I have always stayed in shallow water.
The outdoor pool was divided into several depths—one for toddlers, another at 0.45 metres, a larger section at 1.45 metres, and finally a deep area measuring 1.8 metres.
The 1.45-metre section was comfortably within my limits.
The 1.8-metre section definitely wasn’t.
I decided to make my way slowly towards the jacuzzi by holding onto the edge of the pool, carefully avoiding the stronger current flowing through the lazy river.
As I approached, powerful water jets from the jacuzzi created a stronger current than I expected.
Suddenly, my feet slipped.
Within seconds I lost my balance and was swept towards the deeper section of the pool.
I instinctively shouted for help.
From the side of the pool, Hansa and Shital immediately realised something was wrong.
The lifeguard reacted instantly.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he dived into the water while another holidaymaker also rushed over to help.
By then I had swallowed a fair amount of water and was feeling thoroughly shaken.
Together they guided me safely onto one of the jacuzzi seats, where I sat catching my breath and trying to convince everyone—including myself—that I was perfectly alright.
The lifeguard kindly offered to help me out of the pool altogether.
Instead, after recovering for a few minutes, I decided to remain seated in the warm bubbling water of the jacuzzi, determined not to let the incident spoil the day.
From that moment onwards, however, I noticed something rather amusing.
Wherever I moved, the lifeguard’s eyes followed me.
I suspect I had become his personal responsibility for the afternoon!
I thanked him and the gentleman who had come to my rescue for their quick reactions.
Looking back afterwards, I realised just how fortunate I had been.
Two days later I would be celebrating my 73rd birthday, and one thought kept returning to me.
My only regret was never learning to swim.
Watching all four of my grandchildren glide effortlessly through the water like little fish made me promise myself that perhaps it was never too late to learn.
A Family Evening
Back at the campsite, the excitement gradually gave way to another relaxing evening.
Nitin lit the disposable barbecue while Hansa fried onions to accompany a selection of plain and spicy sausages.
As always, everyone had something different on their plates.
Druv, who has a very selective appetite, wasn’t interested in the barbecue at all, so Bharti thoughtfully prepared fresh waffles especially for him.
Meanwhile, Vienna fancied a pizza. Fortunately, the campsite had a unique pizza vending machine that freshly prepared and served a hot pizza of your choice in just three minutes. It was a novelty that fascinated us all, and the pizza turned out to be surprisingly good!
That’s family life—everyone is different, and somehow it all works.
After dinner, the grandchildren gathered around the table for a lively game of Sequence, laughing, teasing one another and celebrating every winning move.
I sat quietly nearby, simply enjoying the moment.
Seeing three generations spending quality time together had been exactly what I had hoped this holiday would achieve.
Football, Thunder and Rain
The evening still had one surprise in store.
We carried the projector and screen we had brought from England to the campsite bar, where they kindly allowed us to set everything up to watch the England versus Argentina football semi-final.
Before long, other campers noticed what we were doing and gradually gathered around to join us.
With chilled beers in hand, we all settled down to enjoy the match.
It was a fantastic atmosphere.
Unfortunately, despite our enthusiastic support for England, Argentina eventually emerged victorious.
As the final whistle blew, the skies above the valley added their own dramatic finale.
Rain began to fall, followed by spectacular flashes of lightning and deep rolls of thunder echoing around the surrounding limestone cliffs.
It was the perfect ending to a day that had contained just about every emotion imaginable—laughter, excitement, fear, relief and togetherness.
As we climbed into bed that evening, I reflected on how quickly circumstances can change.
One careless step in a swimming pool had reminded me never to take life for granted.
Tomorrow we leave the campsite behind for a while to explore the charming riverside town of Ornans, often described as one of France’s most beautiful hidden treasures. Founded nearly 900 years ago and famously associated with the celebrated French artist Gustave Courbet, it promises another fascinating chapter in our family adventure through France.
