Betty Blue is a French arthouse film from the eighties that Mr G and I were very taken with when we were students going through our arty and pretentious cinema phase. The titular character, played by a very luscious and alluring Beatrice Dalle has an affair with a struggling writer who lives in a chalet on stilts on the beach. It’s very dark, erotic and moody-and the beach, the huts and the people are all impossibly cool. Hoping some of that would rub off on us, we decided to park up in the Mediterranean coastal town of Gruissan to walk in Betty’s footsteps. 

In early June, Gruissan was still pretty quiet and there was a very different vibe at the campsite. Instead of swarms of sixty-something German couples in motorhomes it was a younger Frencher crowd. The whole area seemed more chilled and hip. We were allocated a beachfront pitch and were VERY smug indeed. What a view!

The Plages des Chalets was gorgeous; long, wide and sandy. The huts were proper houses on stilts- and there were loads of them. Some immaculately painted in nautical colours, others remained wooden, rickety and fading- just like Betty’s place. We walked miles down the boardwalk and then had lunch on the beach. Not a bad way to spend the Jubilee.

Mr G was very taken with Gruissan. He kept drifting towards estate agent windows, shopping for the perfect chalet. Maybe he hoped Betty Blue would come swaying out of the sea. Sadly, the humidity, wind and van-life have left me rather more Worzel Gummidge than Beatrice Dalle- but at least I haven’t gouged my eye out. Not yet anyway- and only four more nights in the van to go.

Quick campsite comment:

We stayed at LDL camping on the beach four miles out of Gruissan.

The good bits: We had an amazing pitch, really big and right on the beach.  The showers and loos were excellent and there was a decent shop and cafe/bar. Only €23 which is excellent for a site in the South of France.

The bad bits: The Wifi only worked in the reception and restaurant areas. The whole place was a bit of a megalopolis with water slides, multiple pools and permanent mobile homes. Luckily we were tucked away from much of the melee but it could be very noisy and busy further back from the beach.