Not everyone likes oysters. Common responses to questioning on the subject are ‘ugh’, ‘slimy’, ‘Yuk’ and so on. But I believe these are mostly people who haven’t tried them. There are also those who claim you must tip them down your throat without tasting them- which to my mind is sacrilege. I didn’t sample an oyster until I was in my fifties, considering it one of those activities that should be tried before I got much older. We were on the west coast of France, which could be considered oyster world and seemed like a great place to try. I was won over straight away. I love them. But they must not be cooked, or spiced, or covered in cheese, or drenched in anything but lemon juice and/or maybe vinaigrette.

Since that first go, I’ve rarely eaten oysters at home in the UK. But here in Polzeath, sitting in the Waterside cafe/bar, they are on offer. And I can’t pass up the opportunity. And they are completely delicious- soft and flavoursome. A great start to a meal!

While the Polzeath site has its drawbacks, like the strange showers that we had to pay for, it also has an abundance of friendly wildlife [a tame, young blackbird, the ubiquitous robin, bold rabbits everywhere] and is in a great position. Husband can stride off along the coast path and I can relax with a book in the sunshine. Having finally got the hang of my camera, he returns with some coastal shots- all very rugged.

But it’s time to move again and we’ve only a few days left before we must be back for appointments. We’re returning to Devon, to a farm site at Mortehoe on the north coast, near Woolacombe. I came many years ago. The bad news is that the weather is turning at last and as we drive through the narrow, pretty streets of Mortehoe, dark clouds are gathering. The site is large, with few tourers in. We can see right away that it’s going to be unmanageable for me to walk to the centre, where dining possibilities lie.

It begins to rain and becomes much cooler. We are, at least, not too far from the shower block so an early shower seems to make sense. By the time I emerge it’s raining in earnest and even in the short distance from the block to the van I get wet.

Before long, the rain has closed right in. The windows steam up and it becomes quite miserable. We’ll be catering for ourselves tonight and will have to prepare for a night in the van- which isn’t too much of a hardship as it’s cosy and comfortable and we have laptops and books to amuse us.

The real issue is that the site is booked for three nights. But there’s no sign of an improvement in the weather over the next few days. It’s disappointing, but it looks like we will have to bail out early. We’ll come back another time. And we’re not done with trips yet!

Novels by Jane Deans [Grace]: The Year of Familiar Strangers and The Conways at Earthsend. Visit my website: janedeans.com