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Photo: Severely perished Speedo's caused by old age and overuse on the flumes.





Photo: Another source of entertainment was watching the aqua workout with Marco & the Germans.

The pool is the centre piece to the camp site and therefore somewhere everybody want to go to it and soak up the rays and bask in the sun. To do that you need a sunlounger, but there's simply not enough of them to go around. Even more desirable is a pool side parasol so that you can take shelter from the burning sun. To get either of these things requires some careful planning. I was amused to discover that the stereotype of Germans putting towels on the deck chairs in the morning is actually a well founded one. I hadn't realised it applied to the Dutch (although some would argue they are all Germans too) so on our first couple of days by the pool we were left having to fight for any spare ones that came up. Like a vulture waiting for the pickings we watched for the signs of people packing away their bas so we could move in quickly. This was no way to enjoy a holiday so drastic action was required. Here it was. Send Andrew down to queue at 8.30am armed with 3 towels and precise instructions on where to make the drop. What a beauty seeing those Germans having to form an orderly line behind him and having to fight with the Dutch for pool side rights. It's a ruthless world out there and clearly other parents were using the same strategy, as there were 3 times less the number of people in the pool (all of them under 15 years old) than there was towels on sun loungers. Then at around 10am after they have finished their croissants and salami and neatly tidied up their tents, the adults arrive to sizzle in the sun. And of course once you have a sun lounger, then you yourself then become the subject of preying eyes from the vultures hanging around the edge waiting to nick your bed. I must remember to take a false dog turd with me next time to guarantee my spot.

The pool had some pretty strict life guards and flips and bombs were outlawed. So it was with great amusement to all watching that Andrew took every opportunity given when the life guards back was turned to do a range of acrobatics. His greatest moment came when some little tyke required first aid and created the perfect distraction. As he landed another treble back flip, he quickly gave an innocent smile and did doggy paddle as the life guard looked on suspiciously. Another form of entertainment was to load up the super soaker and pretend to squirt it at each other, but deliberately miss and actually get people who were lying asleep. Or our own version of Russian Roulette, where you lie on the inflatable tyre and are spun around. Whoever your feet are pointing at when it stops becomes your next victim and you had to splash them badly as you swam past. It was pretty indiscriminate and targets included toddlers, a group of spotty Dutch teenagers, an ice cream seller and some Spanish looking posers whose Speedo's looked more like a cheese wire than swim wear. I also had a pair of 8 year old Speedo's but had to dispose of them. A day at the Aqua Park on all the flumes had caused some serious perishing to the lycra saddle. Concerned that I might terrify some children whilst doing roly poly's, I had to use my reserve pair (6 years old but slightly more clingy). And of course we stood out like beacons with our white chests and legs. In contrast to the Dutch, Italians and Spaniards who were now 'well done', we looked like a family of Albino's.

For travelers heading to Camping le Piannacce, the pool is small and simple. If your after fancy slides and gubbins like that then go somewhere else. There is a little kids pool too, but apart from that it's a no frills affair apart from the acrobatic white boys afternoon show.