laid

I took my family to the epic French holiday resort you can get to by ferry with kids club and laid back vibes

STANDING on a small wooden platform way up in the treetops, I don’t want to make the leap.

My next foothold will be another ledge high in the branches, about 50 metres away.

Eurocamp provides action-packed holidays for young families, including this zip wire over a lakeCredit: Supplied
With no option to turn back, though, I took a deep breath and leapt forward into the voidCredit: supplied

To reach it, I need to hurl myself on a zip wire over a lake, praying that my harness will hold after all the croissants I’ve demolished since arriving in France.

I’m sorely tempted to back out, but my husband Chris is chasing my tail. If

I don’t jump soon, he’ll come flying into me feet-first.

Meanwhile, our four-year-old twins are safely on the ground, playing games and crafting in the kids’ club.

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And to think we could have spent this precious, child-free morning sipping panache (French shandy) at our holiday parc’s lakeside brasserie . . .

But here we are, clipped on to the treetop adventure course at Eurocamp’s Domaine des Ormes, near Dol-de-Bretagne in Brittany.

The parc is within easy reach of ferry ports including Saint Malo and Roscoff, making it ideal for those not wanting to travel too far.

But there are far better reasons to stay here, including the pretty woodland setting, impressive range of activities and epic pool complex, complete with waterslides and lazy river.

For my family of four, this is our first Eurocamp experience.

I’d heard good things about the outdoor holiday specialist from friends raving about their bakeries and swimming pools. And it was time to see it for myself.

With two weeks to spare, we chose a two-point holiday, opting for a first week on France’s west coast before a second in Brittany.

Our adventure began on the overnight ferry to France. While the kids excitedly leapt between bunks in our cabin, I watched through the porthole as Plymouth slipped away beneath the sunset.

The next morning, we woke up in the French port of Roscoff, known for its pink onions and crepes, before clambering into our car and starting the six-and-a-half-hour drive south.

Our destination for the first week was Eurocamp’s La Pinede parc, near the seaside resort of Les Mathes in Charente-Maritime.

Sandwiched between the Atlantic and the Gironde estuary, the campsite has a laid-back vibe, with holiday homes scattered through the pine forest, as well as entertainment on tap for all ages.

Eurocamp’s La Pinede parc is near the seaside resort of Les Mathes in Charente-MaritimeCredit: Supplied

Outdoor yoga

Pulling up outside our two-bed holiday home, complete with private decking, I quickly notice how relaxed our new neighbours seem.

Children cycle between pools to get their final swim before bedtime (which is much later than at home).

Parents sit on the terraces of their cabins playing cards and drinking red wine (which costs less than a tenner for a decent supermarket bottle).

Barbecues sizzle, swimwear is hung out to dry, more wine is poured.

Later, families stroll to the evening entertainment, which ranges from cabaret shows to “full-moon parties”.

We adjust very easily to the slowed-down pace at La Pinede, ditching our car and hiring bikes to get around.

Each morning, I cycle to the on-site shop to buy croissants and local melons for breakfast, loving the simplicity of it.

Domaine des Ormes is an even bigger parc filled with activities, including wakeboarding, archery and horse ridingCredit: Supplied

Our days are mainly spent together as a family, whooshing down slides in the aquapark, playing mini golf and eating on our deck (although there is also a restaurant for those times when we cannot be bothered to cook).

One afternoon, we took the kids on tagalong bikes, pedalling four miles to La Palmyre beach for ice creams and sandcastle-building.

But, for tired parents, the free children’s club for ages four to 17 offers some very welcome respite.

While the waves near La Coubre Lighthouse beckon for surf-mad Chris, I’m keen for something more zen, in the shape of outdoor yoga.

Chloe Mafana is a local yoga teacher who runs weekly classes at La Pinede (€10 per person).

And after an hour of mindful breathing and stretching, and a final relaxation to the sound of Chloe’s wind chimes, I feel blissed out.

Our second week has a different feel. Around 250 miles north of La Pinede, Domaine des Ormes is a bigger parc with even more activities, including wakeboarding, archery and horse riding.

Nearby attractions include the fortified abbey of Mont Saint-Michel.

While Chris and I were impressed by its 12th-century cobbled streets and bay views, the kids were wowed by the fact this tidal island inspired the kingdom in Disney movie Tangled.

Domaine des Ormes is located within distance of the fortified abbey of Mont Saint-MichelCredit:

Although Domaine des Ormes is a bigger site, the simple pleasures of our first week — evening barbecues, children playing outside and chilled-out parents sipping wine — were still there.

But back on that treetop ledge, way above ground, I felt far from chilled out.

With no option to turn back, though, I took a deep breath and leapt forward into the void.

The line caught me and I picked up speed, seeing the woods and lake rush by beneath me.

Then I started to get into it, jumping from successive platforms with increasing confidence.

After countless whoops, the final platform zoomed into view — and it was all over too soon.

Adrenaline rushed through me and my heart was pumping as I unclipped from the course.

My feet may have been back on the ground, but I was still on a high.

GO: Eurocamp France

GETTING THERE: Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth, Plymouth or Poole to five French ports in Brittany and Normandy. Ferry fares from Plymouth to Roscoff start from £324 each way for a car and family of four.

See brittany-ferries.co.uk or call 0330 159 7000.

STAYING THERE: Seven nights’ self-catering at La Pinede in a Classic two-bedroom holiday home, sleeping up to four, is from £212 in total, arriving on May 23 for half term.

Seven nights’ self-catering at Domaine des Ormes in an Eco Lodge Tent, sleeping up to four, is from £706 in total, arriving on May 23 for half term.

See eurocamp.co.uk.

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Beneath the rambling, Trump laid out a chilling healthcare plan

Folks, who was supposed to be watching grandpa last night? Because he got out, got on TV and … It. Was. Not. Good.

For 18 long minutes Wednesday evening, we were subjected to a rant by President Trump that predictably careened from immigrants (bad) to jobs (good), rarely slowing down for reality. But jumbled between the vitriol and venom was a vision of American healthcare that would have horror villainess M3GAN shaking in her Mary Janes — a vision that we all should be afraid of because it would take us back to a dark era when insurance couldn’t be counted on.

Trump’s remarks offered only a sketchy outline, per usual, in which the costs of health insurance premiums may be lower — but it will be because the coverage is terrible. Yes, you’ll save money. But so what? A cheap car without wheels is not a deal.

“The money should go to the people,” Trump said of his sort-of plan.

The money he vaguely was alluding to is the government subsidies that make insurance under the Affordable Care Act affordable. After antics and a mini-rebellion by four Republicans also on Wednesday, Congress basically failed to do anything meaningful on healthcare — pretty much ensuring those subsidies will disappear with the New Year.

Starting in January, premiums for too many people are going to leap skyward without the subsidies, jumping by an average of $1,016 according to the health policy research group KFF.

That’s bad enough. But Trump would like to make it worse.

The Affordable Care Act is about much more than those subsidies. Before it took effect in 2014, insurance companies in many states could deny coverage for preexisting conditions. This didn’t have to be big-ticket stuff like cancer. A kid with asthma? A mom with colitis? Those were the kind of routine but chronic problems that prevented millions from obtaining insurance — and therefore care.

Obamacare required that policies sold on its exchange did not discriminate. In addition, the ACA required plans to limit out-of-pocket costs and end lifetime dollar caps, and provide a baseline of coverage that included essentials such as maternity care. Those standards put pressure on all plans to include more, even those offered through large employers.

Trump would like to undo much of that. He instead wants to fall back on the stunt he loves the most — send a check!

What he is suggesting by sending subsidy money directly to consumers also most likely would open the market to plans without the regulation of the ACA. So yes, small businesses or even groups of individuals might be able to band together to buy insurance, but there likely would be fewer rules about what — or whom — it has to cover.

Most people aren’t savvy or careful enough to understand the limitations of their insurance before it matters. So it has a $2-million lifetime cap? That sounds like a lot until your kid needs a treatment that eats through that in a couple of months. Then what?

Trump suggested people pay for it themselves, out of health savings accounts funded by that subsidy check sent directly to taxpayers. Because that definitely will work, and people won’t spend the money on groceries or rent, and what they do save certainly will cover any medical expenses.

“You’ll get much better healthcare at a much lower price,” Trump claimed Wednesday. “The only losers will be insurance companies that have gotten rich, and the Democrat Party, which is totally controlled by those same insurance companies. They will not be happy, but that’s OK with me because you, the people, are finally going to be getting great healthcare at a lower cost.”

He then bizarrely tried to blame the expiring subsidies on Democrats.

Democrats “are demanding those increases and it’s their fault,” he said. “It is not the Republicans’ fault. It’s the Democrats’ fault. It’s the Unaffordable Care Act, and everybody knew it.”

It seems like Trump just wants to lower costs at the expense of quality. Here’s where I take issue with the Democrats. I am not here to defend insurance companies or our healthcare system. Both clearly need reform.

But why are the Democrats failing to explain what “The money should go to the people” will mean?

I get that affordability is the message, and as someone who bought both a steak and a carton of milk this week, I understand just how powerful that issue is.

Still, everyone, Democrat or Republican, wants decent healthcare they can afford, and the peace of mind of knowing if something terrible happens, they will have access to help. There is no American who gladly would pay for insurance each month, no matter how low the premium, that is going to leave them without care when they or their loved ones need it most.

Grandpa Trump doesn’t have this worry, since he has the best healthcare our tax dollars can buy.

But when he promises to send a check instead of providing governance and regulation of one of the most critical purchases in our lives, the message is sickening: My victory in exchange for your well-being.

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White House Rifts Laid Bare as Trump Aide Wiles Details Internal Clashes

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles offered an unusually candid look inside President Donald Trump’s second-term administration in comments published by Vanity Fair, drawn from 11 interviews conducted over Trump’s first year back in office. Wiles, a key architect of Trump’s 2024 comeback and the first woman to hold the chief of staff role, spoke about internal disagreements over tariffs, immigration enforcement, government downsizing and the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The article prompted an immediate backlash from Wiles and senior officials, who accused the magazine of selectively quoting her remarks.

Why It Matters

The comments highlight the limits of internal restraint in Trump’s White House. While Wiles described herself as a facilitator rather than a check on presidential power, her inability to alter decisions on tariffs, pardons and political retribution underscores how heavily policymaking still rests on Trump’s instincts. The revelations also revive politically sensitive issues, including Epstein-related disclosures and tensions over Elon Musk’s role in dismantling USAID, complicating efforts to project unity and stability.

Trump remains the central figure, with Wiles emerging as both a stabilising force and a focal point of controversy. Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Elon Musk are drawn into the spotlight, reflecting competing centres of influence within the administration. Beyond the White House, trade partners, immigrant communities, congressional leaders and Trump’s political base all have stakes in the policies and internal divisions exposed by the interviews.

What’s Next

The administration is likely to move quickly to contain political fallout and reinforce discipline, but the substance of Wiles’ remarks may continue to resonate. Policy direction appears unchanged, with tariffs, immigration enforcement and confrontational political strategies set to continue. The episode raises fresh questions about whether Trump’s more structured second-term White House can prevent internal tensions from spilling into public view again.

With information from Reuters.

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