The Weather Gremlins Strike Again.

In September we went to France and had to keep going south to get away from a wet and cold weather front that chased us all the way from the UK.

On this trip we have been relentlessly pursued by a blast of cold air from the Arctic which has stretched right across France and Spain. It has meant frost, snow and very cold nights all the way south.

Two days ago we arrived at the coast of southern Spain and at last it was warm, although cloudy. The clouds followed us all the way from Salamanca to just outside Cadiz. Last night Storm Ana passed through which meant high winds and torrential rain all night and most of this morning.

Can we now have some of that sun we were promised Mr. Weatherman?

We did have a couple of days of decent but cold weather while in Salamanca thank goodness.

Last Thursday we joined up with Jenny and John (https://jennyandjohngocaravanning.wordpress.com) and got the bus into the historic centre of Salamanca.

We were staying on the Camping Regio site (www.campingregio.com) just outside of town. The large site is behind a posh hotel of the same name and the bus stop is in the hotel car park – very convenient.

The impressive entrance to the camp site.

The number 20 bus takes you right into the old part of the city and terminates close to the famous Plaza Mayor. The fare is €1.40 and you get the return bus where you got off. Hotel Regio is the end of the return route.

What a lovely city Salamanca is. Everywhere you look is fantastic architecture with towers and bells all around. University buildings, cathedrals, the public library plus the huge Plaza Mayor, there was a lovely view in every direction. It was surprisingly busy, with tourists and locals mingling in the bustling streets and squares.

The Famous Plaza Mayor.

Click on any photo for the full size version.

Such Elegance.

 

A little rest from all that walking.

On Friday morning we said our good byes to Jenny and John and continued our trek south.

We left in fog but as we drove down the A66 the fog cleared and the sky started to brighten up again. It was a public holiday so traffic was extremely light and we made decent time past Cáceres and Merida to our overnight stop at Monesterio, a small and unremarkable town just off the motorway. There is a free aire just on the edge of town which even has electric hook-up.

After a quiet night we woke to more fog which quickly cleared once we started driving.

On the edge of Seville we stopped at a huge and very smart Carrefour to stock up on food before continuing south towards Cadiz.

Now we are parked under the pine trees at Camping Pinar San José, close to Cape Trafalgar. This ACSI site has all the facilities you could wish for and now the holiday weekend is over and most of the Spanish have left, is nice and peaceful.

Storm Ana has passed, the sky is starting to get brighter, although we can hear the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.

I think I can just see a patch of blue sky, things are starting to look up.

“Go South”, They Said.

“It will be warmer’, they said.

“Spain is the place”, they said.

So we did! The further south we went the colder it got!

We are now in Salamanca, it is almost midday as I write this, the sun is shining but the trees are still white with frost.

Frosty trees and it’s almost midday.

For some time we had been contemplating heading to Spain to cut the long grey winter months short. A couple of months sun and warmth seemed so much more preferable than cold, damp cloudy skies.

We left home a week ago with a pristine clean and shiny motorhome. It had been dry for ages and Celine, our Carthago C-Line, had been washed and polished ready for our long trip.

Predictably, the day we left was wet so my spotless van was mucky before we even reached Folkestone and the tunnel. Our exit also coincided with what the weathermen call an ‘Arctic Plunge’. Weather fronts are no respecters of national borders and this Arctic Plunge wasn’t going to be stopped by the English Channel. Oh no, it marched right on down, across France and into Spain.

We usually stop at aires in France, perhaps breaking our journey with the odd day or two at favoured places. We plan to reach our night stop by early afternoon, so driving for 3-4 hours per day. It can easily take us more than a week to get towards Spain. This time, with very cold weather, we didn’t break the journey with prolonged stays anywhere.

First night, after a late PM crossing in the tunnel, we stopped at Cite Europe, right next to the tunnel terminal. Next day, south for a night at La Mailleraye-sur-Seine, then crossed the Loire at Saumur, stopping at Montreuil-Bellay for the third night. For much of the route the cointryside was covered in a think layer of overnight snow although, thank goodness, the roads were clear.

Montreuil-Bellay aire.

After Montreuil we headed south west to Blaye, the wine town on the banks of the Gironde river.

The aire at Blaye.

The aire and the mighty River Gironde.

Blaye.

As we arrived the sun popped out for a while and we wrapped up warm and went to explore the Citadel which overlooks the town and river.

The impressive and very solid Citadel.

The Citadel looks over the town.

On Sunday we threw caution to the wind and splashed out on the toll road from Bordeaux to Biarritz. There are a couple of diversions off the motorway which avoid the peage but we thought the three payments of €5.40 + €1.90 were worth it for the easier and quicker drive.

We stopped at Aire de Camping-Car Gabrielle Dorziat (Camper Contact 51886) on the edge of Biarritz. With credit card access through the barrier the aire has electric hook-up plus the usual water and dump facilities. It is extremely quiet and right beside a country park, popular with local dog walkers. At €12 it is pricey for an aire but considering the facilities and where it is must be considered a fair price. At last the temperature was a little warmer and the sun once again popped out from behind the endless clouds for a few moments.

Aire at Biarritz

The house rules.

After a very quiet night we hit the peage again to cross into Spain. We took the N1 south from San Sebastian, joining the A1 to Vitoria-Gasteiz then the AP1 to Burgos.

The first part of the journey is through quite built up and industrial areas which, combined with the low cloud and wet roads made the drive very forgettable. We drove on into a more rural landscape which was covered in snow, fortunately the roads were clear.

Well south of Burgos the snow had gone and we pulled off the motorway for our overnight stop at Torquemada.

We last stopped there almost two years ago on our way to Portugal. There is a small aire next to an old chapel and cemetery, which means its dead quiet at night. Although the aire is just beside the road on a junction most of the passing traffic is tractors coming and going between the fields.

The aire at Torquamada, complete with storks nest on the chapel.

A frosty start to the day again as we left Torquemada with the sun rising in a blue sky. It looked like being a nice day at last. As we started to drive it became more and more misty until we were in a thick freezing fog. The fog lasted all the way to Salamanca and as we parked at our campsite large slabs of ice slid from the front of our mirrors. So much for the blue skies.

So, here we are, high up on the Spanish plains. The sky is blue and the sun is at last shining, although its jolly cold. Not entirely surprising as we are over 2500ft high and have been for the last couple of days. Our friends Jenny and John have just arrived from down south where they have had unbroken blue sky for weeks.

We will be heading that way in a couple of days time.