The best laid plans…………

The original plan was to stay in Spain and perhaps Portugal through the worst of the winter, returning home in mid February, when we had various domestic commitments.

What we didn’t build into our plan was the advent of a serious outbreak of flu sweeping round the world. Despite our flu jabs we both started to become unwell with what we first thought was a simple cold.

After only three nights and feeling a bit groggy we left Pinar San Jośe and drove east to Gibraltar. Heading for the port we stopped at the marina in La Linea where there is a very well located aire right on the quayside (GPS 36.15665º -5.35573º). With the imposing Rock of Gibraltar behind and the marina in front it was a pleasant spot for a night.

The marina at La Linea

 

We had a walk towards the border but the traffic was non-stop, not our sort of place, so we retreated back to the MoHo and put the kettle on.

Next day we headed north, past the busy Costa del Sol, where we had last visited well over 30 yers ago. We planned to spend Christmas and New Year at Totana where we knew there would be a bunch of Brits so we were making our way slowly there.

Our next stop was another marina, this time at Almerimar, a few miles south west of Almeria.

Almerimar Aire

 

Once again the parking was on the quay (GPS 36.69680º -2.79408º) so there were good views of the boats and across the beach behind. Had we been fully fit we would have really enjoyed that spot but by now we were both feeling rather wretched so we really couldn’t be bothered. We walked the short distance to a supermarket for urgent supplies of food but by the time we got back we were both exhausted.

View over Almerimar marina

After three nights we continued north to Totana and Camperstop Sierra Espuna (GPS 37.79397º -1.51099º). I had warned them that we weren’t in the best of health, we still thought it was just a cold, and they reserved a spot for us in the corner, our own isolation ward.

Rainbow over Totana

 

By now it was becoming increasingly obvious that we didn’t have just a cold and after a few days Kate decided that she just wanted to be in her own home. Just a few days before Christmas we started heading back to the UK.

Reluctantly leaving Totana on 22nd December we stopped overnight at Valencia, then took the long drive over the French border to stop at Gruissan, near Narbonne. Regular readers will know we very much like Gruissan and can happily spend weeks there in the summer. In winter it can feel a little bleak and windswept but on Christmas Eve the sun shone and, feeling a bit better, I even got the bike out and went for a ride. I only went a short distance but when I got back I realised how unwell I must have really been…….I was knackered.

Christmas Eve at Gruissan

 

Christmas Day was cloudy and breezy but we spent a quiet day and celebrated with a nice supper.

Boxing Day was back on the road and north on the A75, stopping for the night at Montpeyroux, just south of Clermont-Ferrand. The free aire (GPS 45.62465º 3.20044º) is close to the motorway but quiet and close to an interesting village. It was cold and getting dark when we arrived so we left the exploring for a future visit.

After overnight stops at Lamotte-Beuvron, La Mailleraye-sur-Seine and Cite Europe we finally arrived home on 30th December.

It was not quite the winter trip we had visualised. First the weather had been worse than we expected, then getting what we afterwards realised was probably Australian Flu. All in all a bit of a disastrous trip but hey, you can’t win them all.

My apologies to regular followers for my tardiness in updating the blog. When we first got home we just didn’t feel like doing anything but as we felt better other domestic things intruded.

On the bright side, the days are starting to get longer and spring will soon be here. The ‘itchy feet’ syndrome is starting to make itself felt and we will soon be back on the road.

2016 – A Record Year.

At least for us it has been a record with 165 nights spent in the motorhome, well over our previous total of 119 in 2014. Gosh, that’s five and a half months!

It was a very different year for us as our lovely aeroplane, Vulcan XH558, stopped flying at the end of October 2015. That meant an end to our regular airshow attendance as part of the Vulcan to the Sky Events Team which had taken up a chunk of our summers since we started volunteering in 2008. There was no doubt that we were going to miss the airshows and the company of the excellent team of volunteers plus engineers and air crew.

However, that door closing meant fewer commitments and left another door wide open – more travel in Celine, our one year old Carthago.

Before we could go too far there was the first annual check over and some warranty jobs to be carried out on Celine by our dealer in Staffordshire. Once they were done in February we had a couple of nights at Kingsbury Water Park C&CC site, just to make sure there were no problems or work not done.

Back home we had a new central heating boiler fitted but the dark, dank days of winter were getting to us. After less than two weeks at home we were back in Celine and heading south on our first winter sun holiday.

A slow drive through France in decent weather took us to the Spanish border close to Biarritz and heavy rain and warnings of snow. It was amazing to see Spanish snow ploughs on every motorway slip road with engines running and lights flashing, just waiting for the snow to arrive. Puts the UK snow preparation to shame!

The Portuguese hill towns near the border with Spain fairly ‘blew us away’. Marvão and Monsaraz were just stunning and the few days we spent ‘wilding’ beside a huge man made lake were just beautiful.

Wild camping by the lake.

Marvelous Marvão.

The convent beside Marvão aire

Moving further south to the Algarve we were disappointed to find the amount that it had been built up since we were regular visitors there, probably more that 20 years previously. Keeping a little inland we had fun and laughs when we stayed at ‘Pedro’s’ aka Motorhome Friends.

Making our way slowly east we spent a couple more nights in Portugal before crossing back into Spain again and then heading north and back across France.

Our first proper winter trip was a great success. Six weeks and 3000 miles and we will definitely be doing something similar again.

We were only home for about 10 days before we were off again, this time just a few days in Lincolnshire to get some much needed jet noise at RAF Coningsby.

After 10 more days at home it was back to France again in May for a month. This time the weather and the French unions tried to spoil our fun and although we had to change plans a little, they didn’t succeed in wrecking the trip. Shortages of fuel were being reported in many ares and heavy rain caused a lot of flooding but we managed to keep away from both. A planned meet up with friends had to be put on hold but we will get together soon I’m sure. Having spent a lot of time in the south we came home via the Champagne region to avoid floods and found a wonderful aire at Mutigny, surrounded by vineyards and with lovely views.

Growing Champagne.

Home from France and there were loads of jobs to catch up with in the house and garden and we actually stayed around for nearly a month.

July meant more jet noise as we went to the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford in Gloucestershire. We were booked into the Caravan Club’s rally field just across the road from the airfield and instead of working our socks off at the Vulcan stand, we spent a week sitting in the sun and watching the aircraft fly above us. Another brilliant week which we intend to repeat.

The ‘Reds’ at RIAT

Colours of Italy – at RIAT.

We had intended to take a trip to Scotland after RIAT but household matters had to take priority as we had decorators booked to paint the house exterior.

Another month at home and we were off again, this time to Sussex and our niece’s 18th birthday celebrations. After a weekend at Fairlight Woods CC site we headed once again towards Folkestone and the tunnel.

As it was the middle of August the weather was brilliant, sun and high temperatures for day after day. We chose places to stop that were close to water and had grass to sit out on to help with the cooling. Using mostly aires as usual we did spend a few days on campsites including Camping Champ de La Chapelle, that had recently been taken over by a English chap who was very good company.

Moving south we eventually reached the Pyrenees and a memorable few days wild camping high in the mountains. It was our second time at Lac d’Estaing and it was as lovely as ever.

The incredibly beautiful Lac d’Estaing.

After driving east and some time beside the Mediterranean we started to head north and found a stunning new aire beside a huge lake, high in the hills. Lac de Pareloup was just heaven for us. Quiet, peaceful and uncrowded ,it had wonderful views and good walks. Another favourite to add to the list of places that we must return to.

Surveying the Lac.

A peaceful pitch beside the Lac.

After six weeks we returned home at the end of September to another list of jobs that needed sorting but soon the itchy feet were raring to go again.

After only 10 days at home it was off for a few days in Lincolnshire for more jet noise, followed by nearly a month at home.

The jobs list was getting longer but with a concentrated effort quite a lot got done outside. A new timber log store was ordered, assembled and put in place to get rid of the scruffy heaps of assorted wood that were scattered around. Much sawing and chopping was done as we amazed ourselves at the amount of wood we had accumulated. The wood burner will be much used this winter I think.

Internet forums are dangerous places, particularly motorhome forums!

A thread on Motorhome Fun spoke of campsites in northern Spain and folk wearing shorts and tee shirts, walking beside the sea, while we were cold and wet with mid November weather in the UK. Kate said that with Christmas soon upon us there was far too much to do to even think about going all that way.

Another wet, cold November day and minds were slowly beginning to change. By Tuesday evening the decision was made. Bugger it, why not! Let’s just do it!

Celine was packed, fridge switched on, tanks filled and a trip to Ipswich to stock up with food. On Friday morning in mid November we were off down the A12 again towards Folkestone.

Another slow-ish drive through France on wonderfully empty roads and free aires at night. The weather wasn’t kind at first as we managed to coincide our trip with an ‘Arctic Plunge’ and storms in the Mediterranean. We arrived in Spain to sunshine though and got settled in to Camping Les Medes just outside the small town of L’Estartit on the Costa Brava.

L’Estartit.

Camping Les Medes.

The mixed weather eventually settled down to cool nights and sunny days, just about warm enough for those tee shirts.

After a little over two weeks in Spain it was time to drive back home. What a drive it was. Every day was sunny and with the low winter sun behind us the scenery was lit to perfection. Houses and villages with their mellow stone glowed in the sunlight. Almost every town and village we passed through or stopped at was dressed for Christmas with trees, lights and silver and gold wrapped parcels strung along the streets. We have had many memorable drives through France but that one must be top of the list.

We have done around 12,000 miles in Celine this year and she has done 25.7mpg from new, not bad for a 4.5 tonne truck.

I’m still loving the auto gear box and the expensive levelling jacks we had fitted have been brilliant. Celine has been a real pleasure to drive.

Mechanically she has performed perfectly with the only problem being a split windscreen, caused by a stone chip. The windscreen was eventually replaced after we had driven over 3500 miles with the crack slowly getting longer.

There have been a couple of internal problems that have to be sorted under the warranty when she goes in for service but nothing to stop us using the van.

Plans for 2017?

So far we are booked in for a Carthago Owners rally in the Dordogne in September and we will book a place on the rally field for RIAT at RAF Fairford for July.

Other than those we have nothing firm planned. We would like to go back to Scotland in early summer and the hill villages of Portugal plus more time in Spain seem attractive on a dark winter’s night as I write this.

Watch this space.

A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all.

Cheers!

Winter sun….

….at last.

L’Estartit

We didn’t time our first winter trip to Spain very well as it coincided with a spell of unsettled weather that seemed to affect most of Europe.

First an ‘Arctic Plunge’ brought cold and frost down from the north, then large areas of low pressure brought storms to Spain and France, followed by days of cloud and heavy showers.

At last, after ten days at Les Medes the weather settled down to the warm sunny days that the regulars here say are the norm. Not that is had been all bad, we just had a mixture, one day lovely followed by a cloudy day. Now it has reverted to the usual pattern of clear days and chilly, cloudless, nights.

We have been quite lucky though as we really only had one very wet night and morning while the Costa Del Sol have had floods and torrential rain which effected some popular winter sun spots for days.

Most of the ‘Snowbirds’ who come south for the winter go further south to the Alicante/ Costa Blanca region where the temperatures are a few degrees higher than here in northern Spain. There the sites are full and there are plenty of bars and restaurants open. It is much more lively with plenty going on to keep people entertained.

On the Costa Brava, it is much quieter. Les Medes is the only site open and there is loads of space. L’Estartit is partly closed down and most of the apartments in the many new blocks have the shutters closed. That all means that it is quiet and peaceful with little traffic on the roads.

Our last week at Les Medes stayed sunny but with a bit of a chill in the air. It was good weather for walking though and we had lots of strolls to the sea or along the lanes to just stretch our legs. As soon as the sun started to go down in the late afternoon it got a bit too cool to be sitting outside.

Story time…..

Are you sitting comfortably children? Then I’ll begin….

A long, long time ago three young men travelled to a far distant land in search of adventure and ……!

OK, thats enough of the fairy tales.

We, for I was one of the lads of course, went on our first overseas holiday, a cheap and tacky package holiday to the Costa Brava in Spain. It must have been around 1965-6 and we flew to Girona on a Dan Air Avro York, basically a converted Lancaster bomber.

I really can’t remember much about the place we stayed except that it was just outside L’Estartit and in the middle of sandy, scrubby countryside. The one thing I do remember is an outdoor circular dance floor with columns each side containing large speakers that blasted out dance music until all hours.

Fast forward 50 years or so and I’m back in Spain and roughly the same area, close to L’Estartit, but this time on a campsite with wife and motorhome. While out walking I was reminiscing about that holiday and wondering where it was we stayed, while looking around for clues and possible buildings that might look familiar.

We were in the bar having a drink with friends when I spotted photos of the present site with before and after pictures of the owner and family. There were also pictures of the site before they bought it and blow me down, there was that dance floor with the speaker columns.

How much of a coincidence is that? Over 50 years since I stayed at L’Estartit and it is in exactly the same place.

Of course, it has all changed. The sandy tracks are now proper roads, the tacky cheap hotel is now an upmarket smart campsite and many buildings have been added. The original building is still there though and although there is a circular area in the middle of the large paved area outside the bar, I think the old dance floor is long gone, to make room for the swimming pool.

It is still surrounded by countryside but the scrub is now neat and tidy fields and the lure of the sea means that it is much more built up than all those years ago. A short stroll up the lane to the sea though and little has changed unless you turn and look inland. The view out to the Las Medes islands is just the same as I remembered.

Les Medes and L’Estartit

Over the hills to Spain.

The promised rain and storm didn’t arrive during the day on Wednesday although the wind certainly blew hard. The usually calm lagoon beside the aire looked more like open sea with the waves splashing over the rocks a few feet in front of us.

Every now and again I checked out the http://www.lightningmaps.org website to see how far the storm was progressing and watched it pass Barcelona as it very slowly made its way towards us.

As we got ready for bed thunder was starting to rumble and soon all hell let lose. As the rain started the wind suddenly dropped, the rain became a torrent and soon it sounded like someone had turned a fire hose on. Lightning flashed almost continually, with thunder right overhead. Gradually the storm continued on its way north and left us to sleep in peace.

Thursday morning and a quick departure from Gruissan, a stop at Carrefour in Narbonne for supplies and on to the D900 towards Spain. The road was excellent and with light traffic we made good time. Shortly before reaching Perpignan we joined the A9 as I had decided to splash out and pay the motorway toll to take us up and over the mountains and into Spain.

Leaving the Spanish AP7 at J3 we travelled on excellent country roads to our destination just outside L’Estartit.

Camping Les Medes

Members of Motorhome Fun forum had sung the praises of Les Medes campsite (GPS 42.04249° 3.18351°) and one of the members, Paul, was on the site and gave us daily updates on the weather etc. It sounded as if the site was good and not crowded as some are further south. We really didn’t want to go too far south if we didn’t need to as we had already done over 1000 miles to get that far.

We arrived at lunchtime and were given a site plan with the available pitches marked and told to have a walk round and chose where we wanted to go. Two or three weeks would be fine or just a couple of days if we wanted to leave earlier, all very friendly and laid back.

The site is in the middle of the countryside, perhaps half a mile from the sea and is very quiet.

The sun was shining, it was warm and we had a pitch on the edge of the site overlooking fields.

Happy bunnies!!

The drains in Spain……

…….are mainly full of rain.

Apart from the train noise it started to rain during our evening at Bellvei and continued all night, seeming to get heavier as the night went on.

We returned to the toll motorway to continue north as I really didn’t fancy driving through or too close to Barcelona. I’ve read too many stories of bandits and ne’er-do-wells preying on tourists using the main roads through the area, so the E15 seemed the safer and quicker option……to hell with the cost.

The rain continued to hammer down as we drove and despite the spray the motorway seemed far safer than dodging through crowded towns and villages.

After crossing the border and getting back into France we left the motorway at Narbonne and after a stop for supplies at Carrefour we drove down to the sea at Gruissan. As we parked at lovely Gruissan the rain finally stopped for the first time in 20 hours.

Looking out over the lagoon.

The aire at Gruissan marina is on Avenue des Quatre Vents (Four Winds) and is as aptly named as it’s possible to be. During our many previous visits the wind has always played a part at some time during our stay but on this occasion it did itself proud. It howled down from the nearby Pyrenees and didn’t stop during the two nights we were there. The van rocked and shook but the sun shone and we stayed inside enjoying the view of the flamingoes feeding in the shallow water of the lagoon.

An almost deserted aire at Gruissan, it will look very different in couple of months time.

 

Back into the hills.

One night of dust and wind was enough for us so we almost retraced our steps as we headed north east and away from the coast.

Many years ago we had a couple of holidays on the Costa Del Sol and it was very built up then so what would it be like now? Looking at the map of Spain we could see a route that cut off a large corner and would take us through the hills and back to the coast at Valencia.

Our route took us past Jerez, over country roads north east to pick up the motorway to Cordoba then east to the town of Úbeda where we stopped the night.

Having heard how good the Spanish roads were and found them to be well surfaced and maintained so far on this trip, we were surprised to find them anything but on the long drive that day. Poor Celine crashed and rattled over the patched up carriageways and on some parts of the motorway I stayed in lane 2 when I could, to get away from the damage done by the trucks.

Again we found our aire easily, Camper Contact 46417 (GPS 38.00638º -3.37925º), but the entrance up little more than an alleyway didn’t look too appealing. However the aire was very smart, very new and well laid out in a small car park. To one side was a huge and very secure building which was a training centre for the Guardia Civil, to the other an olive pressing plant while behind was a park and swimming pool. The aire had water and dump facilities and everything was free.

The following day, Saturday 2nd April, we continued east. My intention had been to take the N322 across country towards Valencia but after the battering we had taken from the bumpy roads the previous day we elected to take the longer motorway route in the hope that the surface would be better maintained. It was a good move as the roads were excellent again. Not only smooth and well surfaced but, being Saturday, there were very few trucks on the road.

After leaving Úbeda with its hills covered in olive trees we backtracked a few km to join the A4 north and onto the high plateau at around 750m high. Mile after mile (or should that be Km?) of flat agricultural land then miles of vines interspersed with steep hills and tunnels as the road wound across the landscape before finally dropping down to the coastal plain close to Valencia.

We covered almost 300 miles and still arrived at our next stop by just after 2pm.

Goodbye Portugal, Hello Spain.

After three weeks in Portugal we crossed back into Spain to start the gradual move north.

An aire at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, on the coast near to Jerez, had been recommended by a couple of people and as it had views over the estuary of Rio Guadalquivir it sounded good.

The motorway from the border to Seville was excellent and then we turned south and crossed attractive countryside on a first class road to our destination. Sanlúcar is a large town but the sat-navs did their job and took us straight to the aire (GPS 36.78338º -6.35883º). Our aires book warned that it was ‘dusty when windy, muddy when wet’. When we arrived it was very windy so the site took on the appearance of a little patch of desert surrounded by apartment blocks. The lucky few who had a pitch overlooking the estuary and the beach had a lovely spot but the rest of the aire didn’t have a lot to recommend it in our view.

The dusty aire at Sanúcar de Barrameda.

We had a breezy and pleasant walk along the very posh promenade and into the old town with its lively main square before finding our way back to base.

The main square.

Iberian Virgins

Due to the lack of internet connection this blog is being posted rather later than planned. 

With luck it may get back on track in the next few days. 

16th March 2015.

 

It is a sunny Sunday afternoon and we are parked by the banks of the River Gironde 670 miles from home.

We planned to make a trip to get some sun, leaving in mid March or early April but the winter in England seems to have dragged on and on so after looking at grey skies for one day too many I decided that we should get moving. Inevitably there were things going on that had to be sorted out first but once they were done we were off.

As usual there was not a lot of detail planning involved other than ordering maps and an aires book for Spain and Portugal, both countries we have flown to for holidays before but never travelled to with the MoHo.

So, with Celine packed to the gunnels for a six week trip we left home on the first Wednesday of March amid the first real cold spell of the winter. The met men were predicting a cold blast from the Arctic right across Europe, including Iberia. Just what we needed in our quest for warmth and sunshine.

After our late afternoon crossing through the tunnel we headed the few miles north to the aire at Gravelines where we met up with fellow Carthago owners Neil and Caroline, plus Digger the dog.

We spent a pleasant hour or so putting the world to rights before retiring to our van for supper and a peaceful night.

Thursday morning we went south to our favourite aire at La Mailleraye-sur-Seine. When we arrived the aire was deserted but we were soon joined by a couple more vans. After two days driving we stayed put on Friday and just chilled, very easy to do at La Mailleraye and watched the ships go past and wandered up into the village for a few food items.

On Saturday we hit the road again with a long drive south west to an aire that had been recommended at Montreuil-Bellay, just south of Saumur and the River Loire.

Montreuil-Bellay

The free are (GPS 47.13255º -0.15815º) is beside the River Thouet and is overlooked by the town and a magnificent Chateau perched on a crag. The view through the windscreen was amazing and the aire was as quiet as the grave at night.

The Chateau

 

Montreuil-Bellay Chateau

The view from the aire.

Sunday, like Saturday, is always a good day to drive in France as most of the HGV’s are off the road. Another fairly long haul but on good and quiet roads all the way down to Blaye, the famous wine town just north of Bordeaux.

The aire at Blaye.

Another free aire (so sorry to rub it in but the caravaners that read this get really annoyed) this time right on the banks of the Gironde and beside the Citadel and the town (GPS 45.12514º -0.66611º). Although there are no facilities for taking on water or dumping waste the position and view more than makes up for it.

The sun has shone for most of the day and with it streaming in through the screen we have been really toasty warm. A late afternoon walk around the Citadel blew the cobwebs away and stretched our legs followed by tea and tiffin back at Celine.

The Gironde from the Citadel.

Kate inspects the doors to the Blaye Citadel.

After two days driving we may stay an extra day here and explore the town a little.