Well – it’s been a pretty frustrating week in relation to the blog. Changing platform should be easier than this. And take less time!! And maybe I should have a little more patience?
Well – I guess life has settled into a comfy routine. Paul gets up, walks the boys and starts work. A little later, I awake – rosy cheeked and refreshed from my slumbers and we have our breakfast. And then I do stuff like cleaning and tidying, planning our homeward leg, washing, folding clothes in lieu of ironing – although there is an ironing board here and I see one ldy religiously doing her ironing each week! Also changing the bed, cleaning the caravan and car windows. Dust from the Sahara we suspect? All pretty mundane, but necessary stuff, really. Oh – and reading and blogging. It doesn’t seem much but the days are haring by!
We had dinner with the other Brits on site on Monday night, which was very pleasant. Three courses and drink for 11 Euros and very tasty. We have now grasped the difference between “flan” – yummy, like Créme caramel – and “pudding” – very similar indeed but slightly heavier. Both lovely. Flan is ubiquitous in Spain.
We met (sat with) a couple who had retired to the Isle of Lewis and who had arrived via ferry from Newcastle to Holland and then down through France. We had a good chat and a great exchange of travelling stories.
On Wednesday evening we went to the weekly quiz. We missed winning by two points which, as is ever the way, we had talked ourselves out of. Will we never learn? We were joined by a very nice couple from Wigan and their knowledge of TV themes was legendary!
Friday brought Valentine’s Day and Paul had surreptitiously made me a very sweet card. Me being me had thought ahead and brought one with me – Border Terrier themed. But both were given with love.
We had booked the local restaurant – Restaurant El Paraiso – for our Valentine’s dinner and arrived at a respectable 8pm, forgetting that the Spanish tend to dine later. Not only were we the only English couple there, we were also the only couple there for a while.
It
was a set meal with an array of starters comprising salad caprese (mozzarella,
basil and tomatoes – with the mozzarellla cut into heart shapes- cute!) prawns
(I still tread a little warily with these as I had a pretty bad reaction to them
a couple of years back), mussels – huge ones and octopus. I’m not a great fan
of octopus – I mean I’ll eat it but it’s just soooooooo flipping chewy! The
main course was pork steaks with peppercorn sauce and the dessert was chocolate
dipped strawberries.
Salada CapreseOctopus
By
the time we had finished eating, the restaurant was full and very noisy and
lively. Our bad! And the owner was very anxious to know that we had enjoyed
ourselves and I was presented with a red rose.
Saturday 15th
We left the site at 09:30 – bashed down the motorway towards Granada and the turn-off to Lanjarón – the first town on our tour around the “Alpujarras”. The Alpujarrras are the aptly named white towns and villages in the Sierra Nevada National Park.
Lanjarón
is a thermal town, whose waters are said to be good for various health and
digestive conditions. The spa has been visited by such luminaries as Virginia
Wolf and Federico Garcia Lorca.
The
route had great vistas and viaducts. Almost as soon as we had turned off the
motorway, I spotted a sign for a “mirador turístico” – a viewpoint. And what a
view. It was a gorge and a very deep one at that and you could clearly see
three separate crossings from ancient to modern all stacked up one atop the other.
Well worth the quick detour.
The oldest bridgeOn the middle bridge with the newest bridge above
The next town along our route was Orgiva – a lovely bustling little town with a slightly new age tinge. It is apparently popular with people who want an “alternative” lifestyle. There is quite a large encampment of tipi dwellers on the outskirts of town.
Orgiva town centreA sculpture of Cervante’s “Don Quixote”
Next up was Sopratujar – this village is allegedly famous for witches. The legend can be found here. I suspect it may be no more than a good USP for tourists!
A witch – don’t ask me which!
There is a charming miniature model of the village on the edge of the village. The villages and towns are famous for their unique chimney pots. They are much photographed and I like to think that our photos do them justice.
We retraced our steps and set off for Pampaneira – the towns look as if they literally cling on by their fingernails as they cascade down the mountainside. Thence to Bubión at 1350 m and all the time I was thinking why? Why are these towns here? What do people who live here do for a living? I was also struck by the thought that the UK’s highest mountain- Ben Nevis – is some 1345m high. I wonder if the temperatures there ever reach 21C?
We had lunch in Capeleira – which at just over 1400m is the highest village of the Alpujarras. As we were waiting for our lunch, I could feel the sun starting to make the back of my neck tingle – the precursor of sunburn.
We chose Platos Alpujarreños – a typical meal of the area with chorizo, black pudding, fried egg and potatoes. It was very filling indeed, but we had already decided that this would be our main meal of the day. Even so, I left half of mine!
Lunch finished, we asked for the bill. It was then that Paul realised that he had left his wallet in the car. I omitted to mention that the town is very steeply terraced and that we’d parked on one of the lower terraces and climbed several steep flights of stairs to get up to the town. You have to be pretty flipping fit to live here. Doing a runner was thus completely out of the question!
Paul – bless him – went back to get the wallet. We paid and then wandered off to have a look around the little town, which clearly thrives on tourism. I bought a couple of things as gifts and Paul bought a leather belt. We had done our bit.
Our final destination was Trevélez, where we stopped and gave the boys a run by the river. And then it was time to make our way back. Trevélez is famous for its air-cured hams (Jamón Serrano – literally ham from the mountains) and I suspect it does a brisk trade in the season but was pretty quiet on this fine mid-February day. Incidentally, the ham that is made from the much-prized Iberian pigs is Jamón ibérico and you see it in every Mercadona and pretty much every bar, where it is carved to order.
We came back on the opposite of the river, which was altogether wilder and there were clear signs of abandoned mining. Google tells us that mining dates back many hundreds of years but the boom time was in the late 19th/early 20th Century – lead, Mercury, copper, fluorspar have all been mined around these parts, but transportation has always been an issue. It was a long and winding road back down and I began to fear for poor Vicky Volvo’s brakes!
We stopped at the Rio Gaudalfeo or Rules dam, which we had seen and been impressed with both on the way here from Granada and on our way to Lanjarón earlier. It was pretty impressive. But the best bit was when Paul spotted some big and I mean BIG fish. The photos are taken from around 50 feet above, just to give you some idea of their size.
The reservoirThe dam
We had some dog biscuits in the car and I quickly ground them up and threw the bits to the fish. Cue feeding frenzy! I could genuinely have stayed all day watching them! A short video of them (and Paul’s thumb!) can be found here.
We made our way home via Mercadona and arrived back at the van around 18:30. It had been a long old day! This had been the Andalucía that I will forever remember. Utterly beautiful – too stunning for photos to capture properly.
And if you’re reading this, it means that our Blog woes are over and normal service will be resumed!!
So what have we been up to since we arrived on Tuesday? Some washing – 2 weeks on the road made quite a pile! Tidying up and cleaning in the van, cleaning the outside of the van – long overdue. Washing the dogs’ bedding by hand as it’s not allowed in the machines. A couple of cycle rides, some grocery shopping, went to a craft morning, meeting new people, reading, pottering. Just mundane stuff, really. Paul has been working very diligently, so I’ve just generally enjoyed entertaining myself and the warmer weather and blue skies. And then along came the weekend! Yay!!
We drove to the nearest big town of Motril on Friday evening and did a grocery shop at the big “Al Campo” to see us through the weekend and beyond. And then we could relax. We spent the evening working on transferring the blog – which has outgrown WordPress- to our new Easyspace home. This takes time – a long time. Too long for my impatient nature! And involves technical things beyond my ken! Friday evening became Saturday morning and still it was not done.
Sat 8th Feb
After a bit of a lie-in and breakfast, we set off along the coast towards Calahonda. We spotted a ruined castle on a promontory and had to pull over for a photo opportunity – it reminded us of Tintagel, somehow?
Tintagelo
We stopped at the pretty little beach at La Chucha to give the boys a run. They had great fun blasting up and down and playing chase and sniffing out all the interesting seaside smells. It was only when we returned to the car that we saw that dogs (perros) were prohibited. Oops! In my defence, I genuinely had looked for a notice at the point we joined the beach, but there had been no sign.
One of the purposes of this drive was to pop in to Decathlon in Motril to buy some heavy duty tent pegs. I had checked and they had them on their website but we drew a blank in store. What a nuisance. We returned home for lunch and to gird up our loins in preparation for erecting our new blow-up awning.
They are not known as a divorce in a bag for nothing!! But – in all honesty – it went up really well, with very little argument. The single strut – which inflates to 7psi makes all that fiddling with poles redundant. We are pretty pleased with it. And it gives us a bit more room for the detritus of everyday life!!
Reading the instructionsThe finished article
We also took the opportunity to get out the trusty Cadac and it’s all made it feel a little more like we are established here – not moving on for a while. And our pitch has built in drainage for the washing-up and other stuff – anything that goes down a plug hole (known as “grey waste”) and a tap to supply us with fresh water. Luxury!
A view of the siteReceptionAnd from the road
I set to, making a Chicken, Pancetta and Mushroom Risotto while Paul worked on transferring the Blog to its new home. It may take a while….
The
risotto was delicious and would have fed most of the campsite and Paul spent
ALL evening on the techy bits of the Blog transfer. Much muttering of curses
and imprecations.
Sunday9th Feb
We had a leisurely start to the day and eventually decided a trip into the mountains might be nice, so we set off. We plan a trip to the famous Alpujarras – the “White towns” of the high Sierra Nevada – but had left it too late today.
The first town we encountered was Albunol, where we saw a “churreria” that was open, but having just had a good breakfast , we managed to resist. Just… For the uninititaed, churros are often eaten for breakfast in Spain, dipped in gloopy hot chocolate. And to die for!
The town has what looks like a road running through it which is in fact a run off for snow melt and rainwater. We travelled along the A4131 – another amazing road, which twists and turns through the mountains. This is clearly a fruit and nut growing area – there were trees everywhere, all just bursting into blossom. Almonds certainly, but also maybe cherry? We marvelled over the logistics of getting it all picked. Growing amongst the trees were some very pretty yellow flowers that I was not able to identify – anyone? Post publication note: My Andalusian friend Begoña tells me that as a child they called them “vinegretas and used to suck the stems, which had a vinegary flavour. So now we know! Thanks Begoña!
The water run-off or “rambla”An anonymous yellow flower
The next town that we arrived at was Sorvilán – which immediately reminded us of Blake’s 7. Narrow streets and not at all suitable for cars. We stopped for a bit to let the boys have a run and the breeze blew a constant stream of petals in to the air. It was very pretty.
The
road is clearly much loved by motorcyclists, out for a Sunday blow away of the
cobwebs. They were certainly out in force today!
We arrived at our nominal destination – the little town of Polopos. It’s another town that clings to the mountainside and not car-friendly. We did see a fair few cars/pick-ups parked with piles of dogs inside – hunting we assumed.
I
had noticed – every now and then – a little black and white sign on a stick. As
we had 4G pretty much everywhere we went in the mountains, I consulted the
mighty Google which told me they are signs which mean “no public hunting”. Well
that’s good to know!!
As we dropped down to sea level, we decided to take the boys for a walk on the beach at Castell de Ferro. It was lovely. So nice that we thought we’d stop for a bite to eat. What a great call.
The “Menu del Dia” was €12 for three courses. How could we possibly resist? Even though we had left over risotto to eat up. We figured it would keep. We ordered and sat back in the lovely warm sunshine. When the waitress arrived with our drinks she also bore a plate of tapas to share. It was delicious – calamari and fish in a really yummy batter.
Then our starters arrived – mine a simple dish of sliced tomatoes drizzled wih olive oil and sprinkled with minced garlic, Paul’s his favourite mixed salad. Way too much!
The main course was “Secreto Iberico” – described as pork fillet in the English part of the menu. It was much like belly pork in its texture and fattiness. And not the nicest meat we have ever eaten to be frank. Later research showed that Secreto Ibérico (which translates as Iberian Secret) is a cut of meat, which comes from between the shoulder blade and the loin of the prized Iberian pigs. The reason that the meat tastes so good is that the surface is marbled with fat. Maybe ours was just badly cooked? I’d give it another go to be sure.
We
were too full for dessert so had delicious coffees and paid the bill.
The
sun was starting to fade as we made our way home. What a lovely day.
We spent the evening doing more work on the blog (Paul) and uploading photos (me) in the hope that we’d be able to post soon.
Sun 2nd I forgot to mention, yesterday, that we are now in Andalusia. We had a quiet night’s sleep and got up refreshed and ready for our customary Sunday brekker of dippy eggs. Never tire of them.
We cleared up and got ready to go out and rig of the day was declared to be shorts. First time out this year!
We popped into the supernercado to get some provisions for a couple of evening meals. Cauliflower Cheese tonight! Mmm. We also bought a bottle of local Tempranillo for a hefty €3.35. We’ll report back on that later!!
Paul had selected a road that would take us into the mountains and he selected well. We were very soon above the clouds, above the circling vultures and had views to die for every which way. It was a stunning road. The sun was out and the air was that very crystal clear you only get in such places.
It’s one of those roads I’d describe as “a wow round every corner”. It was also one of those roads with vertiginous drops and no barriers and very narrow indeed, with an edge like a step rather than gently sloped. We met a few cars, a party of Vespa/Lambretta scooter boys, (one of whom was the dead spit of my brother!) cyclists and bikers and finally a motorcade of 70s/80s sports cars, which drew some oohs and ahs from us! And all with no mishaps.
We stopped in the pretty little town of Aldeaquemada for coffee and mused that we’d put that road – the A6200 – in our top 10 of stunning roads. It was that good. And the National Park is also stunning. If you’re ever nearby, give the A6200 a go. You won’t be disappointed.
We stopped on the return journey to give the boys a walk. Ted was very interested in one particular smell and I realised it was blood. It looked like it had been dripping out of the back of some hunters pick-up. I pulled him away and we walked on – more blood. Blood everywhere. Now call us odd, but we weren’t so keen on that and decided to abandon our walk up that track and head back to the relative safety of our car!
We returned to the van, where I had a snooze and then we strapped the boys on our backs and went out for a bike ride. Paul had spotted a track where we could cycle with boys running alongside. Perfect! It was a beautiful evening for a brisk cycle and we all had a great time again.
Time to cook supper – we both love a bit of cauli cheese. Paul pronounced the wine very drinkable and extremely good value at just £2.80 a bottle. Worrying news!
We appear to have broken the boys – they both happily crashed out for the evening while we watched first the beautiful sunset and then an episode of Sharpe before bed.
Ooh – and Paul mistook the Senora sign for Senor and had his shower in the ladies. Luckily, there’s not too many people about so he wasn’t – like – arrested or anything!
Monday 3rd
Monday morning- sunny and warm. First night with no heating at all – evening and overnight. I’ll soon be complaining about being too hot, don’t you worry!
Paul worked while I caught up the world, played with the boys and cycled into town to get some fresh bread. It was a lovely ride. And I forgot to wear my cycle helmet. Naughty me. I couldn’t resist taking a snap of an orange tree in town, it’s such a novelty for us Northeners!
I returned triumphant with bread and a big grin – such a joy cycling in the warm sun. I made sandwiches to take with us and we set at off lunchtime as usual for a quick drive to find some provisions. The cauli cheese was lovely by the way and plenty left over for tonight with, perhaps. some sausages?
WE have made some new friends. These birds – which I now know to be Iberian Azure-winged Magpies, thanks to Twitcher Tim (Crookston) – roost in the trees above us at night and are quite delightful little chaps.
We went for a drive to Arquillos – only because the road went past a couple of reservoirs which we thought might be nice. However, they were both low on water and neither had anywhere to park.
ArquilosArquilosGuadalen Reservoir
It was a nice drive, though, and we were excited to see signs warning us that the area was Iberian Lynx habitat. You don’t see signs like “Beware of Lynxes” and “Lynxes crossing” signs every day. We were pretty sure we’d never see one as they are very endangered indeed. The Iberian Lynx is the second most endangered species in the world actually. Their main problem is loss of prey – rabbits.
It is clearly an oil growing area, with olive groves as far as the eye can see. And a pretty little town – although I always wonder in such places what on Earth the people do for a living. Grow olives I guess? Very little sign of animal husbandry in the area, although quite a few intensive chicken farms which you can smell from a fair distance. I find it very depressing that we treat poor defenceless chickens like that. Makes me very sad.
Olives everywhere
We needed some provisions so popped into the very new- feeling Mercadona in La Carolina. By now it was 22C. Shopping done, Paul went back to work while I pottered. Someone turned up opposite in a cream Merc estate. Now that’s what I call stylish!
My quick review of Camping Despeñaperros is that it’s a wonderful place to stay for the NP. It has definitely seen better days, but is clean and has everything you need. We never saw either the shop or the restaurant open, but it’s not surprising, being out of season. There is a track to the side of the site that is great for dog-walks. Santa Elena has a pretty good little supermercato, with butcher. I’d definitely be happy to return.
Tuesday 4th
We left at 09:15 today. I note that we are getting steadily later – must be the mañana effect?
It was a lovely sunny morning and 12C as we slipped away from our pitch. The mountains looked beautiful in the early morning haze. We were sad to be leaving this lovely area.
We were intrigued to see that – as we neared Balién (scene of a battle in the Peninsular War – 1808) the road signs were in (what I assumed to be ) Moorish. Research shows it may have been “Andalusian Arabic”? I guess we’ll never know? But we’ve seen the signs nowhere else.
The scenery on today’s drive has ranged from breathtaking to jaw-dropping. Our coffee stop was in the middle of a gorge. This is definitely the must scenic leg of our trip. And it’s also the final leg of our outward journey as we arrive at our base for the next 30 nights, later today. And the temperature had risen to 20C. All good.
And then she did it again. Another Gabby Garmin detour! Paul was on the phone, giving tech support, so there was nothing I could really do to prevent it. I just had to watch helplessly and make agonised faces as she took us on a short wild goose chase, off the motorway onto another road, round a couple of roundabouts and straight back onto the road we had just left at the next exit down the line! No real harm done but flipping irritating!
Like Madrid, the route took us pretty much straight through the heart of Granada. Well – perhaps the right ventricle? Having never been before, I hadn’t realised it was in such a dramatic location – in a bowl with snow capped mountains all around. And it’s big! And I never realised, until this very day, that my telly in the 70s had come from so far away! But we got great service.
We approached the coast in low cloud – and started to see the infamous Sea of Plastic everywhere. Interesting that it’s been in the news lately and not in a good way. It’s where more than half of Europe’s demand for fresh fruits and vegetables is met. They are grown under the plastic shades that cover this area, The evils of Consumerism again. Exploitation of migrant workers. Poor buggers.
We arrived on site Camping de Castillo de Baños at 12:40. We took a fair while choosing our pitch, as we’ll be here for a month. We ended up choosing a pitch that fronts on to the sea. It’ll be nice to drift off to sleep to the sounds of the waves lapping the shore. Not pounding it, please!!!
We had the usual bloody game with the electricity! We pretty much never have this hassle at home. Why here? Paul fixed it though and he was soon working away merrily while I prepared lunch – a cheese and ham croissant.
We don’t plan to do much with the rest of today except a spot of orientation. There’s no hurry after all?
Paul had a particularly long meeting this morning. Very boring for me and also for the boys. I pushed off for a shower – and please – just because I don’t mention it every time, take it as read that we do keep ourselves clean when we are on the road !! Overcast 15C
Eventually the meeting drew to its agonisingly slow close and lunch was on the menu. Time for a trip into Aranjuez – capital of the Las Vegas district of Madrid (cue song!) and a fine upstanding town in its own right. In fact, until 1752, only royalty and the nobility were allowed to dwell in the town.
We stopped at the river just by the campsite, where there is big goose and Muscovy duck enclave. I drifted off to sleep last night listening to them clanking away!
So – to Aranjuez. The Palacio Real – a stunning building – has been, for centuries, the spring residence of the royal family. It almost looks new, to be honest, built in the old style.
The Palacio Real
Another impressive feature of the town is the Plaza de San Antonio, surrounded by many arches. The large Plaza is also known as “la Mariblanca” – presumably because of the large expanse of compacted white stone that it sits on? The church of San Antonio de Padua sits at the top of the square.
Aranjuez – pronounced Arran-hweth – is also famous for its many gardens, which were built in the style of Versailles. We chose one – the Jardin del Principe – in which to take the boys for a stroll. Unfortunately, no dogs allowed. Bill immediately showed his opinion in a really quite embarrassing manner, which involved collection and a bag for that purpose. Ya git me?
He did it pretty much slap bang in the middle of these gates!
This being Spain, one of the main features of the town is the Plaza de Toros – the bull ring. I was quite curious as to how the Spanish people feel about bull-fighting these days. Research shows that it is a political hot potato and also that there is a generational split, with the older population defending it as a cultural and historic part of the Spanish way of life and the younger generation who feel that it’s time to call it a day. I’m with the youth. This statement perfectly sums it up for me ““It is the 21st century and unthinkable that a spectacle where someone mistreats and kills an animal is officially a cultural event,” said Chesús Yuste, spokesperson for the Parliamentary Association in Defense of Animals (APDDA). “The time for bullfighting has passed.” “
It was soon time for Paul to go back to work – although he had been taking calls all the time we had been out and about. So I and the boys made ourselves comfy, them for a snooze and me to blog. And so we continued until around 7:15.
We had popped in to the on-site restaurant to enquire about a meal earlier and they were happy to serve us outside with the boys, so dinner out tonight.
It was as all a bit of a palaver as they (bless them!) insisted on setting up a table especially for us. We ordered drinks and then the menu arrived. Oddly, we both fancied the same thing. I doubt it’s very traditional Spanish – although they can’t possibly eat Paella every day, surely? It was Chorizo, bacon, egg, and chips! And it was bloody lovely! Served with an excellent mixed salad. Top grub!
One for the tourist trade I suspect?
Friday 31st
A day I hoped would never come. The day we leave the EU. I have friends who are very pro leaving and I have friends that are very anti leaving and I’m glad we have found a way not to let Brexit affect our friendships. But – for me – today is a very sad day. I hope those that are glad enjoy their celebrations and allow those of us who did not want to leave to be sad without rubbing our noses in it. Que sera sera.
Our lunchtime visit today was the town of Chinchōn – pronounced “Cheenchon“. Chinchon is famous for its Plaza Mayor, surrounded by buildings with wooden balconies. As we edged our way through the narrow twisty streets of this hilltop town, we hoped it would be worth it. And indeed it was. There are bars and restaurants all round the circular plaza and they looked very tempting. We parked next to another guy in the centre of the “square” and all seemed fine and then suddenly, out popped a policeman, with his pad. We apologised in English and he let us off. No parking there. Phew. I managed to bash off a couple of pics though.
That zealous policeman!
As we were leaving we saw a sign for the Laguna de Don Juan. I quickly looked it up and it seemed like the perfect place to give the boys a good run off lead.
We turned off the main road, following the sign posts, onto a dodgy looking track – full of potholes. Progress was slow but we eventually arrived at the viewing point. I guess you could say it was much like Farlington marsh?
The first thing we saw was a couple of those big raptors – not sure which kind, but big. And impossible to photograph. How do those BBC guys do it?Wait for hours I guess.
The boys had a really nice game of chase and we took a few photos and then popped them, panting and watered, back in the car for the journey home to the campsite.
We took a quick detour on the way home, lured by the price of gazoile. At just under a pound for a litre, it was the cheapest we’d yet seen.
When we arrived back at the site, it was evident that more people had arrived – presumably for the weekend? But we had a lovely solitary spot with loads of vacant pitches all around us. Until now. Loads of empty spots and what had happened? Someone had sited themselves immediately next door. Why do people do that?
Empty pitch after empty pitch Could they BE any closer?
Paul returned to his work while I did a bit of tidying up in preparation for the off tomorrow morning.
Then it was the weekend!!! No more work for a couple of days – although in reality I sure there will be some. In celebration we decide to take the boys out on the bikes. We had spotted an area we could cycle to and then let them off the lead to cycle alongside us.
Starting off was a bit iffy. What with Bill breaking his leg and preparations for the move, we had pretty much not managed to do any cycling with them since they were very small in the lovely Forest of Dean. But they eventually got it and we rode happily to the spot where we felt it would be OK to let them off. They loved it! Haring up and down and chasing and fighting. You could see the joy on their faces – and probably on ours too. Lets hope this is the first of many?
The evening brought supper and stowing stuff in their proper places and a bit of telly too. We have started re-watching Sharpe, which we are thoroughly enjoying and are just plunging in to The Stranger, a new Netflix series. Pastures new and an earlyish start await us tomorrow. Outside the EU……….
Sat 1st Feb
Since our next destination was a relatively short drive, we set off a little later than usual at about 08:40. Our route to the motorway took us straight through town, which was interesting! Driving slowly along the cobbled streets round the Plaza attracted quite a queue of traffic behind us. It was overcast and around 12C as we set off.
Our route took us past many classic windmills and there seems to be a Quixotic flavour to the area, with lots of cartoons of the famous Don and his sidekick.
We made our first stop at around 10:00 – just a quick coffee stop, as the boys didn’t seem interested in rousing themselves from their slumbers. It may be whimsical, but as you drive along, you quite often see a Spanish Bull, by the side of the road. We are not really sure why they are there, but they are quite attractive and leave you in no doubt that you are in Spain.
The A4 or Autovia del Sûr enters the Despeñaperros National Park via a series of dramatic viaducts and tunnels. We loved it – even though we were in low clouds which marred the view a little.
Pretty soon we saw the turn off for Santa Elena, home of our campsite Camping Despenaperros – for the next three nights. In the instructions provided to help you find the campsite, it warns you that access is tricky. And by gum it is!!! Challenging for anyone except the cool-as-a-cucumber Mr Sumpner. He took it nice and slow and triumphed again.
We checked in and were allocated our pitch, so off we went, promising to return with our passports at 1 pm.
The pitch was pretty level but we had more fun with the flipping electricity again. It wasn’t too long though, before but we had power, thanks to the persistent and patient Sumps.
Note that the water taps are very low to the ground, making it rather difficult to fill the water barrel. It was done more easily at the facilities block but renders null the convenience of having a tap in each pitch.
The site is in a wood overlooking olive groves and is very quiet indeed with lots of birds to watch. We think we are going to like it here.
I popped back with the passports at the agreed time and had a very long wait. Senor had computer troubles. Quite a queue had built up by the time we got sorted!
We had a spot of lunch and then went out exploring. Reader – I know you will find this a little hard to comprehend, but we had not had the foresight to provision ourselves for a trip into such a wilderness! Please don’t panic or contact the Red Cross, we WILL be OK, although our meals may have an unusual composition! Not that there is anything wrong with sardines in tomato sauce and Ambrosia creamed rice? We thought we’d try and find some odds and ends at a supermarket, just in case.
I digress. As if we had not had enough of driving, we went for a drive in the park. Paul wanted to seek out the old, pre-Autopista road through the park, which we soon found and were very swiftly rewarded with some stunning views.
We stopped at a viewpoint and climbed up to the top of the lookout to get pictures of the “Los Órganos Natural Monument”, which is a rock shaped – they say – like a giant church organ. Wind and rain have eroded the cliffs, resulting in spectacular scenery, with the appearance of giant vertical pipes.
As we stood there and marvelled, a (I think it can only have been) shot rang out. All the raptors (which we think were Griffon Vultures) were actually nestling and possibly nesting in the nooks and crannies in the cliffs took flight! What an amazing sight. And they had just settled when another shot came and they were spooked again. As ever, our pics just don’t do it justice.
Spott the Vulture – three to find!A viaduct from belowPortals
The road we had chosen led us back – by chance I’d say – to Santa Elena and our van, where we all had a jolly nice siesta. And found the supermarket – closed.
After our siesta and a cuppa, it was ablutions all round – including a quick haircut for Mr S and then we went out in search of dinner. On the way out of town we spotted this! We think it’s a nightclub, maybe? Couldn’t resist the pic!
My fame has spread!
We dined at Restaurante Asadore Navas de Talosa in La Carolina, the next town up the valley. And very nice it was too. we had a delicious starter of some potato, onion, cheese and egg with green peppers. Yes – that’s right. Green peppers – and they were actually not bad. Those who know me well know that I abhor and detest peppers of all colours. But these hardly tasted like peppers at all! We had eaten most of it before I thought to take a pic but here are the remains!
This was followed by a pork steak in a roquefort sauce for me and a kind of chicken/ham/cheese escalope for Pablo. We ate well for around £20 per head including drinks and coffee, and then returned to the van, ready for bed.
PS – I said it was quiet – I hadn’t allowed for a house party who were playing their music VERY LOUDLY INDEED until gone midnight. It didn’t stop us falling asleep very quickly!
Moving day. We were up and at it and tip-toeing around so as not to disturb other campers. We left the site at just gone 08:00.. Good preparation pays off!
Today we shall mostly be seeing trees, as we will be passing through the vast Forest of Landes which, at 3900 sq miles, is the largest man-made forest in Western Europe. To put it into perspective, our own New Forest is a mere 219 sq miles. It is huge!
Two hours of trees on a very straight road can be a little tedious, so we had a quiz. Each round had 7 questions and a boiled sweet was awarded each time we scored 7/7. Reader – the excitement was almost unbearable!
It was 13C and a fairly dull day. and then, just after 10:00.we got our first glimpse of the Pyrenees. More excitement. We last saw them back in 2011, when we holidayed there and saw a stage of the Tour de France.
We passed into Spain at around 10:45 and then it was time for our first stop, near San Sebastián. We immediately noticed that the Autservicios look somehow a little more tired than those in France. The roads are – so far – not as good either. Just two lanes mostly.
But the service station gave me my first challenge of the day. I can cope with just about any situation in France, but my Spanish is very limited. I ordered two coffees with milk to take away – and got them!!! Chuffed with that small victory.
We noticed that all the road signs were in Basque and all the place names too. It’s an interesting and quite mysterious language being a “language isolate” which is to say it has no roots in any other European language currently spoken. Visually, it is language with lots of x-es and zeds. I’ve never actually heard it spoken.
I’ve saved you the bother – this is a light-hearted video which illustrates just how different it is:
For the next couple of hours we drove through what I’d describe as the Spanish equivalent of Dartmoor. It started off quite scenically, with elegant bridges spanning ravines and gorges and lots of tunnels both short and long. But it soon became quite desolate plains-type country. And pretty wet and windy too. Scarily so if you’re me!! It was a bit of a white knuckle ride for me and my over-active imagination! I wondered whether we were on those plains in Spain where the rain mainly stays?
We stopped again for a leg stretch and a not very appetising roll at about 13:45 and then arrived at our destination – Camping Fuentes Blancos – in Burgos.
This is probably the most open of the “open all year” sites we have encountered, with a chap clearly on duty in reception, a shop and even a little restaurant. Quite a few units arrived after us.
Burgos is the ancient capital of Castile and the site is located on the banks of the River Arlanza – although sadly you can’t see it from the site.
We had arrived about 3pm and it was all a bit muddy. The pitches were on grass so we drove round for a while until we found a spot to our liking. The site looks much like a campsite in Winter, really, despite all the itinerants like us!
Our muddy pitch in Burgos
Before we finally pitched, Paul used his home-made European test-lead.
We had a choice of four electric connectors and the first one lit up two lights – meaning it wasn’t earthed. That’s apparently A BAD THING and potentially dangerous – normally the earth is there to protect electrical stuff. Or something ….
Anyway – no harm done, the next he tried was fine. We soon had the van warm and cosy and Paul was very quickly working away while I wrote most of this. Dinner was Spaggy Bog left over from yesterday. Paul worked all evening while I watched some telly.
We are sited next to a couple of tents. Rather them than me in this weather! Clearly they couldn’t sleep as – while we were dozing off that night – they were talking very loudly and animatedly. I woke up at 12:30 and they we’re still at it. I made a mental note to learn the Spanish for “please be quiet” – or similar. I must ask my friend Begoña for an apt colloquial phrase! Buenas noches a todos.
Miles travelled: Day 270 / Cumulative 1005
Tuesday 28th
Another rest day – another lie in. For some. Well – one. Yes! Me!! It was me!! Paul, bless him, got up very quietly and got his nose to the grindstone straight away while I slumbered. I eventually arose and had breakfast. Suitably restored, I managed a little light blogging.
Eventually, Paul having worked for a good five hours , broke off for an extended lunch break. We drove into Burgos with the express intention of a visit to Burgos Cathedral – especially as it has a UNESCO World Heritage status.
The avenue leading to the Cathedral
Immediately we clapped eyes on it we could see why. I had looked on line and thought it looked big but – in real life – it is pretty amazing. Building commeneced in 1221, following the French Gothic style. We couldn’t go inside because of our canine encumbrance (we wouldn’t be without them!) so walked round the perimeter. The Cathedral’s full name is long and richly deserved. It is the Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Santa María de Burgos. Oh yes.
The approach to the CatheralThe Cathedral in all its glory
We saw our old friend the pélérin (pilgrim) again or – as we are in Spain, the peregrino. We would be parting company with him from today as his next stop is León to the West and we are heading South tomorrow.
Il peregrino
There was an accordion player in one of the Archways – playing Jingle Bells! I suppose it’s actually about a sleigh ride and yet – in our culture – inextricably linked with Christmas, so seemed a bit out of place.
We drove up to the top of the hill, where there was a viewpoint. I had a chat with DIL2B while Paul walked the boys and then we stopped at the viewpoint for a pretty good overview of the town.
We popped into our Mercadona supermarket (or rather I did) to get some fresh bread and some fruit for another late lunch and then back to the van, where Paul went back to work and I prepared lunch.
He worked on until around 8 and then we both agreed we were still too full for supper so he had cheese and biscuits and I had a banarnie sarnie. Haven’t had one for years and just fancied it. It was yummers.
We watched the end of the movie we had started a couple of (k)nights ago. The King – the story of Henry Vs ascent to the throne and Agincourt. Very realistic (one imagines) battle scene. Accounts of the battle say the five thousand longbowmen, each loosing fifteen arrows a minute, let fly a total of seventy five thousand arrows in one minute: an arrow storm that was said to have blocked out the light of the sun. It was a pretty good movie.
As we had driven in to town yesterday, we had admired the streetlights, which look like they are encased within some sort of transparent gloop. Very attractive we thought.
My quick review of the site. is that we probably did not see it at its best but it’s a useful stopping point. The facilities are good (seats and loo-roll) They are very clean and warm, too. There is a handy shop for basics but also big Mercadona in town. We did not try the restaurant as it was not dog friendly. In normal circumstances we’d probably be happy to leave them in their crates in the car, so that we could dine without them, but because they are spending quite a lot of time in them as we travel, it just does not seem fair to bung them in there, just for our convenience.
29th Jan
Heading South today. We were off just after 8 – as usual. It was grey and overcast and 8C as we left Burgos.
The Spanish interior is big, red and scrubby. Not sure it’s quite what we expected? I kept thinking about how Sharpe and his men would have found it. Especially in summer. I imagine it’s baking hot, with very little shade or cover.
A random town along the routeOur Spanish go-faster stripes
As we drove along, some guy overtook us, waving at us and flashing his lights at us. We’ve heard horror stories of people pulling over and then getting robbed, so we drove on. You can see how people get caught out. It does feel a bit weird ignoring it, but was probably just that he was happy to see us because we are English!Might be a different story on Friday?
We pulled off for 2nd breakfast just before 10, near Milagro. Paul checked the van over (nothing untoward) and walked the boys while I went to fetch the refreshments. I’ve noticed already how much cheaper it is than in France.
We saw a couple of big birds of prey. One flew right over us, talons out. Really impressive. I though Golden Eagle but Paul thought Condor. We’ll never know – but either is possible round these parts.
As we continued our journey further South, we glimpsed some snow on some of the mountain tops. Happy to see it but happier still not to be in it!! Although one hears that the Spanish have it sorted and soon have the snow-ploughs out. We spotted a couple of areas where they shepherd you off the motorway if snow strikes.
It was as at his point that we experienced what we now call “a Gabby Garmin detour”. We were cruising happily along the road when she told us to leave at the next exit. Taken by surprise we obeyed, although I was quickly checking with our other navigation system, Via Michelin, which allows you to specify that you are towing.
Gabby was playing tricks, as she often does. She gets you off a main road, onto a lesser road and then – a little further on – returns you to the same road you were hitherto travelling. For no apparent reason!
This detour was along a quite twisty minor road with a narrow bridge. Luckily, no-one else was around and we were soon back on the Autopista. Fortunately, Micky Michelin saved us going down what was little more than a track by suggesting a different route to that which Gabby had suggested – although we would definitely have balked at taking it. See pics below!
Gabby’s suggested routeThe reality on the ground
Very soon, we were on the outskirts of Madrid and the traffic started hotting up. I am such a wuss. And I read and retain too much. I’d read a few articles about how crazy it was (although surely nothing could be worse than Palermo!). My heart was in my mouth as we journeyed through the city. The Motorway plunges straight through the heart of Madrid and it’s pretty confusing. And it seems that white van man (or le hombre de la furgoneta blanca!) also lives in Spain! But good old Paul! He is such a trooper. Cool, calm and collected, he powered through – although we did have both navigation systems running in tandem, just in case Gabby started any of her monkey business!
Pretty soon we were seeing signs for Aranjuez and then for our stopover for the next three nights – Camping International of Aranjuez. It was brighter, with hints of blue sky as we pitched up and the temperature was in the mid to high teens. Lovely. It’s the first time since we came away that we haven’t had the heating on, although it’ll probably go on tonight.
Our pitchMore of the site
We needed some chicken so we popped to Mercadona and got a bit lost in what looked like a failed commercial centre project of some sort. Lots of half-built and abandoned buildings, complete with massive car park, all laid out but overgrown and cordoned off. There was a large hotel, which did seem to be open and and a large Casino again open, but half the lights on the frontage out. It all looked very sad indeed – presumably a victim of the big Spanish Depression? It looked about the right age.
Today was the day for the start of our pretty epic (to us!!) road-trip. We had prepared as much as we could the evening before and we spent an hour or so prepping the van so that we could just hook-up and go.
Next was a visit to the flat to shower (both) , do some work (Paul) and collect the last few bits (me) before the off.
Paul then left for Portchester to go and grab the bikes while I popped to Soothills to get some lunch. Our bikes have been stored at the lovely Linda’s since the move. It was when I arrived, bearing pasties all round that we realised that we had forgotten the vital bike keys, which lock the bikes to the car roof. They were nestling happily in a drawer in the sideboard. Doh!
We quickly hatched a plan. Linda would come with me to the flat to collect the keys while Paul would go back to the site and start the hook-up process. Linda would then drive my beloved Jizzy back to her house. Jizzy is being cared for by Linda and Anna while we are away, so this all worked out very well.
We eventually set off at 2:30 – about an hour later than planned but that’s my life, as those who know my husband will attest.
I had hoped we would arrive before dark but that was out of the window. Traffic on the M25 linear car park was pretty abysmal and we finally rocked up at our first night stop – 1 – The Drum Inn – which is situated roughly 8 minutes from the Tunnel and a favourite spot of ours when visiting France with dogs. They were very good, dropping off to sleep just after we left and staying that way until we arrived. Paul drove and answered the phone and dictated responses to emails all the way.
We were the only people on this very handy pub site, so we got a nice spot where we could stay hooked up and leave (very) early and with minimum fuss the next morning. We got some drinks from the pub and had our dinner. Paul went back to work, while I watched a spot of television and we ere in bed by 10:15, ready for our early alarm call. We set double alarms- just in case.
Miles travelled: Day 125/ Cumulative 125
Thursday 23rd
The alarm went off at 04:45. We arose and Paul walked the boys while I made some coffee. Last night I had prepared some cereal in lidded bowls that we would eat while we were in the tunnel. The boys seemed very puzzled that we were waking them up so early!
We were booked on the 6:50 train but managed to get on the 06:20. We boarded the train at 06:00 and proceeded to have our “first breakfast”. Then it was putting the beam deflectors on the headlights, applying the Crit’air sticker and then the Télépéage gizmo on the windscreen.
The dogs didn’t bat an eyelid in the tunnel. I doubt they even noticed. They had Bonios for their first breakfast.
The obligatory “approaching the train” shotThe obligatory “on the train” shot
We arrived in France at around 07:00 or 08:00 French time. It was a nice sunrise, about 7C and a tad cloudy. Our first stop – as usual – was at the Aire du Baie du Somme, where coffee and 2nd brekker (a pain au choc) was procured. At a Starbucks! Zut alors! Is nothing sacred? V disappointing that France has finally succumbed to the big boys from Seattle.
Next stop was just a petrol stop, near Rouen – the location of my very first trip to France with Uncle D when I was about 11. We caught the ferry overnight to Le Havre and then a train to Rouen. I remember being entranced by everything and am still grateful to him for opening my eyes to the joys of travel. We also have fond memories of a visit to the town with our dear friends Sue & Paul Rogers – particularly our hilarious trip on a very squeaky land train – with French only commentary and a lady with a new phone who was trying out every ringtone. We were convulsed for most of the very memorable (for all the wrong reasons!) trip.
The temperature was now down to 0c and it was quite foggy between Rouen and Alençon, but it warmed up during the afternoon and and we actually saw some sunshine.
The long and not very winding road!
Once again we drove and responded to calls and emails and this, coupled with stops every couple of hours or so, helped the long journey pass reasonably tolerably.
We eventually arrived at our site – Camping les Acacias – in Tours at 16:15. It had been a long day and was not the most welcoming arrival – no-one in reception and – as is customary – no instructions or envelope with our name on telling us where to pitch. I know it is winter, but if you are going to say that you are open all year but it’s not economical to staff the place, at least leave some sort of welcoming envelope? I don’t think that’s an unreasonable demand.
We had been warned of possible electrical problems by another English guy who had arrived before us. He was quite correct- the first four connections we tried kept cutting out as soon as we put the fridge and heating on. It was barely above freezing and getting quite dark and – as I sat in the van in coat, scarf and blanket – I had visions of a very miserable couple of nights.
Good old Paul tried everything but his patience was sorely tried by the dodgy supply. Eventually, he tried a different approach and finally, we had power! First priority was heating and, once the van had defrosted (OK – slight exaggeration!) we added in the fridge and then lights and soon everything else was able to be used with no tripping. I love my electric over-blanket!
Paul settled down and did some more work, we popped out for a quick squizz of Tours by night and a Maccy D (Bacon and Blue Cheeses!). We spotted nearby a Supermarket and, better still, a petrol station with cheap fuel. Then more work for Paul and eventually bed. It really had been a very long day.
Our pitch at Les Acacias
Miles travelled: Day 380/ Cumulative 505
SERVICE STATION REPORT 5 loos visited, of which only 2 had toilet seats. Grim!
Friday 24th
Paul was up and working by 08:00. I – aka Mrs Lazybones – slept in until 10:30!
I awoke to a bright sunny day, with a temperature of about 10C. That’s better!! Very springy. Paul worked until 14:00 and then we set out to have a quick look round Tours and a drive along by the beautiful River Seine.
And our impression? Very elegant, lots of fin de siecle buildings in wide tree-lined boulevardes. The Cathedral (de Saint-Gatien of Tours) is wonderfully intricate. The location by the Loire is perfect. The Grand Theatre has seen better days, though it’s still shabby chic and the Chateau is not as impressive as the Hôtel de Ville. We liked Tours very much.
Tours from the LoireCathedral de Saint-Gatien The Grand ThéâtreLe Chateau du Tours
After our whistle-stop tour of Tours we returned to the van and Paul did some more work. When he finally declared himself done for the weekend,we made a quick visit to E Leclerc for some food for supper (Tuna Lasagne) and some cheap gazoile – €0.30 per litre cheaper. Makes a big difference!
So a quick review of Les Acacias – maybe I’m expecting too much out of season, but I would have hoped for a better arrival. The site is pretty close to Tours and would be a good base for the Loire Valley and its delights. It’s also just off the A10 and very near a large supermarket (E Leclerc). The shower block was clean and warm and the washing up facilities very handy. When we are travelling like this, we tend to do a “light” set-up, rather than the “full monty”. By which I mean we pop a bucket out to collect waste water and use a 5 litre water bottle for our drinking water. We then rely on the site’s facilities for loo, ablutions and washing up.
I’d gladly stay at Les Acacias again but those electrics do need looking at as I write this (Jan 2020) – avoid the 4 way pole at the bottom left – or at least check before you pitch.
Sat 25th
We got up immediately the alarm went off at 7:45. Paul took the boys out while I got breakfast ready. After packing everything up and unhooking, we set off just after 9. It was a lovely sunny day but only 0 degrees as we set off. We were to spend most of the day on the A10, which is a toll road.
Just a short note here about toll roads. They are our preferred method of transit. Many people make it a point of honour to avoid them. For us the benefits are pretty simple. Excellent road surface, frequent stops either with or without all mod cons. We have a tag and just drive straight through the péage. This is less of an issue in winter, admittedly, but in summer you beat the queues. And it’s nice to hear that satisfying beep! This all comes at a price, but we feel it is worth the hit to travel stress free.
Our first stop was just South of Poitiers. We caught a glimpse of the Futuroscope theme park from the road. As we drove further South the temperatures rose steadily and it was 11C by midday.
The next stop was at a really pleasant Aire just South of Saintes (a city I’d like to visit one day). There was even a climbing wall, high tree walks and a zip wire in the wooded bit, although it’s of course seasonal. The French do their rest stops or aires very well.
We notice that we seem to have the caravan area pretty much to ourselves. Somebody not telling us something? By now it was 16C and really very pleasant. People were sitting out in the sun having their lunch.
After our break, we pressed on and were soon approaching the outskirts of Bordeaux and its “rocade” or ring road, which is notorious in the same way as the M25. It was pretty busy today even though it was Saturday. Paul is so calm and collected. I’d be a wreck!!
We arrived at Camping Beausoleil in Gradignan, just south of Bordeaux at 15:15, to a friendly welcome from Madame, who also took time to show us how to get to Bordeaux by public transport.
Saint Pierre – Gradignan Church
We have a pitch right next to the shower block – handy for a quick nip across when it’s nippy out. We got set up, had a cuppa and did a bit of screen staring.
We needed some grub for a couple of night’s meals so Paul dropped me at the shop while he went and walked the boys. While he was out he visited the Priory of Cayac – one of the stops on the pilgrim’s route to Santiago to Compostela.
The PrioryUn PèlerinThe scallop shell – symbol of the Santiago pilgrim
On our return, we cooked, watched half a Netflix movie (King) and retired to our comfy bed.
Miles travelled: Day 230/ Cumulative 735
SERVICE STATION REPORT 1 toilet visited – with seat
Sunday 26th
After a really peaceful night, we had a fairly lazy start, kind of easy- much like a Sunday morning.
There had been a little rain overnight and we took the opportunity of dry daylight weather to get the “long vehicle” boards stuck on the back of the van. Spanish road regulations dictate that any vehicle over 12 metres in length must bear these attractive accessories. This includes vehicles whose combined length when towing is over that length. Unluckily for us, our rig is 12.2m. We did discuss risking it, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Don’t want any bother with Spanish road cops!
Chores done, we set with hopeful hearts to find the bus stop. Mission accomplished- and we had very helpful driver, who explained to us the intricacies of the Bus/tram system and sold us two tickets – allée et retour. Two people for an hour each way for €6. Bargain!
We set off, keeping our eyes open for the stop – Peixotto – where the bus interfaces with the tram. Mission accomplished. Doing well! Odd name you might say? It’s very Basque – we are very nearly in Basque Country and it’s influences show.
The tram was packed and a bit hot but the boys – once again – were perfectly happy. We clocked the places we wanted to see on the way back and soon arrived at the planned stop – the Cité du Vin. Once off the tram we strolled along by the river. We were very impressed by the bridge crossing the large, fast-flowing and very muddy R Garonne. Even more so, when we researched it later and found that it is a vertical lift-bridge, first opened in 2013. See the pics below.
We were lucky enough to find a a cafe/bar – l’Austra – who were happy to take us and the boys . The waiter spoke great English and we had soon ordered our tapas. Mozzarella Sticks, Ham & Cheese Croquettes, Chicken Balls stuffed with sweet chilli jam and some Pate with Cornichons. All delish and way too much!
The Cite du Vin BuildingPont Jacques Chaban Dalmas closedAnd open!
Lunch finished we re-boarded the tram (B line) back to the bus stop for the Gradignan line (No. 10), passing the massive Place des Quinconces – one of the largestcity squares in Europe – and stopping at another impressive cathedral, the beautiful Saint-Andre, with its separate campanile Very interesting history) , and taking photos. We had a video call with Uncle D while we were there!
Place des QuinconcesCathedral of Saint-AndrePey Berland Bell TowerNotre-Dame d’AquitainePaul with his camera out
We arrived back at Peixotto where we had, earlier, checked out visually where the return tram would be. Luckily we only had to wait a couple of minutes for a number 10 to come along. Result! UNluckily, he drove straight past. We were speechless! He made absolutely no attempt to stop. We looked around and saw a stuck on sign saying that this stop was temporarily out of order and that we had to walk back to where we had got off the tram. Grr.
We used the opportunity to grab a quick cafe á emporter and sat to wait for the next bus. It came along quicker than we had anticipated. Hurrah!!
Bill and I had one foot on the bus when the doors started to shut. I quickly got back off and the bus drove away, leaving us standing like numpties AGAIN!! Reader – a few sharp words ensued.
We sat back to wait for the next bus, a tad disgruntled. Once again it turned up promptly. There was NO WAY we were going to let this one go without us. The doors- it must be said – close very smartly. You need to get a real wiggle on. Not easy with two dogs, coats and rucksack! But we sat down and heaved a sigh of relief. It was 17C by now.
Our stop – Beau Soleil – (presumably named after our campsite?) was the end of the line and we tripped happily back to our little home.
The boys immediately fell asleep, while it was time for a cuppa for us.
Tonight we have spaggy bog for supper and we plan to watch the end of the film and pack up ready for the off tomorrow. Le Pay Basque beckons!
Some bloke with his bird
My quick review of Beausoleil. Lovely welcome. Madame speaks good English but switches between if she sees that you can follow her, It’s a cute little site with – I think – 30 pitches. The toilet and shower block are both mixed which I was perfectly fine with. The shower block is very clean and nice and warm. There’s a nicely comprehensive recycling area, all clearly labelled. Despite being near a road, it’s very quiet. And its a great location to pick up a bus to Bordeaux. Couldn’t be easier – bus to Peixotto, pick up the tram, the B line and off to town. Your ticket lasts an hour, after which you need another. there machines at every station . And the best bit? Dogs are allowed on both bus and tram.
Well it’s been a while since we last posted – largely because we have been downsizing our goods and chattels, prior to moving to a new flat. Every weekend for months and months, it seems, has been tied up with sorting stuff into four piles – Keep, Tip, Sell or Charity shop. It’s just amazing how much stuff you accumulate in a lifetime.
We finally moved (after an agonisingly slow sale and an equally agonising but not-quite-as-long purchase) on 29th November. It soon became evident that, despite our best efforts, we had not got rid of enough “stuff” and for the first month we could not actually find enough space for a bed so the beloved caravan came in to play. We sited it a local pub – The Traveller’s Rest in Newtown – and we have spent our days and weekends at the flat, Paul working and me sorting stuff out and then sleeping in the caravan. It hasn’t been at all onerous – we love it. It’s very quiet at night – we don’t even hear noise from the pub – just owls at night and pheasants in the morning.
20th – 27th December
We were scheduled to be spending Christmas at my brother’s place in Beckenham, and had a slightly madcap plan to site our caravan on his drive, mainly to help with the pressure on accommodation. Measurements had been taken and it all looked feasible. We arrived later than planned (in the dark) but the van fitted pretty much perfectly – thank goodness! The journey had not been without stress and it was a relief to drop the steadies and relax.
The Christmas Tree at Bruce and Mel’s
We arrived on 20th Dec and left on the 27th, enjoying the run up to the big day, the day itself and leaving on the morning of Evie’s 14th birthday. We had such a great time and were sad to leave but new adventures on the South Coast beckoned.
The Birthday Girl
We left at around midday and set off for Kloof’s, near Bexhill on Sea, in East Sussex. It was an easy journey – less than 2 hours on good roads – apart from the approach to the site – which was pretty narrow and which required strict adherence to the instructions posted by the campsite rather than listening to the Sat Nav.
On arrival – whilst the campsite was open for business – there was no-one physically on duty and you had to ring through to find out what pitch you were on and where it was. The instructions given over the phone did not translate very well on the ground and we ended up overshooting and going round again, but we were soon all set up with the obligatory kettle on.
The pitch
The pitches are very nice – level and with a picnic bench, a place for a barbecue and water and drainage. Our favourite type of pitch. We got ourselves sorted out , had a cuppa and a light snooze, walked the dogs and then set off for Eastbourne, where I had arranged a grocery collection at Sainsbury’s. We drove there via Pevensey and Pevensey Bay – where there has been much building of new houses and if William the Conqueror were to land here today, as he did in 1066, I think he’d feel very lost! It was getting dark so we didn’t actually see that much – apart from houses.
It was the first time that I had done a pick-up for my grocery shop and it went very smoothly – apart from the fact that single-use plastic bags are not used any more and you have to very quickly unload everything, item by item. But it’s the same with Grocery delivery these days, too. Quite stressful when you have someone waiting at the door for you! But we were soon on our way “home” again, where we had dinner, watched a spot of television and then turned in early.
Our Christmas Tree The site at sunset
Saturday 28 December
Our first priority was ablutions! The boiler at Bruce’s had packed up on Boxing Day – it still gave heat but no hot water, so showers had been impossible. Whilst we could not have been described as dirty, it was nice to feel fresh!
Ablutions completed, we set off in search of adventure and a coffee – not necessarily in that order! We had a drive along the front at Bexhill and then parked at Cooden Beach, where we let the boys out for a run on the dog-friendly beach. It was breezy and there were plenty of dogs to play chase with, including a sweet Border terrier bitch called Tilly. Border Terrier people always seem extra friendly and always seem interested to talk. Tilly’s Ma and Pa were no exception and the boys loved playing with her.
Having grabbed a coffee at the Cooden Beach Hotel, we pressed on along the coastline, via St Leonard’s to Hastings – a favourite of ours. But for the first time in all our visits, the East Hill Cliff funicular was running so we had to grab us a ride on that! There is a Country park and a beacon at the top and the boys had a good old romp.
On the way upPassing the other carriageThe view from the topThe boys, taking in the viewThe BeaconLooking over Hastings beach
Hastings was pretty busy and we struggled to find any where for our – by now – late lunch. A quick bit of research on the very handy “Doggie Pubs” website, found us heading off towards the Three Oaks pub, which is aptly named as it is in the village of – yes – Three Oaks – up on the downs above Hastings.
The decor is quite interesting – consisting of what might be described as an eclectic collection of “pub ephemera”, including an enviable (if you’re in the market for one) collection of chamber pots! It might also be described as clutter! I’ll let you decide. But it also had on the menu Steak and Kidney Pudding. This is an increasingly rare sight, these days, where carbs are the enemy and many people eschew offal. We both opted for it and could not believe the size of the mighty meal when it arrived. I have included a picture below, but it does not do it justice. I reckon there was an entire bag or frozen peas each for starters! It beat both of us fairly and squarely and it was almost embarrassing sending the plates back, seemingly hardly touched.
As it was now late afternoon, we set off for home and a little nap to sleep off the effects of the food! We spent the evening playing our new board game – Sequence – which is thoroughly entertaining, followed by TV and bed. No tea required!
Sunday 29th
Being Sunday, we had our traditional boiled egg breakfast, before setting off for Kent and our destination – Hythe, one of the most important of the “Cinque Ports” – a collection of five towns who banded together – originally for military and trade reasons. The plan was to ride the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway to its terminus at Dungeness. Now – in all their blurb – the trains look like normal, full-sized trains. The reality is quite different, however. It is a narrow-gauge railway and the carriages fit 2 medium build people sitting side by side snugly. And the carriage height is less than 5 feet. You had to stoop to get in.
It dawned on us that we would be spending a good hour on this tiny train – not including a half hour “lay-over” at New Romney. How we laughed. But it was actually good fun and the boys – as usual – took it all in their stride.
Dungeness is special. It’s like nowhere else I’ve been. For a start – it has one of the largest expanses of shingle in Europe. It also – and many of you will have heard of this – has a lighthouse. Or rather, it has had a succession of lighthouses – seven to be precise. There are currently two. One which was built in 1904 and still stands but is not used. The newer one was built in 1961 and looks very elegant in my opinion.
The newer one was built partly because the sea had receded and partly because the older one’s light was obscured by the building of the Nuclear Power station, another Dungeness “feature”.
The houses are quite quirky too, being mainly wooden weatherboard beach houses, but there are also quite a few, built in the 1920s, around old railway coaches. One of the houses – the attractive Prospect House – was once owned by artist and film director Derek Jarman.
Derek Jarman’s cottage
The Nuclear Power Station dominates the skyline in quite an ominous way – although that may just reflect my fears over the use of Nuclear power and what happens when it all goes wrong or is shut down. Probably largely fuelled by the Chernobyl disaster.
Dungeness is one of those places that you have to want to go to. Being on a headland – or “cuspate foreland “, it’s not on the way to anywhere. There was an hour to kill there, and I really wished I had worn something warmer as there was a stiff and quite chilly breeze. Paul took the boys for a walk on the beach while I ordered our lunch. As you might imagine, everyone pours off the train and makes straight for lunch – it was a long queue! We were glad of our soup once we sat down (outside because of the dogs). Just what the doctor ordered.
The return journey by train was uneventful – although I did get stung on the arm by a confused bumble bee, which had somehow – and unbeknownst to me until just before it stung me – crawled inside my shirt and down my sleeve! I don’t know who was more shocked.
We finally arrived back just after sunset. The journey home was about an hour. Ted was sick a couple of times during the evening and we wondered if he had perhaps picked up something vile on the beach? We hoped he’d be better by morning.
Arriving at DungenessThe 1904 lighthouse and the power stationThe 1961 lighthouse from the platformThe boys on the train Southern Maid Loco
Monday 30th
Poor Ted was still poorly, so we decided he needed to see the Vet. Luckily there was one close by, who were able to see him. She gave him an anti-emetic and prescribed the usual chicken and rice diet and said to bring him back if he continued vomiting. We hoped we wouldn’t have to.
It was a coat and sunglasses kind of a day. We bought coffee and went for a walk on the beach at Bexhill. Interesting modern seating. I liked. Apparently the bit we were on was “the posh bit”. But of course!
Paul has a little gift for me, I think?Nice design
As we needed petrol, we went to Sainsbury’s (Nectar points) and what a nightmare THAT was! Le tous Eastbourne was on the road. Vexatious in the extreme. But soon we were off to Beachy Head (breezy!) where the boys had a nice walk.
See those wind-blown ears!Cliff top view
Our next port of call was Birling Gap. The last time we had visited Birling Gap (some 10 years ago) it had been pretty much deserted. We watched the RNLA assisting what looked like illegal immigrants on the beach below. But since then, it’s been “National Trust-ised”. There is now a large cafe and gift shop and – consequently – hordes of people. Particularly Japanese tourists, who were really quiet numerous!
We had had a late start and it was late afternoon and a long time since breakfast and we fancied a spot of of (late again!) lunch. Well, parking was the first difficulty – luckily, after a couple of circulations, we saw a guy who was just leaving and grabbed his space. He even gave us his ticket, which was handy. And food? Forget it – the cafe was literally stripped bare! The ravening hordes had eaten pretty much every savoury thing and left just a few bits of cake, which we eagerly snapped up.
As the light was imminently going to fade, we made our way home by a quite circuitous route – as is often Paul’s wont – but including a stop for the boys to have another run around..
Birling Gap – looking West
And to the East
We decided to eat out and went to the Lamb Inn, which we had passed several times and thought looked nice. My review on Trip Advisor, entitled “Distinctly Mediocre” says it all, I think? Rather disappointing.
Tuesday 31st
As we were off home tomorrow (New Year’s Day), we spent some time rationalising all the stuff in the boot and in the van to save time the next day. We also did some washing, using the great laundry facilities at Kloofs. Mainly bedding and towels, but a job well worth doing, if a little tedious. It was lunchtime before we ventured out.
We set off for Battle – a nice little town, with a great traditional butcher and some nice independent shops. I bought some fillet steak (for our New Year’s Eve supper) and a birthday present for a dear friend with a birthday in January. I’ll say no more in case she is reading this!
Gateway to Battle AbbeyThe roundabout in Battle
We also popped in to Jempsons for some bits for lunch and a coffee. Jempsons are a local bakery/supermarket chain, who have a number of cafes, convenience stores, supermarkets and even a petrol station in the area. They even have their own foundation, set up to help community projects. Nice to see an independent giving the big guys a run for their money. Long may they continue to do so.
The next stop was Herstmonceux, former site of the Royal Greenwich Observatory (now in Cambridge). Sadly the 14th Century moated Castle was closed, but we could see some of the Grade 2 listed telescopes, from the footpath, where we walked the dogs. The largest telescope, the 100 inch (254 cm) aperture Isaac Newton Telescope was moved to La Palma, Canary Islands, in the 1970s.
We finished our day with a quick trip to Sainsers for one or two bits (including “Smetana” – or in our case Crème fraîche) for our NYE supper and then home.
Our NYE supper was Beef Strogonoff – served with Pappardelle and pronounced delicious by my main food tester – Paul. After supper – although we hadn’t planned to stay up – we spent until gone midnight planning our next trip away. Sadly we had some very nosiy and inconsiderate neighbours who were talking very loudly, laughing and playing loud music until the early hours. But it was NYE so live and let live. I finally fell asleep around 2:30 and they were still going strong.
Weds 1st
We all awoke late and finally got packed up and on the road by midday. But the first thing we encountered was a road block, and what looked like – although we didn’t gawp – a fairly serious accident. We had to reverse and turn round but were aided by a friendly pick-up truck driver. This led to a bit of a detour, but we were soon on the dear old A27 and thence back to our temporary home in Newtown.
We particularly noticed, on this trip, what a bad state the roads are in and wondered why motorists weren’t up in arms about it. What actually happens to our Road Tax??!!
We arrived at about 2 pm, got ourselves set up, had a quick snooze and then went over to the flat, where George and Beth had cooked us a lovely meal of Fajitas. Yum. It was nice to be home, but we will soon be heading off on a bit of an adventure, so watch this space!
It’s been a while before I have found time to do this, and I’m really thankful that I keep daily notes to jog my memory. I’ll be relying on those pretty heavily this time.
THURSDAY 22ND AUG
It’s a sign that these little’uns – our niece and nephew, Evie (13) and Lenny(8) aren’t so little any more, as for the very first time they arrived from London under their own steam (or perhaps their own diesel?) . Hitherto, we have met their parents half way, in Guildford, and carried out the swap-over. But this time, they came by train. It’s a pretty easy journey – they get on the train at East Croydon and get off at Portchester – no changes required, just a straightforward trip. And so it was that I trotted off to the station to greet them on that sunny Thursday. The trip had gone very smoothly and our first priority was to feed them.
Fed and watered, we set about the final tasks that needed to be done before we set off and then off we went. It was an uneventful journey and we arrived on site just before 4 pm. It was our second stay here at the Hunters Moon site within a couple of months, so we felt quite at home. We had a good choice of pitches and were soon settled in. The kids and Paul took the dogs for a quick walk and comfort break, while I did a bit more stowing of things. It was going to be a tight squeeze with 2 dogs, 2 kids and 2 adults but we actually managed very well.
Lenny doing the corner steadiesMaking themselves at home
When the walkers returned, we decided we would pop into the nearest town – Wareham – and have an explore. We made for the Quay and by sheer luck, managed to find a parking space. We crossed the bridge over the river and set off for a walk along the towpath. It was a beautiful evening and lots of people were taking advantage of the early evening sunshine at this very pretty spot.
We were all getting a bit peckish, though, and decided to have dinner at the Quay Inn. They have a roof deck and we found ourselves a table there. It was very pleasant watching the sun as it started to set. Almost like being on holiday – oh – wait………
Bridge over the R FromeThe view from the bridgeStunning Garden roomPeople watchingWaiting for our grubHello gulls!
Then it was home, a few games, ablutions and bed. A lovely first day.
FRIDAY 23RD AUG
We all had a good night and awoke refreshed and raring to go. The first job, however, was stowing all the bedding and getting the van into a state where we could actually move around. No mean feat!
Breakfast devoured and snacks and drinks packed, we set off about 10 am. Our first stop was Norden, where there is a mining museum which we thought the kids might enjoy. We parked and set off for the Museum only to find that it only opened at weekends. Foiled!
We walked up to the platform, where we bought drinks and a snack and then walked up to the view of Corfe Castle, which was an obvious photo opportunity, especially as a steam train chose that moment to depart for Swanage.
Lenny had a good bit of exercise playing on the very nicely designed climbing frames while we sat and watched, wishing we had as much energy as him!
As we were near Corfe Castle, we decided we’d pop and have a look at the castle, as it’s pretty impressive. Corfe was heaving but again, we struck lucky. It was very hot indeed by now and also nearly lunchtime, so we decided to have our lunch there at the charming National Trust Tea Room, which has a garden that affords stunning views of the castle. The sun was beating down mercilessly by now and we were lucky enough to get a table in the shade.
Lunch was very pleasant – although we were set upon by a marauding wasp! As has already been said, it was blisteringly hot, so we decided to leave actually visiting the castle itself until another day, when we would rock up up in the cool of the early morning. So we decided to go back to Wareham and see if we could hire a boat for a couple of hours.
Parking in Wareham was not easy, so Paul dropped us at the hire place and went off while we did the business of hiring a small motor boat. Larks! It was much cooler and very pleasant indeed on the water. We had a couple of hours and went up river first, admiring and slightly envious of the properties whose gardens had river frontage. Lucky people. The dogs were flakers and required regular water, bless them.
We turned round and went downstream and witnessed a very amusing (to us) and embarrassing (to her) SUP incident. She seemed to fall off in slow motion and completely disappeared under water, briefly, before re-emerging, coughing and spluttering. We had the good grace to hide our mirth. The good lord only knows how (or indeed if!) she got back on.
The “beach” area by the Quay was thronged with kids and dogs cooling off in the river. It was lovely to see everyone having such simple fun. The downstream area was much busier with lots of boats, but all too soon it was time to hand back the boat.
After we had handed back the boat, it was definitely time for an ice-cream. Sadly, everybody else had the same idea – a visit to The Quayside Barn Ice Cream Parlour. But it was well worth queuing and – once again – we managed to bag a table in the shade. Ice creams all round – even the dogs, and boy they went down well!
Even dogs like an ice-cream on holiday!
We walked back to the car and drove back to site for tea. The kids went to the play area while I cooked. We ate our tea and then decided that, as it was a nice evening we’d pop down to Poole Harbour wall to do a spot of crabbing. We didn’t catch any crabs but did catch a small spiny fish which went straight back.
It had been an action packed day, but there was still some life left in the kids so they went to the play area before bed. A lot of the kids were cycling around the site, as is often the case. We felt the lack of bikes quite keenly but there was nothing to be done about it. Bed beckoned and we were all soon in the land of nod.
SATURDAY 24th AUGUST
We decided to make it a beach day and set off for Weymouth. We felt the fear – Weymouth? On a Bank Holiday Weekend?? – but did it anyway. We were right to be a bit nervous about our decision! The beach looked not to have one square inch that wasn’t covered in people! Far too peopley for my liking, but a dip in the sea was very tempting (although guess who ended up minding the wet dogs?). We managed to find a parking space, walked to the beach and found a space just big enough for us and spread out our towels. The kids and Paul were off! There were loads of dogs on the beach and everyone had food so – after they had had a swim, I had the “joy” of trying to keep them under some sort of control. I and my towel ended up covered in wet sand! But we had a nice time. We went up to the quay to have our lunch. Stupidly we had run out of cash (easily done!) so Lenny only got to a go on the Waltzer at the nearby fair. He was in a carriage on his own and I was praying that the chaps wouldn’t spin it too much and scare him to death. They were very kind though and spun it just enough for it to be fun and he eventually got off quite happy, so no harm done.
Lunch break
We decided to walk into town and found a pet shop on the way, where we bought the boys a new collar each, their current ones being a little snug. They are growing up fast! We found a cafe that was selling smoothies so took advantage of them. We had a nice shady table and took it in turns to go shopping (Lenny and I) and in search of a cashpoint (Paul and Evie). Lenny ended up with a nice new T-shirt from surf/skateboard shop Saltrock.
Red for Ted, Bill wears Blue.
Shopping done, we went back to the car and started the drive home. We stopped off in Wareham for another ice cream (we’re on holiday,right?!), the kids had a swim in the chilly River Frome (see the amusing video of Lenny entering the water, here) and then we went back to the site. The kids went off to the play area and Paul and I relaxed with the boys for a while.
When dinner beckoned, we decided we’d pop down to our local to eat. The pub rejoices under the moniker “The Silent Woman” and has a charming image of a headless woman as a pub sign, the implication being that is the only way a woman could be silenced?
We had a nice meal and then returned to site where it was showers all round, games and bed after another action packed day!
Sunday 25th August
We had a slow start today. I think we were all a bit tired after our exertions the last couple of day so I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast, which went down well and the kids enjoyed helping to cook them on the Cadac.
There was cycle hire just up the road in Wareham Forest and Paul took the kids off to hire bikes and go for a ride along the Sika Trail, which they all thoroughly enjoyed. I stayed at home with the boys, took them for a stroll, relaxed, read and prepared lunch for the ravening hordes. They returned as hungry as expected! Luckily I was ready for them.
Uncle Paul enjoying himself!
After lunch it was time for a little more relaxation, a quick dash to Sainsers for provisions and then a late afternoon trip to Lulworth Cove, for a dip. There was – as ever – quite a queue to get to the car park and then it took a while to find a space as it was heaving.
Evie catching some rays.
When we had left Wareham, it had been a sunny, warm afternoon. By the time we hit the beach a sea haar had descended and Lulworth looked less like the limpid turquoise pool in all the publicity blurb and more like a grey Thursday in Dungeness. Frankly, I was pretty disappointed in Lulworth. The beach is very rocky so getting comfy is not easy, the walk into the sea is very rocky and I actually found it all a bit unnecessary! The kids didn’t think much of it either! But we’ve been. We shall never go again.
The dreamThe reality!Spooky pic of Evie!
Back from Lulworth, the kids went off to the play area while I cooked dinner, we ate, we washed up, we played dominoes, we did a little packing and thence bed.
Monday 26th August
The weather forecast was good, so we decided to pack up early and beat for home and a nice swim in the pool. This turned out to be a good plan! We swam and lazed most of the day and then ordered in a Chinese. Uncle D came round to help us eat it it and then games and bed. Paul and Lenny slept in the house while Evie and I slept in the caravan. We both slept very soundly and were rudely awoken by the flipping dustbin men!
Tuesday 27th August
We packed up all their stuff neatly and suddenly it was time time to stick them back on the train for home. We had a great time and, as always, wish we saw more of them. There may not be a next time (in the caravan) as we just might be on the boat by next year. Time will tell. There may be a long hiatus now as we are busy packing up and downsizing. The house is sold and we move out in just over a month. WATCH THIS SPACE
It was about an hour from our base on the excellent Borrowdale site, South to our home for the next week or so. We’d done most of our packing up the night before and it was an easy going morning. We slipped off site at just after 11 and once we’d retraced our steps along that windy, windy road and got onto the B5289 to Keswick, I was happy. Although we’d really loved it here, it was exciting to be moving to pastures new. And it was such a pleasant drive along the A591 to Windermere, driving alongside Thirlmere, Grasmere, Rydal Water and passing through Ambleside, Windermere and Bowness. It genuinely must be one of the most scenic A-roads in the country.
We were in no hurry and eventually arrived at our destination not far from the Southern tip of Lake Windermere – Hill of Oaks – around 12:30. The access to the site is pretty hairy with a caravan and the site is vast – and yet you never really feel overlooked?
It was pretty quiet on site, so we had lunch and set up – this pitch is fully serviced. Bliss. There is a launderette on site and, as it was so fine, I did a quick wash in one of their amazing Speed Queen washing machines. We rigged up a line and within 30 minutes, it was pegged out. Result!
We popped out at about 18:00 to do a shop in Booths in Windermere. We had hoped to get food out, but there were queues everywhere and parking was difficult with a Bill on board, so we went back to the site and cooked pizza, from scratch (OK – the dough was frozen) on the Cadac. You can’t get much fresher than that!
We relaxed and watched all the people rolling on to site for the weekend, still steaming from the M6 and felt a little smug. We really have the bedtime routine weighed off now, too. Bill is doing very well. So far, so good.
Saturday 29 June V 🥵
A lovely quiet night saw us refreshed and hungry. The blueberry pancakes had been such a success I decided to use up some bananas and make banana ones. Also delicious!
We had decided that we would take the Windermere Ferry, which runs from Ferry Nab on the eastern shore to Ferry House on the Western shore. It’s a chain ferry and can take up to up to 18 cars and over 100 passengers and takes less than 10 minutes. And it looked like fun! So off we set. It was a shortish queue when we arrived – we imagine it might be a different story at the height of the season! But we were soon on board and rattling across the lake.
Our first lake(let) was Esthwaite Water, a very pretty little lake. and then we passed through the very pretty little village of Near Sawrey, famous for its links with Beatrix Potter. What a lovely place to live! No wonder she was so inspired to write (23 children’s stories and still popular with kids today. No mean feat.).
We stopped in Hawkshead, equally famous for its links with William Wordsworth, who was educated at the Hawkshead Grammar School and went on to write one of the most famous English poems “Daffodils” – said to be set near Ullswater, which we visited earlier in this holiday (see Part 2). We needed some cold drinks and some lunch supplies and I also wanted to get a “Get Well” card for my dear friend Steve Reading , whom we had just heard had been taken ill and hospitalised with a burst appendix, poor chap. I found a very nice bakery with a Russian baker who cooked some really interesting breads, plus the usual bakery fare. This met our lunch needs perfectly.
But the main lake of interest today was Coniston Water (the 3rd largest lake after Windermere and Ullswater). Coniston Water was made particularly famous by Sir Malcolm Campbell, in 1939, when he set the world water speed record (a stonking 141.740 mph!) in his craft Blue Bird K4. He also set various land speed records. Somewhat amazingly, he died aged 63 of natural causes – unlike many of his speedy contemporaries. His equally thrill-seeking son was killed on Coniston in 1966, during one of his attempts to exceed 300 mph. I remember it quite clearly.
We stopped alongside the east side of Coniston Water to stretch our legs with the boys. Poor Bill was only allowed down for a pee break but Ted had a nice paddle in the lake. There were lots of families making the most of the weather and the lake. At this point we realised we had forgotten the camera. I say we. All I will say is I’m not in charge of the camera. 🙂
As we were going back to the car we heard quite a loud noise but couldn’t work out what it was. As we approached our car we got chatting to the family (Mum, Dad and 6 year old boy – very cute). Dad had just been getting their kayak off the roof and somehow it had slipped and ripped his electric wing mirror off. Loud noise mystery solved. We commiserated greatly and hoped their luck improved sand that they enjoyed the rest of their day.
We spent the remainder of the day up on the moors, getting the occasional glimpse of sea as we did so. It was beautiful up there and I have only one picture to share, sadly. A ford with the clearest water ever! We later made our way back again ferry and were lucky enough to be about 8th in the queue , so we knew we’d get on the very next ferry. The Ferry Nab is very near our campsite, so we returned to the van for a cuppa and a relax, until early evening.
As we were so near the coast at this point, we decided to have an evening ride out to Grange-over Sands, which is – I guess you might say – an interesting place. It’s like a seaside town, complete with promenade but no discernible beach! It has (or rather had) an impressive Lido, which closed in 1993. There are plans to restore it and I hope they come to fruition. Great views over the incredible estuary and Morecambe Bay. The railway journey along this coast looks pretty amazing and we wished we had time to do it. Maybe one day?
But our thoughts were turning to food. Being in the North, I reckoned we’d probably be able to get a decent steak and kidney pudding at the local chippy. I was not disappointed! We called into the cleverly-named “Fish over Chips” and were rewarded with a delicious evening meal. It’s been a long time since I tasted such a delight. We ate it in the car overlooking the estuary and then returned to the van for a quiet remainder of the evening, of telly and bed.
Sheep grazing on the salt-marshes.
Sun 30th
We woke up to a very much fresher day and decided that we would use today to join up with the trip we had done along Ullswater to Patterdale. After our traditional Sunday eggs we set off. We hit really bad traffic on the outskirts of Bowness. It was rammed. In common with pretty much everyone else, we set about looking for an alternative route.
We went to Troutbeck and then decided to take the Kirkstone Pass which – drum roll! – is the highest pass in the Lake District that is open to motor vehicles. I say open – I think it must close in the winter as it’s so high. We loved it. Once we had reached Patterdale we turned round and made our way back but we had spotted an interesting road called “The Struggle. That sounded our sort of road, so off we went. There is a good account here, of what the descent to Ambleside is like, using this road. We really enjoyed it.
We had our lunch by a river, where we were joined by a very cute robin and had entertainment from a group of kayakers, who had to scramble over the rocks and then back in their kayaks. It looked like good fun. It was really very noticeably colder today – as you can see by the photo of Paul, below, sporting the dog towel to keep warm while we had lunch!
We spent the afternoon up on the moors, visiting Elter Water and then returned to the van for a cuppa. Incidentally – whilst up near Troutbeck, we saw a pub sign for The Mortal Man which we thought was worth a photo. It bears the legend
“Oh mortal man that lives by bread, what is it makes thy nose so red? Thou silly fool that looks so pale, ‘Tis drinking Sally Burkett’s ale.”
It was a lovely evening so we went for a drive up to Cartmel Fell, and – on the way back, stopped for some lovely views over Windermere. As you can see – Paul will go to some lengths to get the best shot – especially if he has remembered the camera!
I should mention that we have a holiday romance. Ted seems utterly besotted with a very pretty chocolate lab who was pitched opposite us. He was beside himself every time he met her and spent time watching her from afar. It was a very difficult moment when they packed up and went home on Sunday evening. Poor Ted. It ended the way so many holiday romances do, with a broken heart.
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Mon 1st Jul
Another lovely day and we were heading South (along with many other things in my experience!). We set off – avoiding main roads as much as possible and soon, we spotted a sign for Tewitfield Locks – a name I recalled from conversations with my Dad. It is the current terminus of the Lancaster Canal. Many of the other miles to Kendal are currently un-navigable but there are ambitious plans to restore the canal from Tewitfield to Kendal – including the Tewitfield locks – a flight of 8 – which are currently in a very poor state of repair . We had to go and have a look, of course.
The path to the locks runs side by side with the M6 – I think it’s the closest to a motorway that I’ve ever walked! We met a party of ramblers walking the towpath and Bill & Ted were much admired an coo-ed over.
We called in to Booths in Carnforth, as is now traditional, for coffee and a few bits for lunch and then pressed on to Bolton le Sands – where there was more canal to be viewed and lunch to be eaten overlooking the estuary. And thence to Morecambe – a fairly “typical ” seaside town. And of COURSE we went in search of (and found) the famous statue of Eric Morecambe.
Our Bolton le Sands lunch stop
After Morecambe, we pressed on to Lancaster and went looking for the canal. Lancaster is a big University town and we found student halls of residence actually on the canal basin! Lucky students – although I bet they don’t really appreciate it.
Student Accommodation – Lancaster Canal
Lancaster has a really impressive castle but – being pretty much car-bound – we could not explore it. We also saw a really prominent memorial/folly, known as the Ashton Memorial. It was built by one James Williamson, 1st Baron Ashton, in memory of his 2nd wife. It is also nicknamed the Taj Mahal of the North and he obviously loved and missed her a very great deal, it’s so impressive. And when I mention that he spent a cool £87 grand – the equivalent of well over 2 million pounds today – you’ll fully understand! Worth a visit for its views over Lancaster and Morecambe Bay.
Leaving Lancaster, we picked up the M6 to get us home quickly and, instead of going out by car tonight, we went for a stroll, on site, to the lake’s edge, where we sat and soaked up the early evening rays and Ted tried to catch some ducks.
Tuesday 2nd
Today, we decided to head to Ulverston – for no other reason than we just fancied it! And it gave us a chance to sing Ulverston to the tune of Glen Campbell’s “Galveston”. Great song. As we approached, we were intrigued to see what looked like a lighthouse. We took quite a few pictures – each time thinking we had the “money shot”. On researching, we found it was the “Hoad Monument” – actually built to look like a lighthouse and commemorating local big-wig, Sir John Barrow.
We called into Booths for our customary late morning coffee and then as we were driving through town we saw signs for “Canal Foot” – well that had to be investigated, didn’t it?
So glad we went and found it. It was the terminus of the Ulverston Canal – a very short waterway, not connected to the main network and used for transporting slate and coal onto bigger boats in Morecambe Bay (via the River Leven) , until the railways took over. The area has been very nicely landscaped by the local authority, who should be very proud of their handiwork. We chatted to a rather odd couple, who were magnet fishing by the top gates of the sea-lock. They were very proud to tell us about their haul, which had included, on one memorable occasion, they said – a handgun!
The sea-lock at the end of the Ulverston Canal.
The River Leven estuary at Ulverston
As we drove out of town, we noticed a pub called “The Stan Laurel”. This immediately piqued my curiosity and, upon researching, it transpired that Ulverston is the birthplace of Stan Laurel. It made you wonder how a guy from a quiet Cumbrian town could have ended up as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. We also saw that an enterprising florist had called their shop “Floral & Hardy” – nice!
The Stan Laurel Inn, Ulverston
We decided that we would go over Bank House Moor towards the estuary of the River Dudden and Kirkby in Furness. It was a great drive and we were amazed to see – across the fells, in the mist in the distance – the Isle of Man! I immediately contacted my friend Heidi – who is Manx – to tell her that I was waving to her. My phone actually picked up a Manx mobile phone company, too.
The outline of the Isle of Man
We drove on up the coast to pretty little Ravenglass, which has Roman connections dating back to at least the 2nd Century. Indeed, the Romans were in occupation for over 300 years. There is very little evidence today of their presence, other than the remains of a Bath House.
On the way we had caught a glimpse of the privately owned Muncaster Castle, which has been in the hands of the Pennington family for over 800 years. I found that interesting as it is the name of the wealthy land-owner in The Hired Man. Nowadays, many events are held at the castle, to help pay for its upkeep. We stopped to grab a picture on our return journey.
Muncaster Castle
We returned home to the van and had our dinner and a relaxing evening.
Wed 3rd
Today was our penultimate day before we started the long journey South. I didn’t want to leave the area without a quick visit to Kendal. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our visit, which wouldn’t have been complete without a trip to Booths – I have a loyalty card now! I also popped into B&Q to buy the boys a new toy-box as their old one had become too small.
A couple of views of Kendal
We returned to the van for lunch and then set off for Bowness, where we had booked a boat for the afternoon (well, 2 hours of it, at least!).
Parking was pretty tricky so Paul ended up dropping me, Bill and his crate near the jetty, going off to park and then returning with Ted. It was another sweaty logistical pain, but we were soon off. This boat was supplied by Bowness Bay Marina and was electric – very much quieter than our previous boat on Derwent Water!
It was a memorable afternoon, with perfect weather and perfect scenery. We had time to cruise up to Ambleside, where we got glimpses of Wray Castle and the mountains beyond and then all the back, past Bowness to Ferry Nab, where we watched the chain ferry from the water. Even Bill was able to have some time out of his crate. We all really loved it and were sad to have to hand the boat back. They very kindly said we could bring the car down on to the jetty when we left, which made life a great deal easier. An ice-cream was the finishing touch to a really lovely afternoon.
Ted – ahoy there!
Bill – enjoying his boat trip
A very small selection of the many pictures we took
Thurs 4th
We decided to just relax and potter on our last day instead of haring around. We had a very leisurely breakfast, put on a load of washing, did some cleaning and a bit of packing and suchlike, in preparation for commencing our journey home. We also did a fair bit of relaxing and reading and made a last trip to Booths (Windermere) for provisions for the journey and evening meals. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Lakes. It hasn’t been the holiday we planned, but I think we have made the best of a bad job. We would both have been so desperately disappointed to have had to postpone or cancel. We can’t believe our luck, either. 2 weeks in the Lakes and only one night of rain and one properly gray and overcast day.
After a lovely, peaceful night, we set off late morning, having a quick look at Bassenthwaite (gorgeous) and then on to Cockermouth – birthplace of Fletcher Christian. Indeed, there is a pub named after him. This town also had literary connections for us, being mentioned in Howard Goodall’s “The Hired Man” – another of my favourite shows. We rather liked Cockermouth, which claims to be the first town in Britain to have piloted electric lighting – although they soon went back to gas, apparently! Many people remember Cockermouth’s name because of the dreadful flooding in 2015.
Cockermouth High Street
Maryport was our next port of call – again mentioned in The Hired Man. Maryport was very nice indeed, with a small fishing fleet in a cute harbour. Ted and I spent some time on the beach, paddling and messing about in rock-pools, whilst Paul cuddled Bill, who was jst gald to be out of his crate, poor chap.
The harbour at Maryport
View across to Scotland
The Prom
Me and Ted rock-pooling
Yesterday, we had discovered that Paul had no pants. I had got them out and put them ready to pack. He had carefully put them all away in his drawer, thinking he was doing “a good thing”. He did try and blame his lack of nether-garments on me, but I was having no truck with that! Our next port of call was Workington, and a large ASDA for pants and some lunch bits and pieces.
Workington is much more “industrial” than Cockermouth. It is (or sadly was) an iron and steel town and Henry Bessemer constructed his first “converter” here, an invention which revolutionised the steel-making industry.
We ate our rather late lunch overlooking the water at Derwent Howe – a suburb of Workington – and then pressed on along the coast to Whitehaven (another Hired Man place name). You can see where the coal mine that went out “under the sea” used to be. The “Candlestick Chimney” is a fine sight and and is on the site of the former Wellington pit, where there was a dreadful accident in 1910. A plaque on the wall below the chimney commemorates all the “Men, Women and Children” of the Whitehaven District Collieries who lost their lives in the local pits. There is a lightning rod at the top and the chimney is supposed to vent methane from the pit. A flash ignited the gases in 1984 which burnt for 5 hours! The pit was eventually closed in 1932, by the way.
Whilst there Paul spotted a gathering of Puch and other similar vintage mopeds and went over to have chat with the gents who were proudly displaying them. Paul’s first “motorbike” was a Puch Maxi. Such nostalgia.
En passant -we were also rather taken with this fetching little Citroen 3 wheeler.
Our final call that day, was St. Bees, where we got the chairs out and sat by the beach for a while, watching the world enjoying their Sunday, and eating ice-cream. We loved St Bees. It’s easy to see why it’s a popular holiday spot.
We’d enjoyed our coastal day but it was time to go back to our lovey forest spot for dinner and – eventually – bed. As we drove home, it was getting grey and misty and we knew rain was probably on its way.
Still beautiful.
Monday 24th
It had been a noisy night – it actually rained quite hard and we must all have had a disturbed night because we had all overslept. It was 09:15 when the boys let us know they were ready to start the day – unusually late for them!
We had a morning of tidying and showering and such like and then set off to meet an old friend, Cath Marcangelo. I used to work with Cath many years ago and this was to the first time I’d seen her for perhaps 30 years. We agreed to meet for lunch at the picturesquely located Cafe at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick. We had such a great time and talked and reminisced for ages. She already knew Paul but it was the first time I had met her musician husband, John, too. A very enjoyable lunch, which stretched on into the afternoon and was only cut shorter by our respective parking tickets running out. John was very helpful as both Bill and his crate had to be carried to and from the car park.
Cath runs a choir called “Committed to Rock” and invited me to go along to their rehearsal on Tuesday night, in Keswick. Larks! How could I not go?
After we’d said our goodbyes we picked up a couple of fresh items from Booths – which is my new discovery! It is known as the “Waitrose of the North” although I think they prefer Waitrose to be known as the “Booths of the South”! Either way, it is a fab supermarket , and once discovered, we did all our shopping at one or another of their branches. They can be found all over the North-West.
As there was still some day left, we decided it was time for another lake – this time Buttermere. It was yet another beautiful lake and I love that they are all beautiful and all slightly different. As it was so near, we decided to press on to Crummock Water, where we strapped Bill into his baby sling (donated by Beth’s sister) and went for a short walk. He is pretty heavy now so anything more than a short walk would be too much for Paul, but it was really nice to stretch our legs.
We had passed a farmhouse doing home made ice-creams on the way to the lakes and dropped in there on the way back. The hazelnut flavour was memorable. And then it was back to Keswick and thence home via the impressive Honister Pass, which we absolutely loved. Beautiful scenery.
Tuesday 25th
Today was the turn of Ullswater – another beautiful lake. We are both so glad we came. I had very hazy memories from when I was only 8 years old and this was a first ever visit to the area for Paul. We are loving it.
Pooley Bridge, at the Northern tip of Ullswater was a pretty and bustling little village and we thought we might stop off there on the way back, but pressed on along the shore. We eventually stopped for coffee in Glenridding – and we are on holiday so it was accompanied by a piece of cake, naturally. The cafe was called Let It Brew and was just to our taste – great coffee and yummy cake. We rounded off our trip round this area of the lakes by a visit to Patterdale, beloved of walkers and also the valley from which the cute Patterdale Terrier gets its name.
We stopped and took a look at the OS map and decided our next visit would be to Thurlmere, where there was a nice circular drive around the lake. Instead of going back the way we had came (and on to Pooley Bridge) we set off across country. We were absolutely delighted to have a sighting of a couple of Hares. Paul managed to get a couple of good pics. The road we had chosen gave us good views of Helvellyn and then dropped down onto the A591. As we started our tour, we noticed that Thurlmere was very low. We were aghast to find that the road we wanted to take to complete our tour round the lake was closed UFN. Very disappointing.
We set off back to Keswick, and as the food had been nice the day before and to save the bother of cooking tonight, we went back the the Cafe at the Theatre by the Lake. Fish and Chips. Delish!
Paul, tucking in
Afterwards we went back to the van, where we all had a little beepy before getting ready to go and see a rehearsal of Cath’s choir at Keswick Conservative Club, which is dog friendly. We had a great evening singing along – they really make a great sound and Cath is an absolute marvel with them. SO proud of her. Gutted I didn’t take any photos.
By the time we finished there we were both hungry again, so we grabbed a quick takeaway pizza to fill us up and then home to bed.
Wednesday 26th
As we were so near the Border, we thought we couldn’t miss an opportunity to visit Scotland and so we set off, joined the M6 and hurtled North towards Carlisle. We left the M6 briefly for a quick tour round Carlisle. The Castle is very impressive and we saw the McVities factory. Now – here’s a statistic for you that will blow your mind! Every 24 hours, McVities produces over 6.5 million Custard Creams! There!! Feel free to use that any time. Carlisle was also the only UK city through which the Olympic Flame passed, twice, in 2012. It’s also the home of Eddie Stobart. I’m going to leave you wanting more! Suffice to say we really liked Carlisle.
We were also quite taken with the more modern Shaddon Mill (sadly no pics but follow the links) and its towering chimney. In its heyday, Shaddon was the biggest mill in England and had the 8th tallest chimney (Dixon’s Chimney) in the world. See? I’ve been reading up. And it was built very tall so as not to pollute the streets of Carlisle. Originally it was 305 ft tall, but in 1950 it was shortened to 290 ft. What a sight that must have been before it was truncated. It’s pretty amazing now. Having then, accidentally, gone down a bus lane, we decided it was time to leave Carlisle and press on to Scotland. We are waiting to see if a fine will materialise.
We skipped back onto the M6 and finally crossed the border near Gretna Green. I had visited as a child (in the early 60s) and it was very different to my recollections. Back then it was a quaint tourist attraction. Today – it ‘s a BIG BUSINESS! Outlet shops, food concessions. No longer quaint that’s for sure. I bought one or two Scottish delicacies to take home including some Abernethy biscuits (one of my favourites) and some Scottish Macaroons for my friend and ex-pat Scot Steve. They are very different to English Macaroons, being more like mallow snowballs, coated in coconutty chocolate. I also bought a couple of bits for our lunch, including – reader I kid you not – a Macaroni Cheese Pie. Whatever next?!
The “LOVE” padlock wall at Gretna Green
We didn’t stay long at Gretna and decided to visit Annan. Annan is an ex boat building town and it was interesting to drive down to the old harbour/docks. So sad that industry here has collapsed.
A few views of the town
And the port/harbour
As it was nearly lunch-time, we drove down to Annan Beach, which overlooks the Solway Firth. It was a lovely afternoon so we got the chairs out and had our lunch there. We saw one chap walk out onto the sand with a strange net thing over his shoulder, and then another and yet another. Paul got talking to one of them and he told him all about it. It’s called Haaf Netting and is only practiced in a few places now, Annan being one of them. It may date back to Viking times. Haaf is Norse for “Channel”. And it’s quite hazardous – the men really have to know the tides. Fascinating stuff – the sort of thing that you see on Country File. Its strangely beautiful – considering that it’s mostly mud-flats.
As we drove back towards the M6, we saw a sign for “The Devil’s Porridge Museum” Intrigued, I looked it up. It seems that HM Factory Gretna was the largest producer of cordite in WW1. Cordite is very volatile and the stuff they made resembled porridge – hence the name. And it was actually dubbed that by Sir Arhur Conan Doyle who, after visiting wrote “The nitroglycerin on the one side and the gun-cotton on the other are kneaded into a sort of a devil’s porridge; which is the next stage of manufacture…those smiling khaki-clad girls who are swirling the stuff round in their hands would be blown to atoms in an instant if certain small changes occurred”. Wow!
We headed back down the M6 to keswick, did a quick flick round Booths and then home to relax. I got Paul some Ilkley Brewery Bitter (very drinkable. Quite hoppy and refreshing. Might be nice served chilled). Dinner, movie, bed.
Thursday 27th
It was a sort of “pottering morning” and – for a change – I made some blueberry pancakes which, served with a little Maple Syrup, really hit the spot, in combination with a strong hot coffee. I love holidays!
Freshly made blueberry pancakes
Today’s destination was the Castlerigg Stone Circle, just outside Keswick. It’s probably walkable but not with poor Bill in his current condition. We popped into Booths to grab another coffee and some picnic food and then drove to the site. It was a perfect day and the awesome view that met us brought a tear to my eye. It is PERFECT – actually more impressive than Stonehenge in my opinion. There is a certain atmosphere to the place and we loved it. If you’ve never been you’ve really missed a treat for your eyes and – somehow – your soul. It sounds odd but that’s how I felt. Uplifted! Sadly, the photos just not do it justice, but if you follow this link, there’s a cracker
We had decided that today would be the perfect day for a trip round Derwentwater. It was a quite a complex process logistically – getting us, the dogs, the crate and a few provisions – drink mainly – from the car park to the boat. It was also very sweaty!! And – to be honest – the organisation was a bit of a shambles. We rocked up, then another couple, then a gaggle of lads, then a family and then guy handing out life jackets and doing the briefings just up and disappeared, leaving us all standing in the glare of the sun. For – like – a quarter of an hour! I was a tad grumpy by the time he showed up again, but we were soon ensconced on the boat and off we went, to cries of “Rock! Rock Neville! Neville – ROCK!”. It was a lovely – the lap takes about an hour and was very relaxing – apart from the noisy little outboard, sputtering away behind us!
We did the return to the car slightly more simply, as Paul drove the car down to the lake’s edge – bit cheeky, but we had a pretty good excuse! We then set off for home and Paul asked if it was OK if we popped up the road we had seen a couple of time on the way to the campsite. It did look interesting! And boy! Was it steep! And then some. The road leads to Watendlath Tarn and was so worth the trip up – even all the hairy passing manouevres! And there were quite a few of those. It’s a bonkers road! Just our cup of tea! We stopped for a photo opportunity on the way back down. Just stunning.
Watendlath Tarn
Surprise View – Derwentwater
So glad we stopped to do this, as this was our last day here. We had absolutely loved it and really did not want to leave. I was worried that our next site wouldn’t be as nice. So it was back to the site to eat and do some tidying and packing, ready for the off tomorrow.
