Wot? No Gas?

Tuesday 27th October.

We set off yesterday from Elvas and after a stop for lunch at Zafra arrived late afternoon in Córdoba. This is a city that we had been looking forward to explore this trip and after parking up, initially in the wrong car park and being redirected by the attendant who then greeted us in the right car park 100m round the corner, we set off for the tourist information office. Suitably armed with maps and guides we started planning the next day's explorations while our dinner sizzled and simmered in the oven and on the hobs (bangers and mash with onion gravy Mmmmm). Then disaster struck! We ran out of gas!!! I've got 2 X 11kg refillable gas bottles and I knew we were on the last bottle which I thought would last us till we got to Bolnuevo where I would fill them both up. Lesson learnt. Quarter cooked sausages and spuds in the bin and we had salad for tea. No hot water either. Worse still, no cup of tea this morning!

This morning it was pouring with rain and not fit for sightseeing so we decided to find some LPG and move on, saving Córdoba for another day (it's not going anywhere). I consulted "My LPG EU" which said there was a Repsol fuel station a mile away that had gas so there we went through the rush hour traffic. Arrived at the coordinates - no petrol station. No signs of there ever having been a petrol station. Ok, let's head for Granada, there'll be a garage selling LPG on the way. Six petrol stations later, still no gas. Internet search showed a garage at Jaen which had some. A diversion but, hey ho off we go. An hour later and yes, we had LPG so set off again toward Granada and it's still pouring with rain. For several miles before and several miles after Jaen we passed nothing but olive trees. So many that we thought we were back in Greece. Phil had a look in the guide book and apparently ten per cent of the world's production of olive oil comes from the area. Harvesting has recently finished which would explain the number of tankers clogging up the roads.

South of Jaen we followed the A44, Autovia de Sierra Nevada. We climbed to over 1,000m but not much of a view of the peaks today through the persistent rain and then thick fog to the north of Granada. We have stopped now at a campsite at Beas de Granada 37.22540 -3.48765 where we stopped in early 2014 with Paul and Chris, prior to our trip to Morocco. Then it was bright and sunny and we had wonderful views of the snow capped peaks of the Sierra, now it is just cold and wet. But tomorrow we head for Bolnuevo where the forecast for the next few days is sunny with temperatures in the mid 20's.

I was hoping to fill this post with pics of Córdoba but I only took one photo yesterday.

Pat

 

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Our last days in Portugal

Sunday 25th October.

We left Aviera two days ago heading for Coimbra but first we had a beach to visit. Someone recommended this beach to us at Praia do Palheirao 40.38749 -8.82315 and said it would be a beach we would remember for the rest of our lives. We had a look at the map and the roads to the beach didn't look too good but nothing ventured, nothing gained so off we went. The beach was stunning, clean sand for as far as we could see in both directions and big breakers crashing in. We'll remember the beach alright as we will the last 10k in and out on the forest tracks. To say it was bumpy doesn't really do the roads justice. The ideal speed was about 60kph but the problem then is that you don't always have time to react when one of the larger holes in the road appears but we got in and out without any damage so all's well that ends well.

The beach.

 

We set off for Coimbra, which is famed for its historic hilltop university dating back to the thirteenth century and parked up next to the Rio Mondego 40.20515 -8.43217. We met an English couple who said the climb up to university was well worth the effort so we set off on foot. First stop the tourist information office where we picked up a map and then started the uphill climb through the steep narrow cobbled streets. To be fair I don't think we did Coimbra justice; in the first church we entered we were met by a security guard who wanted to charge us €2 each. It's not the money as much as the attitude we resent so that put us in a disagreeable mood and so we didn't really explore the Uni when we finally arrived. Also we were tired after walking around Aviera for two days and the tooth rattling drive to the beach earlier in the day so we descended back to the old town where we explored the tiny streets for an hour or so and then headed back to the van for something to eat and an early night.

Looking up at Coimbra University and the old town.

Yesterday was the first truly scenic route we'd driven since arriving in Portugal, from Coimbra to Vila Velha de Rodao on the banks of the Rio Tejo but, unfortunately, it poured down all day so most of the journey was viewed through the windscreen wipers. We arrived, parked up in a very pretty Aire 39.65174 -7.67198. The parking was opposite a campsite which was closed for the winter but they left the water switched on and the WiFi and there was no charge. I set off with my new €9.99 Decathlon brolly searching for a bread shop and was eventually pointed in the right direction by a young lady and returned with bread just as Phil was about to report me missing. The rain was relentless so we were stuck in the van although my time wasn't completely wasted as I managed to see most of the Arsenal - Everton game. Well done the Gunners. We did pop out to look at a notice board informing us of the exotic wildlife to be found in the river and along its banks including Egyptian Mongoose, Terrapins, Black Storks, Griffin Vultures, Eagles, Otters and more but it was hardly the weather for a riverbank walk. Which was a shame because as we drove out of town this morning and up and out of the valley we looked down and saw how beautiful the surroundings were. A wide river with wooded banks, it's a shame we didn't have the opportunity to explore.

Another scenic route today as we headed for Elvas, skirting the Serra de Sao Mamede National Park and after we passed through Arronches we saw our first cork trees. We drove through a long avenue with the old knarled trees on either side and plantations behind them. We were on the route de Sobriero and a very pretty route it was too in warm sunshine.

We had noted two Motorhome parking places in Elvas, one in an Intermarche car park which was a bit scruffy and a long walk into town and so after a quick food and beverage shop and a diesel fill up (€1.07/L) we drove to the second one underneath the very impressive seventeenth century aqueduct which extends for seven kilometres on five levels. Our guide book said that parking was tolerated but there was a huge market on alternate Monday's. We were caught out in Greece earlier in the year when folk started assembling a weekly market around us at 5am and not wishing to repeat the experience we thought we should check things out before we settled in. The receptionist in the hotel opposite confirmed that there would be a market tomorrow! We drove around town for a while following the big blue P signs but nothing was suitable for a Motorhome until I spotted the town's football stadium. A big stadium for a small town with training pitches and impressive facilities it also had a massive car park 38.87634 -7.15722. Which was empty. Result, as they say.

We'd bought some chicken in white wine and mushroom sauce from the supermarket earlier together with some cooked spuds and creamy spinach, cheating I know but we quickly warmed it up, enjoyed our lunch and then set off - uphill again! Elvas was once one of Portugals mightiest frontier posts and it's fortifications in the shape of star shaped walls and a wide moat are still well preserved. Apparently in the mid seventeenth century during the Wars of Restoration with Spain, one thousand troops saw off a Spanish army of over fifteen thousand and two hundred years ago the fort provided the base from which Wellington successfully attacked Badajoz in Spain. A tourist focused town but still with many folk living in the houses in the narrow alleyways within the fortifications.

The Cathedral was a little underwhelming but at least nobody attempted to charge us for entry but the octagonal shaped Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Consolacao was beautiful. The church replaced an older Knights Templar chapel that stood nearby and has tiled walls and decorated columns rising to a patterned cupola.

The Cathedral and restored central square ( was Escher here?)

The Church.

Today will be our last day in Portugal, we've been here a week and a half and we obviously haven't seen anywhere enough for us to form an opinion. We're not going any further south so we'll miss Lisbon and, of course, the Algarve. We haven't immediately fallen in love with the country as we have others but that's not to say it doesn't have it's beauty and history, plus the beaches we've seen have been awesome although the weather hasn't been too kind to us overall. But we'll come back and maybe plan better. We kind of thought of this visit as a reconnaissance trip and we've seen enough to bring us back.

Pat

 

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Two days in Aveiro

Thursday 22nd October.

We arrived in Aviero yesterday after an uneventful drive from Estarreja. There is a parking area here for motorhomes 40.64411 -8.65870 and whilst it is only a two minute walk into town the disadvantage is that it is 25 metres from the A25 flyover and hence a little noisy! The town has had an interesting history; once a vibrant fishing and shipbuilding port this activity was devastated when the river mouth silted up but in the beginning of the nineteenth century canals were dug to drain the marshes and there is now a system of lagoons stretching some 40kms north and south creating salt pans and the opportunity to harvest seaweed. Salt is still collected nowadays but the main industry today is tourism. We found the tourist information office which is housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau building of which there are many in the town, not least one of the museums shown below.

Armed with a map we set off first to wander around the narrow streets of the old town and then to the town museum housed inside the fifteenth century Convento de Jesus. This was one of the most breathtaking museums we have ever visited. The baroque chapel is simply stunning.

The town was also known for its fine ceramics and although the factory is now closed examples are to be seen in the main and side chapels within the convent museum.

The museum also houses works from the rococo period such as this sculpture of the holy family.

We spent a couple of hours in the museum and each room and exhibition was truly amazing. Many of the exhibits relate to Santa Joana, the daughter of Afonso V, who lived in the convent in the mid fifteenth century. Barred from becoming a nun due to her royal station and her father's opposition she was determined to escape the material world, or possibly an unwelcome arranged marriage, and later beatified. Her marble tomb is a wonderful piece of craftsmanship.

Aviero is laced with canals and footbridges and so, after a visit to the Cathedral which is an impressive architectural example of the incorporation of the original building and the new addition, we took the canal boat trip, complete with serenading guide.

The Cathedral.

Our serenading guide.

Today we set off to have a look at the salt flats which start just a short distance from where we are parked. There is a museum which is comprised of a series of QR codes on wooden posts but as we have both deleted our scanners from our phones as we never used them (!) they weren't of much help to us. But there was a shack where we could buy bags of salt and the wizened guy there showed us the mounds of salt drying under tarpaulins, explained that the salt was harvested in July and August when the water in the pans evaporated in the heat and sold us a bag of salt.

The salt pans.

Back to town for a coffee and cake and as we sat watching the world go by we heard what sounded like several hundred sports fans descending upon us singing and shouting their teams praises. In fact this turned out to be freshers day for the local university. But a freshers day unlike anything we could imagine. Garnering bits of information from the locals and some of the students we gathered the following information. The freshers are dressed in a variety of uniforms indicating their course or fraternity. Different coloured T shirts, smocks, dungarees etc. Some had pottys on their heads, some had funnels. These freshers were accompanied by older students, in formal frock coats and gowns, carrying various shaped staffs. They are marched or run around the town all the time singing and chanting only pausing when groups are given lectures on goodness knows what by their elders. There are also various humiliating exercises being carried out which, in some instances were a little disturbing but nevertheless it all seemed like good fun. There was hardly a police presence to be seen although there was plenty of ambulance action and I expect there will be considerably more of that tonight as more drink is taken. The number of students was reckoned to be about 10,000! And although some of the locals were muttering and raising their eyebrows it was all very good natured with no trouble and must be a massive boost to the economy on this day each year. Special trains and buses had been laid on to bring them to the town and, hopefully, take them all back safely.

A couple of student groups.

There are some excellent restaurants here, mostly specialising in sea food and shellfish, some with eye watering prices but we found a nice place in one of the squares and enjoyed our lunch as the various student groups marched and trotted to and fro. I say enjoyed however I didn't make the best choice. The waiter explained the various dishes one of which was tripe with white beans. In all my years I've never had tripe but when the waiter explained that it was a typical Portuguese dish and a speciality of the house I said I'd give it a try. Try I did but, let's just say I won't be trying it again. Phil said her fish was lovely.

We've had a couple of great days here in Aviero, a lovely town with lovely people. A special mention to the lady in the tourist office; every time I've spotted something or had a question I've popped in and asked her a question "Why do many shops have bicycles in their windows?" - "It's a themed window display competition". "Who are all these young people in bizarre clothes?" - "It's a freshers day tradition, the older students welcome the new ones". Every time I went in she smiled and waited for my next question, a lovely lady.

Finally, a city sculpture that made us smile.

Pat

 

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Sun & Setts

Tuesday 20th October.

Well, after the deluge when we arrived in Portugal we've now had two days of scorching sunshine and we're not complaining, after all, that's why we're driving south - to escape the English winter. Yesterday morning we left Vila do Conde heading for the town of Melres in the Douro valley, we wanted to see a bit of inland Portugal rather than just the coastline and the stop had been suggested by a fellow member on the Wildcamping forum (wildcamping.co.uk). The fun began when we took the shortest route through a narrow forest track. The minor roads in Portugal all seem to be laid with granite setts which are hard wearing but cause the van and it's contents to rattle like nobody's business but eventually we returned to Tarmac and followed the coordinates we'd been given. Unfortunately one of us got them slightly wrong, we passed the car park overlooking the river, which looked promising but continued down a narrow track until we could go no further. Asking myself how many times I've done this I selected reverse gear and fifteen minutes and a few heart stopping moments later we got back to the car park 41.06806 -8.40275. To describe Melres as sleepy is a bit of an understatement, comatose would be a better description but the view across the river was beautiful so we decided to stop for the night.

During the drive I noticed a scraping/scratching sound coming from the l/h rear wheel. I suspected some dust or a bit of grit on the disc so when we parked up I thought I'd take the wheel off and investigate. Strangely enough I didn't notice the noise when braking but thought I'd have a look and see what I could see. This was the first time I'd had occasion to remove a wheel and, of course, the wheel brace wouldn't budge the wheel nuts, they'd been tightened with an air gun and I had no chance. There was a building site a few hundred metres away and I thought I might go and ask if I could borrow a shortish scaffold pole to get some leverage but realised my Portuguese wasn't up to such an enquiry. So, the tools went back in the boot and I'm now on a hunt for a scaffold pole. The noise starts after about ten or fifteen minutes driving so if anyone reading this has any ideas what might be causing it I'd be pleased to hear from you.

This morning we set off for Estarreja, a slightly larger town with some dedicated Motorhome parking in the car park together with electricity for a mere €2/24hrs, a bargain 40.75372 -8.56644. One of the advantages of the electricity is that we have a chance to use the slow cooker that we brought with us, which is mainly for use when we get to the campsite in Spain. As we've travelled around Spain we've often had a delicious dish of lentil, ham and sausage; sometimes as a starter and often as tapas. All the supermarkets sell small packs containing a slab of fatty bacon and one red and one black sausage and I bought a pack a few days ago. We had some lentils in the cupboard so after lunch today I set to. Everything is simmering away nicely and that's tonight's dinner sorted plus enough to freeze for another day.

Today is market day in Estarreja and we arrived in time to have a look around just before they started packing up. Phil bought a rather fetching pinafore for the bargain price of €1.50 and I bought an adaptor for my 10l water container for the same price so I can now fill up the van with water from the outside filler rather than inside thereby avoiding the water pump dropping off every few days.

Well, someone's got to wash up after the chef and she has got a new pinny.

I've also managed to find some WiFi in the town and I'm hoping it's good enough to allow me to watch Arsenal discover their form in the Champions League against arguably the best team in Europe, Bayern Munich, with possibly the best striker in Lewandowski.

Update on the WiFi - very weak signal aargh!!

Pat

 

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Portugal, Wet,Windy and Sunny.

Sunday 18th October.

One never sees a country at it's best when it's raining. We arrived in Portugal yesterday crossing the Rio Minho and entering the small town of Vila Nova de Cerveira. The weekly market occupied a large part of the town by the river and resulted in us having to follow diversion signs, squeezing past the back of the market, much to the amusement of the stallholders, and attempting to direct us under a bridge with 2.4m headroom. As the van is 2.7m high this presented a problem but after a couple of trips around the town we managed to find our way out and headed south. At this time the weather was ok and we set off for a parking spot next to the dunes at Afife. We arrived after a tooth rattling last 500m over cobbles, parked up and climbed to look over the dunes to see a fantastic wide sandy beach with a few surfers 41.78065 -8.86993. The sun came out so we returned to the van, changed into shorts and set off to explore the beach. Whilst it was sunny the wind was ferocious and whipped the sand around our legs but we had a pleasant walk through clean sand and rock pools. We passed a couple of guys collecting mussels from the rocks at the end of the beach and then met a guy from Canada doing his third Camino to Santiago. "Wow" I said, "You'll go straight to heaven, no purgatory for you." "Nah, I'm not religious," he replied, "I just enjoy the walk".

The beach at Afife.

The rock pools.

As we got back to the van the clouds gathered and the wind got stronger and then the heavens opened. We turned the van round to face into the wind and realised we'd had the best of the weather. That was at about 3pm yesterday and at the same time today it finally stopped raining after a 24hr deluge.

We were told to look out for the tap coming out of the rocks at Afife; we didn't find any rocks, never mind a tap and although there were toilets, showers and a tap next to the surf info hut everything was locked up and turned off at this time of year. We were running low on water so this morning we headed south again, following the coast road and found some Motorhome services in an Intermarche car park together with some cheap diesel (€1.08/L). In Spain all the shops and supermarkets were closed on Sunday but here in Portugal everything is open, much like the UK. The N13 pretty much follows the coast south as far as Porto and we continued along this route passing small towns with local markets and after a while realised we had discovered the country with the worst drivers in Europe. Overtaking the vehicle in front would appear to be compulsory irrespective of whether you are in a town or not and in defiance of 50kph speed restrictions and "no overtaking" signs. As Phil would say, and I am adapting her phrase for a family audience, "one needs eyes in the back of one's head".

Our plan was to stop at Esposende where there was a Motorhome stop and all services including WiFi if you availed yourself of the adjacent restaurant. Sunday lunch seemed like a good idea but on arrival we found massive sea defence construction occurring where they were creating sandbags the size of large bungalows, limited parking and the restaurant didn't look too inviting either. Another look in the Camperstop book and we headed for Vila do Condo, 50kms south. We arrived and found a car park full of Portuguese motorhomes, squeezed ourselves in and decided we couldn't be bothered driving any further 41.34484 -8.74571. We thought of looking for a restaurant but as it was still pouring with rain Phil rustled up sea trout with mashed potato and broccoli. A delicious Sunday "fried and two veg".

Finally the clouds broke up, the sun came out and we went for a stroll. Well, Phil went for a stroll and then came back for me to show me the Atlantic crashing onto the tiny beach and pier. At the start of the pier was a tiny church with a beautiful painted panel ceiling and altars and statues imploring the saints to bring home fishermen and sailors to safety. We didn't find the name of the church but as we left one of the two elderly ladies sat inside the door gave me a card with an image of one of the side altars with the inscription "Nossa Senhora Da Bonanca". Google translate tells me this means Our Lady of Bonanza. Sad to say no sign of Hoss or Little Joe. The Atlantic here looks really scary, two metre high waves crashing onto the beach and the undertow must be dangerous to say the least. We walked further along to the C17th Forte de Sao Joao Baptista which is now a hotel, looking a little sad out of season, but the receptionist waved us through with a smile as we climbed the steps and walked around the ramparts.

Nobody swimming or surfing here!

View from the ramparts with the tiny white church and the lighthouse.

Inside the church

The view from where we are parked back to Vila do Conde, the convent of Santa Clara to the right and the Capela do Socorro to the left.

The sun has been shining for a couple of hours now and Portugal is looking better and better. We are only 30km north of Porto, a city we would like to visit but we are advised that we would be crazy to take the van. Tomorrow we plan to explore the Douro valley but maybe the next day we will find a town with a car park and a metro link to Porto.

Pat

 

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Two days of ports and harbours.

Friday 16th October.

We left San Fransisco yesterday morning after a couple of relaxing days in the sun. At least weekly we have to stop for a couple of days in one place to just do nothing and, of course, on this occasion we needed a washing machine so, with a wardrobe full of clean clothes we set off. Pontevedra looked nice and a free parking area, with services for motorhomes. We passed it on the wrong side of a dual carriageway and when we reached the next roundabout I took the wrong exit which involved us going onto the motorway until the next junction before we could turn around and then we had to drive round the outskirts of the town again! Eventually we arrived at our destination which was pretty shabby. A potholed car park with traffic hurtling past on the dual carriageway. A cup of tea and we discussed our options; we agreed when we first started travelling that if one of us wasn't happy with an overnight spot we would move on without argument. Our "Camperstop" book showed a place at Arcade just twenty minutes south where parking was "tolerated" next to the estuary to the Rio Verdugo so off we drove. And what an excellent spot it was, the front of the van five metres from the water with a great view over the estuary 42.33933 -8.61301.

After we left San Fransisco we called first at Combarro, where the guide books said that the old quarter was worth a visit. Sloping up and away from the harbour some of the houses incorporated the natural rock into the construction.Through narrow streets with tiny plazas we spent a pleasant hour wandering about through the old fisherman's cottages and the smallholder's houses which were distinguished by wider doorways to allow access to their animals. All through Galicia we had seen what we would describe as rectangular sheds on stilts, mostly constructed from timber and which we guessed were for storing grain or vegetables, as we drove further south more of these buildings were constructed from stone and had more decoration. We discovered they are called Horreos and in Combarro there was plenty of evidence of them.

 

 

This part of Galicia also has a distinctive cross in many of the crossroads and plazas with Christ on one side, facing inland and the Virgin Mary on the other side facing out to sea.

One of the narrow streets:

It's coming up to Halloween and it looks like it's a big thing round these parts. Phil is on the right.

 

We left Arcade this morning deciding to have one more night in Spain before entered Portugal. The harbour town of A Guarda looked interesting and suggested that, once again, we could park on the harbour 41.89874 -8.87779. We missed the first turning down to the port so followed the Sat Nav directions and took the next turning down a narrow, one-way street. Which became narrower. And narrower. And then too narrow. Reversing was fun back up to the main road. I'd get half way back up before a car would come down behind me so would then drive back down until they could pass. This went on for some time but eventually I got back to the main road and finally onto the harbour. This is a real working port with small and medium sized fishing boats all around and narrow fronted painted houses circling the harbour.

The fountain and monument indicates the activity here:

We set off to explore the town and discovered the church of the Annunciation the Blessed Mary. Baroque in style and they didn't spare the gilding.

 

Tomorrow it's definitely Portugal.

Pat

 

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Blue skies and a repair needed.

Wednesday 14th October.

We've spent the last couple of days on a pretty little campsite near San Fransisco 42.76064 -9.06290. No, we haven't time travelled across continents, the nearest town is Muros but the village down the road is definitely San Fransisco. Pretty much closed up now and waiting for next summer's holiday makers we've had two days of glorious sunshine and a wide sandy beach all to ourselves.

As often happens another English couple who we met at Santiago are also here taking advantage of the washing machine - if you're reading this, hi Sue & Adrian. Yesterday they walked a little way along the road and found a bar where the free tapas sustained them until tea time so, following their advice we walked along the beach and popped into the same place. An excellent recommendation, our first beer was accompanied by a delicious savoury rice dish and a hunk of bread and with our second beer a delicious lentil and ham stew was provided, yummy. I'd like to say that the service and free tapas reminded me of Weatherspoons back home but I'd be lying. Despite the sunshine there's a cool wind but, would you believe, the bar terrace here on the campsite is sheltered.

On the evening before we left Santiago we heard an ominous clunk from the fresh water tank and the sound of running water near the boiler. On investigation I discovered that the water pump had come adrift from it's supply pipe to the boiler. Under ideal conditions we fill up with fresh water via an external filler point but many of the taps in Spain don't have a thread so I've been filling up via a bucket directly into the tank after first lifting out the pump and sensor unit. Over time I've stressed the connection and so the pump fell off, arghh. Now I'm on a search for a couple of jubilee clips and a length of hose of the correct diameter. Leroy Merlin failed us in our search so now, as we are on the coast, I'm looking for a ships chandler. (To be honest I don't need an excuse to visit a ships chandlers, or a proper old school hardware shop,or a fishing tackle shop for that matter) It's not too urgent as I've managed a temporary repair but I'll be happier when I've fixed the problem a little more permanently. Fortunately there was a Decathlon next to LM which was a bonus as I managed to buy some lead tape for my new tennis racquet, a pelote ball, three fishing lures and an umbrella! That's what I call shopping.

Washing all up to date and so tomorrow with a van full of clean clothes we'll head a little further south on the Galician coast before we drop into Portugal.

Pat

 

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From Asturias to Galicia - and a pilgrimage of sorts.

Sunday 11th October.

Yesterday morning we set off from Cangas de Onis on a cold and misty morning but the lady in the panaderia promised us blue skys in an hour or so. We headed for Cudillero on the coast and her prediction came true, the clouds parted and the sun shone, lovely. The drive was pleasant and we arrived after a final deep, twisty descent into the harbour to find the only car park 43.56424 -6.14755 packed with visitors to the pretty town. We finally found a spot opposite a sign threatening us with a €300 fine if we parked overnight! So we stopped for lunch and a spot of harbour fishing (don't ask) and then consulted the maps to find somewhere to park for the night, Porto de Bares looked promising so we set off. We left the province of Asturias, the "real Spain" the locals would have you believe and the occupants are proud of the fact that it is the only part of Spain never conquered by the Moors who were defeated and routed in ad722 at Covadonga at the foothills of the Picos. We crossed into Galicia and it immediately started to rain - "Welcome to Galicia" said the sign as the windscreen wipers were turned on. This area is known as Green Spain and it's green for a reason, much as the English Lake District is green for a reason. The coastline is stunning but we didn't see it at its best through all the rain.

The town of Cudillero from across the harbour:

 

We finally arrived at Bares, squeezing through the tiny village and negotiating the hairpin descent to the bay where we were told there was parking for 25 motorhomes to again be confronted by a sign advising us of no overnight parking 43.77174 -7.66774. By this time I'd driven the best part of 200 miles and there was no way I was driving any further so we parked up and walked over to the beachfront bar which had half a dozen customers and we received a somewhat chilly reception. Half an hour later a German couple arrived in their brand new Motorhome and after a chat they decided they would also stay the night, safety in numbers they thought. Finally, just as it was getting dark, a massive Winnebago arrived, I have no idea how he drove through the village but within minutes the sides were slid out and the generator switched on. Fortunately he turned the gennie off before we went to bed but he woke us up with it this morning, grrrr. Anyway we survived the night without being moved on. Bares is a lovely place with a sandy bay and pine forests above on three sides and in the summer it would be an ideal holiday location, unfortunately nothing was bathed in sunshine whilst we were there.

The sandy bay at Porto de Bares:

 

This morning we set off for A Coruna just 80 miles away through mostly pine forests and the first 20 miles or so we drove through thick fog at about 500m elevation but as we dropped down the fog disappeared and the sun tried bravely to break through. Unfortunately it didn't try hard enough and it soon started raining again. We arrived at the city with both Sat Navs agreeing on the route we should take, which is unusual, and things were going well despite a whole load of traffic until we arrived at a police diversion because of a city fun run. Several detours and we finally arrived at our parking place, a little west of the city and overlooking the tiny port of O Portino 43.37167 -8.44444 there's nothing here apart from a bar/restaurant with no food. But we have plenty of food and the sun is just breaking through at 6pm so we'll stay the night and explore further down the coast tomorrow. Mind, we've just discovered that tomorrow is National Day and a public holiday and as I don't have too much diesel and I expect the garages will be closed we won't be going too far. Maybe Santiago de Compostela?

It's 9pm now and it started raining again at 6.05pm and shows no sign of letting up. I've just read that the Galacians have more than 100 words to describe different kinds of rain. Says it all really. I'd describe this as p*****g down.

Monday 12th October.

We decided this morning that we would visit Santiago and we found an open garage on the way. We arrived here at a large Motorhome parking area 42.89518 -8.53281 and after some lunch headed off for the town, it's only a walk of a couple of kilometres but downhill all the way which didn't bode well for the return journey. However our walk to the cathedral was nothing compared to the pilgrims route, the Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) which originated in the 9th Century after Pelayo, a religious hermit, unearthed the tomb of St James the Apostle who had been brought back to Galicia by stone boat after his death in Palestine. Compostela became the most important destination for Christians after Rome and Jerusalem. The 11th and 12th centuries marked the pilgrimage's heyday, the Reformation just about saw off Catholic pilgrimages but now a revival of the route sees over 150,000 folk each year walking or cycling the route. Their are many caminos to Santiago but the most popular is the 780km route from the French Pyrenees taking five weeks to walk or a fortnight to cycle however you still get a certificate if you walk the minimum distance of 100km although you don't get such a large chunk of purgatory knocked off.

The cathedral itself is stunning although the main entrance is undergoing renovation and so is covered in scaffolding which means that the 200 Romanesque sculptures depicting major figures from the old and the new testaments are not visible. We joined the pilgrims and queued to ascend the staircase to kiss or embrace the 13th century statue of the Santiago - not having walked the best part of 800km for the privilege I felt a bit of a fraud so just gave him a friendly nod and a pat on the shoulder - and then descended to the saint's tomb.

The area around the Cathedral is full of tourist shops selling all sorts of religious tat and jewellery shops selling very expensive non-tat but we explored the narrow streets of the old medieval city before completing our pilgrimage back to the car park.

The main altar:

Even the side chapels are impressive:

 

 

 

Entrance to Casa da Conga:

After a fortnight away we need a washing machine! So it's a campsite for us tomorrow and maybe the next couple of days before a little more exploration of the Galician coastline and then - Portugal beckons.

Pat

 

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