The Camargue.

Friday 8th April

We are parked up today in a private Motorhome parking area 43.562035 4.166197, a couple of kilometres from Aigues Mortes as the crow, or flamingo, flies but nearer 6 kilometres walking distance. But it's a pleasant walk through the salt water lagoons, vineyards, acres of asparagus and fields with the white Camargue horses and black bulls. We arrived yesterday after a scenic drive from Cap d'Agde which didn't really appeal to us too much and, after wandering along canal sides and round footpaths by lagoons trying to find a route to Aigues Mortes, spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the sunshine before enjoying a meal in the restaurant here and getting tips from the owner about the quickest or more scenic walking routes to the medieval city. Armed with the route we set off this morning, the guy here said we might be challenged by the owner of the vineyard through which we had to walk and, sure enough an old guy on a bicycle with a big hunting dog stopped us but when we showed him our card from the site here he smiled at us and wished us a pleasant walk. Pleasant it was but it took us an hour walking briskly to reach the walled city. First stop tourist information where we obtained a guide book and where it was suggested we walked around the ramparts - at €17.50 each. We decided to explore the city with a ground view perspective.

It was a beautiful sunny day, albeit a little windy, and we were on a mission to find a restaurant where we could sit in the sunshine and watch the world going by while we fortified ourselves with Moules Frites and a cold bottle of dry white wine. That's all we wanted and which we didn't think was too much to expect. Alas none of the thirty or so restaurants were offering Moules Frites!! Not a one. Ok, Aigues Mortes is a tourist destination but we still were disinclined to part with €25+ for a three course meal when all we wanted was a bowl of mussels. So after walking around and repeatedly saying "How much?!?!" at the prices in the boutiques and souvenir shops we set off back to the van for spaghetti in our patented garlic,anchovy, parsley and tomato sauce (recipe available on request).

We think we'll stay in the Camargue for a few more days, there's a lot more to explore and the scenery is unique. Plus pink flamingos and white horses. Bit of info - the flamingos turn white in winter because of a lack of carotene rich brine shrimp and the white horses are born brown, turning white upon maturity - you're welcome.

Saturday 9th April.

We are parked up in a Motorhome car park at Les Saintes Maries de la Mer 43.455829 4.427753 and what a delightful place it is. Still in the heart of the Camargue and a five minute walk to the beach and a pretty village. We are bordered by the Rhone and the petit Rhone and although the village abounds with restaurants and shops there is a laid back feeling to the place and a lovely atmosphere. Our first stop today was, as usual, the tourist information office where we were advised of the best places to see some of the 500 bird species to be found here in the wetlands, directions for the best walks in the area and, best of all, we saw a poster for a Camargue Race in the bullring this afternoon. In the races the Raseteurs challenge the Bulls and try to take off decorations hanging from their horns and then jump over the barrier before a couple of tons of angry animal jumps all over them. Great fun. No bulls are injured during this activity but they certainly get tormented and suitably pissed off by the young lads running around them. One of the Bulls smashed the barrier, which was followed by the sound of an electric saw while they quickly carried out repairs, and there were a couple of close shaves for the athletic lads to great applause from the crowd. There are 8 "races" with a half time interval during which it occurred to me that we were only really watching in the hope that one of the lads got his timing wrong, a bit like watching motor racing waiting for the crash or cricket waiting for the bouncer to catch the batsman on his bonce. Today, however, Raseteurs and Bulls both finished the races; the Bulls with only their pride damaged and the young lads unharmed apart from one who cracked his knee on a barrier with a bull six inches from a part of the anatomy where you don't want a bull.

We had time for lunch before the bullring and to our great joy this village is Moules central! After yesterday's disappointment it was a pleasure indeed to sit in the sunshine and feast on mussels. We hadn't really planned on staying here tonight but we've enjoyed ourselves so much and there's so much more to explore that we'll stay another day before heading for a France Passion vineyard nearby on Monday, we're running out of wine!

Photos in the bullring bar:

 

Big bull:

He just made it!:

 

Pat

 

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Girona to Agde

Wednesday 6th April.

We've had no WiFi for a few days so it's time to catch up and mention where we've been. On Monday we arrived in Girona, a lovely city we last visited some ten years ago. Last time we were in a small hotel but this time in a dedicated Motorhome parking area 41.98393 2.81384 where it was only a ten minute walk to the old town. Well, it would have been a ten minute walk but I shunned the map supplied to us saying that I knew the way and anyway would be able to recognise some landmarks. An hour later we found the old town! Nothing much had changed but when we were here before it was St George's day when men traditionally give roses to ladies and ladies give books to men. Not a bad deal eh? Then the streets were full of booksellers and florists but this time a little quieter. We had a lovely meal in the restaurant Boira at the Placa de la Independencia overlooking the Riu Onyar and the Pont de Sant Agusti and then found our way back to the van in ten minutes! The water pump for the onboard fresh water had been making odd noises for a few days but, like all clever motorhomers I had a spare. Unfortunately the connecting hose was too short for the new pump so off I set to the ferreterias for some more hose. First one didn't have it, second one - which was like Arkwright's shop - did have. Back to the van and twenty minutes later - no more squeeking pump!! When we returned a Dutch couple with a couple of dogs had parked next to us and we introduced ourselves. Can't remember their names but one of their dogs was called Jacqueline. "We used to call it Jacky" they said "But in France Jacky is a flasher! So we changed her name!" Hmm, is this true?

We planned to stop another day in Girona but on Monday night it poured down with rain and continued the next morning with no sign of abating. No point trudging round in a deluge so we set off for Saint-Cyprien and another Motorhome site on the edge of the Marina 42.61797 3.03524. A barrier again where we took our Entry/Exit card for use when we departed and then went for a walk in the rain around a pretty tourist destination which I'm sure would have been even prettier had the sun been shining. But we did find a laundrette which washed our clothes and provided shelter from the rain. We knew we were in France because whilst waiting for the washing we called in the bar next door. Two beers which in Spain would cost €2.40 were cheerfully supplied for €5.20. Cheers!

I was a bit worried about the procedure for exiting the car park as I had read that another English couple had to phone for the attendant to let them out because their card didn't work. I waited until a French van went to leave and then asked the lady passenger if I could watch while she went through the procedure. She patiently explained to me what I had to do until her husband shouted "He's English, he doesn't know what you're talking about! That's why he wants to watch!!!" Aah, lovely. Anyway ten minutes later and we were paid, out and on the road. 

A much better day today, sunshine and blue skies. A lovely drive to Agde where we are parked up in a car park 43.285565 3.517241 controlled by the local campsite. They want €23 for the campsite or €10 for the car park and as we've done the washing it's a no-brainer really. We've had a massive lunch of all the bits cluttering up the fridge and when the sun drops a bit we'll go and explore the beach and Marina. No Photos, not because I can't upload them but because I haven't taken any!

Tomorrow we set off for Aigues  Mortes. Last time we visited here was with our eldest daughter and her family. It was a scorching hot day and her eldest son was not in the best of moods in his pushchair.(Phil has just pointed out that it must have been 18 years ago!!) I thought it was a great day; I went off with my son in law and we had Moules Frittes and a bottle of Chablis in the shade. Happy days. 

Pat

Trials and (probably) errors!

Sunday 3rd April 2016.    This sunny afternoon we are parked up in the delightful seaside town of Sant Feliu de Guixols in a dedicated Motorhome parking area 41.780068 3.02283. It's a ten minute walk to the beach and harbour and five minutes to the Tourist Info office which is housed in an ex monastery. There was a market today where we at last bought some decent honey (and pollen). We have yoghurt and honey for breakfast but this is the first decent honey we have bought for ages - thyme flavoured as you asked. We thought we might have lunch in one of the restaurants in the town but we have been a little spoilt with menu del dia for €9 and balked at paying €15 plus for the same thing here. So we came back and cooked chicken stuffed with ham and cheese, sauté potatoes and white beans (thank you Lidl), all washed down with a bottle of Buen Minon Ribero del Duero from the bodega in Bolnuevo. Yesterday I was more than a little frustrated with my inability to post photos via Blogsy, my blogging app, and whilst I have so far been unable to find a replacement app I have found an editing app (BlogPad Pro) so I'm trying again today to post the photos I took yesterday at Santa Coloma de Cervello. It takes twice as long to create each post and there must be a better way of doing things but I haven't discovered it yet. If there's anyone with more tech know how than me reading this I'd be pleased for any advice you may have.

Here's the story

Archway

Designed by Gaudi

  Unfortunately all the interesting buildings were closed on Saturday afternoon so we missed looking inside, maybe next time.  Tomorrow we set off for Girona which is not too far up the road and providing we can park up in the Motorhome parking spot, which has only 10 places, we may stop a couple of days. We visited Girona a few years ago and really liked it so we may do a bit of sightseeing and take a break from driving before we head off into France.  Pat

Test

Just a test to see if I can, through a laborious process, upload photos.

 

  Pat

Aargh!!!!

Saturday 2nd April 2016

We're parked up this afternoon in a car park next to the small football stadium at Santa Coloma de Cervello 41.365406 2.025389, a few miles north of Barcelona. It took us a few hours driving along the N340 & A7 to get here and it's a pretty scenic drive for the most part. A stop at Lidl and a coffee stop on the way and after an early start for us (10am) we were here for 2.30pm.
Lunch and then a walk around the village which was far more interesting than we had anticipated. Here's the story:

Well, it would have been a story - in fact it would have been a photo or several photos but after spending an hour trying to upload photos to the blog I discover that Blogsy is no longer on the App Store and neither is the company behind Blogsy! Photos can no longer be uploaded! Support is no longer available!

So what might have been an interesting post about the Modernist Colony here and the church designed by Gaudi and our walk through the pretty town and the second half of the football match in the stadium (don't know the final score but the locals scored thrice in the 2nd half despite having a man (boy?) sent off) and a few pretty photos to add local colour, what you have now instead is a very, very angry blogger - and no photos.

I haven't used Blogsy for a while so was unaware of this situation until today. Here is what they have to say:

Blogsy II) which would work with the latest version of iOS. Unfortunately, due to the changes in iOS, Blogsy II would become sluggish and basically unusable after dragging in only a few media items (photos or vidoes).

Given the fact that the sales of Blogsy have been so low for quite some time, we would not be able to recoup our investment to rebuild Blogsy from the ground up in hopes that there could be a solution to this sluggishness.

Therefore we have removed Blogsy from the app store and there will be no new version. We have also removed PUPS from the App Store.

Fomola, the company behind Blogsy and PUPS, has been shut down.

Thank you to all of you that have helped along the way and all those that have sent emails of support, encouragement and praise. It was a great experience and memory.

This is one failure closer to success  

I have no words to describe my frustration with this. Half the fun of our travels was spending time in the evenings talking about our travels and adventures and posting photos of where we had been and what we had seen. We can't do all of this any more. I can still keep a "diary" and post that but it's no fun without the accompanying photos.
So unless I can find another platform to host the blog, one which was as easy to use as Blogsy, then I'm sacking the whole thing. Back to postcards eh?

On the move again

Thursday 31st March

After six months in Bolnuevo we've finally set off again en route for Greece. We've got a ferry booked from Ancona on the 22nd April so we can have a leisurely three week drive through Spain, France and northern Italy.
It was a bit of a wrench to leave Bolnuevo, we met up with so many friends from the last two years and made many more friendships over the last six months. The village is a special place for us now and we will be returning next winter.
So after a four hour drive today we are parked up on the edge of the town of Jalance 39.187427 -1.076175. We stopped here eighteen months ago on our way to the Costa Calida and the adjacent restaurant which was owned by a couple of English guys was very busy and the food was delicious. But few things stay the same, the restaurant has changed hands and we were the only folk looking for lunch "Salad and Paella?" asked the elderly owner as she coughed and spluttered her way round the dining room fighting to be heard over the TVs at either end of the room at full volume which nobody was watching. "Yes please" we replied as there seemed to be no other options. Now, I'm not saying the paella had been sat in the pan for a couple of hours, it might have been longer, and I'm sure the rabbit was juicy and succulent when it was first cooked and nothing like the chewy, dried up meat that arrived on our plates. 'Never go back' is an adage we would do well to remember.
But the overnight parking is free and there's fresh water to fill up the tank in the morning.
Tomorrow we'll set off for a dedicated Motorhome parking site near Peniscola which supposedly has free WiFi and showers for the princely sum of €7. There's a restaurant too - watch this space.

Pat

Bolnuevo

Thursday 12th November.

Apologies to the thousands of folk from all over the world who follow this blog for not updating recently (Hello Catherine!), I know you've been waiting for news and exciting tales. Truth is we've stopped travelling for a while and been lazing around enjoying the best that the Costa Calida has to offer.

We arrived at Camping Playa de Mazarron 37.56316 -1.30268 ten days ago where they kindly kept for us the same pitch we had last winter. A few days were spent laying our green carpet, erecting our single story extension, a bit of plumbing work and generally setting things up for a long stay. Whilst we love touring in the Motorhome we also enjoy spending the winter in Spain enjoying the warm weather and the hospitality of the folk here in the village of Bolnuevo and the town of Puerto de Mazarron. The campsite here is large, there are over 400 pitches! This of course is anathema to many motorhomers who prefer more secluded ( not to say free) locations but it suits us perfectly. Despite the size of the site the facilities are outstanding and spotlessly clean and the landscaping, flower borders, fountains and topiary are delightful. Our immediate neighbours are from France, Switzerland and Holland and since arriving we've met old friends and made some new ones. There are folk here from all over Europe, many who have been coming here for the winter for many years. When we are travelling we look out for free or inexpensive places to stop and only use campsites when we need a washing machine or a couple of days to relax so our experience of campsites is not extensive but this is, by far, the best campsite we have ever stopped at. The hospitality here extends well beyond just providing the usual facilities at a reasonable price, there are also free tennis, pelote and pétanque courts. Last week there were two sardine and sangria days where everybody on the site was served with the aforementioned by the maintenance and the gardening staff - at no charge. Over the Christmas and New Year period there will be free parties with food and drink supplied by the owners here. I don't know of any other campsites that offer this level of hospitality.

The village here is pretty much dependant on tourism. During the summer the site here and local apartments are busy with Spanish folk taking their vacations (it's too hot for us Northern & Western Europeans) and then during the winter there must be at least 1,000, if not more, people from further afield enjoying the micro climate that this part of the coast enjoys. Just in the village we have a choice of ten restaurants and a few more bars, the food is generally fresh, excellent and inexpensive by English standards. A ten minute bus ride or a forty minute walk takes us to the nearest large town with supermarkets, a further host of bars and restaurants and all the other shops we might need. So, it's a bit of a no-brainer for us to spend the winter here. We get plenty of exercise walking, cycling, dancing (!) a great social life and pleasant weather.

So, there won't be too much blogwise over the next few months - I'm sure nobody wants to read our diary (yesterday we went to town and did some shopping then had a coffee, today we are going to cook some sardines etc etc). But if anything really exciting should happen I'll be sure to let you all know.

Meanwhile, thanks for following the blog so far, especially the person from Bermuda who I noticed from our stats has had the perseverance and, I suspect, nothing better to do and has read 36 pages. Post a comment Mr or Ms Bermudian, we're always looking to meet people from far away places.

Mustn't forget a photo eh? This is the bay a mile round the coast.

Pat.

 

Posted with Blogsy