Bolnuevo - still

I've had hundreds of enquiries asking why the blog hasn't been updated for a few weeks, well one enquiry actually - thanks Catherine.

It's true I haven't posted anything for a while but the thing is I feel a bit of a fraud maintaining what is essentially a travel blog when we are not actually travelling. We arrived here in Bolnuevo just over a fortnight ago and will probably stay here until some time in January and whilst we are not technically Motorhoming we are having a great time. The site is large but so are the individual pitches, we have unlimited electricity, spotlessly clean toilets and showers and all for €12 a day. We are a hundred metres from the beach and the same distance from the village with half a dozen bars, restaurants and a couple of supermarkets. There is a large social room with events most days which we haven't as yet taken advantage of not being big bingo players or fans of what I would call oompah music. There is a great bar/restaurant/club at the far end of the village and we went there last Saturday and danced the night away to a live band and that looks like our regular Saturday night venue.

Last weekend was the village festival where the Madonna, who was apparently stolen many years ago, is returned to the village from the church in Mazarron, accompanied by a parade and plenty of caballeros. A big funfair ran for a couple of days on the beach together with lots of food stalls and other stalls selling the usual festival wares. Lots of impromptu tents and sound systems sprung up and the village was absolutely packed during the weekend of activities. The beach currently looks like a bombsite but I'm sure a clean up team will be along shortly.

We've made a few friends here, especially my NBF Clive, who is an accomplished ukulele player!! I spent the afternoon with him yesterday and he's lent me a couple of books and one of his nice ukuleles to practise with and the fingertips of my left hand are now pretty sore. Clive mentioned on Saturday night that he played tennis and table tennis and I said that I could do that too if he fancied a game sometime. The following day, after I learnt that he played both to a very, very high standard, I had to admit that I was rubbish at table tennis and hadn't held a tennis racquet for the best part of forty years. This has not discouraged Clive and today he called with racquets and balls and off we went to the courts. Fortunately there are a couple of outdoor squash type courts here and he was happy enough to knock up on one of them while I did the same next door, a good hour of cardio-vascular exercise for me. Then when the tennis courts were empty he gave me a thirty minute coaching session which was really enjoyable. I suspect they're looking for new blood amongst the tennis players here and Clive is attempting to get me up to a half decent standard before he unleashes me on the unsuspecting German team. What can possibly go wrong I ask myself. Clive has loaned me a racket and a few balls so I'll be getting some exercise and practice in the mornings before it gets too hot.

So life here is developing quite nicely, Phil has begun playing cards on a Monday afternoon with a group of women from the site and some local ex pats, of which there are plenty around here. In fact a village not so far away, Campasol, is, apparently almost exclusively occupied by folk from the UK. We catch the bus into Puerto de Mazarron a couple of days a week and have a mooch around and do a bit of shopping. Lunching or dining out is not expensive. Today we had three courses with coffee for €9.50 each and could hardly move from the table as the portions were so generous. Of course I deserved a hearty meal after all my exertions.

Whilst we miss the travelling and visiting new places we enjoy the life here for the time being. The weather has been glorious (24deg today) and if we do fancy a change it won't take long to pack the van and head for pastures new.

Pat.

 

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Bolnuevo 37.562918 -1.302927

Monday 10th November.

We are parked up tonight at Camping Playa De Mazarron in Bolnuevo, about twenty miles south west of Categena. We've stayed here a couple of times before and it's a lovely campsite with a couple of pathways to a broad sandy beach. The facilities here are spotlessly clean and there's a small village with a few shops, bars and restaurants. There's not much more we need really. The regular bus service will take us to Port Mazarron, about ten minutes away, where there are all the shops and services we could need. So I think we'll stay here a while. They have good deals for stays of a month or longer so I think we'll stay and see how we like stopping on one spot for a while rather than constantly travelling.

Of course this will be anathema to our friends at www.wildcamping.co.uk but we came to Spain to escape the English weather and whilst we've had great times recently travelling and exploring different countries and locations I think we'll put down roots for a month or so now. So, the awning is out, the carpets are down and the screens are up. It's looking good. All the places we want to visit in Spain and Portugal will still be there for us in a month or so.

We left Huerta de Alquerias this morning and set off for Cartegana, once again looking for a motorhome electrical engineer who could, hopefully, sort out our problem. No luck, we'll have to wait till we get back to the UK before we can have the problem resolved but we bought a few bits and pieces in the shop that we needed so it wasn't a completely wasted journey.

So now we're going to settle down for a bit so maybe the blog won't be too exciting (if it ever was eh?) but we'll still keep posting so friends and family know what we're up to. I think the plan after a day or so is to pop in to Port Mazarron and hire a couple of bikes. We did want to buy a motor scooter to stick on the back of the van to give us a bit of flexibility when we were parked up for a while but weight restrictions put an end to that plan but now I've found something even better! Have a look at this - http://www.flykly.com/smart-wheel . Or this - https://www.superpedestrian.com. There are some great reviews on you tube, have a look.

I promised some pics so here are a couple from the last few days.

Views from the citrus groves.

Pat.

 

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Huerta de Alquerias 38.0052 -1.04229

Thursday 6th November.

We're parked up tonight in a superb little commercial Aire just outside of Huerta de Alquerias, ten or fifteen miles east of Murcia. It's €12 a night with all facilities including electricity and WiFi, not bad really. Mind, it's €.50 for a four minute shower which is plenty of time for me but about a minute and a half short for Phil.

This place was recommended to us by a German guy we met in France earlier in the year, he said he has been stopping here for years all through the winter and we have noted that there is a pitch next to us reserved from 20/11 - 20/4 so I'm guessing that's his. Now, nice as this place is I couldn't imagine stopping here for six months. We walked into town this evening and we're saving the other road till tomorrow, I'm sure there is more than one horse, we just haven't seen it yet. But there's a market tomorrow, should be fun.

I've still got a small electrical problem with the van so we drove to Alcantarilla, the other side of Murcia, today to see if an auto electrician who specialises in motorhomes could help us out. He had been recommended by another motorhomer but when we arrived at the location we couldn't find the premises. I found a car mechanic and asked there if they knew the guy I was looking for. A lot of gesticulation and I gathered that he'd moved. The guy gave me directions to find the new premises, about 30 miles south and I nodded and said "si" in all the appropriate places. After a minute or so he asked if I understood and when I first said yes and then admitted no he put his arm round me and gave me a nice kiss. I went and got the map. I think I know where I'm going now.

It's Thursday today and I can't really be bothered to drive all the way to try and find this auto electrician on a Friday only to be told he can't do anything till Monday so I think we may stop here over the weekend. It's pretty enough here, we are surrounded by citrus groves and if I had a bottle of gin I wouldn't have any problems finding a lemon. However Phil says I can't have any gin until I've finished the pastis and ouzo in the drinks cabinet (wardrobe).

No pictures today but I'm going to to take lots tomorrow so that's something for you all to look forward to.

Pat

 

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A free night at last

Wednesday 5th November. 38.151168 -0.632396

We are parked up tonight in a car park in La Marina together with about forty other motorhomes! It's just 100 metres from a sandy beach and a nice bar/restaurant. We stopped last night at Santa Pola in a small Aire de Camping Car which was ok but miles from the town and the plan today was to check out a motorhome repair shop in Elche and a campsite not far from here. I'm having a few problems with the electrics in the van at the moment but the repair place we called at today wasn't much help. To the campsite then which,once again, was enormous. We parked up and asked if we could have a look around and the guy in the office said he couldn't tell us if we could stay until we told him how many nights we wanted to stop. We said we couldn't tell him that until we'd had a look around - stalemate. Anyway we did wander around the site which was more like a small village with bars, restaurants and clothes shops, not to our liking. As we drove through the town we had noticed a guy on a pushbike looking at us and he followed us onto the campsite and introduced himself. He was originally from Wallsend and had a house down in this area. He said he was interested in buying a motorhome and asked about our experiences. We chatted for a while and when we said we didn't much like the look of the campsite he suggested we drive back down the town and along to the beach where he had seen loads of motorhomes parked up and so here we are. If you're reading this Bill Brown, thanks for the tip.

It's amusing the folk you meet travelling about. A few days ago we came out of Lidl and as we got back to the van with the trolley noticed a couple having a good look around. They said they were interested because they had the same model van a few years ago and were surprised to see another one. We got chatting and they said they had bought the van with a view to driving around looking for a place to buy in Southern Europe. They had driven through France and Spain along the Mediterranean coast, up the Atlantic Coast of Portugal and then went back to the UK and bought a bungalow in Filey! Now they've bought another motorhome and were doing pretty much the same thing we are doing.

Tomorrow we are going to check out a couple of inland campsites, have a look around Murcia and then seek out an electrician in Alcantarilla who has been recommended and see if he can have a look at the van electrics. We've been disappointed with all the campsites we've looked at or stayed on so far it hopefully we may have better luck tomorrow. Haven't taken many photos lately but everyone loves a sunset eh?

 

Pat.

ps I'm starting to put gps co-ordinates on the blog now, I should have done it from the start but better late than never.

 

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It's MASSIVE!

Monday 3rd November.

 

We're parked up tonight on a campsite in Altea. Just a bit further south actually, it's called Camping CAP-BLANCH and from the air it would look like a refugee camp but with big, big, big motorhomes, caravans and awnings. There is a kind of main street where people have set up pitches with a ground area larger than my house at home. There are 6ft satellite dishes, shrubs, enough solar lights for a small town, fridges, washing machines and, probably, small gymnasiums hidden under the awnings. I've never seen anything like it in my life. When we arrived we were given a site plan with the few available pitches highlighted and told to find a pitch and then come back to reception. We got lost. Seriously, we got lost. Eventually we chose a pitch, found our way back to reception and went through the long drawn out registration process and then parked up. There is one toilet and shower block and next time I go I'm taking sandwiches and a drink. And a compass. It's that far away. There are signs up asking that should we see any suspicious people we should report them to reception. How would we know? There must be best part of 1,000 people here! They all look suspicious to me.

Anyway, it's only for a night. Well, it's only for a night if we can find our way out again, if not we're here forever.

Last night we stayed on a small campsite in Calp, probably the tidiest, cleanest campsite we've ever seen. Unfortunately we didn't think too much of Calp. I'm not sure where we are going tomorrow. The plan was to keep following the coast, stopping at campsites that have been recommended by various people but that plan doesn't seem to be working quite well. Maybe we'll go back inland for a bit for some peace and quiet, we'll decide in the morning.

Meanwhile I've discovered why I couldn't upload pictures - IOS 8.bloody1 - that's why! Anyway, there's a way round it so here's a few pics from the last few days.

 

The view from the road on our way to Javia/Xabia.

 

Calp.

 

Pat.

 

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Xabia & Calp

We are parked up tonight on a campsite in Calp. It's a nice campsite, in fact it's a very nice campsite with all amenities, very, very clean and tidy. But it's not for us. The view from the campsite, which is 400 metres from the beach, is of massive apartment blocks and hotels. The site we stayed on yesterday and Friday in Xabia (or Javia) was also well maintained and spotlessly clean but again it wasn't our kind of town. They've both got clean sandy beaches and all the bars and restaurants that you could want but coming down to the coast is a bit of a culture shock. We've enjoyed some fantastic scenery on the way down and now, as we drive along the coast it's all high rise blocks. It's not as if we didn't know from experience that this part of Spain is like this, it's just......... a bit overwhelming I guess.

Anyway, we have a few more spots to try out on the way as we head toward Port Mazarron. We've stayed on the campsite there before and although the site itself is massive the town itself is comparatively small and low key. We said before we set off that we didn't know whether or not we would like staying in one place for an extended period; we've been used to travelling from place to place, never stopping long at one location. We could do that here on the Costa del Sol but we both want to find somewhere where we can put down roots for a little while, get the chairs and table out and just chill, something you can't do stopping in car parks or motorhome service points. I'm sure there is a campsite out there somewhere with our name on it that is just what we're looking for. We just haven't found it yet.

I have taken some photos but either IOS 8.1 or Blogsy are playing up so I'll have to post them another day.

Pat

 

 

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40 years ago today- Rope a dope.

Thursday 30th October.

We're parked up tonight in a motorhome parking area kindly provided by the town of Jalance, however the Mayor will punish us if we misbehave.

We arrived here after a drive through some beautiful countryside, first mixed woodland and pretty villages then thick pine forests, a stunning drive in glorious sunshine. Next to the parking area is a restaurant/bar and we called in for a beer, as you do, and were greeted by the English owner who told us that if we were interested he was offering a three course meal with wine and coffee for €9. Well, it would have been rude not to so after setting up the van we went back and had a truly delicious meal and a cheeky brandy to follow. When I went to pay the chef had come out of the kitchen and it turned out he was joint owner, or at least I think he was. I asked what his story was but the cheeky brandy prevented me from remembering his answer. Anyway we decided that the guys setting up the PA for tomorrow night's Karaoke were doing a "botched job" (his words) and when the barmaid asked what we were talking about as her husband was one of the guys setting up we had to get the Spanish/English dictionary out for a translation. Cue barmaid and husband crying with laughter. Obviously a siesta was required and the plan was to walk up to explore the town in early evening. Hmmm, siesta, cup of tea, shower and it's pitch black, the bar's closed for the night and there's not another vehicle in the car park. We vaguely know the way to town but maybe we'll leave that till tomorrow. Maybe we'll stop for the Karaoke too!!

Restaurant with the ruined castle above.

View from our parking place.

The adjacent Pelota court (spot the dog)

 

 

Forty years ago, 4am, Kinshasha. Ali was 40-1 to win the fight. Three and a half years out of the ring for refusing to fight in Vietnam, 32 years old, a couple of warm up fights and then Joe Frazier. Oh my Lord.

Here's an interesting link - http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/30/-sp-muhammad-ali-through-the-eyes-of-the-photographers-who-know-him-best?CMP=EMCFTBEML853

And this - http://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2014/oct/29/muhammad-ali-v-george-foreman-rumble-in-the-jungle-in-pictures

 

Pat.

 

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Switchbacks and single track

Wednesday 29th October.

We woke this morning to fog and it was cold brrrr. A quick breakfast, trip to the bread shop - where an elderly Spanish gentleman remarked to Phil that she was brave to be wearing flip flops in such cold weather - fill the van up with water and we were ready to go. Still cold and foggy for half an hour or so and then it burnt off and we were back in sunshine and it warmed up in no time. We planned to visit Laguna de Gallocanta where we were told we would see cranes, it's a bit off the beaten track and before long we were back on the hairpin bends and narrow roads. The kind of driving we hadn't enjoyed for a while and as we climbed to just under a thousand metres we were rewarded with some great scenery. We parked at the visitor centre which looks over the lagoon about a quarter of a mile away and put the pot on for a coffee. Phil looked out of the window and there they were, cranes! The lagoon was pretty dry but in the fields nearby and flying overhead were plenty of cranes for us to follow with the binoculars, they're really graceful when in flight. We were the only people there and had the visitor centre to ourselves. The receptionist/curator didn't speak English but she showed us around and left us to play with the exhibits and use the binoculars provided to get an even better view of the birds, all for a euro each. The small town has just 158 residents and there can be anything between twenty and sixty thousand cranes during the winter period.

After a pleasant hour or so we set off again for the small village of Orihuela del Tremeda in the heart of the Reserva Nacional de los Montes Universales. By now we were fifteen hundred metres up in the Sierra Albarracin but unfortunately we got our timings wrong again. We arrived just before two o'clock, just as the tourist information office, cathedral, church and convent closed for the two hour lunch! Oh well, we'll get it right one day. We had some lunch and then walked around the deserted town which I would imagine would be very busy in the summer and then set off for Albarracin, which is described as one of the prettiest villages in Spain however our navigation went a little awry so that's one for another day.

As we drove along today we enjoyed differing landscapes, plenty of arable farming on the plateau, elsewhere some forests but mainly arid scrub where small parcels of land had been reclaimed for small fields in between the rocks and outcrops. In places the land was scarred from surface excavations which was explained as we passed a massive cement works dropping down from the mountains.

Eventually after a days driving of 150 miles we arrived here in Teruel, well the outskirts anyway. We're in a car park opposite a very imposing Guardia Civil building where some dude was playing a bugle a few minutes ago. I hope reveille isn't too early in the morning!!

The tiny village of Gallocanta.

The edge of the lagoon.

Orihuela.

The clock's wrong.

Pat.

 

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Soria and Calatayud

Tuesday 28th October.

We are parked up this evening in Calatayud at an Area de Servicio Para Autocaravanas, that is a car park with water, waste dump and a dedicated parking area for folks like us. It's just a two minute walk to the heart of this provincial city and suits us quite nicely. Yesterday we spent the night in a car park on the outskirts of Soria where overnight parking was "tolerated" according to our guide book. When we first started motorhoming we weren't terribly confident about stopping overnight other than on campsites or dedicated motorhome parking locations. We also planned our stops, not just our journey, days in advance. As we gained confidence we now have a vague idea where we are going and are happy enough parking (not camping, there's a difference) anywhere we think we'll get a nights sleep and feel safe. In France it's easy, just about every town or village has an Aire de Camping Car with varying degrees of services. This area of Spain doesn't have much at all listed in our guide books as far as Aires are concerned and we now try and avoid campsites, unless we need a washing machine, due to the cost. Also most of the campsites inland are now closed for the winter. Consequently we now look at a town or city in the general direction we want to go and which is not too far a drive and hope we'll find somewhere to stop the night. So yesterday we set off from Burgos planning to stop in a car park in the Parque Natural, Canyon del Rio Lobos. We arrived there in the early afternoon in scorching sunshine, had some lunch and then after watching some large birds of prey (eagles?) soaring and circling above us decided that the location was a bit remote for an overnight stay. We pushed on to Soria, parked up and walked up into the town. We needed a pharmacy to get some more dressings for Phil's leg and, mission accomplished, found that there wasn't too much to entertain us in Soria. We were parked next to a Monastery which was open to visitors but which was, in fact, closed. As was the Cathedral (what is it with Cathedrals in provincial Spanish cities? They're all closed!)

When we set off this morning we only intended stopping here for lunch and a quick look around but seeing as the new motorhome parking area had recently been opened we parked and set off for the Tourist Information office. Unfortunately the staff didn't speak English, which is not a criticism, I doubt whether the staff in the TIO in Bradford or, say, Bristol speak Spanish, but they gave us a map and invited us to look around their in house Roman museum gratis. Did I comment upon broken pottery, busts with missing noses and small sections of excavated mosaic? No, I didn't. We explored the town for a while and having worked up an appetite came back for some lunch followed by a cheeky siesta.

We met an English couple here when we arrived who were on their way home and they told us of a parking spot next to the Guardia Civil in Teruel which is where we'll head for tomorrow, stopping on the way at Laguna de Gallocanta to see if we can see some cranes.

The entrance to the church of Santa Domingo in Soria.

Archway detail.

 

Strange weather today. We set off again in glorious sunshine and although it was a bit nippy it was shorts and flip flops. We drove through some mist off the fields which turned to fog and then low cloud and when we stopped for coffee we thought we'd seen the last of the sun, it was cold so we changed into jeans. We arrived here and within 30 minutes it was really hot and sunny again! Good forecast for the next few days though, mid 70s - you're welcome.

Pat

 

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Burgos

Sunday 26th October.

We spent another lovely day yesterday in San Sebastián, warm sunshine had brought lots of folk onto the beaches, particularly the under 12s, seven a side football matches. Full size goals were erected on the beach and all the games were refereed with parents and friends cheering the young lads, and lasses on from the sidelines. After watching for a while we inevitably found ourselves back in the old town sampling the Pinxtos again. The bars were much busier, it being a Saturday but we squeezed into the busiest ones and had more treats including trying the local Cidre. It's very dry and not too bubbly but the bartenders compensate by pouring it into the glass from a great height, very showy and very effective. One bar even had it on draught with the spout at an angle at head height, the glass is held about six feet away at knee height and they never miss or spill a drop, great fun to watch and even better to drink.

The only downside to the day was Phil slipping as she got into the van, gashing her shin quite badly. She was very brave though and after some repairs managed to walk around the city again with few complaints. One strange thing about San Sebastián is that although we found two lovely old churches and the Cathedral they were all closed and locked up. Good job I wasn't in urgent need of having my confession heard.

Today we set off for Burgos, arriving early afternoon. We stopped at a campsite, our first since we left home and,as we have quite a bit of washing to do,after checking in asked where the washing machines were only to be told they weren't accessible until tomorrow. I suppose Monday has always been washing day eh?

We had planned to set off for Madrid tomorrow but talking to someone on a motorhome forum they have suggested we head off to canyon de Los Rio Lobos about a couple of hours south east of here and then to Lac Gallocanta where we may see cranes although I'm not sure whether it's the right time of year or not ( if you're reading this Alan, thanks for the tip).

When we arrived here earlier in the year it was also a Sunday and today, like before, the bar/cafe was packed with local folk having a drink or something to eat after walking in the local woodland. We went to the bar today, got a drink after fighting our way through the crowds and then I went back to order some food. It was crazy and although the bar staff were doing their best I was struggling to get served amongst all the locals so if anyone knows the Spanish for "Hey, am I ******* invisible" I'd be grateful if you'd pass it on.

Football on the beach.

Slice of ham?

Pat

 

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Donostia/San Sebastián

Friday 24th October.

We set off bright and early today to explore this city on foot and what a lovely place it is. We found the tourist information office in order to pick up a map and anything else they were giving away free and then set off for the old town. We told the young man in the TIO that we were looking forward to sampling some Pintxo (tapas) and asked what the locals would drink with them. Pretty much anything really but cider was popular, he drank beer with his but suggested we ask for a small beer (solito, but the spelling may be wrong) and to sample in plenty of places, not fill up in one place. Suitably advised we walked around the corner to the Old Town, Parte Vieja, which is maybe only a square half mile but teeming with Pinxtos bars. We decided to look for the busiest and weren't disappointed with our first choice, warm lightly battered fish. On to the next where we were slightly more adventurous trying four different dishes all of which were delicious, on to the next and another four dishes which were ok but a little disappointing compared to the previous bar but tasty all the same. Not expensive either, four Pinxtos, two small beers for €8. By this time we'd had enough to eat and had some decisions to make as to where we would explore next. It was a toss up between the Aquarium and the museum of Basque history and culture. We chose the latter, the San Telmo Museum which is housed in a former 16th century Dominican convent which has been stunningly renovated. I don't wish to be blasé but we've been to more overwhelming museums on our travels but some features were fascinating. There was a subtitled audio visual display with elderly folk talking about birth, death and marriage in the first half of the last century. Suffice to say I enjoyed the museum rather more than Phil. We came out into the warm evening sunshine pretty tired, it's a 45 minute walk from where we are parked before we even get to the city centre so we'd walked a few miles. We stopped for a coffee and decided we were too banjaxed to set off for the Cathedral, we'll save that for another visit.

We've really enjoyed San Sebastián, it's a pedestrians and cyclists paradise with plenty of broad boulevards and some lovely city buildings. This, coupled with the beach and it's easy to understand why this city was a favourite of the rich as a holiday destination during the first half of the last century. Now it's a holiday destination for all with plenty of French tourists from just up the road.

Plenty of choice of Pinxtos here.

 

The restored church within the museum with 11 extraordinary canvases (784 sq m) by the artist Joseph M Sert depicting religious and historical themes.

Broad boulevards and narrow alleyways.

Moody beach picture.

We're undecided whether or not to spend another day here or push on down to Burgos tomorrow, we'll wait and see what the morning brings.

Pat.

 

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Aire-Sur-L'Adour and Donostia/San Sebastian.

Thursday 23rd October.

Yesterday we had a pleasant drive from Chateau de Bonhoste along long straight roads through heavily forested countryside and arrived at Aire-Sur-L'Adour in glorious autumn sunshine. We parked next to the river, walked up to the town and found the tourist information office. It's a small town and yet it had a well staffed office and we were presented with a walking guide to the town. Suitably impressed and armed with our guide we set off; 45 minutes later we were back where we started! As I say, a small town but pretty enough and with a lovely twelfth century cathedral the inside of which was magnificently painted in the nineteenth century. The town also boasts The Maurice Lauche's bullring which is described as an important place for bullfights! Also "course landaise" (cows game without death sentence, men try to jump over cows or avoid them) each to their own eh?

The Cathedral of St Jean Baptiste.

 

Today we set off planning to stop for the night near Orthez but we pushed on and arrived mid afternoon in Donostia/San Sebastian again in warm sunshine (20deg). Lots of traffic between here and Bayonne, which we're not used to and we passed into Spain at Hendaye without even a welcome sign, just a change of language on the road signs and different speed limits. The Lonely Planet guide says "Nothing is impossible but it's impossible to lay eyes on San Sebastián (Basque:Donostia) and not fall madly in love". We'll skip over when I fell madly in love but the brief walk we had this afternoon confirmed the city as somewhere we will definitely explore for at least another day. We walked down to the beach which even at four thirty still had folk swimming, sunbathing and generally enjoying themselves. It's unusual in that it's a City beach and we walked past beautiful seafront mansions and stunning views across the bay and to the tiny island of Santa Clara. We didn't make it to the old town but we will tomorrow and hopefully enjoy some Pinxtos, for which the Basque region is famous.

Playa de la Concha - spot the (deliberate?) mistake.

 

Isla de Santa Clara.

 

Pat.

 

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Sarlat, Bergerac and Bordeaux.

Sunday 19th October.

We arrived in Sarlat yesterday, market day, to find the Aire de Camping Car full, as were all the nearby car parks and just about every available off road parking spot. We managed to squeeze in next to the coach park and as Paul and Chris were a little delayed we wandered off down into the old town to check out the market for a couple of hours. There were lots of local delicacies we could have bought but there's only so much food you can fit into a small Motorhome so we settled for some smoked duck breast, a bottle of (expensive) wine, a jar of local honey and some fresh fruit and veg. The multitude of stalls prevented us seeing how beautiful the town and its buildings are. Constructed from a local honey coloured stone, we appreciated the town better today when we came down and explored further. I don't think we've been to another town with such well preserved medieval architecture and where the new buildings blend in so well with the old

Market day in Sarlat.

Sarlat from the Cathedral.

 

When Paul and Chris arrived it was great to see our travelling companions again. By the time they arrived the market was closing, the car parks quickly emptied and we managed to find a couple of adjacent spaces. We caught up over a coffee and then they went down to town while we had a little siesta. Showered and changed we all set off back down to town and had a lovely meal; mind, if you don't like duck or fois gras you're going to struggle around here. Fortunately we were all happy with the menu and dined outside in a pretty courtyard on a lovely warm evening.

Today we explored the town and the Sunday antique market, visited the light and airy Cathedral and were able to appreciate the architecture and the maze of narrow streets and alleyways. Apparently this town is a favourite location with film directors and it's easy to see why.

Monday 20th October.

We bade farewell to Paul and Chris this morning after a great weekend, they're a lovely couple and we were sad to see them go. They're heading back to the UK while we are heading further south. We set off today for Bergerac along a pretty road driving most of the way next to the Dordogne river until we came to another diversion. Fearing the worst we followed the signs, fully expecting them to vanish after a few miles, but they did their job and in fact the diversion was a bonus. We were unable to fill up with water this morning as the machine in Sarlat was broken but the diversion took us through a small village with a motorhome service point where we were able to top up the tank. The new route also took us through the small village of Issigeac where we stopped for a picnic beside the river Banege in warm sunshine. When we reached Bergerac we slotted in to the last couple of parking spots next to the river and spent a pleasant hour or so wandering around the old town finding a reference or statue to Cyrano around every corner. We visited St James church where we found our first statue to Saint Philomena!! Onwards to a vineyard a few kilometres north of the town where we were directed to a nice grassy spot overlooking the vines. We asked when we could taste the wines and were told to relax, take a walk through the vineyard and surrounding forest and call at the house when we were ready. We took a walk, put some chicken in the oven and wandered over to the house. Now, usually when we've stopped on vineyards the shop or cave has been opened at specific times, the wine is tasted, rather formally, our purchase is made and that's that. Tonight we sat on the house porch of the folk who own the vineyard while they explained their lifestyle and philosophy to us. They own six hectares and produce about 15,000 bottles of wine per year, some Rose, some sweet white but mostly red, all Cabernet Sauvignon and all organically produced. Harvesting this year started on the 20th September, took ten days and required the help of a further 10/12 people per day, all the bunches of grapes cut and harvested by hand. Olivier and Elisabeth have three children between ten and sixteen years, they all go to different schools and have to be driven there and back to Bergerac. The vineyard doesn't produce enough for them to live on and so Olivier also teaches at the local Agricultural College. Were they twenty kilometres or so further west in the St Emilion area they could live quite comfortably from one hectare of vines. After and hour or so we remembered the chicken! Phil ran back to the van, came back and reported that it was almost caramelised! As it wasn't completely burnt we had time for yet another glass of wine with our hosts. The wine was delicious and we settled for a couple of bottles of Rose and a few bottles of the 2010 Red. Another lovely evening with nice folk, if you're ever in the area call in and buy a bottle or two from Chateau du Tuquet.

Tomorrow we set of for Saint Jean de Blaignac on the banks of the Dordogne in the Gironde, stopping overnight at yet another vineyard ten kilometres south of St Emilion, I bet we'll be paying a euro or two more for our wine tomorrow night.

The carved wooden altarpiece in the church of St James.

Saint Philomena!

 

Tuesday 21st October.

We woke this morning to a grey, overcast day and a little rain, a disappointment after the last few warm sunny days but as we drove off the cloud broke up and the sun came out, albeit intermittently. We drove to Saint-Jean-de-Blaignac (no diversions today) and arrived at Chateau de Bonhoste passing vineyards all the way as we entered the Gironde. What a difference to yesterday's vineyard; here they have 66 hectares of vines, tenfold the area under cultivation at the vineyard we were at yesterday. We arrived at lunchtime with everything closed so early afternoon we called into the offices to introduce ourselves. Before there was even a suggestion that we might buy some wine we were shown the showers and toilets, the electricity point and given the WiFi code. We were impressed to say the least. Obviously we tasted the wines produced here and now have some Bordeaux to join the Bergerac in our "cellar". We didn't spend a fortune here, we bought a total of six bottles, we were offered a Cremant de Bordeaux to taste, so a new bottle was opened and as we left the remainder, very nearly a full bottle, was given to us as a gift so that's this evening's aperitif sorted.

Tomorrow we head south toward the foothills of the Pyrenees before turning right toward the northern Spanish coast at San Sebastián.

Pat.

 

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