I have been avidly watching the Tour de France on TV since 1989. For the past 12 years I have been to see the TDF in France with friends, family and solo, camping and cyclotouring around the Alps and the Pyrenees.
I was born and lived my first 18 years in Yorkshire, then ended up in Lancashire with work (sorry to all you tykes out there), but was still close enough to enjoy Yorkshire at any time.
We have been living in Spain for the past 18 months, and would you believe it, this year the TDF starts in Yorkshire!!
We HAD to go back and see it, plus it was an ideal opportunity to see family and friends at the same time.
Our cross-channel ferry was booked for June 5th, which gave us 6 days to get through Spain and France to Dieppe.
TOTAL TOUR STATISTICS
- Distance travelled 7028km
- Travelling time 132hr 26min
- Average fuel consumption 9.29 litres/100km (30.4mpg)
- Amount of fuel used 653.19 litres
- Cost of fuel used €666.20 plus £189.47
- Nights away 60
- Nights in free aires 10 at no cost
- Nights in paid aires 5 at a cost of €8 plus £31
- Nights in campsites 7 at a cost of €43.12 plus £54.49
- Nights wildcamping 9 at no cost
- Nights with family and friends 23 at no cost
- Nights in France Passion sites 4 at no cost
- Nights in Discovery España sites 2 at no cost
Wednesday 28/05/2014 Home to Teruel
397km in 4hr 58min
Off at 09:45 for our journey to the free aire at Teruel. After an uneventful motorway journey we arrived at 15:25 after giving Cervantes a good workout.
We had stayed at Teruel previously, but that time had stayed on Mercadona carpark thinking that was the proper parking spot. This time we found the correct one, directly opposite the Guardia Civil compound main gate - a very imposing building.
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| The impressive gatehouse of the Guardia Civil |
We got level without need for ramps, did some shopping in Mercadona next door, went for a walk around the block a couple of times, and spent a quiet night in Teruel in the wind and rain.
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| The view from our window |
Thursday 29/05/2014 Teruel to Jaca
328km in 4hr 6min
We are at 1000m here in Teruel (the height of Snowdon) and the overnight temperature in the van was 10deg
The fridge is still working, the stove lit to make a morning cup of tea, and the heating came on for 15 min to raise the temp from 10deg to 16deg - good old propane!!
We were on the road early and made good time to get breakfast at a roadside cafe where we also got diesel (€1.34). The cafe had local produce on sale so we got a local cheese (are you sensing a pattern here?)
On the A23 motorway above Teruel we drove for 20min with cereal fields on either side. This was very pretty, but there was a problem with the swifts. They were swooping low in the fields on either side, but also swooping low over the motorway. We saw numerous dead swifts in all lanes of the motorway, but by slowing down we managed to avoid hitting any.
Cervantes doing 100kmh meeting a swift doing 50kmh was never going to have a good outcome for either of us.
About 100km up the road from the swifts we saw double figures of all sorts of types, colours, sizes and shapes of raptors. They were hovering, swooping and circling on thermals looking for food (they should have been 100km south - there were plenty of swifts to eat)
It looked like a display team from a country fair had escaped.
As we got to the foothills of the Pyrenees we had to go through the Monrepos tunnel.
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| The Pyrenees are looming |
When we got there the traffic lights were on red so we waited behind 20 cars for them to change. After 10 min and no traffic coming the other way we wondered what the problem was. We had seen an overhead gantry sign which advised of roadworks, and which we thought said the tunnel was closed between 1pm and 6am, but were not absolutely sure of the correct translation. (We got there at 12:50pm)
We had been waiting for 30 min when a police car on blues and twos screamed past us and stopped at the head of the queue.
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| Queues at the tunnel |
We considered 3 different options by the police depending on the problem.
1. We thought there may be a hazardous problem in the tunnel which the police would lead us through.
2. We thought the workmen may have closed the tunnel so they would put a rocket up them for causing such a long tailback and make them open it again.
3. If the tunnel was shut they would tell us to turn round and find another way over the Pyrenees.
After a couple of minutes the traffic started to move and as we approached we saw the problem. A small panel van had broken down at the side of the road and the police had coned off behind it so we didn't run into it! When we got through the tunnel the queue on the other side stretched for at least 5km and the drivers didn't look very happy.
The free aire at Jaca was very quiet and exclusively for us and coaches.
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| The view from our window |
We had an explore and found it to be a lovely old town with an extremely well-preserved old octagonal fort. There were some wonderful old buildings making this place well worth a second look.
Just us and an Italian van and 5 coaches here tonight - should be nice and quiet.
Glyn has just poured me a glass of Gran Reserva and has put a large glug of it in tonight's Soya Bourgignon! - what a waste!!(well it would be in the UK, but at €2.60 a bottle for 5 year old San Simon Gran Reserva we could make vinegar with it) She says it needs 'beefing up' a bit....Mmmm - soya mince - if the wind outside the van eases off, inside might be a different story!
See today's photo gallery here
Friday 30/05/2014 Jaca to Capian
325km in 5hr 42min
An early start this morning due to the long ascent and descent of the Pyrenees.
From past experience we knew that Spain had the cheapest fuel so a visit to Eroski in Jaca gave us a full tank at 09:15am. The petrol station was unmanned until 10:00am so we could not get any gas.
We plan to be away for 7 - 8 weeks, and are trying not to buy a non-spanish gas bottle (and all the fixtures needed to hook it up to our system). We will be using ACSI sites and family electric (hopefully) in UK, so only have to manage a max of 5 weeks in France with what we have.
At present we have one full propane and one half-full, so at only €15.40 per bottle we plan to swap the half-full one for a full one.
We thought we could get one on the way to the Somport tunnel, but no joy at a couple of garages and a campsite later we were on our way back to Jaca where we got fixed up with one at the local Repsol fuel station. This did however put our schedule back by one hour, but no problem - we have plenty of time.
I had previously been mis-informed about Repsol red propane bottles with a black band around the middle of them. Various cashiers and garage hands had told me they were only for domestic cooking use and had a different fitting to the butane bottles.
Rubbish!! - they are the same height and diameter as butane bottles, have exactly the same fitting, and they contain propane, so work perfectly well in a motorhome.
The tunnel crossing was a breeze (no workmen, police or broken-down vans) and the 15km descent was slow but uneventful.
Once into open country below Bordeaux the roads are typically French - arrow straight, tree lined, well surfaced and very fast - a pleasure to drive on.
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| The quiet aire at Capian |
Our destination is a very small French village called Capian in the heart of the Sauterne wine growing region where there is a free aire in the village. There are no shops or bars in the village, but we have all we need in Cervantes.
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| The view from our window |
With black and grey water taken care of, we had a stroll around the village (very small so didn't take long, but a great church) then picked up French TV to watch the tennis from Roland Garros.
See today's photo gallery here
Saturday 31/05/2014 Capian to Nieul
242km in 4hr 1min
We have made very good time up to now (1000km in 3 days) so today we thought we would take the scenic route through the Dordogne valley to Bergerac, then on to Perigueux, then to Limoges.
Travelling through some beautiful countryside through some iconic wine regions (St Emillion, Cote du Bordeaux, etc) the scenery was picture postcard perfect. Blue skies, green vines, and the river Dordogne all made for a perfect journey.
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| The lovely River Dordogne |
When we got to the free aire at Nieul they were building a basketball court on the old aire, and were in the process of levelling a new aire next to it.
A notice said to follow the arrows (taped to lamposts) to the temporary aire. We did this on foot, but there were only 2 arrows, then nothing at a T junction, so we decided to stay where we were on the car park.
We were joined later by 5 other vans, 3 of which went on the fruitless search then came back and parked with us.
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| Car park next to the aire at Nieul |
The aire/car park is opposite a lovely chateau with a lake in front of it. We followed the path all the way round the lake for a good walk that took 30min. There were many families out for walks - a great resource for the community in a fantastic setting.
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| Impressive chateau and lake |
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| Poor gargoyle - it must have been something he ate |
Nieul is a small village, but has at least got a boulangerie, tabac bar and supermarche, so after a beer in the sun and a patisserie for after tea, a walk around the village showed us how proud the French are of their surroundings - no litter, no graffiti, everything neat and tidy and well cared for - typically French!
The aire is next to a children's play area and a grassy field. Later on that night a couple came and sat on the grass with what looked like a small dog. It turned out it was a house rabbit they had brought out for a run. It made no attempt to run off and stayed with the couple. We went and had a stroke and said hello - what an ace rabbit.
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| A very well trained rabbit |
Sunday 01/06/2014 Nieul to Chateaudun
292km in 4hr 6min
A run of toll-free motorway this morning. It was misty when we got up at 7.30am this morning, but it soon cleared when the morning sun came out.
Leaving the motorway at Chateauroux we struck out on the D956 to our destination at Chateaudun.
The roads to Blois and beyond were so straight you could not see the end. 12km of dead straight road that just went on and on. Lovely countryside though and very fast roads up to 90kmh with a good surface. A village every 10km or so slowed us to 50kmh until we cleared the village, but we still made good progress.
When we got to the free aire at Chateaudun the aire had been taken over by a checkpoint for the 15th Rallye des Princesses which runs from Paris to St Tropez. The cars were all crewed by women and pink was the dominant colour.
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| All makes and ages of car in the rally |
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| Paris to St Tropez |
I had a word with an official and we managed to squeeze into an available spot, then watched all the cars go through the checkpoint. They ranged from a vintage Bugatti, a BMW 2002, and an original Mini Cooper 1300 to a Porsche Carrera GT and a Ferrari Testarossa. There were also lots of English classics such as Morgan, Triumph Spitfire and MGB.
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| Porsche Carrera GT |
We had a walk up the 200 steps to the chateau at the top where you could see over the whole of Chateaudun.
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| A full aire in front of the imposing chateau |
A walk around the town confirmed that this was 3.30pm on a Sunday afternoon and there was nobody about, but the River Loir (which runs into the Loire) gave us a good river walk. The church however did reveal some original frescos which were very impressive in a great building.
The aire was empty when we got back from our walk at 4:30pm, but vans started arriving on a regular basis, and by 7:00pm there were 8 of us in a line and 3 more on the other car park.
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| The aire from the chateau grounds |
Monday 02/06/2014 Chateaudun to Pont de l'Arche
165km in 2hr 42min
We needed some WiFi today to firm up some visits we were making in UK, so McDonalds in Chartres seemed as good a place as any. We also checked the ferry was still running, and the weather for the crossing (rain!)
Supplies replenished in Lidl, we were soon on our way to the free aire at Pont de l'Arche just to the south of Rouen on the banks of the River Eure which flows into the River Seine 100m upstream.
The aire is lovely - just 4 designated places but a big car park on the same site so no problem parking.
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| A lovely aire by the river |
We bagged the last of the 4 spots although there were 2 vans parked in the car park. The sat-nav sent us through the town down a very narrow one-way street. We made it in the end, but only just.
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| Almost too narrow for Cervantes |
It was a lovely sunny day and a walk by the river was calling, followed by a walk around the town. Spring had sprung with a cygnet and 2 swans on the riverbank and baby moorhens on the river.
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| Spring has sprung |
As I tried not to hit anything or anyone on the narrow one-way street, I just caught a glimpse of the church of Pont de l'Arche and it looked a bit special.
Built in 1608, you could only imagine how they built and carved such a stupendous building. The inside was just as grand with a high vaulted ceiling, massive stained glass windows and a fabulous ornate altar with 2 side chapels. Impressive is not the word!
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| A highly impressive church |
When we got back to the aire everyone had gone and been replaced by 2 new vans - both British.
Chatting to one of the couples they told us they had lived in Spain, then moved to live in France and are now back living in UK. They still have a van so can travel when they want - the urge to travel is still there!
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| The view from our window |
After cleaning the fly carnage off Cervantes we had a quiet night by the river - brilliant.
See today's photo gallery here
Tuesday 03/06/2014 Pont de l'Arche to Dieppe
102km in 1hr 55min
Not far to go today to Dieppe so a late start with breakfast in the van (the first since we set off from home) of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with a fresh baguette from the boulangerie.
Various stops along the way for a full tank of diesel (€1.31 per litre here!), shopping for a case of wine to take back with us for family reunions (E. LeClerc) and WiFi at McDonalds.
We arrived at the ferry port at 3:00pm, just waiting now for the ferry. There is a ferry going at 6:00pm, but they wanted £57 from us to be on it.
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| Queuing for the ferry |
We declined and will park in the visitors car park until 3:00am then catch our original ferry (which cost us £72 in March)
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| Where we are parked looks like Colditz |
There are 2 aires in Dieppe. One a €7 paid for aire near the ferry port and one a free aire across the river. We have permission to stay in the car park until our ferry tomorrow morning so will stay here.
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| Our ferry |
We hadn't realised when we booked that it was the 70th anniversary of D-Day starting tomorrow, so we just missed it by a day. There are planned road closures with heads of state due to visit, and I imagine the ferry will be oversubscribed in the coming week, so more by luck than management we managed to avoid this busy time.
See today's photo gallery here
Wednesday 04/06/2014 Dieppe to Chichester
77km in 1hr 35min
We got some sleep from 10:00pm to 3:00am then queued up to get the 5:30am ferry. It was 15 min late due to queues at check-in.
They sent us right to the front of the ferry, so we were almost the first off in Newhaven.
There has been torrential rain from 2:00am, and it rained all the way until 3 miles from the campsite in Chichester. We are staying at the ACSI site Lakeside in Chichester for £10 per night including electric hook-up - bargain!
Driving on the "wrong side" of the road is weird and will take some getting used to - good job I have my prompt to remind me.
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| Stuck on the top left of the windscreen, this keeps me on the correct side of the road |
The rush hour traffic from Newhaven to Chichester was pretty bad - the first serious traffic queues we have seen for the past 18 months!
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| The view from our window |
The pitches here are all grass and a bit soggy to say the least. We managed to get level without ramps - Glynis has developed a perfect eye for what is level and what is isn't. I just hope we can get off here on Friday - more rain forecast!
See today's photo gallery here
Thursday 05/06/2014
Rain overnight again, but the forecast for today is bright and windy, so washing and drying clothes is on the agenda today.
The launderette on site was £4 for the wash and we dried on a washing line outside the van.
There were many passes overhead by the planes today on their way to the Normandy beaches for the D-Day remembrance services. There is a whole host of events planned for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, including parachute drops and a fly-past by the Red Arrows.
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| A Spitfire flanked by 2 civillian planes |
There is no cycle path to Chichester so we walked in on the main road - it only took us 25min.
The cathedral dominates the city - it can be seen from everywhere. The outside was impressive, and the inside matched up admirably. It did not have the over the top furnishings of the Catholic cathedrals in mainland Europe, but was nevertheless on a grand scale. It was also steeped in history, the present building having been started in 1076 and completed and consecrated in 1108.
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| Chichester Cathedral - impressive |
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| The west window - each one of these panes is10' tall |
Chichester has many upmarket shops in a compact pedestrianised centre and was very busy, smart and affluent.
We had our first drink of English beer for a long time in Chichester, but at an eye-watering £5.40 for a pint and a half, I think it will be a while before the next.
See today's photo gallery here
Friday 06/06/2014 Chichester to Highbridge
230km in 3hr 33min
On our way now to see two very good friends who run a caravan and lodge site in Highbridge in Somerset. They sold us our house in Spain on behalf of the developer, and we knew we were on to a good thing when they also bought one on the same development, across the road from us.
They now spend some time in UK and some time in Spain. It was lovely to see them again and we had a proper catch-up on all the news in Spain and UK.
We are on a lovely pitch at the site which is kept pristine in every way - the grass is mowed to within an inch of it's life and everything is spick and span - a credit to you both.
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| A pristine site |
There is no direct road from Chichester to Highbridge so it was a bit of a tortuous route to here, however a wonderful welcome from our good friends made up for that.
A meal out with them in the evening and a bottle of wine in the garden made for a great day - thank you guys - see you soon.
See today's photo gallery here
Saturday 07/06/2014 Highbridge to Cheltenham
104km in 1hr 20min
There is a huge motorhome and caravan dealership in Highbridge which we went to in the morning.
We were after some chairs to allow us to eat at the table outside (the chairs we had were too low) having found nothing suitable in Spain. The range of accessories in Highbridge was enormous and we spent a good hour browsing and came away with 2 stools/tables which will compliment the chairs we already have.
The number and range of caravans and motorhomes was overwhelming. We have been to national shows that had fewer vans. They had up to the minute motorhomes such as the brand new Chausson Best Of 510 which is exactly the same layout as our Burstner Ixeo Time it590 (and coincidentally was identical to the Chaussons on the back of a lorry parked next to us on the ferry over here)
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| 3 more Chaussons for the UK |
Motorway all the way today, so no hassle with queues, although the opposite carriageway was being held up by an overturned caravan.
The site we are on at Briarfields is only 1/2 mile from the motorway and opposite a shopping centre so we can stock up on provisions.
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| I can thoroughly recommend this site in Cheltenham |
The site is extremely busy and we managed to get the last pitch for the next 2 nights which was quite lucky.
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| The view from our window |
The sun is out now and it is glorious, which is in contrast to 3:00am this morning when it was torrential rain with thunder and lightning. The flashes were so bright through the skylight it looked like there was a welder on the roof!
Sunday 08/06/2014
We have WiFi here included in the price so can catch up on e-mails and do some research. The signal is a bit weak on our pitch so we are using our signal booster we brought with us. It goes out of the rooflight onto the roof and gives us a good working signal - great for e-mails and updating the blog. The only downside is I have to bring it in when it rains so today its been in, out, in, out, in, out, in, back in box.
I had forgotten how quick the weather changes here and have been caught out more than once. Now I remember - never go anywhere without a coat!
Back at Cervantes the rain was on and off all evening, so we eventually gave up with the WiFi to try again another day.
See today's photo gallery here
Monday 09/06/2014 Cheltenham to Breedon-on-the-hill
153km in 2hr 7min
After another night of really heavy torrential rain we were headed to Asda for some cheap(ish) diesel at £1.31 per litre.
Soon onto the M5 and heading for a car park camperstop in a nursery and garden centre.
The M5 was fine apart from the last 10 miles where they were installing a concrete central reservation - that should be interesting in summer!
Through some beautiful midlands countryside today to Breedon-on-the-hill, a lovely little Leicestershire village with a church on top of a hill.
There was some confusion about who to pay in Breedon Priory Nurseries but all sorted soon and for £5 we have a secure (they have given us the key to the gates) and very quiet spot next to their golf course in a huge car park (only us here). Water and emptying facilities are also available, and the cream teas in the cafe are spot on!
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| Beautiful spot next to the golf course (church tower in background) |
East Midlands airport is just 10 miles away so we are entertained by the planes overhead.
A walk up to the church on the hill gave us some stunning 360 degrees panoramic views - you could see Nottingham, Derby and Leicester from the top on a glorious sunny day (where is our daily rain?)
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| The church on Breedon Hill |
On our walk to the top we passed a quaint little pub advertising that Monday is "Pie Night" with chips and peas for £6, so that's tonight's tea taken care of.
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| Tonight is pie night! |
Excellent sunshine to end the day and so quiet on this car park - full of birdsong whilst watching rabbits and birds out of the window.
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| Lucky not to be in a pie! |
Tuesday 10/06/2014 Breedon to Gainsborough
160km in 3hr 3min
Not far to go today so decided to give the M5 a miss and go the scenic route and took the A585 to Nottingham - what a mistake. Road works all the way not due to be finished before 2015. No real problem because we are in no hurry, but still a stop-start journey in a queue.
In contrast the A46 Fosse Way was a great road and a delight to drive. Great countryside through the Lincolnshire Wolds.
We had a lot of time in hand so decided to visit the Kings Head in Tealby just outside Market Rasen. In 1978 we spent a happy 12 months at this lovely thatched village pub learning the do's and dont's of the licensed trade.
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| A lot of memories for us in this building |
The pub was a busy village meeting place full of some really nice people and some of Lincolnshire's rich eccentric landowners - the stories we could tell!
The present landlord was very welcoming and showed us the improvements that have been made since we were there 36 years ago.
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| A new restaurant in what was the old stables |
Onward to Gainsborough to see Glyns brother Richard and his wife Wendy (and Barney the cat) for some quality time.
Cervantes is outside on the drive plugged into the electric socket in the garage - got to save the gas for France!
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| Fridge running on Richards electric |
Wednesday 11/06/2014
Today we went on a tour of Gainsborough to see the places that Richard and Glynis remember from their childhood. Their grandparents lived here all their life, as did their aunt, so memories were re-kindled frequently on this nostalgic trip.
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| Gainsborough Old Hall, and yes, that wall on the left is nowhere near straight |
In the evening, to celebrate Richard's (and Glynis's tomorrow) birthday, we met up with Richard's 2 boys (Andrew and Stephen, who are in the middle of their A levels) and all went for an Italian meal in the posh
part of Gainsborough.
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| Cake for the two birthday stars |
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| Barney |
Excellent food cooked in front of you by the pizza chefs, great company and many laughs made for a brilliant night - thank you guys.
See today's photo gallery here
Thursday 12/06/2014 Gainsborough to Humber Bridge
63km in 58min
A late start after the meal last night.
Cervantes all packed away and goodbyes said to all, we set off for somewhere we had seen in another blog (useful sometimes these blogs!) - the countryside park by the Humber Bridge.
When we got there (Richard had a ride out out with us on his motorbike) we had a coffee and a walk about, then explored the immediate surroundings.
We walked halfway across the bridge.I had previously cycled across it during an audax event and can't remember it being that high and intimidating - my fear of heights must be getting worse.
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| I don't remember the bridge being so high, and the railings being so low |
We had a walk along the foreshore and looked at various parking options because it clearly stated in the countryside car park we are in that the gates were locked shut from 9:00pm to 6:00am, which we imagined precluded overnight parking.
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| The magnificent Humber Bridge |
I asked at the tourist information shop in the car park and a very helpful lady said we could stay overnight where we were, but we would be locked in. However, the car park is huge, and CCTV and patrolling guards are always watching, so if anything major happened which neccessitated us going, the control room would probably know about it before we did.
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| Locked in! |
All they wanted was our registration number to put in their system, and we had a free, secure stop for the night - just right to celebrate with the birthday girl (Glynis!)
See today's photo gallery here
Friday 13/06/2014 Humber Bridge to Heslington
71km in 1hr 25min
There was a bit of a hiccup last night at 9:30pm when the wardens came round to lock up. They asked us to leave the car park, but after I explained that we had pre-arranged it he called his control room to confirm and everything was sorted.
After a quiet night with a great view of the lit-up bridge, we were on the lookout today for a site near to some WiFi. We decided on an aire at Heslington just to the SE of York due to its' proximity to York university.
It was easy to find up a narrow hedge-lined road which was labelled "Caravan Club site - members only". We parked and went to look for the owner of the site expecting the worst, but in fact she turned out to be really kind and helpful.
I explained that her site was in a listing called Campercontact used by thousands of motorhomers, and that we weren't members of the Caravan Club.
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| The view from our window |
She said we were the second people this week to tell her that, and she couldn't understand how this had happened. She was fully booked on the 5 pitch CL site (although it was a very big field and could easily have taken double that, although people may have been coming because of the roomy site), but kindly said we could park and stay next door on the approach road to her static caravan site.
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| Tucked up out of the way on the approach road |
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| 4 vans already on site - how many more could you get on? |
She accepted £6.49 off us (it was actually £7, but that's all we had in change) in return for the pitch, grey and black water disposal, and fresh water.
We got level and set off for some WiFi on the nearby university campus. We expected the campus to be quiet, but it was obviously exam time with lots of worried faces.
E-mails read and sent, we had some lunch then back to Cervantes to feed the chickens before the impending rain arrived.
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| Tea? |
Saturday 14/06/2014 Heslington to Halifax
86km in 1hr 34min
Not far to go today so a late start saw us in Halifax by 4:00pm to see my brother Alan and his wife Christine. It was the Halifax Charity Gala in the park just outside their house, so there was no parking on any of the roads but we managed to sneak around the back to park.
It was great to see them again after all this time, and as a bonus Ellie and Issy their daughters had finished education and were home for the summer.
Alan is in the Halifax Choral Society and is singing in the Victoria Theatre tonight with the Black Dyke Mills Brass Band, so that was a must see.
It was a great night out bringing back many happy memories of banding (I played in a brass band for 30+ years), followed by watching England losing 2-1 to Italy in the World Cup.
Great to see everyone and a big thanks to Alan and Chris for their welcome.
Sunday 15/06/2014
A quiet night in Cervantes outside Alans, and discovered that Glyn had arranged a birthday party for me today (60!) with various family members in attendance - fantastic.
She had arranged to pick up some pre-prepared food from M&S in Halifax to save Chris having to do the food (although she still did a massive amount of preparation - thank you so much). Alan navigated us to a parking place near M&S and in we went to pick up the food.
After many questions and a worrying amount of time in the stockroom it finally emerged that they had given away our order to someone else with the same surname that morning, and we were left with their jelly and cakes for a childrens party.
Full marks to M&S for the way they handled this - they refunded our money, then gave us a trolley and took us around the store to fill it with whatever we wanted for the party - all for free.
I worked in retail for 25 years and I can honestly say that they handled the situation faultlessly - a perfect example of customer service.
So we ended up with a lot of different things to what Glyn had ordered, and trying to estimate quantities needed as you go round the store is quite difficult, so we ended up with almost twice as much. Kudos to M&S for an exercise in problem handling.
The party was fantastic with Alans two daughters Rosie and Amy and respective husbands and children, and my brother Peter with his wife Alison and their two children (I say children - Oliver and Georgina have both finished university!)
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| Cake! - blowing out the candles with my 2 helpers |
Lots of cards and presents (thank you all) and chat and playing with the young ones, and a fabulous framed picture of Chris Froome (cyclist with Sky and last years winner of the Tour de France) and Nairo Quintana (cyclist with Movistar) on Mt Ventoux where we were last year - thank you everyone, I will remember that for many years.
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| I was absolutely blown away by this present - fantastic |
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| The resulting bubble wrap proved very popular |
Another round of World Cup football saw us all shattered and ready for another quiet night in Cervantes.
See today's photo gallery here
Monday 16/06/2014 Halifax to Thornton
120km in 1hr 53min
After goodbyes to Alan and Chris and the girls we moved on to see our former next door neighbour and very good friend Sue in Thornton Cleveleys.
A straightforward run down the motorway had us there by 2:00pm - plenty of time for an excellent chat and catch-up in the fantastic summer sunshine.
After a wonderful meal, wine and pudding on the terrace we were more than happy.
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| In the sun in Blackpool - thank you Sue |
Cervantes fitted on the new drive like a glove - just long enough, plenty wide enough, on clean flagged hardstanding, and just next door to the outside electrical point, so now running on 230v.
The slope of the drive meant that the nose-down stance of Cervantes was negated and we were absolutely level both side to side and front to rear - made to measure.
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| Custom made for Cervantes |
Sue is really set up for a motorhome with all the above and a hose pipe nearby as well (and she makes a mean breakfast). I would charge £10 per night if I were you Sue!
See today's photo gallery here
Tuesday 17/06/2014
A very quiet night in a residential street and a great breakfast later we were on our way to Blackpool in the sunshine.
Unbeknown to us Sue had booked tickets for a backstage tour of the Grand Theatre in Blackpool, so we got the new tram from Bispham to the Tower.
The tour was excellent, led by a husband and wife team who were former actors. They had been involved from the beginning when EMI decided to sell the theatre (built in 1894) for £350,000. The price was dropped to £250,000 which was just within the scope of the fundraisers, so in 1979 it was theirs.
It has slowly been refurbished over the years and is now the best example of its kind in the world.
We were shown the front of house seating and foyers, then led to the dressing rooms, scenery store and deployment, lighting control, and finally the stage.
An in-depth tour by experienced people who obviously loved what they were doing, and their enthusiasm was contagious - very interesting and informative.
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| The Grand Theatre |
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| The upper foyer |
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| Up in the Gods - you need a head for heights |
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| Electrics! |
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| The levers that move the scenery up and down |
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| The safety curtain or "Iron" (because it is made of iron) |
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| Thank you and good night |
After a spot of lunch we walked down to the south pier along the newly refurbished promenade - they have made an excellent job of it.
We took the tram to the end of the line at Fleetwood before an evening meal at the local Italian restaurant. What a brilliant day, with warm sunshine for most of it.
See today's photo gallery here
Wednesday 18/06/2014 Thornton to Liverpool
114km in 1hr 50min
After a walk in the nature reserve next to the Wyre estuary it was time to leave Sue (thank you for a lovely time and see you soon) and head for Liverpool.
It was great to see Hannah (our daughter) and Gordon and spend some time with them - both looking very well.
We can park Cervantes in their parking slot which is right outside their window, so can keep an eye on him.
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| Just outside the door |
We are hoping to put him into the old storage casements around the perimeter of the site (the apartments are built on the old Herculaneum Dock site) which were used to store petroleum in the past).
The caretaker will be here tomorrow to let us in.
Thursday 19/06/2014
My "official" birthday today and more cards and presents from Han and Gordi and from Glyn - thank you so much. At this rate we will need a trailer to bring everything back.
We met the caretaker by one of the casements and by measuring we knew it was touch and go whether Cervantes would fit. The casement was 2.35 metres wide and Cervantes is officially 2.30 metres, but with the wing mirrors and the awning added there was no way Cervantes would fit in. So no covered home for the next few days, but we think he will be OK just outside the apartment.
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| The old storage casements around the perimiter |
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| Just too narrow for Cervantes |
I ordered some things from Amazon to be delivered to Liverpool so have just taken delivery of a 5m flagpole to fly the flag at the Tour de France, and an in-car video recorder for security purposes, to record our route around Europe, and to capture events as we are driving that are too quick to photograph conventionally.
Hannah had the day off so we took a trip to Liverpool to look around and were surprised to see a massive cruise ship docked at the Liver buildings pier.
A very nice lunch with Han and Glyn made it a brilliant birthday.
See today's photo gallery here
Friday 20/06/2014
Han and Gordi are both at work today so we had a quiet day catching up on the blog, adding some photos and generally doing some housekeeping.
We made tea in Remoska for the 2 workers, and then watched Captain Phillips in Blu-Ray - brilliant film with Tom Hanks, as usual, playing a master role.
Saturday 21/06/2014
Off today to an African festival in Sefton Park. Lots of stalls with authentic African food, clothes and carvings. It was very well attended by families, and as we left at 3:00pm the music stage was just coming alive at a volume to rival the Spanish fiestas we know and love.
A meal is planned for tonight, and a lovely suprise when we were joined by Glyns sister Bronwyn, her husband Frank, their son Rob and his girlfriend Kim.
First to the Carpathia rooftop bar opposite Albert Docks for cocktails and a wonderful view,
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| Cocktails at the Carpathian |
then on to Matou restaurant for a fantastic meal, again with exclusive breathtaking views of Liverpool and the Mersey.
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| The best night with the best people and the best views |
It was a wonderful night with good friends and family. More cards and presents received from Bron and family - thank you for the suprise.
When we got to the restaurant there was a stunning table decoration with balloons and window banners.
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| Fantastic decorations |
At the end of the meal a cake was produced with a great decoration of a campervan and a man on the beach.
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| What a fantastic cake! |
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| Brilliant work by Hannah - thank you for the lovely suprise |
All this was done with a great deal of secret e-mails and texts, and then organised by our daughter Hannah. Thank you Han - it was unforgettable!
The banners and balloons were written in Spanish, so the restaurant asked Han if we were Spanish. Han explained we were living there and when the cake was brought out, all the Spanish workers in the restaurant - chefs, waiters, front of house, came out to our table and had a chat with us (in Spanish) then broke out into a Spanish song - how fantastic was that!!
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| Greetings from Spain - what a brilliant suprise! |
See today's photo gallery here
Sunday 22/06/2014
After a breakfast omlette it was off to Frodsham to see Glyns mum for the afternoon. It was good to see her and she looked very well for 89 years old.
A family tea and a quiet night was the order of the day after the festivities of last night.
Monday 23/06/2014 Liverpool to Preston
80km in 1hr 38min
Han and Gordi are both back at work today so it was time to move on.
We were anxious to find somewhere to empty our full waste water tank and our toilet cassette, but the UK not yet having caught up with the European concept of aires, the nearest one we could find was Rimmer House in Preston which is in the triangle surrounded by the M6, the M65 and the M61.
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| Rimmer farm aire - very well done |
We are really near (50m) to the M61 northbound and the noise is definitely audible.
That said we have emptied all our tanks, filled with water, and are on 230v hook-up all for £10 per night. This is the closest thing to an aire in the UK.
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| The view from our window |
When we paid our £10 Jim (the very helpful owner) gave us 3 x £5 vouchers for money off meals in 3 local pubs - now that's what I call a result!
We made the most of the sunshine and had a meal outside in the sun at the local Hospital Inn and enjoyed our down time before another round of reunions tomorrow.
See today's photo gallery here
Tuesday 24/06/2014 Preston to Milnrow
45km in 1hr 25min
We are so near Brockholes nature reserve it seemed a shame not to go, so here we are in a bird hide, getting advice on binoculars and telescopes from a very knowledgeable lady.
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| Brockholes |
The site used to be a sand and gravel quarry which the wetlands trust bought 6 years ago and opened to the public 3 years ago.
The restaurant and visitor centre is floating on one of the lakes and has great views from all sides.
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| Redshank at Brockholes |
In my former job my old team is on nights tonight so I am going to see them at changeover at 9:30pm, and have arranged to stay overnight in the yard.
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| The safest place we have ever stayed! |
There have been quite a few changes since I've been gone as you would expect, and they are going to have a very busy next 3 years as they introduce smart motorways (hardshoulder running) to the M60 and M62.
It was excellent to catch up with work and home news, and managed to have a good catch-up with my old partner and car-sharer Colin - cheers Col - it was great to see you.
We were parked only 20m away from the M62 but still managed a quiet night with our super silicone earplugs.
See today's photo gallery here
Wednesday 25/06/2014 Milnrow to Southport
111km in 3hr 50min
An early start to get out of everybodys way left us with a dilema of somewhere to park.
We tried Tesco in Rochdale, but a list of parking regulations, a private parking company and CCTV everywhere meant we were not welcome there. Same story in Bolton at the Range, Asda, the Valley and everywhere else we tried. Every road we drove down seemed to have double yellow lines - it was as if they did not want us to park anywhere to spend any money - not as good a welcome as we had imagined.
We were forced out of the town onto the moors above Bolton to park at the side of the road and keep our money in our pocket!
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| This was the nearest to Bolton we could park! |
Maybe we are now so used to the way continental europe treats motorhomes, but it certainly came as a shock how motorhome unfriendly Bolton (and possibly/probably many other towns in UK) really is.
I thought yesterdays episode at Asda in Horwich was a one-off event when we were almost booked in the car park for taking up more than one bay (we just managed to leave in time) - again a private parking company. We did however get a welcome at Tesco in Horwich where we were told we could park as long as we wanted, where we wanted - no private parking company in operation here.
This afternoon Glyn is going to see some of her old work colleagues, so hopefully we can park for a while in the NHS car park to make this happen, otherwise I will drop her off and head for the hills again.
We set off for the Southport aire at 2:00pm (parking fine thanks to the caretaker) and by 3:00pm we had made it to Wigan on some appallingly surfaced roads - I had forgotten how badly surfaced the roads are in UK. It doesn't happen in mainland Europe because the services (gas, water and communications) are not put in the road, so they are not being dug up and poorly filled in every week.
It's not good for Cervantes being rattled and jolted about - something is bound to come loose or break soon!
The aire at Southport is on one of the Pleasureland car parks.
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| Not far to the prom from our aire |
Pleasureland is only open at weekends at this time of year, so during the week it is an aire for £8 per night with fresh water and grey and black water disposal. It is 100m from the beach and 200m from Lord Street so very convenient.
See today's photo gallery here
Thursday 26/06/2014
We decided to have a cycle ride this morning on the excellent cycle route 62 which is the start of the Trans Pennine Trail which ends in Hornsea on the East coast.
When I took Glyns bike off the rear cycle carrier I found the rear tyre flat. I put some air in just to check it was not flat because of a porous tube, then discovered a 2" clean cut through the tyre and tube - someone had deliberately slashed the tyre with a knife. I can't think when this happened - it could have been anywhere between home in Spain and here.
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| Who would do such a thing? |
So it was off to town to source a tyre and tube. We got one in the excellent cycle hire and storage building just outside the railway station - great value in a great facility.
We then spent the next hour in Wetherspoons (purely for the free WiFi you understand) then back to watch the exciting tennis from Wimbledon.
The weather had been threatening rain all day, but at 4:00pm, with tyre and tube fitted, we decided to risk it and set off along the promenade.
We stopped for some birdwatching at Marshside wetlands centre where we cycled 2km out towards the sea (still couldn't see it). This was the former site of sand excavation used in the glass-making industry in west lancashire.
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| 2km in and still no sign of the sea |
Returning to route 62 we carried on to the Ribble estuary then back to Cervantes for some tea and more tennis making our ride a total of 15km
See today's photo gallery here
Friday 27/06/2014 Southport to Liverpool
60km in 2hr 13min
Whilst at Brockholes wetland centre a very nice lady we met recommended Martin Mere as an excellent place to buy binoculars and telescopes so that was our next point of call.
The shop itself (In Focus) was inside the grounds so we had to pay the entrance fee to get in (£22), but this was refunded provided we left immediately after leaving the shop.
The very helpful man running In Focus let us test and compare numerous binoculars in a place and setting where we would be using them. His shop was essentially a bird hide, so we could test them all through the openings onto the mere - perfect.
He gave us plenty of time and no pressure to buy, and most of all he gave us unbiased, valuable information and advice on what to buy.
We ended up with a fantastic pair of binoculars and a telescope as a double birthday present to both of us from both of us.
We knew the Liverpool area fairly well and knew that there was a car park on Marine Drive in Crosby where we could park safely and legally. We peered out at the beach through the pouring rain and decided against a bracing, wet walk on the beach.
Our final destination was at our daughters in Liverpool where the rain is still falling (very heavily!)
Saturday 28/06/2014
Han and Gordi are off on holiday today so we are cat sitting for them. They've only had Pepper for 6 months and it would be a shame to put her in kennels when we are here and can look after her.
Glyns sister Bronwyn is singing with Nantwich Choral Society tonight in Nantwich Church - a celebration of English church music, so we are going along to listen and support the choir.
It is a fine old red sandstone church and the choral singing was excellent, if a little technical at times. The conductor gave us some background on each piece, and Bron on the front row of the sopranos gave a sterling performance - a great example of close harmony singing.
Bron and Frank, as usual, laid on a great spread for us and we had great fun with Polly, their dog.
Sunday 29/06/2014
Today was a quiet catchup day updating the blog and watching the tennis.
We also cycled along the River Mersey to the centre of Liverpool - only 4km to Pier Head, all along a traffic-free cycle route next to the water.
On the way we spotted a camouflage ship as used in the war - a bizzare sight but seemingly it did work by making speed, distance and direction very difficult to judge.
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| Dazzle camouflage ship |
It was very busy with pedestrians so progress was a bit slow, but no problem in the warm sunshine.
Just as we got there the cruise ship Boudicca was docking which took us by suprise because we had already looked on the internet to see what was calling in whilst we were here.
It turns out that Boudicca was starting the cruise from Liverpool, so was not listed.
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| The cruise ship Boudicca in the Mersey, waiting to dock |
Further up the coast in Queens dock there was dragon boat racing with many boats competing to take the first prize.
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| Competition was fierce on the dragon boats |
Lots going on in Liverpool!
See today's photo gallery here
Monday 30/06/2014
Again a quiet tennis and blog day, but we also went out on our bikes the other way along the Mersey (away from Liverpool) to Otterspool.
Back in the 70's we lived in Garston (a bit further down the river from Otterspool) so know this area quite well, and it is good to see that the Festival Gardens have been opened again - we were there the first time!
Again a dedicated traffic-free cycle and jogging path with great views over to the Wirral on the other side of the Mersey.
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| Pepper and mouse - the mouse won in the end |
We tried out the new binoculars and they are every bit as good as we thought - clear, bright, sharp images and very comfortable to hold. Now we know what to do they are also perfect to use whilst wearing glasses (which we both do full-time).
Tuesday 01/07/2014
A shopping and cleaning day today - looking at the brands in Tesco which we haven't seen for 18 months.
Pricewise I should say that a grocery shop is 20 - 50% higher in UK than Spain, although I suppose it depends on how much beer you buy.
It was a sunny day today so we watched the tennis outside - very continental.
We met Bronwyn and Glyns mum in Cheshire for a nice outdoor meal in the sun. Janet enjoyed the day and looked really well and happy and has not lost her appetite!
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| The three girls looking good |
Wednesday 02/07/2014
A planning day today to map out a preliminary route to follow the tour through France.
There are certain key stages in the Vosges mountains, the Alps and the Pyrenees which will decide who wins and more importantly who loses the Tour de France.
One bad day in the mountains means a loss of time that cannot be recovered.
As the saying goes - "you can't win the TDF on this mountain stage, but you can certainly lose it".
The ferry from Dover to Calais is booked for Mon 7th July at 9:10pm so we shall be in France for 11:40pm. After a nights sleep we will drive to be in place for stage 5 on Wed 9th July for the cobbled section of the TDF - expect some hard riding and upsets here!!
Thursday 03/07/2014
Han and Gordi back from holiday today so we are getting the van prepared for moving, and preparing the house for their return.
They had a great time on the SW peninsular with not a drop of rain.
Friday 04/07/2014 Liverpool to Sowerby
107km in 3hr 14min
Next stop Yorkshire and the TDF!
Farewells and thanks to Han and Gordi over, we set off for my brother Peters house in Yorkshire.
Peter is as keen a cyclist now as I used to be, doing 100 miles per week on his bike.
A reunion with my other brother Alan and family along with Peter and his family with food prepared by Peters wife (thank you Alison - fantastic food) was on the cards tonight.
Pudding was prepared by Peter and Alisons son Oliver and his girlfriend Tiffany, and was a roaring success.
Many local beweries made special TDF beers with cycling names. The ones supplied by Peter and Alan disappeared at an alarming rate.
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| There were many, many beers with cycling names - I can't remember them all! |
Pete and Ali live in a farmhouse at the end of a single track road bounded by high, solid, Yorkshire stone walls. There is a small parking space at the end of the lane, and it was quite a challenge to get Cervantes turned round and parked up but we made it in the end.
See today's photo gallery here
Saturday 05/07/2014
Today is day 1 of the TDF so we set off for Leeds first thing in the morning to see the Grand Depart.
The weather was atrocious when we set off and we feared the worst, but all was well just before the start when the sun came out and stayed out all day.
A park and ride scheme at Elland Road football ground had us into Leeds city centre in no time.
The number of people in Leeds was huge with everybody having a great time - an estimate of 230,000 people was made on the evening news.
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| There were a few people here - you'd think they were giving away free beer! |
We could not get near the start line, so went to the team buses to see the riders set off from there. We automatically gravitated towards the Sky bus and saw Froome, Thomas and Lopez come out and be interviewed, then set off for the start line.
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| A proper scrum at the team Sky bus |
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| Dave Brailsford - looking worried already |
After the tour had left we went back to Peters to see the rest on TV. The sun was out and the helicopter shots of the Yorkshire Dales were excellent - a great advert for Yorkshire and all it has to offer.
The final sprint was marred by Cavendish falling off after a bit of pushing and shoving and being too injured to continue.
The evening saw us in a pub with friends, then on for an Indian meal before a well-earned rest.
See today's photo gallery here
Sunday 06/07/2014
Today the tour comes through Ripponden where I spent my first 18 years growing up.
The route goes up the longest continuous climb in England (8.3km) of Cragg Vale, then up Ripponden Bank (15% plus in places) so we decided that Ripponden was the place to see it.
I borrowed shoes and helmet from Oliver (thanks), and a road bike from Peter (thanks) and together we rode up Cragg Vale then up Ripponden Bank to remind ourselves how long and steep they were.
I was suprised to find that we got up Cragg Vale in the big ring (sorry - means nothing if you're not a cyclist!)
We met Alan and family in Ripponden and watched the publicity caravan and press cavalcade that precedes the tour - a new experience for Alan.
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| 3 brothers and a flag |
Ripponden, along with many other towns in Yorkshire, had really gone to town on the yellow TDF theme with bikes and bunting everywhere - a great community effort which produced a fantastic atmosphere on the day - lots of laughter and good-natured banter amongst the spectators.
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| Waiting for the rush |
The tour riders really flew up Ripponden Bank making our earlier efforts look a bit poor, but then we're not professional cyclists!!
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| Racing up a very steep hill |
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| Here come the bunch |
Food and drink at a friends house in Ripponden and the end of an exciting mens final at Wimbledon ended a brilliant day.
See today's photo gallery here
Monday 07/07/2014 Sowerby to Calais
529km in 8hr 43min
An early start from Peters after a very tight exit (you can't argue with a dry stone wall!) from his parking space and we were soon on the motorway, cruise control on, i-pod playing and eating up the miles.
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| The view from our window prior to setting off |
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| That wall looks sharp! |
After a brief stop at Watford Gap services on the M1 (where we were moved on by the authorities for parking in the coach area - just missed a £90 fine) we were in Dover for 4:30pm, despite miles of 50mph restrictions for roadworks on the motorways.
We asked if there was space on an earlier ferry and were told yes, which suprised us as all the tour traffic had to cross the channel today, and the channel tunnel had been closed since 5:00am due to a stranded train. There was an amendment fee of what turned out to be half of the original cost of the ticket.
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| Queuing to see if we could get an earlier ferry |
We declined and went shopping in Tesco where they kindly allowed us to park as long as we liked in their car park.
We returned to the ferry port at 7:00pm for our 9:10pm ferry and spent a pleasant hour in the queue watching the TDF on ITV4 - great coverage, although Paul Sherwin sounds more like a tour guide on a coach rather than a cycling commentator.
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| Ready for the off |
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| Tickets please |
We were boarded late, but suprisingly set off on time and were in Calais in no time.
Off the ferry at 10:55pm, we decided to go to Cite aire (No 8815) due to the late hour. After a bit of hunting (the GPS co-ordinates in the databases are never correct are they?) we finally found it.
Parked with 9 other vans we were soon fast asleep after a busy day.
See today's photo gallery here
Tuesday 08/07/2014 Calais to Erre
183km in 3hr 27min
After a suprisingly quiet night in Cite aire we went across to the shopping centre which was huge - as big as the Trafford Centre in Manchester.
We used their very quick free WiFi and re-stocked in Carrefour before heading out to find a motorhome service point.
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| Cité aire in Calais - fine for an overnight stop |
We had one earmarked at Oye Plage in Camping Clairette (No 427) which turned out to be perfect - it cost us €5 which was a small price to pay for such good service.
Our next task was to recce the final 10km of the route for tomorrow and find a good place to park.
The tour this year is going over some narrow cobbled roads (called pave) which the farmers use. They are not well maintained and have serious gaps between the cobbles - quite a test of bike handling skill. There are 9 sections in all, and of them all we liked the look of pave stage 2 which is 3.7km long.
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| Pave! |
We are parked just off the pave in a field by a wood. The entrance is a bit muddy so hopefully we will able to get out - time will tell. You Tube video of the Pave and the field can be seen here
There are 10 vans here at the moment with more arriving by the hour. It's going to be a busy night.
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| THE field! |
We put the water heater on at 40 degrees at 8:00pm for a shower and after 10 minutes the heater started making an alarming clicking, banging noise as if the water was boiling.
We immediately turned it off and looked at each other as if to say - here we go again!
I was all for dismantling the water heater but Glyn very sensibly suggested the obvious first.
The taps had no water coming out of them but you could hear the water pump running. I immediately thought oh no - a burst pipe somewhere was pumping water into the van.
Taking the lid off the water tank the water was overflowing onto the floor of the van. The tank was overfull and was overflowing, despite us having used water today.
After baling some water out we could see the cause of the problem - the water pump had become disconnected from the feed pipe.
There was hot water coming out of the disconnected feed pipe which must have been coming from the water heater. The water in the water heater must have drained into the water tank causing it to overflow.
I connected the feed pipe to the water pump and ran the taps to purge them of air, both the hot water and the cold.
The question then was, had the water heater been damaged by being on when there was no water in it?
We tentatively turned it on and listned with trepidation for some sort of awful noise, but to our relief everything worked as normal and a hot shower was gladly taken.
Thinking back it was so lucky that when the heater started making that banging noise there was no noise in the van - no TV, no radio, no music playing, so we could hear something unusual was happening - very lucky.
I guess (and hope) the heater has some sort of thermal cut-out, but I am glad we didn't let it get that far.
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| The view from our window |
Wednesday 09/07/2014 Erres to Landrecies
54km in 1hr 48min
We woke today to persistent heavy rain which doesn't bode well for the riders on the cobbles, or indeed for us trying to get through this on the way out of this field.
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| It looked OK when we drove in! |
The tour was not due with us until 4:15pm, by which time it had been raining for 12 hours non-stop.
Our field was by now full and the entrance was looking like a mudbath. The constant rain had also made the field very soggy and that was now starting to get muddy also.
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| Rain, rain and more rain |
We watched the tour on TV until it was 40 mins from us, and saw Froome fall off for a third time and eventually abandon with a fractured hand and wrist and get in the team car.
When the tour finally passed us the riders were looking none too pleased. They were wet through and caked with mud and so spread out on the road it took 20 mins for all of them to pass us. We were also wet through and caked in mud just watching them.
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| The riders were not happy |
When the last rider had gone we glooped our way back to Cervantes who we had prepared earlier for an early exit.
The first to try was a Belgian van who made it halfway then reversed back to us. We were next and made it a little bit further, but still couldn't get out.
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| The result of a failed escape attempt |
The conditions were not helped by 12 hours of heavy rain and the exits of cars, vans and motorhomes previously which had churned up the surface into mud.
There were 10 of us in all unable to get out (the lighter cars were pushed out) and someone eventually organised a 4x4 pickup truck to tow us all out.
They wanted €15 to tow us out so it was pay them or stay there until the ground hardened up again (September?)
We obviously paid up and were towed rather erratically by a young driver onto the pave. When he got to the pave, with us still in the mud, he stopped dead for some reason. I nearly went into the back of him it was so sudden. He then went forward the extra 10m to get me onto the pave, but set off so fast that when he took up the slack of the rope he yanked me forward with a massive jolt, and that bent my towing eye (I later found out when I took it out)
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| Towed out of the quagmire |
So lesson number 76, never again park on a grass field with a muddy entrance, when 20 other vans will follow and there is a forecast of constant, heavy rain.
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| Cervantes! - what have they done to you? |
Still - no lasting harm done and we are now on a lovely aire in Landrecies right on the canal bank. It's a small aire with just 4 places on hard standing (no mud!!) in a very picturesque setting.
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| If it ever stops raining this has the potential to be a really nice aire |
Unfortunately, at 9:00pm, it is still stair-rodding it down and now blowing a gale. So no exploring tonight.
Thank goodness for Curry on cooking for a quick meal. We know the people who run this company from our Spanish conversation classes - they really are the genuine article and their curry mix is perfect for motorhomes - give it a try!
See today's photo gallery here
Thursday 10/07/2014 Landrecies to Villey-le-Sec
280km in 5hr 15min
The wonderful sound of silence when we woke up - no rain! It was still drizzling but with no noise.
We considered a walk around the very interesting - looking town, but the rain was now heavier and we had had enough of rain.
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| The view from our window |
We noticed on the map that we were very close to the town of Chimay in Belgium, so deduced that the source of the famous abbey brewed beer would not be far off.
The tourist info in Chimay gave us directions to Espace Chimay, where we duly arrived 15min later.
It was not where the beer was brewed, merely a purpose built building to show a history of the brand and a shop for the produce and merchandise.
We succumed to €15 worth of a glass and 6 bottles (33cl) of Chimay, 2 of Chimay Red, 2 of Chimay Blue and 2 of Chimay Triple. Needless to say that is tonight taken care of!
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| Lots to choose from in the Chimay shop |
We have a bag full of washing (even more after yesterday) and our electric toothbrush is out of battery, so finding a campsite was on the agenda today. We decided on an ACSI one at Villey-le-Sec which was out of season for our ACSI card, so instead of being €14 it was €21. Still reasonable value due to its location right by the River Moselle.
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| The beautiful River Moselle next to the campsite |
The pitches are flat, dry grass and the toilets and showers are very clean. We now have 230v so everything we have is on charge and the washing is drying in the sun (??) and the wind. The temp is 25degrees so great for sitting out - feels like we're finally in Europe.
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| The view from our window |
We are here for 2 nights because the tour goes through Villey-le-Sec tomorrow, so a picnic in the village before the tour arrives is the plan.
The rain had washed most of the mud off Cervantes so he looked respectable again. Whilst Glyn was shopping for water, salmon and bread in Lidl I gave him a brush to get the worst of the grass off, which bizzarely was left when the mud washed off. Now almost back to normal and looking as good as ever.
We are currently sat in the sun taking it easy before the rigours of flag waving and shouting tomorrow.
The info in the ACSI book mentions noise from jets from a local military base, and sure enough in the late evening there was a display by one, then two Mirage jets - very loud and very low.
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| Mirage 2000 jets - very loud |
Friday 11/07/2014
Rain overnight and a dull day meant the washing we left out overnight is still wet. The forecast is drizzle, overcast and cool so it's plan B for drying the clothes today.
We took a walk this morning along the banks of the Moselle to a barrage constructed to control the flooding. Alongside was a lock to get the boats up and down. The water level between the two sides was at least 10m, so a very useful tool in times of flood.
It was then time for the tour. To arrive at this campsite we drove steeply downhill for 1.5km to get to the valley floor, so to see the tour today we had to climb that 1.5km to the town of Villey-le-Sec.
We found a good spot on a corner where we could see them come over the brow of a hill, around the corner, then over a narrow bridge.
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| Our vantage point on the corner |
There was a 2-man breakaway 10" in front of the entire peloton who took up the complete width of the road - a frightning sight.
All were gone in a flash as is the way with flat road stages, but the preceding publicity caravan was very entertaining - especially the Vittel water lorry which had a pressure washer on the back and was spraying the crowd with water.
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| The peloton all together |
Next to us was an interesting guy from New Zealand who had flown over to UK and used public transport to see the stages. He then hired a car in France to follow every stage of the tour to Paris. On his first day someone ran into him and damaged the front wheel so he had to put on the spare wheel and patch up the trim - not a good intro to France! We gave him our itinerary and he gave us his, so we may see him again further on.
See today's photo gallery here
Saturday 12/07/2014 Villey-le-Sec to Plancher-les-Mines
213km in 4hr 3min
We checked out of the campsite and did a big shop at E. LeClerc in Toul and also filled up with diesel (€1.259 per litre)
We had filled with water and emptied everything prior to leaving the campsite so were ready for 3 - 4 days of wild camping (and we're still on the first bottle of propane!!)
We were heading for a decisive day in the tour in the Vosges mountains, particularly the final stage on Monday that finishes on the mountain of La Planche des Belles Filles.
The weather on the way down was truly awful - dark skies, low mist and monsoon rain - it didn't bode well for the riders, or for us.
15km from the mountain (in the valley floor) there were signs saying no parking or you will be towed away. These signs carried on all the way up the 5km climb to the top of the Belles Filles, so we drove back down the mountain we had been hoping to park on (there were many places where we could have parked off-road). You Tube video of the climb of La Planche des Belles Filles can be seen here
In the valley floor the French seemed to be ignoring the signs and parking as usual off the road, so we joined them in a spot 3km from the start of the climb.
It may be that the Yorkshire policy of no parking on the route is being implemented in France, but if it is, this is such a backward step which will destroy the tour atmosphere and I am sure will not be tolerated by the French.
In effect they are saying that you cannot park within 15km of the mountain top finish, so you either walk or cycle - how ridiculous is that?
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| No parking or you will be towed away - are they serious? |
The enforcement doesn't start until 6pm tomorrow so we will see if we are moved on!!
Sunday 13/07/2014
A couple of walks up and down the small village of Plancher-les-mines between the rain today was about all we did.
In the hope of staying we also put the flags up.
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| Cervantes ready for the tour |
The tour on TV was an exciting stage today as Tony Martin time-trialled his way to victory over several mountains.
6:00pm came and went with no action so we will see what tomorrow brings.
See today's photo gallery here
Monday 14/07/2014
We're still here at 9:00am. Every 10 mins there is a convoy of 4 buses full of people passing us and heading for the mountain. This has been going on now (1:00pm) for over 4 hours and seems to be the plan for getting people up the mountain. If you were on one of the first buses at 8:00am you would have an 8 hour wait for the tour to come up, and you would not be able to leave until at least 6:00pm, so it's looking like a long day for some people.
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| Buses full of people passing us for hours |
I really hope this isn't the norm on mountains in France from now on - it will kill the spectator numbers and make it much more commercial - just the opposite of what it is at the moment.
It is still raining very heavily throughout the day, so we are undecided whether to walk up the mountain or not. It was raining up to 15 mins before the publicity caravan arrived, so we decided to watch from Cervantes.
The caravan was sadly depleted at our location due to 90% of them being diverted to a parking place before they got to us - a real poor show.
We watched the tour on TV prior to it reaching us and then saw it live past Cervantes. Alberto Contador has abandoned due to an injured knee after a crash so the tour is now wode open to win - I have my money on Nibali, Rodriguez or Valverde.
Video footage of the riders passing us here
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| Some tired legs in the yellow jersey group |
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| Vasil Kiryienka - one tough cookie |
There has been no word from anyone in authority about moving on. Really - what is the point of putting these signs up every 100m? Madness!!
We discovered we were parked 1 van away from Sean Yates of Motorola fame - he had the yellow jersey for one day in 1994, and was later part of Sky until they had a purge of all who had ever been involved with drugs in the past. He was riding up the mountain with his 2 kids, then moving on to the Alps.
It's now 9:00pm and the buses full of people are still coming down the mountain - what a way to run a stage!!
See today's photo gallery here
Tuesday 15/07/2014 Plancher-les-Mines to Bois d'Amont
197km in 4hr 44min
We woke today to sunshine - I thought I would never see it again! The microfibre sports towels are still soaking wet - hopefully we can dry them today.
We had a brief sojurn into Switzerland today to get to our aire at Bois d'Amont. The border crossing went very smoothly, the only warning was not to drive on the motorway without first paying.
The roads today, particularly the D437 were in fantastic condition crossing stunning countryside - mountains, valleys, gorges and lakes, with trees as far as you could see all along the route.
The aire at Bois d'Amont is right by the river in a lovely location and is really quiet. There is a bourne here for emptying grey and black water and filling with fresh (jeton required from the town hall). However we had already filled and emptied at the service point at St Hippolyte, so were once again self-sufficient.
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| A very quiet and peaceful aire |
The sun was out at last so we had a walk around the village, into the very small church, and into the surrounding woods - great for walking in summer and a very busy ski station in winter.
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| Is this the smallest organ ever? (ladies only with the answer please) |
We are in a deep valley surrounded by tree-covered hills going up to 1200m so the scenery is stunning.
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| The view from our window |
It looks like we are in for a quiet night!!
See today's photo gallery here
Wednesday 16/07/2014 Bois d'Amont to Annecy
123km in 3hr 13min
We set off early in glorious sunshine and drove the backroads to Annecy, but Annecy was another story.
The aire we were originally going to was absolutely full to bursting. The number of vehicles and people on the roads, car parks and pavements was overwhelming - it was like Blackpool on steroids!
We plugged another aire into the sat-nav and went further south to the bottom of the lake where things were a bit more civilised.
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| The view from our window |
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| What an excellent place for an aire - a real gem |
The aire we found was excellent - water and waste disposal included for €8 and an extra €2 for electric (which we declined).
The aire was only 300m from the lake so we spent a pleasant hour watching the watersports and boaters and having a superb wine and sandwiches picnic.
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| Hang gliders everywhere - how do they avoid each other? |
A quiet night watching the sun go down on breathtakingly stunning scenery - perfect.
See today's photo gallery here
Thursday 17/07/2014 Annecy to Col du Lautaret
188km in 4hr 51min
An early morning visit to the lake to see the mist and watch the sun come over the mountains surrounding the lake.
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| Early morning mist over Lake Annecy |
Hot-air balloons were already airborne and the hang-gliders were also massing. We planned for coffee in the sun in a lakeside cafe, but they were shut, so back to Cervantes for coffee and ready for the off.
We filled with water and emptied and are now ready for the mountain.
The direct way was decided upon which again entailed some hairpin bends through the forests. We are heading for the Alps to see the tour stage on Saturday. Our first thoughts were to see it on the Col du Lautaret, which would be a drive along the D1006 valley road, then over the Col du Telegraphe and the Col du Galibier to come out at the Col du Lautaret.
However, along the valley road, we decided to check out the Col d'Izoard (where the tour is also going) so decided to continue on the D1006, go through the Frejus Tunnel, then onto Briancon and the Izoard.
We expected to pay to go through the tunnel because it is on the toll road A34.
However, once at the front of the queue at the pay-booth the woman asked us for €56.57!!! If I hadn't been sitting down I would have fallen over in shock. I explained we were only going one way and only once, but the answer was the same - €56.57.
After a nanosecond of thought I declined their attempt at highway robbery and made everybody reverse out of the way so I could get out of the booth and back down the valley. You Tube video of us reversing out of the pay booth can be seen here
We ended up going over the Telegraphe (1558m) (video of ascent here) and the Galibier (2600m) (you Tube video of the ascent can be seen here, and video of the descent is below)
and are now on the aire on the Col du Lautaret (2000m) along with 30+ other motorhomes. As Saturday draws closer I think the number will be nearer 60+
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| The view from the Col de Télégraphe |
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| Finally made it to the Col du Lautaret |
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| 2000m of altitude has caused the gas in my birthday balloon to expand and re-inflate it |
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| Some of our neighbours |
Every car park and slot at the side of the road is already taken - all here for the tour.
The flags are out and we are ready. We have no TV or internet here so we have no idea what is happening in the tour (or the world!) so Saturday will be a suprise.
See today's photo gallery here
Friday 18/07/2014
We awoke to a glorious clear, fresh and sunny alpine day.
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| A beautiful, crisp Alpine day |
A walk to the cafe in the village gave us some internet so we could catch up on the tour results, weather and e-mails in exchange for 2 coffees.
It was such a clear, bright day we went for a walk along one of the many paths along the valley sides which eventually took us up to the source of a mountain spring.
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| Ice-cold water tumbling down a very steep valley |
Freezing cold alpine melt-water came rushing out down a boulder-strewn valley. The path got steeper and steeper and by the time we reached the top it was quite a struggle to stay upright.
The views, however, were more than worth the effort - fantastic.
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| The view from the top - spectacular |
The local sheep have been providing some degree of entertainment for the past 2 evenings with their ability to cling to seemingly vertical slopes with no effort. We spied them today on a grassy hill below us, and it looked for all the world as if they were all practicing to form a shape or picture for an overhead helicopter shot (a popular thing done by farmers on the tour route). I think it looks like a fish - what do you think?
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| Fish or no fish? |
The rest of the day we spent planning future routes, taking the sun and talking to our Danish neighbours (in English!). A brilliant little community with everyone getting on together famously and having a great time.
It is a refreshing change to be able to eat outside after having had such miserable weather in Europe up to now.
See today's photo gallery here
Saturday 19/07/2014
Another warmish, overcast day, but still very windy - the flags are horizontal again and have been for 3 days.
On a walk around the aire we finally spotted another Burstner Ixeo Time it590. On all our travels around Europe this is the only other one we have seen - obviously an exclusive and rare model.
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| A rare beast - this is the only other one we have ever seen in 27,000km |
Being at 2000m the overnight temperature usually drops to 10 deg or below, so the propane we have comes into its own then and continues to work perfectly (we are unbelievably still on our first gas bottle), whereas some people, I think, are having problems with butane - there were a few fridge vents off this morning and some heated discussions.
A gendarme has just been round to warn us that a bike had been stolen this morning from a motorhome on our aire - a reminder never to relax too much with so many people about. In light of this we will be bringing ours in the van when we watch the tour - out of sight.
When we were researching to buy a motorhome we read many reports, and the thing that came up time and time again was that the layout of van was brilliant, but it had no drainer for the sink. I don't think this was a deal breaker for many people, but it seemed to come up as a reccuring fault.
We overcame this by buying one from Ikea when we first got Cervantes. The product name is FINTORP (or it is in Spain!) and consists of a drainer and a tray to catch the water. When you have finished using it as a drainer you can put it in a drawer and store things in it as you would with a box or container. A very useful piece of kit which we use most days.
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| Drainer full........ |
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| ............drainer empty |
From our spot on the aire we had a great view of the road down into the valley, so had some prior notice that the tour was on its way.
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| The motorhome community is alive and thriving in the Alps |
As the time drew near the skies got dark and the rain started, but luckily it was a passing shower pushed along by the gale force winds which have been blowing since we got here.
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| The brilliant jet washer on the Vittel truck - always good for a laugh |
The barrier I was standing behind on the inside of the final bend was obviously well chosen, because none other than Graham Watson (world famous cycling photographer) instructed his motorbike to stop right next to me to get some shots of the approaching peloton down the valley.
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| Graham Watson - master photographer |
On the other side of the road was none other than Malcolm Elliott, longtime British professional cyclist, and a rider for ANC-Halfords - the first UK team to ride the Tour de France in 1987.
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| The phenomenal Malcolm Elliott - he was a professional cyclist for 21 years |
The field was split into a leading group of 7 (including Nicolas Roche, son of the famous tour winning Stephen), followed 4 mins later by the peloton who were a bit strung out, but basically all together.
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| The leaders with, centre shot, Rafal Majka the eventual winner |
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| They're chasing hard, but they won't catch Majka |
As I put the bikes back on the bike rack the heavens opened again for a more prolonged shower this time.
See today's photo gallery here
Sunday 20/07/2014 Col du Lautaret to Malaucene
237km in 5hr 26min
A disturbed nights sleep due to severe wind (outside!) howling through the mountains. Cervantes was rocking that much and whistling I thought at one point we were in danger of being blown over. Then at 4:00am the rain started - blown by the still ferocious wind it battered Cervantes like a high pressure jet washer.
9:00am and it is still coming down just as heavy - the only saving grace is that we're on gravel and not grass. The mountains have disappeared in the mist and all in all it is thoroughly miserable. I was going to mention the words "global warming" but I shall refrain.
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| Where have the mountains gone? - they were here yesterday |
We filled and emptied at the aire just outside Briancon in the pouring rain.
Our destination was an entry in France Passion (No 05600) in Guillestre, but when we got there it was covered in mist and the rain was still pounding down, so we decided to chase the sun and head south.
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| Rubbish weather on the Col du Lautaret |
We went through the middle of the brilliant Ecrins National Park through some excellent gorges and rock formations, and would you believe it, the same guy was in the same spot in the valley selling the best cherries ever as he was last year - business must be good!
The N94 was a brilliant road to drive - I had trouble keeping my eyes on the road the scenery was so good. Watch a video of the stunning scenery here
We are now at another France Passion entry (No 84340) in Malaucene at La Ferme du Sublon.
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| Loss of altitude has caused this (and my birthday balloon is deflating) |
It has been great weather after we got out of the mountains, but the minute we put the ramps under the wheels the heavens opened once again and 2 hours later it is still throwing it down.
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| The view from our window - Mt Ventoux prior to the rain |
However, it was raining and 10 deg when we set off, and now it's raining and 23 deg, so we're going in the right direction.
The farm has a produce stall in a layby opposite, so we bought more cherries, apricots and melons (to add to the cherries and juice we bought earlier) just before they closed at 4:00pm.
It looks like they run some accomodation and trekking from the farm, situated as it is at the foot of Le Mt Ventoux (which we could see out of our windscreen when we parked, but which is now shrouded in low cloud and mist)
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| The view from our window 10 mins after the one above |
The rain finally stopped at 8:00pm.
See today's photo gallery here
Monday 21/07/2014 Malaucene to Verargues
138km in 3hr 14min
A brightish day today - not full hot sun, but certainly not raining.
Le Mt Ventoux is still with a topping of cloud, but looking to brighten up later.
We paid Lidl a visit in Vaison de la Romaine for some essentials, then identifed a France Passion entry (No 34490) in Beziers which was 260km away.
We set off with all good intentions, but heavy traffic, roadworks and roundabouts conspired against us, so that by 12:30pm we were still 30km from Nime.
A re-evaluation had us looking at the France Passion book and choosing an entry in Verargues (No 34400), a cave run by the wine grower in the centre of the village, next to the church and only 70km away from where we were.
Whilst on the way we saw a particularly dangerous piece of driving, captured by our onboard camera - take a look at it here
The wine-grower was easily found with spot-on co-ordinates with space for 3 motorhomes - it was empty so we had our pick of pitches.
We chose the largest which allowed us to get level without ramps - always a bonus.
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| A great spot |
The degustation cave was open from 2:00pm until 7:00pm, so after a brief walk around the village (a church and a newly-built school - no bars, shops or restaurants) we entered the cave.
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| Entry to the cave |
The owner (Eric) was there with a customer with a 5 litre plastic container (a regular) and an old gent sat in an easy chair with a cat asleep on his feet. I think this was the founder of the operation, who was now well into his retirement (the gent not the cat).
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| Both asleep! |
We found they had 30 hectares of vines all surrounding the village, and it had been an OK year weather-wise for the grapes. I asked him when he harvested the grapes and he said "25th August" - I wasn't expecting an exact date!
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| Where it all begins |
He has a grape-harvesting tractor in the yard outside which looks like a very complicated piece of kit, and was being serviced and checked as we came out - I guess they only use it once a year.
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| Fettling the grape harvester |
After a degustation of his finest we purchased the necessary and retired to Cervantes to sit in the sun (and passing cloud).
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| Spoilt for choice in the cave |
The church clock has just struck 4 in this idyllic setting - what a wonderful way to travel through France. If you can at all - try it.
See today's photo gallery here
Tuesday 22/07/2014 Verargues to Murviel-les-Beziers
136km in 2hrs 41min
Finally, at 7:30am this morning, the first propane gas bottle ran out. We have had 14 days of full use (fridge, cooking, hot water), 12 days of medium use (fridge, cooking), and 7 days of minimal use (fridge running when stopped for shopping etc, and cups of tea). The rest of the time we were on electric on sites or outside relatives and friends. So averaging it out we have had approx 30 days use from one propane bottle costing €15.70 - exceptional value, and the propane bottle is totally empty and has kept the fridge at 10deg and the freezer at -10deg no matter what the weather outside.
I've seen the future and it's propane for motorhomes!
We stopped outside Montpellier at a Carrefour for some shopping we couldn't get yesterday at Lidl.
Our destination today is where we originally wanted to go yesterday. It is France Passion (No 34490), a wine producer of Chateau Coujan. The chateau is at the end of a 4km single track road and the road stops here.
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| What a fantastic location |
There are 2 gites, many outbuildings for the wine production, a shop to buy wine, a degustation cave, and 60 peacocks. We have only seen about 10 up to now - they said the rest were in the trees!
As we are parked under the trees I await tonight with trepidation.
The situation here is unbelievable - stunning.
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| The view from our window - wow |
At 5:00pm we are the only motorhome here. We have had a wine tasting and bought the requisite number of bottles of very high-class wine - much reccommended.
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| Another cave - this one very high class |
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| The Chateau Coulan glass with, what else, a peacock |
We are 4km from the nearest road and are, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere. The view from our windscreen is to die for, the quiet is deafening and the wine is wonderful - long live France Passion!
We were just sat outside taking in the view when an old lady came over and introduced herself as the owner. She said they were just about to start celebrating mass in their private chapel and we were very welcome to join her if we wanted. What a nice gesture to complete strangers. It was a fair bet we were Catholics as France and Spain are pretty much 100% Catholic - it was a shame she asked the only two heathens here. We politely declined, but thanked her for asking, and instead watched the aerial show put on for us by the swifts - brilliant aerobatics.
The peacocks are screaming now - I hope this isn't a potent of what is to come tonight.
We had a visit from at least 15 peacocks who marched up purposefully to us like a mob coming to collect protection money. We fed them and got some good photos then they went, but I have a feeling they will be back.
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| One of the culprits |
As expected they screamed all night apart from the 4 hours of real darkness. We didn't mind though - great novelty value.
See today's photo gallery here
Wednesday 23/07/2014 Murviel-les-Beziers to Saillagouse
195km in 4hr 19min
Another fabulous day in an idyllic setting - this place is fantastic.
We filled with water here, the owner kindly showing us where it was.
Our first stop was the aire at Narbonne which we had used before. We emptied our waste here which cost us €2 (all automated), but that was a small price to pay for this essential service.
Next into the foothills of the Pyrenees, (video here), then into the Pyrenees proper to another France Passion entry (No 66800) in Saillagouse, who is an organic butcher who specialises in jamon. He keeps 200 pigs in the woods outside Montpellier (it's too cold here in the winter for pigs) and does all the butchering and preparation himself. We are in the small car park of his shop in the small village, and I must say he is very busy with local trade - and rightly so.
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| The view from our window |
There is also a museum in the shop, and a collection of 1500 hams hanging up to cure. We tried some air dried 18 month old jamon and some homemade chorizo, and were blown away with the quality and the price. It's now in our fridge but it won't be there long!
About 100m up the road from us is a fromagerie, so obviously we paid a visit and bought some fierce-looking local cows cheese. The tasting in the shop confirmed that this is one serious cheese.
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| The cheese shop - made with milk from the farm next door |
Cervantes is still performing fabulously - pulling up every hill we ask, and we have been up some serious hills this trip. The one today was so steep we were just about on top of it in third gear, but any steeper we would have had to go to second.
Some of the roads through the small villages were unbelievably narrow, but it didn't seem to faze the HGV drivers hurtling the other way down the mountain. You Tube video of the narrow streets can be seen here
The sun is blazing today and at 6:30pm it is still 26deg in Cervantes.
We found a couple of peacock tail feathers (on the ground - honest) before we left and these are now decorating the van to remind us of a fabulous France Passion site. I cannot reccommend Chateau Coujan highly enough - it is a wonderful place to stay.
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| Peacock feathers for Cervantes |
In the butchers car park we have a pig next to us - a proper pig called Cotelette, although she is livivng in Rosettes house - I wonder what happened to Rosette? She is an attraction to the museum and is a genuine star. She has a great affinity with the owner and can grunt to order. She is fast asleep at the moment (9:30pm) - I just hope she sleeps through the night.
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| A proper pig |
See today's photo gallery here
Thursday 24/07/2014 Saillagouse to Vallbona-de-les-Monges
188km in 3hr 9min
Well, the pig has been quiet all night - not a squeal out of her - good pig. (I probably kept her awake snoring!)
A quick visit to the boulangerie in town got us some bread to go with the ham for breakfast - excellent.
We are out of France and into Spain today and the through the Tunnel de Codi. It is a pay tunnel and we didn't know the price until we got there - it could be another Frejus!
We were pleasantly suprised to be charged €11.70 for the 5km tunnel journey - French tunnel operators take note!
Our destination today was an entry in Espana Discovery (the Spanish equivalent of France Passion) in a town called Vallbona de les Monges (page 63) where there was an olive oil producer. The town was very small - just 2 bars, a swimming pool, 2 churches and a monastery, the inhabitants numbering just 250.
After going to the wrong place (the distribution centre) we finally found the correct location which were the production buildings.
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| A lovely location to spend the night |
We got parked up and level (no ramps) and had a talk with the owner. The company acted as a rehabilitation and support centre for people with mental health and social problems and gave them employment, housing and support on the same complex as the olive oil manufacturing plant - a very comendable thing to be doing.
Unfortunately the monastery is only open at weekends so we had to miss the chance of seeing inside this famous imposing building. The churches also were closed.
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| It's a shame the buildings were closed |
The temperature here is in the low thirties and everyone we met (not many) was flagging a bit. Not us - we love it.
We visited the bodega and bought some oil and wine, and gained some more information about their community project - check out their website here
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| Another cave - but this one run on altruistic lines |
See today's photo gallery here
Friday 25/07/2014 Vallbona de les Monges to Morella
220km in 3hr 58min
Through the night and into this morning there was a spectacular sound and light show of thunder and lightning - a complete contrast to yesterday. It was forecast but nevertheless came as a bit of a shock.
An early start in the rain but it soon stopped. Filling with fuel we were soon on our way to an aire we had passed 12 months ago and vowed to come back and stay on.
On our way we saw a sign for the Greenwich Meridian at 0 degrees. We pulled off the road and found there was an obelisk to mark the spot. It was lucky we saw the sign or we would have sailed straight past in blissful ignorance.
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| The Greenwich meridian - we've seen this in London |
We arrived at Morella at 1:30pm and after a small detour into the hilltop village - very narrow, we had to turn round and come out, we eventually found the road to the aire. This aire is free and with full facilities of grey and black water and fresh water, combined with fantastic views and the proximity to Morella - it has to be on everyones favourite list.
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| A fantastic location to stay at |
The village is walking distance away so is due a visit shortly. We know there is a great cafe/restaurant at the bottom of our hill having been there before. Last time we had toast toasted over an open vine-wood fire - fantastic.
High twenties here today with full sun and a moderate breeze. It looks like Nibali has won the tour - he leads by 5 mins with only a flat stage, a short time trial, and the procession to Paris to go. Nobody seems able to challenge him, so all credit to him for taking advantage. Sky seem to have had a disasterous tour considering their good start - wherefore art thou Wiggins?
Well we have seen the inside of quite a few churches since we have been travelling, and I can honestly say that this is the winner so far. An absolutely amazing gold leafed altar back wall reaching all the way to the ceiling, combined with a 3 floor museum of some truly precious relics made this an astonishing building. If you only see one church in Spain, this has got to be it.
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| A stunning altar - the best I've ever seen (so far) |
Whilst in the village we visited an artisan shop and bought 2 local cheeses (suprise, suprise) after first tasting them, then had a cheese salad when we got back.
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| A great artisan shop where you could taste most things before buying |
Geckos seemed to be a speciality of Morella, so we bought 2 for home - one a reflective mosaic and one a wooden painted - very cheap at €12 each.
See today's photo gallery here
Saturday 26/07/2014 Morella to San Antonio
234km in 2hr 56min
There were 4 vans overnight on the aire with plenty of room for many more.The temperature dipped to 14 deg overnight causing morning dew, but it was soon burned off with the emerging sun.
We set off at 9:30am to get some breakfast in Morella (toast, tomato and coffee - the first for a long time). We found out yesterday that the castle opened at 11:00am so we were there on the dot. Prior to that, whilst wandering down the main street, Glyn spied a hairdresser advertising cuts for €10 - suprisingly cheap for Spain. She stuck her head round the door and confirmed the price, then duly took the chair. I did some window shopping for 15 mins until she emerged as shorn as a lamb - they do like to cut it short here.
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| Just a bit off the top please |
The entrance to the castle was €3.50 which was a definite bargain. There were cloisters and a church on the lowest level, and lots of restoration work in progress, then the path spiralled up through 4 levels of the castle until we were at the top with a glorious view of the surrounding countryside.
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| Mightily impressive views |
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| Is that Cervantes I can see in the distance? |
Information boards were at every location on every level (in Spanish and English), and as we paid she gave us an information sheet in English - very professional and a fantastic preserved castle which is well worth a look if you are in the area.
As we climbed the castle the wind seemed to drop rather than, as we would expect, get stronger. At the top there was no breeze and the temperature must have been touching 40 deg. Even we were flagging a bit, but the wind soon picked up as we descended to give us some much needed relief.
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| The church from above |
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| Looking up from the cloisters |
We got back to Cervantes at 12:30pm and were on the road 10 mins later. Our destination was another Espana Discovery entry (page 84) near to Requena in San Antonio at Casa del Conde, which specialises in cava.
We arrived at 3:40pm, but unfortunately being Saturday they were only open in the morning, so there was no chance to buy anything. However we are safe in the courtyard of the producer, the town of San Antonio is 1km away, and the sun is beating down so we may be taking a stroll soon.
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| The view from our window |
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| Great, quiet spot (we thought!) |
San Antonio was a sleepy little town with a couple of bars and a restaurant. We got some bread and tomatoes at the only shop we saw, then back to Cervantes in the still brilliant sunshine.
See today's photo gallery here
Sunday 27/07/2014 San Antonio to Home
223km in 3hr 21min
What we thought would be a peaceful night in the middle of nowhere was interrupted by either a bad live band or some karaoke (or both) at the only house we could see which was across the main road. Earplugs solved the problem and we had a good nights sleep.
Another clear, bright, sunny day today for our trip home. We took the N330 on the way home - a fantastic drivers road - see a video of it here
We were home by 1:00pm which gave us plenty of time to unpack the van and keep a very important date with the washing machine.
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| Made it all the way back home - thank you Hannah - unforgettable! |
See today's photo gallery here
Another excellent report.
ReplyDeleteVery good to see some of my cousins in the pics.
Keep on enjoying yourselves.
Keith
Thank you Keith - always good to hear from you. Your cousins were on fine form and all send their best to you. We shall continue to enjoy ourselves - make sure you do the same!
DeleteB&G
Bit random, I know but have been reading your blog recently as I am a keen cyclist and it is my dream eventually to own a motorhome and see The Tour in the mountains in France, was surprised to see Milnrow mentioned as it is close to where I live.Bit random as I said, but looking at where you parked in your former work place, you don't know my dad Ken do you?
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