The Northwest corner of Spain has been in our plans since we moved here.
Now seems to be the perfect time to visit it, as a heatwave sweeps over the rest of Spain - the NW coast will still be fresh and probably windy.
There will be a new language to contend with (Galician) and some new customs and traditions found nowhere else.
We are expecting spectacular coastal scenery with lots of cliffs and caves and hidden beaches.
On paper it looks fantastic - we hope the real thing is just as good!
TOTAL TOUR STATISTICS
- Distance travelled 4001km
- Travelling time 67hrs 54min
- Amount of fuel 367.82 litres
- Cost of fuel €459.94
- Average fuel consumption 9.19litres/100km (30.73mpg)
- Nights away 57
- Nights in free aires 29
- Nights in paid aires 7 at a cost of €52.50
- Nights in campsites 9 at a cost of €159.94
- Nights in overnight parking 12
- Days on electric hook-up 7
- Menu del Dias eaten 21
- Nights within 100 metres of the sea 24
Monday 08/07/2019 Home to Hellin
N38°30’29.9’’ W001°42’22.7’’ Free aire on gravel for 7 vans, service point, no electric.
139km in 1hr 52min
We can’t park our motorhome “Cervantes” near our house any more, so loading is now completely different.
We have to get it out of storage and park at the bottom of our cul-de-sac - we can’t park outside our house because the road is too narrow.
Loading entails endless trips up and down with a bag in each hand. Glyn had the excellent idea of bringing the car up, loading everything into it outside the house, then driving it to the end of the road to load Cervantes - much easier and faster, so much so that we had collected Cervantes from storage, given him a wash and loaded him completely by 1:30pm - great result!
We set off at 2pm, not intending to go very far today.
The sat-nav was set for Hellin, where we had stayed in May of this year, and before we knew it we were on ramps and having a beer in the 30° heat.
Only one van was here today, which disappeared at 5pm, as seems to be the norm (the same happened last time!)
A walk down the road to Lidl (5 minutes away) and we had the ingredients for an excellent tea, as cooked by the cordon bleu Glynis - fantastic.
I have fashioned some mosquito screens for the cab side windows using some magnetic strips from an old mosquito kit and some old mesh, meant for the house. We now have 2 extra sources of fresh air when the temperature ramps up, and no mozzies or flies to contend with.
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| Easy and quick to put on and take off, and no flies! |
Thunder and rain was the order of the day this afternoon, and soon Cervantes was covered in dust from the dirty rain - it was almost a waste of time taking him for a wash this morning.
It looks like it’s going to be a muggy and sticky night tonight - very hot and humid.
Tuesday 09/07/2019 Hellín to Alcázar de San Juan
N39°23’22.4’’ W003°13’09.3’’ Free aire on tarmac for 12 vans, service point, no electric.
222km in 2hr 37min
It was a really quiet night last night - no dogs or traffic, and we got a good night's sleep.
Everything is working as it should in Cervantes, which is a relief.
We had an early coffee and toast in the bus station cafe, just a 2 minute walk away, then it was off on an early start heading for Alcázar de San Juan, an aire we had visited twice but never stayed overnight there.
The roads today were all motorways, apart from the last 3km, so we were here in two and a half hours, just on mid-day.
Previously we had only ever seen the bullring, so today we walked into the centre and found the old town centred around the Plaza España.
We had no idea that this town was so orientated towards Miguel de Cervantes and his famous book characters Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
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| Don Quixote and Sancho Panza |
There were statues and plaques everywhere, and lots of streets named after all of them.
It became apparent when we dug a bit deeper and found the street where Miguel de Cervantes was born - it was in the middle of the old town in Alcázar de San Juan! - no wonder there is so much recognition of him here.
After a trawl of various cafes and restaurants, we finally settled on one skirting the Plaza España, and had an excellent menu del día there for €11.50.
Back at Cervantes it was very warm, so it was a case of open all the windows (including the cab ones!!) to let some air in.
The temperature soon dropped to a comfortable 35° - just right for watching the Tour de France on TV!
There is a fantastic park opposite us here - a man-made river runs through the middle of it and it is full of geese (with fluffy youngsters), ducks, moorhens and all types of plantlife. It is great for an hour's stroll through all the nature, and there is lots for the children to do also - lots of child-friendly playgrounds.
Sitting on a bench outside the van tonight we watched car upon car disgorging ancient (70+!!) couples into the bullring.
I went to question the ticket collector and found it was a private peña event - a group of like- minded people attending an event organised by them.
He told me the music started at 10pm and finished at midnight - fine by us, and I don’t think it’s going to be heavy rock or AC/DC material they’ll be playing.
As an aside, the aire is now full of cars, so if you were to turn up at 10pm, you would not have a space to park in - locals come first!
The police were here half an hour ago and never batted an eyelid, so it is an accepted practice.
The norm in any Spanish town is that things hot up after 10pm and continue for as long as anyone is still around.
Alcázar de San Juan did not disappoint on this score, and things were buzzing for a long time tonight - don’t come here if you want a quiet night!!!
Wednesday 10/07/2019 Alcázar de San Juan to Camping Gredos
N40°20’25.4’’ W005°10’25.1’’ Campsite for 50 vans on grass/sand, €13.97. Toilets, showers, service point, WiFi, bar/restaurant.
269km in 3hr 47min
As expected, it was a very noisy night, and we woke this morning still a bit tired, but it was no real problem.
We wanted an early start this morning as we had a good kilometrage to cover, although the first 2/3rds was an easy motorway drive. However, the last third was up a tremendous climb in the centre of the Gredos mountains on the N502, topping out at 1500 metres!
We were stuck behind a lorry full of logs - it must have weighed 20 tons, so you can imagine the speed of it up a 10% incline, but we got there in the end.
Cresting the top we had 3km to our left turn onto the AV941. Passing a very impressive-looking Parador, we finally found the left turn to take us to Camping Gredos.
The views of the Gredos mountains on the way to the campsite were more than impressive - a very wild landscape with few signs of towns or buildings - if you like the great outdoors, camping and hiking, this is the place for you.
The campsite was a bit rudimentary, but basically sound and the pitch we chose was perfect for us - uphill with the fridge in the shade.
By the time we were parked and sorted, we went straight to the bar/restaurant on site for the menu del dia (€9) and very good it was too, with pisto, calamari and arroz con leche - perfect.
After a short walk in the surrounding area, and a small beer in the bar/restaurant at the bottom of the hill, it was back up to Cervantes for some sleep catch-up, some internet time, and to watch the Tour de France finish in Colmar, where we have previously stayed.
Tuesday 11/07/2019 Camping Gredos
Lots of talking and noise last night, then at midnight - complete silence - it’s nice to see the rules being followed (for once!)
A walk around the campsite showed us that we are the only motorhome here - the rest are caravans (long and short stay), tents and bunkhouses for the schoolchildren - there are lots of organised activities all day to keep them occupied.
We are at quite an altitude here (1455m) which would explain the 14° temperature inside the van this morning - it came as quite a shock after the heat of the day.
Coffee and toast in the campsite cafe soon warmed us up and gave us a good start for our walk today. Along the river with lots of cows bongling, and fantastic views of the Gredos mountains, we eventually came to Hoyos del Espino.
What a wealth of places to eat - the cafes/restaurants were every other building.
We finally settled on one which had a fantastic view on a balcony to the Gredos mountains. Unfortunately we were not allowed to eat on the terrace, so went inside and had an equally excellent view sat at our table.
Menu del dia for €11 was excellent, made all the better with an excellent bottle of wine included in the price.
It was a walk back to Cervantes (a total of 6km or 9,604 steps) where the TDF suddenly switched channels from Teledeporte to La Uno, which we could not get on our TV.
The only way to watch it was to go to the campsite bar and persuade them to change channels (from C Beebies!!) to La Uno.
2 hours later with a bar full of avid watchers, we watched the breakaway expert Thomas de Gent lose it on the last climb after leading from the start - there will be other days Thomas.
It’s sun, sun, sun here and I am glad to say the fridge is performing admirably. It’s -15.9° in the freezer and 4.6° in the fridge - time to break out the beer!
Friday 12/07/2019 Camping Gredos to Camping Regio
N40°56’50.4’’ W005°36’47.5’’ ACSI campsite, €18 including showers, toilets, electric, service point, restaurant, pool, bar, cafe, bus stop to Salamanca outside.
134km in 2hr 9min
Last night was another surprisingly quiet night (although the hordes of children are on the other side of the campsite) which stretched until 9am this morning.
After an early coffee and settling our bill of €27.97, we were on our way to Salamanca on the fabulous AV941, giving us spectacular views of the Gredos mountain range on a smooth, wide road - excellent to drive on.
The A66/E803 motorway soon had us on the outskirts of Salamanca and into Camping Regio at 1pm.
This is not only a campsite (in ACSI so only €18 per night including electric), but also a hotel, with a restaurant, 250 metre pool, snack bar, and nearly every other facility you could imagine.
We chose a spot not under trees (sap on the windscreen and the scuttle full of pine cones and pollen!), but in the shade of the trees with the fridge facing north out of the sun.
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| Even in the shade it's nearly 40° in Cervantes |
The campsite was surprisingly quiet - we had the choice of practically any pitch we wanted.
It was 32° outside when we got here, so after a bite to eat and some chores done, we went for a swim in the cold (20.5°) swimming pool, although it was OK once you had gone numb, and the heat hitting you as you got out was excellent.
Then it was back to Cervantes to see the TDF finishing in another place we have stayed - Chalone-sur-Saóne.
Glyn has spotted a bee-eater (very distinctive call) in a dead tree almost next to us, so that’s us sorted for the next couple of days - she really is excellent at bird identification, and has a real tenacity to research it until she finds out what it is - very impressive, although she wouldn’t say so herself.
Saturday 13/07/2019 Camping Regio
There is a bus every hour to Salamanca from the campsite car park (No 20 - it stops in the campsite car park so you don’t have to cross the main road) for only €1.45 single. It leaves at quarter to the hour, returning fron Salamanca at half past the hour, and takes 20 minutes each way.
I thought it would be hot, hot, hot last night in bed, but it was surprisingly comfortable at approx 30°, so a good nights sleep was had, as it is really, really quiet here.
We got the 9.45 bus this morning and hoped to beat the rush of tourists into the cathedral.
It wasn’t open yet, so we had a coffee in a lovely, quiet little bistro near the river.
We were one of the first in the cathedral so were able to wander round in relative comfort to gaze at the huge scale of the interior. It cost €6 to get in for Glyn and €5 for me (pensioner!!!) and was well worth it to see the grandeur inside.
A separate entrance and €3.75 each gained us access to the bell tower and associated rooms.
There were many steps up the central spiral stone staircase which had a novel traffic light system that showed who had priority to go, the ups or the downs, because you could not pass on the steps.
One part of the ascent took us through the highest level inside the cathedral on a narrow walkway which almost proved too much for me, but Glyn took me by the hand and led me across, bless her.
There were a few outdoor walks on the way to the very top, which were interesting, and the views from the top of the bell tower were amazing - very impressive.
On our wander around the city afterwards, visiting the Roman bridge, the Plaza España and the University buildings, we singled out our restaurant for lunch.
Mandalas is on Calle de Serranos and had 5 veggie starters and 2 veggie mains which caught our eye immediately, and proved to be amazing value for money (€16 each) and delicious - try it if you can.
We were back at Camping Regio at 3pm to air the van and relax a while.
Sunday 14/07/2019 Camping Regio to León
N42°36’16.6’’ W005°35’05.9’’ Free aire by the river on tarmac for 23 vans, service point, no electric. 1km to city centre.
It rained heavily last night for 2 hours - just testing the waterproofness of our new midi Heiki claraboya (the original one blew off as we exited a tunnel in Vic in Catalunya - it was very windy!)
Before the rain, Glyn managed to catch a glimpse (through the binoculars) of a Bee-Eater in full sun - so it was glistening at its best. Unfortunately only the one, and that was the last one we saw.
The claraboya passed the rain test, and another surprisingly silent night ensued - we really miss the barking dogs and the crowing cockerels!!!
A quick desague and we were on the way to León, a straight run north, mostly on the A66.
In parts the A66 was fantastic - smooth, new, black tarmac - you could go as fast as you wanted.
However, other parts were atrocious with big potholes, a surface like a dried out river bed, and bridge joints that nearly had your fillings out - an absolute nightmare to drive on.
In their defence, they were doing something about it - kilometres of re-surfacing.
This caused us to drive onto the opposite carriageway for many kilometres, and we missed our turn-off junction due to this.
No problem though, because there’s always an alternative route, and we got there just the same.
There are 23 motorhome-sized bays (in width, not in length) at the aire, and a further 80 spaces for cars - they pay, but the motorhome aire is free (maximum stay is 48 hours)
At 1pm there were already 15 vans here, so plenty of room for more - it feels very safe here.
We are right next to the river - a great walk into the heart of León, and opposite a shopping centre complex with Mercadona, C&A, H&M and many other brands which you may find useful to pass the hours away.
A walk to the centre of León saw us in the cathedral square - what an impressive facade faced us.
We paid our €6 (Glyn) and €5 for me (jubilado!!) and went inside.
We have been in many, many cathedrals, but this one stopped us in our tracks - I have never seen so many stained glass windows of such size going so far up the walls of any building before.
The internal lights were kept intentionally dim to emphasise the light coming through the windows.
They were absolutely stunning - we just stood there with our mouths open - it was a rival to the best one we have ever seen in Chartres (France) - if you get a chance this is a not-to-be-missed port of call - fantastic!
We walked through the old town, busy with bars and restaurants to the house on the corner designed by Gaudi - and it shows.
Everything is still working in the van (thank goodness), so all is set for further adventures and discoveries.
Monday 15/07/2019 León to Camping Riaño
N42°58’33.6’’ W004°59’51.7’’ Campsite on grass for 30+ vans, €18 including bar/cafe, toilets, showers, black water disposal. Electric €4 per day. Fantastic views.
A quiet night, but an early start with the commuters going to work on the adjacent road.
By the time it got dark last night the aire was full, and vans were resorting to park on the car park - only fair as some cars were in the motorhome spaces!
We had planned an early morning shopping raid on Mercadona in the shopping centre opposite, but when we got there the sign said “closed for refurbishment” so it was off to the nearest Lidl.
O the way we got some premium diesel from E. Leclerc at €1.19 (€1.13 for basic diesel). I always used to look for the cheapest diesel no matter what, but after last year with a blocked Diesel Particulate Filter (needed cleaning/replacing in the French Pyrenees), I have been a bit more conscious of putting some decent diesel in on a regular basis.
Cheap diesel may be OK for white van man (as everyone who puts cheap diesel will tell you), but white van man does hundreds of miles week in week out and thrashes it to death most of the time - sound like a motorhome to you?
The service interval on a Fiat Ducato is 2 years or 30,000 kms - I bet not many motorhomes get to 30,000 kms before the 2 years is up, and the reverse is true for white van man.
We were aiming for an aire in the centre of the Picos de Europa mountains last night, and looking at Campercontact offline (the app has more than paid for itself already) we spotted a campsite on an embalse about 3/4 of the way there.
The N625 road from León to get there was good in parts, and quite bad in others, but the views from the windscreen made up for everything.
The limestone scenery of the Picos was stunning - very reminiscent of Yorkshire, and the roads were not too bad - easily wide enough, but a bit hit and miss with the road surface.
We are headed for Camping Riaño on a hill above the embalse (reservoir) and the views are just to die for.
The lake stretching out in front of us, the town of Riaño in the foreground, and in the background the wooded hillsides of the Picos, and behind them the naked white limestone peaks of the high mountains of the Picos - absolutely stunning.
This view costs the princely sum of €18 per night - what a bargain! - we are obviously staying another night here.
Tuesday 16/07/2019 Camping Riaño
We finished the day yesterday with bright sunshine and a fantastic view, and woke this morning to a bank of low cloud covering all the mountains with only the water visible - I thought we had woken up somewhere else!!
Exploring the town of Riaño was on the agenda today, after a coffee and washing the bedlinen (hung out to dry on the provided clothesline as we left)
As the sun moves round the mountain landscape, we can see changes all the time - it really is so picture postcard perfect here.
It was a walk into town, approx 1 km, some of it by road, but there is a path.
We went to see the old church first, demolished from where it once was (the old village of Riaño was in the valley, flooded to make the new reservoir) and rebuilt in it’s present position.
There is an excellent riverside walk all the way from the old church to the “fighting ring” - an ancient form of wrestling called “León fighting” performed in a stadium with a central grass circle, surrounded by seats.
Then it was back to the town centre and the main street to choose a restaurant for our menu del dia.
After questioning a few establishments about their menu, we decided on one that gave us the menu we wanted and a great view.
We had 30 minutes to wait so had a drink in a different bar, again with great views, and had a look into the church, but didn’t go in due to them being halfway through saying mass.
The menu was superb, with what we now know is the norm up here - wine with a menu del dia is red only - a bottle with a bottle of casera (lemonade) if you want it. There is no white wine with a menu del dia, although you can pay extra for it if you want.
Fully stuffed after an hour, we climbed the road to our campsite - a tough climb, bit worth it for the fantastic views.
We found ourselves more or less alone on the campsite, so had a very peaceful afternoon in the shade reading, writing the blog and looking at the breathtaking view!!
Wednesday 17/07/2019 Camping Riaño to Cangas de Onís
N43°21’12.0’’ W005°07’34.9’’ Free overnight parking on shale for 15+ vans. No services, no electric. Service point on 4 van aire over the roundabout.
It was a very windy night last night and quite cold with it.
Everybody seems to have gone this morning - just us and a couple of motorbikers in tents left.
After emptying (no filling because apparently the water is not for drinking) we were on our way to Posada de Valdeón, where there is an aire in the middle of the Picos de Europa.
After a long descent into the village we found the aire, but it was under renovation, so we asked at the tourist office if there was alternative parking.
The answer was no, but we could drive 2km up a dead end narrow road to a village where we could park.
We decided against it, and drove back up the hill to the main N625 road and headed north to our plan B, Cangas de Onís.
The road became narrower and narrower, and we were eventually in a gorge surrounded by enormously high limestone cliffs.
We drove this road for 45 minutes - the scenery was stunning (according to Glyn - I daren’t take my eyes off the road) but the road was not really suitable for motorhomes.
Approaching traffic had to be as considerate and on-the-ball as we were when the overhangs were so big and the roads so narrow.
We managed to avoid any major confrontation on blind, overhanging bends, more by luck than anything else, so we escaped any trauma.
Cangas de Onís was on the other side of the mountains, which we reached with no problem.
The aire is in a public car park with space for only 4 vans - everywhere else is not for motorhomes, according to the signs.
This did not deter at least 10 motorhomes from parking in the car park - I wonder if the rules are ever enforced?
We parked next to the bus station across the roundabout with a dozen other vans, which seemed OK to us.
A walk into town to see the excellent Roman bridge, and a bottle of Asturian cider (poured from a great height) in a restaurant under the bridge later, we called into an artisan shop and bought a pack of 6 75cl bottles of Sidra Natural, to pour from a great height at home.
We noticed that there are even more vans now on the aire car park - I hope they are all OK.
Thursday 18/07/2019 Cangas de Onís to Ribadesella
N43°27’36.7’’ W005°03’15.1’’ Free aire on tarmac for 5 vans. Service point, no electric. 10 minute walk to town.
It was a quiet night surprisingly enough as we are next to a busy bus station.
Up bright and early we had coffee and toast in the bus station cafe, then it was off to Ribadesella.
I have the Campercontact app on my tablet (it works offline!! and is a snip at only €5 per year). It told us that the aire at Ribadesella was not an overnight stop, but we thought we would go and check it out for ourselves.
When we got there it was a proper aire for 5 vans with a service point and bins.
We bagged the last spot and set off to explore Ribadesella. We followed a path uphill from the aire which took us high above the town and the bay to arrive at an Ermita on the clifftop.
There was a steep path down to sea level, then a coastal walk took us over the river, around the town and onto the beach front.
It was an excellent walk (6.8km or 12,632 steps) when we finally got back to Cervantes.
Prior to that we found a small beachfront restaurant for lunch, and had the biggest starter ever. We ordered Fabada Asturias (bean stew) and expected the usual 2 bowls of bean stew. What arrived was a huge tureen of bean stew and a very big ladle - there were at least 3 full bowls each in there, but we manfully managed to finish it!!
The uphill walk home however was taken very slowly.
As well as the full aire of 5 vans (and numerous cars blocking access to the service point!!), across the road was a public car park with at least 15 vans on it, so I think it’s safe to say you can park overnight in Ribadesella.
Friday 19/07/2019 Ribadesella to Gijón
N43°32’48.6’’ W005°38’12.0’’ Free overnight parking on block paving for 30+ vans. No service point, no electric. Public toilet on road for €0.30
It was an early start, and someone in a hired motorhome had parked overnight on the service point, so I had to knock them up (it was 9am!) and ask them to move.
10 minutes later we were on the road to Cangas where there was a parking spot next to a Repsol fuel station. Unfortunately it was just that - a stretch of tarmac next to a fuel station - great for an overnight stop, but not for a days stay.
So it was on to Lastres, a level car parking spot overlooking steep streets to a traditional fishing village on the coast.
The sat-nav gave us 2 options to access it - one through the town on the main road, and one short-cutting the town.
We chose the shorter road - very, very wrong. The road was single track and so steep I was wondering if first gear was enough!
After a very sweaty 5 minutes we re-joined the main road and found the car park.
Note to self - if there is a choice of the main road and a back road - choose the main road!!!!!!
There was a walk from the car park up a hill to a viewpoint - stunning views of the village below, and the coastline going off into the distance.
Our ultimate destination today was Gijón, and a public car park up above the city.
We found it OK and found a place to park amongst all the other motorhomes here (there must have been 30+ of them)
This had been our destination since setting off from home, because on Sunday there is an International Airshow in Gijón, which we have planned to see.
Soon after we got here at 12 noon the participants were practising their routines (so another free airshow!) featuring the Spanish Patrulla Aguila (based within sight of our house in Spain, so we knew their routine well).
Also flying were the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Dassault Raphael, the Bombardier fire plane (scoops up water to put out fires), and many more.
There is a 4km promenade walk in Gijón, and today we walked most of it (8.6km or 14,127 steps), stopping occasionally to refresh ourselves with the odd beer or cider.
We ended up in the Plaza Major where a team of men were erecting a stage for a forthcoming concert. This involved a mobile crane and lots of pointing and shouting, but after an hours entertainment they finally lifted the roof onto the four corner supports.
Supported by a €3 bottle (70cl) of cider and 2 glasses, we watched proceedings and were fit for the walk home to the parking on the hill.
It was a bit chaotic back at the aire with vans trying to get a space to park in - waiting for a long time until one came free.
The airshow proper is on Sunday, but the weather forecast is dismal for then, so we hope to see all the practising, which is an airshow in itself - happy days.
Saturday 20/07/2019 Gijón
To our surprise, the van next to us on one side went at 9.30pm last night - I can only assume he lives somewhere local and had come out for the day only?
His place was taken immediately by a very long Adria with a couple and 3 year old twins.
They immediately went out and returned at 11.30pm - children still awake. There really is a totally different culture in Spain as regards children than in any other country we have visited - this, we have come to accept, is the norm.
This morning we had a late start - we were up at 9am, which is late for us (no sign of life next door!) and decided some shopping would be useful.
Mas y Mas supermarket is just down the road, as is McDonalds.
We bought some super-fresh bonito from Mas y Mas fish counter, along with some essentials, them called into McDonalds on the way back for some coffee and internet - it was closed, although the enormous sign high above us said “Open 24 hours”
It turned out that “Open 24 hours” translated into “we open at 11am”, so we kept our money and went back to the van.
It was slightly overcast this morning, but it didn’t stop the US Airforce historic airplanes coming out for a practice.
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| The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog and O-2 Skymaster |
We had walked all the way round the town yesterday on the promenade walk, so today we thought we would walk the other way around the headland.
The coastal path was very popular - runners and walkers everywhere - very good to see.
The views from the clifftops were spectacular - a great view around every corner.
Glynis had the foresight to make and bring some sandwiches (and I brought some beer) which was very welcome after a couple of hours.
There were many statues, viewpoints and man-made monuments along the way, and some spectacular houses with amazing views of the sea and Gijón, the best of which was a ship which had been rebuilt as a house looking out to sea - rivets and all!!
In all we walked 7.9km or 14,862 steps.
We came across an unexpected bar on the way home, so it would be very rude not to call in, so a bottle of cider later (€2.90 for 70cl) and we were fortified to complete the last leg to Cervantes.
The police drove around the car park just before dusk, and re-enforced our presence here.
Sunday 21/07/2019 Gijón
Saturday night in Gijón is obviously a big deal, but the music finally stopped at 4am - no problem really - we have had worse.
The pitter-patter of rain on our roof confirmed the weather forecast as “pretty miserable”
The cloud level was very, very low - we could barely see the end of the car park - it didn’t bode well for the airshow scheduled for today!
As the morning progressed, the rain got heavier, and, if possible, the sky was more overcast.
It seemed like the airshow had been abandoned, but around 1pm things started to get brighter, and the rain stopped.
We were getting more and more hopeful as the afternoon wore on, and finally at 3pm, we heard a helicopter.
Rucksacks were already packed for the short walk to the coastal path where we has a brilliant view for the next 3 hours.
The display was obviously tailored to the low cloud base, but none the less, was excellent (lots of flume from the Eurofighter and the Dassault Raphael as they screamed through the clouds)
The final encore was taken by the A400M transport plane, escorted by the Patrulla Aguila after their display.
What a way to spend a Sunday afternoon!!
It’s 7pm and the sun now is fully out and shining brightly - typical weather!! - cloudy when you need clear skies, and sunny and clear when it doesn’t matter!
Monday 22/07/2019 Gijón to Candás
N43°35’05.8’’ W005°46’19.3’’ Free aire for 5 vans on tarmac. Service point, no electric. 15 minutes to town centre.
Most vans had gone this morning when we got up (8.15am) so our exit was quite easy.
There is no service point where we are, and the toilet cassette is full after 3 days, and our waste water tank is 3/4 full.
We decided to find the aire in Gijón, situated next to Playa del Arbeyal (which makes it a very popular place to park)
There were motorhomes everywhere, most of them outside the official aire.
We found the service point and used the quimico and the desague and were soon on our way to Candás, where the aire is right next to the railway station.
Campercontact gave us some very useful tips on how to approach it, which proved to be very useful.
There is a very sharp right hand turning, which may be too much for longer vans (we are 6m long and had to reverse once to get round it), then under quite a low bridge.
There is an alternative route in by following the main road into town, then turning right onto Barceloneta street and under a much higher bridge.
But, be warned, the 3 refuse bins are just behind the aire, and access is required by the mechanised emptying vehicle which goes right across the back of the 6 spaces - so park properly in your sub 7 metre van.
We took a stroll into town and found a hardworking fishing village trying its hardest to keep things going.
There were many organised water sports and restaurants and bars aplenty.
One we liked the look of was offering menu de dia for €8. The starters were all good for us, but the mains were very much meat orientated, so we asked if we could have a starter as a main course - no problem at all.
The local custom of a bottle of red wine with a bottle of casera (lemonade) was upheld, and we had a fantastic 3 course meal (a massive tureen of lentil stew for my starter (3 huge bowls full!) that put us both to sleep back at Cervantes.
The aire here is full, but really you can park on any of the 3 car parks here with no problems - just stay within the white lines and don’t get any chairs out!
We went for an early evening walk up the hill opposite to a viewpoint looking over the town and the harbour, then back for an early night.
Unfortunately next door had other ideas and talked nonstop at the top of their voices until 11pm disturbing everyone on the aire - very, very rude!!
Tuesday 23/07/2019 Candás to Playa de Verdicio
N43°37’42.8’’ W005°52’34.5’’ €5 overnight parking on grass on cliff edge. No service point, no electric, spectacular views.
We had an early start today (I really hope we woke next doors up when we left), and after a quick visit to the service point were on the good roads to Playa de Verdicio.
The last kilometre was interesting as it was only wide enough for one vehicle, but the prize at the end was a magnificent view of the ocean below us.
The waves were crashing over the rocks spectacularly - a great sight and sound, and we were parked 10 metres from it.
There are many sloping fields here, and we were at the bottom of one next to the coast.
I’m a bit worried about grass, rain and getting stuck, but I think if it stays dry we will be fine.
There are many many vans here at all angles and directions, and there looks to be a bar at the top of the hill - he should be getting some trade!!
We spent most of the morning watching the surfers catching a wave - much admired for their skill and tolerance of the cold Atlantic.
There were lots of comings and goings, with the Spanish cars squeezing into the most unlikely of gaps - tomorrow we must go very early - the single track road to this place will be very busy by 10am.
Come 4pm it started to rain, so I made the decision to move to the top of the hill, so we didn’t get stuck at the bottom of the field.
Obviously the sun came out afterwards, but at least I will be able to sleep tonight.
Wednesday 24/07/2019 Playa de Verdicio to San Esteban
N43°33’47.7’’ W006°04’44.0’’ Free overnight parking on tarmac for 20+ vans. No services, no electric, water tap by beach.
It rained in the night, so maybe the trip to the top of the field was worth it - I don’t know.
We were off just after 9am to miss the traffic, and our first stop was Avilés for a visit to Lidl.
We had identified our next stop as San Esteban at the mouth of the river
No problem getting there alongside the river to the port, and at the end of the road was a huge car park, a seawater outdoor pool, a bar and restaurant and some shingle beaches amongst the rocky shoreline.
We had to park lengthways across 3 parking bays - they were too short to park widthways - the car park is huge, so it shouldn’t make any difference.
We walked the 15 minutes back to the town of San Esteban and spotted a restaurant which looked excellent for menu del dia.
This was a proper high-end restaurant doing menu del dia - they changed the cutlery after every course, the 1/2 bottle of red was superb, and the 1/2 bottle of excellent white was in an ice bucket, a chilled bottle of water was included, cotton napkins, excellent food and great service all went towards making this an experience to remember.
An aperitif of caramelised onion and tomato on a crouton before the meal, and a digestif of moron liqueur afterwards made the €15 bill seem inadequate.
Well done Cam de Ribera restaurant of San Esteban - visit them if you can - you won’t be disappointed!
After a lie down and a siesta, we were up and running again, climbing up (and down) the 420 steps to the Ermita at the top of the cliff.
The view was excellent in both directions along the coast
The view was excellent in both directions along the coast
with their towering cliffs and wooded hills - very impressive.
Total for the day was 5km or 8,918 steps.
Total for the day was 5km or 8,918 steps.
The car park here got very, very full from 12 noon onwards, the seawater pool and surrounding grass sunbathing areas proving very popular.
At 8pm it closed and there was a mass exodus until we were almost on our own again - all the swimmers had gone home!
Thursday 25/07/2019 San Esteban to Navia
N43°32’44.1’’ W006°43’11.0’’ Free aire on tarmac for 12 vans, next to supermarket, town and river. Service point, no electric.
66km in 1hr 12min
To see an interactive map of today's route, click here.
It was quite windy last night - I had to shut the rooflight at 3am because of the wind, so I was quite nervous this morning of going on the A8/E70 motorway which seemed to be a series of viaducts and tunnels.
To see an interactive map of today's route, click here.
It was quite windy last night - I had to shut the rooflight at 3am because of the wind, so I was quite nervous this morning of going on the A8/E70 motorway which seemed to be a series of viaducts and tunnels.
However, Glyn to the rescue with internet at the restaurant next to us, to tell me all was fine with light winds all day until evening, when it was due to rain.
We made for Puerto de Vega which was just a car park next to the port (but a very big car park) so you could park where you wanted.
We parked up and had a walk around the fishing village - very quaint and much like a Cornish seaside village (which the north coast of Spain has much in common with)
We had seen all we wanted to see (and the TV coverage was very poor - big day in the Tour de France today) so headed off up the very steep access slope to the riverside town of Navia, only 7 km away.
The aire was on the access road to the Eroski supermarket and petrol station. Enough for 12 vans and quite level (with excellent TV coverage!) with a full service point, but no electric.
A walk along the river into town revealed a thriving boat repair business with permanent tower cranes on site.
There was a market on in town, and plenty of people about with shops, bars and restaurants aplenty.
Then it was back to Cervantes to watch the TDF climb 3 Hor Category climbs - I was sweating just watching! They were Col de Vaars, Col d’Izoard, Col de Lauteret and Col de Galibier (I’ve ridden the last 2)
As forecast, the thunder and lightning and rain arrived at teatime and lasted for a couple of hours, which obviously kept us indoors.
There is a launderette inside the Eroski (Familia) supermarket next door, so we took advantage of it to wash and dry some bedding and clothing.
We still have some things to see (and wash) in Navia, so decided to stay here for another night.
Friday 26/07/2019 Navia
We’re parked next door to the cleaning department of Navia, and I think they must have started and moved every vehicle they have this morning.
Never mind - we intended getting up early.
We thought we would be the first to the launderette, but were surprised to see the Spanish couple there already. They did a huge amount yesterday, and again today - they must have a big van!
A coffee in the excellent bar/restaurant next door to the launderette later, we were using the tumble dryer, then off for a walk to the sea.
There is a brilliant path alongside the river to the sea, then a path back through some very pretty woodland. (5.1km or 9,254 steps)
The town of Navia is much bigger than we first thought. It has some excellent old buildings, and some in need of total restoration.
It seems to be a thriving town with plenty going on, and many things planned on the posters around the town.
Today is a pivotal day in the TDF, so it’s back to Cervantes to see if Geraint Thomas can pull something out of the bag - here’s hoping.
It was good to see the local police patrolling the aire - always reassuring to see them.
Saturday 27/07/2019 Navia to Os Amedos
N43°33’08.5’’ W007°09’01.9’’ Free overnight parking on grass for 40+ vans. No services or electric.
After our evening walk last night (another 5km) it started to rain and now, (11.45am) it has finally stopped.
The solar panel has been contributing 0.1amp all morning, but now the rain has stopped and daylight is here once more, it’s pumping in 6amps - that’s more like it.
The TDF was cut short yesterday due to hailstones and a landslide blocking the road, so now Bernal is leading the tour with Thomas in 2nd place, 30 seconds behind him.
It’s the last real day of racing today, and we’ve just found out there is another landslide on today’s course, so they’ve shortened it to a 59km uphill sprint - it’s the decider.
We have full TV coverage, so we’re watching the Tour first, then moving on.
What a result - Bernal wins the TDF and Thomas is 2nd!!.
There are some rock formations called “the cathedral” on the coast, (arches in sandstone cliffs on the beach) just past Os Amedos which has some parking on the clifftop.
When we got there (5.30pm) the car parks were all full - there was no room at all.
On our way in we had seen a field with cars and motorhomes in, so we found a place to turn around, and parked there.
It’s on grass, but seems quite solid, and we’re not alone - there are at least 10 other motorhomes here, so we’re reasonably confident that we won’t be moved on - only time will tell!
It started to rain at 10.45pm, but we were in bed by then, so decided to face the consequences in the morning!
Sunday 28/07/2019 Os Amedos to Ribadeo
N43°32’13.4’’ W007°02’07.6’’ Free overnight parking on tarmac for 20+ vans. No services, no electric.
Glad to say there were no issues with the grass - it had dried out by this morning, and we were not moved on!
The Spanish propane gas ran out at 7pm last night, so I swapped to our LPG refillable bottle (which is almost full), so the first thing to do tomorrow is to find a Repsol garage for a new bottle of propane.
It was the quietest night we had had for some time last night - no animal noises, no loud music, no vehicles coming and going, no people talking outside our door, just the distant roar of the sea - bliss!
On our way here yesterday we drove over the River Ribadeo on the bridge, and both of us said at the same time “that looks like a good place to explore”
We had looked at the aires in Campercontact, and reading the reviews were not impressed (lesson learned - don’t take everything that’s written at face value).
Sight of the town changed our minds, and we decided to retrace our steps from yesterday and go to the parking at the port.
Easy to find, great views and an uphill parking spot - everything was good.
The town was excellent - fantastic old buildings, a great number and variety of bars and restaurants (the marina had great views and bars), and there was so much history in the town.
In the 1870’s the town was greatly influenced by wealthy traders and ship-owners from across the Atlantic, who built enormous, opulent houses and gardens. These returning emigrants were known as “Indianos”, who built lavish and spacious houses in the town, much different to the traditional Galician houses, some of which still survive today.
Ribadeo is a busy town, lots of people both in the town and by the water - a real thriving community.
The police were again patrolling the car park, giving us all some peace of mind.
Monday 29/07/2019 Ribadeo to Foz
N43°33’50.4’’ W007°15’26.7’’ Free aire on sand/grass for 70+ vans. Service point, no electric. Excellent views over the bay.
Another walk last night to the lighthouse brought our total to 7.8km or 15,036 steps.
There was a lorry parked opposite outside the lonja (fish market) with a refrigerated trailer which kept kicking in throughout the night to maintain the temperature inside the trailer.
Luckily it moved on in the early hours of the morning, so we could get some continuous sleep.
After getting a new gas bottle (the empty one had lasted for 21 days with constant use - not bad for €11.50!!) we shopped at Mercadona, then moved 30km to the estuary at Foz.
There is parking here at sea level (and a service point, but no electric) for 70+ vans, half of which are looking directly over the estuary.
We are on the front row and are currently watching the tide come in and cover the sandbanks - what an excellent place with a fantastic view - no wonder it is so popular - there are not many spaces left (and it is only 12.30pm!)
The parking is on grass and sand and is quite level, so rain shouldn’t be an issue.
There are plenty of seabirds here to keep Glyn busy - purple herons are the latest sighting!
Another smaller aire is in sight on the opposite side of the bay - it looks like for approximately 10 vans, but this one has by far the best outlook over the estuary.
We walked into town to find it full of busy bars and restaurants overlooking the endless beaches, with waves crashing in, and the offshore wind blowing the spray in the opposite direction.
We found a restaurant with a great view, a superb menu and the best waiters ever - what a find at the corner of Rua Manuel Murguia and Paseo de Colón - Restaurante Costumes Do Mar. It was the best €20 we have ever spent.
High tide was at 3.20pm, and the sandbanks are completely covered - we’ll spend the next couple of hours watching the tide go out again.
Tuesday 30/07/2019 Foz to San Cibrao
N43°41’37.4’’ W007°26’15.5’’ Free aire on grass/sand for 20+ vans. Service point, no electric. Great view of the sea.
Drizzle in the night, but nothing serious, so we were off early to see the aire at Burela.
It was excellently signed, but turned out to be roadside parking on a one-way street. The marked parking area was not wide enough for a motorhome (although it was for a car), so maybe a re-think is in order for this one.
We moved on to the aire in San Cibrao, which turned out to be excellent - and a German Hymer was just going, so we got the best view on the right hand side of all the motorhomes.
Again on grass and sand, but this time sloping up, so was fine for us - and a great view out of the windscreen of the waves crashing in over the granite boulders.
We took a walk up to the faro (lighthouse) on top of the peninsula, then walked to town which fronted the river and beach.
There were many restaurants all doing good business, but some trout in our fridge had our name on them, so it was back to Cervantes for trout, garlic mash and Ribero wine.
The sea is hypnotic - we could watch it for ages coming in and going out, so after a quick boulder scramble around the adjacent headland and back, it was time to relax (and watch the sea!)
Wednesday 31/07/2019 San Cibrao
A very quiet night, thank goodness, and awake to bright sunshine.
There is a clifftop coastal walk to the Bauxite (Aluminium Oxide) plant along the coast. It’s very picturesque, with a good view of the machinery used to load ships with the red, fine-grained ore, which coats everything in a red sheen.
They mine, process and export 1.5 million tonnes per year, so this is a massive processing plant.
We tried to find a menu del dia today but were unsuccessful - the only restaurant we really liked was full to bursting, so it was back to Cervantes for lunch.
The aire is thinning out with vans today, and there are quite a few spaces currently (at 5pm)
Thursday 01/08/2019 San Cirao to Viveiro
N43°40’04.0’’ W007°35’58.8’’ Free aire on tarmac for 8 vans with service point. Electric €2 fir 1 hour, water €2 for 100 litres.
Rain last night, and it’s blowing a gale this morning - what a difference it makes when the sun's not shining.
It’s a short drive today to Viveiro, on an estuary running out to the sea.
The aire here is purpose-made with 8 dedicated spaces for motorhomes, 4 of which have their own service point. It was built at a cost of €25,000 (according to the sign by the communal service point)
A walk over the bridge got us to the old town of Viveiro - very charming with it’s old, cobbled, narrow alley-ways.
There is a 4 day event on in the Plaza Mayor starting today, and the stage is nearly ready for the dancers and singers. A food market is currently competing for space in the square.
Rain again brought us back to Cervantes to do some housekeeping and book-keeping whilst the rain passes.
Friday 02/08/2019 Viveiro to O Picón
N43°44’42.6’’ W007°44’53.6’’ Free overnight parking on top of a cliff. No services or electric. Breathtaking views.
So, the youngsters of Viveiro (30 metres away) finally gave us some peace at 3am, when they stopped shouting, singing and playing loud music, which allowed us to get some sleep - thank you to all involved.
We were glad to leave Viveiro at 9am - never to return. Come on Viveiro, get a grip!
Our destination was only 26km away, but it was on top of a cliff with fantastic views, though the last 5km drive was on some very narrow roads, but the views were definitely worth it.
There were only 5 vehicles there when we arrived (2 of them motorhomes), but as the day progressed, more and more cars appeared.
When we got back from our walk the car park was practically full, but as the afternoon wore on, they slowly disappeared, so tonight we may get some sleep - I really hope so.
 |
| Cervantes on top of a cliff |
Many stunning walks later - you really do get quite blasé about the scenery after a while, visiting beaches and headlands - we stumbled upon a bar/restaurant in the woods.
Run by a Swiss and a German, they were open from May to September, and were literally in the middle of the woods - you could just see the sea from the table in the field in front of the bar.
They were so friendly, and had “vegan setas” on their menu, so we decided to come back at 7pm and try their food.
What a smart move - the food was superb - high-end restaurant standard, and at a ridiculous price - we are so glad we followed our instinct and ate here.
The guys doing the work were fantastic - such genuine people doing what they loved.
Then it was back to Cervantes to watch the sunset through the windscreen - does it get any better than this?
Saturday 03/08/2019 O Picón to Cariño
N43°44’01.5’’ W007°52’27.3’’ Free aire on tarmac for 9 vans. Service point, no electric. 2 minutes from beach.
Peace and quiet, and a wonderful sunset view meant a good nights sleep - yeah!!
We wanted to be off early, but didn’t wake up until 9am - really late for us - we’re up at 7.30am every morning!
On the road by 9.30am, we took the correct access road we should have taken to get here, and were soon in Cariño - a nice little town recommended by an Italian gent we got talking to in San Cibrao.
The aire was full when we got here at 10.30am, so we waited for someone to go - only a 10 minute wait.
We took the coastal path to the nearest cafe for coffee, then spoke to a very helpful Tourist Information man and set off for the casco viejo (old town) on the hill.
There were great views from the top, and much history in the narrow streets.
We passed a huge tent being dressed with tables and chairs, and discovered it was a festival to celebrate the sardine - opens at 1.30pm, so we’ll be there to sample the food.
We got there at 2.15 and there were 2 choices - barbequed sardines and potatoes for €6, or skate and potato stew for €8.
We thought one of each would be good, but the queue for the sardines was 30m long - so we joined it and after 20 minutes got to the front and got our food.
There were also some complimentary boxes of wine that just kept coming and coming, both red and white. You could help yourself to as much as you wanted - there’s Spanish for you.
The 2 tents with tables and chairs were full to bursting, so we ate ours on a bench by the sea, looking at the view.
When they put an event on in Spain, especially in a small community, it is so well supported and participated in, that it is bound to be a success.
Sunday 04/08/2019 Cariño
A nice quiet night with just the odd dog, and we decided to stay another night.
Yesterday we had seen a poster for today’s event which was “day of the bike”
On the grass of the park behind us this morning, a van appeared and unloaded 2 tables and various drinks, energy bars and bananas - aha I thought - a feed station for the cyclists.
It turned out to be the start of a 120km mountainous road race - all the 100+ riders congregating for the start, just behind Cervantes, and loading up on carbs and liquids.
Once they were off, we were too, on a 6.7km (10,327 steps) walk high above the beaches and estuaries to the south of us.
There were some great views and a great deal of climbing and descent - just what we like.
Monday 05/08/2019 Cariño to Ferrol
N43°29’36.3’’ W008°14’24.2’’ Free aire on tarmac for 14 vans. Service point, no electric. Lots of parking on car park. 15 minutes walk to town.
Another night of peace - aha - getting used to this!
An early start to Ferrol on the 862, a very good road to drive on with lots of climbs and descents.
Joining the AP9 we were soon at our turnoff for the football stadium - the aire is at the far end of their car park with space for 14 vans, although in truth you could park anywhere in the car park - it is not used during the day.
The aire overlooks green fields and a children's playground and feels (and is) very safe and secure, helped by the other 7 vans here.
We walked to town and saw a mix of elaborate, imposing buildings, and derelict, overgrown, neglected buildings - it was difficult to put the 2 together.
The saving grace was the naval base, now a World Heritage Site, designed as an arsenal for the Spanish navy, and still used as such today.
The buildings and infrastructure are impressive, and the dock held 4 Spanish naval vessels, bristling with firepower and listening equipment - very high-tech.
Walking along the backstreets towards the port, we stumbled across Bodegon Bacoriño at 28 Rúa San Francisco. It looked very authentic looking through the door, and when we got inside it was even better.
Named D.O. wines by the glass ranging from €2 to €3.20, and a small but excellent range of speciality tapas.
We had the cheese plate with several speciality cheeses, and a plate of red piquillo peppers with ventresca (tuna belly fillet) and of course some local bread. With a couple of glasses of excellent wine, it was a nice change from a menu del dia, and all of it excellent, quality produce.
Back at Cervantes we were down to earth again, washing our smalls in a bucket by the desague - some things never change, and needs must!
Tuesday 06/08/2019 Ferrol to Betanzos
N48°17’01.8’’ W008°12’51.4’’ Free aire on tarmac for 13 vans. Service point, no electric. 5 minute walk to old town.
Woken this morning at 8am by a 21 gun salute - it’s not my birthday, so I don’t know what it was for (it could have been very poor shooting from a 12 bore shotgun!)
On our way today to a new aire (opened in February 2019) for 11 vans on smooth tarmac, well marked with service point, but no electric.
We found it OK, although we could have driven the last 100 metres on a better road (thank you sat-nav)
The town is a 5 minute walk away, and the genuine old town is original and charming with narrow passageways and tall, imposing buildings.
The town was full of ancient buildings and steeped in history. Lots of information boards kept us up to speed. A nice town with a lot to offer.
Down every alley there were restaurants and bars galore.
The alleys were very narrow, so by definition the bars were small, but very genuine.
There were so many to choose from, in the end we went for one that had won a tapas award last year - that must mean something, we thought.
We had wine and tapas - all excellent, then back to Cervantes before the rains came, which kept us inside for most of the rest of the day.
Wednesday 07/08/2019 Betanzos to Guitiriz
N43°15’38.8’’ W008°11’19.7’’ Free aire on crushed stone for 5 vans. Service point, free electric.
It was a race this morning to see who was first to the service point. We lost by one van, but came an admirable second.
There were vans everywhere this morning - there were more on the bus car park next door than there were on the aire!
We are heading inland due to hurricane force winds forecast for the coast we were thinking of staying at. Our destination therefore was the 5 van aire in Guitiriz.
When we got here we found a Carthago Chic C-line from Portugal (towing a trailer) had taken up 3 of the 5 spaces by parking across the bays, instead on in one of them.
We therefore had to park next to him, effectively blocking off all the other spaces - what can you do??
There is Hostal La Casilla just over the road from us here, where we had the best menu del dia we have ever had.
There was a huge hunk of Galician bread on the table (cut from a massive, round loaf) when we sat down. The starters we had (warm green bean stew with onions and tuna, and a salad of egg, prawns, rice and tomatoes) were huge - enough for 4!
I had red wine and Glyn had white, and they produced a bottle of each! It was own label (La Casilla) so they had it made for them. We had dorada for the main course - they produced 4 big fillets (2 whole fish) each and homemade chips.
We had the sweet recommended by our brilliant waiter, a blend of rice and sugar - half rice pudding, half set blancmange - it was delicious.
The ridiculous price was €10 each - we would happily have paid twice that.
When we left at 2.45pm it was understandably full of people and buzzing - nearly all the tables were taken.
It markets itself as a “Hostal”, but if the rooms are anything like the food, this would be a bargain place to stay. (Glyn googled booking.com and they were fully booked for next week)
Back at the aire there are still just the 3 of us - it’s a shame the Portuguese van is hogging all the space!
There is free electric here - we connected OK, but the fridge would still only run on gas, even though it was on automatic selection, which flagged up a dodgy supply to us..
After 30 minutes the fridge started flicking very quickly between gas and electric, making a very loud clicking noise, so we thought it best to disconnect the electric before anything blew up!
There is a toilet and washbasin in a wooden building 10 metres away - open when we were here, but no opening times shown.
Thursday 08/08/2019 Guitiriz to Lugo
N43°00’15.3’’ W007°33’42.1’’ Free aire on tarmac for 60+ vans. Double service point, no electric.
There were vans parked everywhere this morning - a bit chaotic (thanks to the Carthago), with electric hook-up wires all over the place.
It rained heavily yesterday, so as we set off this morning, there was a waterfall of water from our roof - very spectacular (and a bit wet if you’re under it)
There are gale force winds forecast for the coast of Galicia, so we’re on our way to Lugo - far enough inland to miss it.
Lugo has the best preserved continuous Roman walls surrounding its old town in Spain, which has earned it a World Heritage Site status.
The wall itself was very impressive, although the derelict buildings and graffiti on either side did not sit well, not doing it any favours.
We walked half of it, then went to find some half-decent buildings.
The cathedral was a stunner, with free audio headsets to explain everything. The €5 entrance fee was worth it for the altar alone - so elaborate and ornate.
The rain came down again, so Glyn hunted out a hairdresser for a trim, and came out nearly scalped - the hairdressers seem to do what they want, no matter what you ask them to do!
We had a very “modern” menu del dia which wouldn’t have been out of place in a Heston Blumenthal restaurant - very inventive, and very, very nice.
Dodging the showers again, we walked back through the excellent parks just above our parking spot, and battened down the hatches to do some chores and rest our feet.
Friday 09/08/2019 Lugo
As we went to bed last night, vans were still pouring in to park. This morning all the perimeter was full, and they were now parking along the middle of the car park.
I counted them all, and there are currently 72 vans here, and still room for some more!
As the day wore on they slowly disappeared, and at 6pm you could fit all that were left along one side.
We’re here for another day due to wind.
It’s coming from the south and is very strong, so you can imagine what it it like on the Galician coast (which is where we had planned to be)
We just had a couple of shopping walks today, one to Mercadona for some staples (and a coffee), then after lunch to Carrefour via the river path - a lovely walk.
This is our first stop tomorrow for even more shopping (and some diesel)
This is our first stop tomorrow for even more shopping (and some diesel)
Before we left the coast we seemed to be in some sort of organised group - everytime we went to a new aire, either a van we had parked with previously was already there, or another one followed us in soon after.
There was a group of 4 or 5 we frequently parked with over a 2 week period.
We’ve resorted to taking number plates to see if they really are the same ones!!
We spotted in the aire a very rare Burstner Ixeo Time 585 (ours is a 590) - it's only the second one we've ever seen!
We spotted in the aire a very rare Burstner Ixeo Time 585 (ours is a 590) - it's only the second one we've ever seen!
Saturday 10/08/2019 Lugo to Santiago de Compostela
N42°53’41.8’’ W008°32’00.8’’ Paid aire on tarmac for 50+ vans. €3.50 for the day, then €12 for the night. Service point, water €3 (key for tap in pay booth)
We used one of the service points this morning, but no fresh water fill (only one tap for fresh water filling and toilet cassette rinsing!!)
Our first step was shopping and diesel at Carrefour, 5 minutes away, then onto the A54 motorway until it ran out, just west of Palas de Rei.
A continuation of the motorway to Santiago de Compostela is planned, but is not yet built, so it was on to the N547 to continue our journey west
The motorway started again at Cerceda and took us right into Santiago.
The aire is in a coach park, controlled at the gate with a pay booth and a barrier.
It’s €3.50 to enter and park for the day, then a further €12 if you stay overnight, payable the next morning.
Water is €3, and the tap is locked, so you get the key when you pay.
Free flowing water is available at the cassette rinse!!
The pay booth is open from 8am to 8pm, and the exit barrier is open all night.
We walked into Santiago in 20 minutes and were met by hordes of people (which we expected), most with sticks and rucksacks, walking the Camino de Santiago.
We were undecided what to think about Santiago. On the one hand the buildings, streets, history, culture and architecture of the place was second to none.
On the other hand, the sheer number of people here, the tacky souvenier shops selling tat, the queues everywhere for everything, the cars driving down pedestrian streets and the endless organised tours made us feel very uncomfortable,and really spoiled what should have been a memorable visit.
But, it is what it is, so we just got on with it.
We queued for 15 minutes to get into the cathedral (free), only to find that major renovations were under way, with plastic sheeting and scaffolding everywhere, plus that many people - we were suddenly on the terraces at a Liverpool - Everton derby!
We found some solace in a very posh (expensive so relatively quiet) bar and bistro and contemplated our wine.
A nice walk back through parkland had us back at Cervantes for some peace and quiet (apart from the Honda generator belonging to the next door but one Italian van, outside his habitation door!)
Sunday 11/08/2019 Santiago de Compostela to A Coruña
N43°22’58.2’’ W008°24’38.9’’ Free overnight parking on tarmac for 10+ vans. No services, no electric. 10m from the sea.
A very early start today (7.30am) and we were straight into 10° temperature and low lying mist.
It was fog lights on, and drive to the conditions until it totally cleared.
We were headed for Puzós on the north coast, just east of A Coruña - an aire by the side of a very quiet road to use the excellent service point - separate taps for water and waste.
Then on to A Coruña, and a buttock-clenching drive into a tunnel that had me sweating, but turned out OK in the end.
We found the parking at the Aquarium OK - great view of the Torre de Hercules (which is where alternative parking is available - we walked through later and found the car park rammed because they sell tickets for the tower there (€3) so everyone parks there)
We walked all the way round the north and east of the coast, into the old town - great buildings and vibe.
On the way we passed the port where we watched the cruise liner “Magellan” dock.
The port area was superb - beautiful old buildings and very tidy - a credit to A Coruña.
To give something back for our free parking, we had a meal in a restaurant in the old town. The weather looked threatening, and sure enough, as we sat down, the heavens opened and everyone outside followed us inside.
A walk back to Cervantes revealed some excellent buildings on the way - A Coruña really is a classy place - very well kept!
The aquarium is just behind us, and a quick glance into the pools of water between us and the aquarium revealed 10 sea lions who had the run of the water and the floating pontoons - you know what we were doing for the next couple of hours!
Monday 12/08/2019 A Coruña to Muxía
N43°05’54.6’’ W009°12’45.5’’ Free aire on fine gravel for 6 vans. Service point (separate taps!!), no electric. 10m to beach. 10min walk to town.
Woken at 6am by a mixture of torrential rain on the roof, and cars driving into the car park and chatter.
It turned out that the men were going diving - all togged up in wet-suits, I presume after pulpo (octopus), or percebes (goose barncles)
We therefore had an early start (8am) as we headed for Traba (near Mórdomo) on the beach.
The access roads were nowhere near driveable, so we went instead to plan B and drove to Muxía instead.
This is one of the true ends of the Camino de Santiago (the other being Fisterra), and the place was full of weary pilgrims, glad to have finally finished.
A lovely little town with some nice beaches and some great walks, especially nice was the walk to the church at the headland, where the successful pilgrims could get their cards stamped, and dip their feet into the Atlantic to confirm the completion of their walk.
Many restaurants to choose from - we chose a pilgrims menu, which was just fine for us.
Back at the aire, 3 out of the 6 vans had gone and not been replaced, so we await the arrival of many more tonight - maybe!
Tuesday 13/08/2019 Muxía to Fisterra
N42°54’41.1’’ W009°15’48.5’’ Paid aire on crushed stone for 25+ vans. €5 per night. Electric €3 per day. Service point, water €3. Great view of sea, great staff.
Glyn slept until 9.30am this morning - that’s got to be a record!
By that time there were only 4 of us left, with vans continually turning up to use the service point.
We set off at 10.15am and used the main roads to get to Fisterra (or Finisterre as it is known in England) - what a great place.
We managed to park so we were level, but still had a fantastic view of the sea and shoreline - we couldn’t believe it.
The owner was helpfulness itself, and told us lots of local info.
We walked to the port and came across 3 men at the top of a very high transmission tower, hanging from the top by their harnesses - my knees buckled just watching them!
Plenty of places to eat at the port, so we chose a busy fish restaurant that also advertised a vegetarian menu - very unusual in this part of the world.
Pesto pasta, grilled vegetables and 5 scallops later we were full, so decided to head back to buy some ice and chill.
We had booked a sunset boat trip at the port, starting at 8.15pm. It tours the port, beaches and lighthouse peninsular, and includes food (tortilla and tuna empanada) and wine.
It’s our 42nd wedding anniversary today, so we’re trying to do something special, but you can only do what’s available.
Up to now we’ve had a meal, sat in the sun and washed some clothes!!
Wednesday 14/08/2019 Fisterra
The sunset boat trip last night was a surprise - absolutely fabulous. The weather was superb - clear and warm, and the sun setting over the lighthouse at the “end of the world” was unforgettable.
The trip included food and wine and couldn’t have been better - well worth €12 each!!
Added to that was the bonus of a full moon rising in the opposite sky - couldn’t have planned it better for our anniversary - superb.
We woke this morning (screaming seagulls!) to an overcast sky which masked both the hills and the horizon - not a surprise because the next stop west over the Atlantic is America!
It threatened to clear, but never really did, so it was a day of chores (cleaning and un-blocking the bathroom sink!)
We decided to have a break and wandered over to our nearest beach to have an explore.
It looked very eerie in the mist - very ethereal.
A walk into town had us at a restaurant advertising vegetarian food, so we were in there and sat down by 2pm.
We ordered house wine and our food, and watched as various walkers and dogs came in, sat down, ate and left.
After an hour, with no words volunteered from any of the staff about our food order (we asked twice during the hour wait and were told “one minute”, then after 15 minutes “two minutes”
We had finally had enough of waiting after an hour, and paid for our drinks and left.
Not a good experience - they were obviously too busy serving the people who came in after us - why no contact with us to say “sorry it’s late” or “it may take some time”? - but nothing.
Very galling to see order after order fulfilled to people who came in 45 minutes after us. Pathetic really.
Back at the van we made some food in 10 minutes for 1/10th of the cost (and probably better), so thank you for that.
6pm, and still the mist is covering the hills - no sunshine today - the most the solar panel has put in today is 0.5 amps.
Thursday 15/08/2019 Fisterra
The weather forecast was for a sunny day today, and it was spot on.
We made a picnic (Glyn made a picnic!!) and we set off on the 3.5km walk to the lighthouse at the end of the peninsula, and alternative ending of the Camino de Santiago.
Nearly all uphill, the cliffs were vertiginous, but the views were superb, following the official Camino route.
At the top, it was a melee of people and cars - it was good to see a police car at the top - the policeman was taking photographs of the number plates of all the illegally parked cars - and about time too!!
The tired, ecstatic people who had made it to the end were good to see - I think celebrations will be under way soon!!
We took a different route back, up the opposite side of the peninsula, and we had the track to ourselves.
We saw 6 other people on the track, apart from that it was a peaceful walk with stunning views, especially of the beach opposite to where we are staying, and a great walk through quiet countryside, looking down at the sea.
Back at Cervantes it was time to relax and chill after our 8.7km walk.
Friday 16/08/2019 Fisterra to Boiro
N42°37’58.1’’ W008°51’10.3’’ Free aire on crushed stone for 5 vans. Service point, no electric. Beach is 50m away.
We’re sad to leave this excellent aire with the very friendly owner - it really is a special place to visit with a spectacular view.
We looked on Campercontact at 3 or 4 places we fancied going next, but when we googled “fiestas in xxxxxx”, it seemed that everywhere we wanted to go had a fiesta on the go!
We live a 15 minute walk from the centre of our town when at home, and can still hear the fiestas going on (when we’re not there with them!), so knew that wherever we parked, the noise would be loud and would not finish until the early hours (if you were lucky)
We honed the options down to Borio, with it’s great beach - Praia de Mañóns.
We drove on the fabulous 550 coastal road all the way from Fisterra to Boiro.
What a great road - hugging the coast all the way to give us fabulous views. - it looked a bit like I imagine the Amalfi coast road would look like, although we’ve never been (and I think I’ve read you can’t drive on it now in a motorhome)
Super-navigator Glyn got us straight here (ignoring sat-nav) and we were parked and on the beach by 2pm.
A convenient beach bar supplied us with food and drink (both excellent)
and after a walk on the beach and a paddle, we were back at Cervantes to chill and decide whether we wanted to stay here, or join the motorhomes parked next to the sandy beach - great view!
and after a walk on the beach and a paddle, we were back at Cervantes to chill and decide whether we wanted to stay here, or join the motorhomes parked next to the sandy beach - great view!
Saturday 17/08/2019 Boiro to Illa de Arousa
N42°32’49.5’’ W008°51’31.3’’ Free overnight parking on tarmac for 13 vans at the end of the bridge. Marked spaces are very tight. No services, no electric. Max stay 48hrs.
It rained heavily during the night, and was still drizzling when we got up with overcast skies and no sun.
Lidl in Boiro kept us stocked with all the essentials we need, and also some of the luxuries.
It was an uneventful drive today, again along the coast, encountering some traffic jams in the small towns - they don’t seem to have mastered the art of traffic management yet.
The bridge to the Illa de Arousa was spectacular, with a wooden walkway all the way along for pedestrians, and a cycle path alongside each carriageway.
Our walk around the island was not too long at 7km, which was mostly on traffic-free walking/cycling paths.
When we got to the port, there was a food fair in full swing, obviously majoring on fish and shellfish.
We queued for tickets, and had barbecued (on the beach in front of us) sardines (4 whole ones each) 1/2 a loaf of bread each and a large beer. The total came to €16, and the food was excellent.
The place was buzzing, with almost every table full, and queues at all the food counters.
We walked back along the empty roads on the west of the island to get back to Cervantes - very peaceful.
There is a circus next to our car park on the 21st August, and they are just setting everything up for it.
It looks to be a major operation from the size of the supports they have put up - I’m glad we’re going to miss this one.
If you need proof that mobile phones, cars and idiots don’t mix, watch the following video - what a plonker, and a danger to everyone else, on or off the road.
Sunday 18/08/2019 Illa de Arousa to Pontevedra
N42°25’59.3’’ W008°38’07.1’’ Free aire on tarmac for 20 vans. Marked pitches. 2 service points, no electric.
Heavy rain again last night - glad it’s at night so we can get out during the day.
The road noise from the bridge, and the music from the chiringuito was a bit intrusive, but it was the tried and tested ear plugs from Mercadona that did the trick, and cut out all the noise.
Only 33km today to Pontevedra - we’re looking forward to seeing it as we’ve heard and read lots of good things about it.
The road into the city and over the river was very badly surfaced (the N550) and shook us and Cervantes up a lot.
The aire is next to the river, and we could see it from the roundabout, but the exit from the aire was a one-way street, so we had to follow signs and go round 4 sides of a square to get there.
A nice aire on tarmac for 20 vans, with a dual service point - great facilities from Pontevedra - well done.
We set off walking into town for a coffee and some exploring, and found the city geared up for some serious partying later on.
2 massive performance stages in 2 separate squares, and the biggest funfair/circus/big wheel we had ever seen - the noise from all the different components must be tremendous when everything is going.
I think/hope we’re far enough away to miss the worst of it.
We found numerous churches to see (one with a knee-trembling balcony high up in the dome - I watched from the shadows as Glyn did a full circle round it) and finally found the old town, which turned out to be not as big or as old as we had first thought.
A stop at a nice bodegan revealed a good menu, so we had tapas there (bacalau, tortilla, padron peppers and assorted mushrooms) and very good they were too.
It had threatened to rain all morning, but by the time we were back in the aire, the sun had come out at last.
Monday 19/08/2019 Pontevedra to Playa Arneles
N42°16’36.0’’ W008°49’59.7’’ Paid aire on grass/sand for 40+ vans, €15 including electric, washer/dryer, showers, toilets, bar, service point. 200m from beach.
Quiet last night - Glyn told me that there were fireworks at midnight that lasted for 20 minutes - I never heard a thing and slept right through it all!!
It was an early start, and we were first on the service point to be on the road at 9am.
It was a short drive today to somewhere that Glyn had spotted ages ago, which had perfect reviews on Campercontact, and sounded almost too good to be true!
It was a bit of a pig to find up the very narrow back roads, but we got there in the end, down a very steep entrance track, and into a lovely, quiet, secluded site run by a very helpful man and his family.
The pitches are on grass, but are very accessible, and the owners young daughter showed us round the site, pointing out the washing machine and spin dryer, sinks, showers, toilets, barbecue and service point, and told us how to get to the beach, village and restaurants.
Thee are some islands near here (the very popular Islas Cíes, and the less popular Isla de Ons) which are excellent for birdlife, and the very helpful owner offered to taxi us to the nearest port where the ferries leave from.
Unfortunately, when he checked availability, they were both fully booked (only a limited amount of people are allowed onto the islands per day) until 30th August, by which time we will be far away.
A walk along the beach, then into town identified a good menu in one of the three restaurants in the village.
The menu was excellent in every respect - bonito stuffed eggs/mushrooms with rice to start, and lasagne/calamari with black rice as mains, and of course, arroz con leche to finish!
With a bottle of house wine included, it was a true bargain at only €10 each.
Back at Cervantes there is plenty of room to get the chairs out and relax outside, which is just what we did!
Tuesday 20/08/2019 Playa Arneles
A nice quiet night, then the sun rising over the hillside - excellent.
A long walk was on the agenda for today, and Glyn had mapped one out on MapsMe (a fantastic offline mapping of the world!!) which crossed over to the other side of the peninsula.
We went through the village, then over the hills, to the beaches on the other side, where we could see the Islas de Cíes.
The first beach we came to was idyllic - beautiful white sand, a granite rock background, azure blue sea, and a beach full of people with no clothes on!
We had stumbled by accident (honestly!!) onto the naturist beach of Praia de Barra, but they didn’t seem to mind our shorts and tops.
 |
| Nudist beach |
The beach looked like something out of a film set, and would take some beating, and the next beach along the coast (Praia de Viñó) came pretty close to that.
In a stunning setting, with everything just right, it was jaw-droppingly excellent. This was only half nudist (the top half), so we felt much more at home.
 |
| Topless beach |
The third and last beach along the coast (Praia de Nerga) was much more commercial with an overflowing car park and many bars.
 |
| Fully clothed beach in foreground, nudist beach behind |
We chose one as near to the beach as possible (we were almost on it) and had some excellent bocadillas (sandwiches) and top class wine (El Coto) for not much money (€11) Give Chiringuito Alicia e Hijos some business if you can - great people.
The walk home was through some excellent countryside, and from the top of the hill, some great views of the bays and the hills beyond.
Back to Cervantes for some R&R after 9.1km (14,989 steps), we were glad to sit down and watch the world go by, and be thankful that my feet are not cracking (again!)
Wednesday 21/08/2019 Playa Arneles to Vigo
N42°15’06.1’’ W008°41’40.1’’ Paid aire on tarmac for 20+ vans, €10 for service point, secure parking manned 24 hours, no electric.
Another lovely quiet night, although Glyn said there was a snorer in the next van!!
We went for a walk on the adjacent beach before we left this excellent aire, and it’s brilliant host José.
We plugged todays destination of Vigo into the sat-nav, and it sent us nearly back to Pontevedra before sending us south.
We obviously ignored this, and it was left to Glyn to navigate (ace navigator) us to Vigo.
There was some confusion as to whether the only bridge crossing into Vigo was on a pay motorway - we decided if it was, it would be worth it - the alternative was 35km further.
As it turned out, the bridge was free, as was the approach to the bridge, and the roads afterwards.
We found the motorhome parking with no problem, and the very helpful woman there (in the pay booth) gave us lots of information about places to see and buses to catch - she even came with us to show us the bus stop! (€1.35 each to the centre of Vigo, buses every 15 minutes)
We had no knowledge of Vigo, so everything was new. It gave the appearance of a very sophisticated, hard-working, but fun at the same time - kind of place.
We first went to the commercial centre on the harbour, then up into the old town, not far from the sea.
It was not very big, but impressed in a big way, and a coffee outside the church was just right.
There is lots of industry in Vigo, and it is kept separate from the shops, marina and tourist centres.
We bought some lunch to eat by the sea, then discovered the cruise terminal building which had a bar and restaurant above it, and had a fantastic terrace overlooking the water
which is where we saw 2 dolphins leaping out of the water - it made our day!
which is where we saw 2 dolphins leaping out of the water - it made our day!
Then it was a climb up many, many steps to a monument behind the old town. The view from the top was stunning (when we eventually got there) with a full 360° panorama of Vigo, the offshore islands and the hills inland.
The detailed map and explanations our lady had given us meant we were on the bus home, and got off at the correct stop, and were soon sat outside Cervantes, resting our feet.
After a while we got itchy feet again, so set off on the 30 minute walk to the Ermita de A Guía - a church on top of a hill with a tall belltower that you could climb (info again from our very helpful lady on reception).
It was uphill all the way, with some stone spiral steps to the top of the tower, but boy was it worth it.
The 360° views were uninterrupted and spectacular - the best view of Vigo she said - and she was correct.
Thursday 22/08/2019 Vigo to Ribadavia
N42°17’08.6’’ W008°08’34.2’’ Free aire on sand/fine gravel for 30+ vans, service point, no electric, old town is 5 minutes away.
It’s time to say goodbye to the Atlantic - this is the last time we will see it on this trip. It’s now a road trip east, away from the coast, heading (eventually) for home.
The next sea we will see is the Mediterranean.
The lovely lady on reception gave us chapter and verse on what to see on the way to Ribadavia, bless her, and what to see when we got there.
She gave us a big hug as we left, and was talking to the next van as we left - what a woman!!
It was motorway almost all the way today to our aire in Ribadavia.
Straightforward to find (don’t turn right where the service point is - it does lead you to the aire, but there is a severe hairpin bend with 2 very large trees either side of the bend to negotiate), but carry on 10 metres to another entrance on your right - much better access.
The aire is idyllic under lots of tree cover with a wooded hillside across the river, and the town 5 minutes away.
There is a feria (fair/celebration) here on Saturday, so access and egress to the aire is restricted - we’ll be gone by then.
We bought a ticket (€3) from the Tourist Info Office to go round the well-preserved castle. An audio handset was included in the price, and the whole visit was very impressive.
The village was decorated with balcony covers and flags and bunting everywhere - very impressive, and it made the old town look very authentic.
A menu del dia was on the cards today, and very good it was too. Lots of veggie (non-meat) starters and fish on the main.
For the first time ever we had to send some food back (salmon) which was not cooked in the middle.
There was not the blink of an eye from our waiter, and 2 new freshly well-cooked salmon were soon with us. A very professional performance by the waiter, and much appreciated by us.
Back at Cervantes we spent some time outside in the lovely countryside by the van.
Near dusk we went for a walk alongside the adjacent river and found a nice bench to sit on and watch the river go by - when suddenly - a KINGFISHER zoomed past us, did a full circle just above the water, then zoomed off - fantastic.
We lived in our house in Bolton (UK) for 15 years, and I only caught a glimpse of one for 2 seconds on all our walks of Bradshaw Brook.
Friday 23/08/2019 Ribadavia to Pueblo de Sanabria
N42°03’07.9’’ W006°37’50.1’’ Free aire on concrete tor 30+ vans, no electric, no service point, town 5 minutes walk away.
A few dogs, but we’re used to them, last night, and up to a bright, sunny day.
We watched the weather forecast last night, and the only place with an aviso (warning) was right where we are - the warning was for extremely high temperatures, so we thought we would give Ourense a miss (we’ve plenty of time to come back) and leave the aviso area.
We chose Pueblo de Sanabria as our destination - one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.
The road to get there was fine to start with (the A52), but gradually became more and more degraded, until we finally had to exit and take the adjacent N525.
We found the aire with no problem - room for 30+ vans on concrete, and only 10 metres from the river.
The old town and castle were above us across the river, which is where we went next.
The church and the castle were closed until 5pm, so it was a case of a good walk round the town, interspersed with a break for beer, until the appointed time.
The castle was excellent - the view from the top was breathtaking (literally) for only €3 (Glyn) and €2 (me)
which included the big people museum - 3 times height models worn by people in the fiestas, and various papier-mache heads.
which included the big people museum - 3 times height models worn by people in the fiestas, and various papier-mache heads.
Back at Cervantes, with the river as a backdrop, masterchef Glyn cooked a fantastic meal (as usual), and another day in paradise passes.
Saturday 24/08/2019 Pueblo de Sanabria to Zamora
N41°30’12.7’’ W005°45’24.4’’ Free aire on gravel/pebbles for 44 vans, service point, no electric, 3 minutes walk to centre of old town, cathedral and castle.
At 7pm last night there were 4 vans here. When we awoke this morning at 8am there were 30 vans here.
It’s no surprise that this is such a popular place, but I’ve never seen an aire change so quickly.
There is also acres of parking up to and next to the polideportivo (sports centre) further along the road.
On our way to Zamora today we drove over several bridge expansion gaps, and they were brutal - the bed started making all sorts of creaking noises.
I have run the tyres on the motorhome on 4.5 bar front and rear for the last 70,000km with no problem.
In Toledo, on our last trip in May of this year, I checked the tyre pressures at a Repsol garage and found all of them nearly 1 bar down on their pressure gauge.
This didn’t register properly with me (as it should have done), and I topped them all up to 4.5 bar again.
Ever since then the ride has been severely harsh, especially on this trip, and it didn’t dawn on me until today that the pressure reading in Toledo was wrong, and the tyres were really at 4.5 bar, and I had put an extra 1 bar in, making them 5.5 bar all round.
No wonder the ride was like having no suspension!
I stopped today at the first garage I could and measured the pressures again - all over 5 bar!!!
I adjusted the fronts to 4.5 bar and the rears to 5 bar, and the ride difference was dramatic.
It wasn’t exactly a magic carpet ride, but at least I kept all my fillings.
Zamora turned out to be quite nice. The cathedral was over the top ornate with huge silver tronos, tapestries that covered whole walls, and so many ornate side chapels and choirstalls, it really was something to marvel.
The castle was also open to explore, the outside walls being intact, and the inside reconstructed, and the city walls were generally intact, and a welcome sight.
We walked around the old town with some superb buildings, and found ourselves in the Plaza Mayor at 3pm, so decided on a menu del dia at a very busy restaurant on the perimeter.
Outside was absolutely rammed, so we opted for inside, which turned out to be a great little intimate dining room in the cellar, so very cool.
Even though every table outside was taken, we were seen immediately and were soon enjoying house salad/garlic prawns (starters), baked trout (main course) and homemade rice pudding - €12!! (with a bottle of wine)
It’s quite hot here today, so we made our way back to Cervantes to sit and chill out.
Sunday 25/08/2019 Zamora to La Alberca
N40°29’19.7’’ W006°07’00.6’’ Free aire on concrete for 5 vans, service point, no electric. Excellent town 5 minutes walk away.
158km in 2hr 7min
To see an interactive map of today's route, click here.
Again Zamora aire was mostly empty when we went to bed, and full this morning - we heard one park next to us at 2.30am !!
To see an interactive map of today's route, click here.
Again Zamora aire was mostly empty when we went to bed, and full this morning - we heard one park next to us at 2.30am !!
A quick visit to the dual service point and we were off to La Alberca, somewhere Glyn had read about and always wanted to go.
120km of todays journey was on motorways, so it was a case of cruise control on, and let the engine management do all the work.
The last 40km were mostly uphill (we’re at 1100m here now) on really good roads - there’s nothing to stop you coming here.
The old town was full of narrow streets with timber-framed houses everywhere - you could film a medieval period drama here without changing a thing.
The main square was a mass of chairs and tables, which continued onto the main road.
There is a tremendous choice of restaurants here, almost too many to comprehend.
As we were strolling down the main road, a bellota black pig (the most expensive jamon (ham) you can buy) was nonchalantly trotting towards us up the hill.
It passed us without a second glance, followed by hordes of people holding their phones aloft - it looked like a Cliff Richards concert!
Goodness knows where the pig came from - I suspect that it was a well orchestrated publicity stunt to sell more bellota ham.
After an excellent menu del dia, we were back at the van to rest our feet and catch up on some planning of our onward destinations.
Monday 26/08/2019 La Alberca to Ciudad Rodrigo
N40°35’32.6’’ W006°32’01.2’’ Camping La Pesquera, on sand/grass for 30+ vans, €17 including electric, showers, toilets, cafe. Close to city walls, castle and river.
At 8pm last night we knew we were in for some bad weather when it went prematurely dark.
It got darker and darker, until finally the dark clouds erupted into ear-splitting thunder and hail stones the size of marbles, smashing into Cervantes - I really feared for the integrity of the van. I had visions of going back to our insurance company to tell them that another rooflight needed replacing!
After 15 minutes the hail was replaced by rain, but no ordinary rain, this rain sounded worse that the hail!
It was so heavy, and the thunder was making the van shake. I really was getting to the edge of being a bit frightened.
This went on for 2 hours, then it became less heavy, then back to full strength again. This cycle continued for 12 hours, until at 9am it finally gave up raining!
What a night !!!
Me and Glyn were laid in bed like 2 frightened children, the lightning flashes overhead were coming through the rooflight, with the thunder overhead competing with the noise of monsoon rain on the roof.
I have never been more glad to wake up to a dry van - no leaks anywhere. Burstner give the vans a test soaking, but nothing as extreme as we have just had, so thank you Burstner for building such a good motorhome.
Anyway - we set off to see Ciudad Rodrigo - one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, and it certainly lived up to it’s billing.
The whole of the old town is enclosed within 6 metre thick walls, with 2 additional walls beyond that.
The buildings inside were stunning - too many to list and describe - it must have been a very, very rich town to build all these beautiful buildings.
The Parador was housed in the castle, and looked to be a really nice place.
There is no aire anywhere near Ciudad Rodrigo, but we found a campsite - Camping La Pesquera, just a stones throw from the city walls (€17 per night including electric, showers and toilets)
Tuesday 27/08/2019 Ciudad Rodrigo to Camping Monfrague
N39°56’40.9’’ W006°04’56.1’’ Campsite for 50+ vans on sand/grass. €21.50 including electric, showers, toilets, restaurant, shop, swimming pool, horseriding, trips to Monfrague National Park, etc.
We have always had a hankering to visit the Monfragüe National Park - we were only 60km away in 2017 when we went to Cáceres and Trujillo, but time constraints had us back home before we could get there.
Camping Monfragüe is the nearest place to stay overnight at 14km away, so although it is outside ACSI rates, we arrived there at 12.30pm to ask about the prices and trips to the National Park.
It turned out that a pitch of our choosing and electric was €21.50 - not much more than the ACSI price of €18.
David on reception booked us on a 4x4 safari trip though the park at 8.30am tomorrow morning for €35 each (€45 each if you have food - chorizo and cheese) with a maximum of 6 people.
The tour lasts 3.5 hours, so when we return we can choose to stay another day, or move on.
There is an excellent restaurant onsite where we had a very, very good menu del dia of gazpacho/alcachofas, trout/bacalau, and melon (there must have been 1/2 a melon between us) - with bread, a litre of wine and casera, it cost us €9 each - brilliant value.
It’s very quiet here in this campsite, and we’ve already seen Iberian Magpies, Bee-eaters, and a very tame Nuthatch, so things are looking up on the bird front.
Wednesday 28/08/2019 Camping Monfrague
We were at reception at 8.30am this morning, as instructed, and met with Valentin - our guide for today.
He had been guiding for 12 years in this area, so knew the ins and outs of everywhere.
We were the only ones on the tour, so we had his full attention, and boy, was he knowledgeable.
We stopped in strategic places and saw Griffon Vulture, Black Vulture, Black Stork, Grey Heron, Blackeared Wheatear, Deer, Bee-eater, Egyptian Vulture and Sardinian Warbler, all by knowing when and where to look.
Valentin gave us all the history of the reserve, and how it had evolved - he really was a great guide.
The trip lasted 3.5 hours and was excellent - very highly recommended.
On the way back we drove through a forest of Holm Oak trees, some of which had had their outer layer of cork removed - it will take 9 years for it to grow back to it’s original thickness.
We also passed fields and fields of what I thought was a green leaf crop, but which turned out to be tobacco, which they grow, dry, and sell to the cigarette companies - smoking is still very big in Spain.
As we parked at the end of the tour, Valentin said I looked like someone from a James Bond movie (I’ve grown my hair this trip) - I didn’t ask if he meant Roger Moore or Blofeld !!
Back at Cervantes we got some shade, had some lunch, and dyed some hair (Glyn, not me)
Thursday 29/08/2019 Camping Monfrague to La Estrella
N39°41’08.8’’ W005°06’08.5’’ Free aire for 5 vans on concrete. No services, no electric. Toilet doors locked. 10 minute walk to village.
Time to leave this excellent campsite, we could spend more time here easily, but have plans at home to take care of.
Our first stop today was Plasencia - the parking was in a car park by a busy road, so OK for an overnight stop, but not somewhere to relax.
The cathedrals in Plasencia were superb. The old one (joined to the new one) was basic, but so well built - how did they do that so many centuries ago?
The new cathedral had been recently renovated - and what a job they had done! The attention to detail was infinite, and the altar piece and side panels were stunning - the workmanship was superb - a stunning building all round. Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside the cathedral, so you’ll have to go yourselves!
Next it was on to Lagatera - an aire off the A5/E90 motorway which we thought could be useful as an overnight stop if we are in this area again.
Our ultimate destination was an aire in La Estrella, on the CM4100.
We had looked at the approach previously on Google Maps, and planned to go around the outside of the town, then along a backstreet to it.
However, when we approached, the signs for the motorhome aire directed us through the centre of the village, so obviously, trusting the town planners in the town hall, we followed the signs along some pretty motorhome-unfriendly narrow streets, then, when we had the choice of 2 roads, the signs stopped - thank you La Estrella.
Trial and error got us to the aire (with no thanks to the “signs”) which was down a dirt track outside the village.
It’s very hot here today, so we’re outside in the shade with a cold one.
Friday 30/08/2019 La Estrella to Consuegra
N39°27’13.6’’ W003°36’41.3’’ Free overnight parking on castle and windmill car park for 30+ vans on crushed stone. No services or electric.
We had a tortuous route out of La Estrella this morning.
I thought the one yesterday was quite tight (when we finally found the right road), but this one was worse.
Today we thought we would skirt around the outside of the town to the roundabout on the CM4100.
Today we thought we would skirt around the outside of the town to the roundabout on the CM4100.
Watch the following video and see what you think - I had to get out and walk at one point to see if it was driveable!!
The parking place by the stadium is just that - one large area of compressed sand with the dried-up river separating it from the stadium.
There are no facilities, but plenty of bars and restaurants when you walk alongside the river to the town centre.
We got some shopping essentials then moved Cervantes up to the castle and windmill car park, where we had stayed overnight before - a much better place to park, and the views are superb.
Saturday 31/08/2019 Consuegra to Valdepeñas
N38°46’37.7’’ W003°23’31.7’’ Free aire on smooth concrete for 33 vans. Double service point, no electric. 2.5km walk to town centre.
It’s fiesta time in Spain and we expect nothing else than loud music until 5.30am. I was OK with it (earplugs in), but Glyn suffered all night.
Prior to 11pm last night all was tranquil (except for the very strong wind buffeting the van, and the distant thunder and lightning, luckily going the other way from us)
Our first stop this morning was the aire at Manzanares, which was an enclosed, gated car park full of HGVs. No doubt very safe, but it felt a bit closed in and claustrophobic.
Then it was on to a new aire (opened September 2018) in Valdepeñas. A custom-built aire with 2 grey water drains, 2 black water disposal points, 33 pitches, some long enough for the longest vans, and a smooth concrete surface, this had definitely been designed by a motorhomer.
The town centre is 2.5km away, which is where we went after parking up.
It turned out that the fiestas in Valdepeñas started yesterday, and the town centre was rammed with people.
A massive stage was having a sound check (yes - I can confirm it’s very loud) in front of the quiet cathedral - strange bedfellows.
It was a struggle to walk, never mind order some food, so we walked back towards the aire and found a great restaurant - excellent food and superb service.
We’ve parked in the shade of an adjacent building next to the aire, so Cervantes is nice and cool to watch the Vuelta de España in - perfect.
Sunday 01/09/2019 Valdepeñas to Riópar
N38°29’46.3’’ W002°25’17.0’’ Free aire on crushed stone for 5 vans, service point, no electric. Great views. Town centre 5 minutes away.
The service point in Valdepeñas is first class - they should all be like this.
It was an early start back onto the A4/E5 back to Manzanares (the CM412 east of Valdepeñas is undriveable!), then on to Riópar through some amazing mountain scenery through wooded hillsides on switchback roads - great fun.
There was only 1 van on the aire, so plenty of room.
We walked down to the 3 restaurants at the junction of the CM412 and the CM3204 (the road to the source of the Rio Mundo, and a great walk) and chose one that was still serving menu del dia (on a Sunday!)
Excellent food in an air-conditioned dining room was all we could have wished for.
Back at Cervantes, with every possible window and door open to dissipate the heat build-up, we were soon comfortable watching the Vuelta in Andorra - some brutal climbs!
Monday 02/09/2018 Riópar to Murcia
N38°01’45.0’’ W001°08’52.7’’ Free aire on block paving for 70 vans, service point, no electric, recycling bins. Shopping centre 1 minute away.
A nice, quiet night in the lovely Riópar, with just one other van for company.
We watched the starlings doing a mini murmuration before they settled in the trees.
Off early, we were bound for Ricote, where we had been twice before.
The aire looked very run down, with obvious tyre marks in the gravel of kids doing donuts in their souped up Ford Fiestas/Opel Kadetts, so we left to go to the aire in Ikea in Murcia - another well-visited place by us.
We had a sofa on order from Ikea, but the fabric we wanted was not available, so we called in to resolve the problem.
We chose another fabric, better than the unavailable one, and got a delivery date of next week, so all was good.
Glyn then went off shopping (after a 2 month abstinence) and came back with only one bag - thank you.
We’re off to the shopping centre tonight to one of the restaurants there, before we head for home tomorrow.
Tuesday 03/09/2019 Murcia to Home
We love travelling, but it’s always nice to come home - you really appreciate the space of the house.
We’ve had a fabulous trip, seen some amazing sights, stayed in some unbelievable places. and met some fantastic people - isn’t this what it’s all about?
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