2020 COVID Avoidance Tour

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Where to start???

Given that we’ll be full timing in the van next year we had decided to have a big holiday this year where we stayed in brick buildings and had access to a fairly constant supply of hot water, so back in the carefree days of 2019, we settled on a month’s tour of India covering as much of the country as possible.  Comfy business class flights were booked courtesy of points and everything was looking good.  Then came the virus from China that would bring the World to a standstill….

Fast forward to Summer 2020 and with India close to the top of the list of countries hardest hit by the virus, the tour was cancelled so we had to decide on how we were going to spend our month off (Bob had saved and booked the leave, June’s contract extension negotiation had included the leave so we weren’t not going to do something).  The thoughts went something like this:

  • Another long-haul destination on an Exodus tour – maybe Namibia, Botswana? Nope
  • Croatia – too many borders opening and closing between home and there to negotiate
  • UK – Wales, Scotland, Northumbria
  • Germany – regions starting prohibiting travel
  • Sweden – then Denmark closed its borders to the UK and the plan was to drive through Denmark
  • UK again – actually booked campsites in north and south Wales and the Lakes (including a meeting with the company who are going to do the van carpets) for the first week.

Then the UK started to suffer its second wave with areas being tiered according to infection rates.  North and South Wales were one of the first areas to tighten activities (and as I type this, they are now on the second day of 17 of total lockdown) followed by the area of Scotland covering Glasgow and Edinburgh and much of the northern part of England.  We knew we would have a good time wherever we could travel in the UK but the idea of going to Europe was beginning to grow.  We’d be in our own bubble in the motorhome and our preference is to be in remote, mountain regions so the chances of catching COVID would be no different to at home (possibly less with no contact with children working in pubs or at university) providing we took all the necessary caution with wearing masks and carrying copious amounts of sanitiser.  A new thermometer was even purchased to monitor our temperatures so we could head home at the first sign of any problems.

With the start of our leave imminent, we took the plunge and booked our Eurotunnel ticket just three days before we left and had a very loose plan of travelling through France and around the edge of Spain and Portugal.  I don’t think either of us believed we were going anywhere until we actually drove on to the train at Ashford but that we did just as Spain announced restrictions in several regions, including most of those along the French border and the north coast.  Still, we’d got to France and after that we didn’t really mind where we went – a month in France wouldn’t be the worst thing!

First stop was the Aire de Baie de Somme, our usual stopover when heading south through France.  Great little stop on the motorway but we arrived to find most of the parking area closed – was this a sign of things to come?  Looked like they were just doing some renovations so we had to park close to the main building but managed to have a decent night’s sleep.

With the news about Spain we had decided that a slow meander around the north and west coast before heading to the Pyrenees and the Alps might be a good idea as we’ve previously just passed through France on our way somewhere else.  With that in mind we took a slow drive along the coast to Honfleur taking in some beautiful scenery and unexpected fun driving.

23rd October

Tonight’s stop was the aire at Honfleur, a huge car riverside car park close to the centre of the town and usually overflowing with motorhomes.  We arrived about 4pm and secured a waterside pitch and although the aire got busier it was still relatively quiet.  Cost for 24 hours was €11.

Whilst we are avoiding busy places, we took the short walk into town for dinner.  A number of restaurants were closed and those which were open were operating a reduced capacity.  It was such a good evening though that we decided to sit outside overlooking the harbour to enjoy a seafood feast!

Before going to dinner, we checked the Spanish travel websites and the map and worked out that we could go back to the original plan (well a slightly amended version of the original version of this trip – I think this is going to become a common theme!) and go to Spain but take a different route avoiding the travel restrictions in the north.

24th October

With the change in plans today was a driving day, heading south.  The weather was grey with occasional showers but throughout a strong wind – Bob said he felt like he’s had a full workout by the time we got to our overnight stop.  Tonight, we’re in another riverside aire at Bruère-Allichamps, a reasonable size aire with hard and grass parking plus hook up.  Cost for the night was €9.79 plus €5 for the Camping-Car Park card which we can recharge as needed and use at other CCP aires.

25th October

Tonight’s destination is the town of Millau but despite it being almost all motorway we get to drive through the Massif Central and across the Millau Viaduct, a stunning piece of engineering.  A first today with June finally getting behind the wheel of this van and taking a short turn at driving.

We arrived in Millau early enough to go for a short walk along the river and around the old town. We’re in another CCP aire, two minutes walk from the river which costs €11.01 for a night.  After two nights parked under trees we have come to the conclusion that that’s not a good idea when it’s raining as they drip constantly all night!

26th October

From Millau we were moving on to Carcassonne to visit the old medieval fortified city.  The route given by the sat-nav was again motorway all the way but we’re always keen to explore the slightly more adventurous roads and the 2-3 hour journey became a full day of winding roads and glorious autumnal forests which gradually became vineyards as we came down from the mountains.

There is an aire located next to the Cite Campsite which is about 15 minutes walk from the old city along the River Aude and costs €15 plus 22c per person per night.  We were staying here for two nights to have the time to visit the city and catch up on some general house keeping.

As of today, due to the entire Basque region going into total lockdown and much of the rest of Spain under curfew we decide that we are going to spend the entire trip in France.

27th October

After the rain stopped, we had a bright and sunny morning exploring Carcassonne including paying to visit the Chateau Comtal and the city ramparts (€9.50 each for an unguided tour).  It was well worth the entrance fee and pre-booking a timeslot was a good idea as we didn’t have to queue.  Whilst it is sad to see so many places closed due to COVID-19 (did manage a #clewleysstopforcoffee of course) it does mean that everywhere is relatively quiet – the city is probably heaving during summer.

Carcassonne

Our biggest expenditure today was on a detailed map book of France….

Fast forward three hours and we’re going to Spain tomorrow!!!  Initially we’re aiming just across the border to Santa Pau in the Parc Natural de la Zona Volcanica de la Garrotxa before coming back to France via Andorra.  The Catalonia region is still open to travel through and is the only area where you can cross the border.

28th October

Left France and crossed the border into Spain as if it was business as usual and have camped for the night in a free aire in the village of Santa Pau.

Somewhere previously it was mentioned that our plans were nothing if not flexible and we awoke this morning to the news that France may now be going into lockdown with effect from tomorrow night.  The President is speaking later today so we’ll wait to see what he has to say but in the meantime we’re planning a route around Spain…..

28th October – continued!

Three hours later and another change of plan as most of Spain has gone into lockdown with no inter-regional travel allowed and France has confirmed the same.  It seems we are stuck in Catalonia unless we want to head back to Calais and wait around for the next available crossing.  Given it is half term and a lot of people will make the immediate decision to return home, we have no idea when that crossing would be available and at what cost.

Our other option is to stay in this area and maybe find a campsite to wait out at least the next week to see what happens next.  This coming weekend is a holiday weekend in Spain so many of the travel restrictions are in place to stop people travelling for this.  Thankfully we have plenty of wifi (before we came away Superdrug were doing an unbelievable offer of £20 a month with unlimited data which can be used in Europe so we have been hammering that) so it’s on to the internet to find a campsite and with the help of Google Translate, Bob fired out a few emails.   Off to sleep tonight not knowing what tomorrow would bring!

29th October

Awoke to a couple of emails with one campsite able to take a week’s booking so after re-stocking the cupboard with food and drink for a week we head up into the Pyrenees to Camping Rèpos del Pedraforca.

Pedraforca
Pedraforca, the view from our van

What a little gem this place is!  We’ve booked for an initial week and can stay longer if we want.  We’re in the lower part of the campsite which is mostly caravans and cabins but have hook up and easy access to water.  The shower block is just a few metres away and has a washing machine and drier – will be able to leave here all clean and fresh smelling!

The campsite is really quiet at the moment (the weekend may be a different story), the weather is glorious and the scenery breath-taking.

30th October

After days seemingly stuck in the van driving, today we were able to relax and explore a little of the Parc Natural del Cadi-Moixeró with a shortish (11km) return walk to the ruins of the Monastery of Sant Sebastià del Sull.  It may have been a short walk by our standards but it was all downhill from the campsite to the Río de Saldes which meant the return was all uphill….

Words cannot express the beauty of the area and the trees in their autumnal colours just added to it.  Spain is so much more than the Costas and the beaches.

The ruin of Sant Sebastia del Sull
The ruin of Sant Sebastia del Sull

We spent a short time at the site of the ruins just taking in the silence of everything except the river running just below us and watching the eagles soaring high above the valley.

June had to test the water and can confirm it was cold!

River Saldes
River Saldes
31st October

A quick stroll to the local Dolmen de Molers, a megalithic burial chamber dating from the Metal Ages (1800-1400 BC).  Excavations had yielded a number of archaeological finds which are now in a museum and the site remains the most important prehistoric monument in the Bergueda region.

Dolmen de Molers
Dolmen de Molers
1st November.

Up earlyish today for a walk to the Mirador de Gresolet with views over the Saldes valley and the surrounding mountains.  Again, it wasn’t going to be too far distance wise but it wasn’t going to be flat with a total ascent of almost 700m in the first 7km.

Mirador de Gresolet from our starting point
Mirador de Gresolet from our starting point

Luckily the big height gains occurred as short, sharp climbs and a lot of the walk was in the forest and protected from the sun (we have had a very hot few days).  The effort though was worth it for a lunch with a view!

Home made pasties
Home made pasties

Contrary to the previous walk, it was mostly downhill on the way back.

2nd November

An easy day after yesterday’s walk but surprisingly neither of us ached too much!  One advantage of the restricted travel is that we’re getting a taste of really living in the van rather than holidaying in it and have had plenty of time to organise (and reorganise) everything we currently deem “essential”.  It’s a slow process but we are getting there.

Time to tidy the shed
Time to tidy the shed

Van days are also needed to keep on top of the chores (cleaning and washing still needs to be done) but are also cooking days – homemade bread is becoming the norm, and it’s the opportunity to be inventive with whatever we have to keep to a minimum what gets thrown away!

3rd November

Weather has closed in a bit today so we headed down the mountain in search of the nearest LPG station which was in Puig-reig, about a 45km drive away. With the help of the app called myLPG.eu This also gave the chance to stop in Berga again to pick up a few fresh items from the supermarket.

It has been good to see that mask wearing is the norm here and even  in the street, almost everyone complies with the law, far more than the number back home.

On the way back we stopped for lunch by the side of the Pantá de la Baells (more lake than bog – the literal translation of “pantá”!) with a view over the Baells dam.

4th – 7th November

The weather is a bit all over the place at the moment (probably to be expected given it is November!) one day being wet and the next being sunny and clear again, so we did a couple of shorter walks to explore more of the area and had a couple of van days getting on with the admin that life in general throws out. As more Spanish provinces seem to be tightening their COVID rules and locking down even more, we decided to stay another week at the campsite. At €18 a day for everything we need and with a stunning view, there seems little reason to move.

One of these days did throw up a record of which we should not be proud – the lowest ever daily total of steps recorded by the Fitbit! On Saturday 7th November, June managed the incredible total of just 471 steps…. It was very wet outside and in a van less than 7m long, there are only so many steps you can do!

However we are pleased that the above was an exception and we have done our best to take as many of the footpaths from the campsite as possible around the eastern side of the Pedraforca Massif. The mountain itself was created after the collision of two tectonic plates and subsequent folding of the rocks to leave two limestone peaks (the Pollegons) and inbetween, the fork (the Enforcadura) where the softer rocks have eroded away to form large scree slopes on either side of the mountain. This has given the mountain its unique profile which features on the local, regional flag.

There are a number of Romanesque churches found in small villages and there are the remains of a medieval castle just outside Saldes.

8th November

Today we got off our backside to walk to the aforementioned castle and church on the mountain above Saldes. Although none of our walks here have been that long, they have not been flat and after today’s one we certainly qualified for our mountain goat badges!

The walk to the castle involved descending part way down the valley from the campsite and then heading up hill again, into, through and beyond Saldes, zig-zagging upwards for a total of almost 200m.

After bagging our first geocache in the area (not for lack of trying with others!) we then started back down to the valley floor through the forested hillsides. Much of the track seemed to be following a dried up steam bed – a little slippery and steep in places and by the time we got to the bottom the knees were screaming!

We took a few minutes to have a snack by the river which was running faster and deeper after the previous day’s rain – when we’d been up at the castle, which was over 300m above the valley floor, the only noise was the river.

9th November

Van day just pottering and cooking. We didn’t know if we’d get bored with these quieter days but so far we’re both adjusting well to not doing much and even more so being that we are in exceptional times at the moment and can’t move freely around. Once we’re out on the road fulltime we don’t think we would ordinarily spend as long in one place.

10th November

After spending almost two weeks looking at Pedraforca and walking most of the eastern edges, it seemed right that we had to get a little closer at least once so today the plan was to drive to Gosol, about 10km from the campsite, to see how far we could get up the western side where the peaks are supposedly more accessible…. After an earlyish start we found the car park in Gosol which was very quiet (we reckon the town would be heaving in the summer) and began the long, slow climb.

Car park was a bit muddy but it had been raining hard

The first part of the walk is uphill along a farm track and is very boring – boring to the point that we both thought if the rest of the walk is going to be like this then we’re not going to enjoy it! After about 1km (and a gain of 148m) we entered the forest and our mood changed very quickly. The path continued uphill but became more challenging as we were climbing over rocks and tree roots of the pine woods on the flanks of the Serra de la Tossa. After 2.3km and 475m of climb we reached the Pla de la Serra, a flat grassy plateau with breath-taking views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. A good place for a #clewleysstopforcoffee!

#ClewleysStopForCoffee

We carried on walking for another 700m to a height of almost 2,000m which gave us a total climb of 586m. Having looked at the scree slopes we decided that this was the point at which we turn around and do the whole walk in reverse. It is possible to get to the top of Pollego Superior but this involved crossing the loose scree and then scrambling over boulders – not something we fancied. Turned out to be a good call as the weather closed in a little as we finished our descent and if we had been up at the peak, we’d have got a little wet!

The way to the top was across the scree between the peaks.

The walk back down definitely qualified us for our advanced mountain goat badges and thankfully we had walking poles with us today as they came into their own with the steep (over 40% gradient in places) and slippery path. We stopped again at the Pla de la Serra just to take it all in, and whilst not in religious way, be thankful for what we have and are able to do.

After lunch we walked around the town a little but being siesta time (plus COVID) everything was closed.

June’s home made empanadas for lunch

It did seem like it would be a good place to visit with a couple of restaurants and bars around the edge of a small square. The town also has a connection with Picasso and there is small museum dedicated to him. We walked up through the steep streets to visit the church and castle ruins from where we could over the plain to where we had walked earlier.

Gosol
11th November

Our last full day on the campsite so it was housework day. With not knowing where we’d be staying from now until we got home on 21st November, it was a day to get all the washing wash done and tanks filled and emptied as necessary.

Although this area had not been part of our original trip, we were so lucky to have found the campsite and it was the perfect place for us to stay for two weeks, especially as the alternative was to head straight back to the UK. It’s not somewhere we would stay in the summer but would be great for families with lots to do on site, but we saw few people whilst we were there and with the weather being so good, we were able to get out and explore the wider area on foot.

12th November

Moving day and having checked the travel restrictions, we’re heading to Andorra. Looking at the map, it should be a fairly straight route but that’s not our style so there was a slight detour towards the Tossa Pelada, a peak of 2,379m and a perfect place for a #clewleysstopforcoffee. It was then a journey back down to the village of Tuixen, along a few windy roads to the town of La Seu d’Urgell and on to the border with Andorra.

Tuixen

The border crossing was surprisingly easy and we parked at our glamorous overnight spot of the lower carpark of the River Commercial Centre car park in Sant Julia de Loria. Not as picturesque as the last two weeks but we needed food and at least there was a loud, fast moving river next to us which covered the traffic noise.

13th November

Time to get out of the town and make our way back into the mountains. Lots of driving today (mostly just for the sake of it!) following the marked roads to the west of the main road which runs through Andorra. It’s funny in that you can always tell the towns and villages that have hosted a major cycle race (both the Tour de France and the Vuelta de Espana regularly visit the Pyrenees) as despite the terrain and gradients and the harsh winters, the tarmac is immaculate!

First stop was the top of the valley above Pal where the road literally runs out when you reach the Spanish border

Andorra to the left and Spain to the right

From there we visited another ski resort, Arinsal and then the road out of Ordino where there is another ski resort (Ordino Arcalis) at the head of the valley. There is no snow around at the moment and very few people around so the large car parks in the skiing areas make for great overnight spots and we had two undisturbed nights here.

14th November

Another unplanned stay but worth the visit as there is plenty of good walking from the car park and with no light pollution, an amazing view of the night sky.

Orion passing by

We followed one of the footpaths which should have taken us around the lakes that have formed in the bowl below the Pic de Tristagne however we were only able to go halfway as the path disappeared under a rockfall. Instead we took the lower path around the edge of the lakes back to the van, which was still a stunning walk.

A walk around the Estany Lakes
15th November

In need of facilities we slowly inched back down the valley to an aire in the town of Massana. It’s nothing more than a roadside carpark but we’re able to empty and refill before moving to the mountains in the east of Andorra. The aire also has wifi access which we were grateful for as Andorra is not covered in any of the data packages we have and for the past two days we’ve relied on a (closed) café whose wifi became available during their usual opening hours!

16th November

Not our best night as it was noisy, there was a lot of light from outside and the wifi wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be! We did realise afterwards that we could have paid for a short stay in the car park and used the facilities before moving straight on – something to remember for next time.

Moan over and it was back to the mountains, this time to the car park of the Granelvalira ski resort in Gau-Roig. Unfortunately, weight restrictions meant we couldn’t take the winding road over the mountain but it was only a short journey and still very picturesque.

Again, we had the whole carpark to ourselves with the exception of a few workmen preparing the ski facilities for the upcoming season (although it would appear that it’s the local equivalent of a supermarket car park and there was an abundance of learner drivers practising manoeuvres!), and again we were able to connect to the wifi of a closed information office.

17th November

Last hike of the trip which like all the others wasn’t flat! This one followed a ski lift up the mountain and then back down another ski run after a short distance of picking our way downhill through a boulder field to a lake – good place for coffee and cake.

With very little light pollution, it was a good place to watch the Leonid Meteor shower and we managed to capture some footage on the GoPro.

18th -21st November

Time to start the journey home. We planned to stop tonight in the motorhome car park in El Pas de la Casa, a large “shopping resort” on the French border and only a very short distance from where we were. As Andorra is duty free (diesel was 77p a litre as opposed to around £1.12 at home) we thought we’d do a bit of shopping first but decided just to use the facilities in the car park (free for 30 mins) so the tanks were full/empty for the trip to Calais. This would also mean that we could have a slightly more relaxed drive and not have to cover 1,000km in two days and nor would we be staying in motorway aires.

A slight detour as we left Andorra led us back to almost where we started and meant that we had to use a tunnel at a cost – the plan was to avoid toll roads on the way home as we had the extra time. We managed to stick to that plan right until we got to Boulogne where we joined the motorway a junction too early so had to pay one final toll in France (one to pay for the Dart Crossing in the UK). Still we managed to save around €100 in relation to the journey down through France.

The road home took us via aires in Cahors, a quiet 3-van site riverside and surprisingly quiet for being town centre, Theillay, a small piece of ground on a bend on a road between some farm storage and a cemetery (very quiet!) and finally Berck, about an hour from Calais, in a large beachside motorhome carpark that was very windy!

Berck

The drive had been quieter than we anticipated as the French were obeying their lockdown rules and although we saw a few vehicles in supermarket car parks, most of the traffic on the road was lorries. As required, we had printed copies of the attestation document for each day of the journey and a screenshot on the phone of the French translation of “we are travelling to our home in the UK” but despite seeing plenty of Gendarme, we were not stopped. We’d also lodged our contact details with the UK Gov website as once back in the UK, we’d have to go into quarantine for 14 days.

We were up sharp on the Saturday to prep the van to drive back to the UK and directly to the storage site where it would probably stay for a couple of months. The last day’s driving was uneventful although the UK roads were far busier than France, despite the UK also being in lockdown and only “essential” travel allowed.

We prefer to use the tunnel for ease
22nd November

We’ve been home since yesterday afternoon; bags are unpacked and the washing machine has been going non-stop all morning. We had an amazing month away despite the challenges of COVID which, initially, made us constantly have to revise our plans. We could have just given up after the first week when France and then Spain, region by region, closed their borders but a bit of luck and some random emails led us to the campsite in Saldes which proved to be an ideal place to spend a couple of weeks. We found a beautiful area of Spain to explore which was not on our original route and it added to our thought that northern Spain is such an under-rated region. We will certainly be back.

We did weigh up the situation with staying remote in Spain and Andorra vs coming home and saw no advantage to returning to the UK until our scheduled date. The only concession we made was to do a few big supermarket shops rather than multiple visits to village shops or markets which was nothing different to what we’d do at home. In fact, it felt safer in Spain as we saw few people not wearing masks even as they walked in the street and we were actually stopped for not using hand sanitiser as we entered a supermarket (we had used our own a couple of minutes earlier when taking a trolley).

Amazon has been hit hard today with things we found missing from the van which we will need when we move in to it next year to travel full time. Maps for planning the next trip were also in the basket as we start working on Plan B for 2021, just in case COVID continues to rumble on and postpone the big Canada and Pan American Highway trip.

Whatever happens in 2021, whether it’s driven by COVID or Brexit (that’s another story!), we will be travelling – there’s still so much of this world to see!

Some of the walks we did on this trip

Cordoba

Our final stop of the trip, and the only major city, was Cordoba, high on June’s list of “must sees”. Straight into the Aire (well almost, just the one one block circled a couple of times) which amazingly is situated just across from the San Basilio gate to the old city. It was also the La Fiesta De Los Patios De Cordoba when many of the old Cordoban houses open their doors to their stunning flower filled patios (or courtyards) to the public.

Having parked to the satisfaction of the car park boss we headed straight into the main part of the old town around the Alcazar and the Mezquita ca

therdral. Both pay homage to the City’s previous rulers – the Romans, the Moors and then the Spanish creating a unique blend of faiths and history.

First stop was the Mezquita (entry €8 each) now a Catholic Cathedral but on the site of former mosque, once considered the most important place of Western Islam. The combination is overwhelming and if only the followers of both religions could come together as harmoniously as the architecture. Another case of the photos speaking more than any words we could write……

Inside the Mezquita
Inside the Mezquita

Inside the Mezquita
Inside the Mezquita

From there we wandered around the old Jewish quarter before going to the Alcazar (entry €4.50) which although built as a palace fortress for the Christian has a Moorish inspired garden. Not quite the Alhambra in Granada, but still beautiful.

The gardens of the Alcazar
The gardens of the Alcazar

The gardens of the Alcazar
The gardens of the Alcazar

Our final day before beginning the journey back to the UK. We headed back into town and decided to take one of the City Sightseeing Red Bus Tours to see if there were any other parts of the city we had missed. It turns out we hadn’t and much of the rest of the city was very much like most modern Spanish cities with the big department stores and international chains. We spent the afternoon wandering the maze of white-washed buildings which make up the old town doing a little shopping on the way. A temperamental fridge meant that we had to throw away a considerable amount of food earlier in the day so we had the perfect excuse to go out for dinner that evening and the perfectly balmy evening meant we could eat outside at the Restaurante Puerta Sevillle (also recommended for drinks on the way back to the Aire following a hard day’s sightseeing!).

Antequera and the Lobo Park

Having found the missing Aire in Antequera we parked up and went alcohol harvesting in Mercadona… It was a fruitful harvest and we added money to the local coffers. Not much though as the booze was quite cheap.

Following the inevitable coffee shop stop we wandered up to the Castillo de Papabellotas ( Alcazaba). Full of history and, as so often the case in this part of Spain, linking the Spanish with Romans and the Moors. A word on entrance tickets – buy the combined ticket at the Alcazaba which also gives access to the Colegiata de Santa Maria la Mayor next door.

Collegiate de Santa Maria la Mayor
Collegiate de Santa Maria la Mayor

 

Antequera
Antequera

As tonight was going to be a late on we grabbed a bit of rest in the van before heading out to the Lobo Park. This had been recommended by a couple of friends and we were booked in on the 4th May…. Full moon.

The park has a few other animals but the main attraction were the wolves….. Daniel, the guy who runs it, describes it as a place where wolves social behaviour are not changed and this allows opportunities to study them.

As we started the walk the wolves started howling and talk about atmospheric…. Daniel was totally dedicated to these animals, you could tell from the passion they were a great part of his life. We managed to see a Hudson Bay male, that had been rescued from a zoo, a female Tundra, Iberian and Eurasian.

Lobo Park
Lobo Park

After the walk we wild camped and were woken to the the howls of the wolves and shrieks of the peacocks

Scotch on the rocks.

Leaving Finca we, as normal, chose a minor and then the yellow and green squiggly roads. They were turning out to be the most exciting and fun to drive.

After a quick shop to stock up the cupboards on the outskirts of Antequera we dropped into the Dolmen caves on the northern edge of the town. These are two megalithic monuments which date from around 2500 BC. We had been told to go to the visitors centre first to view the short film explaining how the structures were made. This is a free site to visit and well worth it. Being able to actually go all the way into them was something we could not have imagined being allowed to do in the UK

Inside the Dolmens
Inside the Dolmens

Inside the Dolmens
Inside the Dolmens

From there we headed off to El Torcal which is a National Park in amongst a vast eroded limestone area on a high plateau. Having ‘sussed’ the hours etc out we headed back to the nearby campsite ‘Camping Torcal’

Driving into the complex the hairs on the back of our necks were getting a little prickly. It seemed more of a ‘trailer park’ with some rows of permanent caravans even having names. It just didn’t seem the right place for us….

A quick U turn and we headed to Antequera to search for an Aire that was shown on one of the apps we have. For the first time ever we couldn’t find it and it certainly wasn’t at the given co-ordinates. Our only remaining option was to go to a campsite at Laguna de la Fuente de Piedra. This lake is know for the hundreds of flamingos and was on the list of places to drop by on our way to Cordoba.

Laguna de la Fuente de Piedra
Laguna de la Fuente de Piedra

Laguna de la Fuente de Piedra
Laguna de la Fuente de Piedra

The lake was a 2k easy stroll and about that many photos were taken!

The next day, a Sunday, we headed back to El Torcal. We booked a ‘red route’ guided tour for €8 a piece (there are other walks accessible without a guide and clearly signposted). While the guide only spoke Spanish (fortunately we both have a good understanding of the formation of Limestone) he did take us around to several quite large Ammonite impressions and we were able to get the gist of some of what he was saying. The Limestone Karst is really stunning and inevitably several have been given names although we reckon a psychiatrist would have a field day with those who came up with the names!

El Torcal
El Torcal

El Torcal
El Torcal

El Torcal
El Torcal

Following the guided trip we had a wander around the two unguided ones before returning to the van and Bob having his scotch on the rocks.

Scotch on the rocks
Scotch on the rocks

Camino Del Rey

Plan A; Get up early and get there for when it opens and try to get a ticket? or
Plan B; follow the old adage Mad Dogs and Englishmen and go midday just as the locals are settling down to their siestas?

Based on how hot is has been and the fact that today was a bank holiday, Plan A was decided upon so after a short walk from the campsite, we were at the ticket office at 8.50am chatting to a very nice security man who told us to come back at 10am when the manager arrived…. As nothing was open in town we sat by the lake and as the crowds began to arrive we strolled back to see our chances of getting a ticket. A quick chat with one of the staff soon confirmed that the chances of that today were zero but there may be some tickets available through the hotel in town. We’d heard this through someone at the campsite but were given the impression that the hotel was essentially charging for the free tickets. However the deal was that the hotel did have tickets for its own clients – either those staying at the hotel or those using the restaurant with a minimum spend of €25 per person. Well with having missed the shop yesterday we decided to have lunch in the restaurant – a good decision in the end!

 

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The start
The start

So with tickets in hand, we went back to our new best friend, the security guard, and with the prerequisite helmet we were finally on the walk. Initially a gravel track alongside the reservoir, the climb to the official start was very gentle and then came a series of wooden staircases to get you to the level of the walkway. The new path has been built over the top of the previous one but the footpath no longer has bits missing and there is a wire fence along the outside edge for the entire length. You can see why they closed the previous walk as in places you would have been walking on rusted girders (although you would have been clipped on to the wire attached to the cliff face) and sadly in two places there are memorials to people who had died on the route, once as recently as 2010.

The new path
The new path

 

The bridge
The bridge

The Camino had been a bucket list item for us and was it worth it? Absolutely! It’s difficult to put into words the jaw dropping height of the rock faces either side of the gorge and sheer overwhelming force that is Mother Nature.

It is only a very short walk on the main section and very easy to walk back to the point from which you started (although you can carry on to the second access point and take a bus back) which for us was just in time for lunch and a very cold beer!

New walkway
New walkway

Atencion Carretera En Mal Estado

From Ronda we aimed to get to El Chorro. This started with us driving along an unopened duel carriageway and being let in to the traffic flow by a very nice workman – a sign of the day to come……???

The maps in Spain on our TomTom or the paper map tend not to be overly reliable. We had found the location of a supermarket and marked it as a destination…. Thankfully we didn’t follow the route as it tried to take us across a wooded field.

So abandoning the shopping for a bit we aimed for Setenil de la Bodegas. This is a pretty little town where lots of the houses are built into the overhanging cliffs, giving them rock roofs. But we still had to negotiate the village of Arriate. A narrow village to say the least but confidant we could get through we just followed our noses….. Until we came to a Y junction where one option was narrow and the other very narrow. Bob was about to take the very narrow one (always up for a challenge) when another very nice Spaniard directed us to the correct road…at this point there were a few vehicles going through and when we saw a builder’s lorry taking this route we tucked in behind it.

No further mishaps and as we zig zagged along the main road through Setenil there was parking on the left more than wide enough for us.

Parking in Setenil
Parking in Setenil

After a quick skirt around the edge of the town to see the church we dropped in to the busiest part of the town for a coffee. It must have been pension day as the average age of the locals was well into the 80’s

Setenil
Setenil

Back on board we headed to El Chorro via a vast plain like area cut through limestone outcrops.

Just after Ardales we left the A357 for a green and yellow squiggly road which had several road signs saying ‘Atencion Carretera En Mal Estado’ Meaning that the road was in a bad state! Yep we will agree with this; they had done their homework this time.

This took us to Alora where we took another green and yellow squiggly towards El Chorro. To find the campsite Finca la Campana (http://fincalacampana.com/en/) we crossed the dam, drove through the station carpark and took a ‘minor road uphill. Then we turned off onto a even more minor road to the site. Well if we we can do it in a motorhome, anyone can do it in a car.

 

Finca la Campana
Finca la Campana

The site consists of a couple of chalets and two areas for motorhomes. After an initial ‘have we got this right’ moment we decided to stay. And we are so glad we did it is beautiful. Quiet with a small but well stocked shop where you are trusted to write down in a book what you had taken. The owner Jean has been here for 15 or more years and offers climbing, caving and lots more outdoor activities but we were here for the Camino Del Rey…Walk of the King.

This route was initially built in the 1920s to access the dam and hydro electric plant. It fell into disrepair and was officially closed in 2000 although people still walked the disintegrating ledges with ropes etc. It has now been repaired by the Spanish Authorities. Getting access is a bit of a lottery at the moment as it only reopened in April with the official website crashing many times and tickets currently free.  When we tried to book tickets we ended up with having a slot to walk the route but no proof! Chatting with Jean we found that often people managed to get access by just turning up. So that was our plan for the next day!

A wander around Ronda

First can we say Ronda is a stunning little town. Now we have to justify that sentence… To be honest that is easy…

A 20 minute or so walk from the campsite saw us in the old town. One of the main locations folk all head to is the stunning Puente Nuevo. It is an 18C bridge that crosses a deep gorge and is seen often in leaflets about the town.

Puente Nuevo
Puente Nuevo
After a few phots taken we grabbed a coffee at the Restaurante Don Miguel that overlooks the bridge. Two coffees for under a fiver with a view like this!

Stunning View
Stunning View
From there we headed towards one of the other bridges that cross the gorge but at a much lower height. On the way to Puente Viejo there are several viewing places and I think we tried them all.

The lower of the three bridges is called the Roman Bridge but this is more anecdotal than factual. It certainly a Moorish input.

Baños Arabes
Baños Arabes
Next was the Baños Arabes. This reminded us of very similar baths we had seen in the Moorish quarter Granada.

We diverted from the town tour for a few minutes as we grabbed a Geocache but that took us to the old town walls that give a good view out to the south.

Lunch time saw us taking Tapas on the edge of Plaza Duquesa de Parcent….along with a beer and sangria. All for £22.

Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor
Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor
After a visit to Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor we wandered the lanes and back streets before going to the Secret Mine at Palacio Del Rey Moro. This is an old structure dating back to 14th century and involved taking 365 steps down to the river below the town. We were right at the river level and it was beautiful and tranquil. One of our guide books said the long climb back up will probably make you wonder if it was worth the stiff entry fee. At 4 Euros each we felt it worth every penny and even managed to grab a drink in the cafe at the top after the walk out.

The View from the bottom
The View from the bottom

A morning’s walk

Having seen a signed 3.9km walk in the town yesterday we decided to have a wander into the forest before we left for Ronda.

All I can say is that the Spanish Cartographers must have been to the same school as the French ones based in Saumur. It ended up more like 5.1km And I didn’t have the benefit of a Pilot to blame for getting lost.

Still it was a really nice wander among ‘the best cork oak groves in El Genal’.

Cork Oak Tree
Cork Oak Tree
From there we headed to a campsite on the western edge of Ronda. At 24.50 Euro a night not as cheap as the past couple of nights but on the edge of the town and with the Euro rate as it is we are not complaining. Also we had quite a bit of entertainment watching several folks wandering from pitch to pitch before making that life changing choice.

The Scenic Route

When you look at a map and see roads like this you know it is going to be a good day at the wheel. On top of that Bob’s birthday too. Woken to tickets to Supertramp at the O2 later in the year the day’s started good….. and just got better.

This had to be driven
This had to be driven

Leaving the aire at Olvera we took a short drive to a car park in the town itself before having a short wander. Most places were closed as it was Monday but we did manage to take a few photos.

Why would you need a sign like this at a churc
Why would you need a sign like this at a churc

From Olvera we headed along a minor road to, one of the many white house towns in this area, Zahara (well worth a drive to the reservoir even if you don’t do the drive through the mountains).

Zahara
Zahara

From we took the CA-9104 to Grazalema. This road was on our list as it looked full of twists and turns in the mountain. On top of that we were told by someone in the know that it was a spectacular route. And it was….. without doubt a brilliant road…. one for ‘driving’ even if it was a 4 tonne Motorhome.

From Grazalema we continued on to the ‘leather’ town of Ubriqiue. The intention was for June to have a little purchase or two… However that was not to be…. Very few places to park and one of our routes took us towards a road closed sign with the diversion down a very narrow, steep lane with a blind bend at the bottom. As Bob started to reverse a local indicated that we could do it even in our van…. so putting trust in the Spanish we gave it a go…. it was fine and saved reversing 100 yards or so in the narrow streets. So after a quick lunch we left sin purchase and continued towards tonights stopover – an aire on the outskirts of Benarraba. As we arrived we joined two other motorhomes already there and took a wander into town.

Benbarraba
Benbarraba

The rain in Spain….

Does not fall mainly on the plain we can tell you…..

Oh how we laughed
Oh how we laughed

Leaving Caceres we had planned to visit the Cascades del Hueznar, Merida and then onto an aire at Benarraba via Zahara and Ubrique (famous for its leather goods). However it rained….. and when we say rained we mean RAIN of the stair rod variety

Looking at the map a revised plan was concocted with us ending at the small town of Olvera.  Within that last 50 or so kms the country side became more of ‘our country’.  Mountains and rolling hills…….

Olvera Aire
Olvera Aire

The aire in Olvera is by a converted rail station where the track has now been turned into a ‘Green route’.  The Via Verde starts from the car park and heads off to Puerto Serrano, 38 km in total.  Bikes can be hired from the start (not today though as it is Sunday and most of Spain appears to be closed).  Still that didn’t stop us having a brisk walk along the route for the first 4km.

Via Verde
Via Verde

Towards Pruna
Towards Pruna

Coffee in Caceres

Later start today as no driving but still managed to catch the 10.00 bus from just outside the campsite and get into town with a coffee in Plaza Mayor by 10.45.

Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor
Caceres
Caceres
Caceres has a nice little old town with fair bit of history.  It is a town where there are fortified house, palaces and towers. As we wondered the narow streets we were grateful that it wasn’t mid summer when we are sure  these streets would be packed.

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition
Not a full day for us but well worth a visit.  Back via the bus after a quick top up at Lidl…

An engine that wouldn’t stop, wiggleys and a cruise control.

Lets start by saying I do know a bit about wiggleys…  Electric currents, are to some of us, wiggleys.  I have studied wiggleys quite a bit and even have a City and Guilds Full Tech in Telecom wiggleys   British Telecom were in fact going to pay me to go to university, in the day, to study and get a degree in wigglyology.  That was until I found that there were two types of wiggleys  real ones and theoretical!  In the real world there are things called the fringe effect but in the theoretical world these do not exist.  In their place are imaginary things like spot charges.  Keep with me I will get on to our travels…..  promise.

A little corrosion...
A little corrosion…

Being a practical person I couldn’t hack this and banged out, I was not going to sell my soul.  BT were not happy and called me top a meeting….with NO coffee.

Anyway back to the trip.  As we sat at EuroTunnel in the queue waiting to be called forward I turned off the engine and removed the key.  The engine kept on going!  Now the motorhome is a Mercedes Hymer.  Both renowned for quality and extras.  However I felt this was not one they had intended.  I found that if I had the side lights on and brake pedal pressed the engine would continue running after I had removed they key, until I took my foot off the brake!  Still we managed to board the train and make the crossing OK.  Once on French soil I found the cruise control was not working!
It was at this point I had a ‘light bulb’ moment and noticed the offside brake light was permanently on….  and remembered that about a year ago I had an issue with a dickie earth on the brake lights.
So the next morning with a screw driver and a piece of emery cloth I, again, saved the world.   Well saved a good amount of Euros by fixing it my self.

Fuente De Round Trip

 

Gaining height
Gaining height

Today we aimed to walk the round trip from the top cable car station back to the car park at about 14km. (route map at end of post)

Having sussed the location out the day before we arrived just after 9.00 ready for the first advertised cable car at 10.00.  It appears though Spanish time runs different and the cars were running at 9.15.  Again it was worth following the guidebook and getting there early as queues for the cable car were long at times.

Having paid 34 Euros for the four of us,  we jumped on the first one we could along with an assortment of walkers and skiers and made our way to the summit station at a maximum of 10m / second.  Quick photo opportunity at the top then on to our route towards the snow.  You do not have to walk down however as people clearly were taking the cable car to the top where there is a cafe from which to enjoy the stunning scenery amongst the high peaks before taking the cable car back down again.

It was a fantastic walk starting off on a clearly marked path that quickly disappeared as we reached the snow line.  As we traversed across the snow field it was clear that not everyone was equipped as we were.  Some were dressed in shorts and had a small bag that could have only held 3 bars of choice and 1/2 a litre of water at most – not so good when the snow was above our knees in places!

Traversing across the snow
Traversing across the snow

We, on the other hand, may have had a little too much but at least we were warm and well hydrated (yes the girls have been told how to check) and had a map!  There was one couple that didn’t appear to have one and, despite ‘hanging around’ for us on occasions, still had to ask someone the route down.  

The views were stunning and the camera really doesn’t capture the full wonder. As we came down the mountain we left the snow line and picked up a more obvious path. Up until a few years ago we would have had to walk down to the villages of Espinama and Pido before returning to the car park.  Thankfully the route now stays off the road and cuts through the woods before emerging by the Parador Fuente De hotel.

 

Amy’s thoughts; As we were getting closer and closer i could see a cable car with just one person in it (that doesn’t surprise me it was 9 o’clock i the morning). I got my stick out and I was ready to go. We got on the first cable car going to the top.

As we were going up you just knew that there were going to be lots and lots of pictures. we got out and the first thing we went on was a metal grill over the top o the mountain, well wasn’t that scary enough. We then started the proper mountain walking. Once we had gone up the steepish start then came the views b-e-a-utiful sunshine on the mountain.

Once the pictures had been taken we started the walk down the snowy hot mountain ( now that is something i didn’t think i would be saying.) The snow is very deep so you don’t want to put your feet in the wrong place and guess what Chloe put her feet in the wrong place on many occasions yet I was still standing strong except for once or twice. Now we have found flat ground we smelt something not very nice ( cow poo ) anyway at this point we have this couple who did’t really know were they were going so they decided to go and follow us. We soon got back to the start muddy and hot. All together that was one of the bests walks I have ever been on and the best pictures I have ever taken, even though there was some ups and downs ( pun ) thanks Bob for organising one of many trips amazing trips. 🙂

 

 

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Cares Gorge

There are more photos in the Spain Album

A quick drive to the car park at Puente Poncebos where we managed to get a space big enough by arriving before the rush – we would recommend getting there early as the car park was filling up at 9am and we are here out of season. All kitted up (although with everything except the warm weather stuff we would have appreciated later in the day!), we set off along the made up road and then to the track that climbed a bit……well I say a bit, I mean quite a bit.

 

Cares Gorge
Cares Gorge

I will state here that the guide book said ‘this walk had little in the way of ups and downs except for a 250m/820ft accent / decent at the start beginning / end of the route’. That, your worships is my defense along with the promise, from the same guide book, of a 20km / 12.5 mile round trip – we clocked about 28km on the phone.

The route is easily followed and is a beautiful walk; I would go as far to say that it is one of the most stunning I have ever walked. The path was constructed in the 1940’s to assist in maintaining the hydro electric canal that runs between Cain and Camarena. There are sections of this canal that are open and somewhat log flume like (in Bob’s mind anyway….).  Warning for anyone who doesn’t have a head for heights as the path doesn’t run at river level but at some height above it – upto a few hundred metres at various points. 

There are refreshments and facilities at either end but be prepared to walk the return route or give away 120 Euros for the taxi back. It is a 2 hour 30 drive and it only took us an extra hour and half to walk back…saving enough to fund the ice cream budget for two or three days

Cares Gorge
Cares Gorge

Amy’s view on the walk: On the way to the walk you could just tell this was going to be a good one. Once parked and ready to go we set off on our meant to be flatish walk. First of all we went up the road and then on to the beautiful mountains we walked up a steep part of the mountain for about 1 mile which I thought was just a little climb to the flat ground. Wasn’t I wrong the walk was all together 18 miles long ( 28 km ) and about 14 miles of it was the up and down of the mountain yet all of it was worth it as at the end of the walk we got to have an ice cream , which makes it all better. All together we had an amazing walk seeing beautiful surroundings and having nice food. 🙂

Some of the data is a bit ‘sus’ as the gorge sides are very steep and I am sure blocked the GPS signal now and again.  However, it does give the general route on the map below.

 

 

Spain and the Picos de Europa

In just a few days, with my eldest son entrenched in the house ( well it gives his mum a break and we leave the house with a built in security guard- win-win) we are off to Northern Spain.

This should give us a couple of really good looking walks and a few days just bimbleing.

We are planing to walk along the Cares Gorge and a round trip from the cable car at Fuente de Bulnes.

So far we haven’t booked a camp site as those we have tried have not replied. Still there are quite a few about that area. The one I really would like to stay at is the one 200 yards or so from Fuente de cable car. Fingers crossed.

The trip down was fairly uneventful and we didn’t even get lost in Rouen where we stopped to stock up in Carrefour and give the credit card a little bit of exercise in Decathlon.  Chloe managed to find a new BFF before we even crossed the channel – something to do with the band t-shirt she was wearing and with Amy crying at every film she watched, we could probably have sailed across rather than taken the tunnel!  One little hiccup on the fuel front almost curtailed the journey in France but other than that we made Bordeaux as we hoped and then into Spain on Sunday morning.  One day we will have the time to travel properly around France rather than a quick splat through it on our way elsewhere.

Camping Naranjo de Bulnes
Camping Naranjo de Bulnes

First campsite in Spain was Camping Naranjo de Bulnes in Arenas de Cabrales, a real little gem on the banks of the Cares river (although we were on the part of the site across the road as the riverside pitches were closed). Various sized pitches, clean toilet/shower facilities, washing machine/drier and located only a short walk into town ticked all the boxes and we’d go back again.  I would say though that we are visiting out of season and although there are plenty of people around, things could be very different at peak holiday time.

After three nights, we moved from the western to the eastern Picos although there’s no driving through the mountains and the only road goes around the edge of the National Park so it was back to Panes and then on the road to Potes, a beautiful town with a medieval look although I imagine a lot of it has been rebuilt over time.

Potes
Potes

 We had no campsite for the next three nights but were heading to a site at Fuente De where we had tried calling ahead but without luck as many of the sites were just opening for the season.  No joy though as the site was closed when we arrived and having taken a quick walk down the entrance we are not sure that we’d actually have got the van on to the site.  After the obligatory coffee stop we headed back to Potes and to Camping La Viorna which turned out to be another excellent campsite, set on terraces on the valley side overlooking green fields and forests to the front and surrounded by snow covered peaks behind.  Apart from the location, the facilities were spotless and the site had a restaurant, a bar and terrace and a reasonably well stocked shop.  The town of Potes is about a mile away – an easy downhill walk on the way there but slightly more challenging on the way back with shopping and in the heat of the sun!

Camping La Viorna
Camping La Viorna

 

We have both been fortunate to have travelled a reasonable amount but the Picos have grabbed us with their stunning scenery and picturesque towns; we both agreed we could live here and are going to find it very hard to leave.  We will be back for another fix!