Wednesday 30 January 2013

Another lovely hot sunny day and as Bren has hurt her foot (nothing serious, just bruise) decided to forego Cadiz today. Just lazing in the sun and chatting with the neighbours.

This is such a nice site we've decided to stay a little longer. More tomorrow.

Tuesday 29 January 2013

At long last, bright warm sunshine. Sitting out in the sun in shorts and tee-shirt and getting sunburnt was just the ticket. After lunch a walk to check out the ferry times then visit the town.

The old town is an attractive maze of narrow streets and we stumbled upon the main church, still bearing a full set of bells (although we have not heard any church bells so they may be out of use now). There did not seem to be any defined central shopping/commercial area so we wandered into the more modern streets and returned to the van for a welcome cuppa.

A few more photies for you to enjoy.

The beach at El Puerto de Santa Maria

More beach

The Promenade outside the campsite

Outdoor gym - in the trees

The church in the old town

An inside courtyard we spotted

The church bells

Sherry barrels as a roundabout feature
Checkout the temperature!

Monday 28 January 2013

Earlier start, van serviced and a supermarket visit before crossing into Spain. There is (supposed to be) a ferry from Vila Real de San Antonio to Ayamonte, which was the way across the border before the bridge was built and we thought we’d go that way for the experience. However, despite following the signs all we could find was a passenger ferry – and a lot of motorhomes parked up on the quayside! No matter, the bridge is only a couple of kilometres away and there is no toll so we went that way instead.

This put us onto the autovia and despite our intention of avoiding motorways we used them for the rest of the days’ journey, after a side trip onto the ordinary roads, whilst very interesting, took us ages and some way off our track. With quite a way to go and also losing an hour with the time difference (still can’t understand why Portugal is in a different time zone) we realised, as we did a couple of days ago, that we didn’t have much time to spare if we were to get to our planned destination at a reasonable time.

The books showed a dearth of sites and Aires in this corner of Spain so we had picked out an ACSI site at El Puerto de Santa Maria which had a couple of good write-ups. Also it was a short ferry ride across the bay to Cadiz which would give us the option of a “bit o’ kulcha”.

So with the sun shining brightly we pressed on to find a most attractive campsite that was quite full, mostly it seemed with folks staying long-term. Apparently there was an excellent discount for stays of over a month. Parked in amongst a group of fellow Brits, we were made most welcome.

A short stroll later as the sun went down showed the surroundings to be beautiful and we felt we had finally found what we had set out for.

Sunday 27 January 2013

A quiet, do nothing relax sort of day. A walk on a totally deserted beach that goes on for miles and miles in the sunshine but a cool breeze kept the temperature down. Here’s a couple more photies.

Manta Rota beach looking west

And east

We’ll move on into Spain tomorrow.

Saturday 26 January 2013

Writing this on Kindle, more as an experiment as we have no WiFi tonight. It's a bit tortuous! We'll add some photies later when we get a better connection.

Coast west from Praoia Verde

We had planned to move to Spain today, near Cadiz but
by the time we had sorted ourselves out, as well as refilling gas and fuel tanks, it was somewhat later than we had expected. Our route kept us off the motorway again, following the N125 along the coast (they haven't wasted much money repairing this road) with a couple of forays into the coastal villages, looking for somewhere to stop for lunch. One of these revealed a hitherto unknown Aire at Manta Rota but the charge for parking put us off.

Praioa Verde

Later, however, whilst stopped for lunch at Praioa Verde - nice spot, lovely beach - we realised that Cadiz was quite a haul and anyway the sun was now beating down. So an executive decision was made to return to Manta Rota and stay a couple of nights. For a fee of €4.50 a night all services available, plus it is only 50metres to the beach we had earlier seen. We later found the site in the French guide to Portuguese Aires - which probably explains all the French and German vans here.
So an afternoon in the sun at long last! The forecast is good and even at 10pm it's still very pleasant.

More later

Friday 25 January 2013

We had planned to go into Faro today but the weather is still a bit iffy and the forecast is for it to stay that way over the weekend. So needing supplies when it looked like it was clearing up we walked into Quarteira town. Like many places along this coast it caters mainly for ho;/holidaymakers but nevertheless is modern, clean and attractive. Couple of photies to see for yourself.

Haven't a clue what this is about!

The beach at Quarteira looking east

Some of the buildings have a Moorish influence

We've decided to move on tomorrow, probably into Spain.

Thursday 24 January 2013

The weather forecast was for rain all day, so decided to stay "at home" and chill out. In the end the sun did make an appearance so we had a little wander and had coffee in the bar whilst reading emails.

Camping Orbitur Quarteira is part of a chain of campsites throughout Portugal. This particular site is quite large, about half of it given over to holiday chalets/ mobile homes in their own areas. The main camping area is in two parts - the prettiest is nearer the reception, bar etc but is mainly under trees which does, of course, provide welcome shade in the summer. It is, however built on the sides of a hill so levelling becomes a problem. The second area, where we are pitched, is laid out in regular rows, each divide by short hedges and has less cover. This is better at this time of year as the sun can get to you more easily - and when it rains you don't get the trees dripping on you for hours afterwards!

There are toilet blocks all over the site, kept very clean, if a little tired (but no toilet seats!). Only the showers have hot water but that isn't much of a problem. There are also dishwashing areas as well as washing machines and (only one working) tumble dryers.

At this time of the year the restaurant, swimming pool and outdoor disco (!) are closed and the bar/cafe is only open until 7.00. There is a small shop with basics, but a comprehensive "supermercado" is only 2 mins walk down the road towards town.

The camping/caravanning area is about quarter full with many Dutch, quite a few English and a few French, German and Portuguese. Quite a few are obviously staying for an extended period although while here we have seen a steady turnover of short-stay motorhomes. There are quite a number of "permanent" caravans dotted about, a few of which also bear For Sale signs.

Overall it is a very pleasant site that, apart from the ACSI scheme, also offers long-term discounts. It is quite easy to see why it is popular, especially as it is only a gentle 10 mins stroll either to the beach or into town. We would come here again.

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Today we sat in the sunshine and did nothing, except decide we’ll stop here for another couple of days.

Tuesday 22 January 2013

More rain in the early hours but the showers had more or less cleared after a late breakfast. Today is our housekeeping day so good use was made of the laundry – you really have to keep on top of it even if we are “on holiday”.

Blessed with clear sunshine all day, nevertheless a cool breeze sprang up in the afternoon. Talking to our Dutch neighbours, who had come for a week at Christmas and were probably going to stay until Easter, we were told that it was characteristically cold for the time of year, by about 5 deg, which they put down to being the tail-end of the bad weather currently affecting northern Europe. The forecast was for it to improve by the weekend – we’ll see.

Contact made with home tells us of icy cold weather with deep snow. Sorry folks!

Just an administrative note – the blog will have been updated in a lump this time as we are having trouble getting an internet connection. Try to do better.

Monday 21 January 2013

Still mixed weather so time to move on. Chap in a van parked near to us was a long-termer who had just come onto this aire “for a change of scenery” (!) as he had been staying on a cheap site just along the coast for several weeks. Sounded ok but was only a short distance and we had planned on moving a bit further and had identified an ACSI site at Quarteira that looked to have everything we needed for a longer stay.

So we left after servicing the van (2 euros for water – conscience placated!) and made our way west along the coast to visit Alvor, where our friend Ed had stayed for several months. A small but very attractive little town which was probably worth a longer stop but we had made our decision so continued.

 A short side trip to top up supplies found only a completely burned out Centro Commerciale – the whole lot gone, must have been a huge fire. So up onto the N125 and eastbound towards Faro, managing to stay off the motorway and finding another supermarket shortly in Lagoa (not Lagos, that seems to be a different place – we think…).

Passed through more small towns and villages but despite what we had read in the Rough Guide, the road was in good condition and very pleasant to travel on. Approaching Quarteira, a mixture of signposts, guide and satnav saw us squeezing along some very back lanes before arriving at our chosen campsite.

At last! Sunshine!

Orbitur are a chain of campsites throughout Portugal so, like the Clubs in the UK, you know what to expect. An efficient young Portuguese lady who spoke perfect English (though there are a lot of English in the area, evidenced by many signs being in both languages) dealt with all the formalities but never really gave the impression of being interested – shy? – and we were left pretty much to our own devices. Nevertheless, after a good look round we found a pitch that promised to be quiet, close enough to the facilities but more importantly, in the sunshine! And it was now bright sunshine at last, so awning up, chairs out and a late lunch in the sunshine. Lovely.

We later explored, finding short and long term m/hs and caravans of various nations everywhere. A wander out of the site took us towards the beach and we enjoyed a pleasant hour or so strolling in the sun. A circular route took us back to the site to end the day relaxing in our usual fashion.

Sunday 20 January 2013

A quiet day planned today – still showery but bright. A walk into Portimao was, we thought, a good idea but the centre was a lot further away than it appeared. We passed through a residential area, mostly blocks of apartments, with the locals out for a Sunday morning visit with their neighbours. There were small cafes everywhere all quite full, although we did see the odd little unattractive restaurant with nobody in it.

Looking towards campsite from Portimao Town

Nothing much for the rest of the day, just relaxing people watching. It was quite obvious that many of the motorhomes parked up had been here for a while and it was a bit like a small community. There was a guy in the little reception cabin and people did appear to be going in, but nobody came round – bit confusing as one book said it was “gratuit” while another said 2 euros. Probably should have asked, 2 euros is nothing really so we feel a tad guilty.

Saturday 19 January 2013

What a wild night! Gale force winds rocked the van about and heavy rain woke us up. By getting up time it had mostly abated but it was still breezy and showery, fortunately not enough to stop us getting ready todepart – this time straight to the Algarve and see if we can find some sun!

Been a bit of rain around here?

A brief stop at a nearby supermarket to top up essentials, including a replacement tube for a failed fluorescent light, before we headed south avoiding the toll motorway. A very pleasant drive, even if we were plagued by strong winds and showers, and passing through one village we crossed a real raging torrent, coming down off the hills.

No, I can't shift it!

But staying off the main roads meant we saw a lot more of the real Portugal although at one point we were forced to turn back and divert because of a tree across the road – we had seen evidence several times of fallen trees having only just been cleared away.

Lunch taken at the side of the road as the weather started to improve and our first glimpse of the Mediterranean came in sunshine near Albufeira. We had decided to head for Portimao, really only because it was towards the western end of the Algarve and the book told us of a large motorhome site. However, now the satnav kept trying to put us up onto the toll road, and we also found that road signs to anywhere near the motorway were sparse. To encourage its use perhaps? So the netbook came into its own, not having detailed local maps, and we picked up the old road, N125, which took us through the villages and small towns along the coast before eventually taking us across the bridge into Portimao.

The bridge across the river estuary to Portimao

A very modern town with lots of high-rise apartments (what do they all do for work we wonder) built on the estuary of the Rio Arade – the aire is situated behind the marina, right in the corner with the coast. A huge parking area, there were dozens of vans scattered around but nobody in the Recepcao so we found ourselves a spot in the middle and settled in. Although we had enjoyed sunshine latterly, there were still showers around but for now we had arrived!

Friday 18 January 2013

The plan today had been to visit Evora but of course the weather had other ideas. By the time we were ready to go out, several rain showers had gone through leaving the gentle but persistent drizzle that pervades everywhere and is uncomfortable to be out in. So that plan was shelved and we spent the day just chilling out and planning the next move.

The weather forecast is not good, but is somewhat better further south so we intend to move on tomorrow, heading for the Algarve. As we have already said, tourism can wait for another time, we’re after some sunshine.

Have been trying to get the satellite TV to work but cannot get a signal. It may be due to being parked under a tree, though judging by others on site the right direction looks clear. We have heard, however that there have been some significant changes in the satellites so that may be the problem. We also seem to have lost our internet connection, probably due to the fact that we had been “streaming” (which sites don’t like apparently and may have barred us) listening to Radio Newcastle and the weather at home – heavy snow with temperatures below zero. It looks like we made the right move and got away just in time. Our sympathies to you all…………….!!!

Thursday 17 January 2013


Today is a R & R day, a time to tidy up, sort out and clean, having been "on the road" for over a week. We washed Bertie yesterday afternoon so today it was the turn of the inside - fortunately it doesn't take very long! No more rain thank goodness and in fact it is also warm enough to leave off jumpers so after breakfast open everything up to properly air the van, something we haven't been able to do until now. We also wound out the awning to find it soaking wet, not surprising really, so we were able to get that dried out too.

The campsite has laundry facilities so we took the opportunity of emptying the washing basket and were able to finish everything off in the fresh air - we are also carrying a portable rotary clothes drier this time out (heaven knows what will happen if we get weighed in a roadside check!).

After lunch, showers were the order of the day. Of course we've got an on-board shower but it does use a lot of water and there's not a lot of room, so "proper" showers are always welcome. As mentioned before the site facilities are basic but, even though a little tired, are kept very clean. No toilet roll is the norm, but why no toilet seats?

The rest of the afternoon was spent firstly trying out the exterior insulated screens. These are to help keep the van warmer by insulating the windscreen and windows, which also helps to prevent condensation forming on the inside glass. Then down to some serious leisure activity - we're supposed to be on holiday!

The campsite is not very busy which we suppose is to be expected at this time of year. There are 2 or 3 other Brits, and a couple each of Spanish, Dutch and German outfits making up the population which include caravans as well as m/h's. There doesn't seem to be any long-termers, most probably doing what we are, pausing on their travels and perhaps visiting Evora, which we'll probably do tomorrow, weather permitting.

There is a bar (closed) a swimming pool (closed) and a small shop (closed too!) but the TV room is open!
Tried a couple of times to use our own satellite TV but trees always seem to be in the way and anyway we've been told that most of the UK stations have been moved to a satellite we're not supposed to be able to receive in Spain and Portugal. Spoilsports! No matter because we've brought loads of DVDs and quite a lot of our CD collection on computer hard-disk which we can play through the vans sound system. Clever!


Up to now this blog has been somewhat domestic but from now on we'll try and make it a bit more touristy, including pictures and a bit more of a travelog. We probably won't be able to update it every day as it depends on where/when we can get an internet connection. So if you're still awake at this point (!) thanks for your interest and we hope you can look forward to it being a bit more interesting!

Wednesday 16 January 2013

Should really have kept quiet – awoke this morning to more rain, a really dull grey day again, but it’s not cold at all so that is something. Most of the adjoining m/h’s were gone by the time we had breakfast so after a quick visit to the service point the satnav led us safely out of this really quite pleasant, typically modern Spanish town. The major difference we have noticed to French towns is that there are people around!

Our plan today is to cross into Portugal and head for a campsite in Evora; not a long drive but first of all we needed to refuel then a visit to a supermarket to top up on supplies, bread & milk, that sort of thing. Found a very new and modern shopping centre on the edge of Badajoz – there seemed to be new building going on everywhere in Spain, we thought Spain was bankrupt! – so spent an hour browsing and of course buying far more than we had planned. It did mean however that we could forget shopping for a few days.

The Portuguese border came up only a couple of kilometres after Badajoz but of course there were no formalities, the only difference being the change in road signs. The first town we came across was Elvas, quite modern from the outside but with impressive walls and fortifications and an aqueduct built on top. However it was not long before we noticed a more subtle change in the countryside; farms were smaller, there were more of what, for better words, we would call poorer small cottages. Many places were simply but colourfully decorated and the whole effect was as if we had gone back in time 10-15 years. Quite different from Spain and France.

We had taken the decision to stay off the motorways – many were now toll roads and we had read that there was some confusion on how these were paid, and that they were expensive. So a steady drive along the “old” N4, which actually was in excellent condition, showed us more of the country. This gave us the benefit of being somewhat closer to the scenery and resolved one of yesterday’s queries – the trees were cork oaks and they were everywhere, many of them showing evidence of where the bark had been stripped off for the cork.

Along the way we had been puzzled by what appeared in the distance to be quarry spoil heaps, but as we got closer they turned out to be huge piles of large cut rock, stacked up apparently waiting to be shipped out. Then almost immediately we came to a large stone-yard and all became clear – it was marble, something we had read that the area was famous for and the material for much of the local building, including some very humble cottages and even the kerbstones!

Lunch was taken at a simple lay-by. The rain had stopped for some time although it was still dull but not at all cold and it was while “taking the air” another of yesterday’s questions was answered – there high above the adjacent motorway on a pole put up for that express purposes was a storks nest, with a pair doing, well, what comes naturally! We were to see more storks later at the campsite.

Evora was not much farther on and the satnav again took us safely round this old walled city, which we hope to visit in the next couple of days, and 2 km further on to Camping Orbitur Evora, an ACSI site so we saved around 50% on the fees which more than paid for the ACSI membership! Not quite Caravan Club standard, but not their prices either and all we need for a couple of days stopover. Booked in for three nights to give us time for a sort-out and general clean and hopefully a bit of tourism! Unfortunately the weather has turned showery again and the local forecast is not brilliant, but at least it’s relatively warm as the van heating has hardly come on this evening.

Tuesday 15 January 2013

As expected, it was a cold night and we awoke to a sharp frost – but the sun was shining out of a clear blue sky and the frost quickly disappeared, as did most of the motorhomes, allowing the area to revert to a car park.

Having looked at the maps again, we decided to keep heading south on the Spanish autovias on the basis that they were efficient, quiet and free, rather than cross over into Portugal and do battle with the unknown new toll roads. After all, the purpose of this holiday is to get some warm sun – we can do the touristy bits another time (and will).

So, we headed for Valladolid then Salamanca, the autovia taking us round the conurbations. But the real bonus was that the sun was now shining and it was warming up. At this point we were crossing the high Spanish plains with great views for miles to distant mountains, some of which got closer with snow on them and which we started to climb, peaking at 4000ft before threading through the passes. The land was also becoming quite agricultural with mile upon mile of prepared and sometimes sown huge fields. Large areas of trees seemed to have been cultivated and we speculated as to the crop – some form of nuts we thought but could have been olives. Livestock also became apparent.

But one of the most interesting sights were the storks nests, built on the non-conductors of the electricity pylons; indeed we saw platforms attached to some of them apparently just for that purpose. Of the birds themselves, however, there was no sign although we thought we spotted an eagle, several kites and an occasional hawk.

We pulled off the autovia onto the adjacent N630 to look for somewhere to stop for lunch, there being no rest areas and the truck pull-ins did not look very inviting. A quiet space just off the road in full sunshine was found to be most acceptable – then it was windows open and woollies off to enjoy at last what we’d come for!

The time had come to plan our next stop, and indeed our next few days as we were arriving in our target area. For tonight an aire at Caceres seemed just about the right distance as there was little else until well into Portugal, so the satnav was programmed and we jumped back onto the autovia. Yet again the directions in the Aires book didn't appear to make sense, until we realised that whoever wrote them had obviously been travelling in the opposite direction to us! Mystery solved but the satnav coordinates were spot-on so no problems.

The book said Caceres aire was popular, and so it was. On arrival we found that all the spaces had been taken up although if everybody had parked properly there would have been room enough. However there was plenty of room on the adjacent coach park so we joined the other half-a-dozen vans there – and several more arrived later. An early arrival meant we could enjoy a couple of hours of warm sunshine before it got dark, which appeared to have suddenly happened much later (around 7.00pm) although the fact that it isn't raining helps…….

But we've been on the road for a week now and are ready for a break, so as the weather seems to have turned we have decided to head for Evora in Portugal, a place recommended by our friend Ed and which has an excellent write-up in the Rough Guide, and stop for 2 or 3 nights.

Monday 14 January 2013

Internet connection still available this morning so we checked the weather forecast – heavy rain for the week along the north Spain coast so a change of plan was called for. As Lisbon still looked ok, changed direction to head south west and keep an eye on the forecasts whenever we can.

All this messing around, together with the dismal weather – it hasn't stopped raining since we arrived here, except when it started hailing! – meant we were very late getting away although we did manage to service the van properly. We also decided to go for it and use the autovias, non-toll motorway type roads (although we did use an A/P by accident for a while, that or going the long way round). So with the wipers and headlights on, we tucked in with the trucks. In fairness, the drive was still very scenic as the route took us first through the mountains along the coast before turning south towards Burgos and climbing up to the plateau which is inland Spain. We actually topped 3000ft at one point and most of the trip was around 2500ft. Needless to say, the rain turned to snow for a while before, later in the day, clearing to blue sky WITH SUNSHINE.

First stop was in Vittoria where we found a service station that sold LPG – they’re not very common so we've got a list – which we topped up using an adapter (we bought a complete set when we fitted the Gaslow system thank goodness) and also refilled with diesel. Shortly after, we pulled in to visit a supermarket near Miranda to top up with food supplies and have a late lunch.

Time was, however, pressing and we needed to find somewhere to stop for the night. The book showed several possibilities on our route, so we chose Palencia, with a backup of Valladolid and programmed the satnav. Autovia again, with the occasional foray through a small town to keep us off the toll road, and in now brilliant sunshine made our way into Palencia. It isn't anything special, quite a modern town really although the Rough Guide does its best to point out what there is, including quite a large car-park close-ish to the centre with 10 motorhome parking bays. We were number 11, but one was not in a bay so we got the last spot. When I went out at 9.00pm, there were 20 MH’s parked up and we've heard others arrive since! And it’s free, although the water is turned off – not surprising as it’s already frosty and the sky is crystal clear.

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Finished the last remaining bit of loading, locked up the house and on our way by 11.00. However as we are only going as far as Terry’s mum in Navenby (Lincolnshire – exactly halfway to Folkestone) had time to call in to the HSBC pensioners coffee morning for an hour then a little bit of shopping for mum before actually getting on the road by 12.45.

Little to add, an uneventful trip with mixed weather and our usual break at Wetherby – although we had to forego the “oggies” as they were shut! Arrived 4.30ish and spent a pleasant evening with Mum.

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Again no rush as the Tunnel booking is for 3.20pm, so on our way by 10.15 and a steady motorway cruise. We heard on the radio about delays to freight traffic on the tunnel so decided not to stop for lunch but go straight through. As it turned out there was no delay on domestic traffic so as we had arrived over an hour early we were put on a one hour earlier train – which we almost had to ourselves!

This meant an extra hour on the French side but as we intended to stay overnight at Calais, we used it to refuel and have a late lunch before getting parked up. There is a choice in Calais – Cite Europe m/h parking area is quite popular, the official harbour Aire or another aire we found out about at the marina. More out of curiosity, we went looking for the latter first and found it quite easily. However it was just a huge parking area, empty but for one m/h that looked sort of abandoned! On the basis of “if it doesn’t feel right” we decided we would rather use the harbour site, even if it was a little noisy with the ferries going in and out. Only a handful of vans were there so we parked up and settled down for the night. Not all that noisy and the sound of waves breaking against the sand was quite restful!

Thursday 10 January 2013

Oh dear, it must have been that cheese. Terry awoke with severe stomach cramps which developed into sickness and diarrhoea – no question of driving today. So dosed up with suitable medicine (we always carry a good variety) it was back to bed while Bren settled down with her puzzles and ferry-watching.

Better by mid-afternoon, nevertheless Terry was still not up to driving so we decided to stay put for tonight as we are in a good position and the servicing facilities are still switched on – though nobody ever came to collect any money.

Friday 11 January 2013

Terry much better this morning, though still somewhat sensitive but now Bren was feeling a little queasy. Hmmm, water tank? Nevertheless we both were able to down some breakfast and were ready to carry on. It had started to rain during the night and we had to put up with showers whilst servicing Bertie.

Our plan was to take our time heading south, avoiding the motorways and see where we ended up. We’ve always worked like this when there is no time limit and it means if we see something, or feel like a break we can just pull in. Again out of curiosity, we followed the coast road out of Calais towards Boulogne rather than use the motorway and found it very pleasant, if slow. Worth keeping this in mind for the future. Approaching Boulogne, we felt that going through the centre would take too long so up onto the motorway for a couple of junctions before joining the old N1 (now D901) south.

We use Bren’s notebook computer with MS Autoroute for navigation as we can plan a rough route beforehand and it also shows us places of interest and more detail of our surroundings than the ordinary satnav. We also use the route-tracking feature and hope to be able to include our actual routes in this blog (when I’ve worked out how to do it!) We use the satnav to watch the road ahead and also to keep an eye on our speed – it’s impossible to see the kph readings on the speedo.

Our route today is via Abbeville and Rouen then towards Le Mans, with a target overnight stop at the Aire de Service we found last November in Alencon. Abbeville was busy but we avoided the centre but the slow start meant that by lunchtime we were not as far along as we had expected so to save a little time jumped onto the autoroute to Rouen (non-peage). This was a good move because a bridge was closed in Rouen and the traffic was awful – at least the motorway got us close in. We then spent around 20mins of stop-start traffic, occasionally cutting up French drivers when we got in the wrong lanes (!) before getting across the river Seine and onto the Le Mans road – when the rain started to bucket down in brilliant sunshine, making the overhead signs unreadable! However we only had to do one more late (!) lane change before we found the right road. Note to selves – Rouen is a lovely city but avoid like the plague if you’re not actually visiting.

For much of the time we paralleled the motorway, and the roads were almost deserted. Of course we have to keep slowing down for villages, roundabouts etc. but it is a much nicer way of seeing the real France – although we do sometimes wonder where all the people are!

As the afternoon wore on, so the weather dried up and the sun came out. It became clear that we would arrive in Alencon just as it was getting dark, so our overnight stop was decided. Followed the map round to the Aire, to find a couple of cars using the spaces – illicit meeting? They moved off later so we moved onto a more level space and settled in. The borne (service point) was closed and the water turned off, but we serviced this morning so no matter tonight. We only need somewhere safe to park.

Saturday 12 January 2013

Heavy rain overnight but otherwise quiet. Trouble is, at this time of year it is still dark at getting up time!

The plan today is to carry on towards Bordeaux via Le Mans, Poitier and Angouleme, so after usual preparations we’re on our way. The weather is still very damp but showing promising signs and the roads are relatively quiet. We have found it is just as easy to navigate by following the road signs and generally this agrees with the “planned” route. Le Mans came up quite quickly and we found ourselves passing right by the F1 Circuit then onto the famous Mulsanne Straight where we got up to, ooh 90kph!

Again, everywhere seemed deserted, even the Centres Commerciale (out-of-town shopping areas) whereas in the UK they would be heaving! We identified a couple of Aires de Service on our route so took the opportunity of calling in at one to see if we could get any water. Alas, not unexpectedly, the water was turned off but we still emptied the loo, just in case.

Our next idea was to take a lunch stop near a McDonalds and use their Wi-Fi to update the blog and get emails. The next on our route was quite close to Poitiers where there was also an Auchan – cheap fuel and we’re down to ¼ tank so fill up today as tomorrow is Sunday and chances may not be so easy. Cheapest fuel we’ve seen – but no McDonalds! This was further down the road at another Centre Commerciale, and just to prove me a liar, this one was absolutely heaving! Parked up and had lunch but we could not persuade their Wi-Fi to talk to us before the battery ran out! Someone’s trying to tell us something! (If you’re reading this we’ve obviously been successful somewhere).

So push on. We had identified an Aire, recommended on the forum, along our route, which was now the N10, a fast dual carriageway, at Couhe. However it appeared a lot earlier than we had planned to stop so gave it a miss. A rough calculation showed we would be in the area of Angouleme at the right time and Bren identified 3 Aires which were in the book and looked as if they might be open. So programmed the first into the satnav, at Nersac, which is where we are now parked up, along with 7 other vans – and the water is turned off! The electricity is free however, but as all the others were already plugged in, despite offers, we declined – bet it’s not long before someone overloads it!

In between showers, even though it was dark, as we have been “sitting” for ages, we felt a walk was in order. Nersac is not large in itself, though it does have surrounding residential and industrial areas, and is a typical small French village with winding narrow streets round the square and church,  the buildings looking like they have been here for centuries.  Very basic but quite attractive, even in the cold and dark, but although there is a bar/brasserie, Bertie beckoned!

We had hoped to be a little further on by now but, hey, there’s no rush so time-out.

Sunday 13 January 2013

More rain overnight but as it was Sunday we had a lie-in! Eventually on our way and as the weather is mixed, without resorting to the motorways we more or less decided to push on. A quick stop for a map and some lunch a little later were the only real highlights of actually quite a pleasant run down the very quiet N10. What we should have done, however, was amend our planned route because although we really couldn’t avoid Bordeaux, lack of forethought caused us to transit Bayonne and Biarritz which, while both being attractive enough places, we felt we’d leave for another time.

We did spot an Aire in Biarritz so stopped for a look with a view to possibly staying overnight, but apart from really being too small to fit in Bertie, it was right in between the railway and main road and consequently quite noisy. Maybe for a day visit in the future. So as a quick check of the books showed very few campsites open, we pointed ourselves at an Aire in San Sebastion.

All I can say is thank goodness for Garmin! The written directions inconveniently failed to mention there was not actually an exit 9 off the motorway – it went from 8 to 25! – and in trying to get back we ended up climbing the side of a mountain on a narrow road that quickly became impassable! So trust in the satnav and we eventually found where the instructions were wrong and the Aire appeared just as it got dark, together with a rainstorm. Never mind, parked up for the night with a few other Spanish and French vans, for the first time actually spending some money on parking. 3 euros.

So we are now perusing the Rough Guide to Spain to decide what we are going to do next. We could really do with a weather forecast but have not been able to get an internet connection up to now. Think that is going to be our next priority.

(Later) Got a roaming connection, but it’s cost £20 just to download the emails! Stuff that!

Right - think I've found the problem, also managed to edit the title so now it reads right. So this is just a test post.

Monday 7 January 2013

Well that's the van loaded up ready to go first thing in the morning. Taken most of the day to make sure everything is where we can get at it, although we've tried to put in very little more than we would take for two weeks, Still, I'm thinking a visit to the weighbridge on the way out might not come amiss.....

Last thing to load was the bikes and I've noticed a tendency for the big bike to keep throwing it's chain. Then I saw that the chain wheel was not running true, followed by ominous looking scratches on the rack where it may well have been rubbing/banging on our previous trip. Oh dear!
But it's now almost dark and raining so on the basis I can usually fix most things it's all tied on, complete with nice shiny new number plate and the chevron board, which needs to be fixed with lines pointing down to the left, so I saw on the MHF forum. Finally also remembered the locking chain!

Now sat at the computer getting last minute info, weather forecasts etc.

NOTE: Seems to be something wrong with the times of posting. I've got an idea it's on something like New York time - no doubt there's a button somewhere I can fix that. (Found it!) (No I haven't, it's set to Pacific Standard Time - have another look)

Well that seemed to work OK!

2013 Tour to Spain & Portugal by Terry and Brenda Law

Well, here it is, our first attempt at "blogging". For our first try we're going to follow our two-month "snowbird" trip to Spain and Portugal, hopefully updating it as we go. We'll add pictures etc. along the way so keep coming back to see what's new. 

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We bought "Bertie" (Bertie Bolero), a Swift Bolero 680FB, in July 2009 - seen here on our first "proper" tour, enjoying the banks of the Rhine. Since then we've undertaken quite a few trips to various parts of the UK and the Continent, but this will be the longest, and the furthest we've yet travelled. We've kept a written diary of all our previous tours - which I might eventually get to add here later - and will continue to do so but we thought it might be nice to share our experiences. Enjoy!

Sunday 6 January 2013

We booked the Channel Tunnel using Tesco vouchers a month or so ago, but only an outbound crossing 'cos we don't have much idea about when we are going to return. With hindsight we could have booked a return and just called and amended it later, we did that last trip with no problems. However we discovered today that our current travel insurance only covers us for max 31 days, as do many policies, so we've had to take out a new policy which still limits us to 60 days but that should be long enough. Bertie is due an MOT in March anyway so we need to be back.

So we collected him from storage yesterday and after a full checkover and a clean have started loading up. The batteries are charging, the fridge is cooling and Bren has spent all afternoon building a big pile of food supplies ready to be loaded tomorrow. There are, of course, no shops in Portugal.......

All the paperwork has been checked and ready to go aboard. As a precaution we've copied all the important documents, passports etc. to Skydrive so if anything goes missing we can get copies quickly via any internet computer. Hope we don't need it of course.

Scheduled (!) departure is Tuesday, staying overnight at Mum's in Navenby (exactly half-way to Folkestone)  and catching the 1520 shuttle on Wednesday.

Now to press the PUBLISH button and see what happens.....