Home to Metz

The Plan.

Our 2014 tour will take us through Holland, France, Spain and then back to France through Normandy. That's the plan but...anything can happen.

Sunday 13 April. Home to Hull.

Our tour began at 2pm when we left home to collect the caravan from the storage site and head for Hull.   Arrived in plenty of time but took ages to check due to somewhat disorganised (putting it mildly) group of Belgians in very mucky 4X4’s. There were about 6 vehicles three in front of us and several more behind. After 10 minutes we realised that the ones in from of us had neither tickets or passports. So they spent about 20 minutes running between the vehicles sorting out their documentation.  

Once on board we had a wander and a drink and then went to dinner in the buffet restaurant.  The standard of food was excellent.  We had a chat with our waiter who was from the Philippine’s (as most of the catering staff seem to be on the ‘Pride of Rotterdam’).  He said that he works for 6 months (without a day off) and then gets to fly home for 2 months.   He works in the restaurant at dinner and breakfast, then cleans cabins, then sleeps until the next shift starts.   He said they don’t leave the boat much but do go ashore when it is nearing the time to go home to buy gifts for their families.  They seem willing to sacrifice being away from home for the better rates of pay they can achieve working for P&O. I did my bit by giving him a decent tip.

After dinner we sat in the bar and watched a swing band who had apparently appeared in the film ‘Memphis Belle’.  The band leader looked as if he was old enough to have played in the original Glenn Miller Band.

Monday 14 April. Rotterdam to Rijnsburg. 45 miles.

We didn’t sleep too well but had a very good breakfast, all be it rather early and disembarked the ferry in Rotterdam about 8.45am.   The drive to our first campsite ‘Camping Koningshof’ took about an hour.   It’s a very nice campsite with plenty of facilities but the best bit, as I discovered later in the day, is the heated floor in the shower block. Such luxury.  We checked in and got settled and then went to gather some provisions.   Later on we took a walk into the local town, Rijnsberg.  There must be some money in this growing flowers lark.   We passed some very nice houses.  Anyone interested in nosing around houses on the internet or flicking through the pages of an interiors magazine would appreciate these homes.   They all seemed to favour large downstairs windows all with grand displays of flowers, vases, large ornaments, lamps or candle lanterns.  They certainly seem to show some flair for interior design. (Sarah wrote this bit).

Tuesday 15 April. Amsterdam.

Today we drove to Amsterdam, well to the park and ride at Slotterdijk, which took about 40 mins.  We then took the bus into Amsterdam. ( I was very impressed by the local public transport. We paid 2 euros 50 each for the return bus ticket which I thought was very good value. It was only when we tried to get out the car park we realised that we had to pay another 8 euros.) Straight off the bus and into a 'Brown Bar' where Sarah tried to get to grips with a map.

After a coffee and a look at the map we wandered to Dam Square then Sarah told me she had always wanted to go on a canal cruise. So we did. Twenty minutes after cast off she was asleep. She blamed the motion of the boat. I'm not sure how much she missed.   The weather was freezing.   

We found a rather quirky café for lunch, serving all sorts of quiches, and bread concoctions.  The interior was all constructed out of recycled bits and pieces.  The seats were stools made out of packing crates, topped with cushions and the light fittings were stainless steel colanders.  We then had a wander of several miles around the streets and canals admiring the distinctive architecture.  

Not sure if there was some student event taking place or whether it happens every day – but we encountered a number of young men on bikes dressed in onesies, some were smurfs and another was a chicken. We then saw two young men on a moped dressed in shirts, smart jackets and their boxer shorts!!! We think they had been smoking the local tobacco.

We were drawn back to the same café for excellent cake.   Sarah had a piece courgette and lemon cake which sounds strange but she says was delicious.

Wednesday 16 April. Keukenhof Gardens.

The gardens are situated in the bulb growing centre of Holland, and only about 20 mins from the campsite.   We had read that it was advisable to get there for when they opened at 8am which proved good advice.  It was quite quiet until the coach tours started arriving.

The coach parties seemed to consist of either Chinese and Japanese who all seemed to have to strike a pose next to or in amongst the blooms as if developing a modelling portfolio; or old ladies staggering round. The gardens are a show case for the bulb growers to exhibit their bulb varieties, who knew there were so many!   

The displays were of tulips, narcissi, grape hyacinths, anemones, bluebells and others.  I don’t really know how to describe it except to say that it was a feast for the senses. 

Around every turn there was another display.  Every colour combination you could think of and more had been used to spectacular effect with the scent of narcissi following your around.  It really was a magnificent sight.

By the time we left 6 hours later, I had filled 2 camera memory cards – they are going to take some editing.   Stopped on the way back to admire some of the bulb fields.

It was a fabulous day and Sarah is already planning who she drags along for her next visit.

Thursday 17 April. On yer bike.

You know what they say “when in Rome”; well when in Holland you have to go on a bike ride.  We hired the bikes from reception and set off cautiously (neither of us had been on a bike, except at the gym, in years).  It took some time before we could stop the handle bars wobbling. That’s what happens when you ride a bike at the gym.

We did about 20 miles all together.  You rarely have to ride on the road.   There are separate cycle paths everywhere with excellent signposting.  Even if you are on the road it will have cycle lanes, even if this means that the actual road width for cars is only a single lane.  We cycled through the countryside seeing some amazing bulbfields we would not have seen from the road, up to the coast.  

In previous years I have seen so many Dutch caravaners in France and Spain I wondered if anyone was left in Holland. Well there are still a lot of people running the place and we discovered where they keep their caravans in the Winter. In the greenhouses. Sarah said she saw hundreds of them parked up.

Huge beaches but it was very windy.  We had to get off a couple of times as we couldn’t pedal into the wind.   We worked our along the coast for a few miles and then returned inland and back to the site.  Great fun, though we were rather saddle sore; especially Sarah.  Her saddle kept trying to twizzle round to the side, digging a hole in the right buttock.   Whilst she was trying to figure out what was going on she managed to collide with the kerb and fall off.   No damage to her or the bike was sustained. But it was very funny.

In the evening I decided to fill up the car with diesel. The first two self service places would not accept any of my credit cards – which was worrying. The next five did not have any diesel. I began to have visions of being trapped in Holland for three months. Luckily I finally found an Avia service station which did have diesel and was selling it at about 20 cents more than the others. I returned to the caravan site and had a beer to celebrate.

Friday 18 April. Rijsnburg to Metz. 248 miles.

Moved on to Metz in the Alsace region of France; passing through Belgium, and Luxembourg.  For some reason the police were diverting lorries off the main motorway. This caused us a slight delay but the queue of traffic in the other direction was actually longer than the Principality of Luxembourg. Whilst in the Grand Duchy we topped up with diesel as it was about 99p a litre.

The Municipal Campsite in Metz was in an ideal spot on the banks of the Moselle River and close to the town.  We wandered into town in the evening and had a very good pizza.

Saturday 19 April. Metz.

We walked into Metz this morning to excellent market.  There is a covered market everyday and on Saturday an outdoor market too.   Bought 2 tonnes of fruit and veg for 4 euros.  Why does the fruit and veg look so good in markets abroad.  The aubergines looked like someone had spent all night polishing them.   We also bought a Quiche Lorraine (a specialty of the region) and some smelly cheese.

After lunch we walked about into the town for a look around.  Encountered many cars tooting their horns.  They turned about to be a wedding party arriving at the Registry Office and then leaving, sounding their horns as they formed a convoy out of the town.

Metz is a typical Northern French town with a good vibe but nothing exceptional. It was OK for a couple of nights and it broke the journey but I won’t be hurrying back.

Metz to Provence

Sunday 20 April. Metz to Annecy - 328 miles.

Got an early start as we had a long drive ahead of us.  We are staying at a pretty site called La Solitaire Du Lac close to the shore of Lake Annecy.   There are 180 good sized pitches but they are mainly empty.  The site is virtually deserted with ourselves and Dutch and three French caravans. 

Once again we are the only Brits on site. The down side of the site is that the toilet block has no end walls so having a shower on an April evening is not the most pleasant of experiences and the experience of a heated floor is but a distant memory.

Monday 21 April. Annecy.

It was Sarah’s birthday today.  She had brought a number of cards with her but I also had more which had come during the days before we left. I found them all the night before but could not find mine. I emptied the car and every cupboard before I found it safely tucked away in a red folder.  During the day she had several texts and emails wishing her a Happy Birthday.   The cards are all lined up in the window of the caravan.  Unfortunately, it is has been a rather grey and rainy day so that hampered our activities somewhat.  We went into Annecy town – it wasn’t quite as pretty as we remembered from our previous visit here.   Perhaps it was because it was grey and wet but it was a little disappointing.   However, we compensated by buying cream cake. The picture below was taken in Annecy and yes it is an 'Organ Grinder' with a twist - instead of a monkey he has a cat. 

In the evening we had planned to go to a restaurant we had seen on a wander the previous evening.  It had a sign in the window saying it was shut on Sunday evening.  Naturally this led us to believe it would be open on Monday evening.  How wrong you can be – it was still closed!   There was only one restaurant open out of about 9 in the immediate area so we went there and had a good steak and chips.

Tuesday 22 April. Annecy

Bright blue sky this morning so set out to walk along the lake.  We walked as far as a pretty village called Duignt which has a small chateau jutting out into the lake on a small peninsula; stopping for coffee and a chat with the owner of another campsite along the way.

We then returned via the cycle path – about 7 miles in all.

In the afternoon we went in search of a camping accessories store as we appear to have developed a gas leak from somewhere.  We got what we needed and purchased a French gas cylinder as our Spanish gas has nearly run out.  

I am in the process of curating a collection of European gas cylinders. So far I have the French ‘Le Cube and the Spanish ‘K6’ butane cylinder. Plus of course the collection of regulators I need to connect to them. If only the EU could do something useful standardise gas cylinders so you don’t need to buy a different one in every country. But then again that would be a bit too practical for the bureaucrats.

Wednesday 23 April Annecy to Apt - 248 miles

Moved on to Le Luberon (West Provence) today.  The site is near the town of Apt.   Weather sunny and definitely getting warmer.

No matter how often you stay on a Mediterranean site you are never quite prepared for what meets you. So far on this tour we have camped on grass. The current site is dry and arid with no sign of a blade of grass. It looks like the Australian outback just as the trees have started growing after a severe forest fire. 

The pitches are of differing sizes and shapes. Some are just about big enough to get a 7ft x 4 ft tent on. Manoeuvring the caravan through the site was a challenge with sharp turns and overhanging trees. Sarah went ahead and performed her impression of one of those chaps who guides a plan into a position at the airport. I’ll have to buy her some yellow overalls and a couple of bright orange paddles.

Upon arrival we are depressed but soon get used to it.

Thursday 24 April

The shorts came out for the first time today.   Taking advantage of the sunshine Sarah set about doing 3 loads of washing at the princely sum of 4 Euros a wash.   I put up the sun canopy.  Now we have the table and chairs out and washing on the line it feels like home; especially as we had our first croissants for breakfast with strawberry jam courtesy of Sarah’s Dad – delicious! 

Friday 25 April

It was looking rather dull this morning so we decided to go to Avignon about 30 miles away. Travelled through vineyards and cherry orchards.   I hadn’t realised that the world needed so many cherries – they are everywhere.  Avignon is walled town on the River Rhone, perhaps best known for the song “Sur la pont d’Avignon”. Sadly it looked as if they never got round to finishing it.

Pleasant town with an imposing Popes Palace and said bridge.   It is in fact only about a quarter of the original bridge as the rest was washed away by a flood in 1668, but at one time it was the only bridge to cross the Rhone between Lyon and the Med.

After lunch we drove up to a hilltop village with a difference called Les Baux de Provence.

We soon discovered that the small village was occupied by the sponsors if ITV mystery drama – Viking River Cruises. We knew it was them because they were all wearing ID badges and they looked mysterious as if trying to find the body in every nik nak shop. Their luxury cruise barge was docked in Avignon and they had been allowed out for good behaviour.

In addition to the usual tourist shops selling Artisan honey, wine, chocolates, soap, tea towels, ceramics, salamis, cheese, jewellery, nougat etc etc there are two main tourist attractions. The castle which overlooks the valleys and a quarry. Now, how can you make money from a quarry when the limestone has run out or no one can afford to buy what’s left. You turn it into a Son et Lumieres. The only problem being that the summer days are quite long so your opportunity for taking the cash is diminished. So, the French have addressed this issue by putting a concrete roof across it. This means that they can take 10 euros from visitors between 9am and 6pm. Actually it was not so much a ‘Son et Lumier’ more of a 1970’s disco experience. A bit like those coloured oil wheels which projected colours onto the wall. Well, things have moved on. 

They have taken bits from very famous paintings and made a collage out of them. The result is a 10 minute show of ‘Impressionist’ art. 

Neither Sarah or I can claim to be art enthusiasts but even I had to admit it was quite good.

Saturday 26 April

The guidebook said that the Saturday market in Apt was not to be missed as in addition to the stalls there are barrel organs, jazz musicians and stand up comics.    It was a good market; Sarah bought yet more veg, but not much sign of the said entertainment.

This region is known for its hilltop villages and this afternoon we did a walk from Apt up the hill about 1000ft to the village of Saignon.   Very pretty with winding narrow streets and typical Provencal houses.  There were excellent views all round of the surrounding countryside.  We then wound our way back to Apt.  

I wasn’t feeling great as am I am full of cold so Sarah went into the local Pharmacy to get something like Day Nurse and was quite concerned how she was going to explain what she wanted.   She came out feeling rather ashamed as the pharmacist spoke excellent English and on asking my symptoms made a recommendation of capsules just like Day Nurse but the name is French.

It was been 23 degrees today but the forecast is for strong wind so I have been out adding extra pegs and ropes to the canopy to ensure it doesn't  take off in the night.

Sunday 27 April

Beautiful but windy day.   Still feeling rather rubbish so having a day on the site; allowing Sarah to do some more washing! Well – she likes it.

During a walk around the site I took this snap of one of the holiday dwellings. 

These are dotted around the site and are a bit like a very strong PVC tent on a wooden base. I don’t know if you rent these for a holiday or are committed to them after being found guilty of some heinous crime. The thought of being cooped up in one of these for two weeks with temperatures into the 90’s does not appeal to me.

Monday 28 April to Friday 2 May 2014

We have written about the week as a whole so as not to bore with too many descriptions of walks and villages.

We returned from our travels on Wednesday to find that we were surrounded by French families with very loud children. Only about 10% of the pitches are occupied yet they decided to strike camp right next to us. Why does this always happen to us?

Villages we have visited include Rousillon, Gordes, Bonnieux, Lacoste (not where Lacoste clothing comes from), Goult and Vioux.

Over the past five days we have done a number of excellent walks from various hilltop villages, walking through woodland, vineyards, cherry orchards, olive groves and lavender fields.    Le Luberon has mountains and hills on all sides but in the middle is a vast, fairly flat plain; so you can see why they built the villages where they did as they provide an excellent vantage point to spot approaching attackers.

This area has been extensively quarried in the past.  The ochre they mined was used to make paper, cement and fabric dye and you can see all the many colours in the rock (from white, through yellows and orange to red and purples) reflected in the render on the outside of the houses.  Other houses are built of light stone (saw one we liked 4,300 000 euros!!).

The villages are built into the side of and on top of the hills.   They all have maze of very pretty narrow streets, often cobbled winding up the hillside.  All the houses have shutters and one village in particular (Goult) was particularly pretty and the doors and shutters were painted in colours straight out of a ‘Farrow and Ball’ paint chart (says Sarah)

We also visited a town called Isle de Sorgue which is divided by various branches of the River Sorgue.   The River is a gorgeous emerald green colour and is crossed by a number of bridges and on display are a number of water wheels that used to drive the local industry.   It is now more famous for its antiques markets and shops.    In one shop you could buy a 10ft model of a giraffe for 3,200 euros.   After this we went to the Fontaine de Vacluse which is large spring at the head of a gorge and forms the start of the River Sorgue.   It is rather over commercialised but the walk up to spring is lovely with water varying in colour from icy blue to emerald green.

For a bit of excitement I slipped on the path on the way down and in an effort to ensure my camera was not damaged I ended up on my back with my legs and arms in the air doing some sort of break dance move.  No major damage to me or the camera but embarrassing nonetheless.  Falling in front of a lot of foreigners.

On our last day in Provence we decided that we would climb ‘La Falaise de la Madeleine’. Basically it’s a big limestone outcrop a bit like Curbar Edge in the Peak District. It was a bit breezy at the bottom but at the top we both felt the power of a gale force wind. Later we found out that a force 8 had been forecast. Shan’t be doing that again.

Canet Plage and the Pyrenees

Saturday 3 May. Apt to Canet Plage – 148 miles

Interesting day!  Set off from Apt to drive to Canet de Plage on the Cote d’Vermeille (Vermillion Coast – not sure why) for a few days R&R.   The drive was fine until about a mile from the site I followed the Sat Nav instructions instead of my own in built sense of navigation. Most men have it. Most women do not.

Anyway, we ended up with Sarah screaming “this is a cycle path and you’ll never get the caravan through that tunnel”. I thought I had a 50/50 chance but eventually chickened out and resorted to unhitching the caravan and engaging the caravan mover. Much to the amusement of several locals who had obviously seen this happen to other victims.

A few minutes later than planned we arrived at Camping La Brasilia a little flustered but were soon feeling calmer.   It is a 5* site and we were greeted warmly by the Security Guard and pointed in the direction of reception.   The reception was like a hotel, the receptionists in a uniform who spoke many languages.  She checked us in and presented

us with a key ring which we were told was being given to us to mark the 50^th Anniversary of the site. A young lad on a bike then appeared to escort us to a pitch.   He asked if we would like sun or shade, to be near the beach or away from it.   We asked for somewhere quiet.    He took us to a very quiet area and suggested it would remain quiet until June.  There were 10 pitches in our row and only us in it.   Site very neat and tidy.  All pitches marked out by hedges and all a very good size. 

It is a big site with a lot going on which isn’t normally what we would choose but it makes a nice change now and then, especially to have some classier sanitary facilities.   There is a large pool area, a great beach, shops and takeaway, bar and restaurant.  

In the evening we were walking to the restaurant when I noticed that many of the lampposts had loudspeakers strapped to them. I was just about to say I hope this isn’t like Maplins when all of a sudden I heard the unmistakable sound of the Xylophone, followed by an announcement about the evening entertainment. It was the French equivalent of a red coat concert in the Hawaiian Bar. Magic. Who says the French haven’t got a sense of humour?

During the meal and subsequent entertainment extravaganza Sarah downed half a bottle of wine and 4 glasses of Cointreau. The night ended with her saying forecasting “this isn’t going to end well” – and she was right. Nuff said?

Sunday 4 May

There is a Petit Train (modified tractor pulling trailers with seats on) that runs from the site to the town of Canet.   We boarded the train and had a rather bumpy ride into the town.   Canet has a beautiful beach that goes on for miles, but the town itself if nothing to write home about.   It seems to consist of a lot of apartments built in the 80’s and many bars and restaurants.    There was a rollerblading, BMX and scooter riding competition taking place on the beach with some very impressive competitors, including a small boy of about 5 or 6 on rollerblades who could certainly hold his own with the big boys.

After lunch we walked back to the site and joined the ‘Welcome Drink’ party. Sarah wasn’t too keen about drinking again – ever. She needn’t have worried as it was fruit juice served from a plastic washing up bowl. This was rather like the meeting you have with your rep when you arrive at a resort.   The ‘Animation Team’ (Red Coats) explained what would be going and where in four languages. The only activities which seemed to be missing were ballroom dancing and horse riding.  There was also an informal assessment of who was in the room.  Any French, almost every hand went up, and Belgians – no one, any English – we were once again the only Brits on site.

Monday 5 May

We awoke to a wonderful surprise. I opened the caravan door and discovered that some sick bird had left us with about 4 sq ft of high quality thick guano. Sarah thought the bird must have been suffering from acute diarrhoea. After hosing the whole area down I suspect that the cows round here nest in the tress

We spent the day sitting in the sun and reading.   There were red squirrels darting about and we saw a very unusual bird.   It had an orangey brown head and neck with a tuft on its head, and its wings were black and white striped.  I was immediately asked to Google it and find out what it was. Three hours later I discovered it was a Hoopoe bird (I think named after the noise it made). 

By the way this is not my photograph. I got it off the web.

Evidently there was great excitement in Wales just before Xmas when one appeared on the West coast. Well that’s what passes for excitement on BBC Wales. (Sorry – couldn’t resist baiting one of my readers)

Tuesday 6 May

Decided to venture out today and went along the coast to a village called Collioure.  A really charming village, though very crowded. Therefore providing another opportunity to browse the Artisan Shops. This time there was one selling Artisan packaged sardines and mackerel. What will they think of next.   

It seemed to be the day out of choice especially for coach tours from Spain.  The village is built around 2 small bays with a peninsular between.   On the peninsular is a large and impressive fort.  There were also a number of other towers and forts on the hillside rising behind the village along with a lot of vineyards.

The real hoot of the day was watching a crack French Commando unit learning how to inflate their inflatable boats. They provided the impromptu entertainment for hundreds of day trippers along the beach and in the restaurants. Sadly one of the boats failed to inflate due to a puncture. After watching them for a few minutes I wasn’t too sure if it was an official military exercise or a warm up for a new French series of the Generation Game.

On returning the site Sarah went to have her haircut as the hairdresser spoke English. During the trim the hairdresser managed to convey that she was taking part in the entertainment that evening which was a production of Mamma Mia.  It was her first time and she was a little nervous.   Not too sure how she did as we had an early night.

Camping Brasillia (in English Camping Brazil) was a very well managed high quality site. Impeccably well maintained and clean. The staff were very attentive and clearly well trained. Top marks.

Wednesday 7 May. Canet to Vernet les Bains. 48 miles

After 4 nights we had had all the excitement we could take so we moved on and took a slight diversion from our planned route after reading about a narrow gauge train journey in the guide book.   We moved to a site in Vernet Les Bains in the Pyrenees Orientales (No - I’d never heard of it either. It’s the Eastern end of the Pyrenees just before they meet the sea). The area is dominated by Mont Canigou which still has snow on it.  Not that we could see it when we arrived as it was cloudy and grey.   The campsite is not posh but very pretty and about 1.5 Km from the village.   Facilities basic but very clean and best shower we have had so far.   Only one other occupied caravan here. Walked into the village and visited the Tourist Info Office.   Extremely helpful man indicated all the walking routes available.   Each printed route cost 1.20 euros and came with an extra sheet of English translation, very impressed.   We chose one called ‘Discover the Valley’.

He also told us about the Yellow Train and explained the timetable.  At this time of year they don’t run that often and there can be long gaps waiting for a return train.   He pointed out the best section of the journey and informed us it was 11 euros each way per person.   So he suggested we might come back by bus which is only 1 euro!  This is the sort of advice you are grateful for.

Thursday 9 May

We woke up to realise that we had pitched the caravan in the wrong direction.

The mountains were actually behind us. Something we had not realised the day before due to poor visibility.

Today is yet another French Bank Holiday. Today they are marking VE Day and with that in mind and a slight change in the weather forecast we decided to go walking rather than take the train.

We set out on our ‘Discover the Valley’ walk and had a great day.    It was a beautiful walk rising up through a pine forest to a 10/11^th Century chapel and then along the ridge.  Great views all round.  The path then descended steeply to the village of Corneilla.  We stopped in the village to buy a baguette and then took an uphill path eventually reaching a route that followed the contour of the hill back to Vernet with a view of the village all the way.   After a late lunch we sat out and recovered from our exertion.  Warm and sunny day.

Friday 10 May

Rose early to catch the Yellow Train at 8.50 from the town of Villefranche Du Conflent.  The guide book indicated that the train gets busy so to be there in plenty of time. I think we were first there. For the benefit of the person who might be interested - the train operates on 850 volts DC which is delivered by a third rail. It climbs 1,165 metres in 39 miles.

The train was probably only half full.  It was a pleasant journey up to Mont Louis where we disembarked; but it was not as spectacular as some we have been on.    Mont Louis is the highest garrison town in France, built in the 16^th Century to keep an eye out for any advancing Spanish, now home to the Commando Training Unit. Unfortunately I think the disappointment of the punctured boat earlier in the week had sapped their morale as we didn’t see any of them training.  After lunch we caught the bus back and actually got much better views than we did from the train. The train goes over several viaducts and a suspension bridge and you got a much better sense of what a feat of engineering the railway was.   

The bus journey made me rethink the route for the following day. I decided NOT to tow the caravan along this very narrow road which had at one point 4 consecutive hairpin bends.

On arriving back at the site we found an English couple in a tent had joined the throng.  They are living in France for a while before deciding whether to move here permanently.  They live near Toulouse and have been there for about a year, but we discovered they come from Matlock. We’d be rubbish if we ever had to go on the run as we always bump into people from Hull or Chesterfield.

Saturday 10 May. Vernet les Bains to Argeles Gazost. 145 miles.

Got up early to get a head start on the day to our next destination but had difficulty paying.  From 8.30am we tried to raise someone.  We rang the bell, knocked on office door, knocked on the house door, rang up (answerphone) but no one came.  We had just decided to write a note and leave some money when the gentleman of the house appeared (he had been to get bread).    It seems his wife was in she just didn’t hear us!!  Paid and left.

The journey took a while as my new route involved driving back towards the Mediteranean coast before driving West to our next site. Drove through a town called Foix which it seems is twinned with Ripon. The road was narrow in parts with a few hairpin bends which, when you’re towing a 7.5 metre caravan, demanded a high level of skill and concentration. I didn’t clip anything or anyone but did go through a red light. Sarah slept, later blaming the motion of the car.

Arriving at Camping Montagnou near the town of Seix (not sure how to pronounce this) mid-afternoon we were greeted by the owner who looked a bit panicky.   We thought he was going to say they were full as when we passed through Seix there seemed to be a Canoeing competition on (lots of fast flowing rivers around here).   It turns out they were empty, but he didn’t speak English.   There was one couple on site in a static who were French but the chap spoke fluent English so he went to fetch him to help out.  This chap also kindly told us about local sites to see.   They have left now so it is just us.  

The owner struggled with the computer so decided we could sort out the paperwork when his wife was back.  The site lists the following facilities, snack bar (closed), Pool (closed), small food shop (closed), laundry (closed) and facility to order bread (seeming only available in July and August). But it’s very peaceful. We also have our own red squirrel.

Sunday 11 May

Raining this morning with very low cloud.   Sarah was depressed by the weather and the fact that nothing was open. Drove into Seix about 6 miles away as this is the nearest place to buy bread (or anything else for that matter).  Boulangerie turned out to be very good.   We also heard two English voices. For the first time in a while we are not the only Brits in the village.

Tourist Information Office again very helpful with details of walks etc.   Had a coffee and returned to the van for lunch. Sarah’s spirits have been raised as she realises there are some good walks nearby and Seix is quite a nice town.

Very old and traditional. 

Gone are the pastel ‘Cannon & Ball’ shades of Provence. This is real mountain country where blokes wearing berets (drinking cognac and coffee at 11am) and the women chop firewood from dusk till dawn.  As you can see from the photo, they could also use a decent roofing contractor.

Monday 12 May

Much better weather this morning so set off on a walk from the site that took us around a number of the mountain villages of the Val D’Oust.  Lovely views and villages but there was no one around.  All the houses were shut up.   After lunch we drove to the nearest supermarket which was in St  Girons, 17 miles away.   It was no great shakes when we got there, but managed to stock up for a few days.

Tuesday 13 May

Raining and cold so set to Seix in search of ‘Patricia’s Laundry’ with 3 bags of washing.   Had a coffee while the washing went round.   Sarah then supervised the drying while I sat outside the Mayor’s office, taking advantage of the free wifi to download some radio podcasts.

Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 May

Glorious sunny days so have been out walking.   The walking is very well organised.  You reach a parking area and there are boards displaying maps and walk route numbers which correspond to the walk leaflets in the Tourist Office.   The board also had a chart showing the different heights you could climb to, each denoted by a different coloured bear marker ie 200m green bear, 500m blue bear.   You could then look at the chart next to it which on one axis marked the height climbed and on the other axis you looked for your weight in kg and it told you how many calories you would use getting there!!

One walk took us up a 2000ft climb from the village of Anlus Les Bain to a spectacular waterfall called the ‘Cascade des Artes’.  We reached the maroon bear (200 calories for Sarah, 300 for me)  Arrived at the cascade in time for lunch.  You don’t get many views like that to look at while having your sandwiches.  When we got back to the village we thought we would go for a coffee.  There only seemed to be one old man and his old dog about.   Did find a Café Bar (where the old man was inside having coffee, old dog asleep outside).   There were a few hotels but they didn’t look like they have been open for some time. 

The other walk started higher up.  We climbed for a while then walked around the perimeter of a large plateau.   It was quite tricky in places as the path was still covered with quite deep snow in places and there were some gushing streams to cross, but the views made the effort worthwhile.

All the walking routes are well signposted with various coloured stripes painted onto tress or rocks. The system works well until you climb so high that most of the rocks are still under snow so there are no yellow stripes to be seen.

Thankfully the trusty navigator app on my phone ensured we stayed more or less near the path but we had one or two hairy moments trying to walk across mini glaciers. At one point I slipped and ended up on my backside. I suddenly began to panic when I realised that I was being supported by a sheet a frozen snow which was itself being supported by the branches of a tree. Yes, I was sitting on the top of a tree near a shear drop. After a bit more probing with my walking stick realised it was a thick covering of heather and not a tree after all.  After several tries I eventually managed to get up and walk away in the style of cartoon Stork after a few beers.

Though the scenery is stunning and the hikes challenging we have decided to move on in search of conversation and civilisation.

Friday 16 May

We have now entered the Midi Pyrenees near Lac d’Estaing at a site called Camping Natura.   It’s a beautifully kept site with views all round and there are other people here, some of them English. Friendly and helpful owners who helped us choose a pitch, gave us information on the area and they also have a good selection of walks available.    There is a snack bar which is open and a laundry which Sarah has made good use of.  (We are beginning to measure the passage of time according to how many laundry loads we have – this is very sad).  You can also order bread!! After getting pitched we went to the local town, Argeles Gazost.  Pretty small town, with people in it and a selection of very good shops!!  

Saturday 17 May

The Rough Guide to France recommends a visit to the Cirque de Gavarnie.   This is a natural amphitheatre of mountains about 30 miles from us.   The roads are narrow around here and the drivers determined to stay in the middle of the road, not giving way if can be helped, so it took a while to get there.  

It is a popular spot, very busy.   The walk from the village of Gavarnie to the Cirque is an uphill walk of about 90 mins with amazing views all the way.  

Think Malham Cove on steroids with snow on it with several waterfalls pouring from the top.

Stop Press – new invention spotted. I noticed something at the Cirque that I also saw for the first time in Holland. The new invention is really a stick with a sort of claw like attachment on the end. Guess what the Chinese and Japanese teenagers use it for…… to take pictures of themselves. Yes it’s true, they put their camera or phone into the claw, start the self timer on the camera and then raise the stick so that the camera is pointing at them. Result, a self portrait with the aid of a stick. What a hoot. I wish I’d thought if it.

Back at the site I managed to follow the FA Cup final via the BBC website. I couldn’t hear commentary or see the game (due to copyright issues) but I did follow the excellent text commentary. I was also in text contact with my son who was actually there. Sounded like a great game – shame about the result but the Tigers did well to get there.

The weather has been very sunny with a cloudless sky, but there is a nip in the wind and it cools quickly at night – have had temperatures down to 1degree at night.

Sunday 18 May

Set out today for the Barrage de Tech, a reservoir created by EDF for one of its hydroelectric power stations, another popular spot, people everywhere, fishing, picnicking and walking.  The walk we were on climbed up one side of the valley and at the top crossed a stream and came down the other side.   We couldn’t get to the top of the valley because of a mini glacier. Now, we could have attempted to cross this but there was a fast flowing stream flowing underneath it. However, I performed a quick risk assessment and decided that Sarah should cross first and if she got across without falling through the ice I would follow. She said no. Stunned by her refusal I reassessed the situation and concluded that there was a risk that if we tried to cross the ice we might fall through the ice bridge into the stream and thus experience one of the most exhilarating water slides in the world ever. So we had to come back the way we came.

Back at the van I decided to try out the satellite dish.   Initially I only managed to get ‘Movies for men’, the caravan channel (no I am not kidding) and the craft channel, but after another sweep we now have Sky News and more shopping channels than you shake a stick at. (Sadly we have no access to the BBC or ITV channels thanks to all the domestic terrestrial broadcasters deciding to put there channels on a new satellite transponder which is tightly focussed on the UK and coastal regions of Holland and France.  Still at least we have Sky News and we can listen to live BBC Radio via wifi (which is a bit expensive at 20 euros a week).

Monday 19 May

Walked from the site up to Lac d’Estaing.  Some of the route was by the river, and then up through the forest.  The path in the forest had suffered somewhat from an avalanche at some time and was a little difficult to negotiate in places.   We walked around the lake and then came back on the road.   A beautiful walk with great views.

In addition to the big picture provided by the mountains and waterfalls, the small picture is equally beautiful. 

The wild flowers are probably at their best at present.   Several hundred miles and 5 weeks after seeing the Spring bulbs in Holland we have come across narcissi and hyacinths blooming in their natural habitat. Yes most tulips and daffodils are native to the Pyrenees and parts of Turkey. (We learned this at Keukenhof)  Sarah says she has also seen hellebores, violets, gentians, forget me nots, campions, orchids and many more we don’t know the names of. I wish I’d brought a video camera and she could have done a piece for Gardeners World.  She ask me to let her know if she was boring me with her flower commentary.

When we returned to the caravan we got chatting to a lady sitting outside her camper van. She told us that she and her husband had been on the road for over a year and would not return to the UK till next year. They had spent most of the Winter near Benidorm.  I think that they are on the run as he only rarely comes out of his camper van and when he does he wears a big hat so you can’t see his face. Very shady character.

Started to rain late in the day.

Tuesday 20 May

In addition to the rain the wind got up so at 1.30am I was outside in my pyjamas adding guy ropes to the canopy and hammering in extra pegs! As soon as I’d finished the wind dropped. Typical.

This morning we went to Argeles to the market and spent a small fortune on yet more food (and she bought a pair of shoes) but did manage to sit in the sun for a coffee.  Back at the site it has been raining steadily with the odd rumble of thunder, so a good time to get the next edition of the blog out.   Apologies for the delay but had to wait for somewhere with a decent wifi connection. 

Well that's about it for now. You'll have to wait for the next thrilling instalment. Find out how Sarah is managing to do her jumbo jigsaw. How many more washes can she cram in before we next get a wifi link? Will my French language skills be up to ordering bacon egg and beans with extra black pudding and HP sauce.

The Pyrenees to the Picos de Europa

Wednesday 21 May

Rain, Rain and more rain!

Thursday 22 May

Weather dry this morning but windy so decided to take the canopy down before it blew away.  

We then went on a lovely walk from the village of Marsous, winding uphill to the summer pastures for the cattle.  No cattle there yet, currently colourful meadows.  The streams and rivers are positively roaring after the rain.

Friday 23 May

Rain, rain and more rain.

Saturday 24 May

Temperature dropped to 1.7C last night but dry and clear this morning.   Decided we would try and tackle the hill behind the campsite called Le Pic De Pan.    Route, though up hill was great for a while following the road and along the stream.  However, when we reached the track up the hill it got steeper and steeper until it was more akin to climbing (hands and feet were required).  Worried about getting back down again we chickened out and came down again.  We did reach 1400ft before we turned back.   

In the evening we went across to the bar.  There were 3 other English couples in the bar and nobody else.   We settled in for a good natter.  Around 11pm Herve, the owner of the site, stood in the middle of the room, held his beret high and shouted ‘Vive le France’ then went to bed.   None of us had paid for our drinks so he obviously felt we were trustworthy.

Sunday 25 May. Argeles Gazost to San Sebastian -187 miles

It hissed it down all day.  We moved on this morning to Spain and the town of San Sebastian. After crossing the border I was confused by the road signs before realising that the signs were in Spanish and Basque languages. The area is a bit like Wales, rugged, dual language road signs and wet but without Methodist chapels and Tom Jones.

When we arrived at Camping Iegeldo we couldn’t get into the office so we had to ring the bell. The door was unlocked remotely.  The receptionist was a bundle of joy (not) and told us where to pitch.  On the way out the door was still locked so I pressed the switch to the right of the door to open it. Unfortunately it was not the door release button and I switched all the lights out. She was not happy.  The Site reviews mention lovely views – you could barely see the toilet block never mind the view for the rain and low cloud. The site is well placed though as there is bus stop right outside with a bus to the town every half an hour. The site had laid on some entertainment in the form of a German gentleman and a biscuit lid. I say lid it was actually a small very thin and cheap satellite dish. He spent 45 minutes in pouring rain trying to get a signal. He was eventually successful when he found that it worked if you placed it in the middle of the access road.

In the evening we took the bus down to town to get something to eat and thinking it would be quiet being a Sunday.   However, it was quite busy.  San Sebastian is known for its Pinxtos bars.   This is the Basque version of tapas.  The dishes are laid out on the bar.  You are given a plate and just choose what you want and pay for it.  It saves the trauma of trying to order.   The locals stand at the bar and eat while the tourists like to sit, if there are tables, many don’t have any.   There were many locals out and about and also many, Irish, American, Australian and British accents around. We went in one bar which is mentioned in the Rough Guide, Le Cepa, where the tables have glass tops.  Each table has something different under the glass – ours had a selection of sweets, another shells and another playing cards and casino chips.   The next bar we chose because it was full and lively.  If you wanted to sit there was a bench along the back wall but that was it and the red wine was 1 Euro a glass. The locals were eating octopus tentacles deep fried in batter.

RANT

Why is it that everyone has better buses then the English.

Here the 25 minute journey into town cost 1.65 euros on a bus which had TV screens showing the current weather forecast and temperature, what the next stop was and when it would arrive at its destination. The only downside was that the seats were made of rubber so if you sat down in a wet anorak the water pooled at the back of the seat leading to an embarrassing wet patch on the bum.

Monday 26 May

Not a Bank Holiday here.  Bright sunshine this morning so ventured out to town again on the bus.  The town is set behind the most fantastic beach.   

We got off the bus at the start of the beach and walked along the promenade to take in the view.    We then had a wander around the old town which was just as delightful in daylight.   There is a warren on narrow streets in a grid system as apparently the town had to be rebuilt after the British set fire to it a few 100 years ago.   We tried to walk around the headland but could only get so far as the path was closed for repairs.   The reinforced concrete fence posts had been bent over at the base and road torn up in winter storms.  We had some more excellent Pinxtos for lunch.    Just to give you an idea of  what you get here are some of the dishes we had:-

• ·         A small sandwich of brie, ham and sundried tomato
• ·         A slice of baguette with a mix of prawns, crab and salmon
• ·         Frittata slices with potato cheese and onion.

My brother recommended that we should stay in San Sebastian and he was right. It is a lovely town with sheltered beaches, nice buildings and a relaxed vibe. It’s a bit like what Torquay could be like if they had vision, money and a forward looking council. There are lots of very well kept apartment blocks and expensive hotels. It’s far too posh for a caravan which is why we are a 25 minute bus ride away.

They have restored many of their old buildings and have not caved in to commercialism. For example what do you think the building below is?

The original stone sign says it was a fish market. Inside now is a seven screen cinema and a Kebab outlet.

Later we went to the supermarket which turned into quite an ordeal.  What with some strange instructions from the sat nav and closed roads.  It was huge when we found it.   This year and last we have bought Don Simon Orange juice which is very nice but now we have discovered they make red wine as well at the huge cost of 1euro 10 cents (it is quite good) and the diesel was only 1 euro and 2 cents.    It was worth the trauma! The checkout lady was called Sandra. Sounds like a good basque name.

Also, there is a kiosk selling pick and mix and a dozen or so varieties of olives. I bought a couple of tubs of olives and the nice lady gave me some toffees.

Tuesday 27 May

Beautiful morning so took a drive along the coast to the village of Zarautz.   Another fantastic golden sandy beach.  The promenade had again suffered quite a bit of storm damage.  They were relaying the prom, shoring up the sea wall and rearranging the sand with a big digger so that it sloped down to the sea and not the other way!   The architecture along the beach was not inspiring but  once again the old town was very nice.  The afternoon was hot so we sat in the sun!!

I suspect that some of the highest Scrabble scores in the world are achieved here. For instance, the Basque for bar is ‘jatetxea’. Beach is ‘hondartza’

In addition to having their own language the Basques also have their own distinctive font which is used on official and commercial signs.

So, if the Scots do vote for independence there’s something for the Welsh to aim for…..their own font.

Wednesday 28 May. San Sebastian to Potes

Pouring down once more.   Moved on to the town of Potes situated in the Cantabrian part of the mountains known as Picos de Europa.   To reach Potes we followed the motorway past Bilbao and Santander and then turned inland.  The road leads you through a winding gorge where the villages are denied any sun between November and April (don’t want to live there).  Camping la Viorna is about 1 mile from the town with lovely views.   Weather was warmer and the rain came only in showers.

The owner gave us a warm welcome. He is about 60, tall and has a very deep voice as if he’s been smoking cigars and drinking whisky all his life.

The cost of living has suddenly become much cheaper. Using the internationally recognised currency of a cup of coffee, it’s 50% cheaper here. A coffee with milk in France was 3.50 euros. Here it’s 1.50 euro.

There are a lot of English people around which was a bit strange after not encountering a single English person during our first 4 weeks Then it struck me, the area is a bridgehead for the Brits who arrive on the ferries at Santander and Bilboa. A bit like Calais.

Thursday 29 May

Potes is full of character and it has a number of hardware stores. I can think of no other word that describes these stores better – Ferreteria.

I know of several men who would happily spend a few hours here ferreting around the shelves of screws, fork handles, tools, dog collars, cow bells and more galvanized buckets than you can shake a stick at.  

Plus we have scored another first. A new Supermarket chain called ‘Lupa’.

We went to the site restaurant this evening and had ham, egg and chips.  Well I say chips – they were wafer thin bits of potato that had been shown to the deep fat frier very briefly.   For desert I chose a Grande helado – large ice cream and Sarah selected some sort of coconut confection. After a few minutes the owner arrived to proudly present me with a plate of 5 different Magnum’s.  I was at first panic stricken as I couldn’t possibly eat 5 consecutively. To my relief he said you chose one.

Friday 30 May

Set out on a walk from the site around some local villages and finishing with a climb the monastery of Santa Toribo not far from the site.   This must be a major attraction as there was parking for dozens of coaches.   These attractions do seem to be missing a trick somewhere.   They get hundreds of visitors a day and the only catering is a vending machine. If the National Trust took it over they would have a large café and gift shop in there before you could turn round.

Observation – I was suddenly struck today by the number of people wearing shirts with various UK based designs. Many feature a version of the Union Jack and there other variations including the Rolling Stones and London. I have also seen this in many of the other places we have visited. You don’t see this for any of the other European countries. So, the UK seems to be the sought after brand. 

Saturday 31 May

Weather not great so didn’t go far.   We did walk into Potes for dinner in a hotel restaurant seemingly full of English speaking people.   I ordered black pudding for a starter and it came on a platter with enough for 4 at least.  Sarah ordered the Padron Peppers (fried small peppers with lots of salt). They arrived on a dinner plate piled high and the waitress informed us this was half a portion.  Sarah had roast lamb and what looked like a whole leg appeared with some chips!    Spanish cuisine doesn’t seem to be very sophisticated!   We didn’t have a desert but you could have had what was described as ice cream covered in chocolate on a stick or fried custard.   

Sunday 1 June

When I went to collect the bread this morning I was told by the owner that today is a special day.  I agreed and thought he was talking about the weather. When I saw a huge family gathering later in the day I realised that he meant it was his birthday.

We were sad to leave the Pyrenees before being able to witness their ‘Transhumance’ on 31^st May. We found out that this is when the sheep are taken to the summer pastures.

Well today 1^st June is the Spanish equivalent of ‘Transhumance’.  Apparently this is to allow the valley meadows to produce hay.   We made our way up to the village of Espinama. Thinking it would be extremely busy we set off early and had a long wait in Espinama.   Sarah suggested we had a coffee so we went into this very rustic bar.   The plaster was crumbling and there were a few tables and chairs.  There was an old lady behind the bar who was making the coffee using a machine operate by levers which she could barely reach.  It must have been there for years.

At 11.15 the first herd of horses was led through the village and up the mountain track led by a piper.    This continued and as each farmer arrived he was cheered by his family who then proceeded to walk up behind the herd.  It was quite a site seeing all the horses and many foals, cows and calves trundling along with their bells on.   The last group to arrive is also led by the piper and then any one can follow on up to the refuge where apparently they have a BBQ.

Had a walk after lunch.

Monday 2 June

The forecast was for a fine and sunny day so we had planned to go up the cable car at Fuente de and walk down.  Woke to thick low cloud.   It was market day so went down to Potes.  The market took around 5mins to walk around so we trundled off to the supermarket.   When we went in there was thick dark cloud.  When we came out there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  Rushed back to the van made some sandwiches and set off for the cable car.     

The cable car took just a few minutes.  At the top you are greeted by high jagged peaks.   We walked on a route with fantastic views that took you firstly down to the plateau where all the cattle and horses are now grazing.   Along with a good number of sheep.  This was all on a wide track.  We then took a small path to take us back to bottom cable car station.   

This took us through woodland awash with small blue butterflies known as Adonis Blue and flowers in tall spikes known as Asphodelus Albus (the white Asphodel).  A stunning walk, of around 8 miles but we were glad to see the car.   













Finally - a word about bread. On the whole the fresh baguette each morning is great especially in France and it is not too bad here in Spain either. 

However, here in Potes if you don't buy your baguette early you are left with the ones no one else wants. This usually means the bigger ones. Sarah had to buy the last one this morning and was presented with a baguette that could have served the whole site. We couldn't eat all of it in one day so we left it overnight and now use it as a door stop.