The Final Chapter

Well, Dear Blogards, here we are at journey's end having covered 4,026.4 miles at an average of 26 miles per gallon, which bearing in mind the size and weight of the combination and loads, is not too bad at all.

Our last couple of days at Hoorn were very pleasantly spent in cycling and sightseeing to both Hoorn (see photo) and Edam. On Thursday afternoon we travelled the 30 miles or so to our port of departure and boarded the DFDS Princess of Norway for our overnight sailing to Newcastle. Never having travelled with that particular shipping company, we were interested to see how things compared with P and O. The whole experience on board was to a very high standard and the level of service was excellent. The food was fantastic and we enjoyed a very leisurely evening meal in a relaxed atmosphere assisted by a bottle of Rose! After our meal we adjourned to one of the lounges for a spot of entertainment before hitting the sack, which was very comfortable indeed. After a hearty breakfast we took to the decks as the ship entered the Tyne and finally docked allowing us to be on the road home by 09:15.

We travelled home via Scotch Corner and Kirkby Stephen arriving at Forton by 12 noon; and then the work began!

We are both very grateful to all of the blog readers and have appreciated all the comments sent by readers and also the many emails that we received; you have all added tremendously to our enjoyment.

I suppose there should be a verdict at the end of such an adventure and I can speak for both of us (as I often do!) and say that it has been a fantastic journey and allowed us to explore new places and meet many interesting people of many nationalities. The equipment has served us well, with absolutely no problems whatsoever with the new towing car and only a few niggly issues with the caravan. If Mr Mazda ever reads this blog, may I respectfully suggest that he starts making caravans!

We have greatly missed all our friends and relations and although I never thought I would say it, I am even looking forward to returning to the dancing lessons, but only to meet up with our friends, you understand!

My final thanks are reserved for my dear wife, Margaret, who has been the best travelling companion that anyone could wish to have. When you get a Spanish dentist talking to your wife in French, and she then translates his many questions to English and replies with the answer to the aforementioned chappie in French, you just know that you married the right one! Would we do it again? You bet your life we will given the chance!

Good luck to you all, and whatever you do in life, follow your dreams.

John and Margaret.

Delightful Dusseldorf

Our chosen site near Dusseldorf, a city much mentioned by my late mother's family, was intended merely as a stopover site, breaking our journey towards Amsterdam, however, so impressed were we that a 24 hour extension was decided upon.

The site was about 7 miles away from the city centre and afforded us with a view of the constant river traffic. Nearby we discovered a car ferry which was ideal for our cycling purposes. On the opposite bank we could see the ruins of an old castle/palace at Kaiserswerth, and on first sight there didn't appear to be much else, but on closer inspection we found a most exquisite old town that had clearly escaped the attentions of WW2.

On Sunday we again crossed the Rhine and cycled into Dusseldorf along the river side cycle track. Upon arrival in the city, I was thankful that I was wearing my Garstang Cycling Club colours which are black, red and yellow, thereby allowing me to merge un-noticed into the thousands of Germany fans who were preparing for the match (no further comment on that matter). See photo above

Our last day was taken up with cycling during the day and in the evening we were visited by an English couple, John and Pat Parkinson, who wanted to pick our brains regarding sites in Germany. Amazingly it turned out that they were both Prestonians and live in Whittingham Lane, Broughton. Even more amazingly, we discovered that John was a retired adult education teacher and had for many years worked with my cousin, Rosemary! (Come on Anne Spencer - beat that!)

Today (Tuesday)we have travelled to our final site near to the old fishing port of Hoorn, which is close to Amsterdam. We have a super pitch alongside a little canal and have already taken a couple of short cycle rides to inspect the area. Before departure from our last site, a Dutch couple asked me where we were heading for and I attempted to pronounce the name of Hoorn, but they couldn't understand me, however, after a few moments, the confusion was sorted out when our friends told me that my pronunciation was incorrect, and in the words of our friends, my attempt referred to "a public woman" rather than a quaint little seaside town. Good job I wasn't asking for directions - may have got more than I was expecting!

As our regular Blogards will know, we sail home on Thursday night and I can promise a final blog upon our arrival home, but what I can say at this stage is that it has been a most wonderful time and I would recommend it to anyone.

Black Forest to Wertheim

Our time in the area of Kirchzarten was, as usual, most enjoyable. Initially the weather was cold, and more so9 than we had experienced previously in this area. On Sunday afternoon we visited our friends at Klausenhof for afternoon tea and to inspect the latest family member, Jonas Samuel, who was 7 weeks old and could already speak more German than me!

On Monday we took to the hills for a day of walking, or was it to get warm, I cannot recall, nevertheless, we had a super day walking on a mixture of new and old paths and by use of the free bus pass, we were able to use both bus and train in order to complete our circular tour.

On Tuesday we were visited by Jonas and his mother, Kirsty and I was honoured to road test the new pram around some of the little country lanes. On Wednesday we visited a family member that we had met on Sunday and were most impressed by the views from their home and even more so by their collection of clocks that was truly amazing.

Sadly, on Thursday we departed and made our way to our current location at Wertheim, which is and ancient town at confluence of the rivers Tauber and Maine, the latter being navigable and in constant use by large cruise boats and extremely long and wide barges. The town itself has an old castle set on the hills overlooking the town (see photo).

We are certainly feeling that the epic is slowly drawing to a close as we are now in the centre of Germany and have seen many cars with GB plates. We can even receive all the UK television programmes and as a consequence, now understand the problems caused by lack of water in the NW. We have not encountered such problems!

Tomorrow we depart for a couple of days at Dusseldorf and then to Hoorn near Amsterdam before arriving at Newcastle on 2nd July (1 week today).

Should do one more before we sail.

Love, J and M.

Austria to Black Forest via Bavaria

Our last evening In Austria was a very wet one with continual heavy rain and thunder which lasted until the wee small hours.

As we departed on Monday morning, there was the promise of some sunshine, which created long banks of mist which rolled up the mountains from the forest to the summits. The shortest route between Innsbruck and Bavaria is very steep and winding and is prohibited for vehicles towing trailers, so our chosen route was along the motorway towards Switzerland before a right turn in order to skirt around Zugspitze (2962 metres) which separates Austria and Germany. The journey was wonderful and provided us wit spectacular views across mountains and into deep gorges. We both found the area to be similar to the Canadian Rockies.

Upon reaching the border town of Lermoos we decided to take a coffee break before dropping down into Garmish Partenkirchen. Our chosen watering hole was Lermoos Golf Club , and the photo shows the very tip of Zugspitze peering out above the clouds.

By lunch time we arrived at the campsite at Oberammergau, which whilst convenient for our needs was a touch down at heel in comparison with many other sites, although a touch expensive for all that! Our 4 day stay was highlighted by a cycle ride to and around Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where Margaret spent some time chatting to an interesting couple on a bench (see photo). On Thursday we attended the Passion Play (Passionspiele), which was performed between 2.30pm and 5.15pm and after a break continued from 8.00pm until 10.50pm. It was a very moving and professional performance undertaken by around half the village's 4500 inhabitants. The length of the performance was only bettered by the length of time it took my hind quarters to regain comfort and circulation!

On Friday morning we departed in drizzle which soon turned into very heavy rain which lasted for mile upon mile as we journeyed via Fussen, Kempten and then along the north shore of Bodensee (Lake Constance) to eventually arrive at my beloved Kirchzarten, which for those with maps is 8 miles east of Freiburg (for those with maps). The skies welcomed us here with warm sunshine as we positioned our caravan and later took an evening stroll around the town. We watched the preparations for the local sporting event of the year: "Black Forest Ultra Mountain Bike Marathon". The competitors appear to have come here from all over the world and many are on our campsite, which has been transformed into a training camp whilst many prepare their machines whilst others sit on their turbo trainers for hours on end. Today (Saturday) was the junior event and tomorrow sees the start of the senior event. The whole area is starting to look like a huge trade show for bikes and all the ancillary equipment.

We will perhaps stay here until next Thursday 24th June which will leave us exactly one week to make towards Amsterdam and our return home on Friday 2nd July. We will hopefully complete at least one more blog before we meet up with you all again.

Love,

John and Margaret.

Mountaineering and Skijumping

What an interesting couple of days we have had!

The weather continues to be hot and sunny with sufficient wind to provide comfort. On Friday we climbed to the summit of Hafelekarspitze, a mere 2334 metres high (see photo) and which gives some indication of the mountains in this area. The final ascent was undertaken without the assistance of oxygen cylinders, however, the climb from Innsbruck to2256 metres was assisted by means of a funicular railway and two cable cars.

Today, Saturday 12th, we dashed out after breakfast in order to visit the Innsbruck Olympic Skijumping Stadium known as "Bergisel". The tower and the associated ski ramp were designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid, who also designed the various entrances to the funicular stations (see photo). Whilst undertaking our visit, we were able to stand at the spot where the competitors commence their descent (see photo). If you look carefully and/or enlarge the picture, you will note that Innsbruck Cemetery is just beyond the landing area! I have come to the conclusion that those who engage in the sport must be brave or mad, or perhaps a combination of both.

Whilst in the hall of fame, we were pleased to see a photo of our very own "Eddie the Eagle" in full flight.

On Monday we are off to our next venue in Bavaria, so we will say cheerio until our next edition.

John and Margaret.

Terrific Tirrol

Avid blog readers will note that my last few entries have been completed every 7 - 10 days or so and usually after leaving a site and moving on to the next venue. I break with tradition on this occasion as this is an area deserving of special mention.

For those of you who may not know the area too well, let me explain as best I can: the city of Innsbruck is set in a deep and narrow valley between two mountain ranges. Apart from the city, the valley contains the River Inn and also motorway and rail track linking this region of Austria to Switzerland which is some distance to the west. The mountains in front of our caravan (see photo) are simply awesome and run along the valley for mile after mile. The mountains that you can see, separate Austria from the Bavarian region of Germany. The mountains at the rear of our caravan separate Austria and Italy. We are located south of the River Inn, which runs basically in an east/west direction. From the valley floor, the land rises steeply and gives access to a reasonably flat plateau which also runs east/west and gives ample opportunity for walking and cycling on the various cycle tracks and quiet roads that link the various villages.

The farmers in this area are working industriously and expeditiously in order to literally make hay whilst the sun shines! It is very warm (29/30 degrees), sunny and there is a good drying wind. My Uncle Bernard always wore a serious face at hay time as the weather around Stonyhurst was almost certain to break at the vital moment, but he would have been delighted with the conditions here. As the farms are within the centre of the villages, there is the sweet and fresh aroma of new hay as one explores the exquisite little communities.

All in all, this is a mighty fine place to be and if any reader of the blog is stuck for a holiday destination, then may I suggest a cheap flight to Innsbruck and a short bus ride to the villages of Natters, Mutters, Gotzens, Birgitz or Axams. Each village is equipped with a variety of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets and each village has the same spectacular views,which do truly take the breath away!

Best wishes to all,

John and Margaret.

From Lake Garda to the Austrian Tirol.

We spent a most enjoyable 11 days overlooking Lake Garda and the highlights included boat trips to Torri del Benaco, which is on the opposite shore. Once there, we met up with a friend of Margaret's and her husband, Derek. They moved some years ago to the area having deserted Garstang. The morning was spent chatting over the world's longest coffee break, and the chatting continued over an even longer lunch break before we took once more to the boat for our return journey.

The final day in the area was spent relaxing around the pool and preparing to leave the following day. Yours truly participated in an international water polo match between England and Italy. Being of advanced years, I opted for goalkeeping and even managed a couple of dubious goals before we were finally defeated 8-10. If David James is injured, Fabbio Capello need look no further!

At 08:45 on Monday 7th June, we set off for Austria and had a great journey of around 200 miles through ever changing scenery. As we steadily climbed on our northern route, we entered Alpine scenery with scattered villages and high meadows. After passing over the Brenner Pass, we were then looking down on to a patchwork of agricultural land, with some fields having been cropped whilst others were awaiting the same treatment. The whole scene was like a verdant wonderland.

We arrived on site just after lunchtime and soon settled in. We are just a couple of miles or so to the south west of Innsbruck between the villages of Natters and Mutters. Those readers who are already aware of Margaret tendency to create verbal howlers will not be the least surprised when I tell you that she referred to the twin villages as: "Matters and Nutters!" That's my gal!

Just prior to preparing this blog entry I visited the shower block to try out the facilities and they certainly get the wow factor! There are a number of identical rooms containing a wash room and shower area. The rooms surround a central lounge area which also contains a display cabinet housing numerous model cars and their respective caravans. The models are similar to the old Dinky toys and seem to span many generations judging by the various makes and models. Furthermore, whilst one is tending to one's cleansing needs, one is gently caressed with soft music. May just get to like this life!

The photos that I have included show the area around Torri and also the view from our present site which is our home until 14th June when we travel over the hills to Bavaria.

TTFN John and Margaret.

P.S. Thank you to all who send comments and send emails to us. We really do appreciate it.

Lake Garda

If you have ever had a super holiday and have been reluctant to leave, you will understand our feelings as we prepared to depart from Passignano. Perhaps it was also the thought that our departure would result in a northerly route, thus signalling the start of the return journey.

The journey to Lake Garda was around 260 miles, but it passed reasonably well with no unforced errors at the aforementioned roundabout on this occasion, although I bet the locals would have loved an action replay!

Our exact destination was at a camping site close to the town of Salo on the western shore of Lake Garda and about a third of the way up the Lake. In contrast with our previous site, this one is large and has a distinctly younger clientele as we understand that South German schools are on holiday for 2 weeks and the majority of the natives seem to have joined us here! In compensation, the site is well equipped with every convenience and a super swimming pool. The two photos show the site and also the view from the site over the lake and the surrounding hills.

We have spent our time relaxing, reading snoozing and sunbathing, and when we feel guilty, we have taken to our bikes to explore the local area, which is superb.

The weather is brilliant, although on Saturday afternoon there was a sharp thunderstorm, which resulted in a taxi ride to the site in order to prevent a severe soaking and was well worth it.

It is with regret that we have booked our return sea passage today and on 1st July we will depart Amsterdam at 17:30 local time and God willing, shall arrive at Newcastle at 09:00 on Friday 2nd July.

We congratulate one of our merry band of blog readers for correctly identifying Lake Trasimeno as being the place where Hannibal and his army, slaughtered 16,000 Roman Legionnaires. We visited the area of the battle, and found the numerous information boards to be of some interest.

Best wishes,

John and Margaret.

Umbria - Simply the best!

A week has past since we arrived in Umbria and the time has flown by. The whole area is simply stunning in all respects.

We have managed visits to Perugia, Assisi (photo) and Spello, which were all facinating in various ways, but particularly so in the case of Spello which has remained unchanged since medieval times (photo). The only indication that the town is accepting modern times is the use of old Fiat 500 cars which are much in evidence and are the only cars that can be used in the narrow alleys.

The weather has been superb for the last few days and now seems more settled. I have taken to the hills on my bike and have decided that rural Umbria is best visited on foot or by bike to savour the sights, sounds and smells. The aroma of wild roses and lime flowers provide added stimulation to the senses.

On Sunday I set off early and by 11am had completed three separate hill climbs before again gaining sight of Lake Trasimeno far below, and whilst admiring the view tears came to my eyes (caused by a mixture of suntan cream and sweat running into my eyes).

On Thursday 27 May we depart from this area and start our slow journey north over the next five weeks. We intend staying at Bologna and Lake Garda before spending some time near Innsbruck before our arrival in Bavaria. Keep up the reading,

Regards J & M

Through Tuscany to Umbria

On Tuesday 18th May, we left the shoreline of Northern Tuscany and set off to travel through the heart of that region to the neighbouring region of Umbria, which we have not previously visited.

The final few days at Torre Del Lago Puccini had included visits to Lucca, Pisa and Pietrasanta. Pisa was the site of a previous brief visit, but the other two were visited for the first time and are to be highly recommended.

Our journey to Umbria was only around 150 miles, but was not without incident. After taking a wrong exit at a roundabout, I was forced to negotiate the narrow streets of a hilltop village centre in order to retrace steps to the aforementioned roundabout. The locals looked on in total bewilderment at the smiling foreigner with large car and caravan snaking along narrow lanes previously intended for wheelbarrows! Still, all went smoothly and we soon were re3united with the roundabout and after listening more carefully to Tom Tom, we took the correct exit.

Having previously chosen a site on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, near to the village of Passignano, our hearts sank as we entered the site, which was a dump. A barking German Shepherd (4 legs) in a compound around a caravan was the final straw. Our practice in the narrow lanes of the previously mentioned village, stood us in good stead as we drove in, drove round and drove straight out again! After checking the site book, we managed to book into a nearby site 10 minutes later and felt that we had escaped the slums and had arrive in Heaven, and better still, there was a lakeside pitch just waiting for us. The views across the lake to the nearby Umbrian hills (see photo), and also towards the village of Passignano, with the castle topping the ridge and finely sillouetted with the setting sun (see other photo) was the perfect vista to accompany our glasses of wine. Now, this is what I call living!

On a practical note, I can say that driving in Italy is an experience and to assist others, I provide the following information:

Traffic Lights: Green - Go quickly. Amber - Go very quickly. Red - Go at full throttle.

Indicators: Flashing to left or right would not appear only to be a signal of an intention to turn, but is taken by all and sundry as an invitation to overtake whilst one is turning.

Traffic Laws: Optional unless you are a scooterist in which case, observation is seen as dishonourable.

Mobile Phones: Only to be used whilst driving and also at the same time smoking a cigarette with the remaining free hand. In our personal experience, this also includes bus drivers.

Buongiorno,

John and Margaret.

From Spain to Italy

On Monday 10th May we left our beach in Spain and headed for the port at Barcelona in order to collect our tickets and board the ferry to Genoa (Genova). I can tell you that it is easier written about than executed, but that is another story.

The ship was large, but only carried a small number of vehicles on this particular day as well as around 45 adults and around 450 vociferous 15/16 year old schoolchildren, who once on board acted like numerous flocks of starlings; wheeling, diving, forming and re-forming without any apparent purpose or intended direction. The adults took refuge on a sunny quarter deck and began to relax and read whilst sunbathing. All went well until we were discovered by our juvenile fellow passengers, who then landed without prior warning and as a consequence were able to observe middle aged Meldrewism at close quarters.

On a wet Tuesday morning we docked in Genova, Italy, and made our way on a fantastic motorway for around 100 miles through numerous tunnels and across dozens of high viaducts giving splendid views through the mist to the coast. We arrived at our site withing the village of Torre del Lago Puccini (named after its most famous inhabitant). The area is near to the seaside town of Viareggio and near to both Pisa and Lucca. Our village is blessed with a beautiful lake (see photos). There are ample opportunities for cycling and general sightseeing trips. Today we took a bus to Lucca, which we found to be a wonderful walled city (see photo).

We plan to stay in this area for a few days more and visit Pisa by train (10 minutes) and then take a sightseeing car trip into the local mountains known as Apuan Alps.

Sun,sand and a bit of the other!

Well, we have really settled into this life and may find it difficult to adjust on our return. The area around our campsite at Torre de la Mora is stunningly beautiful. The beaches are spotlessly clean and have the most wonderful soft sand. On Sunday, I took an early cycle ride and checked out the nearby town of Tarragona in preparation for a later visit. On my return, I merely changed out of cycling gear, donned the swimming trunks and went for a swim along the bay before my breakfast, what a life!

Just as you think that life can't get any better, something happens to bring you down to earth and in this case it was the arrival of very heavy rain on Sunday night which followed a very sunny day. The torrential rain continued all night and all day Monday, which allowed us to catch up on reading and forward planning. By Tuesday lunchtime the rain was much lighter, so we travelled by bus to Tarragona and by the time we arrived, the sun was making an attempt to cheer us as we visited some amazing Roman sites located within the old town. I have included a photo of the remains of the Roman Amphitheatre, however, it is only one example of the structures within this wonderful town, which included a barrel vaulted underground passage of 93 metres in length, which supported a second and higher passageway giving access to those citizens who visited the Circus in the time of the Roman occupation. Also on our itinerary were visits to a couple of townhouse/palaces containing splendid furnishings and pottery and also gave wonderful views over the town and surrounding area.

Thankfully, on Wednesday we awoke to a clear blue sky and then spent the day cycling and walking in order to explore the surrounding area and cliff top walks. We also managed to book our car and caravan for the 15:00 hours sailing from Barcelona to Genova in Italy, which should arrive at 09:00 hours on Tuesday 11th May. From Genova, we intend to make towards the area of Lucca and then perhaps on into Tuscany and/or Umbria before swinging north to Austria and Bavaria.

The second photo was taken on our cliff top walk and shows a superb castle which has been occupied from the 14th century to date.

We must say that we really do appreciate the comments that readers place on the blog and at least we have an idea who is reading the stuff that I waffle on about in my rambling way.

Best wishes to all,

J and M.

Torre de la Mora

On Thursday, having departed the busy area between Benidorm and Alicante, we travelled almost 300 miles with consummate ease towards Barcelona. We have now arrived at a lovely little bay in the rather smart village of Torre de la Mora. The bay is made up of fine sand with a shoreline of around 400 metres and at each end there are rocky outcrops, giving a cosy feel to the beach. Behind the beachhead, the ground rises into pine woods, which conceal the caravan site. Having said that, our caravan is directly up to the beach, providing the constant sound of waves lapping on to the beach and lulling us to sleep, or is it the red wine, I am not sure which.

We are a matter of around 5 miles from the ancient town of Tarragona, which will be visited in the next few days (kindly recommended by my brother).

We have come to the conclusion that this spot is so nice that there is no point in rushing away, so after a touch of brainwork, we have discovered that there is a car ferry linking Barcelona and Genova in Italy, which sails 3 times per week and the overnight sail will give us a cruise in the Med'. It will also save us 500 miles of driving, so we will stay here a bit longer, therefore, it may be a while before we do another blog. In any case, Margaret has booked a hair appointment for Tuesday

We have attached a couple of photos which show part of the bay and also the modest little swimming pool provided for site users benefit.

Granada and Sierra Nevada

What a life!

This edition is written alongside a pool at our present site which is close to a beach on Costa Blanca in a small village aptly named as El Campello between Alicante and Benidorm, which is an area in stark contrast to our previous site site high in the quiet mountains of the Sierra Nevada, close to Granada.

On the basis that a blog is only as good as its honesty, I had better tell you of some of the lows as well as the highs. The lows include a split molar, which required the attention of a dentist who only spoke Spanish and a smattering of French and who insisted in asking lots of questions. The problem was solved by Margaret, who spoke to the dentist in Spani/French and then tranlated to me in English with a French accent!

The next low was the action of a toady thief who stole the back wheel off Margarets bike whilst it was locked up at Cordoba Railway Station, whilst we travelled to Seville by train. This particular problem was overcome by a visit to a fantastic but chaotic cycle shop in Granada that was operated by Arkwright's understudy ably assisted by a long suffering son (get the picture?). The shop had so much stuff that it woulod have been possible to get a front brake block for a Penny Farthing. Notwithstanding the stock levels, just try asking a man who only speaks Spanish that you want a 20 inch rear wheel for a folding bike and you also want specific ratio 6 speed gearing, and that you do not require tyre or inner tube as you have spare ones at the caravan! Well we managed it and all for 29 Euros, so yet another problem solved.

Our previous site was in the area of Beas de Granada, and was blessed with the most wonderful snowy mountain views from the caravan windows (see photo). The highlight was our trip to Granada and our visit to the Alhambra Palace and gardens and also the adjoining Generalife gardens and minor palace. It was a day that we shall remember to the end of our days. Granada is a fine city and is surrounded by high mountains throughout 360 degrees. I have hopefully attached a couple of photos to show the Alhambra.

You will also see from the photos that the journey is taking its toll on both car and caravan, but still we continue onwards along the Med' coast towards France and then on to Italy.

Buenos Dias.

Cordoba

We have been in this area for almost a week and have had every sort of weather except volcanic ash! We arrived in glorious sunshine which then deteoriated over a few days before a full blown thunderstorm on Sunday.

Thankfully we are now basking in glorious sunshine at 31 degrees C. We have visited Cordoba 3 times, which is perhaps and indication of its fascination. The whole area seems to be enveloped in the soothing aroma of orange blossom, with the constant sounds of birds. The old city contains a good deal of ancient history including building from the Roman times through the history of the Moors and latterly the Christian rulers. One place of particular interest is the fortress palace and gardens of Alcazar. The building contains an Arab bathhouse in full construction and an original roman pillar. The gardens were simply stunning by the use of water, plants and trees. There are 3 separate terraced pools, which can be seen on the photo above, which are fed by water from the nearby hills and all controlled by gravitational flow.

Today (20th April) we took a 4 hour guided tour with a guide who was clued up on all the local historical information that our little brains could take in and spoke farily good English. We were able to visit many of the special sites including the cathedral of the city which is contained within the original mosque. The building is absolutely immense and although we have taken many photographs showing the various pillars and arches, it is impossible to convey the scale of the building which covers an area of 4 acres and can partially be seen above in the photo.

Tomorrow we intend to visit Seville by train and then perhaps move to Granada in the next day or two.

Madrid Area (El Escorial)

On Monday morning nothing was spoken but we both came to a decision to move further south, so we quickly got ready and departed towards Madrid.

At one point we stopped at a motorway cafe and as ever, I was a touch anxious about leaving our car and caravan out of eyesight as one hears such horror stories. We were waiting to order coffee when the little cafe was invaded by around 30 police officers, who were armed but not dangerous. They ate, smoked, drank coffee and San Miguel as I wondered what my old bosses would have made of such apparent indicipline, but at least I though my car etc was safe as it was parked near to 7 police carrier vehicles. As we left, my heart sank as I saw two officers giving my car a great deal of attention, but all was well, as on my approach, one officer declared; "Mazda, beuno, bueno!" I quickly reviewed my original decision and decided that they were ok after all. It is surprising how much attention the car gets wherever we go, and as yet we have not seen another one.

The weather was hot and sunny as can be seen from the photo overlooking the hills of Madrid, and from our high vantage point we could see down into a valley far below and some snow capped mountains. The GPS co-ordinates entered into Tom Tom got us directly to the site reception at El Escorial. It is a massive site with pitces for almost 700 touring caravans and also a camping area and hundreds of statics. The facilities are superb and are shared between about 30 tourists such as us.

On Tuesday we awoke to gentle rain and all around the low hills were coated in a dusting of snow. We set off to visit the walled city of Avila, which can be seen above. Our route took us over two mountain passes and weather which included rain, sleet and snow as we reached the summit at almost 4,500 above sea level. After reading the guide books, we were fortunate to see the magnificent Imperial Eagle soaring on a thermal just above us; what a splendid sight! The city of Avila was amazing and we enjoyed a walk around the complete circuit of wall which surrounds the old town and stretches for just over 1 mile. The books recommend the view from an area known as "The Four Posts", and the result can be seen in the photo, which reminds me to say that if readers of the blog click on the photos, they can be enlarged to view more easily for those who are visually challenged! Our return was via the same route but in better conditions and seem to take half the time. The weather remains cold but the overnight rain on Tuesday/Wednesday has now abated. We intend a leisurely morning and then a trip to Segovia to visit the Roman Aquaduct there.

We hear the cuckoo on occasions, which should signify warmer conditions, but tomorrow we move towards Cordoba and hopefully towards higher temperatures.

Buenos Dias.

Castello Y Leon

We are now in the area of Spain which is titled above, and is accurately described in one of our guide books as containing "awsome expanses of ochre plains which stretch to hills crowned with castles."

After turning our backs to the Bay of Biscay, which provided a sort of symbolic link with the UK, we travelled south, initially in pouring rain and then slowly improving conditions which were better, but a very cold wind at high altituded ensured that we remained in warm clothing. On arrival at our present site on the banks of the mighty River Duero, the weather took a dramatic turn for the better, with clear blue skies and warm to hot daytime temperatures which then cool rapidly as the sun sinks, however, we are snug in our caravan and under our duvet. We are around 2,200 feet above sea level.

The site is on the outskirts of the ancient town of Tordesillas, which is around 50 miles north of Salamanca and due east of Porto in Portugal, so a quick look at an atlas should pinpoint our position. The site is very well equipped and we are joined by similar travellers from all over Europe, with some making south and others returning north after spending the winter in warmer temperatures. The photo above shows the view of the town at a point close to our caravan.

Apart from local walks and general relaxation and reading, the highlight so far has been our trip by bus to Salamanca, where we arrived before the streets were aired! The city has an ancient part which dates from Roman times and is a mass of fantastic architecture and demonstrates the suberb carftmanship of stone masons over many centuries. The two cathedrals and the university are perhaps the finest examples, and a sample picture gives only a flavour of what we saw. There was so much to see that it was easy to get click happy with the camera and thus we have recorded much of what we observed including a Roman bridge into the city and many other wonderful sites.

Yesterday (Friday) we took a cycle ride after our siesta and set off to the village of Nava del Rey, which was around 15 miles away and perched high on the surrounding plateau. Our outward journey took us gently uphill through pine forests and then through agricultural land whilst assisted by a following wind which made Margaret feel like a genuine hill climbing cyclist. On turning to cycle downhill back to base, the wind was as our faces and we had to pedal hard at times to make much progress.

The area abounds with bird life and we have seen many species, although it is the storks that are presently nesting on virtually every tower or church steeple that we like most of all. We are very much enjoying our time in Spain and we are already thinking that we will be spending more than the month that we envisiaged in this fascinating country, which is the benefit of our loose travel arrangements.

Buenos Dias.

The Basque Region

It is hard to believe that we have only been away from home for one week, as we have seen so much that it seems ages since we left home, although I am already worrying that time will pass too quickly!

Our stay in this region has been simply superb, with a great site and wonderful cliff top walks direct from the caravan. The ocean view is huge and the photo shows the area very well. Each day has been like a time lapse video with flowers and foliage bursting out and continually providing us with any ever increasing verdant landscape. The cliff walks have supplied a riot of spring flowers including Primroses, Violets, May Flowers and a host of others too numerous to mention. We face a spectacular cliff face which changes colour as the daylight alters and also provides shelter for a couple of Peregrine Falcons that can be seen and heard frequently. The area abounds with footpaths and is perfect for lovers of fresh air and scenenry.

We have visited the local towns of Deba and Zumaia on the coast and yesterday we took a trip into the hills to visit the birthplace of St Ignatius Loyala, a rather splendid cathedral built around his family home. Today we let the Basque train (Eusko Tren) take the strain and for the pricely sum of 6 Euros 50 cents we both travelled return to San Sabastian on the most glorious of days. The bay is perhaps one of the most spectacular in Europe with a 180 degree sweep of sand and a narrow entrance to the sea, which provides shelter. At the entrance to the bay there is a moderately high mountain known as Monte Urgull, which is basically a park with paths leading up to the summit by either direct or circular routes. The top is the site of a former castle which has been much renovated and provided stunning views around not only the Basque area of Spain, but also to France.

On Wednesday we move on towards the region of Salamanca, but our impression of the Basque area has been a very pleasant revelation.

Seascape between Bilbao and San Sebastion

Just an example of the wonderful coastline around our caravan site.

From Forton to Northern Spain

On Monday 29th March at 0900hrs we finally set off in pouring rain to Hampshire, where we had afternnon coffee / beer with my cousin John and his wife, Heather. Then we made the final leg of our journey to Portsmouth to board ship which sailed at 2000hrs to Bilbao. All of my worst fears came to fruition as we sailed in a force 8 / 9 gale across the Bay of Biscay, arriving on time at 0700hrs local time on Wednesday 31st March.

We were the first to depart from the car deck and after removing seaweed and a couple of dolphins from the front of the car (joke), we off to our first destination and duly arrived around 11.30 hrs after a visit to a supermarket to stock up on provioions as everywhere shuts down on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The camping site is superb with the most glorious sea views with stunning cliffs all around. We explored a coastal path in the afternoon and then spent hours trying to get the satellite dish to work without success!

After the best sleep in years (awoke at 0910) I decided to try the dish again and whilst carrying it to another position, Margaret indicated That we had a picture, so so much for all the technical stuff! We can now watch Look North West etc etc etc.

Enjoyed a great walk this morning and then took a short drive to the lovely seaside town of Zumaia, where the sun shone down and all was well with the world.

The Final Preparations

As we only have 3 full days before departure, our preparations are now almost complete, which is a good thing as we have a full weekend of engagements ahead of us. As one would expect, my concerns this week have been logistical, ensuring that the full array of tools and equipment is identified and safely stored, although others have been busy selecting the appropriate attire and make-up bag for those special evenings alongside some quaint little marina or other similar location.

The roof box for the car has been a great purchase as it has swallowed up a vast amount of luggage including awning and all ancillary items. The caravan is ready for the road and is virtually fully loaded with clothes for just about every season and also those little essentials that make life bearable such as the 22" TV and the satellite dish, which will allow us to keep in touch with matters back home.

On Monday morning we set forth to Portsmouth to board "The Pride of Bilbao" (P & O), arriving on Wednesday morning 31st March. Our first site is within the small village of Itxaspe, which is on the north coast of Spain and about 80km east of Bilbao near to the small fishing village of Deba. As there is apparently no wi-fi facility on the site, it may be a week or so before we can update the blog.

General Introduction

Well here we go, so may as well make a start to our blog and introduce the subject. As you will all know, it has been our plan for some time to spend 3 months or so touring Europe with our caravan. From a faint plan a couple of years ago, we have almost arrived at the start date, which is a mixture of excitement and apprehension!

What made us decide on such a venture is a question that we have asked ourselves on many occasions, and the answer is still uncertain, but perhaps it is a love af travelling coupled with the desire to set a route for future generations of our family to follow as my grandparents did in 1904. The next couple of weeks will be quite hectic as we start to get things together and panic about the things we have forgotten to do. Before finishing the intro, I must express my thanks to my employers who have been so accommodating in their approach to my lust for travel.