Stoke to Santander to Stoke

[T'Onion]

it not that Ian , we just finished up not needing a campsite , we looked at a few but some are just ridiculously expensive (like over 35 euros a night !!)

[Ian Hulley]

we looked at a few but some are just ridiculously expensive (like over 35 euros a night !!)

Most are for us when you have 4 'adults' in the van The chateau was €41.5 and Catiniere is €40, it just doesn't matter, it's our holiday.

[T'Onion]

I don't mind paying to get into stuff , went to Monets and Bayeux etc etc , its the 40 euros for a bit of grass compared to the 7 euros for the aires bit of grass , but having the LT means we don't have to put tents or awning up or need to use campsites showers.
We like the aires and will continue to use them every-time we visit France ,means more sausages, cheeses and wine for me

[keith]

That's the point mark....if our van was bigger and we had a better means of stashing everything inside it would make Aires more useable for us.

Most I paid for a site was 28 euros this time....most were around 20 euros for 2 adults 1 little under and no hookup. The municipals ...for which I have a good Garmin poi list were about 14.
We stayed on a really nice one at St Jean de Luz....and at a place. Called samerou just south of Paris....on the Seine.

Pictures tonight.

[Ian Hulley]

That's the point mark....if our van was bigger and we had a better means of stashing everything inside it would make Aires more useable for us.

Hightop envy 4 of us fit in our Bus with a back box for Jack's wheelchair, the games stuff and the laundry bin bag.

Ian

[keith]

here goes then.

we left Stoke in bright sunshine on friday 17th and drove about 100 or so miles to a campsite in Stonehouse (Apple Tree Farm). when we arrived at about 7pm it was warm but drizzly....this is us arriving



we had a wander to an overpriced pretentious little pub...and had a couple of beers before walking back to just miss the rain.

Saturday morning saw us shake off the water and set off to Plymouth...about 140 miles I think. The idea was to spend the rest of the day mooching around Plymouth.

the sun was shinning ...we had a good walk around the Barbican, had fish and chips on the harbour wall and watched some local lads attempt suicide...repeatedly





Saturday night we spent at Plymouth Sound Caravan Club site.....nice when we arrived, enjoyable evening reading the Spain / French maps and thinking about what lay ahead.





we woke up on Sunday to a complete fog over the sea....and gathered ourselves for the short drive back down to the town....last minute mooching in preparation for the 3pm sailing.

this is our boat getting ready to sail....excited now





the crossing was great...flat calm, few beers, decent cabin and a good nights sleep.

Before long we were pulling into Santander...sun was shining and my mind was on getting off the boat, driving on the Westy side of the road and getting on with our adventure.

the plan was to find a place to stay about an hour or so from Santander.

we dropped onto a place called Islay...which we loved. spoke to a guy in a Holdsworth that was parked up and loading his canoe back on his van. It was a great place with loads of bays and inlets and shallow water pools for kids to play in. It looked really "spanish"...and very much a local place.

we found a nice bar opposite the sea which did a range of Pinchos (tapas) for 1euro and bottles of ice cold beer for the same price.

it was a great start.

our campsite (cant remember the name) was great...a great atmosphere rammed with local spanish families BBQing and generally having a good time. It was hot, bone dry and exactly what we had come for. A few bottles of beer later and I was 100000 miles from work and everything else. I really could have stayed for a week.

this is our pitch...and a view up the crowded but great road...






next day we spent on the beach which was lovely and sandy before moving off to San Sebastian.

now ...this was not my favourite bit. san sebastian was busy, built up, commercialuised and not our bag at this time. However at night time I would imagine it to be absolutely fantastic...but with a 6 year old as part of the crew it was not to be.

we tried in vain to get into a local campsite....but it was full. we were offered an overlow field for 12 euro with full use of the campsite facilities which was tempting as we were a little tired from too uch walking...but we decided to move on and found a place right out on a headland about 20 miles from sSebastian.

not the best site, not the best pitch....but a graet view of the open ocean and a fantastic sunset...which this shot shows badly



and the sea view



i think the campsite was called Camping faro ?

next day we were off for a drive through the Pyrenees and into the southern most part of WFrance.

We stayed at a municipal site in st Jean De Luz...and had a great day walking, sightseeing and playing on the beach.

this is the view from our pitch ( i hate to say it but this is where my habit of leaving both cameras in the van started....no pics of the great little town)





next port of call was the Bay of Arrachon with a plan to take in the big sand dune at Pyla

the first camp we tried was full and i was starting to think that we would be unlucky this time...but a mile along the road and we got into Camping la Dune...20 euros.

it had a very loud disco...and went on very late. we decided to stay here for two nights and to explore the area and do a fair bit of beach / sunbathing.

the Dune was amazing.
one tip....dont get out of your van...drink two bottles of Strong beer and then walk up the Dune...as its preeety steep.





its also amazing.....








did i mention it was steeeeep



the beaches in the bay area are great...shallow safe warm and clear....we had 2 great days of chilling out here







we ate a big Toulouse sausage...which I just cant get out of my mind



next we moved away from the coast to start our journey inland and onto Paris. The next plan was to spend some time in Paris and then two days at Eurodisney...part of the bargain im afraid

first next step was at a municipal at vivionne



then onto the Loire arae where we followed the river for about 40 kms through Blois and taking in a few spots like this at Amboise







(we parked on a carpark Ian...with a 190cm restriction )

then we moved to a great spot on the banks of the Seine at samoreua






which had a nice little bar close too...for the boules matches i think.



it was paris and Disney next.

I left my camera in my van in paris...and jumped on a train / metro for the day.

this is where we got lost ? and could not find the right station where we had left the van.

we returned to a station called Torcy ...when we should have been at a different station...called Torcy ( confusing see...something about gares and RER stations )

i will skip the 200 pics of mickey mouse

these are the final pics looking back to blighty from the french side at a place called escales.....and then the tunnel










happy to be back safe....but longing to do something similar again...

[T'Onion]

just out of interest Keith how much was the Santander ferry

[keith]

just out of interest Keith how much was the Santander ferry

sitting down.....to steady myself....

it was £548 with a 4 birth cabin...(one way of course)

[mark]

mark