spain and france this year
Posted: 21 Dec 2010, 22:40
As some of you know, Nada and I went to Spain and France for a holiday [25 days] Nada has written a christmas letter to her friends and has given me permission to post it here,,,,,so have a read if you have nothing else to do,,,merry christmas
Northern Spain
Like I said, Terry and I love the Spanish !
Indeed, Terry kept going on about taking the camper down through the Iberian peninsula and as soon as I expressed a tentative yes, the ferry was booked, the van and our persons insured and I was faced with the fait accompli ! So I organised the hotels along our route and what a great time we had !
We boarded the ferry on the 8th of September. Once we'd disembarked in Santander, we drove straight through the gorgeous countryside to Pamplona. When I say countryside, I mean it, as although we were using the autopista, the views were spectacular. The roads in Northern Spain are fantastic, built for tourism and pleasure and there are energy-saving windmills on every hillside.
Pamplona is a rich city and has the highest standard of living in all of Spain thanks to its numerous and varied industries and tourism.
We stayed in a brand new hotel: Puerta del Camino which has annexed a chapel, painted it all white and converted it into a dining room. The stained glass is still intact as is the choir. Terry couldn't believe the price of the wine : 6 Euros. He thought it was just for a glass but when he found out it was for a bottle, he thought that was just too cheap and got really extravagant with a bottle at 11 Euros ! It was delicious and we've kept the receipt to order more once we're back in Espana. http://www.hotelpuertadelcamino.com/
All along the church alleyway and inside the cathedral, excavations were taking place. Human skeletons were being unearthed. They looked so neatly and carefully laid out, I felt sorry for them. Is it not blasphemous to disturb the dead ? Another reason to be cremated.
From there, we drove to Santo Domingo de la Calzada ( a quiet town and great place ! ). where Terry finally met his patron saint. Indeed, Santo Domingo is the saint that facilitated the pilgrims' voyage by building bridges where needed and consoling them after a hard day's progress. He is also the patron saint of canals so that did it for Terry now he owns a narrowboat !
All the English were crammed into the posh parador. It was full to the brim and in the centre of the old town. Beautiful but claustrophobic. We had to have second best which was actually better.
We then moved on to Burgos. But on the way, we got caught in a strike.
At first, we thought there'd been an accident and Terry asked me not to walk to the scene of the crime as he thought it might be too gory for me to bear. But after he looked through the binoculars, things became clearer. You had a bunch of men with scarves over their faces on the one hand, and policemen on the other.
Indeed some miners had blocked the highway and were not letting anyone pass either way. They had ripped apart the metal divider between the carriageways and forced a lorry driver to position his vehicle across the 2. Then they'd slit his tyres. The police were there monitoring the situation. It was hot and we were grateful for our well-stocked fridge.
Terry and I met some other strike victims and had a great time talking to them. It helped pass the time. Some of them spoke very good English. The strike was meant to last only 2 hours. Exactly 10 minutes before the time limit, the riot police arrived sauntering down the hill in very disciplined formation. A little while later we were allowed to drive off but those on the other carriageway had to wait for the truck with the slit tyres to be moved over.
Burgos is a most lovely city, full of gardens along its riverside, but also Franco's birthplace ( shhhh ).
In the midst of its old town stands the most beautiful cathedral I've ever seen. It used to be York Minster for me but now York's is number 2. Weddings were taking place and fireworks exploding everywhere. A bit too much.
Terry and I found Santo Domingo's statue there the next day during a vigorous walk along the gardens and I took a picture of him with his thumbs up to his new buddy.
We did not like Leon. The parador was spectacular but the rooms horrid. Ours was so dark, we could hardly see what we were doing in it, let alone read. The restaurant's food was good there though.
Lugo was a bit boring to start with but being a small and poor town, the people were lovely and warm. Things got better that evening. We had a delicious meal there at the Verruga restaurant: lobster, yummy rice and the most delicious of white wines: Santiago Ruiz...and our waiter was a real character !
We were not impressed with Santiago de Compostela. It was a huge disappointment. The cathedral there is filthy. You'd think with all the money the tourists bring to this city, they'd fix it up. Also we spend more time feeding the meter and looking for a decent, permanent parking space than visiting and exploring the city.
I had tried over and over again to book a room at the Parador but to no avail.
We did manage to book dinner there though. We first went to the bar. It was so dirty, I felt huge relief we weren't staying there. The immense crypt we dined in was spectacular but the food was laden with salt and that's all we could taste. Salt is meant to enhance the taste of food, not take it over.
Thankfully, our hotel was brand new and lovely and juxtaposed to the cathedral. ( Hotel San Miguel ). http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/santiag ... 95c59df262
But instead of staying there 2 nights, after spending most of the next morning going round and round the city looking for a parking space ( again ! ), we finally decided to leave for Santa Cruz, a small sea-side town.
We fled to a beautiful campsite along the coast where we rented a bungalow. Getting there was a feast of aromas as we drove through forests of Eucalyptus. I'd never experienced such a fragrant journey before.
We couldn't find the campsite at first and when we asked this charming gentleman for help, he simply jumped into his car and drove us straight to it. It was obviously not on his way. This also happened in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The Spanish are really wonderful. Can you imagine this happening in France ?
The campsite ( Los Manzanos ) was located on the other side of the bay facing the port of Coruna. Do avoid Coruna. It is extremely polluted. We did all our laundry and had fresh seafood for lunch as we sat in the sunshine soaking up the rays and tranquility in what really was a huge orchard.
The next day, we walked and drove through the prettiest sea-side towns...
Then we went to San Bartolo ( Barreiros ). A hilarious place. This 2 star, immaculate, brand-new hotel, which comprises only of 6 bedrooms, was a gem. It stands right on a vast expand of white sandy beach between the estuary of a large river and the wide open sea. But it was the welcome and farewell we received there that topped the place. Do check the view:
http://hotelbalcondesanbartolo.com/hote ... ge-gallery
We walked into the reception which turned out to be the bar. This over-smoking, over-tanned, over-wrinkled, over-toothed, over-bleached-blond lady came straight at us with a thousand questions, claiming she loved the English and could the owner please offer up 2 glasses of wine on the house for "our new english friends". It turns out Minerva was the local taxi driver ! A real star. I can't drink in the middle of the day, but Terry, the long-distance driver, was thankful for his glass of wine and sipped it with glee.
We walked along the beach that afternoon and later, as the sun was dipping into the ocean, Terry cooked a yummy dinner for us in the camper facing the sunset and the sea.
The next stop was Oviedo. We arrived there on the 19th of September: America Day ! This is a very important holiday in Oviedo. — the Día de América — when Oviedo celebrates its relationship with the New World. The immigrants who’ve moved to Spain, Asturians who went abroad, and the mixing of cultures were all celebrated in a big parade that shuts down the city on that Sunday. It is also the city mentioned in Woody Allen's movie " Vicky Christina Barcelona ".
Upon our arrival, we found a high-ceilinged underground parking. Thank you Providence ! The lady in attendance was a beautiful, very young barbie doll look-alike who was extremely helpful and kind. I gave her a huge bar of chocolate.
The city was a hub of activity as it was being prepared for the afternoon's parade and celebrations.
Terry and I were hungry and we found the perfect restaurant: It had a huge T.V and for once, Terry was quiet throughout his meal ( and ecstatic ) as he watched the entire Moto GP on a huge screen while sipping beer and eating his lamb dish ! A great place.
By the way, all the Spanish cities we went through had proportionately vast pedestrian areas which is wonderful for everyday life, tourists and shoppers alike.
The next day, we drove to Llanes ( double L in Spanish is pronounced Y ), a most pitturesque seaside town, small and beautiful. From there, it took us a short while to reach the B & B I had booked at the bottom of the Picos de Europa. This village had more cows than humans. The B & B was Las Helgueras. Very quaint. Extremely clean. Fantastic breakfast. But if you need a good night's sleep, forget it. There are but a few rooms and if one guest decides to walk across their room above you, that's the end of your doze.
http://www.littlehotelsofspain.co.uk/helgueras.php
But way before the night closed in on us, that same afternoon, on a whim, Terry who'd driven a long way already, drove us all the way up to one side of the Picos de Europa: a steep mountain range that runs along Asturias and Cantabria. It was an interesting drive with very bendy, narrow roads on the side of a river and crazy ( Spanish ! ) drivers coming the opposite way. I'm here to tell the tale, so you know we've made it in one piece. It was beautiful and we did enjoy the view between heart attacks.
We arrived just in time for the last journey up in the 20 people capacity telepherique or cable-car. I was dressed like Santa Claus thinking it would be cold, but in fact, it was even warmer than on the coast. The Spanish women were in miniskirts ! Very unfortunately, we did not have time to do the 2 hour hike to the edge of the next peak. We had to come down almost as soon as we'd got to the top.
On the way back down, we stopped at one of the villages. A Spanish version of some of those touristy towns you come across in the South of France. But instead of olive oil and lavender, they sold home-made spirits, Picos home-produced wines and the usual collection of honey and hams.
The next day, we drove to the other side of the Picos. The road was much more user-friendly. Large and bordered by towns instead of tiny villages. Although the last few km were too scary for me. I closed my eyes and held my breath as Terry manoeuvred the van in his most confident and expert way through hair-raising bends, the road bordered by nothing on one side and jagged rock on the other. Anyone looking for a professional rally driver ? Look no further !
When we reached the top we were staring at a lovely lake surrounded by herds of brown and white calves and cows. We parked up and trekked up the hill to reach another peak and look down on another lake.
On our way down, the cows who were being moved by their shepherd, took precedence. We managed to come level with the one leading the pack who suddenly turned around and, trotting straight towards the others, mooed wildly at the lot of them. She was mad and having a real go ! It was really funny.
I suppose you're wondering where the dog was amongst all the commotion: cars, humans and cows all moving around at once and Monsieur Le Dog ? Sound asleep on the edge of the road !
Our next stop was Santillana del Mar. A beautiful town whose “Santa Juliana” collegiate church ( Nunnery ) dates back to the 13th century, although most of the houses were built between the XIVth and the XVIIIth centuries. The whole of Santillana can only be visited on foot except for those people who own houses there or are staying at one of the 2 paradors. Only in these 2 cases, are you allowed in with your vehicle.
I had booked us into the posh parador, " Gil Blas ", which turned out to be cheaper than the 3 star one. Of all the paradors we stayed in, this one was by far the best, the cleanest, with the most welcoming rooms and staff and a decent chef who hadn't sold his soul, slept and married himself off to the salt dispenser.
The town was out of this world. Literally. You were just instantly transported into another century. The shops were typically tourist-oriented but had the advantage of selling local foods and products which is not so bad.
Later that afternoon, we linked up with one of the members of Terry's campervan club who picked us up in a GOLD ( ! ) 4X4 VW synchro. It looked so out of place in Santillana. I loved that it looked so revolutionary and macho against the old buildings and cobblestones.
Rob and his wife had travelled from London to settle in Australia then got itchy feet and decided to move, buy land in northern Spain and build a house from scratch. And what a house. The architecture doesn't seem so interesting from the outside, but it's fab on the inside. Rob's children are adorable.
Next day, we were off to Bilbao. There we stayed in the hotel facing the famous Guggenheim museum. Both were designed by the same architect. I had booked a "yellow" room with direct views of the river. We were hungry and walked to the city centre. It was extremely filthy. Everywhere. The restaurants were strewn with dirt accumulated over several days. It was disgusting. We went back towards the museum which we visited before returning to the hotel across the bridge. The weather had turned and it started raining. We waited for dinner time and had a lovely meal in its clean restaurant. The food was really good. Shame about the reception and service though which were cold and functional.
We reached Hondarribia the next day. It stands right on the border with France. It's a lovely historic town which has known better and more glamorous days. Charles the Vth castle is now the parador which surmounts the sleepy, seaside town. We stayed in a weird hotel with interesting showers. The clouds had gathered. The sky was fuscous and gloomy. But we had a great time all the same.
We walked everywhere and had the cheapest full meal ever in a bar come cafe which included a choice of a bottle of water or wine.
We had a wonderful encounter with a fisherman who looked exactly like Paul Newman ( slightly darker from the sun and more wrinkled around the eyes, but just as blue-eyed and gorgeous ) who explained to us in Spanish ( yes, I did eventually make sense of what he was trying to convey to us ) why he was casting his line way out into the bay when there were so many fish right there on the edge of the jetty.
It started raining. We offered him room under our umbrellas but the Iberian version of Paul Newman decided he'd had enough with fishing for the day. With a huge smile on his face, he shook our hands vigorously and bade us farewell. We too were ready to move on.
We walked up to the old town, the church, the parador and what a quaint old village that fort turned out to be. The houses and buildings there should be observed when visited as they are truly interesting. We had a well-deserved hot chocolate in the parador which much resembled its owner from the XVth century: austere and impressive in its fortitude.
The rain pelted down violently all night. No complaints as we had experienced glorious weather throughout our trip so far. We had fallen in love with the area and the Spanish people in particular and didn't want to cross the border into France, but we had to as the return voyage was to take place from St. Malo.
On our first day in France, we visited Saint Jean de Luz ( lovely ), and Biarritz and stayed in a campsite more than halfway inland between the coastline and Toulouse.
The next day we drove to our friends Tita and Alain.
I met Tita in Lebanon in 1994 when she was sailing with her then partner Mauricio. They are from Mexico. They took me on their sailing boat to Antalya, Turkey.
Though Tita and Mauricio have separated shortly after that trip, they have remained very good friends, and we have all stayed in touch.
Tita eventually married a french man, Alain. They live in Marquefave, near Toulouse on a huge expanse of land Alain owns, comprising of at least two rolling hills and valleys.
Alain is nuts about horses and owns 4, one of which he bought at one of the big horse fairs in the U.S.
He also owns a collection of sexy sports cars ( a Renault Alpine, a Lamborghini Contach and a Porche Carrera ). It was lovely to see Tita again and meet Alain at last.
During our two night stay with them, we toured the countryside and visited Carcassonne and Albi.
We then drove to Sarlat la Canavere and stayed in an English B & B.
We'd been away from home for 19 days and an English welcome and atmosphere were now needed.
Chris' hotel was superb and so homely. The rooms were huge and very tastefully decorated. We got room 2. The blue room. http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/aol/search?s ... cordeliers.
Chris is very friendly, helpful and his B & B is beautifully run. It felt like home away from home.
The Dordogne region is outstanding. We went to the top of the nearby village of Dome to admire the view of the long, winding river and the valley it meanders through beneath. Up there, tourists go quiet as it is the most breathtaking sight ever. We just stood there for half an hour taking it in. I can't describe it.
The next day, after a very long drive, we met up with Gisele and Willy ( who rebuilt my flat alongside Terry ) in Thouars for tea. It was wonderful seeing them again. Willy is quiet and sweet; Gisele charismatic and fun. A great combination !
They lost us while we tried to look for their house, and while we were walking around in circles we met this older lady who had lost her car. Willy and Gisele finally found us; the older lady turned out to be Gisele's 84 year old great Aunt who'd lost her car. Willy left us to find the car. After a while everyone found each other and the car !
That night, we reached Saumur where we stayed in the worst hotel of our entire journey. It was awful ! The personnel went out of their way to be rude and make our stay as unpleasant as possible. The toilet in the room stank out loud. It was dreadful. Also, Saumur and its environs are very polluted. This has put me off the wines of the Loire valley for life.
On our way to St. Malo the next day, we met up with the Mother in Law of my childhood friend Christine. We had lunch with Dany inside a restaurant located right on a lake. It was pouring with rain, but it was very nice seeing her again.
We reached the hotel in Saint Malo, and apart from a quick trip to the nearest supermarket, we stayed in, relieved to be leaving France at last.
The Bretons are much more civilised than the French and the staff at the hotel were very efficient. A balm after our night in Saumur.
The next day, we boarded the ferry. It was the 2nd of October.
I must say, Terry is an excellent driver and has the talent of a rally driver. He is very careful and precise and gutsy too. I always felt very safe with him.
Well, that's all folks !
Wishing you all a wonderful X-mas and a New Year full of fun, good health and happiness.
Northern Spain
Like I said, Terry and I love the Spanish !
Indeed, Terry kept going on about taking the camper down through the Iberian peninsula and as soon as I expressed a tentative yes, the ferry was booked, the van and our persons insured and I was faced with the fait accompli ! So I organised the hotels along our route and what a great time we had !
We boarded the ferry on the 8th of September. Once we'd disembarked in Santander, we drove straight through the gorgeous countryside to Pamplona. When I say countryside, I mean it, as although we were using the autopista, the views were spectacular. The roads in Northern Spain are fantastic, built for tourism and pleasure and there are energy-saving windmills on every hillside.
Pamplona is a rich city and has the highest standard of living in all of Spain thanks to its numerous and varied industries and tourism.
We stayed in a brand new hotel: Puerta del Camino which has annexed a chapel, painted it all white and converted it into a dining room. The stained glass is still intact as is the choir. Terry couldn't believe the price of the wine : 6 Euros. He thought it was just for a glass but when he found out it was for a bottle, he thought that was just too cheap and got really extravagant with a bottle at 11 Euros ! It was delicious and we've kept the receipt to order more once we're back in Espana. http://www.hotelpuertadelcamino.com/
All along the church alleyway and inside the cathedral, excavations were taking place. Human skeletons were being unearthed. They looked so neatly and carefully laid out, I felt sorry for them. Is it not blasphemous to disturb the dead ? Another reason to be cremated.
From there, we drove to Santo Domingo de la Calzada ( a quiet town and great place ! ). where Terry finally met his patron saint. Indeed, Santo Domingo is the saint that facilitated the pilgrims' voyage by building bridges where needed and consoling them after a hard day's progress. He is also the patron saint of canals so that did it for Terry now he owns a narrowboat !
All the English were crammed into the posh parador. It was full to the brim and in the centre of the old town. Beautiful but claustrophobic. We had to have second best which was actually better.
We then moved on to Burgos. But on the way, we got caught in a strike.
At first, we thought there'd been an accident and Terry asked me not to walk to the scene of the crime as he thought it might be too gory for me to bear. But after he looked through the binoculars, things became clearer. You had a bunch of men with scarves over their faces on the one hand, and policemen on the other.
Indeed some miners had blocked the highway and were not letting anyone pass either way. They had ripped apart the metal divider between the carriageways and forced a lorry driver to position his vehicle across the 2. Then they'd slit his tyres. The police were there monitoring the situation. It was hot and we were grateful for our well-stocked fridge.
Terry and I met some other strike victims and had a great time talking to them. It helped pass the time. Some of them spoke very good English. The strike was meant to last only 2 hours. Exactly 10 minutes before the time limit, the riot police arrived sauntering down the hill in very disciplined formation. A little while later we were allowed to drive off but those on the other carriageway had to wait for the truck with the slit tyres to be moved over.
Burgos is a most lovely city, full of gardens along its riverside, but also Franco's birthplace ( shhhh ).
In the midst of its old town stands the most beautiful cathedral I've ever seen. It used to be York Minster for me but now York's is number 2. Weddings were taking place and fireworks exploding everywhere. A bit too much.
Terry and I found Santo Domingo's statue there the next day during a vigorous walk along the gardens and I took a picture of him with his thumbs up to his new buddy.
We did not like Leon. The parador was spectacular but the rooms horrid. Ours was so dark, we could hardly see what we were doing in it, let alone read. The restaurant's food was good there though.
Lugo was a bit boring to start with but being a small and poor town, the people were lovely and warm. Things got better that evening. We had a delicious meal there at the Verruga restaurant: lobster, yummy rice and the most delicious of white wines: Santiago Ruiz...and our waiter was a real character !
We were not impressed with Santiago de Compostela. It was a huge disappointment. The cathedral there is filthy. You'd think with all the money the tourists bring to this city, they'd fix it up. Also we spend more time feeding the meter and looking for a decent, permanent parking space than visiting and exploring the city.
I had tried over and over again to book a room at the Parador but to no avail.
We did manage to book dinner there though. We first went to the bar. It was so dirty, I felt huge relief we weren't staying there. The immense crypt we dined in was spectacular but the food was laden with salt and that's all we could taste. Salt is meant to enhance the taste of food, not take it over.
Thankfully, our hotel was brand new and lovely and juxtaposed to the cathedral. ( Hotel San Miguel ). http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/santiag ... 95c59df262
But instead of staying there 2 nights, after spending most of the next morning going round and round the city looking for a parking space ( again ! ), we finally decided to leave for Santa Cruz, a small sea-side town.
We fled to a beautiful campsite along the coast where we rented a bungalow. Getting there was a feast of aromas as we drove through forests of Eucalyptus. I'd never experienced such a fragrant journey before.
We couldn't find the campsite at first and when we asked this charming gentleman for help, he simply jumped into his car and drove us straight to it. It was obviously not on his way. This also happened in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The Spanish are really wonderful. Can you imagine this happening in France ?
The campsite ( Los Manzanos ) was located on the other side of the bay facing the port of Coruna. Do avoid Coruna. It is extremely polluted. We did all our laundry and had fresh seafood for lunch as we sat in the sunshine soaking up the rays and tranquility in what really was a huge orchard.
The next day, we walked and drove through the prettiest sea-side towns...
Then we went to San Bartolo ( Barreiros ). A hilarious place. This 2 star, immaculate, brand-new hotel, which comprises only of 6 bedrooms, was a gem. It stands right on a vast expand of white sandy beach between the estuary of a large river and the wide open sea. But it was the welcome and farewell we received there that topped the place. Do check the view:
http://hotelbalcondesanbartolo.com/hote ... ge-gallery
We walked into the reception which turned out to be the bar. This over-smoking, over-tanned, over-wrinkled, over-toothed, over-bleached-blond lady came straight at us with a thousand questions, claiming she loved the English and could the owner please offer up 2 glasses of wine on the house for "our new english friends". It turns out Minerva was the local taxi driver ! A real star. I can't drink in the middle of the day, but Terry, the long-distance driver, was thankful for his glass of wine and sipped it with glee.
We walked along the beach that afternoon and later, as the sun was dipping into the ocean, Terry cooked a yummy dinner for us in the camper facing the sunset and the sea.
The next stop was Oviedo. We arrived there on the 19th of September: America Day ! This is a very important holiday in Oviedo. — the Día de América — when Oviedo celebrates its relationship with the New World. The immigrants who’ve moved to Spain, Asturians who went abroad, and the mixing of cultures were all celebrated in a big parade that shuts down the city on that Sunday. It is also the city mentioned in Woody Allen's movie " Vicky Christina Barcelona ".
Upon our arrival, we found a high-ceilinged underground parking. Thank you Providence ! The lady in attendance was a beautiful, very young barbie doll look-alike who was extremely helpful and kind. I gave her a huge bar of chocolate.
The city was a hub of activity as it was being prepared for the afternoon's parade and celebrations.
Terry and I were hungry and we found the perfect restaurant: It had a huge T.V and for once, Terry was quiet throughout his meal ( and ecstatic ) as he watched the entire Moto GP on a huge screen while sipping beer and eating his lamb dish ! A great place.
By the way, all the Spanish cities we went through had proportionately vast pedestrian areas which is wonderful for everyday life, tourists and shoppers alike.
The next day, we drove to Llanes ( double L in Spanish is pronounced Y ), a most pitturesque seaside town, small and beautiful. From there, it took us a short while to reach the B & B I had booked at the bottom of the Picos de Europa. This village had more cows than humans. The B & B was Las Helgueras. Very quaint. Extremely clean. Fantastic breakfast. But if you need a good night's sleep, forget it. There are but a few rooms and if one guest decides to walk across their room above you, that's the end of your doze.
http://www.littlehotelsofspain.co.uk/helgueras.php
But way before the night closed in on us, that same afternoon, on a whim, Terry who'd driven a long way already, drove us all the way up to one side of the Picos de Europa: a steep mountain range that runs along Asturias and Cantabria. It was an interesting drive with very bendy, narrow roads on the side of a river and crazy ( Spanish ! ) drivers coming the opposite way. I'm here to tell the tale, so you know we've made it in one piece. It was beautiful and we did enjoy the view between heart attacks.
We arrived just in time for the last journey up in the 20 people capacity telepherique or cable-car. I was dressed like Santa Claus thinking it would be cold, but in fact, it was even warmer than on the coast. The Spanish women were in miniskirts ! Very unfortunately, we did not have time to do the 2 hour hike to the edge of the next peak. We had to come down almost as soon as we'd got to the top.
On the way back down, we stopped at one of the villages. A Spanish version of some of those touristy towns you come across in the South of France. But instead of olive oil and lavender, they sold home-made spirits, Picos home-produced wines and the usual collection of honey and hams.
The next day, we drove to the other side of the Picos. The road was much more user-friendly. Large and bordered by towns instead of tiny villages. Although the last few km were too scary for me. I closed my eyes and held my breath as Terry manoeuvred the van in his most confident and expert way through hair-raising bends, the road bordered by nothing on one side and jagged rock on the other. Anyone looking for a professional rally driver ? Look no further !
When we reached the top we were staring at a lovely lake surrounded by herds of brown and white calves and cows. We parked up and trekked up the hill to reach another peak and look down on another lake.
On our way down, the cows who were being moved by their shepherd, took precedence. We managed to come level with the one leading the pack who suddenly turned around and, trotting straight towards the others, mooed wildly at the lot of them. She was mad and having a real go ! It was really funny.
I suppose you're wondering where the dog was amongst all the commotion: cars, humans and cows all moving around at once and Monsieur Le Dog ? Sound asleep on the edge of the road !
Our next stop was Santillana del Mar. A beautiful town whose “Santa Juliana” collegiate church ( Nunnery ) dates back to the 13th century, although most of the houses were built between the XIVth and the XVIIIth centuries. The whole of Santillana can only be visited on foot except for those people who own houses there or are staying at one of the 2 paradors. Only in these 2 cases, are you allowed in with your vehicle.
I had booked us into the posh parador, " Gil Blas ", which turned out to be cheaper than the 3 star one. Of all the paradors we stayed in, this one was by far the best, the cleanest, with the most welcoming rooms and staff and a decent chef who hadn't sold his soul, slept and married himself off to the salt dispenser.
The town was out of this world. Literally. You were just instantly transported into another century. The shops were typically tourist-oriented but had the advantage of selling local foods and products which is not so bad.
Later that afternoon, we linked up with one of the members of Terry's campervan club who picked us up in a GOLD ( ! ) 4X4 VW synchro. It looked so out of place in Santillana. I loved that it looked so revolutionary and macho against the old buildings and cobblestones.
Rob and his wife had travelled from London to settle in Australia then got itchy feet and decided to move, buy land in northern Spain and build a house from scratch. And what a house. The architecture doesn't seem so interesting from the outside, but it's fab on the inside. Rob's children are adorable.
Next day, we were off to Bilbao. There we stayed in the hotel facing the famous Guggenheim museum. Both were designed by the same architect. I had booked a "yellow" room with direct views of the river. We were hungry and walked to the city centre. It was extremely filthy. Everywhere. The restaurants were strewn with dirt accumulated over several days. It was disgusting. We went back towards the museum which we visited before returning to the hotel across the bridge. The weather had turned and it started raining. We waited for dinner time and had a lovely meal in its clean restaurant. The food was really good. Shame about the reception and service though which were cold and functional.
We reached Hondarribia the next day. It stands right on the border with France. It's a lovely historic town which has known better and more glamorous days. Charles the Vth castle is now the parador which surmounts the sleepy, seaside town. We stayed in a weird hotel with interesting showers. The clouds had gathered. The sky was fuscous and gloomy. But we had a great time all the same.
We walked everywhere and had the cheapest full meal ever in a bar come cafe which included a choice of a bottle of water or wine.
We had a wonderful encounter with a fisherman who looked exactly like Paul Newman ( slightly darker from the sun and more wrinkled around the eyes, but just as blue-eyed and gorgeous ) who explained to us in Spanish ( yes, I did eventually make sense of what he was trying to convey to us ) why he was casting his line way out into the bay when there were so many fish right there on the edge of the jetty.
It started raining. We offered him room under our umbrellas but the Iberian version of Paul Newman decided he'd had enough with fishing for the day. With a huge smile on his face, he shook our hands vigorously and bade us farewell. We too were ready to move on.
We walked up to the old town, the church, the parador and what a quaint old village that fort turned out to be. The houses and buildings there should be observed when visited as they are truly interesting. We had a well-deserved hot chocolate in the parador which much resembled its owner from the XVth century: austere and impressive in its fortitude.
The rain pelted down violently all night. No complaints as we had experienced glorious weather throughout our trip so far. We had fallen in love with the area and the Spanish people in particular and didn't want to cross the border into France, but we had to as the return voyage was to take place from St. Malo.
On our first day in France, we visited Saint Jean de Luz ( lovely ), and Biarritz and stayed in a campsite more than halfway inland between the coastline and Toulouse.
The next day we drove to our friends Tita and Alain.
I met Tita in Lebanon in 1994 when she was sailing with her then partner Mauricio. They are from Mexico. They took me on their sailing boat to Antalya, Turkey.
Though Tita and Mauricio have separated shortly after that trip, they have remained very good friends, and we have all stayed in touch.
Tita eventually married a french man, Alain. They live in Marquefave, near Toulouse on a huge expanse of land Alain owns, comprising of at least two rolling hills and valleys.
Alain is nuts about horses and owns 4, one of which he bought at one of the big horse fairs in the U.S.
He also owns a collection of sexy sports cars ( a Renault Alpine, a Lamborghini Contach and a Porche Carrera ). It was lovely to see Tita again and meet Alain at last.
During our two night stay with them, we toured the countryside and visited Carcassonne and Albi.
We then drove to Sarlat la Canavere and stayed in an English B & B.
We'd been away from home for 19 days and an English welcome and atmosphere were now needed.
Chris' hotel was superb and so homely. The rooms were huge and very tastefully decorated. We got room 2. The blue room. http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/aol/search?s ... cordeliers.
Chris is very friendly, helpful and his B & B is beautifully run. It felt like home away from home.
The Dordogne region is outstanding. We went to the top of the nearby village of Dome to admire the view of the long, winding river and the valley it meanders through beneath. Up there, tourists go quiet as it is the most breathtaking sight ever. We just stood there for half an hour taking it in. I can't describe it.
The next day, after a very long drive, we met up with Gisele and Willy ( who rebuilt my flat alongside Terry ) in Thouars for tea. It was wonderful seeing them again. Willy is quiet and sweet; Gisele charismatic and fun. A great combination !
They lost us while we tried to look for their house, and while we were walking around in circles we met this older lady who had lost her car. Willy and Gisele finally found us; the older lady turned out to be Gisele's 84 year old great Aunt who'd lost her car. Willy left us to find the car. After a while everyone found each other and the car !
That night, we reached Saumur where we stayed in the worst hotel of our entire journey. It was awful ! The personnel went out of their way to be rude and make our stay as unpleasant as possible. The toilet in the room stank out loud. It was dreadful. Also, Saumur and its environs are very polluted. This has put me off the wines of the Loire valley for life.
On our way to St. Malo the next day, we met up with the Mother in Law of my childhood friend Christine. We had lunch with Dany inside a restaurant located right on a lake. It was pouring with rain, but it was very nice seeing her again.
We reached the hotel in Saint Malo, and apart from a quick trip to the nearest supermarket, we stayed in, relieved to be leaving France at last.
The Bretons are much more civilised than the French and the staff at the hotel were very efficient. A balm after our night in Saumur.
The next day, we boarded the ferry. It was the 2nd of October.
I must say, Terry is an excellent driver and has the talent of a rally driver. He is very careful and precise and gutsy too. I always felt very safe with him.
Well, that's all folks !
Wishing you all a wonderful X-mas and a New Year full of fun, good health and happiness.