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Blog

LPG Mayhem

Due to using campsites and their electricity upto this trip, I had only put gas into the van on a max of 2 occasions, each time in fear and trepidation, given the heavy duty industrial nature of the whole thing, and the explosion when disconnecting! Add to this the fact that France uses a different..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Equipment, The Bad, Van

My Solo ‘Challenges’

After the first 3 months of travel, I’ve been on my own for up to 6.5 weeks at one time – the first 3 weeks I was with my sister, and for one of those weeks with other extended family also, followed by the week visiting Lisbon and Porto, when my sister again joined.

The following..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Musings

Cock of the Aires & Habitats

Occurs to me, albeit somewhat late, that I may be assuming an understanding of what an Aire is, so by way of a quick explanation – these are glorified car parks dedicated to motorhomes which towns in many countries on the continent have seen fit to provide either for free or for a small car..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Musings

New entry at No 1?

For the aire – thanks to the city – its location in the university area within 3/4 mile of the city beaches via well-planned cycle lanes, the peace and quiet at night, the beautiful buildings and layout of its compact centre, the fantastic cycle lanes, the beautiful bay, sand, sea and..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Cities-Towns, Meetings - the non-work sort, Places, Spain, The Good

Favourite Fixtures & Fittings

A placeholder for valuing explicitly in nor particular order my :

Lagun table mount, attached to this teak table top – perhaps on balance abit too heavy for this purpose, but very nice pieces of wood, and fitted by my good self. Love the mount’s design – swivelability, removeability,..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Equipment, The Good, Van

Breakdowns R Us

I want to record this ‘meeting’ with John and Sharon from Cardiff, to remind myself of their hilarious stories of breakdowns that they dealt with in their initial days of motorhoming. Indeed tribute must be paid to their ability to deal with all the uncertainty and stress of such situations,..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Meetings - the non-work sort

Leaving Portugal, EasyTolls and into Spain – Lago de Sanabria

Despite the weather forecast looking as though my next main destination could be in rainfall and drizzle for my intended time there, I decided to continue nevertheless with my plan to leave Portugal and head for the Picos de Europa and then San Sebastian, breaking the journey at the recommended Lago..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Places, Spain

John & Donna

Enjoyed their company in the wine-tasting and after, hearing about their 2-year travelling break started in January, to eventually go east all the way to China via the ‘Silk Road’.

Their home is Gertie, a converted Landrover Defender which they bought from the army with only..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Meetings - the non-work sort
Throw them wide – Douro Vineyard Stay

Throw them wide – Douro Vineyard Stay

Due to the temperature forecast moving into the 30s, I had wavered in my plan to do the unusual (for me) and go and stay at the Park4Night recommended vineyard only a few miles up in the hills from Regua, versus driving north into Spain to my target destination of Lago de Sanabria.

But threw..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Places, Portugal, The Good