Places

Jun

2019

Beautiful drive – D11 Pyrenees towards Med & LPG Success

Had a lovely drive today, through the countryside between the Pyrenees to Toulouse and heading for Agde and Montpellier. Particularly the D11, which runs from Carcassone towards Beziers, with the Canal du Midi, boating and cycling, running alongside and within the vineyards and hills of the Minervois – lots of beautiful villages, stopping places, along the route.

It was a Monday holiday as part of the French Pentecost long weekend, so the roads in my direction were quiet, and the temperature started to rise to reach 21.5deg in the sunny afternoon although all of France is experiencing unusually low temperatures for this time in June and not going to be much warmer over the next few days until Sunday.

I realised that my search for LPG could actually be fulfilled by the same garage at Carcassone where I was eventually successful the last time I was in this area at the beginning of April. With my memory augmented by mylpg.eu I was able to find the establishment again, and it was open and ‘quiet’; lets do this; french adaptor duly applied, connected the nozzle – pump motor started, pressed the green button, and the gauge showed gas being pumped???!!! Piece of …….. Completely straightforward and I now have a full gas tank once again. Cost 0.9eu per litre which is really cheap compared to buying and swapping bottles.

Notwithstanding my new-found arrogance about LPG-filling (did I really only write the article about the travails of the same yesterday?), I did note a certain ‘carefreeness’ re the drive – Monte’s been running like a dream, ok with satnav and roads, even the possibility of doing a Cock of the Aire and stopping unexpectedly because a particular aire in a village looked attractive, and hey why not …

I veered off into the village of Capestang because it looked attractive and had an aire sign-posted. Discovered that the village had created a municipal campsite, because it didn’t necessarily want motorhomes parked alongside the Canal, so decided to stay here, and possibly do a short bike ride tomorrow before moving on. My immediate neighbours here are a Swedish couple who’ve just retired, sold up in Sweden and are about to complete and get the key for their new home they’ve purchased in a village closer to Beziers. Wanting to live in a warm and sunny place while they are able to make such a move.

Luxury Canal du Midi cruising

Jun

2019

Bagneres de Luchon – Harrogate’s Twin Town

From San Sebastian, drove to Bagneres de Luchon in the Pyrenees which my son’s youth brass band visited a few years ago now, – we weren’t part of that trip so it had been on my radar, with my decision to visit confirmed when Sharon and John recommended it.

Stayed a couple of days on a really nice campsite about 1km from the centre, for the price of 9eu per night for me and Monte, no electricity, and took advantage of the Thermal Spa to have a massage and visit, according to the town’s claims, the only naturally-occuring ‘Hammam’ – its Vaporarium – in Europe, discovered by the Romans. I’d describe it as a sauna space – humid and steamy, like a mining tunnel in the hillside.

There’s a small ski-resort here but unfortunately I was there just before the running of the cable cars in the Summer period and as I didn’t want to cycle upto the resort at 1700, nor move the van, decided just to do some bike exploring on the valley roads. Really beautiful, quiet, understated …… Quite alot of hotels/restaurants for sale in the town – in some respects conveys a ‘faded/former glory’ feel as many of the buildings are grand and beautiful, but perhaps the town could do with investment in some of these. The last 3 photos are from a nearby hamlet, with one showing the cable car route up to the ski resort at the top of the hill.

Had one or two conversations with Will, the only other Brit on the campsite who was on his own – see separate post under ‘Meetings.

Jun

2019

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 surrounding green hills, the tapas or pintxos culture, and the conversations/time spent with fellow travellers – yes it’s my, in the end 3 night stay, at SAN SEBASTIAN.

I decided to visit here based on numerous recommendations, and stay at the city aire, despite a weather forecast of solid rain for a day – sacre bleu – the first for me in about 6 weeks. The first night the charge was 3.30, but for the next two it went up to the Summer parking charge of 7.60 per night.

After about a 190-mile drive from the Picos, managed to get the 2nd to last of the 30 or so places, and on this first evening, it poured down from about 6pm, all through the night and the next morning until about 3pm, when as forecast, the sun managed to re-assert itself.

Unfortunately I observed my transformation into a southern europe wuss – no longer able to contemplate going outside in such rain and chill, and even when the sun came out, I had to force myself to put jeans on, and various layers, get the bike off the rack and make an effort for the city, given it’s motorhome provision, the choice I’d made to come here, and the fuel expenditure in doing so.

But fortune favours the brave ….. and obviously not being one of those “les anglais se cachent!” (the view of a French motorhomer – more of that in https://lifeinnewlanes.com/?p=796 ), as a result of this courageous sortie, I found a companion to meet up with in the evening to go and try the pintxos, rather than spending the time (me cachant ? 🙂 ) as usual in my apartment. This companion was a Dutchman who happened to take the same otherwise more or less empty funicular ride to the viewpoint at Mont Igeldo, who, after having the usual sort of conversation as to what are you doing here etc, suggested that we meet up and go to the old town area in the evening together as he’d also spent the previous one holed up in his airbnb due to the rain.

Marcel from Enschede is a consultant for integrated city mobility/transport projects, – see www.empowerproject.eu – and had been attending a workshop in S Sebastian. It was great to have company, and actually ‘go out’ (gasp) for the evening, and find out about his work as I am interested in cycling provision and how integrated transport-wise continental cities seem to be in comparison with ours. But beyond this conversation, in for a penny in for a pound, I decided to try some gastronomy, which I had managed to avoid more or less totally up to that point, despite already having concluded that this was something of a shame, and not helped by my solo travelling. So Octopus, Crab, Bacalao, (ie Cod), Sardine, with only the last not being ‘acceptable’ to my uneducated philistine taste buds 🙂

Because of Marcel’s invitation, I also saw more of the city centre, which I may well have amazingly avoided, and with this and the sun reappearing the next morning, decided to stay for a third night. Really enjoyed cycling all round the different areas – photos speak for themselves – and having longish conversations in French with my neighbours, Yves and Michel from Lyon, who have invited me to contact them for an evening out, if ever I’m passing through their city. So cheers Marcel.

Lots of young people, surfer dude vibe, all nationalities – and made me think about the Summer that one of my youngest son’s best friends would have spent working here last year.

Strongly recommend.

Views from Mont Igeldo – via funicular
Part of cycle lane at nighttime
street in old town
cycle lane running round bay
Gorgeous planting along cycle lane
surf beach
Hills round city
Looking towards Mont Igeldo
City swimming pool – no seaweed yaay
Even the public conveniences are worth a photo
Don Quixote & Sancho Panza

Jun

2019

Lessons Learned? – into the Picos de Europa via N621 to Camping La Viorna at Potes

This time, I looked at my maps more carefully and selected what looked like the best route, to get round Leon and then onto Potes, using the N625, and then the N621. Following a river – check, main road – check. Not the Pyrenees or Alps – check. Off we go. What a glorious drive and unsuspecting ascent to arrive at

I have to confess to not really looking in detail via Google maps to relief and altitude, so the descent was once again for me gripping the steering wheel, hogging the wrong side of the road, and going very slowly – all of which I was thankfully able to do as the road was good, wide and more importantly empty. The ascent from Potes is the main Picos one in the Vuelta – for those not in the cycling know, the Spanish equivalent of the Tour …….

The view from Bores looking back to the descent

All in all, it was a long, hot drive yet again, and I was very glad to arrive at this campsite I have wanted to stay at for several years now. I got my pitch with lovely views out of the side door, and nice neighbours, but this morning being Sunday when the Spanish weekenders vacate, meant that pitches previously occupied or not discovered by myself yesterday became available. I was very proud to move and snaffle this pitch with mountain views.

View through my side door

Did my 10000 steps walking down to Potes and around today – slightly cooler but still so great to just put on shorts and tee-shirt and set off. This afternoon has been sitting gazing at the view and reading, including a laugh out loud, very funny postscript to this ‘ourtour‘ post for those interested in motorhome toilet cassette emptying – https://ourtour.co.uk/home/becalmed-in-a-top-notch-motorhome-aire-at-neufchatel-en-bray-normandy/

Temperature getting cooler for next 2 – 3 days. There is the Gorge Walk of Caras, the cable car ride at Fuente De, and walking from here …… .

Picos – in my favourites, and campsite is great also.

Potes
On the pilgrimage camino in this area which also links to the C de Santiago
Santo Toribio Monastery
View from hermitages above Santo Toribio
Campsite pool
campsite restaurant

May

2019

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 de Sanabria.

The journey took in going north of the almost border town of Chaves, to drive back into Portugal as if for the first time in an effort to try and retrospectively register with the Portuguese EasyTolls system, and thereby avoid a fine for previously using the motorways in question approaching Porto. I had endeavoured in vain to register correctly when entering Portugal a month earlier from southern Spain, but with all 3 cards being rejected, and having not driven on toll roads between then and the Porto approach, had genuinely forgotten all about it. The same 3 cards were rejected again but my current account debit card passed muster. No doubt I will probably be ok for this one junction’s worth of tolls, and will still be fined – which I think is 10 times the toll value – for the previous misdemeanor. One lives and learns.

I was very glad to finally arrive at the Lago de Sanabria after a long drive and the increasing feel of ‘yes it’s beautiful countryside, but where am I in the middle of this nowhere’. Stress and tiredness levels were not helped by the fact that my targeted campsite was now no longer in operation determined by a phone call after I’d driven past it twice, and the website given a ‘website owner’s bandwidth exceeded’ page. Thankfully, there was another campsite in the vicinity and I duly selected a pitch with the other few motorhomers, in the otherwise pretty empty wooded place. Once I’d got over my exhaustion – heat and long drive – and had my first shower for 5 days – I became a human being again, and things got back in perspective. I enjoyed a good conversation with Sharon and John from Cardiff, so have recorded this in a separate post.

Unfortunately the photos I took of the lake were too dark – something wrong with the camera settings, but in certain directions, with the surrounding hills it had a feel of the Lake District about it.

May

2019

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 caution to the wind yesterday and drove up to 600 metres above sea level, up the windy, twisty, but at least hill-hugging right side of the road. Driving alongside the river and up into the hills, before it got too high of course, in the morning sun was joyous. The vineyard’s field where we can stay for free – beautiful and peaceful. The wine-tasting session with Jose, one of the owners of the vineyard, Quinta de Padrela, was so interesting, tasting the wine, olive oil, and a partner company’s cheese made from a mix of cow, goat and sheep milk, learning about the vineyard, area and production process, and all in the company of other ‘guests’ from Germany, Canada, and a couple John and Donna, (John born in Harrogate), spending 2 years intending to travel east ultimately along the Silk road all the way to China, in their converted army Landrover – see dedicated post.

Conversation was enjoyable, strayed towards politics and some national characteristics – not british ones thankfully. We managed to deftly steer away from Brexit, and even Trump as a common theme with our Canadian group members, towards what we all agreed was the more interesting topic and caused alot of laughter – the wine effect also no doubt: the pronunciation challenge offered to Jose by the words ‘sheep cheese’ which he initially described as ‘cheese from sheeps’ in an effort to not convey that the cheese was … – you try saying it! Our German companions’ English, and Jose’s, was of course good enough for the tour to be given, all understood and contributed to, in English.

Some interesting facts for me to remember and these items on the tray are part of this week’s staving off dementia exercise: this area experiences temperatures from 0 in winter with snow just above here to up to 40 degrees in Summer; average-sized vineyard, with one side being 30 years old roughly, and the ‘old’ one 70 years old; don’t irrigate the vineyard as no need to, and only allowed as part of a licence to plant out a new vineyard; produce blended wines, mostly red, some white and rose; sell all over the world via distributors; harvest literally by hand by people from the area, primarily over the age of 50, as the ‘young’ as Jose calls people upto this age!! , and he’s one of them, are too lazy :); mature the red wine in French oak barrels, rather than those eg from US, as impart different tastes: a barrel costs about 1000eu and is used for 3 seasons; corks used in bottles to contribute to maturing process; 2 years ago lost over 50% of production due to bad weather in Spring, and last year I think it was 30%; very regulated to keep the quality up; portuguese television tends not to dub the English, in favour of sub-titles, hence their proficiency.

So glad I came here – have lovely shady spot – not too hot in the end thanks to the breeze and no doubt altitude, and the night was cool. Woke up this morning to the vista from my apartment (bijou) window, did a cycle ride through surrounding vineyards – yes uphill couldn’t be avoided – took in a coffee at the lovely town of Tabuaco, and now back for the afternoon and evening, sitting in the sun/shade, reading, writing and arithmetic loading costs into spreadsheet :), planning the next part of the route across Spain and into and across France, eating the cherries and oranges bought from a road side seller, and will slice off some of that cheese from sheeps …..

and tho’ on my own, still the song reflects it all perfectly.