I finished the last blog post with a sign off as we sat at the check in gates for the ferry in Dieppe with our passports at the ready. At that point I imagined that this particular trip was all but over and there would be little else to report. It was only a shortRead more
I don’t suppose we were the only ones to be shocked by the speed and ferocity that the Coronavirus spread through the world. We woke up one morning less than a week ago and realised that we would need to head north quickly as Spain and France began to report a frightening increase in theRead more
Eventually we get used to the thing that happens when we move on from a place we’ve really enjoyed. We always get this huge pang of ambivalence – we love to travel, to find new places and experience the freedom of the road and at the same time we feel a little sad leaving ourRead more
We left Medinaceli and drove to Zaragoza, stopping briefly in Calatayud to visit a supermarket. Parking in supermarket car parks was one of the things we were worried about before we left, given the extra length with the trailer on board. For most of the trip this hasn’t been a problem, we’ve just made sureRead more
Leaving Bathala, we decided to head East towards Spain. The decision was made partly on the weather forecast as we noted that going north through Portugal could involve some very cold nights as we crossed into Spain. Another thing that swung our decision was the novelty factor. We would be crossing into Spain on aRead more
We spent five nights in the campsite at Zambujeira do Mar and felt more than a little reluctant to move on but in the end the call of the road won and we set off north in the direction of Alcaçer do Sol. Portuguese roads can be rough. This is a Yorkshire understatement. There areRead more
In our last few days in Lagos we met up with our friends Jo and Doug. They arrived in the Algarve just as we were making plans to head north so we quickly arranged to have a proper catch up, several coffees and pastel de natas and lunch. We met Jo and Doug a coupleRead more
You’ll have heard the expression ‘Travel broadens the mind’. I must confess that until this trip I’ve never fully understood it – after all you can get your mind broadened by doing a course at a local college or reading a good book. Travel, I thought, gives you the chance to experience new places andRead more
Just a few days after New Year is my birthday. As the day approached Shirley asked me what I would like and I answered straight away… Electricity! We had been well over a month using only 12v and solar power, which works fine for the majority of the van’s needs but there are a coupleRead more
We spent the New Year at the beachside parking in Alvor. This beautiful former fishing village is a delight. Boardwalks run along beside the beach, wonderful rock formations at the east end of the beach offer lots of possibilities for clambering around finding caves and rock pools whilst listening to the boom of the AtlanticRead more