Sun, Sea & San Miguel

Hola once again from Tarifa,

Well we have settled here now and got ourselves sorted i.e. finding the local supermarkets & shops etc etc.  We have been out on the bike exploring and checking out some of the other campsites up this stretch of coast but both agreed that here at Rio Jara is the best with it’s nice pitches and also being so close to the beach and Tarifa town.

When we first arrived here at the campsite we almost had the place to ourselves but we knew that it would soon fill up as Easter was coming, well it did fill up alright mostly with families having kiting lessons but luckily we had a German couple pull in next-door-but-one facing us which was fine with us and also it put people off pitching in between us so Julie and the German lady had a whole pitch to use as a sun terrace/drying area for our kite gear, but the funny thing is not once did the German lady get up early and put her towels out before us!! The first morning of the Easter weekend the wind was howling off-shore (known here as “Levante”) and with that a local kite school van turned up at the site to begin the lessons that people had booked for the weekend, (at this point I must say that we were always taught not to kite in offshore winds as if anything goes wrong you will only get taken out to sea further, the only exception to this is if there is a safety boat which some of the kite schools did have) so we decided this is going to be entertaining let’s go and watch.  As we walked down onto the beach we both looked at one another in amazement at the number of kite schools and kites in the air and on the beach, we are talking hundreds so we found what we thought was a safe spot and waited for the action to begin and we didn’t have to wait long before students were getting wrapped up in one another, dragged out to sea and then just ditching their whole kit and then just simply swimming in and shrugging their shoulders at their instructor.   I must add here in Tarifa the instructors don’t even get their feet wet they just stand at the waters edge whistling and shouting instructions at their poor students and add to this further back on the beach you have more students learning to control the kite on the beach so not only do you have crashing students in the water but people dive bombing kites behind you as well, the poor German lady next door was too scared to go for a walk with her dog.  We knew this would only be like this for a couple of days until the holidays where over so just sat back and relaxed and now we have the whole place to ourselves again.

Where we are situated right on the Rio Jara it’s perfect for paddle boarding so after checking in the kite/sup shop over the road that it was ok to paddle up the river and not get shot at by a angry Spanish farmer we unloaded the boards and went for a leisurely paddle, the man in the shop said that you can go up to 8 kilometres up stream but we didn’t get that far as the water was a bit low but it was lovely paddling through some lovely countryside we even had some spectators along the way !!!!  We will attempt to do the 8 kilometres when we have more water in the river and the wind stops blowing.

We had a few sketchy days of weather with a couple of thunderstorms over Easter just to make us feel at home on a bank holiday !!!  The weather is now board shorts & flip flops again although a bit breezy but the wind has switched direction to on-shore (known as “Poniente”) so we have managed to get plenty of kite surf sessions in.  What’s nice about where we are is that you have more kites at Tarifa town and also at Valdevaqueros further west up the coast but here at Rio Jara there are no car parks or beach access unless you are camping here so it doesn’t get busy & it’s quiet strange that when your out kiting you are facing Morocco which is only 15 kilometres away.  Here too on the beach on a high tide the sea meets the Rio Jara and sometimes it makes a huge lagoon of mirror flat water to play in if you have had enough of playing in the waves and we were just about to call it a day a few evenings ago as it was about 8pm when I noticed the lagoon had filled in so left the sea and had a blast shortly before being joined by Julie in this perfect playground, it was a late night that night but luckily we didn’t have to get up for work the next day !!!! Sorry guys…

The cows are still roaming around on the beach day and night, quite strange really as sometimes they wake us up in the middle of the night with their jingling cow bells and mooing, makes the saying “until the cows come home” quite true!!

Anyway that’s all for now.

J&J

x

PS While out browsing the many surf shops I came across this lovely wetsuit, but decided against it as thought I’d look a right tit….

Algarve (Portugal) to Tarifa (Andalucia, Southern Spain)

Hola,

Our last blog update was when we were at Meildes on the West coast of Portugal in the site amongst the pine trees.   We must just quickly tell you what we had to endure to get that post published and to get on the internet to check out where we were heading to next.   We have now learnt that it’s a good idea to check on google maps to see the exact location of sites and to also read a few reviews as some of the sites we have come across from our ACSI book haven’t been that great.  So the site had what they called a “Restaurant” with free wi-fi access but we would call it a self-service “cafeteria”.  We had to go and ask for a ticket with a user name and password etc which lasted an hour.  We felt a bit awkward so bought a beer each and sat outside and used the first hour to publish the blog update.  After a while a few Portuguese locals arrived and started to queue up for the food by which time our first ticket had expired so we went in and awkwardly asked for another ticket and as we hadn’t eaten thought we would give it a try as if it was good enough for the locals surely it was good enough for us - bad move but we were now committed as needed the other free wi-fi ticket so we could check out where we were heading to the next day.  Julie sensibly just asked for a ham & pineapple pizza but was horrified when the girl went off and came back with a frozen one in a box, I noticed a sign saying hamburger so thought that would be a safe option too but how wrong could I be, the girl went off again and then came back with two frozen burgers in a packet but then told me it wasn’t beef and tried to explain that it was turkey by saying it was a big chicken whilst waving her arms at her side, it was so funny as I write this now but not at the time.  15 minutes later Julie’s pizza was done and she got two slices dumped on a plate and then my burgers turned up, it was like school dinners not even in a bun just chucked on a plate on their own until another lady slapped on a pile of overcooked rice next to them, I asked her for some chips too which to my amazement were actually homemade and not frozen!!!  We now felt even more uncomfortable so ate what we could, grabbed our free wi-fi ticket and a beer to wash it all down!!!   

The next day we left the deserted beach, pine trees and “cafeteria” behind and were heading to a site on the Algarve which was in a good location, had good reviews and a “Restaurant” so we were feeling hopeful. It was near Lagos and Luz and when we arrived discovered that the nearest resort & beach was actually Praia Da Luz where Madeline went missing back in 2007.  When we arrived we were relieved to find a lovely site with a beautiful swimming pool and excellent facilities.  It was totally different to the deserted sites we had been on on the West coast and was quite busy with lots of ex-pats and pensioners over wintering.  We found a pitch and were immediately be-friended by a retired British couple who told us all about the site, the area and all the other British people by name!!  We were even pitched up opposite a van identical to ours although a 2010 model, ours is a 2012 but we have never seen another one anywhere. It was a German van and the lady spoke perfect English and was intrigued as our layout was slightly different inside with a wrap around lounge which she didn’t have but would be easy to convert with just a couple of extra cushions so she took some photos so that she could email the factory for the bits she needed.  The facilities were amazing, and one of the toilet/shower blocks had been totally updated  which apparently cost €3 million!!!  We went to check them out and couldn’t believe it there was even a pet wash so at least I could give Julie a good hose down!!  I have never seen a chemical waste area quite like it, a beautifully fully tiled room with a door with frosted glass.  It was a very nice site but a bit clicky but will suit us in about 20 years time when we just want to sit and do crosswords, whittle wood and have snacks and refreshments at each others vans in the afternoon.  It was a bargain too at only €16 a night.  The next day we cycled the 10 minutes into Praia Da Luz and were quite surprised how small it was as reading in the press and seeing it on the TV we expected it to be a much larger resort.  On one side there was a nice beach with rocks at one end and a small palm tree lined promenade and the other a coastal footpath above the sea and rocky coastline but it got a bit hardcore on our mountain bikes with vertical rock steps so we went as far we could and then turned back, I could have done with my trials bike!!  On the way back to camp we cycled past the Ocean Club where Madeline went missing and couldn’t help but see the swimming pool and tapas bar which was so close to all the apartments and although we don’t have children it’s hard to comprehend what happened there and whether they will ever find out or find her.  The scenery here was different again and we could see why the Algarve is such a popular all round destination.  

Our next stop would take us into Southern Spain so once again after studying Google maps and reading reviews we stumbled across a little site just across the border which had an excellent review written by an English guy so we tapped in the co-ordinates and set off.  The roads in Portugal are just a joke unless you travel on the toll roads which we didn’t want to do but sometimes there’s no warning and you end up on one but they are all electronic tolls so there’s nowhere to get a ticket like in France. The only good thing about travelling in Portugal is listening to their countrywide radio station that plays nothing but 80's & early 90's songs 24/7 but by the time we left we had had enough of Shalamar, Millie Vanilla, Rick Astley and Erasure etc etc along with their Russian sounding presenter!! As you drive along you pass under a gantry loaded with camera’s and apparently you are meant to then go to a post office and pay although having spoken to a few Brits along the way and read on google the whole system is just a joke as if you go to a post office they haven’t got a clue what you are on about so we carried on regardless.  As we neared the border into Southern Spain we we had visions of being stopped by armed Police demanding toll money but it was just a large lay-by with 2 police cars with the occupants asleep so we slipped by unnoticed and over the bridge into Spain, we had escaped!!!  We headed to our site at a place called Isla Cristina which seemed quite nice until we arrived at the site, we didn’t really have any other option so checked in and pitched up.  That bloke that wrote that review must have been on drugs or blind and wants shooting as the site was the worst by far and we couldn’t wait to leave the next day, the only nice thing was the beautiful beach so we sat down there for as long as possible before going back to bed.  We left the next morning and couldn’t believe it was the most expensive site we have stayed on so far.  Lesson two - before driving through the barrier check the place out first, we can only describe it as a shanty town.

The next morning we left early heading for Tarifa in Andalucia, the most Southern point of Europe and a kite surfers paradise which apparently is the kitesurf/windsurf capital of Europe too.  The area is beautiful and our site is really nice and has access directly to the beautiful beach with a backdrop of the surrounding hills and even has cows just roaming around.  From here we can easily take a boat trip across to Morocco and also jump on the motorbike to Gibraltar so we will stay here for a while.

Anyway that’s all from Tarifa for now I’m off for a turkey burger!!

J&J

x

Adios Northern Spain, Ola Portugal

Ola, 

Well we have made it into Portugal now which is new territory for us as neither of us have ever been.  We left you last time saying we had one more stop in Northern Spain which we did at a little place called Barreiros which was a small site literally a stones throw from the beach, we stayed there for two nights as the weather wasn’t that good and we had been out exploring on the motorbike and seen most of what the area had to offer.  Just up the coast a bit were rocks on the beach known as the cathedrals because of the arches formed but because of the huge storms that had hit this coast earlier in the year the arches had collapsed and also caused so much erosion along the whole coast line of Northern Spain.  That afternoon an English couple turned up and we got chatting as you do, they had come up from Portugal and they had had nothing but rain for nine days and nights solid so were heading home as they had had enough but luckily for us we checked the weather and it was looking a lot better thank god!!  

The next morning came and time to leave Northern Spain and cross into Portugal heading for a place called Caminha just inside the border.  Again like Spain the roads are in a terrible state and there aren’t any nice places to pull up for a break and they even want the money up front for diesel!!  We arrived at Caminha and were greeted with a welcome smile and booked in and picked our pitch so set the van up and walked out onto the beach to stretch our legs after the drive.  The campsite was right next to the Rio (river) Minho with the sea one side with a huge beach with big waves and the other side the river estuary, a bit like Poole harbour & Sandbanks I guess but without the million pound houses.  Next day we went out on the motorbike and did about a 90 mile round trip down the coast exploring the many Praias (beaches) that we had spoke about and looked at a few options for when we moved on in a couple of days.  One of the sites we visited looked OK but the way to the beach involved walking down two fifty metre long concrete pipes under a flipping golf course which felt more like going down a storm drain than going to the beach so that one was crossed off the list!!

Next morning it was a bit dull so we decided to head further South to a place called Figueria Da Foz, on route the scenery changed again and became more what we expected with pine and eucalyptus trees lining the roads and small villages.  The site we were heading to was right next to the beach which we had also looked up in our kite bible and it said it was a good spot.  After a quick stop in the Intermarche on the way for some supplies we pulled up at a wonderful site which had exactly what they said, direct beach access so after getting set up we walked out onto the deserted beach and along into the small village, the waves were huge and the noise was incredible but there were a few brave souls out body boarding in the huge surf.  The next day after Julie doing all the washing and hanging it round most of the campsite we went for a cycle on the bike’s but didn’t get far as when we got near the beach promenade we spotted some kitesurfers just going out so after a quick u-turn back to our beach it was gear on and down the path to the our own beach which we had to ourselves as there was absolutely nobody about.  I must say we were a bit nervous as the waves were bigger than we were used to so I did the decent thing and sent Julie in first to test the water as they say and she was fine so I launched and headed in, it was a fab first kite session in Portugal and the first of our travels.  After we were done and showered we once again hung all our kite gear around the campsite to dry then our Portuguese neighbour said that he had some photos of us kiting so he passed them onto us (not great quality) which was really nice of him. 

One thing about the Portuguese & Spanish campsites is that some have a motorhome washing areas so we have been taking advantage of these to keep the van sparkling, don’t know how it gets so dirty!!!

Two funny things that happened this week were me being all flash flipping an omelette whilst cooking outside but completely messing it up and throwing it in the sand but luckily no-one else apart from Julie witnessed it which she found highly amusing and the other was while driving along Julie spotted a Portuguese bloke in a car staring so much at us in the van as we drove past that he veered off the side road he was turning out of straight into a ditch!!!

I had a nice chilled out Birthday too, so thanks for all the Birthday wishes :-)

We have now moved further South and are just below Lisbon at a little place called Melides on a site amongst pine trees in the middle of nowhere with the most beautiful beach we have come across so far and again we have it all to ourselves and the weather has improved dramatically with 20+ degrees daily & clear skies - but where is everybody??  We will be continuing to head South down towards the Algarve and will then head into Southern Spain so will keep you posted.

That’s all for now.

J&J

xx

Viva Espana....

Hola,

We left Mum’s last Thursday on route to Sunny Spain and planned to stop overnight at a little place called Campan, the French side of the Pyrenees as we had decided to take the more scenic route from there the next day rather than along the coast via Bayonne & Biarritz which Alan said would be busy.  

We thought we had seen the last of the snow for a while but as we headed towards Campan on the National 21 a beautiful straight road that just went on for miles we caught sight of the snowcapped mountains in front of us again, another breathtaking sight.  We knew that the aire at Campan was going to be a small one with just 5 vans allowed overnight but after reading the book from cover to cover it was the only option really in the location we needed.  Campan is a very small village close to the Pyrennes National Park and we just couldn’t believe the snow was still so low and hoped that we wouldn’t need to break out the snow chains again!! but luckily the village was clear of snow and we found the aire round one of the back streets, a very small car park with a small picnic area next to the river which the local farmer who lived opposite had filled up with several round bales of hay!!   It would be fine for one night so we parked up found a nice footpath across the river which headed up the hills towards the mountains and went for a walk which was really nice.

That evening we decided to set the alarm in the van so that we can move around in the van but all the doors are still armed, we decided to test it as we hadn’t used it since we were in Quiberon back in early January but guess what it didn’t bloody work, we kept setting it and opening the personal door but nothing, we kept trying and then the door handle on the personal door decided to break too, we couldn’t get in or out of the van!!  Eventually I managed to get the door open but the lock was faulty so out came the tool kit along and after a quick call to John at Pullingers where we got the van from, he told me I had to strip the whole door down and find the culprit, which was a small pin which had fallen out from the over complicated mechanism but at least I managed to sort it!  Once that was sorted Julie rang the alarm bloke and after about half an hour on the phone we narrowed it down to a faulty connection somewhere in a 7.5m van so the search began. He advised us to check each door contact with a magnet to check if they where working so I unscrewed a magnetic catch from a cupboard and began checking each door, but nothing still the same, so I started to check wiring out and traced all the wiring in and around all the van until I found a wire trapped behind a bracket which had rubbed through causing a false earth and so telling the alarm that all doors are safe which obviously they were not - and there was us 3 hours ago thinking what are we going too do with ourselves tonight LOL!!!

We were up early the next morning and were heading via the scenic route through the Pyrenees National Park into Sunny Spain.  The route meant going through the Tunnel De Somport then up towards Pamplona, San Sebastian and to a site at a little place called Orio.  The roads were amazing and again in some parts the snow was really low.  

The Tunnel was 10km long but nice & wide inside and dry unlike the inside of Blackwall or Dartford!!  It was quite bizarre though as when you come out the other side you are actually in Spain and all the roads signs are in Spanish and the surroundings seem different but your brain still thinks you are in France.  After a while we got our heads round it but first impressions were not great as the roads were bumpy, there were no lovely aires to park in for a lunch stop and then the Spanish had decided to close the road we were on without any warning so after a U-turn we were back on track again on a newly built road.  We looked ahead and all around and were still surrounded by mountains but sat nav said we only had five miles to go so were wondering where the sea was and our campsite then with only about a mile to go and in a biggish town we looked at one another thinking what are we doing here and what is the campsite going to be like? we made the final turn which can only be described as going down Chatham high street then once we reached the end we saw the site in the distance with its attractive battleship grey painted wall/shower block next to the entrance and the portacabin reception!!! along with waving builders greeting us as we drove in.  So we introduced ourselves to the enthusiastic Spanish receptionist and said we might stay 1-2 days if your lucky!! she said we could pitch anywhere so we set the van up and did a quick walk round and also to the beach which was only 100m away but not that attractive either. After a nights sleep we were awoken at 7am in the morning by high winds and when we looked out the window we saw our Spanish neighbours attempting to take their awning down on their caravan but with one almighty gust it ripped it from their hands and flung it over the top of the caravan snapping their TV aerial on the way and ripping it off the side of the van!!!   It’s quite funny really as every site we go to Julie seems to get excited to see what the washing machines are like and once she found the brand new machines here she had two on the go at once and there was even a designated area to hang it all out, mind you it was so windy it was quite entertaining watching her hang the sheets out, which dried in about 10 minutes - funny how such little things can be so pleasing. We began to warm to the site as everything was spotlessly clean and well maintained it even had a car/motorhome cleaning area which we took advantage of to get the salt off from the trip across the Pyrenees, it was just the area, view of the motorway & buildings around it which spoilt it.  We jumped on the bike and did the coast road round into some amazing coves and bays but there was a lot of damage to the sea walls/footpaths which we later found out was due to a huge storm and 8-10m waves hitting the coast a few weeks ago.

When we left there we headed along the coastal road towards our next stopover 150 miles further up the coast and were again disappointed with the scenery as we passed through Bilbao & Santander but were sure the next place San Vicente De La Barquera was going to be more scenic & typical Spanish and were weren’t disappointed, a lovely little fishing village which a small harbour and sandy surf beaches dotted along the coastline.  The site here is beautiful and from the van we have views of the countryside and the snowcapped mountains in the distance but only a 10 minute walk to Oyambre one of the fantastic beaches.  We have done a bit of walking and cycling here and been exploring on the XT, the coast roads are fantastic.  We would have loved to have got a kitesurf in here as we would have had the beach to ourselves but the wind is off-shore at the moment but it is great for surfing so we might have a play before we go.  There is a lovely restaurant here on-site too with a great menu which is only €12 for a 3 course meal but sadly doesn’t include drinks but when San Miguel is only €2 a litre we can’t complain so think we will have to sample the menu before we leave.

We are heading further along the coast tomorrow which will be our last stop in Northern Spain on route to Portugal.

Adios for now.

J&J