Back On The Road, & Back Into France

Bonjour,

After spending 6 nights in Sant Pere Pescador in the Bay of Roses we decided to move on before the mass exodus. It was a nice enough place and we did a bit of cycling & walking but for some reason we just didn't seem to settle and the last few nights we were there the entertainment kicked off and we really didn't appreciate the oke, cokey Spanish stylee or the animation team coming round with loud halers shouting " mini-club, mini-club" with loads of young children in tow, we laughed and joked about seeing Rodney from Only Fools & Horses amongst them on a skateboard - so it was time to move on.  

Before we left though we had a trip just up the coast to a place called Empuriabrava which they call Spain's Venice, basically it's a maze of canals with back to back apartments and then there's the expensive part by the marina with houses in excess of 3 million euros with each house having it's own mooring for a super yacht!

We left on Monday heading for La Franqui back in France just across the border. It's a little place we briefly visited back in March after we left the Alps on route back to Mum's so we knew roughly where we were going and the area. We are on a very small campsite that we found back then (which was closed for the winter season) which is cheap as chips at only €10 a night and has everything we need and no tacky entertainment but no wi-fi so getting this blog done for you lot has been a bit of a mission and involved a beer at a local bar so we could use their wi-fi.

The site is right on the beach which is mainly a kitesurf &  land yacht beach and no bucket & spade brigade so right up our street. It's a bit like being back in Tarifa though as it's very windy, this time the wind is called Tramatona which blasts down from the Pyrenees and blows off-shore, but sometimes is on-shore which is called Marin. There's an old beach patrol tower on the beach which resembles a water tower and this guy has taken it over as his office and runs a kitesurf club from there, what an office he has too, with a 180 degree view 30 feet up where he can see out to sea and both ways along the beach, wouldn't mind an office like that ourselves!! We had a chat with him and he said we could pay for rescue as the wind is off-shore so we have done a deal with him and had a great first day out on the water in 30mph winds which blew a few cobwebs away.

We have also been out exploring other campsites and have found one to move onto from here which is at Narbonne Plage which is again right on the beach and has cycle paths into the local village and if the wind plays ball will be another good kite location. However we really like it here so are in no rush to move on just yet.

It was quite funny as one of the sites we came across was a nudist site, Julie went in to ask if they had a separate section for clothed campers but the people in front of her who were checking in were being told that they had to be naked at all times to respect the views of the campers and that, naked meant naked & you had to sign on the dotted line in agreement....Julie swiftly just grabbed a brochure and jumped back on the bike!

That's about it for this week.

J&J
x

PS We have some funny stories for you for next week, so stay tuned......!!

Bye Bye Barcelona & Mum & Dad

Hola,

First of all we would like to say a big thanks to everyone who is taking the time out to read our blog, we have now had over 6,000 views which is amazing. 

We had a few people say they had tried to add a comment at the bottom of our posts but couldn't so we have now changed the settings and anyone should be able to comment so please feel free as we would really like to hear from you all.

We caught the train into Barcelona on our last day as the bus times on a Sunday weren't great but it made a refreshing change from the bus and we even got a different view out of the window!  We had arranged to meet Dave & Brenda for lunch as they were going on a boat trip around the port in the morning and we had decided to go and do the cable car across the port which we didn't get to do a couple of days earlier which we mentioned in our last post. Success this time and it was well worth it as the views out to sea, over the City and across the port were stunning.

The cable car took us up to the Miramar viewpoint in the Parc de Montjuic where the Olympic park & stadium are situated which is quite high up in relation to the rest of the City so a great place to see the views across it. From there the Gaudi cathedral the Sagrada Familia sticks out like a sore thumb, amazing to think it's been there all those years but is still under construction.

From there we walked back down to the marina and met Dave & Brenda before heading off for a spot of lunch in one of the beautiful squares which was really nice as it was Father's Day and also our last day together. We had a fantastic meal, I had a fillet steak, Julie a lasagne and then we shared some profiteroles, a real treat, thanks Dave & Brenda :-)

We then headed back to hotel where we all said another emotional goodbye before heading back to the station to catch our train, it never gets any easier....On the way we went via the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya a most impressive building with huge fountains that we had passed every day on the bus so it was nice to go and see it and get some pictures although the fountains weren't running which was a shame but hey ho.

We had a great week meeting up with Stuart & Elaine and Dave & Brenda and enjoyed every minute of Barcelona but it went so quickly. We decided to have chill out day Monday before heading off on Tuesday to Sant Pere Pescador in the Bay of Roses, which will be our last stop in Spain. 

It seemed quite strange to be back on the road again but our adventure continues although the next few months may be a little tricky as we need to try and avoid paying €40+ per night to stay on campsites as it's now high season.  

We have a feeling there will be a mass exodus of Dutch & German campers from this site at the end of the month as they all head home for the summer months and then return in October!  Maybe I will have to buy Julie a plastic chair for the side of the road after all!!

Funny thing that happened this week while washing up one evening was that we were using some washing up liquid that we had acquired from a site a while ago that someone had left behind. It's bright green with German writing all over the label (people usually look at what washing up liquid you have so they know what nationality you are). The couple opposite us had exactly the same bottle so thought we too were German and were nodding & smiling at us, we just looked at each other and joked that we too were German but spoke very good English, it did made us chuckle!

That's all for now.

J&J 

X

Barcelona - Meeting Mum & Dad

Hi 

Well we have finally made our date with Barcelona to meet with friends and Julie’s Mum & Dad (Dave & Brenda).  We drove the 28 miles up the coast from Tarragona to Camping Vilanova and were greeted by a huge entrance and reception area and were shown where to park while checking in, once all that had been done we were escorted to a pitch which at the time looked perfect for once so set the van up, put the washing line and most important my hammock up then got chatting to a lovely couple opposite who spend about 10 weeks here every year and love it, but by the time we sat down for a bit of lunch I happened to spot some piles of large logs by the perimeter fence then with that the noise of chainsaws and large machines with reversing beepers started and we discovered it was a large saw mill and the staff/men had just come back from their afternoon siesta (hence it was quiet when we turned up).  Apart from the background noise the air was filled with fine saw dust from the saw mill which promptly covered everything so we decided to look for another pitch away from the noise and dust and as this site has around 1400 pitches we had a good chance of finding a better one.  After a short walk we spotted a pitch opposite two English caravans which they had put their chairs on for a bit of afternoon sun so I said that we might steal their sun trap but they were fine and said come on down, so for the second time that day we packed the van down, moved and then re-rigged once again, the pitch was huge almost two pitches knocked into one unlike some other sites we have been to.

The site is lovely with fantastic facilities and for us would be perfect if it was nearer to the beach or some cycle tracks as we find it really hard to sit and do nothing!!! It is a great site for families and for people who like to just chill out by the pool which we never ever do but sometimes you do need to have a rest.  It was weird the first day we went and sat around the pool, we grabbed a sun lounger each and just sat people watching and listening to people/children jumping in and out but after a few hours we soon became bored and thought how are we going to do this for 11 days but knew we would be spending a fair amount of time going into Barcelona so it would be nice to have a few days relaxing first.  We then realised we were sat in front of Keith & Margaret one of the English couples on the pitch opposite us who were from Yorkshire close to where I used to do the East Yorks two day motorcycle trial so we started chatting to them and before we knew it the lifeguard came and told us the pool was closing so we headed back to the van.  When we got back to our pitch we were introduced to Martin and Josie the other couple again from Yorkshire so there was plenty of chatting, banter and exchange of stories over the next few days until they moved on a few days ago.  They were both really nice couples and on their last night we all sat around with a drink or two and Keith came out of the van with a nice spread of cheese & biscuits, pate and a few fancy looking canapés on sticks, so that was our tea that night which was very much appreciated.  We think they warmed to us softy Southerners that came and stole their sun trap that afternoon a few days earlier….so if we are ever up their way we will be sure to look them up for some more cheese & biscuits!!!

The campsite said there was a direct bus from the campsite to Barcelona, direct my arse!!!!  We had no other real option as if we took the motorbike it meant getting all dressed up in 30 degree heat and then finding somewhere to stash all the coats jeans and crash helmets plus it meant that I couldn’t have a beer or two in Barcelona so on the first dummy run we boarded the bus straight away which was waiting outside the site which was promising and we set off for Barcelona so we thought but it stopped at the station which we could of caught a train from, then another stop in town, a couple of campsites and then the town of Sitges then onward via Barcelona airport but we finally arrived at Catalunya square with it’s two large fountains where we had arranged to meet Stuart & Elaine. 

It was lovely to meet some of our friends from home, so we had a quick catch up and a beer at a street bar then made our way down onto the Metro to the Temple de la Sagrada Familia which is a massive cathedral still being built in the style of Gaudi the famous architect who died at the age of 74 in 1926.  There are no plans or drawings as these were destroyed by anarchists many years ago so this is the reason for the way it looks today with cranes surrounding it so it is almost freehand construction now and they say it could take another 300 years to finish it, who knows!! So after a few photos back on the Metro down to the port area for a bite to eat for lunch and to check out where Dave & Brenda’s hotel was for the next day, once we discovered that we made our way through the narrow beautiful streets, The Rambla (the main pedestrian street) and squares back to the bus stop to get back to camping Vilanova, thankfully the bus was a bit more direct on the way home with only a couple of quick stops in Barcelona and then to via the station in Vilanova and back to camp.

We have got used to the bus now and the earlier one which leaves at 8.30am is more direct, just to the station and then straight to Barcelona. I guess that after 5 months of no  fixed agenda and not having to set an alarm for work it was a shock to our system for us to have to set an alarm and get up to catch a bus!!! 

We had an emotional reunion with Dave & Brenda at their hotel, Julie and Brenda just burst into tears as soon as they saw each other and I had to keep my sunnies on as it brought tears to my eyes too.  We went up to their room and had a glass of champagne which the hotel had provided complimentary and sat chatting for a while and sorting out the bits & pieces they had brought over for us which included a lovely letter from my sister Jo and some photos, one of them is of me and Julie many moons ago back in 1989 when I was in a ploughing match in the tractor from work, we both look so young but we were only 20 so that is young…..Dave and Brenda and my Dad are in the photo too and Danny Julie’s nephew so on went the sunnies again….thanks Jo for the lovely letter and photos :-)  We then went up onto their rooftop terrace overlooking the port opposite, a beautiful view.

We took Dave & Brenda along some of the narrow back streets and along the Rambla to the other main Cathedral near to their hotel which again is a work of art with such detail in the stonework and then found one of the many little backstreet squares and had a lovely lunch before heading back to camp.  

The next day we met Stuart & Elaine (it was Stuart’s birthday) and walked to the Arc De Triomf and then through the park area before heading off for a nice lunch of tapas, paella & a desert (3 courses which we are just not used to, what a treat!) and then all met up with Dave & Brenda for a drink on their roof terrace later in the afternoon as they had been out exploring on the open top tourist bus.   Stuart and Elaine then headed off and we said farewell to them as they were heading home the next day.

After 3 days back to back in Barcelona we decided to have a day off and a chill out round the pool which this time we were really looking forward to!!!

After our day off we headed back in today and were planning to take the cable car across from the port to the Parc de Montjuic where there is lots to see including the Olympic Park & Stadium.  It was definitely Friday 13th as after walking to the cable car station when we arrived the man was just putting a sign up saying it was closed for maintenance although on route we had seen it going backwards and forwards…just our luck and very disappointing.  He said we could get a bus instead just across the road and mumbled something about the Metro too (the underground) so we got on the bus and after a while realised that the bus wasn’t direct and we should have got off at some point and got on the Metro. So we eventually got off the bus and jumped in a taxi.  On the way back we took the Funicular back down into town and realised that is what we should have done earlier and was what the man had been mumbling about!!! It was another great day all the same.

Dave & Brenda are heading home on Monday so we will meet up with them again on Sunday which will be nice as it’s Fathers Day so we will post a few more pictures next week.

We are not city people at all but Barcelona is very beautiful with so much to see, so if you have never been it really is a must see.

We are starting a new feature on the Blog called “Campsite Cat” as we have come across quite a few and we seem to adopt one at every site we go to - here’s a picture of this week’s “Campsite Cat” a very friendly fella.

That’s all for now, sorry if we rambled on but it’s been a busy week!

J&J

x

Tarragona

Hola, 

Well we have just spent a fantastic 6 nights at a site just outside Tarragona which has something for everyone from it’s mediterranean beach life, Roman history, seaside facing amphitheatre, maze of cobbled streets, cathedral and sandstone buildings.  

And then there’s the modern part with the main street and shops along the Rambla Nova with it’s pedestrian walkway in the middle and balcony at the end overlooking the med and nearby port. 

Along the Rambla Nova there is also a fountain and a huge human pyramid bronze statue which apparently represents and old tradition in this part of Spain.

The campsite was again right on the beach and at one end you could walk up onto the rocks and then up through the pine trees into a huge walking area above the sea called the Punta De La Mora. On route there were a couple of more secluded little sandy coves although they seemed to be a favourite spot for naturists……! We had a day walking 16 kilometres through the Punta De La Mora and back.  

We then had another day where we paddle boarded right round to the next main beach resort at Playa De La Mora which was a 20 kilometre round trip which was fantastic as we were just hugging the coastline there & back.  The water was so clear we even saw a huge sun fish which was a bit scary at first as the first thing I saw was a fin sticking out of the water and I thought maybe there are sharks in the med after all!!!

We have surprised ourselves as since we left Tarifa we really have seen all weird and wonderful sides to Spain but have managed to find beautiful unspoilt places to stay at in between the larger cities and more touristy resorts and we now feel quite settled here.

We are on the move today to Vilanova just outside Barcelona and are looking forward to meeting up with some friends and more importantly Julie’s mum and dad who are also very excited as we said a tearful goodbye to them back on 4th January, 5 months ago now.

We were lucky to get the blog done this week as we bought a few days wi-fi but when we tried to log on it didn't work.  We asked at reception and believe it or not they told us that someone had stolen the copper cable up the road overnight, it made us laugh as it's the same back home, mind you it was all sorted out within 24 hours which surprised us for the Spanish......!

We will keep this week’s blog short as we will have lots of stories and photo’s to share next week but in the meantime here’s a link to a little video I have made of Tarifa & Sierra Nevada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hge78CLOOUU

Adios for now.

J&J

xx