Well I did say that I needed to restart the blog so here goes.
Travelling means that things happens which might make interesting reading and are the kind of thing that I'd like to remember.
The last 24 hours have been a classic if unusual case in point.
We have spent the three days at a site west of Leon - an interesting city where we saw our first real down and out drunk in Spain. Lying spark out in a city square making local schoolgirls blush/giggle/photograph him on their phones (or all three) as he lay there with his manhood for all to see. Two hours earlier he'd have a cell for the night as the place was crawling with cops chaperoning some local military ceremony.
So next evening I went down to do the washing up and an English lady sort of mimed at me what should she do with her rubbish. I explained and she went to the bins leaving her washing. I had a vague idea she looked familiar but way out of context so I ignored it. She came back and started her washing up. We chatted for a few minutes as travelling folk do about where we had come from and where we are going. She then said "You look like someone I know in Lancashire".A moments mad panic lest it was someone I'd upset in the homes closures. "You look and sound like Chris Cheetham" she said. I confirmed that I looked and sounded like him because I was him. "I'm Jan Hodgson - remember John and I?" Well talk about surprise. Early participants and then retirees from the Labour Party's "McKenna wars" in West Lancashire. Meeting them over ten years later on a small campsite in a little town in Northern Spain may prove six degrees of separation but was a shock to us all! So we discussed events and people we both knew - even some we liked! They were surprised to see me and had not realised what we had done. Which suggests that the power of the press is more limited than either they or politicians would like to believe.
The next morning they left heading east towards Rioja and we headed west towards Santiago de Compostela - quicker and more comfortably than the army of walkers and cyclists following the Camino de Santiago. It was a long day with the hairiest moment in the Winnie. We had a site booked called Camping de Ria Arosa west of Santiago. We eventually got there and frightened them with our size. We toured the site but could not find a pitch big enough. Then they said you should be at our sister site Camping de Ria Arosa 2! Getting out was a nightmare. the turn was tight anyway but cars parked on the road opposite meant it was impossible. Three young Spaniards had been about to park right across from the gates but backed away when they saw our problem. between us with them guiding me and then as necessary manually sliding the trailer left we eventually (10 minutes ) got away and only slightly bent the sites sign!
Then initially following a member of staff we headed to site 2. This time not on a narrow beach road but up a narrow road into the "mountains". Still after asking a local at a fork where the camping signs where to the right of the fork and could have referred to either route we got there. The large pitches at the top of the site were plenty big enough but left the van sloping forwards and to the left - not good for the fridge! After an hour and a half we managed to find a pitch we could level it out on but only after much swearing and sweating.
The next morning(Friday 4th) broke cloudy and dull but we decided to go to Santiago anyway. It was a madhouse! What we did not realise is that 2010 is a holy year in Santiago because the saints day falls on a Sunday and if you do the walk this year "all your years in Purgatory to this point" are wiped clear. In other words a sort of spiritual "get out of jail free" card. Anyway they are strict about bags in the cathedral and so we took it in turns to look inside where the combination of pilgrims, pious and plain curious produced a scrum of manic proportions. If this is the second holiest Catholic shrine in Europe they should take lessons on organisation from the Vatican (the holiest). But as the sun was now shining we had lunch out and then as the town was closed until 4:30ish we went back to the site via Mercadona (our favourite Spanish supermarket).
Saturday broke dull and cloudy but we set off for Finisterre/Fisterre the Spanish Lands End. The road weaves around the coast and seems to take for ever. Still we got to visit the two biggest horreos in Gallicia (allegedly) in neighbouring villages.A horreo is a raised storehouse designed on legs with overhangs so mice etc can't get in. It's very much a local design and even varies from one area to the next. Sadly the weather stayed dull and our visit did not offer the chance of great sunset pictures. It however fascinating to see pilgrims making the trek out from Santiago to the "end" of the road to leave their boots behind as tradition demands (actually that requires them to burn their clothes) but leaving your boots is the modern respectable version. Still all in all a nice day out. And the sun had finally broken through by the time we got back.
Sunday was bright and sunny and we decided to Ria de Pontevedra to the south - but only the north side and come back along the south side of the Ria de Arousa. Sunday was Corpus Christi and again as poor ignorant travellers we failed to appreciate that in this part of Spainb all the churches are surrounded by walks of flowers. We started off at the biggest horreo in Gallicia at the Monasterio de Poio (allegedly) but it did seem wider if not as long as the ones yesterday and had three legs not two across so it ended up with 51 legs - bit like the Terry Pratchett luggage! From there it was a short hop to Combarro whch is allegedly the village in Gallicia with more horreos than anywhere else ( you can see how the local advertising gets to you). It is a grade A honeypot with narrow winding streets which seemed to be full of either cafes/restuarants/bars or shops selling an amazing collection of souvenirs and every house seemed to have a horreo so maybe it's true. And through the village ran the walk of flowers with religious motifs "drawn" is shells, flower petals, coloured sand, grains and cypress cuttings. Largely they were scuffed so only a couple remained intact. After a drink (non-alcoholic) we moved on to Cambados to see if we could find some cheap Albarino wine. Well the shops were shut but they were still laying out their flower paths. But they had palm fronds and masses of fennel fronds as their green stuff and more coloured sand. All in all a very pretty sight with a wonderful smell. But getting out of town was a nightmare as the signposting would end at a junction and the town we were aiming at simply failed to get a mention. However, we did eventually get on the right road only for that to be diverted - with more intermittent signs!
Monday returned to the dull theme. But the morning was dedicated to more shopping and then we went to see the local sights! The weather decided to prove why everything is so green up here and became drizzle degenerating to rain. We spent ages driving down roads of ever diminishing size to find the local waterfall walk. We managed to get there and back in a dry(ish) gap and then got hopelessly lost on a maze of single track roads without signs. The clouds lifted long enough to let us see the coast and we aimed at it. To my amazement we ended up not east of where we started but west and about 5 minutes from the site.
Tuesday's Plan A was to drive the 60 miles to A Coruna. But we rolled over when the alarm went off and could only just be heard above the sound of rain on the van roof. So we got up late and decided we would be stir crazy if we let the weather keep us in. So we consulted the Rough Guide and headed to Pontevedra town after lunch. On the way the rain became showery so we set out to see the local "sights" feeling good about the decision. The Museum is a fascinating mish-mash of archaelogy and collections from the towns famous sons to representations of local industry and life. And a collection of religious art with a last supper where Christ looks quite a lot like Noel Edmonds. But is a lot older. However the weather gods had decided if we were going to wander around inside they would turn on the rain again. So a quick tour of the rest of the old town - including the Pilgrims sanctuary shaped like a scallop shell and the ruins in the town centre and back home in ever worsening rain. This can't be right as we are not on the plain where the rain mainly falls or so we thought!
Oh and as there is no wi-fi on the site I am not sure when you will read this !
Brought to you by a strange connection inviolving a network routed over the mains electric. Still if you get this it clearly works. The rain pored down all night and now its sunshine and showers. Still we move tomorrow so more news then.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Cabo de Gata II
Well two weeks plus and we are getting into a habit.
The weather is generally sunny but we have had one wet day and some days and nights of strong winds. No serious damage but the flagpole is a little shorter now!
It is odd to arrive somewhere thousands of miles from Lancashire and know the roads so well I can even predict the potholes even the ones they have repaired. Life of course is never smooth and the latest event here is not good. One of the regulars and our neighbour from last year Hans (Sweden) who travels with his severely disabled wife, Lena, tried to ride his bike back from reception carrying a gas bottle and fell off. He's now in the local hospital unconscious with a brain bleed and his wife is also in hospital being cared for as nobody else knows her routine. Everybody here is shocked.
Meanwhile the local "wildlife" is getting used to all of us humans. The fox is getting better but gets mugged by some of the camp cats if he isn't quick with his food. The flamingos are in the lagoon and we have been adopted by one of the camp cats who is Max's little twin. She is working hard at being adopted as she fusses, sits on laps and generally works at being a little sweetie.
The weather is generally sunny but we have had one wet day and some days and nights of strong winds. No serious damage but the flagpole is a little shorter now!
It is odd to arrive somewhere thousands of miles from Lancashire and know the roads so well I can even predict the potholes even the ones they have repaired. Life of course is never smooth and the latest event here is not good. One of the regulars and our neighbour from last year Hans (Sweden) who travels with his severely disabled wife, Lena, tried to ride his bike back from reception carrying a gas bottle and fell off. He's now in the local hospital unconscious with a brain bleed and his wife is also in hospital being cared for as nobody else knows her routine. Everybody here is shocked.
Meanwhile the local "wildlife" is getting used to all of us humans. The fox is getting better but gets mugged by some of the camp cats if he isn't quick with his food. The flamingos are in the lagoon and we have been adopted by one of the camp cats who is Max's little twin. She is working hard at being adopted as she fusses, sits on laps and generally works at being a little sweetie.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Cabo De Gata
Been here for almost a week now and very quickly settled life adopts its own pattern.
The site has its own life in more ways than one. Firstly there are the people from last year - but fewer of them than then. Maybe its a sign of the recession that there are fewer people than last year. Its also clear that the tensions between the pro and anti cat groups are sharper. The site may have fewer people but the number of cats and particularly kittens is up. The kitten tribe contains some that would be snapped up under any other circumstances - including Katie's double and a passable Siamese!
But stranger still is our "pet" fox. Seen him for the first time tonight but heard stories from some of the people who have been here for a few weeks. It has an injured paw but has with typical fox skill spotted an opportunity and become friendly with the humans so he gets fed. He looks better than many an uninjured fox arounf here I suspect. And I'm told he ignores the kittens who would be too much work when there is food around.
The site has its own life in more ways than one. Firstly there are the people from last year - but fewer of them than then. Maybe its a sign of the recession that there are fewer people than last year. Its also clear that the tensions between the pro and anti cat groups are sharper. The site may have fewer people but the number of cats and particularly kittens is up. The kitten tribe contains some that would be snapped up under any other circumstances - including Katie's double and a passable Siamese!
But stranger still is our "pet" fox. Seen him for the first time tonight but heard stories from some of the people who have been here for a few weeks. It has an injured paw but has with typical fox skill spotted an opportunity and become friendly with the humans so he gets fed. He looks better than many an uninjured fox arounf here I suspect. And I'm told he ignores the kittens who would be too much work when there is food around.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Valencia - and beyond!
Thursday 12/11/2009
Heading down from Barcelona it was like walking into a warm room. As we moved south the weather improved and slowly but surely the main crop became oranges - acres and acres of them. The picking is getting underway and I remember my grandmother waiting for the Spanish oranges to come in and then making marmalade which was about Christmas or a little later. Well there plenty of oranges for everyone now.
Finally arrived at our new base which is about 10 minutes from Valencias' City of Arts and Sciences but very rural amongst the rice fields. The site has two drawbacks - the mosquitos which bite for Spain and the new bypass for the village which runs around the back of the site. Still we are here for only a few nights. Also here is another Brit with an American RV and a horror story. They had been burgled on one of the motorway services despite being among the lorries. Not lost a lot - camera and the mess as well as the disruption was the worst part. But they are clear crime magnets as they had almost been robbed in Madrid on the underground as well. He was telling me how his superior locks had been defeated and then looked at our older ones and pronounced them better!
The site has no internet so this will be up when we get somewhere modern.
Friday 13/11/2009
After a bad nights sleep with the traffic we slept in - fitfully! Still supplies were low and we went to the very large shopping centre on the edge of Valencia whch boasted an enormous Carrefour "Hipermarket". It should come with a map on every trolley with sat-nav so you don't get too lost. Still it had everything you could wish for including PG Tips at €2.40 for 40! Then there's C5A and a host of shops and restaurants. Tha Spanish know how to do a good shopping centre.
Saturday 14/11/2009
Slept slightly better but still had a lazy morning as the parking isn't free until 14:00 at the shopping centre which is across the road - all 12 lanes of dual carriageway that is between it and the City of Arts and Sciences. Arrived with perfect timing at 2:00pm on the dot and went across to the Oceanografico which is "one of the worlds largest acquariums" housed in some very modern buildings. Spent almost 4 hours wandering around the enormous rooms with tunnels in the tanks, Beluga whales in one of the "biggest tanks" in the world and bizarrely for somewhere that boasts green credentials a Dolphin show. We missed that but went o see what we could see after the show was over and it was brilliant. The staff were checking the dolphins over, taking blood samples as well as inspecting them as well as "playing" with them. We also got to watch a new member of staff trying to learn the human end of the performances. Not sure what it feels like to fall flat on your back into water having been tossed up about 15 feet by two dolphins but he walked ginerly at first. Still he kept at it till he got it almost right and then the old hand showed him how again. The dolphins followed their trainers around the pool like well behaved dogs - most peculiar but great fun. The rest of the site is some of the best modern architecture and some of the most daring I've seen. Prince Charles would not approve and it was all publicly funded.
Sunday 15/11/2009
From the sublime to the ridiculous.We drove down the coast to Cullera home to a Moorish castle next door to a Catholic shrine. Both were closed but the viewpoint shows what a mess the tourist business has made of the coast. It is trully awful.
Came home and packed up ready to go tomorrow to find LPG in Alicante and a camp site in Crevillent.
Monday 16/11/2009
Got away cleanly and before 10:30 so the day was going to be longish but bearable. Once more acres of orange groves shimmered away to the horizon as we headed south towards Alicante.I have never been to Benidorm but seeing it again reminds me of what hell must be like. The location is great but the buildings are awful. And the temperature was rising to about 31C.
As we approached Alicante we stopped for lunch at the services but heeding our last neighbours experience we decided to shop separately. As I got down a Dutch guy from the only other camper van in the emptyish car park came across and asked if we used LPG and if so did we know where he could get some as he was running very short. So short he was worried he might have to back to France or Holland to fill up and it was cold up there. He was impressed by my guide to the LPG sites in Spain and delighted there was one just down the road. He sped off as we sat down to lunch waving madly.
We had lunch watching an elderly Muslim couple say their 1 o'clock prayers in the car park, which given Spain's history was interesting.
Well having directions and a GPS fix is not a lot of help when the locals change the roads and dig them up willy nilly. We had reached the point where we found the road we needed for the campsite and the LPG site and decided as the gas is not critical if we did not find it then OK. Just then I saw signs for the Repsol depot and hey presto we found it - complete with our new best friend the Dutchman. The Spanish guy was most impressed by my book but gave me a Repsol map showing a host of new sites. I don't know how many campervans he gets but two foreign ones in sequence seemed unusual. Continued on down the road for what seemed like forever but wasn't - just getting hot and tired I guess. Found our site but the entrance was blocked - by the local cops tow truck as they had lunch in the bar/restaurant at the front. They were happy to move it and let us through. Still glad we are here for one night only as tomorrow we head to Cabo de Gata - home for the next 8 weeks or so! Still the local supermarket sells what we need so that;s OK as well.
Heading down from Barcelona it was like walking into a warm room. As we moved south the weather improved and slowly but surely the main crop became oranges - acres and acres of them. The picking is getting underway and I remember my grandmother waiting for the Spanish oranges to come in and then making marmalade which was about Christmas or a little later. Well there plenty of oranges for everyone now.
Finally arrived at our new base which is about 10 minutes from Valencias' City of Arts and Sciences but very rural amongst the rice fields. The site has two drawbacks - the mosquitos which bite for Spain and the new bypass for the village which runs around the back of the site. Still we are here for only a few nights. Also here is another Brit with an American RV and a horror story. They had been burgled on one of the motorway services despite being among the lorries. Not lost a lot - camera and the mess as well as the disruption was the worst part. But they are clear crime magnets as they had almost been robbed in Madrid on the underground as well. He was telling me how his superior locks had been defeated and then looked at our older ones and pronounced them better!
The site has no internet so this will be up when we get somewhere modern.
Friday 13/11/2009
After a bad nights sleep with the traffic we slept in - fitfully! Still supplies were low and we went to the very large shopping centre on the edge of Valencia whch boasted an enormous Carrefour "Hipermarket". It should come with a map on every trolley with sat-nav so you don't get too lost. Still it had everything you could wish for including PG Tips at €2.40 for 40! Then there's C5A and a host of shops and restaurants. Tha Spanish know how to do a good shopping centre.
Saturday 14/11/2009
Slept slightly better but still had a lazy morning as the parking isn't free until 14:00 at the shopping centre which is across the road - all 12 lanes of dual carriageway that is between it and the City of Arts and Sciences. Arrived with perfect timing at 2:00pm on the dot and went across to the Oceanografico which is "one of the worlds largest acquariums" housed in some very modern buildings. Spent almost 4 hours wandering around the enormous rooms with tunnels in the tanks, Beluga whales in one of the "biggest tanks" in the world and bizarrely for somewhere that boasts green credentials a Dolphin show. We missed that but went o see what we could see after the show was over and it was brilliant. The staff were checking the dolphins over, taking blood samples as well as inspecting them as well as "playing" with them. We also got to watch a new member of staff trying to learn the human end of the performances. Not sure what it feels like to fall flat on your back into water having been tossed up about 15 feet by two dolphins but he walked ginerly at first. Still he kept at it till he got it almost right and then the old hand showed him how again. The dolphins followed their trainers around the pool like well behaved dogs - most peculiar but great fun. The rest of the site is some of the best modern architecture and some of the most daring I've seen. Prince Charles would not approve and it was all publicly funded.
Sunday 15/11/2009
From the sublime to the ridiculous.We drove down the coast to Cullera home to a Moorish castle next door to a Catholic shrine. Both were closed but the viewpoint shows what a mess the tourist business has made of the coast. It is trully awful.
Came home and packed up ready to go tomorrow to find LPG in Alicante and a camp site in Crevillent.
Monday 16/11/2009
Got away cleanly and before 10:30 so the day was going to be longish but bearable. Once more acres of orange groves shimmered away to the horizon as we headed south towards Alicante.I have never been to Benidorm but seeing it again reminds me of what hell must be like. The location is great but the buildings are awful. And the temperature was rising to about 31C.
As we approached Alicante we stopped for lunch at the services but heeding our last neighbours experience we decided to shop separately. As I got down a Dutch guy from the only other camper van in the emptyish car park came across and asked if we used LPG and if so did we know where he could get some as he was running very short. So short he was worried he might have to back to France or Holland to fill up and it was cold up there. He was impressed by my guide to the LPG sites in Spain and delighted there was one just down the road. He sped off as we sat down to lunch waving madly.
We had lunch watching an elderly Muslim couple say their 1 o'clock prayers in the car park, which given Spain's history was interesting.
Well having directions and a GPS fix is not a lot of help when the locals change the roads and dig them up willy nilly. We had reached the point where we found the road we needed for the campsite and the LPG site and decided as the gas is not critical if we did not find it then OK. Just then I saw signs for the Repsol depot and hey presto we found it - complete with our new best friend the Dutchman. The Spanish guy was most impressed by my book but gave me a Repsol map showing a host of new sites. I don't know how many campervans he gets but two foreign ones in sequence seemed unusual. Continued on down the road for what seemed like forever but wasn't - just getting hot and tired I guess. Found our site but the entrance was blocked - by the local cops tow truck as they had lunch in the bar/restaurant at the front. They were happy to move it and let us through. Still glad we are here for one night only as tomorrow we head to Cabo de Gata - home for the next 8 weeks or so! Still the local supermarket sells what we need so that;s OK as well.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The Mediterannean coast
Oh well that was a cold night up here in the mountains. So we slept in!
We were gretted just before lunchtime to a truly amazing display of vultures and I do hope I can get the pictures up soon. It was like Autumn Watch - but the exotic experience!
Had lunch and drove down to Ainsa. The new town by the river is useful for shopping so we did. But the Old Town at the top of the hill is wonderful if small! It boasts a castle held by Moors and Christians and was apparently one of the first places "liberated" in Aragon and a stout centre of fighting back against the Moors. Probably a little local licence in that and the usual "old" Spanish attitude to the Moorish reign - ie it was a bad thing. The streets were largely empty and the square has three cafes all fighting for custom so we went to the smallest and busiest! Nice sitting in the sun drinking coffee if wrapped up in fleeces! Bought a mug with Ainsa on to support the local tourist shop.
Next morning headed south and west to the coast. Passed the base of Opus Dei which is an enormous building on the far side of the lake created by the dam near a place called Barbastro. Looks like a cross between a medieval fort and a monastery, which is perhaps the look they were looking for. Finally made Sitges which is down the coast from Barcelona. Nice enough site which is full of Spanish families using their static caravans for the weekend. They have set ups of caravan plus awning plus pergola and anything else that they can fit on the pitch. Its a really lively atmosphere. We are parked next to a huge Finnish reg motorhome which seems to owe more to a horsebox than anything else.
Sunday dawned really windy and some of the complicated Spanish arrangements suffered as the wind tore some of the fabric to ribbons. As the day passed the Spaniards packed up and went home and the site became very quiet. Monday was calmer so we did the very necessary shopping and wandered around Sitges. Its a nice place - at this time of year! The restaurants are either cheap and not so cheerful or very nice looking but expensive and the cafes are almost grateful for your custom. Its like Brighton but with a sandy beach and sunshine.
We went down the road to Tarragona on Tuesday. The weather was cloudy and cool (14C) but it was a fascinating place with Roman ruins at every turn. A theatre down by the beach, a forum in the town centre and bits all over the city as well as each site having its own population of cats. Had lunch in a backstreet cafe with the locals in an attempt to keep warm and yet not spend too much. It was actually very good if simple.
Wednesday was the original day to move or go to Barcelona but in the end we did neither. The Finnish guy spent so ong saying bye to his British neighbours and we all stood around chatting until 11:30. Too late to do anything but tidy up and do a bit more shopping for essentials and a new kitchen rug. Got it all eventually. Came back to find a large German van parked across our satellite "line" but to my surprise it still works. So tomorrow we will be moving south to around Valencia.
We were gretted just before lunchtime to a truly amazing display of vultures and I do hope I can get the pictures up soon. It was like Autumn Watch - but the exotic experience!
Had lunch and drove down to Ainsa. The new town by the river is useful for shopping so we did. But the Old Town at the top of the hill is wonderful if small! It boasts a castle held by Moors and Christians and was apparently one of the first places "liberated" in Aragon and a stout centre of fighting back against the Moors. Probably a little local licence in that and the usual "old" Spanish attitude to the Moorish reign - ie it was a bad thing. The streets were largely empty and the square has three cafes all fighting for custom so we went to the smallest and busiest! Nice sitting in the sun drinking coffee if wrapped up in fleeces! Bought a mug with Ainsa on to support the local tourist shop.
Next morning headed south and west to the coast. Passed the base of Opus Dei which is an enormous building on the far side of the lake created by the dam near a place called Barbastro. Looks like a cross between a medieval fort and a monastery, which is perhaps the look they were looking for. Finally made Sitges which is down the coast from Barcelona. Nice enough site which is full of Spanish families using their static caravans for the weekend. They have set ups of caravan plus awning plus pergola and anything else that they can fit on the pitch. Its a really lively atmosphere. We are parked next to a huge Finnish reg motorhome which seems to owe more to a horsebox than anything else.
Sunday dawned really windy and some of the complicated Spanish arrangements suffered as the wind tore some of the fabric to ribbons. As the day passed the Spaniards packed up and went home and the site became very quiet. Monday was calmer so we did the very necessary shopping and wandered around Sitges. Its a nice place - at this time of year! The restaurants are either cheap and not so cheerful or very nice looking but expensive and the cafes are almost grateful for your custom. Its like Brighton but with a sandy beach and sunshine.
We went down the road to Tarragona on Tuesday. The weather was cloudy and cool (14C) but it was a fascinating place with Roman ruins at every turn. A theatre down by the beach, a forum in the town centre and bits all over the city as well as each site having its own population of cats. Had lunch in a backstreet cafe with the locals in an attempt to keep warm and yet not spend too much. It was actually very good if simple.
Wednesday was the original day to move or go to Barcelona but in the end we did neither. The Finnish guy spent so ong saying bye to his British neighbours and we all stood around chatting until 11:30. Too late to do anything but tidy up and do a bit more shopping for essentials and a new kitchen rug. Got it all eventually. Came back to find a large German van parked across our satellite "line" but to my surprise it still works. So tomorrow we will be moving south to around Valencia.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Into Spain
Moved on from Nimes on Saturday and went to a nice rural camp site on the edge of Toulouse as we want to avoid repeating last years journey down eastern Spain. So we are aiming at a central Pyrennes cossing after a couple of night here and in the mountains.
On Sunday we went into Toulouse to look around and found two very fascinating but different attractions. Firstly, we followed the brown signs from the car park "Victor Hugo" - why don't we name our car parks like that? - and went to Basilique de St Sernin. One of the local delights it became famous as a stop on the pilgrim trail to Compostela. As a result it built up one of the largest collections on holy remains and today displays them in the crypt and all over the cathedral. It claims to have bits of almost every saint you could think of and several you've never heard of. It does include a number which even the Catholic Church has "deregistered" or whatever they do to saints who are no longer thought valid. This includes poor old St Christopher but the church here stills keeps his bit, probably in the huge reliquary marked "Other saints". Still if you want to see saints teeth and bones in ornamental glass cases this is the place to come.
The other delight was found in the Place du Capitole after walking along the Rue du Taur, which is probably "student central" or Toulouses' answer to the Byres Road of my student days. The Capitole is Toulose Town Hall only it is the biggest I have ever seen. It in certainly bigger than the old GLC, Manchester,Glasgow or Munich. And as it was Sunday it was open to the public to wander into some of the ceremonial rooms. It is a wonderful piece of 19th century civic pride and belief. The walls and ceilings are adorned with paintings on a heroic scale. Pictures in one room all in the impressionist style but on a huge scale and in another naked women cavort as the backdrop to the former marriage room. The knowing looks on some of the paintings must have some couples food for thought.The room they use for civic functions and marriages now is huge and richly decorated with pictures and carvings. They have a guide in full colour and it really is good and it was all free so well done Toulouse. Unlike Preston they are proud of their aircraft industry as you can buy airbus shaped postcards everywhere. I did think local government in Britain could learn from Toulouse and believe it had relevance to everyone and was more than just a burden.
Monday moved into the High Pyrennnes and it got gloomy and wet. Still found a campsite that was open if a little close to Lourdes! which will invite Lynda's curiosity. After a damp night it opened dry so we did bits of house keeping and after lunch we went to see Lourdes. Almost 50 years ago I came here as a good catholic schoolboy and left ever so slightly damaged and on the way to being a sceptic. Since then it has not improved. The site itself has dispensed with the collection of crutches, sticks and wheelchairs that used to adorn the cave entrance. And it had the air of Blackpool out of season. The main items open but all the surrounding shops were half closed. Still people from Spain, Poland, Ireland and France as well as undefined nationalities were there but in small numbers. It once more proved Clarksons' theory that the best place for tacky souvenirs is near a Catholic shrine. We finally settled on a "snowdome" with glitter for snow and a luminous Virgin and Bernadette. But neither of us suffered a (re)conversion. It still irks me and feels like its trading on peoples hopes and fears. Still everyone to their own.
Next day dawned rainy and damp so we packed up and debated which way to go. We decided eventually to stick with plan A and cross the Pyrennes by the Bielsa tunnel. It was a really spectacular run up the valley on the French side as the road got narrower but passing occasional HGVs so we stopped off to buy lunch in the new Carrefour at St Lary Soulan and had a picnic in the layby down the road. All this "easy" driving ended with about 3 miles of 1 in 10 slopes with regular hairpins and every so often my passenger swallowing hard at the drops on her side with minimal protection - no armco or any other barrier for that matter. Then we came to the tunnel - 3 kms long and as an "honorary" HGV we had priority for 10 mins maximum as opposed to trucks from Spain. Luckily it was a downhill run and very straight but narrow. The Spanish clearly think more of this crossing than the French as the road on their side was wider and in better condition. Still we failed to notice the crowds of "day trippers from France" mentioned in the Rough Guide.
We found our new site 2 kms from Ainsa and in a spectacular location.( See my facebook pages for the photos)
Next morning broke clear and bright - well it is Spain - if a little cool but as we are at nearly 1500 feet it should be expected. Still the showers are heated and very hot. But as soon as breakfast was over the local show started . First an inspection from a Red Kite and then dozens of vultures circling above the valley. Poor Max was spending a lot of time looking up! we decided to deal with little details like filling the water tank and emptying the other tanks ( my favourite job). Then we took a drive into the Parque Nacional de Ordesa. This is really spectacular country ( see the photos elsewhere). We walked one of simple short trips around the Canon de Aniscio at some 3000 ft plus. It was cold but not that cold we did not enjoy the views and the constant procession of vultures, kites and possibly eagles as well as the river and trees putting in a good case for mountainous Spain. All this less than 200 miles from Barcelona. Maybe people have got their priorities a little wrong as we are great fans of wild Spain which is severly underrated. A quick look at Ainsa on the way back tempts us to stay one more night.
On Sunday we went into Toulouse to look around and found two very fascinating but different attractions. Firstly, we followed the brown signs from the car park "Victor Hugo" - why don't we name our car parks like that? - and went to Basilique de St Sernin. One of the local delights it became famous as a stop on the pilgrim trail to Compostela. As a result it built up one of the largest collections on holy remains and today displays them in the crypt and all over the cathedral. It claims to have bits of almost every saint you could think of and several you've never heard of. It does include a number which even the Catholic Church has "deregistered" or whatever they do to saints who are no longer thought valid. This includes poor old St Christopher but the church here stills keeps his bit, probably in the huge reliquary marked "Other saints". Still if you want to see saints teeth and bones in ornamental glass cases this is the place to come.
The other delight was found in the Place du Capitole after walking along the Rue du Taur, which is probably "student central" or Toulouses' answer to the Byres Road of my student days. The Capitole is Toulose Town Hall only it is the biggest I have ever seen. It in certainly bigger than the old GLC, Manchester,Glasgow or Munich. And as it was Sunday it was open to the public to wander into some of the ceremonial rooms. It is a wonderful piece of 19th century civic pride and belief. The walls and ceilings are adorned with paintings on a heroic scale. Pictures in one room all in the impressionist style but on a huge scale and in another naked women cavort as the backdrop to the former marriage room. The knowing looks on some of the paintings must have some couples food for thought.The room they use for civic functions and marriages now is huge and richly decorated with pictures and carvings. They have a guide in full colour and it really is good and it was all free so well done Toulouse. Unlike Preston they are proud of their aircraft industry as you can buy airbus shaped postcards everywhere. I did think local government in Britain could learn from Toulouse and believe it had relevance to everyone and was more than just a burden.
Monday moved into the High Pyrennnes and it got gloomy and wet. Still found a campsite that was open if a little close to Lourdes! which will invite Lynda's curiosity. After a damp night it opened dry so we did bits of house keeping and after lunch we went to see Lourdes. Almost 50 years ago I came here as a good catholic schoolboy and left ever so slightly damaged and on the way to being a sceptic. Since then it has not improved. The site itself has dispensed with the collection of crutches, sticks and wheelchairs that used to adorn the cave entrance. And it had the air of Blackpool out of season. The main items open but all the surrounding shops were half closed. Still people from Spain, Poland, Ireland and France as well as undefined nationalities were there but in small numbers. It once more proved Clarksons' theory that the best place for tacky souvenirs is near a Catholic shrine. We finally settled on a "snowdome" with glitter for snow and a luminous Virgin and Bernadette. But neither of us suffered a (re)conversion. It still irks me and feels like its trading on peoples hopes and fears. Still everyone to their own.
Next day dawned rainy and damp so we packed up and debated which way to go. We decided eventually to stick with plan A and cross the Pyrennes by the Bielsa tunnel. It was a really spectacular run up the valley on the French side as the road got narrower but passing occasional HGVs so we stopped off to buy lunch in the new Carrefour at St Lary Soulan and had a picnic in the layby down the road. All this "easy" driving ended with about 3 miles of 1 in 10 slopes with regular hairpins and every so often my passenger swallowing hard at the drops on her side with minimal protection - no armco or any other barrier for that matter. Then we came to the tunnel - 3 kms long and as an "honorary" HGV we had priority for 10 mins maximum as opposed to trucks from Spain. Luckily it was a downhill run and very straight but narrow. The Spanish clearly think more of this crossing than the French as the road on their side was wider and in better condition. Still we failed to notice the crowds of "day trippers from France" mentioned in the Rough Guide.
We found our new site 2 kms from Ainsa and in a spectacular location.( See my facebook pages for the photos)
Next morning broke clear and bright - well it is Spain - if a little cool but as we are at nearly 1500 feet it should be expected. Still the showers are heated and very hot. But as soon as breakfast was over the local show started . First an inspection from a Red Kite and then dozens of vultures circling above the valley. Poor Max was spending a lot of time looking up! we decided to deal with little details like filling the water tank and emptying the other tanks ( my favourite job). Then we took a drive into the Parque Nacional de Ordesa. This is really spectacular country ( see the photos elsewhere). We walked one of simple short trips around the Canon de Aniscio at some 3000 ft plus. It was cold but not that cold we did not enjoy the views and the constant procession of vultures, kites and possibly eagles as well as the river and trees putting in a good case for mountainous Spain. All this less than 200 miles from Barcelona. Maybe people have got their priorities a little wrong as we are great fans of wild Spain which is severly underrated. A quick look at Ainsa on the way back tempts us to stay one more night.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Nimes
We arrived here on Monday - here being a site about 5kms from Nimes called Domaine de la Bastide near a village called Generac.
The site is great for a low season site. We have plenty of electricity and water on the pitch as well as a grid for when we leave. All the things a traveller needs except wi-fi so when you will read this is a bit of guesswork.
TUESDAY
My choice of an afternoon out after Lynda has done the washing at the on site launderette. We go to the Pont du Gard which was stunning. It is as picturesque as you could wish for and the weather was really good. But after you have looked at the aqueduct and browsed the shops as well as pay you 5€ car park charge there is not much to do. So we haeaded down the road to Uzes, which is a charming French semi-rural town. It has a rare round bell tower, the nearest other one is in Pisa!, a ducal palace which still gets occupied by the local duke although I thought the French had wisely abolished such nonsense. We just ambled about, bought some chocolates and wines and came home. All we need is a moderate lottery win and we could move here.
WEDNESDAY
We had a lazy morning and then drove down to Aigues Mortes on the coast. It isn't a world heritage site but is still a medieval town complete with all its defensive walls and a grisly secret. Apparently, during one conflict with the English in the 15th century the town was recaptured by the French who massacred the garrison in their sleep and then as burial in the marshy ground outside was impossible stuffed the bodies packed in salt into one of the towers. The tower is now on the tourist trail. Still lunch in the town square was good. From there we drove down the road to Grau du Roi just in time to watch the fishing fleet come home through the middle of town! Coming back Lynda and the sat nav had a row which they both lost!
THURSDAY
Well Nimes is so close we had to go. And once we had got to the centre it was well a bit of a let down. Not as much as its twin town Preston would have been but a let down none the less. The Roman Arena is very intact but as they use it for bull fights amongst other things it does take the shine off it. Still the explanation of Roman gladiators and the fights was well done. In the centre is the best preserved Roman temple in the western world. It is used as the home of a 3D cinema showing the heroes of Nimes which is well done but not what I expected. The outside is being renovated on one side so it probably isn't at its best at the moment. I just wonder what people would have made of a hi-tech Museum of Lancashire. The rest of the town is provincial France at its most pleasant. Toworrow we had planned to move but we are staying an extra day.
FRIDAY
Just 50 kms away is Avignon so we had to go. It was an easy and pleasant journey arriving in time to post one lot of cards - they are the ones you will get in several weeks!! with special Avignon stamps. After that strenuous effort we had to retire to the Restaurant Hotel de Ville and sit in the sunshine for the set 14€ lunch. And very tasty it was too. Then round the Papal Palace. It was interesting to listen to the French version of the history and to be able to put "Papa Luna" who we last met in Spain at Peniscola where he finished his days denied as Pope by the "Roman wing" and dumped by the French. Still it is an impressive building and as ever well presented and easy to understand. From there its a short walk to the Pont d'Avignon. After the audioguided tour of the stump I have now heard a lifetimes worth of the song but it is impressive and the views were great. I only hope the pictures are good enough to post.Tomorrow we head towards Toulouse, once "capital" of the Pays d'Oc and seat of the "awful" Cathars so this may get put up en route as they say round here.
The site is great for a low season site. We have plenty of electricity and water on the pitch as well as a grid for when we leave. All the things a traveller needs except wi-fi so when you will read this is a bit of guesswork.
TUESDAY
My choice of an afternoon out after Lynda has done the washing at the on site launderette. We go to the Pont du Gard which was stunning. It is as picturesque as you could wish for and the weather was really good. But after you have looked at the aqueduct and browsed the shops as well as pay you 5€ car park charge there is not much to do. So we haeaded down the road to Uzes, which is a charming French semi-rural town. It has a rare round bell tower, the nearest other one is in Pisa!, a ducal palace which still gets occupied by the local duke although I thought the French had wisely abolished such nonsense. We just ambled about, bought some chocolates and wines and came home. All we need is a moderate lottery win and we could move here.
WEDNESDAY
We had a lazy morning and then drove down to Aigues Mortes on the coast. It isn't a world heritage site but is still a medieval town complete with all its defensive walls and a grisly secret. Apparently, during one conflict with the English in the 15th century the town was recaptured by the French who massacred the garrison in their sleep and then as burial in the marshy ground outside was impossible stuffed the bodies packed in salt into one of the towers. The tower is now on the tourist trail. Still lunch in the town square was good. From there we drove down the road to Grau du Roi just in time to watch the fishing fleet come home through the middle of town! Coming back Lynda and the sat nav had a row which they both lost!
THURSDAY
Well Nimes is so close we had to go. And once we had got to the centre it was well a bit of a let down. Not as much as its twin town Preston would have been but a let down none the less. The Roman Arena is very intact but as they use it for bull fights amongst other things it does take the shine off it. Still the explanation of Roman gladiators and the fights was well done. In the centre is the best preserved Roman temple in the western world. It is used as the home of a 3D cinema showing the heroes of Nimes which is well done but not what I expected. The outside is being renovated on one side so it probably isn't at its best at the moment. I just wonder what people would have made of a hi-tech Museum of Lancashire. The rest of the town is provincial France at its most pleasant. Toworrow we had planned to move but we are staying an extra day.
FRIDAY
Just 50 kms away is Avignon so we had to go. It was an easy and pleasant journey arriving in time to post one lot of cards - they are the ones you will get in several weeks!! with special Avignon stamps. After that strenuous effort we had to retire to the Restaurant Hotel de Ville and sit in the sunshine for the set 14€ lunch. And very tasty it was too. Then round the Papal Palace. It was interesting to listen to the French version of the history and to be able to put "Papa Luna" who we last met in Spain at Peniscola where he finished his days denied as Pope by the "Roman wing" and dumped by the French. Still it is an impressive building and as ever well presented and easy to understand. From there its a short walk to the Pont d'Avignon. After the audioguided tour of the stump I have now heard a lifetimes worth of the song but it is impressive and the views were great. I only hope the pictures are good enough to post.Tomorrow we head towards Toulouse, once "capital" of the Pays d'Oc and seat of the "awful" Cathars so this may get put up en route as they say round here.
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