This really was a lovely campsite. Very tight approach through a couple of towns on the way and especially last few hundred metres through cobbled streets in Sopena.
SopeñaNever seen a campsite bathroom block like this before!Eclectic decoration everywhere.Cider pouring machineView from pitch
First night weather got very windy and after few hours of listening to it flapping about, we took our tarp down in the early hours before it flew off.
There was Saharan sand on everything the next day.
Monday, cycled to Cabezon de La Sal and back. Stopped at Ruente to visit this pretty riverside park and cave.
Ruente
Tuesday, drove to Bárcena Major and did a walk along the river.
Bárcena Major
Lunch spot
Bought some small gifts in a craft shop in the old village school building. Had a lesson in Estelas de Cantabria from the owner, he was a real enthusiast and kept us chatting for ages in Catalan and arm gesture language, showing us books and newspaper cuttings.
Explaining Estelas de Cantabria
Wednesday – trip to the stunning San Vicente de L’s Barquera. Wonderful views of the town and mountains from the castle and church of Ste Maria de Los Angeles.
View towards castle and mountains Castle This view reminiscent of Porthmadog or Barmouth.Lunch in the old town. This was just the starter …
Drove along the coast to a beach on way back. Very big waves again.
Bit of beach time
Thursday (7th Sep) was a more relaxed, campsite based day.
Wedding anniversary present- a fly swat gun!Online exercise session. Despite best intentions, our first (and last!). Swam in this river pool 10 minutes walk away. Surprisingly not that cold.
Pre dinner drinks were gin and tonic from the bar. Preparation was a work of art, mixing gin, juniper berries, orange zest, cinnamon stick in little cups first.
Delicious G and TAttempted patatas bravas as part of our dinner.
We left Stu, Sue and Jeremy for a few days to visit ex Kingston friends Fran and Phil in Saverdun below Toulouse.
Bye bye Pauillac vineyards
Wanted a route that was off the toll roads and went via Agen, where I lived for a year in 1980-81. More vineyards, this time Sauternes and Graves wine areas. After the traffic calming speed humps in about 10 lovely little villages we decided we’d better get in the main road or we’d never get there.
Typical village approach, avenue of plane trees, followed by church peeping above the houses, mairie, occasional chateau.This is closest we got to Agen. Will have to revisit another time without Pod on back.
Fran and Phil own a lovely old property where they run a gîtes business. Great welcome – look them up if you’re in the area.
Toulouse. A very different city experience to Bordeaux, as the weather was much cooler and a bit rainy at times.
Lots of pink stonePont Neuf Japanese Garden Compulsory shot on bridge
Cycle ride from Saverdun through local villages. Bit hilly but the views towards the Pyrenees were worth it. Villages were almost deserted though and no coffee stop to be seen.
Lescousse Nick in St Amans
Fran’s cousin Simon and Jayne arrived to house sit so had couple of chatty evenings with them.
Check out the socks and sandals … there were a lot of midges is the excuse!
And there was a gap in gîtes guests so we could use the pool.
Long drive from Saverdun to Arbizu so used the toll road. Last hour or so of drive after the France / Spain border was green, undulating and spectacular.
The others had arrived day before and visited local market so we had a great meal with a lot of prawns!
Ones on left were cooked before we ate them!
Thursday we drove to Pamplona, famous for bull running through the streets. No bull running luckily. What a lovely city. Narrow and pretty streets, cheap cafes with delicious snacks and drinks.
There was a basketball festival taking part in the main square.
St Nicolas Church. Floor made up of wooden numbered tombs.
Cathedral. Great place to visit even if you aren’t into churches as it included a very interesting museum.
Cathedral staircase Stone floorOutside bar. Next album cover.
Friday (1st September) we walked majority of way up this peak overlooking the campsite.
Steep climb up through woods and then more challenging across scree where it was tricky to see the path. Turned back just before the path narrowed with drop either side.
On way up
Picnicked on side of mountain just before the wood and had fabulous views of several Griffin vultures. They seemed to be circling us and checking us (or our sandwiches) out.
They were much closer than this!ViewWelcome water to wet caps after very hot descent.Dinner in the campsite bar. Pork knuckle for Nick and red wine on tap.
Really windy and stormy overnight so we woke to some havoc.
Sue and Stuart had small pond in awningand we had river either side of van. That’s a tea towel that needed a wash.
Jeremy’s tarpaulin was well strapped down so fared better than ours.
Saturday was a rainy day out in lovely San Sebastián.
Swimming hat’s compulsory in campsite pool so started off with a bit of shopping for those who didn’t have one.
Canvasses dedicated to whale hunting Hmm, we didn’t get this weather
Then a wander round the old town. Lunch of Pintxos (tapas) in a bar showing the football.
Wet streets Ice cream from this selection Dipped in chocolate Constitution SquareSangria
The campsite in Arbizu was ok but not the best. The brine pool was lovely but we were constantly bothered with cats and flies. Added to that the pitches becoming very waterlogged. Great location though and some spectacular moon rises.
Debated using one of the two ferry routes to the other side of Gironde estuary but decided to drive round via Bordeaux, also avoiding toll roads.
Second campsite, a municipal one, is great. Enormous shady pitches and not busy. Welcome shade as it’s very hot. Slept with all windows and doors open (with fly screens/ mosquito curtains as there are plenty of small biters around).
Whilst here we …
Walked into Pauillac along the estuary. The water’s edge is lined with carrelets, little fishing huts on stilts. More info here:
Went to a wine tasting event in the tourist office with about 20 local wineries. Nice way to spend a bit of time chatting to owners, many 5th or 6th generation. Air conditioning also a bonus!
Not at the actual wine tasting
Following day (40 degree day) was spent visiting 2 wineries. We chose small ones that we liked from the selection we saw at the tourist office event. Both really nice family set-ups who gave us tours – welcome cool ‘caves’ and air conditioned tasting rooms.
Essential bit of kit for working on the vinesWine bottle not actual size
Bought some very reasonably priced wine to drink over the rest of our trip. Not practical to buy any really good stuff as a) very expensive b) heavy to transport and c) can’t store it in this heat. Even with what we bought the sellers were very concerned about us keeping it in a hot car for any longer than necessary so we stashed it under a van.
Drove over to the Atlantic coast (Hourtin Plage) for a very late afternoon dip in the sea. Amazing waves so bit difficult to stay upright but good fun.
On the beach
Pizza from pizza van on way home finished off the day. Haven’t tried one of the 24 hour pizza vending machines we’ve seen on side of road yet.
Thursday was day trip to Bordeaux on the train. Vineyard after vineyard out of the window.
Once in Bordeaux, we realised that a day of 40 to 41 degree heat was not the best conditions for site seeing in a big city, beautiful though it was!
Nice shop front
Looked around the cathedral area and then had a fairly unsatisfactory lunch … but in a pretty location by the Place Gambetta.
Visited cathedral after lunch ….
Very impressive organ pipes but the gallery organ itself has apparently never sounded perfect and is being restored again.
Cathédrale St André de BordeauxOrgan
Wanted to go to see the art installations at the Base Sous-Marine de Bordeaux, which has great reviews. Went part way by boat (part of a very reasonable €5 day pass). Hot but at least a bit of breeze.
Cold mist spray waiting for the boatOn the boatBoat bus
The walk from the boat was much longer than anticipated and the museum entrance on opposite side to our approach, so eventually gave up and got bus back to central town to a bar. Although we didn’t visit loads, we got a really good feel for Bordeaux from the various bits of public transport – train, tram, boat, bus.
Very hot and bothered on Bordeaux station at end of the day …
Arrived at first campsite outside a small village called Le Langon in the Vendée region just north of La Rochelle. Nice site, small, shady, friendly people, new small swimming pool (very welcome).
Experimented with a new hot weather combo of awning without the sides in, a bike store tent for all the stuff and awning on the side for a bit more shade and to keep the fridge side of Pod cooler. Can’t actually see the pod at all now!
Shade
Jeremy arrived a couple of hours later so the travelling convoy is complete.
During our time at this site we have…
Sat around chilling, eating and drinking
Table cloth
Cooled off in the pool (no photos!)
Gone on a bike ride to the village and around.
Lugging bikes over a bridgeBoulesVillage church Church doorStained glass in church Church interior
Had a day trip to Isle de Ré (over a very spectacular bridge). A quick stop off to look at the market in Le Bois Plage en Ré and visited a cemetery with graves and memorial to a few of the many who died in the sinking the Lancastria in the Second World War. On along the island to find somewhere to eat oysters. I really don’t like them raw but discovered I like them cooked.
Eating oysters and mussels (except we’d finished). The oyster place Oyster shells and samphire
Walked around the beautiful town of Ars en Ré.
Window reflections in church Salt weighing Shutters
On our last day in this area we spent late afternoon and evening at the festival in Les Jardins de William Christie in Thiré. It was a really special evening as Jeremy’s daughter Becca was singing in Purcell’s Fairy Queen. She was selected as one of 8 young singers from across the world to take part in this production and it will tour across the world over the next year. Very exciting. Becca was wonderful. Met her briefly beforehand when she joined our picnic.
Picnic. First Hugh joined us. Then BeccaStage on lake Bron and SueOur ‘Beau Jour’ (on the day) seats
As well as the music, the William Christie gardens were absolutely stunning.
View of stage during the interval
Next travelling south to Paulliac on the Gironde estuary.
Supermarket car parks make great meeting points so we made a bee line to big car park on outskirts of Portsmouth and met up with Sue and Stu. Last stock up of proper tea bags, including a load for some friends we’re visiting on our travels, and then off for the overnight ferry to St Malo.
Meeting up
In the queue initially next to a large motor home with an annoying idling engine, and then next to a couple from Nefyn on Llyn peninsula in a van with this on the side. Means old hippy in a happy van. Not sure of significance of the letters on the back.
The seats we found in bar had a view of the entertainment. very hard working group of young singers with numerous costume changes. Quite surprised cross channel ferry operators go to so much trouble!
Arrived St Malo and started the drive down south, sort of in convoy. Route via Rennes and Nantes. Halfway stop off was a small ‘aire’ with loos and nothing else, but with everything with us we soon rustled up a cuppa and Sue’s home made biscuits.
Saturday 24/09/2022. Spectacular rainbow to start the day. Couldn’t get it into one photo.
The fflecsi bus was very flexi today! Picked up from the car park at the end of Porth Neigl / Hell’s Mouth beach (near Llanegan) at the booked time but then had to go to Pwllheli and then to another couple of locations to pick up others before being dropped off at Aberdaron. It is a bus and not a taxi so can’t expect to always get door to door!
Luckily there is a nice bakery in Aberdaron and we picked up some more provisions before setting off. Lots more spectacular and wild scenery on this stretch of the walk. One bit of hill with great views of the end of Llŷn and Bardsey.
Met some goats!
For a few miles beautiful heather surrounded us. Ahead of us we could see the 4 mile stretch of Porth Neigl / Hell’s Mouth bay, a notoriously dangerous stretch of water.
The route from here was either along the beach with many warnings about not getting caught out by the tide. Tide timetable showed it as in our favour but we decided to go inland anyway. A bit of a dull walk along a road and across farm fields to be honest. But we went down to the beach at the end for a quick paddle. Hard to show the expanse of beach on a photo.
Sunday. High winds forecast so we took the awning down and moved Pod to what we hoped was a more sheltered spot. It probably was … marginally!
Then to Abersoch to look around- we’d been driven through on our magical mystery tour the day before. It’s pretty and we had a nice lunch overlooking the harbour, but it not really our type of place. Lots of flash looking second homes and, as our guidebook put it, Cheshire on Sea.
Went back to Aberdaron, which we really liked but hadn’t had time to look around. Visited Porth y Swnt exhibition and St Hywyn’s church, where the two pilgrim routes (along the north and south coasts of Llŷn met and where the poet RS Thomas was vicar for a while.
Incredibly windy night (gusts of 40mph) and we were very glad we’d taken the awning down. Loo tent didn’t blow off but it spent all night dancing about!
Monday. Went to meet Angharad and Dewi in Cricieth for lunch. Also wandered along the front and around shops dodging showers.
Rainy Cricieth
Last walk down to our local cove to see the seals late afternoon and then another windy night.
No other campers left, not that there had been more than one or two anyway! Still really windy but we were snug inside.
Summary. About 47 miles walked, not including detours and a bit of getting lost. Weather only got in the way a bit and we had time to look around as well as walk the route. If we continue the coastal path, which we hope to, we’ll probably stick to a pattern of 2 days walking, 1 or 2 days sightseeing as it worked for us this time.
Wednesday. The Nefyn to Porth Colmon section was not as hilly but long (for us) at 12 miles. Dropped the bikes off at the end again. Our morning coffee stop was at Tŷ Coch on Porth Dinllaen, accessible only by walking along the beautiful beach for 20 mins or a similar walk across a golf course. Very popular on a fine day. We were too early for lunch and anyway had our sandwiches.
The route skirted around the golf course for what seemed ages. Some of the holes were very close to the sea and it was windy!
This was where we stopped for our lunch.
Passed “our” beach below the campsite and there were about 30 seals basking. Difficult to pick out on photo.
Lots more beautiful coves and luckily able to avoid a closed part of the path (landslide) by walking along a beach. Here’s Nick cycling off at the end. I only had to do half the trip back to the car as the route passed our campsite and no point both of us cycling all the way!
Thursday was really, really wet so we’d already decided it wasn’t a Coastal Path day. As we’d missed out on lunch at Tŷ Coch yesterday, we did the walk there along the beach in the rain. These photos show the same spot 24 hours apart!
Met up with friend Eli in the evening, an actual evening out rather than in our field.
Friday. Porth Colmon to Aberdaron. Used the “fflecsi” bus to take us from the end to the start. Very efficient minibus service booked via an app.
There are some beautiful sandy beaches, along this stretch, including Porth Iago
And Porthor or “Whistling Sands”. We had coffee here and I had a go at making the sand whistle and can sort of imagine I did.
Many more inlets and lots of ups and downs. Before setting off up Mynydd Mawr (Big Mountain), we could see our destination Aberdaron. We could have walked direct from here and missed going around the headland.
We wished we had 2 hours later! However we would have missed some wonderful views, including those of Ynys Enlli / Bardsey island.
Even climbed another summit as the route around the edge had a big drop and we didn’t fancy it. For the last hour or so we could see Aberdaron but it didn’t seem to get any closer. Lots of food and drink stops.
Very glad to have the car and not a bike waiting at the end.
We loved walking the Anglesey coastal path (two years ago) so we’ve decided to walk a bit more of the Welsh coastal path. So off to the Llŷn peninsula.
Missed out the first two days of the official route and have picked it up in Trefor. Camping near a village called Tudweiliog on the north coast. After setting up in an otherwise empty tourers’ field ….
Walked down to the sea across our farm’s fields. Lots of seals (at least 10) in a little cove. One male seemed to be guarding a baby on the beach and then the mum appeared out of the water to feed it.
Got cold very quickly so no sitting around late in the awning. Pod is much more cosy.
Our first day of walking – Trefor to Nefyn. The grand plan for next couple of days (coastal on demand bus doesn’t run every day) was to leave bikes at end, leave car at start and then cycle back to car. Locked bikes in Nefyn, then decided on way to Trefor that only a fool would cycle that extremely ‘undulating’ road after a long walk. So planned to get 6 o’clock bus instead. Hold that thought …
Fantastic but challenging walk. From the little harbour in Trefor it was mainly up for the next couple of hours, over the triple peaked Yr Eifl. After all the climbing, didn’t do the detour to any of the summits, but the views were spectacular nonetheless.
View back down to Trefor View down to Nant Gwrtheyrn
Long and steep descent into Nant Gwrtheyrn, now a Welsh Language and Heritage Centre.
Proof that it was steep
Tom has been learning Welsh (distance learning) with them for a couple of years and I did a one week online course, so it was great to visit. The cafe does excellent coffee and much needed cake. More about it here…
More climbing above coast, through some fairy glades of stunted oaks.
Visited St Bruno’s church in Pistyll, it’s on an old pilgrim’s route to Bardsey.
Slow descent into Nefyn. Had made good time and next direct bus wasn’t for hours. So decided to attempt our original plan. Cycling in walking boots and carrying rucksacks with a lot of hills was a bit of a challenge for me and there was a fair bit of walking uphill, but we made it in just over an hour. So beat waiting for bus or paying for a taxi.
Shame we can’t swim at the local beach (because of the seals) to complete the triathlon… mind you, am too tired to walk down there.
Monday. Long, grey drive through northern Germany to a campsite near Osnabruck. We were not mad on the campsite to be honest, so glad it was just a stopover. Lovely small lake though.
There was some questionable swimwear and even more questionable products on sale at the vending machine near the shop. Look away now if you need to. Very odd choice of location.
Had brief chat to owners of this cute van.
Had permission to take this photo!
Had a bit of interest in the Pod including one guy who just came right up and started taking photos without any attempt at chat first.
In contrast to Sweden, where payment is mostly by card, we need cash again, so off to the cash point. Other than that, rest of the day was sleeping or swatting flies. Bit of rain so our last camping dinner for this trip was inside the J’s van.
Our pitch
Tuesday. Early morning swim for me in the lake. It was the warmest swim yet and the lake is very pretty. Mainly private houses, except for the bit of beach in the campsite.
Went back to village for sandwich provisions and to solve the “are they yaks or indian cows?” question when driving by the day before. On closer inspection decided cows.
On the road again, tried to stop off first at the national museum of Netherlands and then at Doorwerth castle. Both had seemed potential stops but were crowded and couldn’t find long parking spaces. That is the disadvantage of caravans, with a camper van you’d be fine. Shame, as they both looked really good and the national park was pretty.
So motorway services it was. Couldn’t resist chips, seeing as we were in Holland by then.
Chips Windmill
Traffic and navigating roads around Rotterdam in rush hour was interesting to say the least, but eventually got to one of the parking spots we’d checked out on google earth down by the beach. Right next to this old bunker (Markostrand bunker). There’s apparently a tunnel system underneath the various bunkers but all blocked up. Nice view from the top though.
Top of bunker
Then walked to the sea for a last mainland Europe paddle.
Didn’t go surfing despite the signDid go paddling
Whole ferry experience so much better with Stena, plenty of information, on time (in fact set off slightly early), efficient loading, cabins ready, etc.
Queue. Can’t really see but the caravan in front in queue was enormous
Weather a whole lot warmer than on way out too, so spent some time outside. Bit of humming of Beautiful South as we watched sunset over Rotterdam/Hook.
“This could be Rotterdam or anywhere, Liverpool or Rome; ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere, Anywhere alone, Anywhere alone”.
Have said bye to the J’s for now. Finished where we started in Morrisons car park.
So, I’m signing off, except may post a map at some point. It’s been a fantastic trip, wonderful company, mostly great campsites, kind weather and a laugh.
From Lichfield to John O'Groats and beyond ... 