Guest pelmetman Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Bojitoes - 2011-01-10 11:37 AM Thanks Dave, thinking you were coming from Calais I thought it seemed a long drive for one day! I too do around 52-56mph. How much is the diesel in both France / Spain at the moment? Current prices in UK incline me only to have fumes in the tank when we arrive in Calais1 Bob When we came through France it was about 1.30euro ish on the motorways 1.19 at the supermarkets, and just seen it at 92 cents in Gib..........but muggins here filled up earlier for 1.21 *-) As for the weather Mr BBC told a fib, he said 16 degree's in Gib today......It was 23 B-) Had a interesting drive round Gibraltar, managed get parked up and had a walk down Main street, gave er in doors 10 euros to blow in Marks and Spencer's, fortunately only spent 7........she's learning :D The place looks very prosperous nowdays, I expect the border being open has made all the difference. Due to a fallible memory we had a interesting drive to Europa Point 8-) Up some very tight/steep roads and at one point a tunnel which said 2.9 height and we are 2.85 :-S So as the hole was hacked out of rock and not smooth, we tried another route (lol) Eventualy got there in one piece, and was surprised to find a huge great mosque, loads of housing and new parking areas being built, when I was last there 30+ years ago it was just the light house and the naval watch station. Funny thing was, when we got there I discovered they had built a new road and tunnel on the East side of Gib so could have got there with no drama at all :D .........but where's the fun in that (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Try some pic's again :D From top to bottom the first 2 are Europa point Gibraltar from yesterday, and the last is the view from our pitch today at Granada (1758) a small site with only us and a couple of long termers on. Its a lot cooler here, had to put my trousers back on :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Parked up at CampingDad's, free site with washing machine, wifi, food and wine (lol) The owners got the hump though......reckons we only come here to do our washing,.........I said thats not true.......we need somewhere to empty the loo aswell :D If anyone is heading South from the Murcia area to Malaga, then I would recommend going via Granada along the A92, a much nicer drive than taking the coast road through Almeria..........unless you like polytunnels :D Admittedly its quite a climb, and in some parts we were in 2nd doing 20 mph with the hazard lights on on a motorway 8-) (it seems to be what the lorries do when crawling along). But if our old van can do it then I expect anyone else can.....and at 20 mph even the driver gets to enjoy the view (lol) Weather lovely and sunny 80 degrees B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Starting the slow drive back :'( Now at Calpe, had planned to stop at "Calpemar" (1770) but it was full 8-) We soon found another site just down the road "Camping la Merced" not in the ACIS book and e27.80 for one night + e4 for wifi 8-) ......looks a nice site though and they offer discounts for longer stays..................AND they have sink Plugs!!! Looks like a nice area to stay for a while, so have added it to the return too list :D Weather still sunny with a cooler breeze today, but still in shorts & T shirts Think I have finaly managed to work out a way to get the TOM TOM to take us direct to a campsite :D I use Google maps to find the site then I use the point on map feature to plot the site, its a bit of a faff but seems to work.............took us right to the door of "Caplemar". Picture of "Camping la Merced". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Update on "Camping La Merced". Just been for a wander, there are a couple of nice looking restaurants 2mins away, Mercadonna and a Consume 5mins and the beach with a nice prom and lots more restaurants 10 min walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Getting depressed now, at our penultimate site in Spain :-( Playa Tropicana (1747) there's a Camping & Caravaning Club rally going on here, so must be getting near Blighty as I heard my first moan *-) "I didn't think they allowed dogs on this site" >:-( Have to agree there is a distinct lack of dogs on here, although the ACIS book said they accept dogs :-S Not to worry we are having a private party...........and on the menu is prawns cooked in Bresse blue and chedder cheese, home made........followed in a minute by home made lasagne........not to mention several bottles of giggle juice Dave The site itself is right on the coast, you go out of the gates across a very quite road and you are on the beach. The shower blocks are the best we have found, private rooms with shower, toilet and handbasins. The site is very good overall and would return. The pitches are of an excellent size with low hedges on three sides. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Update on "Playa Tropicana" noticed no dogs sign by the gate this morning, yet they accept dogs according to the ACIS book :-S Admitedly the reception staff said we had to stay on the pitches by the gate with a dog, which suited us anyway as we only had to cross the quiet road to the beach............I expect they only accept dogs out of season *-) Now at "Vilanova I Ia Geltru" (1869) its s huge site, there are 100's of permanent vans, statics, bungalows here, and your not allowed to find your own pitch, you have to wait at reception and follow a member of staff to the pitch they allocate for you. Went for a walk and got lost on the site 8-) Its the kind of place that would be our vision of hell in mid summer :D The wifi cost e15 for one day 8-) and its rubbish, I keep losing the signal *-) Back to French aires tomorrow, heading for Carcasonne.......wearing fleeces & trousers again, I hope my tan lasts until we get home :D Better post this before I lose my connection again for the 50th time >:-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 On Monday we crossed the border back into France, forgot to fill up in Spain so paid e1.40 a litre on the motorway! We tried the aire at Trebes (11800) but it was blocked off due to trees being felled......shame as it looks like a nice position, so carried onto Carcasssone (11000) where we played campervan tag for about an hour, with 2 French vans and a Dutch wagon all of us looking for the aire, which we finally discovered has been moved further up the hill. Access is by taking a ticket at the barrier, which you pay for at the ticket machines just before you leave. It’s a large area with just a hole in the ground and a tap for facilities, all though there are some porta cabin type loo’s near the ticket machines. We arrived about 4.30 and left just before 9am and it was 5euros. The Castle is still less than 10 min walk away with loads of restaurants and shops, another place to add to our to do list. Next day carried onto Cahors, and as it was only 120 ish miles away decided to take the scenic route....Oop’s...Perhaps I should of looked at the map first........Black Mountains! Sue only agreed to go to Spain in the camper providing I didn’t take her over the Pyrenees again, as she don’t do heights! So technically I kept my word! And it wasn’t a very big mountain......barely 45 mins of butt clenching fun!! Going up was fine... But coming down.... I think what perturbed Sue the most, was not that we were on the wrong side in her mind, ie the side nearest the edge, or the “Verglas Frequent” signs, or the pretty layer of untouched frost on the road, (the first we have seen since Brittany), neither the steep and tight hairpin bends, but the gaps in the stone parapets where vehicles had recently decided to take the short route down! It’s at times like these I find Er in doors don’t appreciate my sense of humour, as when I said “there’s no need to hold so tightly onto the door handle, because if we go over it will be coming with us” received a very frosty reception. Funny thing was we were the only vehicle going down, but we passed a few going gingerly up, and they all seemed surprised to see us. Now at “Cahors” (46000) where we managed to get on, as there is only 3 spaces, had a nice walk up to the bridge so Sue can do her David Bailey impression. Weather still very pleasant no need for coats and mostly sunny. :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Dave & Sue, I'd just like to say well done & thanks for your efforts to report on your travels. For me, this has, (is) the most interesting, witty and informative piece of work regarding someones travel I've read on here. In my view, I'm enjoying every bit as much as Andy Stotherts' scratchings. Doubtless some twerp will be along in a nano second to say that you don't quite have the correct contemporary leanings for their particular taste, and when they do, I'll shoot them. Twice. If there are any MMM staff following this thread, for goodness sake.. GIVE THIS MAN A JOB WRITING TRAVEL ARTICLES, HE'S INTERESTING. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Have to agree with Martyn, an enjoyable travel report, shame it is so short........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Thanks Gents...........you have made I blush like a young maiden:$ Currently parked up at Sue's cousins in Brittany and on the giggle juice, so will have a alcoholic blush tomorrow instead :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Whilst checking out the facilities at Carcassonne where the tap was working, I remembered Brian Kirby's sound advice to fill up at every opportunity, unfortunately by the time I had walked back to the van I had forgotten his advice. Consequently every tap North of Carcassonne was dry, including Cahors where the facilities were in a very bad way with a fledgling European pooh mountain building, if the water isn’t turned on until spring I can see Cahors being famous for more than its bridge! We headed North in the direction of Poitiers with the intention of stopping just short at Nieuil-L’ Espoir in the Aires book its spelt Nieul which is wrong as there is an extra i in the name and the postcode seems incorrect as well. Apart from that it’s a very nice Aire right next to a park with lakes, ideal for walking the Pooch, the place itself is like a large village quite well to do, with a small supermarket, restaurant, I suspect the well heeled from Poitiers live there. It is also the first place in France where I found free wifi, not that I could make use of it as the laptop battery died just after I managed to down load my emails, and by the time I had charged it up again the wifi had disappeared, I expect it was a daytime only thing as the Aire is also next to some kind of community centre. On the way up the N147 we passed several Aires where we stopped, in search of H2O, all dry! At Nieuil though the Euro Relais service point seemd to be working, well the loo emptying point flushed at least, unfortunately everywhere was shut for lunch when we arrived so I couldn’t find anywhere to get a jeton, hedging our bets we nipped into Poitiers to find a supermarket and buy some water, 3euros for 18 litres. Parked up back at Nieuil for the night cooked ourselves a nice roast dinner, and settled down for the night.........3am the fridge starts ticking....run out of gas I presumed so goes outside and soon realise its frozen again, along with the service point as I discovered later in the morning.....must be getting near Blighty. From there we headed to Sue’s cousin who has a place in Brittany and had arranged with their vet to do the honours for Troy. 55 euros, which seemed quite reasonable as we were also given 3 extra frontline pipettes. 3832 miles later, now back at Cite De Europe where we started a month ago, quite a few pounds lighter in the wallet, but quite a few pounds heavier round the waist line, and the remnants of suntan fading fast. :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bojitoes Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Great blog Dave, thanks for the tips & entertainment bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Ditto, Thanks Dave enjoyed your tour, Safe journey home, take care, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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