540-541: El Torcal – An Andalusia MUST do.

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Clunegapyears

540 – Friday 18th NOVEMBER 2016: Wow and double WOW!

First of all, thank you Margaret for spotting my date errors … we are in November but I was dating posts October! Age? Alcohol?

Now, I was driving (J here) up to the Sierra El Torcal mountains, thankfully… This enabled me to NOT look at the extremely sheer drops off to the passenger side! Narrow roads, plenty of sharp bends – Jez (and us) coped very well indeed – and as we saw on the road to Vesuvius – the roads got much wider as we approached our car/van parking destination, due to the expectation of bus loads of tourists. This may be the case in high season, but even in November, there were good number of cars and coaches.

The photos give a good indication of the beauty to come for our walking tours. Our afternoon perambulation was only a couple of hours long and – the “Wow” factor came out immediately. Best mountains we have seen since the Dolomiti in northern Italy over a year ago! “Wow after wow” around every corner, again and again. We almost ran out of superlatives – when did an Irishman run out of words?…

Some beers and wine, peaceful evening (do we have any other kind?) – and I continued learning by heart the rest of “The lake Isle of Inisfree” poem by W B Yeats – my all time favourite. Only one verse left… “I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore”.

Lovely quiet parking (free) for the night with only a small number of neighbouring vans for company. K had read that overnighting here was OK, but being British, she went and checked. ‘But of course’ was the warm answer … just keep inside one bus bay.

The route up was pretty spectacular … I (K) was able to ooh and aah – J was too focussed on getting around the bends and not over the side of the road!

And this was where we were headed – that limestone ridge.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Leisure by William Henry Davies

A well deserved beer.

451 – Saturday 19th November 2016: Down and Up and Antequera

AM – we set off for what we planned to be a 4 hour El Torcal walk – letting Oscar free of his lead as we had done the previous afternoon… we quickly encountered a Spanish family who told us that dogs must be kept on leads at all time while walking in National Parks – we hadn’t seen any signs but they told us there are poisonous snakes around and other wild animals and it is the local law – so no chances to be taken there. A pity because we curtailed our walk to about 2.5 hours instead – the scenery was just as spectacular, but different so the yesterday afternoon… as we were quickly through the limestone escarpment and the views opened up and fell away from us.

We will definitely be back to El Torcal – and we recommend it to anyone visiting the south of Espana. It really is a MUST SEE, but only receives a paragraph in each of our guide books.

The morning sun on the rocks by our car park.

J was up in time to catch the sun rise.

And off we go again.

Meet the locals. We’d heard their bells last night in our car park.

Ephemeral mist over the distant hills.

A restored shepherd’s hut.

After lunch we drove a short way to Antequera to a free van parking last at Antequera – with services – brand new – lots of other motorhomes – on a fairly busy street but still quiet at night time – other than the barking dog, which was finally strangled / shot by a neighbour at 2.20 a.m.

We wandered around and quickly found a …. bar. Then another and another and had a dish each for supper. Antequera we liked. Not touristy, sensible prices … again some fine buildings and fabulous views.

Plaza del Toros – now the museum – dedicated to bullfighting. Sadly shut.

Waiting for wine number 1.

Supping wine number 2.

C16th Arco de los Gigantes…

…The way into the castle and church plaza with views. And wine number 3 and 4!

Wandering around, we found the outside of the castle walls. Punters had paid to walk along part of them, but knowing how dogs would not have been allowed, we did not even attempt entry … wonder how few visitors discover this view of the walls though.

536-539: Cabo de Gata Capers

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Clunegapyears

536 – Monday 14th November 2016: Churros and off to Cabo de Gata

K said she’d never had a churro – so off we headed into the small town to a cafe – the churro was in 3 parts (a long thin donut to be dunked in hot chocolate – a typical breaky calorie fest) and too big to finish – my chocolate ‘croissant’ was about the size of the Aviva/Lansdown Road stadium (did I mention Ireland 41 All Blacks 29? Good so I can say it again… the backlash will arrive on 19th November…). Neither of us finished our snack.

We bought some rugs for the van at Euro 2 each – they may not be Oscar-proof… but who cares at that price!

Morning sun up to told town from our car park.

Los Escullos campsite for 3 nights at Euro 17 per night (ACSI) – massive twin tub laundry by K at the van – 3 weeks worth essentially. Thankfully Jez has a shower hose from his rear bottom / garage and therefore access to hot water. The pitch water tap was also in reach and provided the cold for rinsing. By the time we’d done several rinses for each load and so many loads … we had created an oasis / pond in the dry dirt of our pitch. The sun and steady breeze dried most of it too before a shower, which saw us back to the San Sebastian days of hanging wet items all over the van. Enough domestics!

537 – Tuesday 15th November 2016: Walk to San Jose

A coastal walk to San Jose – I know there’s a song “Do you know the way to San Jose?” – well we did – uphill and down dale for 2 hours – and then a lovely seafront lunch of pasta for me and chicken for K – Oscar watched us eating patiently as always. Partly on the road returning – shorter walk but still very pretty. About 11 miles in total … the loudest snoring that night was Oscar!

The small village a short walk from our campsite … a beach and a shut hotel.

Our destination is in sight … just a few more bays to navigate!

538 – Wednesday 16th November 2016: Lazy Day

Easy day after a job and walking day… beach walking where we met Graham and Jane – the photos show how beautifully Oscar and Benny played – we captured the Oscar ‘mad eye’ look…

We lunched at the campsite restaurant … starters were fine but mains were deep fried chicken or fish goujons with chips … not marvellous, but only EUR10pp. J was finally persuaded to dye K’s hair to remove the skunk white stripe down the middle … he resisted doing other ladies! We heard that one recently departed (from the campsite, not this life) lady had set herself up in business offering hair cuts for EUR5. J might have made a little more than this as his hair dying skills are really pretty good now.

We met more lovely family people on this site than we have for some time. Some really good chats ranging from motorhomes to resources, from dogs to lifestyles. Thank you to Marlene and Michael, Mal and Sarah (Mal fro Co Tyrone) and Graham and Jane – and a lovely post supper drink for 6 in Jez….

Mad Eye Oscar and Benny.

I think Benny is holding Oscar’s head there … honest!

539 – Thursday 17th November 2016: Costa del Sol (you can keep it).

We almost stayed another night as the people we’ve chatted to on the site were so lovely … but time stands still for no man and a rolling stone gathers no moss … and all that. See you soon said and all packed up and off.

Poly tunnels everywhere, but they are much larger and seem more substantial than in Sicily … as are the roads!

We contemplated staying another night, but to be honest felt we’d ‘done’ the scenery and we’d have been staying for the lovely people we met … and the Algarve and the Aged P’s flying beckons. A friendly Belgian told us we must visit El Torcal. It was in the guide book but sounded mediocre… but I’d read about an amazing gorge with a 7KM walkway nearby – not for us as no dogs allowed – so it sounded like the area was worth a visit.

We set off and by the time we’d done a massive Lidl shop just north of Algeria, time was marching on … so we detoured along the Costa del Sol, with the idea of wild camping along the beach. Not to be … the road is very close to the sea and not our idea of safe or fun wilding, so we re-routed again to a camper stop in Rincon del al Victoria recommended by Pauline and Michael (met in PL – spontaneous stop over and supper a few days back). There were only two pitches left; others were turned away later. EUR and fast wifi included 🙂 hence two blog posts uploaded and several computer updates undertaken.

We wandered down to the beach for a dog walk … a nice sun set, but we really do not understand what can keep people staying somewhere like this for weeks at a time. We chatted to several couples, who were all pleasant, but other than cheap lunches out and drinking whilst sitting in the sun, we are at a loss as to what you’d do all day. Perhaps when older and less active, but not for now.

534-535: Spanish Cultural Extremes

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Clunegapyears

534 – Saturday 12th November 2016: Granada’s Alhambra

I was to be the first of us to do the grand tour – we arrived at the ticket office before it opened at 0800 hours – and queued for over an hour! Oscar was much admired by everyone especially a group of young ladies from Cambridge…K had come with me to get her ticket for the afternoon visit.

My visit lasted for about 3 hours and I couldn’t possibly see everything – stunning again – the photos (later) will show a good flavour.

Potted History: The first palace was built from 1237 for Muhammad 1 al-Ahmar; other rulers built / added on gardens and palaces. The Dynasty ruled the Muslim empire which stretched from the Straits of Gibraltar to east of Almeria. Muslim forces actually took over the area long before, but other regions fell to the Christians. In the words of one of our guide books “It all went pear shaped” in the C15 with family in fighting over the succession, leading to a civil war. The Christians took advantage and invaded leading to an 8 month siege. Boabdil surrendered Granada in return for much of the countryside. Isabel and Fernando then set up court in the Alhambra. The Jews and Muslims were persecuted and largely thrown out of Spain

Part of the Generalife (Architect’s Garden), the summer Palace were the Muslim rulers could escape the politics of the main palace. Soothing flowers, light and water.

From the exterior, the Alhambra is an imposing fortress of red and plain walls.

Carlos V Palace: perfectly square with a circle inner courtyard. Carlos apparently never much liked it and it is very out of place given its surroundings.

Alcazaba: some of the oldest parts. The military complex.

The Nasrid Palaces: the jewels of the Alhambra where 250 years worth of Muslim rulers lived, followed by the Christian royal family. The balcony was added by the Christians for the choir.

The detail in the stone carvings was phenomenal.

535 – Sunday 13th November 2016: Yeeha! Spagetti Western Country

Rather than fork more euros for staying a second night, we drove to a free aire on the way to Europe’s only dessert. A bit of an odd aire, as it was pretty full with a lot of Spanish who seemed to all know each other and had the BBQs out. Behind it was a small park with numbered tables (no benches) and an area with rows of stone BBQs. It must be a popular place in summer. Having walked Oscar and set off all the residents’ dogs barking, we headed for the dessert, near Tabernas. During the 1960’s and 70’s, Spaghetti westerns were filmed here and the full scale sets survive. We had a choice of 3 film sets and opted for the middle priced one, as it allowed dogs in … yehaa! Having paid the princely sum of EUR35 (with J’s senior discount, I might add) we wandered around the sets. A lot of them we recognised, but could not place in which film. Was it The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? A Fistful of Dollars? Who knows! There was absolutely NO INFORMATION about the making of the films. We really felt it was over priced, given how much more interesting the place would have been with some history / information. All we were treated to was a can can show, followed by a bar brawl and a shoot out in the saloon! Come on, J comes from Dublin, isn’t that a nightly event in Temple Bar? I lasted until the first gun shot, and had to take our ‘special’ gun dog out. We made rather a scene in exiting, as he wrapped his lead around the swing door in his haste to get away! J was not long behind!

Would you Adam ’n Eve it! We’ve run out of wine and the blinkin liquor store is shut!

The fistfight.

El hombre!!! Yeeha!

The Mexican village.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

Now really James, you don’t even like guns!

The Fort …

… and of course to complete the Western, the Indian Village.

El Hombre again. Yeeha! Giving paying punters pony rides. Tempting but we’ve spent enough.

We had thought it would be fun to stay in the dessert over night, as our entry ticket allowed us to park up there … but when on earth were we going to do all afternoon? A quick soup and off to Nijar.

We headed for the free carpark adjacent to the local police … however, we had our first buttock clenching moment with Jez, where I ended up in front of the van, guiding J down a too tight road with cars that had no place being there! It really does not help when a local tells you that you have no place being there either! Nope … back to the lower car park we’ve just passed. We wandered into the town … and relieved our driving angst with a half litre of red whilst consuming an early supper. A further walk up the town revealed lots of narrow streets … would not have liked to bring a Fiat 500 there either!) and shops selling brightly coloured pottery and striped cotton rugs.

On the way down, we stopped off at another bar and I ordered us a glass each of 43. This is a drink I remember from previous trips to Spain and I also (don’t remember) was told I got completely hammered on it once and could not face it again! Anyway, I had to introduce J to it. A telecon with the Aged P’s and mother said something along the lines … it taste good, but is lethal. Despite that, we had another glass each. And Spanish measures are LARGE! We wobbled down the hill to Jez, with the intention of finding a spaghetti western on the hard drive to watch …. oops … I managed to get the laptop out … but then passed out …. somewhere around 8.00 p.m., I’m told. Mr C was not long behind me. Thankfully, I’ve not seen 43 in the shops (yet!).

531-533: Spanish Decisions Unmade

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Clunegapyears

531 – Wednesday 9th November 2016: Arrived in Avila

Steep steps up to the walled city – birthplace of St Teresa….she ran away to be a martyr, hoping to be killed by the Muslims … at age 7 (!) but her Dad brought her back – to rejoin the nuns later. Nice market square and the usual bustle of Spanish town streets.

We really wanted to walk the town wall on the top – but ‘no dogs allowed’. Spain is definitely not as dog friendly as other countries… we contemplated our next move over a glass of vino tinto and decided to walk the wall … but inside and out. This was where the locals were perambulating …. the tourists, having paid, were on the wall! Us – we mix it with the locals!

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One of the city entrance gates, and pretty much our view from the Parking.

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The market square.

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Entrance to the cathedral… slight strange stone sentries on duty.

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Saint Teresa (the Spanish one) church and birth house here.

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Granada is known for the storks … only spotted a nest.

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Stone pigs were supposed to bring the merchants good luck. This one was still in situ in a garden. You could buy a miniature from the tourist shops.

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The Medieval wall circumnavigates the whole town: over 2 km long, 88 turrets, 9 entrance gates, 12 m high in places. Lit up at night it really was impressive.

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Whilst in the town, we criss crossed trying to find a large jubilee clip … needed for the kitchen sink to prevent our cutlery drawer collecting all the dish washing suds and washing (!) all the cutlery again. Despite K’s drawing and a translation, only small ones in stock, or none at all. On the way back to our parking, K spotted an animal alimentacion and goods place the other side of the river. We’d been contemplating a waterproof coat for our Oscar … never thought we’d come to this, but he does seem to feel the cold and doesn’t much care for the wet either. I’m sure we might have mentioned that he is rather ‘special’! Having queued at the counter where the man was dispensing advice and medicines … lots of racks of kit behind him, but not ‘ickle wee doggy coats. On the opposite side of the road was motor mechanic …. ahh, though K. Her thought was correct – he had large jubilee clips. EUR4 and the leak into the drawer is (mostly) stemmed.

532 – Thursday 10th November 2016: Spontaneous in PL

A beautiful and brand new parking with services at PL (we cannot remember the actual full name). Only stopped to use the motorhome services and have lunch, overlooked by some of Don Quixote’s white windmills. We were on the way half out of the gate – when K met Pauline and Michael (we had chatted to them when we arrived earlier). Now while I was in the van awaiting my K directions – our good lady had decided that we should spend the night and have drinkies with P and M!!! Not the first time we ‘flexed’ our plans – purely in the interests of neighbourliness…

An afternoon stoll and glasses of vino at the town square – is that a new thing for us, readers? I think everyone knows the answer to that one…

A lovely evening – and they fed us too! Many thanks to you two – we really hope to meet you again and to return the favour…

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Some of the scenery on our way to PL…

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And again, we are in awe of the flat and smooth empty roads.

533 – Friday 11th November 2016: Greetings from Granada

Cordoba was our destination, buy J spoke to another English couple by the services, who advised that there had been 2 motorhome break ins on the aire in the last week. Shame, but we’ll have to see Coroba another times .. it is just not worth the risk.

We changed our plans and decided to go straight to Cabo de Gata, a peninsula that is a nature reserve. We had wanted to also see Granaga, but there seemed to be an expensive parking by the Alhambra, or you found a campsite and caught a taxi … we’d investigate a train from somewhere. However, on the journey, we changed our minds again … we are allowed to!

To Granada and Al Hambra it was. It must be one of the very top attractions in Spain! Dog welcome? No. We decided to tour separately in the morning. Evening time saw us doing the Barcelona equivalent of the “Las Ramblas” family strolling. Wine and supper snacks. We met an English father, son and grandson who resided in Granada … the son was called Arthur. We’d previously met a Spanish family who had called their little girl Alice. Is there Spanish fashion for English childrens’ names? Granada was an amazing place to wander – young, slightly hippy and buzzing. K even managed with the aid of another drawing to buy a stitch holder from a knitting shop … yes her art skills must be improving!

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img_5804-1 Columbus and Queen Isabella … check out her train.

We were the only van in the very convenient parking, although it was quite a walk back up the hill at the end of the evening – no wonder at Euro 29 per 24 hrs!

527-530: Weather Chasing Across Spain

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Clunegapyears

527 – Saturday 5th November 2016: The Rain Falls Mainly …on us and our motorhome!

We started to walk Oscar in St Jean de Luz … planning a serious walk, instead we got a serious drenching – K’s face cream dripping into her eyes … stinging … a tissue being repeatedly wrung out with which to mop them … there really is NO fun in this … back to the van … to change everything down to underwear. Spain TODAY it is – the weather must be better in sunny Spain.

The precipitation followed us into Espania – with determination… But we held firm – even when BradNav took us into the centre of San Sebastian with quite narrow streets – but we reached the Aire having replaced Brad with Madge as ‘closing pitcher’ – Chicago Cubs fans will understand – first World Series since 1908 – by 1 run after 10 innings! The Aire is large with lots of vans but well spaced apart and handy for the City and not a train in earshot. K got soaked (with rain) for the second time taking Oscar for his constitutional – and it has rained all day……. hunker down time with heating on. Van starting to steam up and smell like a Chinese laundry.

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Would that be methane creating energy?

528 – Sunday 5th November 2016: Pintxos, Not Pin Stripes, in San Sebastian

‘San Seb’ – nothing to do with San Sebastian Coe, Lord Coe – he of the great duels with Steve Ovett and Steve Cram in the 70s – where has GB middle distance running gone? Perhaps they need some ‘Burpellets’? I’ve ordered some to improve my running… Rain, rain and rain… we walked, got wet, walked, got wet – is this boring the kn***ers off our reader? Nice seafront and sights of the surrounding hills – and Tapas! Pintxos is the Basque word for tapas. The find(s) of the day. Oscar was allowed (quietly) into each of 3 bars where we sampled the local delights… in one bar, we could easily have lost him to a lovely young family lady who fell for him (as opposed to us – we generally fall over him!) and fed him – bread! We separated him from his latest conquest (perhaps I should have had a Welsh Springer when I was a young lad on the search for ladies?). I would have lost out to the dog, inevitably…

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Internet pix as far too wet to take out our own cameras. Our aire was bottom right, about 2 km inland. We walked along the front and around the headland hill … we deserved our bar / tapas crawl.

Back to our Jez van, soaked and cold – but the indomitable British/Irish/Welsh stiff upper lip never crumpled – dried out and we dove under the duvet for warmth, you understand. Now, you will know that ‘dove’ in Americanese means ’dived’ – just testing…

529 – Monday 6th November 2016: Would that be a Snow Plough before Me?

A driving day … as far as we can go without over tiring ourselves to find some sun. But … Snow ploughs in sunny Espana? K spotted 3 and signed for salt gritting. We suppose it is November after all… the van registered 1 Centigrade on our trip. No change in weather Burgos and lots of other places we’d planned to visit, passed. Onto Segovia – rain, hail and sleet all on the journey south – with a forecast for snow overnight! On the approach, we spotted a feint dusting of the white stuff on the hills. The ACSUL may come into play again (AngloCeltStiffUpperLip) tonight… Starting to feel like those tornado chasers in the States … will we ever see blue skies again?

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530 – Tuesday 7th November 2016: Segovia – So Glad

“But ho – what light from yonder window shines? It is from the east and it’s my Juliet” I may have just murdered some Shakespeare/Marlowe text…. Anyway, it was the sun shining from the east in a Segovian morning – what joy indeed… No snow – above freezing (just) and sun/cloud – our cups floweth over – but we didn’t spill the tea/coffee for brekkie.

Now, we all know what an Aqueduct is – no, it is not watery sticky tape from B&Q, James – obviously too much DIY in my past… The Segovia Aqueduct is 16km long, built by the Romans in 1 AD from dry stones – no mortar – used until the 19th century – amazing! Did they have health and safety legislation then? Probably – if you breached the laws, you received a special invitation from the Emperor to make a guest appearance at the Colliseum – to have your X factors removed by a Gladiator wielding a Gillettiator…. Ouch!!!

Lunch with wine and Oscar sleeping under the table – our third table move for doggy reasons – including a ride in the elevator to hide us from other diners… Spain is NOT like France when it comes to dogs … they are really against the law – so much legislation against them (muzzles, tethered in cars, not on busses, bars etc), but fortunately many places seem to be happier to take our Euros than bar us from the bar. We chatted briefly to a Spanish family who live in Southampton (So’ton to locals) – and a lovely Portugese waiter who spoke Spanish, English and Bulgarian (latter due to a previous girlfriend … amazing what love can do!) The photos speak volumes.

Avila tomorrow…

Buenos Noches… ‘We learn it from a booook’ (Faulty Towers – actually on Podcast No.2)

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The Aqueduct started underground and close to our aire … all we had to do was follow the (Yellow Brick Road – oops) Aquaduct into town. Amazing how narrow the water channel.

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Oscar has no respect for the aqueduct’s age! It carried water and must be watered.

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It got higher and higher.

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I’m actually under an arch, but its too high to be in the picture. Despite the sun, I am sporting THERMAL long johns, vest, trousers, thick socks, long-sleeved T shirt, cotton jumper and mega wooly mammouth recently knitted by Mother. I kid you not, it is somewhat cold. Contemplating a doggy jacket for Oscar!!!

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Oh and then it got really high. But only ever 2 arches with no mortar! Once in the town, it went underground.

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One of the things I love, other than my two boys, of course, is this wide scenery. The middle of Spain is BIG. Views of hills, some with snow! But where we have driven it is dried grass and hay stubble, with a sienna earth and few trees.

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Our first glimpse of Sleeping Beauty’s castle … apparently Disney modelled it on the Alcazar … I am sure the Germans, who have plenty of fairy tale castles, may contradict this.

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We elected not to go in … not expensive, but we use Oscar and having to take turns as our excuse. It was much embellished after a fire in 1862 in this OTT style …

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… and here’s a pix of it before Disneyfication.

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The Cathedral exterior was pretty wow also…. the last Gothic big build in Spain 1525.

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Lunch in a quiet / out of the way part of the restaurant … once most of the other guests had left … J tucking into his house eggs, a meal in itself. 3 courses with wine and water for EUR24 … happy to be in Spain after French prices.

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We still managed to finish most of it … Pudding, like cheese and icecream go into a separate stomach … I couldn’t eat all my main so I secreted a sneaky lot of grilled pork into a spare plastic bag which is now in our fridge and will form the basis of a pasta dish tomorrow … Waste Not Want Not! Both puds had been generously sprinkled with cinnamon, not to everyone’s taste perhaps.

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We really like wandering Segovia, especially with blue skies!

Clune Gap Years

A journal and reflections of our motorhome travels

Category Archives: Tour 2016-17