Part 4 - Spain pt 1 Offal and Churches
Roses (Sep 4th 2024)
We had been getting warnings about an impending storm for days.
It was everywhere so we couldn't avoid it so we thought we would be better on a site. Keep getting told how nice Roses is by lots of people, so we had to have a look. Firstly it is absolutely rammed with french motorhomes. All campsites full, backstreets full and Aires full, all full of french who don't like us because we don't like them. We squeezed onto a large aire near town that had three places left out of 67 and this was 11:30am. (To be fair we could have got on a campsite for 56 euro per night but with 5% off if we spent more than three nights we politly declined).
With umbrella in hand we walked to the seafront which was like a lot of other Spanish seaside places. Secondly there are a lot more people selling trainers etc. They don't go around with a bag they set up shop in the street. Thirdly though it is quite nice and reasonably cheap which is why the french just nip over.
We found a nice bar for a drink and sat for an hour.
The next day we had a walk the other way (north) along the front and into the town itself. I can see why lots of people come here. Weather was a bit kinder so we had a beer at another nice bar selling Belgian beers.
Empuriabrava (Sep 6th 2024)
So we got up early to travel to the next site 2.8 miles away. Mas Nou is a big site next to Europe's largest residential marina with 24km of navigable waterways. (So says Mr Wikipedia). The site is 21 euro with ACSI and so is full again by 3 o'clock. Due to everywhere being full we decide to stay here for the weekend to do some washing. Big Mercadona outside the entrance and a massive Chinese shop opposite that. The site has a bar and resteraunt over the road so we had a look. They were playing obscure prog music over the outside speakers, of which I am a fan of, so we decide to have something to eat. As soon as we sit down the Rush album track from 1978 is replaced by Baby Shark and the stage opposite has two spanish pontins kiddies entertainers. Lots of kids and parents now turn up and sing along to it. The grumpy old b...... that I am does not.
While we were here we had a quick look at the marina and it's just like a housing estate with canals. We were going to bike to the beach but it was not obvious which way to go once in the middle of the floating council estate. It goes on for miles. The weather had now picked up and we decided it was twot to do anything so chilled at the van and watched the thousands of swallows catching flies.
Girona (Sep 9th 2024)
My parents had visited Spain in the 70s and 80s and as I was a teenager I was not interested in going with them. I would rather have the house to myself. I had a few pictures of them in various places but did not know where they were. Now with google lens you can find out where these places are. One of these was the cathedral at Girona. They must have gone on a bus trip as the never drove.
Girona looked nice and there was an aire right in the centre, a bit expensive, but good location.
We walked into the center and was there in 15mins. The cathedral is quite impressive but the stairs up to it are very steep.
By the time we got to the top I felt like Sylvester Stalone (but how he is now, not in Rocky). We went in and was still puffing and panting and said to the woman selling the tickets I feel like Rocky, she laughed like she had heard it a dozen times before.
Inside is all the usual wealth and extravagence of the Catholic church.
In the courtyard I found the spot were my father stood in 1980 but the entrance had a bar across. It was only knee high so I stepped across to get my picture. Angela said I got a few tuts but I thought if I showed them the original picture they would be ok with my pilgrimage.
Outside at the fron was a bit easier.
After a walk around the grounds the next stop was the Basilica which was included in the price of entry to the Cathedral.
Again interesting if you like this kind of stuff. I must admit I am drawn to these big religious buildings but find myself thinking about the wealth of the church at the time of when these buildings were built the people that built them and lived around them were in poverty.
On the way we came across and old steel bridge that a lot of french were stopping and taking pictures of. Its because it was built by that bloke Eiffel again.
Found a nice square for a drink. Leffe brown on tap, my favourite beer which is found quite a lot in Spain, Angela says I can smell it from a mile away. It was not in a Leffe glass probably because I asked for a large but it was definitely Leffe.
The aire was now a bit fuller but is really not very nice and at 19euro without electric is overpriced. Girona is like Zaragoza and Leon and if it had the same free aires that these cities have we would have stayed longer and spent far more.
Besalu (Sep 10th 2024)
A few miles inland is Besalu, lovely little town with a famous bridge. Again a place where my parents came on the same bus trip as Girona (they have the same clothes on).
We had a wander around the medievel town. This is more like it. I have no idea why someone has put some chairs halfway up a wall though.
There are a few free aires at Besalu butthere are reports of break-ins and as it was still early in the day we moved on.
Castellfollit de la Roca
This medieval village is high up on a plateau. There is an aire for parking in the main village and its a walk up the the viewing area at the top. We were looking for a bit of tapas but the town was shut. There is a great view down the valley with the flyover in the background spoiling it. I took one from the flyover looking at the village.
Santa Pau
So we still had lots of time so we sneaked in another Beau village. Good looking aire just outside. Village is separated on a rock and is far better than the last one. More life going. Couple of beers and a nice bite to eat.
We switched back on the road we had come on to go to Camping Montagut out in the sticks. ACSI site run by dutch which is usually a good sign.
The next day we continued along the N260 that runs under the Pyrenees. We stopped of at another medievel town that is famous for its bridge.
Sant Joan de les Abadesses (Sep 11 2024)
September the 11th is National Catalan day and the night before the aire near the bridge had been used as the lauch pad for the local firework display. We nearly came here yesterday so that would have been an interesting night. The car park was littered with spent fire works and the ground was covered with burn marks. The aire would have been closed. The bridge is medieval from the 13th century.
Sant Llorenc de Morunys (Sep11th 2024)
Northern Spain feels like a very different country. They don't speak Spanish they speak Catalan. We arrived on National Catalan day so fair enough. Went into the town for tapas but the first bar was full of offal so went on to another. The menu was again full of offal but we got some cheese and bread and tomato and bravas. Nice little aire with electric for 6 euro with a lovely view of a factory in the valley. I really like the town. No English spoken no English meals, very friendly place. On the menu which I have attached for your perusal there is bull tongue, pigs snout and ear, badgers spleen, jaguars earlobes and wolf nipple chips (probably).
The next day we headed north over two "cols" (mountain passes). Road was full of motorbikes and mamils. Hardly saw another car.
There were storms either side of us in the distance. We later found out on this day in the Pyrenees the roads either side of the Somport tunnel were washed away. Will take 6 months to repair!
La Seu d'Urgell (Sep12th 2024)
After coming over the mountains we arrive at La Seu d' Urgell. Nice big Mercadona in the new part of town. CCP Aire is next to the old town and the massive cathedral. The Cathedral is very similar to Girona cathedral but was shut when we went, as was the town so went back to the van for Murky Donnas' fish fingers. Was entertaining watching the Spanish trying to work out how a CCP works. Its bad enough for the english (and a lot of french) but quite a few gave up and cleared off. After lunch went back to the big church and wandered about down the side streets.
The Olympic canoe slalom was held here in 1992. We didn't know but came across the course and googled it. We didn't drive here just to look at it, I'm not (quite) that sad.
Cathedral is worth a visit but you can start to get "churched out" if you go in too many.
Ainsa (Sep 13th 2024)
We drove across the mountain road (N260) which was fabulous if you like that sort of stuff. Bikers paradise and wide enough to get a large van down.
We were heading to Ainsa as it had a large aire and a nice hill top old town with lots of bars and restaurants. What we didn't know was they were having a festival that weekend. A stage was up in the square and a disco blasting out shite was at the other end. "It won't be too bad" says I. So we went down had a couple of drinks at a bar. Medieval town is very nice with only two streets but a massive square full of bars. So after walking down both streets twice we had another beer at the same bar. Now they stop doing food due to festival. We find a bar in the town that does food but not open till 6pm. So we go back to the van for an hour.
Go out at 6 and bar is shut due to festival. Another bar is open at 7 so we go back to the bar we had been to twice before for a beer while waiting. "Ola back again senior, dos cervesa". "Si". All the time the disco is blasting out shite. A local band then comes out with acoustic guitar and pipes that cannot compete with the shite from the disco. So they moved into the old town and everyone follows, us included.
They stop at the first bar which is the one we are going to at 7pm and they bring out tapas for them. Turns out the bar brews its own beer and it's on draft. One is a Belgian dubbel the other a British brown beer. We have one of each a cheese platter and patata bravas. The band moves on and we are left alone. The British brown is lovely so I have another. I am now drunk.
The main stage now comes alive and the band comes on. Everyone goes to watch so we go back to the bar again for the fourth time. It's rammed as it's near the stage. Waiter sees me and brings out a table for us. First act is like someone who has failed a Eurovision song contest audition. Second act is a Spanish cheeky girl tribute band.
The stage then shuts at 10pm as does every other bar as the beer tents are now open. The shite disco comes back on but twice as loud. We decide to call it a night expecting the music to go on until midnight. Outside it's getting busy and a motorhome turns up with 6 girls in it. I am smashed by now due to not eating enough and drinking too much and am asleep in seconds. What seems like 20 minutes later I am awakened by the DJ shouting something in Spanish. Outside all the vans are completely surrounded by badly parked cars. I look at my watch and it is 3:14am. The music goes on until 6am. In-between drunks come back to sleep in their cars. The Atomic Kitten tribute come back to there van about 5am all screaming like witches.We depart at 9:30am. All in all a good day.
We had been getting warnings about an impending storm for days.
It was everywhere so we couldn't avoid it so we thought we would be better on a site. Keep getting told how nice Roses is by lots of people, so we had to have a look. Firstly it is absolutely rammed with french motorhomes. All campsites full, backstreets full and Aires full, all full of french who don't like us because we don't like them. We squeezed onto a large aire near town that had three places left out of 67 and this was 11:30am. (To be fair we could have got on a campsite for 56 euro per night but with 5% off if we spent more than three nights we politly declined).
With umbrella in hand we walked to the seafront which was like a lot of other Spanish seaside places. Secondly there are a lot more people selling trainers etc. They don't go around with a bag they set up shop in the street. Thirdly though it is quite nice and reasonably cheap which is why the french just nip over.
We found a nice bar for a drink and sat for an hour.
The next day we had a walk the other way (north) along the front and into the town itself. I can see why lots of people come here. Weather was a bit kinder so we had a beer at another nice bar selling Belgian beers.
Empuriabrava (Sep 6th 2024)
So we got up early to travel to the next site 2.8 miles away. Mas Nou is a big site next to Europe's largest residential marina with 24km of navigable waterways. (So says Mr Wikipedia). The site is 21 euro with ACSI and so is full again by 3 o'clock. Due to everywhere being full we decide to stay here for the weekend to do some washing. Big Mercadona outside the entrance and a massive Chinese shop opposite that. The site has a bar and resteraunt over the road so we had a look. They were playing obscure prog music over the outside speakers, of which I am a fan of, so we decide to have something to eat. As soon as we sit down the Rush album track from 1978 is replaced by Baby Shark and the stage opposite has two spanish pontins kiddies entertainers. Lots of kids and parents now turn up and sing along to it. The grumpy old b...... that I am does not.
While we were here we had a quick look at the marina and it's just like a housing estate with canals. We were going to bike to the beach but it was not obvious which way to go once in the middle of the floating council estate. It goes on for miles. The weather had now picked up and we decided it was twot to do anything so chilled at the van and watched the thousands of swallows catching flies.
Girona (Sep 9th 2024)
My parents had visited Spain in the 70s and 80s and as I was a teenager I was not interested in going with them. I would rather have the house to myself. I had a few pictures of them in various places but did not know where they were. Now with google lens you can find out where these places are. One of these was the cathedral at Girona. They must have gone on a bus trip as the never drove.
Girona looked nice and there was an aire right in the centre, a bit expensive, but good location.
We walked into the center and was there in 15mins. The cathedral is quite impressive but the stairs up to it are very steep.
By the time we got to the top I felt like Sylvester Stalone (but how he is now, not in Rocky). We went in and was still puffing and panting and said to the woman selling the tickets I feel like Rocky, she laughed like she had heard it a dozen times before.
Inside is all the usual wealth and extravagence of the Catholic church.
In the courtyard I found the spot were my father stood in 1980 but the entrance had a bar across. It was only knee high so I stepped across to get my picture. Angela said I got a few tuts but I thought if I showed them the original picture they would be ok with my pilgrimage.
Outside at the fron was a bit easier.
After a walk around the grounds the next stop was the Basilica which was included in the price of entry to the Cathedral.
Again interesting if you like this kind of stuff. I must admit I am drawn to these big religious buildings but find myself thinking about the wealth of the church at the time of when these buildings were built the people that built them and lived around them were in poverty.
On the way we came across and old steel bridge that a lot of french were stopping and taking pictures of. Its because it was built by that bloke Eiffel again.
Found a nice square for a drink. Leffe brown on tap, my favourite beer which is found quite a lot in Spain, Angela says I can smell it from a mile away. It was not in a Leffe glass probably because I asked for a large but it was definitely Leffe.
The aire was now a bit fuller but is really not very nice and at 19euro without electric is overpriced. Girona is like Zaragoza and Leon and if it had the same free aires that these cities have we would have stayed longer and spent far more.
Besalu (Sep 10th 2024)
A few miles inland is Besalu, lovely little town with a famous bridge. Again a place where my parents came on the same bus trip as Girona (they have the same clothes on).
We had a wander around the medievel town. This is more like it. I have no idea why someone has put some chairs halfway up a wall though.
There are a few free aires at Besalu butthere are reports of break-ins and as it was still early in the day we moved on.
Castellfollit de la Roca
This medieval village is high up on a plateau. There is an aire for parking in the main village and its a walk up the the viewing area at the top. We were looking for a bit of tapas but the town was shut. There is a great view down the valley with the flyover in the background spoiling it. I took one from the flyover looking at the village.
Santa Pau
So we still had lots of time so we sneaked in another Beau village. Good looking aire just outside. Village is separated on a rock and is far better than the last one. More life going. Couple of beers and a nice bite to eat.
We switched back on the road we had come on to go to Camping Montagut out in the sticks. ACSI site run by dutch which is usually a good sign.
The next day we continued along the N260 that runs under the Pyrenees. We stopped of at another medievel town that is famous for its bridge.
Sant Joan de les Abadesses (Sep 11 2024)
September the 11th is National Catalan day and the night before the aire near the bridge had been used as the lauch pad for the local firework display. We nearly came here yesterday so that would have been an interesting night. The car park was littered with spent fire works and the ground was covered with burn marks. The aire would have been closed. The bridge is medieval from the 13th century.
Sant Llorenc de Morunys (Sep11th 2024)
Northern Spain feels like a very different country. They don't speak Spanish they speak Catalan. We arrived on National Catalan day so fair enough. Went into the town for tapas but the first bar was full of offal so went on to another. The menu was again full of offal but we got some cheese and bread and tomato and bravas. Nice little aire with electric for 6 euro with a lovely view of a factory in the valley. I really like the town. No English spoken no English meals, very friendly place. On the menu which I have attached for your perusal there is bull tongue, pigs snout and ear, badgers spleen, jaguars earlobes and wolf nipple chips (probably).
The next day we headed north over two "cols" (mountain passes). Road was full of motorbikes and mamils. Hardly saw another car.
There were storms either side of us in the distance. We later found out on this day in the Pyrenees the roads either side of the Somport tunnel were washed away. Will take 6 months to repair!
La Seu d'Urgell (Sep12th 2024)
After coming over the mountains we arrive at La Seu d' Urgell. Nice big Mercadona in the new part of town. CCP Aire is next to the old town and the massive cathedral. The Cathedral is very similar to Girona cathedral but was shut when we went, as was the town so went back to the van for Murky Donnas' fish fingers. Was entertaining watching the Spanish trying to work out how a CCP works. Its bad enough for the english (and a lot of french) but quite a few gave up and cleared off. After lunch went back to the big church and wandered about down the side streets.
The Olympic canoe slalom was held here in 1992. We didn't know but came across the course and googled it. We didn't drive here just to look at it, I'm not (quite) that sad.
Cathedral is worth a visit but you can start to get "churched out" if you go in too many.
Ainsa (Sep 13th 2024)
We drove across the mountain road (N260) which was fabulous if you like that sort of stuff. Bikers paradise and wide enough to get a large van down.
We were heading to Ainsa as it had a large aire and a nice hill top old town with lots of bars and restaurants. What we didn't know was they were having a festival that weekend. A stage was up in the square and a disco blasting out shite was at the other end. "It won't be too bad" says I. So we went down had a couple of drinks at a bar. Medieval town is very nice with only two streets but a massive square full of bars. So after walking down both streets twice we had another beer at the same bar. Now they stop doing food due to festival. We find a bar in the town that does food but not open till 6pm. So we go back to the van for an hour.
Go out at 6 and bar is shut due to festival. Another bar is open at 7 so we go back to the bar we had been to twice before for a beer while waiting. "Ola back again senior, dos cervesa". "Si". All the time the disco is blasting out shite. A local band then comes out with acoustic guitar and pipes that cannot compete with the shite from the disco. So they moved into the old town and everyone follows, us included.
They stop at the first bar which is the one we are going to at 7pm and they bring out tapas for them. Turns out the bar brews its own beer and it's on draft. One is a Belgian dubbel the other a British brown beer. We have one of each a cheese platter and patata bravas. The band moves on and we are left alone. The British brown is lovely so I have another. I am now drunk.
The main stage now comes alive and the band comes on. Everyone goes to watch so we go back to the bar again for the fourth time. It's rammed as it's near the stage. Waiter sees me and brings out a table for us. First act is like someone who has failed a Eurovision song contest audition. Second act is a Spanish cheeky girl tribute band.
The stage then shuts at 10pm as does every other bar as the beer tents are now open. The shite disco comes back on but twice as loud. We decide to call it a night expecting the music to go on until midnight. Outside it's getting busy and a motorhome turns up with 6 girls in it. I am smashed by now due to not eating enough and drinking too much and am asleep in seconds. What seems like 20 minutes later I am awakened by the DJ shouting something in Spanish. Outside all the vans are completely surrounded by badly parked cars. I look at my watch and it is 3:14am. The music goes on until 6am. In-between drunks come back to sleep in their cars. The Atomic Kitten tribute come back to there van about 5am all screaming like witches.We depart at 9:30am. All in all a good day.
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