"A Year in Spain" My "last gasp" attempt at posting (informative info).

[Tigertom]

Montdragon looks a bit like a mini Mirepoix.

 

[gus-lopez]

I hear that Spanish second hand vehicles are a good bit more expensive than in the UK.

They are but for cars and vans I havefound that the farther North you go the cheaper they are and with less miles. No idea if mhs would be the same?

 

[jumartoo]

Montdragon looks a bit like a mini Mirepoix.

Don't know about that. Will have to Google it to find out.

It's a lovely place to overnight though, with a shop that sells bread and croissants for breakfast (amongst lots of other stuff).

 

[ChrisMac]

They are but for cars and vans I havefound that the farther North you go the cheaper they are and with less miles. No idea if mhs would be the same?

Thanks for that. I guess just like this country it’s geographical.

 

[jumartoo]

We had a cool, and very quiet night here. There were/are more of us here, the rest French. So some French aren't averse to paying for an overnight spot.

We'd found a bike route that began some 7km away, so we set off to pick it up. It turned out to be one of the VTTFFC red routes but there was nothing (normal) that we couldn't ride. Some of the puddles were a challenge though! We pushed around them, teetering on slippery banks.

We looked across to the village of Castelnau-de-Montmiral, little knowing that we would ride around it, and then up into the old Square. A lovely old town.

My bike battery is now set to arrive on Monday (can't complain if I DO get it for free) so we are here for at least one more night.

Tomorrow, a short bike ride and a trip to the laundry

Today's piccies.

In order of ride. No puddles were shown in the making of this post. I couldn't get the camera out whilst negotiating the mud.

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[jumartoo]

Just before we arrived in the village we rode through, to us a perfect overnight spot. No one was there so we thought it was a no no place.

I've looked on P4N and it seems it's an accepted overnight parking area.

For us it would be perfect, for most, it seems, they need the bright lights of, at least, a village!

 

[Jays2]

We tend to walk more than we bike, so find so amazing spots.
These spots i do not share, I feel to deserve to stay you must first find.

 

[jumartoo]

We tend to walk more than we bike, so find so amazing spots.
These spots i do not share, I feel to deserve to stay you must first find.

We don't advertise some of our spots, especially if they are in sensitive areas.

But then we use P4N and rely on people posting their favourite places. I do feel a bit hypocritical sometimes, but soon get over it!

 

[Jays2]

Yes I agree, it is, but P4N is here and now, in the past you would swop park ups by word of mouth.

16 years ago on our first long trip ( 6 months), a Dutch guy who we kept meeting, lent us his map, so we could copy the places.

 

[Littlewheels]

For us it would be perfect, for most, it seems, they need the bright lights of, at least, a village!

We tend to walk more than we bike, so find so amazing spots.
These spots i do not share, I feel to deserve to stay you must first

The hidden or remote ones are the best,l don’t understand peoples fears as any no gooders have no idea of the strength or protection you carry. This is why they run if it happens and you disturb them.

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[jumartoo]

I'm sorry this thread has been a tad mundane for the last week or so, whilst we're awaiting the delivery of my new bike battery.

Tomorrow, after spending time, and a very little money, at the launderette at Intermarche, Lisle-sur-Tarn, to make our clothes sweet smelling, we'll make a visit to Frankie aka Yodeli.

Hopefully, the delivery company will deliver my new battery on Monday, and we can then escape to cooler areas.

Even better will be when the cost of it is reimbursed to my bank account.

We'll have a nice celebration then.

We had a ride today, but the photos are still inside the camera. I'll release them later.

 

[jumartoo]

Yes I agree, it is, but P4N is here and now, in the past you would swop park ups by word of mouth.

16 years ago on our first long trip ( 6 months), a Dutch guy who we kept meeting, lent us his map, so we could copy the places.

Years ago we met a Belgian guy who gave us a ream of papers of places to park in Spain. This was the very early La PACA info that he'd printed out. We used it extensively for some years, until the internet, with the various apps, came into the fore.

 

[jumartoo]

I've now released my few photos from today's ride.

We began by retracing our first route as far as Lisle sur Tarn, to check out the parking availability for tomorrow morning's clothes wash.

We stopped to look at the local fauna. A pony and a couple of camels. Well it is unusually hot here ...

We then followed a marked route (or rather played "spot the route marker") to get us back. If took us steeply up a pebbley track, thank goodness for "boost" to visit a church, and then back down a grassy field. Steeper than it looks. One "private" track had a rather macabre disincentive to trespassers .

We made it back though, and enjoyed it, in our own way

It does go this way ...

... me duck!

Local fauna

Martin's hidden in there, somewhere. Honestly I saw him, even if the camera didn't. He WAS wearing yellow cammo though.

And this was steep, down ... even if it looks like a ride in the park.

"Don't come this way" private track marker

 

[gwyntaxi]

We (jumar and myself) live in Spain. We now have a "bolthole" apartment, twixt the mountains of Sierra Espuña and the med coast of Puerto Mazarron.

But ... we still have many motorhoming trips away. Local(ish) in autumn/winter/spring, and in the summer months, further afield.

In the summer I often start a thread, but, I soon give up, due to lack of inerest, maybe? to people being away on their own summer trips, and not needing info of places to go. Any other reasons, please say!

So ... I'm happy, and willing to post, a "Year in Spain" (with maybe a dip over the borders into France and Portugal).

Any interest, starting from now onwards??

Yes Please..

 

[jumartoo]

Washing done and the lightweight stuff is dry. Just waiting for towels to finish and then we're heading to find some shade en route to Balma. €7 for a wash and dry at an Intermarche at Lisle-sur-Tarn.

Martin's just found some motorhoming Brits to say hello to. They were putting fuel in their motorhome to head off to Bergerac. We still have more than three quarters of a tank of Spanish diesel

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[SMB]

We've been to Cabra (and Doña Mencia) a few times. Not stayed at the Motorhome area there though. When we were last there it was only a small carpark. The via Verde is nice to ride and I would think there are some Wiki routes to do.

This is the Cabra Aire now..

 

[jumartoo]

This is the Cabra Aire now..

View attachment 770895 View attachment 770896 View attachment 770897

Nice. We might have to have a Spring trip there.

 

[jumartoo]

We're now overnighting at Frankie's place in Balma and hoping that her gate defences are good enough to keep out the 400 encroaching "travellers"

We're hoping my new battery will arrive early tomorrow to let us get back out and back to our trip

 

[Go_buddy_go_]

Another thread I’ve just found and read… loving it! I don’t think we are brave enough yet to do anything like this but love reading about others experiences

 

[jumartoo]

Another thread I’ve just found and read… loving it! I don’t think we are brave enough yet to do anything like this but love reading about others experiences

No bravery required. Once you've done it you'll realise that.

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[jumartoo]

No "Travellers" arrived in this part of France last night, much to the relief of all.

My battery is in the delivery van ... when it gets into my hands is another question. But by 18.00 apparently

Martin's out on a ride I found that started near here. It's been raining here. I hope he missed it!

Frankie has a ginger rabbit that lives wild and visits.

 

[SMB]

No "Travellers" arrived in this part of France last night, much to the relief of all.

My battery is in the delivery van ... when it gets into my hands is another question. But by 18.00 apparently

Martin's out on a ride I found that started near here. It's been raining here. I hope he missed it!

Frankie has a ginger rabbit that lives wild and visits.

View attachment 771248

That's good about Frankie, the last time I saw her was a few years ago in Portugal and I think the travellers had descended while she was away

 

[bigtree]

If the travellers get in they’ll eat Harry the bunny.

 

[jumartoo]

If the travellers get in they’ll eat Harry the bunny.

Martin's already mentioned Lapin Chasseur!

 

[jumartoo]

A parcel was delivered at 10.00. The only one expected was mine. We opened it to recycle the cardboard and ... it wasn't a battery. It was for Frankie's neighbour, and luckily it didn't contain anything they wouldn't like us to see . It's now with its owners.

We're still waiting ...

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[jumartoo]

That's good about Frankie, the last time I saw her was a few years ago in Portugal and I think the travellers had descended while she was away

Yes, I remember her posting about it on Fun. It's more difficult for anyone to get in here now, but it's still a worry.

 

[jumartoo]

Aaaaand ... my parcel still hasn't arrived. And no further info forthcoming. So we have another night here and we'll decide what to do tomorrow.

(We'll be kicked off soon as being itinerants )

 

[jumartoo]

Well, the parcel was out for delivery again. We could see the gate all the time and Frankie made a very nice, large, notice with her phone number on the remote chance we missed a van pull in.

Not much chance of that, and yet it appears we did miss it at 9.50, and we also couldn't find the note left (allegedly). I was informed of this via their App at midday.

So, we drove across the city, taking care to keep out of the ctitair zones, to the depot. Armed with my phone with App info, Frankie's note, a letter from Frankie and a copy of her passport, Martin went to sort it!

All sorts of waffle ensued, a phone call with Frankie by the girl at the depot, had them saying it had only arrived with them today! And it would go out for delivery tomorrow . My App was shown, with all their messages, and Martin said he wasn't moving. So someone was sent to go to look. The outcome was ....

We have the battery

No thanks to them, and my app is now showing "delivered in good condition"

We're back on track, parked next to a fishing lake at the village of Gimont.

The cause of two days of frustration.

Beautiful, isn't it

 

[jumartoo]

From picking up the (yet untried) battery, we drove to a free parking area next to the fishing lake at Gimont. More rain overnight and in the morning had us moving again.

We had a very pleasant drive to a CCP at Tournay. Still litres of rain fell, so nothing was done and we drove off again this morning.

We're now at a supermarket aire at Argles Gasost, after ruling out paying to stay on a soggy ACSI campsite nearby.

My post on the MT.

Haha the camera never lies. At least until Photoshop was invented!

That's the saying, isn't it?

We tried to get onto a campsite near Argles Gazost, but the grass was sodden, so we left for a supermarket aire.

Martin's had a fishing/water hose connector buyfest in the supermarket and I took a few photos.

It really is OK, but not as idyllic as you'd think. It's on a Voie Vert, so I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll get a chance to try my bike with its new (free) battery.

But cameras can lie, or at least be manipulated!! Mine aren't 'shopped!

 

[jumartoo]

Tomorrow is forecast to be sunny. I've found a Wikiloc ride on a voie vert and local roads that we can do. Mountain biking is off the agenda until there's been a week of dry weather, at least.

Keeping fingers crossed

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