France / Spain / Portugal / Spain / France 2023 - in pictures.

[garry55]

In the beginning........................

Many hours later, our first ever trip in our newly-acquired motorhome saw us settled in the car park of the Royal Oak pub just outside Folkestone. Pricey, but needs must. Food was very good though. Not so the selection of real ales

Next morning, after an AHC scare, time to relax on the train.

First stop in France at Merlimont-Plage. Place was a ghost town.

We did manage to find the only bar that was open though

Paris, anyone? Spot the Champs Elysees? Beginners mistake.....................

A long drive, in foul weather, to the campsite at Bourges, where we stopped for a couple of days.

 

[CAB96]

Thread says 2023? Were you delayed?

Anyway, great pictures, thank you. Enjoy your trip.

 

[garry55]

I don't do "live" posts of our trips - too busy enjoying myself. Not too hot at on-line dialogue either.
I was cataloguing the pics from our inaugural trip and thought I would post them on here for others to see - there may be places we have been that appeal to others. Thanks for the + comment

 

[garry55]

Next stop was a very sombre one. Those who have been will know the feeling.................

We had to visit it separately as the kids dogs weren't allowed in. That allowed me to shed a tear or two in private.

Rocamadour.

Cordes-sur-Ciel

Campsite at Albi

 

[garry55]

Albi - in and around. Albi has 3 Aldi stores. Fact.

This is where we had lunch. Very nice too. Note the "brick" waste bins!

On to Millau for the night.

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[garry55]

Lucky for us, it was market day in Millau, so we stocked up with cheap fresh fruit and veg.

Just had to buy something from here............imagine this as a motorhome!

As it was Easter weekend in France, we headed for a campsite outside Toulouse and booked in for 3 nights. A short bus and metro ride later, we were in the city centre.

It's been a long, hot day...........

 

[jannyman]

That’s jogged the memory banks a bit as we have visited most of those places over the years. Thanks for posting.

 

[garry55]

Next stop en-route to Carcassonne - Limoux.

 

[garry55]

The next overnight stop was going to be on this car park at Carcassonne.

Plenty of other vans there and very convenient for walking into the centre.

However, when we returned to the car park, all the vans had left, leaving us all alone. Taking this to be a bad omen, we made a few hasty phone calls to various campsites and made a dash to the coast.
Neptune Norman and Mermaid Meg

Neptune Norman and Mermaid Meg.

 

[Fdhadi]

More please

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[garry55]

We left Argeles-sur-Mere after a very relaxing 2 day stay and hugged the rugged Costa Brava coastline on the D914, crossing into Spain and continuing along the N260 to our next stop at El Port de Selva. The campsite (Camping Port de la Vall) is right on the beach and a refreshingly gentle stroll away from the actual town.

Beware the low branches! Our van still bears the scars!

 

[garry55]

The town across the bay.

You can drive up to this. We didn't.

 

[garry55]

A seasoned memomagnetist hard at work.

Pretty town house.

And contrary to the old adage, these mad dogs do not go out in the midday sun.

 

[garry55]

Next stop along the coast....................

Pretty little place - not a lot to see or do - but a nice coastal path walk along the bay.

 

[garry55]

Onwards towards Valencia - Sant Feliu de Guixols was the find of the trip for us so far.

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[garry55]

After detouring around Barcelona we rejoined the coast at Tarragona, had a coffee break and dog walk in Cap Salou then overnighted at Camping Oasis Mar at Montroig, just beyond Cambrils. Doesn't get much closer to the beach than this.

Norman doing what Norman does on any beach..........

 

[garry55]

Valencia!
Unknown to us there was a great big International Scout Jamboree gig in the city and all the sites were full. We searched around and found 2 sites next door to each other on the outskirts - Camping Valencia El Saler was full, but told us that Camping Park El Saler had a vacancy. Unfortunately for us, a much bigger than ours motorhome got there just before we did. Unfortunately for them, they were turned away as they were too large for the available plot. Size does matter!
It didn't take long to figure why they had been turned away................

No pictures from me of Valencia as dogs are not allowed on Spanish buses. So, as I had visited the city on a previous motorbike tour, Sharon caught the bus from outside the site entrance and spent a day sightseeing whilst I looked after the dogs.
Another beach - another hole.

 

[Fdhadi]

 

[scousebird]

I'm enjoying your thread, thanks.

 

[Fdhadi]

We’re away in Bali but I’m really enjoying following this & LennyHB’s amongst others travels.
Seriously missing being in the Motorhome without sounding ungrateful.

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[garry55]

We were all set to continue along the coast towards our next favoured destination - Alicante - until Sharon chanced upon Albarracin in a tour guide she was reading. So, inland it was.

 

[garry55]

We stopped at a little street bar on a little street for refreshments.
Noticing that it stocked Campari, and not the usual Aperol substitute, I
ordered a Negroni for me and a Campari and soda for Sharon.
Total cost? 5 Euros with complimentary olives. These are the first of the four....

 

[garry55]

The road to Portugal - first overnight stop at Los Batanes campsite at Lagunas Ruidera. There is a serviced aire very close to the pubs / bars /restaurants of Ruidera but a lot of horror stories about trying to gain entry and the use of the services. As we were OK for water and electricity we opted to use the campsite in the forest at the bottom of the 5th (of 11) of the conjoined lakes. Great if you have bikes (we don't) but not very good for walking dogs. Great swimming opportunities for them though. But if you want to chill out, it's the ideal spot.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Nice pictures. Thank you.

 

[garry55]

Last stop in Spain - Cordoba. Autocaravanas Cordoba is just across the road from the old town with easy access to the mosque/cathedral - another for me to sit outside with the dogs. At least the bar had air con - it was 39 degrees outside.

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[varaizian]

I don’t know any of these places so thanks for posting.

 

[garry55]

I'm sure that most of you who have stayed in Tavira will be familiar with this site. We were on plot 57, at the back of the site, next to the railway line and the on-going building work.

 

[garry55]

After spending 3 very hot days in Tavira, we moved along the coast to Faro, staying for a further 2 nights at the municipal campsite on the Praia de Faro Nascente - a spit of land reached by a bridge from the mainland. On one side of the access road, the Atlantic Ocean pounds the sandy beach, on the other side is a calm lagoon. A ferry runs from the beach (lagoon side, just along from the campsite) to Faro city and cost us 3 Euros each way. The dogs travelled for free. Close to Faro airport, but they stop flying around 22:00 and after a couple of hours they become background noise. Lovely "chilled/hippy" vibe being ruined by new beach front developments. See it whilst you can!

Another beach.....................

 

[garry55]

Skipped the rest of the Algarve and took lunch at Sagres. Far too hot to walk the dogs for any distance, so we only got as far as the toilet block (for us) and some nearby scrubland (for the dogs).

A quick search for our next stop along the way resulted in us pitching up here for a night.........

Lovely unspoiled little coastal village with a most excellent fish restaurant - recommended.

Yoga on the beach - down facing dog and dog in freshly dug hole.........

Catching the last of the sun.........

 

[Barryh]

Great stuff. Please keep posting. Thanks.

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