Jane & Rog Plod to Portugal

[scousebird]

What I’m less sure about is if those arms are strong enough. ABS has a good Young’s modulus of 2.8 GPa: well able to resist the forces Jane’s arm can produce or that of an egg shell when a point force is applied (we will approximate Jane’s teaspoon as a conic body for ease of calculation). However 3d printing introduces layers into any object which lower the Young’s modulus through a combination of imperfect adhesion and small sharp corners at boundaries concentrating stress.

We will of course report back on usage of the egg cup and any yolk related spillage resulting from catastrophic delamination of egg support arms.

 

[The Coops]

The egg cup is made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (commonly known as ABS) it’s the same stuff that Lego bricks and probably a lot of the dash and plastic trim of your van is made of. As I’m sure you know all 3d printing filaments are thermoplastics and ABS is no exception. It’s glass transition temperature - the temperature at which is becomes malleable and deforms is 105C - which is why you can’t dissolve a LEGO brick in your tea and why Jane’s morning egg - assuming it ever exists - will not melt the egg cup.

What I’m less sure about is if those arms are strong enough. ABS has a good Young’s modulus of 2.8 GPa: well able to resist the forces Jane’s arm can produce or that of an egg shell when a point force is applied (we will approximate Jane’s teaspoon as a conic body for ease of calculation). However 3d printing introduces layers into any object which lower the Young’s modulus through a combination of imperfect adhesion and small sharp corners at boundaries concentrating stress.

We will of course report back on usage of the egg cup and any yolk related spillage resulting from catastrophic delamination of egg support arms.

All very well but me 'Ed "urts now

 

[Jane And Rog]

Well, as 3D printing is layered, can you not make some of the layers from Euros. The notes, obviously, not coins. Not sure about the Youngs Modulus of banknotes, though, but you are obviously an expert in elasticity - and stiffness!

He’s 57 you know.

 

[Jane And Rog]

Well, I’m afraid that’s it. I’ve got to stop this blog right now, because it’s impossible to think that we’ll do anything this holiday that’s more exciting than today’s lunch.

Yes, the egg cup was used! Just look how happy I am.

I’m pleased to report that nothing melted or broke. The only issue was that cup is super light so I had to hold it while applying my spoon to cut the top off. It needs setting in a block of concrete or something.

In other lunch news, Rog did not join me in a boiled egg, but did have some delicious pressed pig’s head and local cheese. Luckily I spotted an educational poster in the supermarket, so he can be sure to cut the latter correctly.

We are staying the night at Camping St Martin, on the Atlantic coast at Moliets-et-Maa, where we got an ASCI spot for just over 20€. All nice and good but they force you to wear a wristband. Rog was not happy!

Flynn’s little doggy mind was blown by the direct access to the beach…

Well, mine was too to be fair. It was a lovely coastline, the weather was fantastic, and we had a good walk northwards up the beach and the Courant d’Huchet (a river trying to get past the dunes to the sea).

Then we back tracked through the forest and into town, where we scoped out the restaurants and indulged in an ice-cream. Only about my third this year, standards are really slipping. Must try harder. Anyway, they were delicious - rum and raisin for sir and lemon meringue for me. Mine was excellent as for once the lemon was tart and lemony enough to withstand the meringue.

Back at the van, our first game of Scrawlopolis. Not convinced, feels more like a puzzle to play on your own.

After a drink at l’Océan…

… we ended up eating there as most of the other restaurants we’d seen earlier were actually closing from lunch - not just for a break, but for the day. Probably until summer 2025.

Luckily the food was excellent. Razor clams and the untranslatable “graisserons” to start, and then squid and Basque rice, and croustillant de pied de cochon (pig’s foot thingy) for me. Although we actually ended up sharing them, pretty much.

When the waiter came with the bill, we realised he spoke English, so tried to decode the graisserons. With a bit of that and my request for “simple French” we found out that it was pork in duck fat, a local delicacy apparently. All very good anyway.

 

[Lenny HB]

All nice and good but they force you to wear a wristband. Rog was not happy!

Hardly use sites that would put me right off, no way would I wear that.

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[garry55]

Wrist bands! Is that an "all-inclusive" camp site then?

 

[Jane And Rog]

Wrist bands! Is that an "all-inclusive" camp site then?

It’s for security reasons because of the open beach access. We did complain to the reception chap, but he just said that we were putting up with it for just one night, and I thought, yeah, fair enough. Didn’t want to move on, did want the services, and apart from a little red wristband it’s been great.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

That is strange. I’ve just deleted and downloaded the app to make sure it’s up to date and double check but it still only shows Portugese (Brazilian)!

Pretty sure they will still understand you. My daughter said she always spoke Spanish and they replied in Portuguese. We have found the use of English is very widespread in the most of of the way places. But it’s great you are trying to speak it. We can only say the basics plus I can say “sheep’s cheese” and “without lactose”

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Mainly driving today. First on the D roads and then finally the N10 which is great because it’s fairly fast and very toll free. The N10 is also somewhat symbolic for us - the last time we used it was driving to Morocco - our first long trip after I retired.

Today we’ve come about 500kms south to just north east of Bordeaux. We’re sharing the free-if-you-buy-some wine camping at Vignoble Pestoury amongst representatives from every other European country except France.

View attachment 957845

Denby, Jane and the chateaux before the Swiss arrived​

Before we get into the wine, I also feel I should sing the praises of my new 3D printer. Not only do we have a nice bedside phone stand each and the lighter no longer rattles, there is a new funnel for the Aeropress, the little gas canisters for the new bbq can be hooked under the table and most importantly Jane has a science fiction egg cup for the boiled eggs we never eat in the van.

View attachment 957846

A watched egg never boils​

The wine tasting at Vignoble Pestoury was very informative. It was also quite long - you could feel everyone willing the nice lady to speed up and splash the free wine. She wasn’t to be hurried though. We got a detailed explanation of the winery and her family, the weather and politics of Bordeaux wine and how you might transition to organic wine making.

View attachment 957847

Sanctioned scrumping​

Finally we were ushered into the tasting room where we were given a further 30 minute lesson on the geography of Bordeaux and differences between small producers and the grand crus. It was actually very interesting - she knew her grapes and soil and was pretty funny. When it did come the tasting was very generous. They make seven wines, we tasted all of them, three versions of their mainstay and a bonus Saint Emillion from a vineyard they sold a few years ago.

View attachment 957848

Geography teacher with benefits​

This 3D printer really interests me.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Hardly use sites that would put me right off, no way would I wear that.

It might be worth us all clubbing together to pay for a night just to see you wear it

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[Orion]

View attachment 958315


The only issue was that cup is super light so I had to hold it while applying my spoon to cut the top off. It needs setting in a block of concrete or something.

C’mon, Rog needs to apply some lateral thinking to the problem then. A QD fitting recessed into and screwed through the table with the opposing part on the underside of the eggcup would be a ‘simple’ solution!

 

[Jane And Rog]

This 3D printer really interests me.

In what way? There is a whole group on MHF dedicated to 3d printing if you have a question.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

In what way? There is a whole group on MHF dedicated to 3d printing if you have a question.

Nothing specific, I m going to retire soon and thought it might be a fun toy. I’ll have a look at the group.

 

[cliffanger]

Jane - Going back to the super light egg cup - I’ve never been able to break my egg with a spoon, so I use one of these:

Right, now I’ve solved that problem for you, you can go on plodding to your hearts content!

 

[Just smiffy]

Jane - Going back to the super light egg cup - I’ve never been able to break my egg with a spoon, so I use one of these:
View attachment 958701

Right, now I’ve solved that problem for you, you can go on plodding to your hearts content!

Looks light some thing of torture…. Or some sex fetish thing..

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[Jane And Rog]

We started the day early and Flynn and I were on the beach before the surfers - and to be fair, the sun. We had miles of the Atlantic coast to ourselves but only enough time to explore a few km of it.

Small dog or big beach?​

The three of us returned after coffee (and a croissant Jane procured for me). We walked north and forded the rather fast moving river flowing past the camp site. Yesterday at high tide this would have been impossible. This morning it was just a little unnerving. Especially if you have a broken ankle…

It’s deeper than it looks​

The surfers had arrived by the time we were leaving but as usual they just spent their time trying to look cool near the surf rather than actually looking cool on the surf.

It’s a calling, not a hobby.​

Jane had been recommended a camping spot near the top of the Mirador de Jaizkibel, a minor Pyrenee overlooking the Atlantic just over the border into Spain. But first, a Spanish supermarket. I think out of all the food of Europe (excluding the humble English and mighty german sausage of course) we like Spanish food the best. Spain also has the best markets and Supermarkets. This time we went to Eroski in Akartegi and came out armed with the making of a pork BBQ or as I call it “barbecoa de carne de cerdo”. Since I started to learn Spanish and Jane Portuguese we are now in the only country in the world (other than England) where I speako de lingo better than Jane.

Los cervesas, as we say​

We were early so we also wandered around Akartegi. It’s a pretty village with a lot of medieval streets intact and a church that Trip Advisor describes as “dull, not worth the climb”.

Then up the mountain where we’ve bagged (what we think) in prime position next to some greenery. We took Flynn to the summit of Mirador de Jaizkibel for the spectacular views. I carted the drone up but it wasn’t needed; the views were stunning from the ground.

A dog with a view​

We came down the mountain and set up chairs and cooking outside. Jane managed to get some beans prepared before the rain started. The view disappeared and we were confined to quarters for the rest of the night. Flynn got a brief (and confusing) walk in the clouds before bed.

Spot the dog. I mean Flynn the dog.​

 

[Wanders from Glos]

We agree about Spanish supermarkets and markets.

 

[Dutch 68]

We agree about Spanish supermarkets and markets.

It’s good food, but the Greek food can’t be beaten

 

[cliffanger]

Looks light some thing of torture…. Or some sex fetish thing..

It came from the Betterware catalogue Garry - not Ann Summers

 

[Jane And Rog]

Last night we read a sign that said a film crew would be arriving at our car park at 8am the next day. I woke at 07:30 to find Denby still deep in cloud, and heavy rain thrumming loudly on the roof. “They won’t come in this weather,” we assured ourselves, drinking a leisurely cup of tea. (Good old English breakfast for me, Earl Grey for Rog who is a little effete.)

Fifteen minutes later there came a knock on the door! “We’ll be off before 8,” Rog assured the film man, rather oddly choosing to do it in French rather than the man’s native Spanish or Rog’s fairly fluent English. (He is from Lancashire, we make allowances.)

So we had scramble to get ready in ten minutes and then drive down the narrow mountain road before dawn, in mist and pouring rain.

Talking of which, I’d like to strongly object to a patent falsehood in an old popular song. The rain in Spain does not fall mainly on the plain. It has bucketed down with rain relentlessly all day, on the hills, by the sea, everywhere but the bloody plain, probably.

We stopped at the fantastic food market in Bilbao for a look around. The markets are so good here - it’s all fresh food, delicious looking meat, fish and fruit and vegetables.

After our mooch, we headed for the cafés at the far end of the hall and had some pintxos for brunch. Salt cod and scrambled eggs, baby eels with quail’s egg, ham sandwich, and langoustine bonbons. Yum, and all for €13, with two coffees.

PFN gave terrible reviews of all the parking near the Guggenheim Museum, with the last four posts being from people whose vans had been broken in to. The advice from a local was to park in an aire outside the city and get a bus in. Not available to those of us with dogs though, so we decided against and drove to the Museo de Altamira. A good decision - parking for motorhomes there was fantastic and very easy, and the museum itself very interesting.

It’s a reproduction of the real cave, made to save the paintings there from further damage - but so well done that apart from feeling a bit warmer and less damp than usual underground, you’d think you were in the actual cave looking at the originals.

The paintings were done between 36,000 and 13,000 years ago, and are of the usual suspects - bison, deer and horses. Never any humans though - it’s such a shame. How interesting would a family portrait be?

Our stop for the night is the aire at Santillana del Mar. Getting in was quite a palaver - I had to enter my full address, passport number, Denby’s registration, my O’ level results from 1976 and a letter signed by my Mum (difficult). Actually, I did even have to give them a digital signature. Perhaps the people of Santillana are running a complex criminal network, selling empty house tip-offs to dodgy types in Kent as I type.

It’s still raining.

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[Jane And Rog]

Never use Google translate for official signs. Never ask a lawyer for advice. The rules for tonight’s stop could be phrased rather more succinctly.

“Park at your own risk”​

 

[garry55]

The town of 3 lies.
And the Museum of Torture.
And the aire with circular shower rooms.
It was nicer weather when we stayed there in Feb this year

 

[Wanders from Glos]

The town of 3 lies.
And the Museum of Torture.
And the aire with circular shower rooms.
It was nicer weather when we stayed there in Feb this year
View attachment 959455Santillina del Mar is a great foodie stop. We had a fantastic meal there.

 

[cliffanger]

Never use Google translate for official signs. Never ask a lawyer for advice. The rules for tonight’s stop could be phrased rather more succinctly.

View attachment 959437

“Park at your own risk”​

I think they’ve heard about your Golden Egg Cup

 

[15edward]

Our first north Spain trip,I was lucky enough to go to the real caves..
So long ago!

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[The Coops]

Our first north Spain trip,I was lucky enough to go to the real caves..
So long ago!

Us too, 40 years ago now!

 

[Lenny HB]

We crossed into Spain a week ago, what's this rain you talk off?
Wall to wall sunshine & 33° for us.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

My comment should have said Santillana del mar is a real foodie destination. We had a lovely meal last time we went there.

 

[Jane And Rog]

We crossed into Spain a week ago, what's this rain you talk off?
Wall to wall sunshine & 33° for us.

It’s in the north.

 

[Jane And Rog]

My comment should have said Santillana del mar is a real foodie destination. We had a lovely meal last time we went there.

Oh no, we didn’t do so well. A bit because we ate too early. Where did you eat?

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