Back in Blighty

It has been a long time since we updated to blog and to be honest, really don’t know where to begin. It all started when we woke up in Campy on the morning of the Wed 6 March and the weather had taken a dramatic turn for the worst. The Atlantic was very angry for some reason huge waves crashed the shore and the wind and rain were hammering at the windows of the Van. We made the best of the day but it was clear it was set for the day and we were in for an unpleasant rock and roll sort of a day.

After lunch we walked to the WiFi bar and looked at the weather on the internet and to our horror it was not going to improve for at least two weeks. After a short chat we decided that we might as well move on as sit in the van and be battered. Even though we had already bought our ferry ticket for the 29th we thought it might possible to exchange the ticket get back to the UK earlier, We contacted Premier and requested them to make the new van ready earlier, they agreed to do it by Saturday 16 March. 

So on the Thursday 7 March we were on the road again and heading north up the coast. We battled the elements for most of the day and by the evening we were in Lyon (Spain) It was a shame to rush through the country as it was beautiful but the weather was so bad it was not a time for sight seeing. We drove 555km mostly on the ‘A’ roads which as it turned out was a mistake. By our reckoning it took a couple of hours longer by not using the motorways and probably cost us more in fuel than paying the toll. A lesson that will be rectified tomorrow. 

On the up side the drive was spectacular as we drove through the mountains only spoilt by the low cloud base which obscured the view. We promised ourselves we would come back this way again someday. The Aire in Lyon was fine, a long row of vans in specially marked bays in a public car park opposite a shopping centre and alongside a river. It was however freezing cold and we had to have the heating on all night.

By the end of the Friday 8 March we were at Bordeaux (French France). The motorway driving was fantastic and a welcome break from the windy roads of the previous day. There were no hold ups, road works, potholes, tailgaters or road raged nutters to worry about. At times we had the whole motorway to ourselves. We sailed along all day at 120kph on cruise control and sat there watching the Kilometers drift by. By the time we reached Bordeaux we had done an amazing 624k. 

We camped the night on a supermarket car park not far from a petrol station and a Lidl. We were the only ones there but it didn’t bother us a bit. We shut the curtains, put the heating and music on and we could have been anywhere. As it happened it was a great place to stay. 

Up and at it quite early on the morning of Saturday 9 March, it was straight on the motorway and on with the cruise control. On route, we decided it really was time we took showers as we were both in need of one. At lunch time we found a campsite which was open and had all the facilities but there was a 2hr wait until the warden returned from his\her lunch. It would also have cost a fortune to stay there so we decided the shower would have to wait. Luckily, we found a solution back on the motorway. At a previous service station we noticed there was showers and sure enough the next one we came to also had them. Two euros and a shared shower later and we were sparkling like new pins. Fantastic hot and very powerful, just what every trucker needs...

We were in Le Havre by about 4pm having completed another 633k. That made a total of 1812k in 3 days. We spent about €71.70 on toll which we thought was reasonable and well worth the expense. That evening we stayed on the Aire next to the ports and the ferry terminal. The Ferry wouldn’t leave till 5pm the next day but that was fine as we could occupy ourselves for the day in Le Havre. Another freezing night.

Sunday 10 March - Washing day. First thing after breakfast we walked the long way round to the Ferry office and swapped the ticket to that evening’s sail. We then walked the short route back to Campy and collected all the washing and spent the rest of the morning in the launderette. Not very glamorous but rewarding to have all clean clothes and bedding. We also had a walk around the city and took in a few of the sites. Le Havre was very badly bombed in the war and now has many concrete buildings and apartment blocks. We marveled at the ‘upside down yoghurt pot’ which is a cultural centre.

The loading of the ferry started at 3pm and we were in the queue near the front. At about 4pm once the sniffer dogs had been up and down a few times, we were allowed to drive onto the ferry and go the the lounge area.

It was quite a small ferry certainly by Calais standards. The duty free shop was a real disappointment. In the end we came back to the UK without a single drop of alcohol on board. 5pm and we were let go and we weren’t out the harbour before the Captain announced that we were in for a rough passage. Poor Petra suffered until Kev found a seat in the centre of the ship where the motion was kinder. We arrived in Portsmouth five and a half hours later and we were all glad to get off.

That night we intended to spent the night on the Safesure car park where all our belongings are stored, it’s next to Fratten Park football ground. Unfortunately, the barrier was down and we couldn’t get in. Not put off by this on the opposite side of the road is a B&Q car park and surprise surprise a row or VW T5 vans. We parked Campy in the middle of them and went to MacDonald's for a late cup of tea and a bag of fries.

Monday 11 March, We had a bit of shock in the morning and couldn't believe how cold it had been in the night. There was snow on the van for goodness sake? We were up at 6am and over to MadDonald’s before you could say MacMuffin. The rest of the day was spent in the storage depot finding warm coats and dropping stuff off. In the evening we arrived at our friends house (George) in Aldwick who is a friend of Gaby’s and who had so kindly invited us to stay.

We are so grateful to Gaby and George, Gaby who fed us like kings and to George who put up with all of Campy’s belongings taking over his spare room. How he put up with us is a miracle and a testament to his good nature. We will be forever in their debt for the kindness they showed. We stayed at George’s house for a week where we made the final arrangements for the hand over of the van’s and sorting out of our equipment. We could never have done it without there help and we love you both.

The big day finally arrived on Saturday 16 March and we went down to Premier to swap over the van. I would like to say it was a sad moment for us to say goodbye to Campy but in the end it really was ok. As soon as we saw the new van which (due to the appalling weather) was under cover in the workshop we knew we had done the right thing. ‘He who must yet be named’ stood there resplendent all white and silver. we went inside and it was so warm and snug we immediately took to it. Premier were great, a fantastic un-rushed handover and no effort was too small. they even fitted a clothes rail in the garage for our extra clothes. We made a few purchases from the shop and after we set off. 

It was really odd driving a left hand drive vehicle on the left side of the road which was of course opposite to driving Campy abroad. It took a bit of getting used too especially having the gear changer on the right. We went back to George’s and spent the afternoon loading up our stuff which took most of the afternoon. 

It was very sad to say goodbye to Gaby and George as we have really loved our time with them and will miss them both very much. Thank you both so much for all you have done for us X

So, we said our goodbyes and we were on the road again. This time we were on our way to visit Kev’s big sister Carol and Warwick in Chard. It was only two and a half hours away but it was a good chance to get used to driving the van. The van is much wider than Campy was and with the steering wheel on the left, it is so easy to wander on to the cats eyes in the middle of the road. It took a great deal of concentration at first but by the end of the journey it was all ok and settled. Mind you, Kev’s looking forward to getting back on the continent so at last he can drive the correct vehicle on the correct side of the road.

Friday 22 March
It hasn’t stopped raining since we arrived in the UK and quite frankly it’s getting us down. We can’t go back abroad yet as we want to see the rest of the family & friends and we have some jobs to be done on the van. But one thing for sure, we will be back on that ferry before April is out. 

We have ordered a few extras for the van including the LPG gas system which means we can fill up the gas cylinders in any country from the service stations. It would have been almost impossible to have kept up with changing gas regulators in all the countries we eventually intend to travel in so it made sense to do it now rather than later. We are also having two brand new leisure batteries fitted to boost the available power we need. The battery that came with the van was faulty and Premier are replacing it FOC. We are also having a rear panel replaced that had been damaged by the previous owner. Apparently, these panels are only stuck on with velcro so it shouldn’t take long!

Carol and Warwick have kindly agreed to look after us as long as we need to stay so again many thanks to them for their kindness and hospitality. With the weather as it is we could be here for some time!!! Their huge drive has given us a great opportunity to park the van right outside the door and we have had a proper sort out of all the cupboards.

Due to the weather Kev hasn’t taken a single photo so there will be no pictures on the blog today. Also, we doubt there will be another entry for a week or so as we will be at Carol’s waiting for the weather to change. We have had a couple of outings. Ilminster is a lovely little town about 5 miles from Chard. We strolled around the town with Warwick and had coffee in the Arts centre there. They had an excellent exhibition of local artist’s work. Tomorrow we are planning a day in Exeter.

Weekend with the Melvilles

Friday 1 March

Quite an easy day today as we spent most of the day driving to Lisbon. We ended up in a campsite on the outskirts of Lisbon having driven through the center of the city (Interesting experience) It was a nice site with internet access in the bar and we had our washing done for us.  Mind you for €22 camp fees I would have expected her to iron it as well!!!

Saturday 2 March

A fairly early start to drive into the City to park outside Duncan and Marta’s apartment block. They live in the east side of the City, close to the river and in an area that since 1998 undergone recent regeneration (just like Birmingham). The area thrived due to Expo ’98. It’s a high-tech area with modern futuristic buildings and is bursting with culture and artistic design. We loved the architecture, especially the railway station and the Portuguese display area for which they used for the expo, the concrete appears to float. 

We walked down the road which is to the side of the river marveling at the sites looking for the tour bus stop which we managed to find just as the bus was leaving. Unfortunately the next bus wasn't for 45 mins so to pass the time we had a look around a huge (on 4 floors) shopping centre which later Marta told us was only a small one. She also said that it remained open until midnight and it was quite normal to get home from work at 8pm, have dinner and then go out shopping. 

We got onto the open top tour bus having been given a set of earphones and went upstairs. It was quite a chilly day and just about unbearable when the bus accelerated along dual carriageways. When Kev’s thumbs turned blue we knew it was time to move to a warmer spot. As it happens, the €30 cost for us both was well worth it. We were on the bus for 1hr 45mins all told and split up the journey when we arrived in the city centre. We had a good look round. 

In the centre of a Plaza was a tented area containing artisan market stalls. For lunch we had a sandwich which comprised of a kind of Parma ham and soft goats cheese scooped out of the large cheese with a wooden spoon and put inside some artisan flat bread. Delicious. We then homed in on the cake shop, Kev had a coconut spongy one and Petra a chocolate cake. We love Portuguese cakes, so much better than any we saw in Spain. 

After coffee we explored some more and then rejoined the bus, same driver but different bus with a covered top, much warmer. We got off where we started and made our way to see Duncan, Marta and little Sara. 

So, after 32 years Kevin and Duncan finally got together. It was great to see him and his family and we both agreed that 32 years ago if we had said we would meet together in an apartment in Lisbon we would never have thought it possible. They were soon reminiscing about their time together in 25 Field Regiment Royal Artillery in Paderborn, West Germany. It brought back some fond memories of their time together and the trials and tribulations of being a soldier in the early 80s. 

In the afternoon they drove us out of the city (in their Mercedes) to Cascais on the coast. It is a beautiful, affluent town on a rocky coastline with soft sand beaches and large Atlantic surfing waves. We saw several people surfing there. We ambled around the cobbled streets stopping at a cafe for a delicious shot of coffee and the mandatory cake. Duncan showed us bars where he used to play with his band and every English bar in the town. 
By the time we got back to their apartment area it was about 8.30pm and we went to a restaurant close to their home where they were very well known and had very good dinner, we chose the kebabs which were fantastic. 

That evening we slept in Campy in the street outside the apartment - we were surprised how quiet it was and had a very good night’s sleep. 

Next morning after showers and breakfast we all went to visit the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos and Church, in Lisbon, close to the river. These were very impressive and from here we had a short walk to the torre de Belem, a monument to Portuguese explorers who apparently discovered the world. This whole area was very well kept and a wonderful place to stroll around on a Sunday morning.

We then headed to a harbourside restaurant for a late lunch. We had the traditional dish of Bacalhau a Bras - cod, onion, eggs with tiny tiny chips all cooked together. It was delicious and accompanied by white wine from Portugal - monte velho. There was a birthday celebration on the next table and we joined in with the singing. We were rewarded with chocolate birthday cake. Result!

After lunch we had a drive through some of the older and narrow streets in Lisbon to a spectacular viewpoint. We would never have been able to take Campy through those streets. The view of the city from there was fantastic and Duncan was able to point out all the landmarks to us. 

Soon it was time to leave and we sadly said goodbye to Marta, Duncan and Sara. We would like to thank them sincerely for the their warm welcome and for taking us around their wonderful city. On leaving both Kevin and Duncan agreed that they should not leave it 32 years before meeting again. 

Duncan and Kev 1980/81

Duncan and Kev 2013

The Railway Station

The Family Melville

We drove north out of the city for about an hour and a half to an Aire at A Dos Cunhaurs. A pleasant spot but as usual next to a road and church (the bells, the bells).

Monday 4 March

It was a four hour drive to the Aire at Costa Nova today with a good stop at Obidos, which had been recommended to us by Duncan. This town will be remembered for 2 things. Firstly it’s a beautiful mediaeval town, even in the rain. Secondly it was the place we were at when we decided that we would take the momentous decision to let Campy go and replace her with a larger motorhome, more suited to our needs. We have both come to the conclusion that we love the traveling lifestyle and can’t think of anything else we would rather do. So why not do it in comfort, warmth and style. Sorry, Campy, we love you. 

She'll do!

We arrived at Costa Nova mid afternoon and we were taken aback by what we found. The Aires book gave no reference to the quirky seaside resort that we discovered. It is a summer holiday destination and most of the houses were shuttered up for the winter but you can see from the photos what an unusual place it is architecturally and a delight to walk round. Most of the properties are small but traditional in design, interspersed with Art-deco, even cubist design houses are in juxtaposition with aged traditional dwellings. A fascinating eclectic mixture. Most importantly we found a friendly bar with WiFi - they even let us charge up the Mac. 

We like it so much here that we are going to stay a few days, whilst the sun is shining and we have access to a brilliant cafe (cake).

Also available in bright yellow, red, green and a rather fetching puce

Yep the box is a house...Great!

Old school..

Fantastic Beaches

COSTA NOVA we love it!

On route to Lisbon

Thursday 28 February

It is really cold at night. The temperature drops to about 2 degrees and we don’t have the heating on all night. So if you need to get up in the night you need to steel yourself and go for it. The alternative is holding on and that is not easy. In the morning before we get up we can reach the heater switch and in no time at all it is lovely and warm. This morning we woke up at 7am, not surprising really as we are still on Spanish time in our body clocks so really its 8am. Still it was light just the same and after showers we tucked into our two huge croissants each and a steaming hot cup of fresh ground coffee. Yum.

Once packed up we went and sat outside the campsite restaurant to use the wifi. We were in full flow when a Swiss man came down the path expecting to do the same. He was very interested in the van and said he had one and how unsuitable it was for the cold weather and he did a lot of sucking through his teeth when we were on our way up north. He told us it would be too cold and we should stay in the south as long as possible. He backed it all up with the weather reports on his Apple laptop. We were glad when he went as we were quite happy before and now we weren’t.....!

Anyway, off we set and we told the TomTom to take us to our destination a campsite at Vila Nova de Milfontes. But first we wanted to stop at a village called Odemira on the way. Our Finish friends from Riogordo Aki and Maiju had recommended it to us and we thought we stop and take a look. 

The drive along the coast from Sagres was spectacular and so different from what we had been used to. It was green, lush and wooded. Clearly, the area had had its share of strong winds as many trees had been blown down and the workmen were still clearing away the damage. The road wound its way up into the hills, it really was a most pleasant trip and we both enjoyed it. The weather was mixed with mostly sunshine that made it all the better. 

On the way we went through and stopped at a village called Aljezur. We parked up and took a stroll up the hill towards the top of the village. We passed several interesting stone carvings and arrived at the top to see the Museum. We didn’t go in but it was a nice walk. At the bottom of the town not far from where we parked Campy we found a small car park containing several camper vans. It’s useful to know these places and we would have stayed there longer if we had the time.

We arrived at Odemira for lunch and sat in the car park at the bottom of the hill by the river Mira looking at the new Sky Walk bridge which was still under construction. As we walked up into the village it was clear that the whole place was undergoing a transformation and roads, pavements and even sides of hills were being ripped up and being relaid. We walked up the hills to the library which was lovely, very old and quaint. We retraced our steps to the other end of the village and walked around a small garden which was teeming with bird life. 

Can you spot Campy?

We left the village via a very windy road and headed back on the planned route Vila Nova de Milfontes. On the way we stopped off at Lidl and bought a few supplies and some custard tarts which Petra has been longing for since we left the UK. We made our way to the sea front at Vila Nova de Milfontes and was rewarded with a fantastic view across the bay. The Atlantic rollers were rolling in and it was spectacular to see them at a distance crashing in to the cliffs. There was another interesting sculpture facing the town from the vantage point.

We decided at €8 it wasn’t the effort to find a free campsite and besides we had seen signs warning people no to camp overnight. The campsite is situated 8k from the village of Vila Nova de Milfontes and is massive. When we drove into the site we were amazed how many caravans there were on the site and yet there wasn’t a car to be seen. We actually struggled to find a slot but settled in at the end of a line. It was rather strange seeing all these vans with no one about it felt a bit lonely and like a ghost tented city of permanently sited caravans. Still it was lovely and quiet and we even managed to give Campy a scrub as she was filthy.

Friday 1st March

Easy day today drove straight to Lisbon through the city and out the other end to the campsite. We have come to Lisbon to see Kev's ex Army chum Duncan who he has not seen for 32 years. We are really looking forward to seeing him tomorrow afternoon.