Spanish Trip 1 - Calais to Salamanca

23 to 26 September 2019

Set the controls for the heart of the sun

It seems like a long time since our Scottish trip, but we are going to make up for it - we're off to southern Spain! Preparations were somewhat more taxing than usual, not only getting organised for a motorhome trip, but packing for a wedding (Georgie, our niece, to James). We arrived in Kent on Friday 20 September with all we needed (we hope). The wedding was perfect in every way .... lovely venue, gorgeous weather and beautiful bride.

Georgie and James

We were able to park the motorcaravan at our overnight accommodation and on Sunday afternoon met up with our buddies for this trip, Barbara and Clive, at the Bearsted Caravan and Motorhome Club site. 

On Monday we arrived at the Shuttle terminal with time for coffee (thought it best to humour John from day one!)

Coffee at The Shuttle

The first overnight stop was at Sées and the only item of note during the journey was that we took a wrong turning on the edge of Rouen. This town manages to defeat us every time we venture near!

Sées has proved to be a little gem. The municipal camp site is located just off the A28 and there was time for an evening walk into town. It may only have 5000 inhabitants but it has plenty of facilities and an interesting history (medieval buildings, huge cathedral) with information boards in English too!  It would certainly warrant exploring further for half a day or so.

Sees, France

To celebrate our first night in France we decided to eat out and Au Normandy (how appropriate) proved to be a good choice.

We drove to Saintes next day (Tuesday) in heavy rain and strong wind. However, it brightened up considerably by late afternoon and we were able to have a pleasant walk around the town to stretch our legs and ease our backsides. 525 miles clocked to date. We had planned to stay in Saintes for two nights but in view of the weather forecast decided to drive on to find the better weather (we hope)!

Arch of Germanicus, Saintes

So Wednesday's journey was towards Nuvilla, south of Bilbao, which took us around the very busy Bordeaux orbital motorway and then towards the Spanish border with lovely views of the Pyrenees. Cross border travel in the EU is such a non-event, you are lucky if you see a sign to say you are in a different country. Then through the wooded hills, tunnels and viaducts of northern Spain. A particularly annoying aspect of the journey has been the frequent stops for the tolls, either to collect a ticket or pay the charge, which might be a fixed one without a ticket. And how the amount is worked out is anyone's guess.

The site at Nuvilla was a gem. A bit off the beaten track but peaceful and with pleasant views and excellent facilities. Thursday morning was warm and sunny so we didn't rush off - in fact, it would have been rather nice to stay a second night, but we have given ourselves a fairly packed schedule, so it's off to Salamanca. The scenery varied from interesting rock formations in the north to a more rolling landscape and then flatlands as we headed further south.

The site at Salamanca is about 4 miles from the town and we went in by bike alongside the river. John particularly wanted to visit this old university town and it is beautiful. Highlights were the Plaza Mayor, university buildings and the old and new cathedrals, adjacent to each other, where you can climb to the bell tower for a close look at the stonework and good views over the town. Part of the tower tour takes you round a gallery seriously high up in the new cathedral, which gave a totally different perspective. We shall be making a second visit to the town later today.

Salamanca 1

Salamanca 2

South West Scotland - 4

17- 24 Jun 2019

Kites

The rain had stopped by the time we reached our destination, the CMC site at Garlieston, on the east side of The Machars peninsula. The site is in a lovely location, overlooking the small bay and town. Next morning we caught a local bus to Wigtown, known as Scotland’s book capital. John was in his element here; not only bookshops and coffee shops, but bookshops with coffee shops! We can heartily recommend Reading Lasses – probably the best coffee of the trip, with a delicious homemade scone and jam, enjoyed in leather armchairs surrounded by shelves and shelves of books.

Away from the second-hand bookshops, there is a darker side to Wigtown. A short walk took us to the marshy banks of the River Cree and the sombre Martyrs Stake. Here, in 1685 two women were tied to stakes and drowned by the rising tide for refusing to renounce their Covenanter faith. The overcast skies added to the dark atmosphere.

The Martyr's stake

Tuesday was a brighter day – meteorologically and metaphorically. We caught a bus in the other direction, down to the small harbour of the Isle of Whithorn. We walked out to the remains of St Ninian’s chapel, and came across the nearby memorial to the crew of the fishing boat Solway Harvester. During heavy storms in January 2000 the boat was lost with all hands near the Isle of Man. All the crew came from the isle of Whithorn. 

St Ninian's Chapel

After lunch on the site we went for a walk in the sunshine around the headland from Garlieston to Rigg bay. During WW2 the concrete Mulberry Harbours used in the invasion of Normandy were tested here, having been constructed in Garlieston.

Our final port of call was to be Kirkcudbright, but we broke our short journey at the Red Kite feeding station near Laurieston. Here we witnessed an amazing display, as dozens of kites circled and swooped to pick up food. Our cameras worked overtime, but we lacked the specialist kit to get really good shots – a couple of serious bird photographers had cameras with lenses the size of howitzers.

Our destination in Kirkcudbright (Kir-coo-bree to the locals) was Silver Craigs, a lovely campsite on a hill above the town, but only about 15 minutes’ walk to the town centre. We spent a pleasant day in the town; firstly at the old Toll House, now the Tollbooth arts centre, then at Broughton House. This fine old townhouse was the home of the painter Edward Hornel. Whilst works of art dominate the inside, the rear gardens show his other passion. Stretching down to towards the River Dee, they were divided into themed areas. Our afternoon walk along the river towards the remains of the old railway viaduct was curtailed slightly when the heavens opened.

Broughton House garden

Then it was back to Edinburgh for a couple of days with Louise, Steve and Jocelyn, followed by overnighting in Filey for more family visiting.

South West Scotland - 3

Jun 13 - 16 2019

 A New England

On the way to New England Bay, in the South Rhins of Galloway, we stopped in a lay-by with lovely views over the island of Ailsa Craig (beloved of bored cameramen during golf from Turnberry) and the Firth of Clyde and then at Portpatrick.

Ailsa Craig

This should have been a pretty little fishing harbour, where you could sit outside one of several cafes watching the world go by.  In reality, it was cold, gloomy, with very few people about and we had a quick walk around before hastening back to the 'van.  On a positive note, there is a lifeboat station there, and John purchased his normal quota of RNLI Christmas cards!

Gloomy Portpatrick

The CMC site at New England Bay stretches for quite some way along the coast and you can walk in either direction.  And you see plenty of birds from the comfort of the 'van.  The only way to get to the Mull of Galloway was to take the van and John bravely tackled the winding B-road with high hedges, followed by the single-track road with passing places, a total of 5 miles.  Just before the Mull, we literally had to nudge our way through a herd of cattle and calves. 

But we arrived unscathed and the scenery and views over Luce Bay and the Irish Sea were well worth the journey.  The Lake District Fells and the Isle of Man were clearly visible, with a dark smudge on the western horizon indicating Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, the lighthouse tours were not taking place due to a wedding later in the afternoon, but we did a circular walk around the Mull, ending at the RSBP visitor centre, where the volunteers were delighted to chat about the many birds in the vicinity.

Mull of Galloway

From New England Bay we cycled 2.5 miles on minor roads to get to Logan Botanic Gardens, which is part of the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. Its specialism is plants from warm climates of the world.

Logan Botanic Garden

It was then time to head east, following the coast past Auchenmalg Bay and Port William, before cutting across to Withorn.  This is where "St Ninian, the first apostle of Christianity in Scotland, is believed to have built his church Candida Casa.  For centuries, commoners and kings have visited the shrine of the saint.  The settlement grew to become Scotland's first town".  The detailed exhibition was very interesting but we only scurried round the remains of the church, as it was raining again.

South West Scotland - 2

7 - 12 Jun 2019

Fly like an Eagle

From Muasdale we retraced our steps slightly, to catch the CalMac Ferry from Claonaig to Lochranza on the Isle of Arran, a short 30 minute trip. To reach the ferry you drive down several miles of single-track road (with passing places) and on arrival, the “Ferry Terminal” is, in fact, a slipway and what looks like a bus shelter.

The Lochranza Campsite is very peaceful (no main road nearby!) and there are plenty of walks to keep visitors occupied. Once we were settled on our pitch, we picked up some leaflets on local walks from the helpful staff at reception and headed off up Gleann Biorach. This was a short walk in pleasant sunshine, and we were delighted to see a pair of Golden Eagles soaring above the rocks on Torr Nead. 

Lochranza campsite

Looking for eagles

In order to see more of the island, without having to move the motorcaravan, we used the local buses to get to Brodick on the east side, then across to Blackwaterfoot in the west, travelling back to Brodick along the southern coast. This was the only day (so far, fingers crossed) that we have got really wet and we hid for a while in the Arran Heritage Museum until it was time for our bus. On Sunday afternoon we took another of the recommended walks, around the headland to the north of Lochranza. Walking out from the pitch, we passed nine red deer just outside - and even just inside - the campsite. 

On our way back, we saw another Golden Eagle, high above the hills. Glorious sunshine on Monday was an inducement to walk into Lochranza (about 15 minutes) to take some photographs of the castle and bay.

From Arran our journey continued with a 55 minute ferry crossing to Ardrossan on the mainland and then to Culzean Castle, where there is an excellent CCC site.  From our pitch we looked out over Arran and hoped for a spectacular sunset - in vain!  

The estate at Culzean is enormous, with several marked trails to follow, leading to points of interest such as the camellia house, the swan pond and the biggest walled garden ever.  One of the current projects for National Trust for Scotland is to restore the walled garden to its former glory and we chatted to some of the workers who were planting squares of yew trees, each cage containing 25 trees, which will eventually cover the cage.  We joined a guided tour around the castle and had an excellent guide who mixed his facts with plenty of humour.

Culzean Castle

Inside the walled garden

South West Scotland - 1

30 May – 6 Jun 2019

Mull of Kintyre

It was not a promising start to the trip; we had left Stratford in the sunshine, but by the time we reached the Lake District, the rain had set in. It continued to rain at our overnight stop in Moffat (same site as 2017 – CCC site) and was still raining when we left the next day. Thankfully the skies cleared by the time we reached Edinburgh. We had come North to join the rest of the family to celebrate Jocelyn's first birthday; she enjoyed all the company, the attention - and the wrapping paper!

We spent two nights at the Mortonhall Caravan Park just inside Edinburgh’s city by-pass. The site is big, well organised and has good facilities. From Edinburgh we skirted Glasgow on the M8, and followed the southern end of Loch Lomond.  It was a very gloomy morning, but the roads were brightened by the abundance of deep pink rhododendrons.  Glen Croe was stunning even with the clouds covering the hilltops and at Rest and Be Thankful, six miles beyond Arrochar, we did just that, stopping at the Argyll Forest Car park. 

View down Glen Croe

From there you look down on the Military Road, constructed in the 18^th century, as part England’s attempts to quash Scottish rebellions.  And looking up, you can see Ben Arthur, aka The Cobbler, (when not shrouded in cloud!).   The A83 then took us along Loch Fyne, passing through Inverary, on our way to a three-night stay at Lochgilphead Caravan Park.

We easily filled the time in Lochgilphead with a visit to the Kilmartin local history museum, following this up with walks to a cairn of stones, the Nether Largie standing stones, Temple Wood stone circle and the ruined Carnassarie Castle. There was also a visit to Arduaine Garden, National Trust for Scotland, where the main feature of the lower garden is the giant rhododendrons, sadly past their best.  The upper garden is mainly woodland. 

Standing stones at Kilmartin

The bikes were unloaded the from the back of the van and we had a lovely ride along the Crinan Canal to Crinan lock basin (7 miles), passing the south side of the Moine Mhor (peat bog).  There were plenty of other folk on the towpath, cycling or walking their dogs, and many boats negotiating the locks.  As I was taking a photograph of a pretty cabin on the other side of the canal, a male cyclist, a Canadian, passed me and apologised that he was not able to invite us in to his residence, but he was off to Lochgilphead to do his shopping.  It seemed rather like an extract from Wind in the Willows, which we took Ben to see the other week!  The resident turned out to be an artist, Fraser MacIver, who has had his home studio on the canal since 1997.  

Fraser MacIver's studio

 

Crinan Basin

On our way to the next site at Muasdale we stopped briefly in Tarbert and walked rather quickly in the rain around the castle ruins.  The "site" at Muasdale was tiny, right beside the beach.  Also right next to the A83!  We were only there one night, but had a couple of enjoyable walks along the beach and could see seals on the rocks a little way off the beach. Sadly the hoped-for sunset over the islands of Islay and Jura did not quite materialise – maybe next time!

On Muasdale beach

Evening on the Sound of Jura

Hereford and Tewkesbury

May 8 - 13 2019

The History Boys (and Girls)

Post from John

Time for our first “proper” trip of the year – and like 2018, it was to be a short break with our friends Barbara and Clive. Our rendezvous was at Brockhampton Estate, a National Trust property west of Worcester. This medieval manor house, later a more humble farmhouse, provided an interesting and enlightening few hours (after the obligatory visit to the tearoom).

Our base for the next couple of days was the Caravan Club affiliated site of Lucksall, about 4 miles outside Hereford. This proved to a an immaculately kept site, nestled alongside the River Wye, with some of the largest pitches we’ve ever seen. The next morning saw us catching the bus from outside the site entrance, bound for Hereford. The day was dull and rainy, so inside activities were in order. First up was the wonderful “Brick History” exhibition in the city library, with significant events from the past (the Big Bang, the destruction of Pompeii, the Boston Tea Party…) recreated in Lego.

Then on to the Cathedral, not just to admire the wonderful architecture, but to visit the Mappa Mundi. Dating from around 1300, this is the largest medieval map believed still to exist. Amazingly detailed, it served as both a geographic and theological document. 

Part of the Mappa Mundi

Friday was better weather, so we all donned our walking boots and set off on a circular walk that Clive had researched. The route took us through the nearby village of Mordiford, then alongside the river before heading up into the wooded hills. After a picnic lunch in the woods, we ended up back at the pub in Mordiford for a welcome drink.

The next morning, we had a leisurely start before driving the short distance to Tewkesbury Caravan and Motorhome Club site. This is situated in the heart of the town, close to the abbey. It was to the abbey we headed in the afternoon, and were intrigued to watch rehearsals taking place for an operatic performance that evening. The sounds of strings and voices were a fitting backdrop as we explored the building, reckoned to be one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in England. A short wander around the town completed the day.

Clive was out and about early with his camera on Sunday morning, to photograph the Tewkesbury marathon, the route of which passed close to the site. The rest of us joined him a little later, and walked to short distance to the Avon, watching narrowboats manoeuvring on the river, before crossing onto the Severn Ham. This is a large area bounded by the Rivers Severn and Avon, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and home to many varieties of flora and fauna. As we walked around the area, Clive and Barbara improved our wildlife knowledge by identifying the various birds we could hear and see.

After lunch we had a stroll around the area known as the vineyards, south of the abbey, site of some of the final fighting in the Battle of Tewkesbury, a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses. The Yorkists heavily defeated the Lancastrians, some survivors of whom fled to seek sanctuary in the Abbey, only to be dragged out and summarily executed.

On Monday we packed up and made the short (1 hour) journey home, once again having had an enjoyable time more or less on our doorstep.

A slightly longer trip coming up next….

Broadway

16 - 18 April 2019

All shook up

Post from John

Boat owners will be familiar with the concept of the “shakedown cruise” – the first trip after the winter lay-up, checking all systems are working correctly. With a spell of good weather forecast in the run-up to Easter, we thought we’d take the opportunity for a short trip in Amelia to check all was well, before longer trips later in the year. One complication – Ruth’s mum was staying with us. So, we decided that we’d take the van the short distance down to the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at Broadway, and use it as a base for a couple of days. I’d stay in the van, and Ruth and Mum would come down each day.

Broadway is the archetypal Cotswold village; all honey-coloured stone buildings, boutique shops and tea rooms. Whilst the ladies spent the morning in the village, I followed on in the van a little later and went straight to the site. This is on the edge of Broadway, right next to the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway. As the picture below shows, if you pick the right pitch, you have a great view through the window…..

We spent the afternoon in the van, checking everything worked, (which it did) and relaxing outside in the sunshine.

The next day we headed across the road to the station for a trip on the railway. The beautifully rebuilt Broadway station opened in early 2018, as part of the extension of the GWSR from Toddington in Gloucestershire. The 4 miles of new line is the result of over £1.1 million fund raising efforts, and a huge amount of work from the volunteers. We had an enjoyable few hours riding down to Cheltenham and back, followed by another spell of sitting in the sunshine. The relaxation was punctuated by the occasional rush up to the fence to photograph the passing trains.

After another quiet night in the van, on Thursday I drove Amelia the 40 minutes back home, where we emptied and restocked ready for the next trip. All in all, a successful few days, and proof that you don’t have to journey too far from home to have an enjoyable break.