Heading towards Portugal

Ok typing this on my iPhone sat in a Hotel BB in Lille. Crossed over to France on th 4 o clock Norfolk Line from Dover to Duinkirk after a week in which got back to the UK had Daphne serviced by danbury build a box for between seats (pics to follow), installed an amp an speakers for the iPad in rear and then among other things.

Visited friends in Dorchester on way to Dover so a stop over in a great pub last night then on to the continent. Tomorrow will head of towards Orlean via the Paris ring hoping to stop at the municipal at Olivet then onwards towards Perpignan on Tuesday, possibly stop around Argeles most likely on the beach road.

BTW just have to thank Jason for sorting out the service for us at short notice.

Well of to sort out the brats before we pop our first cork of the night

Have a good trip

Always interesting to hear your news and views. Have a good holiday.
osg

One of our BraziBays that is always at home 'on tour!'

Sounds a busy time - enjoy your trip

Day two in France

Did the 300k from Lille to Olivet just south of Orlean. Instead of the usual 4 hours with a stop at the start of the A10 took 5 hours because of hitting the Paris ring on Monday rush hour ie midday - yes the french stay in bed till 12 on a monday.

Anyway kids were great in the heat and so was Daphne she just cruised at 110k when she could or inched at a snails pace around Paris

Municipal camping Olivet is one of the few camp site in this area. Next to two rivers quiet even with children everywhere and great.

Just sitting now and cooking steak hache avec pommes et haricot very, very french. You have to love Auchan and Carrefour why can you get great fresh fish in the centre of france but tescos can not manage it anywhere

Anyways of towards Clermont Ferrand tomorrow and probably a two day stop with a swimming pool some where

Sounds good, enjoy the rest of your trip

Finally got down to Rousillion on Thursday afternoon after a two night stop just east of Brive at Aubazine

Three nights in a typical French vacanes campsite at Latour en Elne between Perpignan and the Spanish border. Spent today at Coullioure just chilling on the beach, fishing in the harbour and finishing with loads of good tapas for dinner.

Tomorrow we head up into the Pyrenees and cross over into Spain.

Daphne has so far been a treat, only requiring 500ml of oil even with a stead 100k/h all the way south.

Cool
Will watch with continued interest

Well I think it is Tuesday but not 100% sure.

We are now in Spain, well have been for three days. Sunday we headed up into the Pyrenees to the French, Spanish border at Bourg Madame / Puigcerda and the Cerdanya plain a piece of flat by Pyrenean standards land about the size of Somerset at over a 1200m . Daphne made great work of the N116 well she didn't need to go down to second very often on the climb up. Camped on the Spanish side of the border but spent yesterday on Le Petit Train Jaune up to Font Romeu where the worlds biggest solar harvest is. Now in Zaragoza after a 5ish hour drive including a 17km 7 % decent out of the Pyrenees

Was 30 plus degrees this afternoon but we now have the results which is very strong winds because of the updrafts,

Well tomorrow we head on towards Portugal probably be on the coast by Friday and if there is time will post some pics of Daphne iup a mountain

A week and a bit without internet - quite liberating actually

Anyway - made our way to the cantabrian coast rather than central Spain as the weather turned a bit wet and windy. Three nights on small site just East of santander at Isla overlooking the beach. Three days of sunburn, skimboarding and eating tapas.

then back to the middle and an overnight at camping Hotel regio at salamanca - at first sights not the most idilic settin but Back street heroes use it during their Run to the Sun each year and the bar is famous in bike circle - great music great bar owner and just a chilled atmosphere.

Then onto Portugal and the Rias near Aviero - though a word of warning trying to work out the new Portuguese Electronic toll system is a nightmare - you haveto get a temporary device which we couldnt get hold of even at a main post office so we now await and see if we have picked up any fines for using a 5 euro bit of toll road without a device.

Camped at Cosa Nova - never been there before but will probably never go back facilities poor even with a great beach and 4 days of high winds meant we did more sight seeing than actual beach time. Also Portugal still has not caught on to the idea of wifi

Back through spain again via salamanca - spent the evening around the cathedral eating some good tapasitos (tiny tapas) - and again headed for the bar on the camp site afterwards

Now on the last leg - back on the green coast just west of Santander this time for five nights -weather forecast is changeable but today we have blue sky great views over a private beach and yet again the main reason for hitting Iberia wonderful tapas - just have to love Rabas and pulpo

Some pics

Fab but ...... where's your nose VW roundel?!

I really hate them Tim

Really?! You hate the logo or just the idea of having one on your wheel cover?

Just anything on the wheel cover - played with the idea a few times and never found anything that looked ok it's probably with having a blue front end