Granada and back with broken fridge door (1 Viewer)

[magicsurfbus]

La Mancha eh? Those white things on the hill aren't giants, they're windmills, so don't go charging at them with your awning winder.

The only time our MH lost significant power was when a dicky jubilee clip on a turbo hose gave way, but if turning it off and turning it on again like a PC sorted it then it might be an engine management issue.

Not speaking much Spanish makes me feel less relaxed in Spain than I feel in France. I'm also not mad keen on the chaotic permanently unfinished appearance of their towns, and the iron bars on all the windows, but there was enough interesting stuff to see there to make our trip worthwhile.

 

[DavidG58]

so we are now at the destination of our trip, our very good friend in Durcal, (near Granada) recently widowed, life really is not fair, so no more travel for a few days, back soon once we restart travel north

hopefully going via the new aire just read about on another thread near Valencia, then hopefully the much talked about Parc Verger for a couple of nights, before 'discovering' a few more aires before Calais

 

[DavidG58]

Been parked now for the last four nights, seems wrong somehow, worst of it is we have moved out of MH to our friends house

Now that was a game, an 8m MH contains a load of essential stuff, that 'we' needed to take with us

Not to mention the dog

So poor old Pats car was up to the load limit, some of it will stay here, enough gin and wine to keep him going for a bit

But much as we love Pat I am really missing moving around, on Saturday we will take our stuff back to MH, then set sail once more on Sunday, giving us nine nights to get back to Calais, the last one needing to be close enough for a couple of hours drive to tunnel, other than that we can chose

However we plan to try Parc Verger for a couple of those nights, so not really many free nights to pick

We plan to race back to France, not speaking Spanish we really find quite a challenge, our French is not brilliant, but 99% better than our Spanish

Oh how I need and wish to be retired, a 21 night trip sounded plenty, all of a sudden we will be back having done a 1/4 of what we hoped

Travel updates will resume from the weekend

Oh by the way 25C here near Granada, G + T just poured, done a few beers in town with some Tapas, not all bad

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[DavidG58]

Saturday, just relocated back to MH which has been parked here

http://www.campingsuspirodelmoro.com/

right beside A44 E902, but traffic noise not too bad as it passes by in a cutting

convenient, but not much to write home about, very obliging though, we have parked MH here on a pitch for 9 euros a night, on EHU, keeps fridge cool and avoids risk of flat battery, 16 euro when we are with it

little bar with free wifi, expensive wifi round site, but thanks to our new iBoost, got free bar wifi in MH at decent strength and speed

So 2 nights here first and last, never seen so many flies where there wasn't something dead, the whole area seems to have loads, but I guess that is one penalty of 25C and sitting outside bars in sun with food

setting off in morning, retracing our steps to Madrid, then taking new route, over Pyrennes to Pau, will be stopping on E 90 north east of Madrid Sunday night, look like a couple of aires there, about 300 miles tomorrow, but then around 200 / day to Calais with a couple of 2 nighters I hope

Have read on here about an aire before Pau, but look to be a couple to chose from, liking some of the uncertainty of where we will stop, really liking the free bit, so far no charges for the aires we have used at all, but only been on 3 so far 2 in France 1 in Spain, we still have 9 more nights before tunnel

Till tomorrow.......

 

[DavidG58]

Found an amazing aire in a little village. Not totally sure of name, listed under Medinaceli just off A2 from Madrid heading for Pau area tomorrow. Found on Camper Contsct app. We are about 2 miles outside of town right on hill top, looks like a really old town, arrived just before dark quick walk round then tea in MH nothing open.

No access to internet other than Bevs IPad so can't do photos yet, will try again tomorrow.

Journey was long again, but back in France tomorrow so less language and internet problems hopefully, fed up with concrete motorways done well over 100km on them today jointed every 2m and don't we know it

Worth it though for the view alone, will post better location and photos tomorrow.

This is an official aire but not signed other than a marker by the dump area, it is probably well known as a wild camping area

 

[DavidG58]

I should add the fridge is hanging in there, sometimes a little too literally and a couple of times not hanging at all and off in my hands

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[DavidG58]

Has anybody heard if DBK has come back to Spain? We have had a bone dry 12 days so far, now the heavens have just opened, hail lightning the lot, seemed to follow him round Spain

 

[Moodybrook]

Go on David tell us, how blooming hot it is and how you really need the door to stay on. My heart is bleeding for you.

Yippee, just saw your latest post.

 

[DavidG58]

Go on David tell us, how blooming hot it is and how you really need the door to stay on. My heart is bleeding for you.

Yippee, just saw your latest post.

Pleased to oblige

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[DBK]

Has anybody heard if DBK has come back to Spain? We have had a bone dry 12 days so far, now the heavens have just opened, hail lightning the lot, seemed to follow him round Spain

Ah, it could be some sort of "referred pain". I have been going through my photographs of our trip and this may have upset the cosmic balance. Sorry.

 

[DavidG58]

So today has been a day of four quarters, for reference today is day 13, (I think) we are on our way back from Granada and this is day 2 of return journey, now have internet as had real problems in Spain, just landed back in France

So day 13 quarter 1 - woken at 7 by one those trucks with a MH welded on the top, started his engine presumably to warm up, or possibly show off, (I was still asleep when he fired up and yes a little pissed off) either way it was not even light and far too early for me. So having got up at the earliest hour of the whole trip, decided on an earlier set off, needed fuel, would also get some bread in town and stop for breakfast en route

Luckily we had 2 cups of coffee before leaving, as the bread shop was still closed 8:30 for heavens sake, on a Monday morning?? so on we go cross and hungry but full with diesel

Above photos are of the aire we stopped at last night, aire in the loosest terms, a beautiful town, still not really sure what was what but Medinaceli City is where I think we were, above the town of Medinaceli

I suspect this is a classic free camping area which is being formalised, still not really sure if the hard standing area is where we were supposed to park, but the grass area with better views seemed better

Good dump facility, free water, free aire, but not much in 'city' no shops even, just old buildings and some bars / restaurants, mostly closed

Bloody cold this morning and my Karcher was flat so old fashioned demisting before off

quarter 2 to follow

 

[DavidG58]

Day 13 quarter 2

We have made a fantastic decision to travel back via Zaragoza, I did it out of meanness, not wanting to pay tolls to get back to France via Erun / Biarritz, cost us about 35 euros and that was negotiated down, on the way down

So map check and picked on Pau to re-enter France via, drove back up to Madrid, then veered off right, great road and found above aire as a bonus, but today the bonus just grew, the scenery is amazing. Having across the flat plains of the middle of Spain on concrete motorways, today was a joy. Gradients but nothing too serious, views to die for, and they just kept getting better and a tarmac covered m'way

By now Bev had looked a little more closely at the map book, although I had described the route as over the Pyrenees for once she was not listening to me, so what exactly are white roads on this map, she says, it has an 'A' in front so must be major replies I

Anyway we have a long way to go yet, I had already had one major shock relating to the Pyrenees today, I knew we would going over them, but had no idea we actually go up and back down, there is a big hole in the middle!! I had presumed climb up one side free wheel down the other, not so....

Bev is still not happy with my route though, she does all she can to stop me turning off onto the road for Francia via Col Pourtalet, I had agreed if it had any weight limits on I would reconsider, it didn't so I didn't

As it happens it really is OK, no worse than many roads in Yorkshire or Scotland, in fact the scenery in the run down to Zaragoza and the first bit of the mountains was far more spectacular

Saw one of the Vultures DBK not only saw but excellently photographed, by the time I got my camera out it was long gone

So we arrived at the Col 1700+ metres up, way higher than Ben Nevis if my sums are right, bit disappointing really, nowhere near the real top, but kin cold, MH said 9C but it really knows nothing about chill factors

More ski car parks than I have ever seen in the alps

quarter 3 the wheels drop off, not literally but ........................

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[DavidG58]

Day 13 quarter 3

Only the run downhill to Laruns, found an aire mentioned on here, 'lovely' I think they called it, well we found it at least, a car park fenced off from a larger car park, nice looking town though, so lets give it a go

We had to pay, but only 6 euros, so up to the barrier, fears of uncertainty rush back, out we get, it even does it in English so how can we fail, the 100 pitch aire is part full with 2 parked up French MH's, but nobody around

So one night, 6 euros, insert card, out comes the Caxton, in it goes, pin OK, non acceptee, Oh Please!, so try again with debit card, non acceptee before pin

They don't deserve our money, I prefer free ones anyway, out with ipad where next

Bielle, just down the road and free, well we could find all the car parks with no camping signs but no aire, so ipad out where next (actually it had not really gone away yet)

Arudy and its free, that will do nicely

photo above is Arudy, the aire app suggested not hard standing, turns out this as a small municipal site that was closed, no access to old site, but definitely the right site, the service box needs a token, another of my phobias, god only knows where you get one from, no shops for about a mile away.

I don't fancy parking in a council car park even if its free

So out with ipad off to Oloron, only I took the wrong road, so Tom Tom said take next left, OK, it had a 5t weight limit but that's OK, about 400yds down then at sharp bend sign says 2m width limit. Bollox, turning virtually impossible, going on definitely impossible, reversing not on, so took the virtually impossible option and turned. Lost interest in Oloron and headed for Pau

A free aire, Bev has now said however bad it is we are stopping, it is too late to keep on looking like this, so now on way to Pau, Bev saying the aire does not look good, but it is free and it will do.................................

Bloody aires

 

[DavidG58]

so day 13 quarter 4

heading for Pau with Bev saying this is not going to be ideal, great.....

Pass by a sign with MH aire symbol, not on app, so dive off into a place called Gan

Opposite a Cave grape processing site an aire sign, might be a little temporary, the cave does tours and now is grape harvesting time

loads of tractors coming and going even after dusk, Bev is going for the tour in the morning

best of all after another free aire, a pizza shop and bakers next door, result

so 4 seasons in one day, nice to end on a high though, just checking to see if PV is in range for tomorrow, need some sanity, a destination address seems like a good start

 

[DBK]

A Grand Day Out it seems? I wish you would stop writing as I am getting envious. Knew we had come back too early.

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[DavidG58]

So following a post on here by DBK we spent the night with heavy rain and woke to heavy skies and more drizzle

An odd aire to say the least, Bev has now done her tour of the wine factory, not really sure what a grape processing site is called, the aire is really a car park for the tours but overnighting is allowed, they have even got a drain cover off on the factory site for dumping waste and a tap for fresh water. Not sure how long it will stay open for but free and very convenient for us

even a grey waste option in car park

only joking

now on way north aiming for PV but may be too far today, Tom Tom having a game with us just because I refused 2 routes with tolls, have been sent down some silly little roads just out of spite

Now being more careful and parked at Carrefour at lovely sounding Aire de l'Adour, having had more tom tom issues with free peage section and a 3.5t weight limit in above town, decided not to chance run in with gendarme

 

[DavidG58]

PV was definitely too far today, it would only have been 220 miles, but my determination to avoid toll roads meant we had no chance

took the main road from Pau to Agen, or at least tried to, Tom Tom had other ideas, still sulking about not using tolls, tried to take us down one too many unclassified roads so I asked Bev to take over and leave Tom Tom chopsing in the back ground

Eventually they both agreed with each other, just as we had to make a U turn due to 3.5T weight limit through Aire sur l'Adour, missed the signs myself as well to be fair, so back to peage, Tom Tom not happy, Bev not sure, me not caring anymore, took ticket and came off at next junction, nothing to pay but we had done about 10 miles extra including the wrong turn we also made in the U turn

So came off and shopped as posted above, then came out of car park with Bev and Tom Tom in sync again, tis time I decided they were both wrong and went my own way, not my best move of the day

Tom Tom having kittens and constantly wanting U turns, Bev really not happy, me happily heading northish, until that is Bev says will you just pull over and look at the bloody map

Did as asked, rerouted TT renegotiated with Bev and we carried on my way to Agen instead of their way, however the D931 must also be some kind of HGV short cut, and nowhere near wide enough in a lot of places. We had a very narrow miss, Bev cried, I prayed retrospectively as I usually do

So we plodded onwards and upwards, then the sky did one

it really looked like the world was ending

we stopped and walked Lola before it did

but then 10 minutes or so later we had this

so continued knowing for sure we would not to get as far as PV

so aire app out, book out, not much choice in this area, but picked on Cancon, mainly because it is free

easy to find, well sort of, too dark for photos now but will do some tomorrow, arrived where signs took us to, one French MH parked up in area with low trees and not much more room for anything else, he was somewhere near to the dump point, which also has free electrics

so pulled into much larger adjacent car park and backed up out of the way in corner, then 2 more French MH's turn up, get out look at us look at other scratch heads, then park near us

So I go out and give it my best Franglais, which earned 2 hand shakes and a rapid fire french reply, they clearly think I'm French, but that soon ended with good old shrug, and lentement monsieur sil vous plais

Anyway, they went off to get an official opinion, which seemed to come from a man in overalls sat in the corner, we were OK to stay, apparently the smaller area is just for dumping and filling not parking, not really sure how the electrics work then, but hey we are sorted and OK for another free night

edit - bugger Jim and his self correction text issues, when you type (U) as in (the letter 'U') turn, it stays as typed until posted then becomes you. But just realised it will again here as well so trying brackets see if that fixes it!!

 

[funflair]

Hi David

I spotted that but thought it was just U, and your spelling.

You are right, does it for me as well.

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[TheCaller]

edit - bugger Jim and his self correction text issues, when you type (you) as in (the letter 'you') turn, it stays as typed until posted then becomes you.

Ha ha! You don't know how relieved I am to read that.

I was starting to get seriously worried.

 

[DavidG58]

Hi David

I spotted that but thought it was just you, and your spelling.

You are right, does it for me as well.

Ha ha! You don't know how relieved I am to read that.

I was starting to get seriously worried.

Glad to see you both read it fully at least

 

[TheCaller]

Glad to see you both read it fully at least

Hanging on your every word, dear boy.

Say 'Hi' to Bev next time you are sufficiently on speaking terms.
I've stopped asking Jane to read the map, but I am keeping it in reserve for when I want a quickie divorce.

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[Carol]

Blinkin Heck David, with that title thought it was about a Fridge, now just spent quarter of a hour catching up! sounds as if you are having a good trip despite the size of your map. lol, you'll have to get a bigger van to carry a good selection of maps

 

[tinhat]

Really enjoying reading about your travels. Your sat nav and map reading experiences sound so familiar and exactly the same as when we are travelling on unknown roads. We will be putting our sat nav to the test on Saturday through Spain, it may end up out of the window though. Hopefully now that you are past Agen, you should be ok and be able to stick to free main roads. Keep up the good work of keeping us all entertained.

 

[DBK]

"So following a post on here by DBK we spent the night with heavy rain and woke to heavy skies and more drizzle"

Can I use you for a reference? There are places in Australia where it hasn't rained for years I think I need to visit.

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[DavidG58]

Day 15, woke up at Cancon, seemed very quiet last night, its now really grey and no more lively

A popular aire despite the confusion, 2 gone before we got up and still 8 of us left at 08:00

The photo with the dump area in the background shows where the first and only MH was parked when we arrived, this really only has space for one, with a group of trees in the middle on really room for cars or a couple of MH's round the edge

Still very convenient for an overnight and free

Just having breakfast now, then 120 miles or so to Parc Verger, looking forward to getting chairs out, aires are OK for convenience but we like to be outside as well when we can

Still working on marital state of play following navigational issues from yesterday, hoping the hot chocolate is about to do the trick

 

[Taran_Las]

Dare I ask ..... have you been able to buy anything with your virginal Caxton card yet?​

 

[DavidG58]

Dare I ask ..... have you been able to buy anything with your virginal Caxton card yet?​

No still nothing, only tried twice though

Cash is still king with us and always my payment preference

Will try again before we get back, ideally somewhere we can use cash as a fall back

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[DavidG58]

Day 16 (I think) just realised not even sure what day of the week it is

Just confirmed with laptop calendar, it is Thursday, so we left Cancon yesterday for a 100 mile drive heading directly to PV Parc Verger

Still resolving previous days navigational issues, infact even the dog (Lola) is siding with Bev while they review map for today's route, with me simply saying we will go where you say

this is the dog who does not get on furniture, but clearly sees how much trouble I am in, hopefully putting in a good word for me

So only 100 miles to go, discuss shopping or not, I say, mistake already, made a decision that I might / will regret later, say lets just pop in to the village when we get there, there is a café restaurant we will eat there

So drive past quite a few supermarkets, get to PV at about 1, have the tour and the talk with Bob, Di comes out of loos to introduce herself (she was cleaning not using I should add)

So now I mention the village, Bob says it is closed on Wednesdays, what all of it? yes boulangerie and pizzeria, Oh says I, getting ready to duck

Back to MH, review contents of fridge, maybe not too serious, so we eat from 'stock'

Drink a bit more to fill the gaps, we survived

 

[Busman]

Great write up Dave Been following your travels.

 

[DavidG58]

Technically the above post refers to Wednesday, although I wrote it today which I have confirmed is Thursday, it might be important to some of you

so Thursday continued, beautiful day here, thermometer says only 12C but it is wrong, in the sun this is as good as most UK summers days

been to the village today, lovely little place and what there is here is open today with it not being Wednesday

Had a coffee in the sun outside Dinos Bar, just off back for menu of day, 13 euros, 4 courses, not going to be hungry tonight

Set off again tomorrow in search of new aires, new to us at least, maybe risk a paid one (Phil / Taran Las)

Cant believe our luck with the weather

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