Lenny's Search for Winter Sun (1 Viewer)

[Allanm]

Paying for wine?
We are at an aire near Pamplona. There is a free red wine fountain outside an old monastery ( part of the Camino de Santiago trail). The fountain is open 8 am to 8 pm and they even provide free glasses!

 

[Langtoftlad]

What camera are you using to imprint the longitude & latitude coordinates?
Sharp photos too .

 

[Lenny HB]

What camera are you using to imprint the longitude & latitude coordinates?
Sharp photos too .

App on phone"Open Camera".

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[busby]

Paying for wine?
We are at an aire near Pamplona. There is a free red wine fountain outside an old monastery ( part of the Camino de Santiago trail). The fountain is open 8 am to 8 pm and they even provide free glasses!

View attachment 285599

Lenny will be there very soon BUSBY.

 

[Lenny HB]

Had a walk along the river to have a look at the famous Pont Valentre.

 

[Lenny HB]

A very in French dinner, liver & bacon.

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[Lenny HB]

A very in French dinner, liver & bacon

Meant to say not very French, proxy predictive text.

 

[Treeeev]

Don't need to rush down to Spain for the sun, we have found it in France had have just been meandering down.
Lunchtime stop today it was 21° only managed 145 miles today.

Now at Cahors in the Aire down by the river only 3 spaces, one left at 4:30. Oh boy that was fun getting into it, narrow with high kerbs. I did my plonker act tried to get in forwards so we had a nice view of the river. Had to reverse back of of the Aire and reverse it in, it was still a challenge.

Only 3 spaces here but a couple of hundred yards up the road a bit away from the river there is a big slightly scruffy carpark with a Motorhome sign, about 8 or 9 vans in it with room for dozens more. Of course all free round here.

Crazy weather Feburuary and we are sitting about in short sleeves, nearly half five and still 20°.

View attachment 285536

Hi Lenny

We parked in exactly the same spot last year and also had to reverse my Malibu in after first trying to drive in .

Eventually 9 vans stayed there overnight, with 3 vans parked in front of the official bays, one in the dump point and two in the entrance. There were still other vans arriving at turned midnight trying to get parked, but eventually giving up and going somewhere else. Fortunately, we weren't in a rush to move on and the vans blocking us had all moved on by 9:30 a.m

When we were there, we walked up to the other aire to see if it was better. The back half was blocked off and full of travellers. The front part was full of cars. It was as you say, quite scruffy

Enjoy the sun

Cheers

Trevor

 

[Stonemags76]

Paying for wine?
We are at an aire near Pamplona. There is a free red wine fountain outside an old monastery ( part of the Camino de Santiago trail). The fountain is open 8 am to 8 pm and they even provide free glasses!

View attachment 285599

Do tell! Is the Aire on camper contact? Thanks!

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[MisterB]

We also stayed at the Cahors riverside aire last year. The french old timer next to us was fishing for what looked like sprats. He caught a dozen or more in about an hour and then cleaned, cooked and ate them. Now that really is a free aire when fresh food is provded for free !!

 

[Southdowners]

We saw this in the supermarket today so thought we would try it and be good tonight.

View attachment 285577


Bad move it was disgusting tasted like Ribena that had gone off.
But adding some of this and an ice cube made it almost palatable, still pretty grim.

View attachment 285578

I can honestly say if was worse than the wine @Just smiffy plied us with.

Probably because it was alcohol free?

 

[Allanm]

Do tell! Is the Aire on camper contact? Thanks!

Sorry, don’t have camper contact. It’s no 388 in 5th edition of All the Aires Spain and Portugal.
Town is Ayegui, Monastery Irache.

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[Lenny HB]

Probably because it was alcohol free?

Learn by our mistakes, as it was Merlot grape and I thought the French wouldn't buy it if it was that bad. How wrong I was.

 

[Lenny HB]

Another beautiful day, now only 20 miles from the border, we will be going through the Bielsa-Arangnouet tunnel. A bit disappointing hardly any snow on the mountains.

Tonight's stop Arreau, nothing special but could break the bank of Lenny if someone comes round for some money as CC says €2 a night
We are the only ones here, one other van in the corner looks like a local's just parked up.

 

[Lenny HB]

In shock two French vans have come in and they parked at either end Aire.

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[Poutie57]

Hi Lenny following your route down and have stopped at Fromental for the night what a nice place 2 other vans 1 Dutch and of course a Frenchman, are you going left or right when you get to Spain

 

[Lenny HB]

In Spain now at a vineyard south east of Lledia, no particular plans the way we came down and into Spain was a lovely drive.
Did you find the A20 more relaxing than the N10 ?

 

[Poutie57]

Wasn’t so many lorries and nice to take a different route, thinking about buying the old chateau in the village but can’t see a man cave for me lol

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[Lenny HB]

 

[Lenny HB]

Now on Spain at the Vinya els Vilars at Arbeca.
Was a free night until after the wine tasting, wallet now empty.

 

[Lenny HB]

This was our lunch time stop on route.

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[Lenny HB]

Wasn’t so many lorries and nice to take a different route, thinking about buying the old chateau in the village but can’t see a man cave for me lol

We liked the old Chateau as well.

 

[Poutie57]

We have stopped for the night at
Mazères-sur-Salat a nice little free Aire before heading into Spain tomorrow

 

[Lenny HB]

Big road trip today, all of 11 miles to Vallbona, last mile was very interesting, will upload a video of it later.

Nice new free Aire with services.

The Aire has 12 Motorhome bays and 4 bus bays, we were the only ones here until some plonker in a Carthago arrives and parks in the middle of a bus bay & then gets his tables and chairs out.

This evening a couple of kids arrive in a small van and park up in the service bay, what do these people have for brains.

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[Lenny HB]

After the interesting last mile we needed a liquid lunch, cracked open one of the expensive wines we bought yesterday.

 

[Lenny HB]

After our liquid lunch yesterday we staggered up to the monestrey. As we were the only ones there when they opened at 4pm the guy locked up and gave us a personal guided tour.

When we got back to the van we made friends with the locals.

 

[bigtree]

Paying for wine?
We are at an aire near Pamplona. There is a free red wine fountain outside an old monastery ( part of the Camino de Santiago trail). The fountain is open 8 am to 8 pm and they even provide free glasses!

View attachment 285599

Was the wine okay as I stayed there last year and it was rotten plus no plastic cups.

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[Lenny HB]

Desperate for some shopping yesterday but no shops in either village.
Managed to russell up enough bits in the van for a Carbonara.

And found some ice cream in the freezer.

 

[Lenny HB]

Another day, another Monastry, Monestri de Poblet.

 

[JonP]

Your be taking Holy Orders soon?

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