Tinca's on Tour (1 Viewer)

[Daz n Tina]

We have been here for 6 days and not come across any other funsters !!!:-(

What pitch number are u on?? We will come and say hello.

 

[Brisey]

We are on pitch 427, stop by and say hello sometime.
There are plenty of Funsters on Villasol.
Brisey & Pamelaaar.

 

[Brisey]

Stop Press:-

Last night we had the pleasure of joining several other Funsters from Villasol for a double birthday celebration which consisted of a Chinese meal followed by a few beers in the Tropical bar. We were made to feel very welcome and a big thank you to everybody and we are sorry we cannot remember all the names and on line names. We had a great night out and look forward to meeting you all again at one of the rallies if we do not bump into you again before then.

The Tincas

Hi Richard & Lynn, it was great to meet up with you both and we are glad that you enjoyed your time with the Funsters. Look forward to meeting up with you again somewhere. Safe travels.
Brisey & Pamelaaar.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tincataylor]

16/1/15

We decided to leave Benidorm and the exotic delights of Sticky Vicky behind and head on down the coast to La Manga giving Alicante and Torrevieja a miss until next time. We had heard lots of differing opinions about La Manga, so the only way to know if it was right for us was to pay it a visit. It is certainly a big and very well run camp-site and because it is so flat and has good hedges and plenty of palm trees you still get a feeling of seclusion on the generously sized pitches. However we found the distances on site to be a pain and stayed only the one night. We moved a bit further south to Mazarron and we are currently on the Las Torres camp-site which is our favourite so far. We were lucky to get on it as well as there were only two pitches left. For us Las Torres feels like staying in a small town where people know and speak to each other, and La Manga was like staying in a large impersonal city where people do not even speak to their neighbours. The plan (?) is to stay here for a few more days and then stick to the coast road all the way down to Almeria and stop where ever we fancy. We have not wild camped at all yet on this trip so maybe there will be an opportunity to find a secluded track to an undeveloped beach, we will have to wait and see. We will then head inland to Granada to enjoy the delights of this famous city.

This was the view that greeted us every morning at the Vall de Laguar campsite near Javea.

The Tincas

 

[Tincataylor]

Better late than never.....this is a panoramic image taken from the top of the mountain at Javier. This really does not do it justice but is not bad considering Mrs Tinca was using a mobile.

 

[Tincataylor]

18/1/15

We woke up with slightly thick heads this morning due to a few drinkies too many last night. The reason being that we went to the camp bar and stumbled on the farewell party for Margot and “H” who are the two British ladies that have run the bar for several years at the Las Torres site. They must have been very popular as there was a large mixed crowd of locals and long stay campers to see them off and we were made very welcome from the moment we arrived. It was a loud boozy party and it was just what we wanted as we had been missing the Beni Funsters who gave us our last good night out.

We moved off down the coast and are currently wild camped on a little headland just outside the town of Villaricos. The Sunday market was in full swing when we arrived so this was a good opportunity to replenish our stocks of perishables. There is a large car park about 100 meters from us where there are lots of vans parked up, but we have been able to squeeze down a track to a flat piece of bare ground amongst the scrub so that we have a private uninterrupted view of the beach and the rock just offshore covered with Cormorants drying their wings.

Tomorrow we will continue down the coast and may wild again somewhere near Carboneras or we may go a bit further and make it to the La Garoffa camp-site near Almeria.....or we may change our minds altogether, which we are finding is one of the joys of motor homing

Stop Press:- There is a strange noise coming from the roof of our van accompanied by odd globule like things on our windscreen. We have checked the guidebook and apparently this is a substance called “rain”. I know we have been really lucky but this is the first time this has happened to us for over a month. However I'm sure the locals will welcome this as it is very arid here.

19/1/15

Well it rained most of the night but we woke up to dry overcast weather. We have stopped at the La Garoffa site for the evening and we will make the journey to the Reina Isobel (ACSI# 2620) site just south of Granada tomorrow in order to spend a few days exploring the city and the Alhambra Palace.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Roxie]

Thank you to the Tincas for this illustrated trip diary. It's really whetting our appetites for when we're out there in a couple of weeks! So glad we've booked Val de Laguar it looks wonderful.

 

[Tincataylor]

Roxie,

We hope you enjoy the Val de Laguar as much as we did, the view from the top of the mountain is spectacular but make sure you have the correct footwear and be prepared for some tricky bits as you traverse the peaks. Best to search the many existing threads on gas in Spain as we are re-fillable and have not experience of gas bottles over here,

The Tincas

 

[Tincataylor]

20/1/15
We have arrived at the Reina Isobel campsite but we had to amend our route. We had originally planned to approach the city from the East but we were informed that the Puerta de la Mora pass through the Sierra Nevada was blocked by recent snowfall. Therefore we were forced to travel along the coast to Motril and then strike north towards Granada. This meant that the Sierra Nevada was on our right hand side as we climbed so we had great views of the snow capped peaks as well as a road clear of ice etc. We arrived at about 13:30 and immediately caught the bus into the city where we visited the Royal Chapel where the Catholic king and queen Ferdinand and Isobel are entombed, and the Madraza which was an Islamic school during the time of the Moors. There is nothing Mrs Tinca likes more than an old relic (probably why she married me) so she was able to immerse herself up to her neck in history. Tomorrow we will have a full day in the city to explore the Arab and Jewish quarters as well as the Alhambra Palace which we brought tickets for on line.

21/1/15
Bussed into town and did the Arab Quarter, Jewish Quarter and the Alhambra Palace in one day. We will be as fit as a butchers dog if we keep this up as we must have walked miles. My thoughts on Granada are that if it was not for the Alhambra Palace then I really do not think it warrants the effort of getting here. This is a personal viewpoint as a republican and an atheist. Mrs Tinca, who is a royalist and a believer found it much more to her liking with the cathedral and the tomb of Isabella and Ferdinand top of the list with the Alhambra coming equal first. However while walking around the city I found my camera was staying firmly in my pocket as there was either not enough interesting architecture or if there was I was forbidden to take photo's of it. It is also a lot cooler up hear (surprise surprise) with minus temperatures at night and struggling to get near 8 degrees if there is cloud cover, so we will head back towards the coast tomorrow in the general direction of Malaga.

This is the Museum of Fine Arts at the Alhambra

One of the many small courtyards at the palace

One of the large ornate courtyards

........and finally Mrs Tinca with a delightful South Korean girl we met called Ari who had the gumption to be travelling all over Europe on her own

The Tincas

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Rob and Val]

Loving your adventures. Please keep on writing for us all. It's great to get other people's perspective on travel.

 

[Tincataylor]

23/1/15

Well I'm sitting in a bar in Marbella waiting for Mrs Tinca to be made even more beautiful than usual at one of the local hairdressers. I have been reading back through the blog and have decided that it is a bit boring, despite some of the nice things people have said about it. It tends to be a bit impersonal with lots of “we went here and we did this and then we moved on” type entries. This is a useful record for us but it is not terribly entertaining for any of you reading it so I think its time for a few personal thoughts on some of the things we have seen so far. I also think I am coming across as far too critical as well, which does not at all reflect on the marvellous time we are both having here.

Spain is a great country to tour in the winter and in no particular order we love the coffee, the people, the sunshine, the panoramic vistas, not knowing where we will sleep at the days end, the other campers we meet, the bread, cheap diesel, the freedom and going to sleep at night looking at the stars through the roof light. If anyone reading this is undecided whether to give it a go and overwinter in Spain then just do it, we are certain you will not be disappointed. The sun seems to shine nearly every day and we have to keep pinching ourselves that it really is only January.

We are still not sure what it is that makes us like some campsites more than others. It's a bit like the pubs back home, they are all basically the same really but we all know we like some better than others. We are currently staying at the Buganvilla site (ACSI #2628) that is right by the N340 just past Fuengirola and we have no idea why we like it so much......it just has a great atmosphere and everybody talks to each other. A couple of Dutch guys here are putting on a concert tomorrow night and if the rehearsals we have listened to are anything to go by it should be a great evening. There is another Dutch guy on site who has been there for 14 years and is as mad as a box of frogs and spends his time making percussion instruments from natural materials. I think he is one of the most gentle people I have ever met and he seems happier than a lot of folk I know in the UK.

We find that Marbella suits us very well and we have been on the beach all afternoon soaking up the sun, and the forecast says it will be even warmer tomorrow. We are next due to move on to Estepona after visiting a friend for the day in San Pedro de Alcantara, but we are currently very undecided which way we will go after this.

In order to boost our travel budget Mrs Tinca has started taking in washing...............

The Tincas

 

[Tincataylor]

30/1/15
We moved down the coast to the Parque Tropical (ACSI #2619) site with the intention of exploring Estepona and Puerto Banus. Unfortunately we did not like the site very much, the shower facilities were particularly poor, so we decided to pop back up the coast to the previous site. However the bus service along the coast road is frequent and cheap so we were able to use this as a means of exploring. Estepona is very nice with an excellent beach and all the usual tourist amenities, but many of the facilities were closed for the winter so it had a rather dead feel. Puerto Banus is where the well heeled have their boats in the marina and they certainly made a fine sight in the continuing sunshine. The strip next to the marina reflected this with Gucci, Rolex, Dolce Gabbana, Armani and Versace all in evidence. Unfortunately they had nothing in my size and the boat I could have hired for 600 euro a day to go fishing was being re-fitted; better luck next time. Both Puerto Banus and Estepona made for a pleasant stroll but it has been Marbella that we find most to our liking. The weather there has been outstanding and sunbathing on the almost deserted beach was lovely. There are just the right amount of people milling around so there is a good atmosphere both day and night. Prices are higher than Benidorm but still offer excellent value for money so this is a part of Spain that we will certainly visit again next year. I particularly liked the way I could look inland from where we were on the beach and see the hills behind the resort, and the mountains behind them covered with snow, and all the while soaking up the sun.

Today we left Marbella behind and have moved further south past Gibraltar to Tarifa, which is Spain's most southerly point where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. The journey here took us over some high ground behind Algeciras before dropping down to Tarifa and the change in landscape could not have been more marked. After weeks and weeks of driving through scrub and near desert landscapes we were suddenly confronted with green grass and grazing cattle and sheep. Parts of it reminded us of the lower slopes of our native Dartmoor in places. One of the reasons it is so green is because as I write this it is raining and blowing a gale; we have been really lucky with the weather ever since we arrived in Spain so a few wet days will not hurt us. In Tarifa we are wilding on a sandy area outside the town just off the road to Cádiz. There are about 10 other vans here and it would appear that some of them are water sport enthusiasts as there are lots of surfers enjoying the current weather conditions on the beach which is a short walk away. If we can find some interesting walking / cycling here we will stay a couple of nights, if not we will move further around the coast to the Conil de la Frontera natural park before striking north to Seville.

31/1/15
If someone buys you a kite for Christmas and you want a good place to fly it then Tarifa is the place for you. Last night it blew an absolute hooley and lashed down a few times. This morning it had abated a bit but was still giving it large. We went for a walk along the beach and the force of the wind stopped us in our tracks on more than one occasion. The beach at Tarifa is flat, endless, pristine and you are very aware of the point where the Atlantic and the Med meet. There were also horses grazing on the vegetation where the beach starts giving way to vegetation which seemed to add to the general wildness of the place. However when you turn 180 degrees and look at the coastal buildings with their graffiti and general lack of maintenance it does somewhat spoil the effect.

Finally an observation we have made so far on the journey. We have been surrounded by Hymers, Burstners, Dethleffs, Auto Trails, Chausons, Swifts and Rapido's but we have not seen a single Auto Sleeper of any sort let alone a Nuevo like ours. We hope this is not because they are not popular – just exclusive .........either way we love ours to bits.


TheTincas.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[bobandjanie]

Hi, I see you mention Seville great city, here is the link for motorhome parking.

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/sevilla.93942/#post-1189731

Good reading your travels but travelling a bit quick for us. Bob.

 

[bobandjanie]

double post

 

[Tincataylor]

Hi there Bob & Janie,

It must seem to anyone reading this that we are racing across Spain, and it feels a bit like that to us sometimes as well. The reason is that this is our first attempt at overwintering in Spain so we wanted to see as much of it as possible so that we could decide which parts suited us best. The plan (?) next year will be to stay much longer in fewer places. We really liked the Marbella area and also it had a campsite that suited us, so ideally we are looking for another two similar locations so that in future we might spend a month or so on each. The only down side so far is that we love the hills and walking BUT we also love the heat and the sunshine and the two tend to conflict somewhat with the better walking being inland and the north where it is much cooler. So if any of you Funsters want to share a site within easy reach of the beaches in the Malagar / Marbella area with good walking nearby then please feel free to let us know..........I promise we wont tell.....

The Tincas

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tincataylor]

3/2/15
We continued around the coast to the Conil de la Frontera region on the Costa de la Luz and stopped at the La Rosaleda (ASCI #2616) campsite for two nights. This is probably the best campsite regarding large orderly pitches and the best toilet / shower facilities. If there is a better one than this then it will have to be pretty good. Lots of British campers taking advantage of the very competitive monthly rate and enjoying the excellent bar and restaurant and social calendar. We are still unsure if we could stay on any site for a month at a time without getting bored, probably the only way to find out will be to give it a go one day.

Purely by accident we found out in conversation with other campers that the Formula One cars were getting their first test session at the track at Jerez, and that the very next day Hamilton, Button, Vettel and Bottas would be on track. As we are both keen on Formula One it was a no brainer and we were on the road early (ish) on Monday morning and by 10:30 we were wild camped on the free car park outside the track. 25 euros a ticket for the main grandstand opposite the team garages seemed good value to us, and so it proved. We had a brilliant day with Hamilton putting in 100 laps (Rosberg did 157 the previous day) and we also saw the Williams and the Sauber going really well with Bottas and Nasr respectively at the wheel. But it was Mr Vettel at the wheel of the Ferrari that set the fastest time of the day so it will be interesting to see if both Vettel and Ferrari will see a return to form this season. Biggest disappointment was the Button / McLaren / Honda combination that sounded like a bag of nails and only managed a couple of laps before they gave it up for the day with engine problems. As it was the first time we had seen these magnificent cars in the flesh and heard the visceral noise they make we had an excellent day and remained on the track right to the finish by which time it had started to rain heavily.

A peaceful night and we were off in the morning to the Playa Las Dunas site at El Puerto de Santa Maria where we will bus and train it into Jerez and Cadiz to include a visit to the Tio Pepe bodega to sample the local brew; well it would be rude not to...!!


The Tincas

 

[Tincataylor]

6/2/15

Top Tinca tip #1......if the site you are staying at keeps your ACSI card when you book in then make sure you remeber to get them to give it back when you leave. I was in such a hurry to get to the Jerez racetrack that I forgot and only remembered when it was time to book into the Playa Las Dunas site. No ACSI card no discount is their motto so a quick phone call to the previous La Rosaleda site where they promised to put it in the post to our present location the next day. 36 hours later and it has not arrived, so back on the phone to find out what is happening. The La Rosaleda site may be very good and Category 1 in the ACSI book but we can assure you that the ladies that are currently working on reception have done for customer service what Jaws did for inshore bathing.

On a much happier note we travelled by train into Jerez and had an excellent time in the city. A modern, clean and spacious train whisked us into the main station at Jerez which is a lovely old building covered in mosaic.

A cheap taxi ride and we were ready for the Tio Pepe tour of the Gonzales Byass Bodega; OK we know its a bit cheezy and touristy but we found it to be very informative and excellent value for money. Naturally after the tour there is the tasting of the different types of sherry which we applied ourselves to with a degree of enthusiasm. We noticed after a while that all the people on our individual tour had finished tasting their wines left and were replaced by the tour subsequent to ours. However we felt it was necessary to make sure all the products were tasted thoroughly and as long as they were prepared to top us up we were prepared to offer our increasingly mellow opinions.

We finally wobbled back out on the street and straight into the Cathedral next door (seeking absolution?) and this turned out to be another treat. Personally I'm not much of one for anything religious but I have to say I enjoyed the building and the museum display celebrating 750 years of Christianity in the city. There are also very nice gardens and areas to sit and admire the buildings, and the cobbled streets outside, and the whole place had a relaxed and serene ambiance.

A 30 minute walk back through the streets (with a coffee stop to help straighten us up) and we were back at the train station after a thoroughly enjoyable excursion to a very nice city, next stop Seville.

The Tincas

 

[Tincataylor]

9/1/15

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #4.
Clipping your fingernails inside the camper when your travelling companion is eating their breakfast cereal is likely to lead to heated discussion over the contents of Granola

The journey to Seville was going sweetly until Mrs Tinca applied the brakes and was met with a loud metallic grating noise. We decided to continue along the main road to Seville as by driving carefully using the gears to slow down it was possible to minimise the brake use. We arrived at the aire come car park just south of the river at Seville and we were delighted to find a garage on site. The bad news was that it was 14:00 on Friday and they closed early on a Friday until the Monday morning, when they said they would take a look. I removed the a rear wheel to reveal that the disc was completely jiggered and the brake pads much the worse for wear, so nothing for it but to wait for the Monday.

The good news is that Seville is ESTUPENDO and everything we could have wanted from a Spanish city. Everywhere you go there are open spaces and interesting architecture. The parks are full of palms, eucalyptus and plane trees with noisy Ring Necked Parakeets flying overhead. It is also a very cycle friendly city and it is easy to get from one place to another without the hassle of taxis or buses. The Plaza de Espana is particularly impressive and the cathedral and bullring are also worth a look. We had determined that we wanted to see a Flamenco show while we were here and we opted for the one put on at the Taberna Flamenca which was due to start at 19:00. We were running early so we thought we would get there in the late afternoon and get some food and vino inside us before the show but what happened next came as a big surprise. The Taberna Flamenca has a special stage area where they put on the show and a small cramped area next door which was full of locals having a beer or three. Then, quite spontaneously they all started the flamenco clapping and singing and couples took turn to dance. The songs were very traditional and everyone knew the words (except us but general wailing got us through it) and consisted of several verses with short breaks accompanied by different dances. What struck us was the sense of identity these people had via the music and the passion that they performed it with. One guy actually came up to us and said how happy everybody was that two tourists appreciated their “amateur” efforts. As far as we were concerned there was nothing amateur about it and we enjoyed the evening as much, if not more, than the regular tourist show that we would have seen had we not stumbled onto the small bar. To sum up we think Seville has a really nice vibe to it and we will not hesitate to put it on our itinerary for the next time we are in Spain.

I guess we will have to mention the weather we are experiencing at the moment. While it continues to stay dry and sunny there is a really cold wind blowing most of the time that is keeping the temperatures down. However this is nothing compared to northern Spain which has had some of the worst snowfalls in living memory with lots of people having to be rescued from their cars, coupled with a few fatalities. Lets hope all that has cleared up by the time we want to catch our ferry at the beginning of March. I suspect we are not going to get much sympathy complaining of the cold compared to how things have been in Blighty, the BBC informs us that it has been a tad chilly over there as well

And finally they took the camper into the garage at 09:00 on the Monday morning and had it ready to roll by 12:00 …...........El Rocio next stop.

The Tincas

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tincataylor]

12/2/15

We had heard a lot from other campers about El Rocio and it has to be said that if you have never been there then it has to be worth a look. The town is a cross between a small pueblo and the set from a cowboy movie. The campsite is also very good so the best we can say is take a look for yourselves and see if it suits. We will come back next year and stay for a few days and horse ride into the Doñana National Park as it is not possible to enter the park individually.

The church at El Rocio

We then drove over the Portuguese border and spent the night in a camper park just the other side at Manta Rosa, OK for the night but not enough there for us to stay longer even though the beach was wild and wonderful. Straight through to Lagos the next day to the Turiscampo site where we will DEFINATELY stay for 5 to 7 days no matter how itchy our feet get. This site is now top of the heap when it comes to being well run and the toilet and shower facilities are state of the art.

Wine tasting at Tio Pepe in full flow

The Bull Ring at Seville.......nowt like the one at Birmingham

The Tincas

 

[scousebird]

Really enjoying reading your tales, keep em coming

 

[Tincataylor]

18/2/15

Well we actually managed to stay in one place and I must say it has not been too difficult. We find the town of Lagos, and the beach resort of Praia de Luz which is right next door, to be lovely despite the weather being a bit variable. The old town at Lagos is just right for mooching around and stopping off for the odd glass as the mood takes, and both Lagos and Praia de Luz have excellent beaches which are not over developed as much of Spain is. When you look inland from the beach in Praia de Luz the tallest thing you can see is a palm tree. Prices in Portugal are a little higher than Spain but this is offset by the people who are very friendly and cannot do enough to make sure you are having a good time. The campsite is splendid and easily the best we have stayed at in either Spain or Portugal. There is always something going on and yesterday was a fancy dress parade as it is currently carnival time in Portugal and they like to party. If you have followed this blog (give yourself a prize for persistence) then you will know that we are amateur birdwatchers and on this campsite there is a real treat in the shape of the Azure Winged Magpie which is a beautiful intelligent bird and a delight to watch from our camper. You will have to Google it for a photo as its not possible to do the bird justice with the cameras on our phones. We will be back on the road some time in the next couple of days but as yet we are undecided whether to stick to the western edge of Portugal or head further inland and have a look at central Portugal and head up towards Evora; if any of you have experience of the area we would be delighted to hear from you,

The Tincas

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[mitzimad]

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #1.

In our compact 5.7mtr A/S Nuevo we don't have a fixed bed so we have to assemble the brute every night. This normally takes about 3 minutes sober, but can take up to half an hour if we have had a little drinkie. However it does not matter how warm and snug it has been in the van all evening as when we take the quilt out of the overhead locker it is the same temperature as a Polar Bears backside. This also holds true for our choice of clothing in the mornings which could best be described as “fresh” straight out of the locker. Good excuse for a cuddle though........................

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #2.

When driving through Spanish towns they make ample use of pedestrian crossings the same as in the UK, however in Spain they sometimes like to incorporate a speed bump into the crossing as well. It is all to easy to fail to notice these speed bumps while trying to read road signs, watch out for traffic and having Sat Nav Sally squawking in ones ear to “do a u turn if possible” at the same time. The net affect of this is for everything in the lockers (and Mrs Tinca) to be temporarily airborne for a split second before returning to earth with a bump. I dont think our grill pan will ever be quite the same again, and we can always go back and pick up the bicycles.........

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #3.
For the newbie there is quite a technique to be applied to using the shower block without mishap and this involves learning how to do the ”Shower Block Shuffle”. If you are lucky the shower cubicle will have a separate area for disrobing, however due to the shower head having been designed by somebody with an overdeveloped sense of humour the water will spray with considerable force in every direction thus soaking the floor in both the shower tray and the changing area. Now having dried oneself all over, with the exception of the feet due to said wet floor, one is faced with the tricky manoevre of standing on one wet foot while trying to pass the other one through ones pants without getting them wet. If a few drinkies have been consumed the night before this can be fraught with danger and if not careful one can be caught bunny hopping towards a door not designed to take a full on collision.

The Tincas

dont worry when you get back to Brittan you can try the opposite where the dribble of water runs about 2 inches away from an ice cold tiled wall provided you can get that close and hold the button in

 

[Tincataylor]

20/2/15

We left the Turiscampo site after much swapping of email addresses with all the people we have met during our stay and we were on the road by about 10:00 which is early for us. A quick backtrack up the N125 to the BP garage to top up on diesel and Autogas and then it was further west along the same road toward Sagres before turning north up the Atlantic coast.

The pool at Turiscampo.....no idea why we stayed here so long.............

A special mention to the relatively short stretch of the N268 before it joins the N120, about 44 kilometres in all. We found this stretch of road to be really beautiful in an understated way with lots of pine, cork oaks and eucalyptus growing from the gently undulating land that supported increasing amounts of grazing animals. The South African guy who runs the Grape Vine restaurant in Espiche near the camp site said that when he feels homesick for the Veldt he takes a drive on this road to remind him of home, we are not sure if we would go that far but we can understand where he is coming from. There are also loads of places to wild camp in this area so if that is what turns you on then this information may be useful to you. We turned off the N120 and made a short detour to the town of Odeceixe where a river breaks through to cliffs to join the Atlantic Ocean for our lunch stop, and very beautiful it was too.

The scenery was so lovely that we decided to leave the main road and strike off inland towards the town of Saboia and the Santa Clara dam where we have wild camped for the night. We had planned to camp on the ground on the far side of the dam wall itself as we could see several vans parked there, however on arrival we found a large proportion of them were “new age travellers” with their attendant dogs and young children who were filthy and left to sit in the dirt. Each to their own I suppose but we felt more comfortable moving a few kilometres away where we still had a view over the reservoir. With the exception of a cockerel in the distance it is totally quiet and peaceful here which is just what was needed after what was for us a long days driving. Chicken curry tonight washed down with good cheap red wine in idyllic surroundings....we don't know what people see in this motor homing lark...........

21/2/15

Another full days driving has found us wilding for the second night just off the N256 close to the town of Mourao on the Portugese / Spanish border. We are parked overlooking a huge reservoir and we have the place completely to ourselves, which gives me time to reflect on the last two days. Lets get the negative out the way first; Portugese roads are not a patch on the Spanish ones. Mrs Tinca has prided herself up to now on being able to pack the camper so that it is virtually rattle free on the road, but on some of the minor roads we have travelled on in the last few days all attempts to silence the rattles have come to nought. Only a minor niggle but it does start to become tiresome after a couple of hours.

Ever since we were in Andalusia and continuing on into Portugal we have loved the white walled, terracotta roofed villages that we have passed and visited. Here in Portugal some of the villages in the middle of nowhere have also added a blue detail around the windows and doors on the houses, and on one occasion the church, which looked lovely.

We have started to notice the same type of Swallow that we get in the UK as we travel further north, and it finally dawned on me that they are indeed on their way to Britain and will arrive in the South West sometime in early March the same as us. We like the thought that we will all be migrating north together for the summer and we look forward to joining them again for part of their journey south to the Sahel later in the year. We see road signs to beware of deer all the time but we have not been fortunate to actually see any yet and we have not seen any wild mammals of note other than the odd dead badger besides the road. However we are totally in love with the White Storks that we see nesting on top of the power pylons or anything else that gives them a high vantage point. They seem to be such gentle and graceful birds but I would probably not agree if I was a frog on the menu. As we get further into Extremedura we are also seeing groups of Cranes as well feeding in the fields full of pigs dining on the Cork Oak acorns that give their meat its distinctive flavour.

We are currently visiting Caceres which is a lovely city but we will be on the road again tomorrow but with no clear idea of where we will camp the night but it will be somewhere near Salamanca we think.

The Tincas

 

[busby]

18/2/15

Well we actually managed to stay in one place and I must say it has not been too difficult. We find the town of Lagos, and the beach resort of Praia de Luz which is right next door, to be lovely despite the weather being a bit variable. The old town at Lagos is just right for mooching around and stopping off for the odd glass as the mood takes, and both Lagos and Praia de Luz have excellent beaches which are not over developed as much of Spain is. When you look inland from the beach in Praia de Luz the tallest thing you can see is a palm tree. Prices in Portugal are a little higher than Spain but this is offset by the people who are very friendly and cannot do enough to make sure you are having a good time. The campsite is splendid and easily the best we have stayed at in either Spain or Portugal. There is always something going on and yesterday was a fancy dress parade as it is currently carnival time in Portugal and they like to party. If you have followed this blog (give yourself a prize for persistence) then you will know that we are amateur birdwatchers and on this campsite there is a real treat in the shape of the Azure Winged Magpie which is a beautiful intelligent bird and a delight to watch from our camper. You will have to Google it for a photo as its not possible to do the bird justice with the cameras on our phones. We will be back on the road some time in the next couple of days but as yet we are undecided whether to stick to the western edge of Portugal or head further inland and have a look at central Portugal and head up towards Evora; if any of you have experience of the area we would be delighted to hear from you,

The Tincas

If you enjoy bird watching try Monfrague National Park in Extremadura,,,excellent bird watching,,vultures, kites buzzards storks etc etc,,,ACSI site called i think Camping Monfrague...Just over border from Portugal heading north....

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tincataylor]

26/2/15
We stayed a while at Caceres as the city had a very interesting old quarter and the Plaza Mayor served the best tapas we have had up to now. The whole plaza is on a slope, which is rather unusual, but it was THE place to be on a sunny Sunday afternoon as it seemed the whole population of Caceres was there chilling out. The sun was quite hot at midday as we sat at the cafe – however the evenings were much cooler.

We finally left the city behind and headed on north towards Salamanca. A special mention must be made of the countryside alongside the A66 just north of the town of Plasencia, which offered splendid views down into villages located at the bottom of steep sided valleys. There were now lots of Red Kites in evidence along the roadside to keep the White Storks and Kestrels company. This changed rapidly as we approached Salamanca, where we were going to camp, and the land became flat and rather bleak so we decided to continue on towards Zamora. The journey then just turned into mile after mile of flat plains and very high winds that threw the camper all over the place, especially when the large lorries thundered past. Mrs Tinca had now driven for over 200 kilometres so we changed drivers and decided to put in as many miles as we could and get to the Reino de Leon camp-site west of Leon. We arrived late only to find the site was shut despite the “open all year” notice on the gate and the fact that the ACSI Eurocamping website also said it should also be open. This was not a big problem so we wilded on a patch of ground beside the camp near a river. We woke after a cold night to find a light dusting of snow all around and wondering why we had decided to leave the sunshine of the Algarve as early as we did; we put it down to the fact that we are still learning as we go. We had planned to stay in some of the sites on the north coast and sit it out there to wait until our sailing from Santander on 2/3/15, however if we had done our homework we would have discovered that they were also all shut for the winter, with the exception of one campsite near the Picos de Europa. However we thought that given the cold weather it may also be closed so a quick change of plan, that is the trump card of motor homing freedom, and decided that the best thing we could do was to head for Burgos and wait it out there. This turned out to be a good decision as Burgos is a lovely city with lots to see and do, even if the weather is now the same as a typical February day back home. For those of you who like to visit cathedrals and the like, then the one at Burgos should not be missed - without doubt the most impressive we have seen so far. The entrance to the city over the Puente Santa Maria bridge and then through the Arco de Santa Maria is beautiful, and there was also a very good exhibition of photographs in the arch itself when we were there. There is also easy bike riding along the course of the river Arlanzon that divides the city and although it currently has it's winter clothes on it would look stunning in the spring.

We plan to stay here until Sunday when we will move up to the aire at Cabarceno just south of Santander before presenting ourselves at the port on Monday for the journey to Portsmouth weather permitting. We are due to meet another Funster (Roxie) there so that should entail a few beers in the van in the evening to help the time pass more quickly.

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #5.
There are innocuous foods that you never give a second thought to at home that take on an entirely different perspective in a motor home. One such food is crusty style baguettes purchased that very morning from the local bakers. They sit there on the cutting board looking as if butter would not melt (did you see what I did there) until the time comes to slice them. The resulting blizzard of crust fragments then gets absolutely everywhere and if it was possible to sweep them all up they would probably result in more bread than you started with. This is possibly the trick that JC used for his loaves and fishes act, however I can find no mention in the scriptures that he was the first motor homer.

The Tincas

 

[Welsh girl]

We are sitting here in our van an autosleeper in Tavira,Portugal reading about your travels and reminiscing about our travels last year, we nearly did the same as you in the same places but not using campsites, we free camped nearly all the way.
Really enjoyed reading your blog.
You've taken a lot in this time, you will probably take it a bit slower next year, we have this year, stayed in places longer to enjoy the scenery more although I appreciate you didn't have as long as us (6 months) to take it all in.
Glad we left it a bit later with our return from Santander though with the weather the way it is there.

 

[busby]

26/2/15
We stayed a while at Caceres as the city had a very interesting old quarter and the Plaza Mayor served the best tapas we have had up to now. The whole plaza is on a slope, which is rather unusual, but it was THE place to be on a sunny Sunday afternoon as it seemed the whole population of Caceres was there chilling out. The sun was quite hot at midday as we sat at the cafe – however the evenings were much cooler.

We finally left the city behind and headed on north towards Salamanca. A special mention must be made of the countryside alongside the A66 just north of the town of Plasencia, which offered splendid views down into villages located at the bottom of steep sided valleys. There were now lots of Red Kites in evidence along the roadside to keep the White Storks and Kestrels company. This changed rapidly as we approached Salamanca, where we were going to camp, and the land became flat and rather bleak so we decided to continue on towards Zamora. The journey then just turned into mile after mile of flat plains and very high winds that threw the camper all over the place, especially when the large lorries thundered past. Mrs Tinca had now driven for over 200 kilometres so we changed drivers and decided to put in as many miles as we could and get to the Reino de Leon camp-site west of Leon. We arrived late only to find the site was shut despite the “open all year” notice on the gate and the fact that the ACSI Eurocamping website also said it should also be open. This was not a big problem so we wilded on a patch of ground beside the camp near a river. We woke after a cold night to find a light dusting of snow all around and wondering why we had decided to leave the sunshine of the Algarve as early as we did; we put it down to the fact that we are still learning as we go. We had planned to stay in some of the sites on the north coast and sit it out there to wait until our sailing from Santander on 2/3/15, however if we had done our homework we would have discovered that they were also all shut for the winter, with the exception of one campsite near the Picos de Europa. However we thought that given the cold weather it may also be closed so a quick change of plan, that is the trump card of motor homing freedom, and decided that the best thing we could do was to head for Burgos and wait it out there. This turned out to be a good decision as Burgos is a lovely city with lots to see and do, even if the weather is now the same as a typical February day back home. For those of you who like to visit cathedrals and the like, then the one at Burgos should not be missed - without doubt the most impressive we have seen so far. The entrance to the city over the Puente Santa Maria bridge and then through the Arco de Santa Maria is beautiful, and there was also a very good exhibition of photographs in the arch itself when we were there. There is also easy bike riding along the course of the river Arlanzon that divides the city and although it currently has it's winter clothes on it would look stunning in the spring.

We plan to stay here until Sunday when we will move up to the aire at Cabarceno just south of Santander before presenting ourselves at the port on Monday for the journey to Portsmouth weather permitting. We are due to meet another Funster (Roxie) there so that should entail a few beers in the van in the evening to help the time pass more quickly.

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #5.
There are innocuous foods that you never give a second thought to at home that take on an entirely different perspective in a motor home. One such food is crusty style baguettes purchased that very morning from the local bakers. They sit there on the cutting board looking as if butter would not melt (did you see what I did there) until the time comes to slice them. The resulting blizzard of crust fragments then gets absolutely everywhere and if it was possible to sweep them all up they would probably result in more bread than you started with. This is possibly the trick that JC used for his loaves and fishes act, however I can find no mention in the scriptures that he was the first motor homer.

The Tincas

We were on the site in BURGOS in january.Fully agree with all you say. We walked into the city and enjoyed The Cathedral ,probably one of the best we have seen..Will have to return in the better weather to see more. Decent bar restaurant on site....BUSBY. try the black pudding with red peppers in the City,,,very nice...

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[busby]

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #1.

In our compact 5.7mtr A/S Nuevo we don't have a fixed bed so we have to assemble the brute every night. This normally takes about 3 minutes sober, but can take up to half an hour if we have had a little drinkie. However it does not matter how warm and snug it has been in the van all evening as when we take the quilt out of the overhead locker it is the same temperature as a Polar Bears backside. This also holds true for our choice of clothing in the mornings which could best be described as “fresh” straight out of the locker. Good excuse for a cuddle though........................

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #2.

When driving through Spanish towns they make ample use of pedestrian crossings the same as in the UK, however in Spain they sometimes like to incorporate a speed bump into the crossing as well. It is all to easy to fail to notice these speed bumps while trying to read road signs, watch out for traffic and having Sat Nav Sally squawking in ones ear to “do a u turn if possible” at the same time. The net affect of this is for everything in the lockers (and Mrs Tinca) to be temporarily airborne for a split second before returning to earth with a bump. I dont think our grill pan will ever be quite the same again, and we can always go back and pick up the bicycles.........

Things They Don't Put in the Manual #3.
For the newbie there is quite a technique to be applied to using the shower block without mishap and this involves learning how to do the ”Shower Block Shuffle”. If you are lucky the shower cubicle will have a separate area for disrobing, however due to the shower head having been designed by somebody with an overdeveloped sense of humour the water will spray with considerable force in every direction thus soaking the floor in both the shower tray and the changing area. Now having dried oneself all over, with the exception of the feet due to said wet floor, one is faced with the tricky manoevre of standing on one wet foot while trying to pass the other one through ones pants without getting them wet. If a few drinkies have been consumed the night before this can be fraught with danger and if not careful one can be caught bunny hopping towards a door not designed to take a full on collision.

The Tincas

I always wear a dressing gown for that reason,,,not a pretty site but practical..BUSBY.

 

[busby]

21/12/14
We have stayed at so few Spanish campsites it is difficult for us to gauge this one against others, but it is on the beach (pebbles) quiet, scenic, spotlessly clean, very friendly owner, fabulous homecooked food, nice pitches with EHU and Wi-FI all in for 17 Euro per night so we think it is lovely. There are some people here who arrived in September and are not leaving until April so it must suit them well. Most of the campers are German or Dutch with just two Brits but there are more arriving every day prior to the Christmas holiday. My only niggle is that the grey water waste disposal is a long walk from our pitch so it will entail much to and fro with the Blue Bucket of Servitude. However the water tap is close by for the Green Watering Can of Life as is the disposal point for the Grey Cassette of Convenience. Must go now as the temperature is rising rapidly and its time to top up the tan.
View attachment 50109
Note:- The roads we have driven on so far, both motorways and rural roads have been in very good condition and the road surface is much quieter than UK roads. How come an economy like Spain's, which is supposed to be on its arse, can manage brilliant roads and in the UK we have to put up with roads that would only just qualify as an East European goat track??????

They built them before the recession and dont invade other countries,,,Bet their foreign aid program is not as expensive as ours either. BUSBY.

 

[Tincataylor]

6/3/15

Well; that's it, we are sitting at home in Sunny Deb'n and the Tincas are no longer on tour.
The journey home from Santander was marred by delays and the fact that we were the 5th last vehicle to be loaded. However the convivial company of the Roxie crew helped the time pass more quickly once we were on board. The crossing was a bit bumpy to start with but soon settled down to a steady rhythm. The Pont Aven is a very stable ship and we would have no hesitation to use it again for our next trip which is already in the planning stage.

So what are our thoughts after our first tour? Quite simply too many to mention without going over old ground. However there are two aspects that need a special mention and the first of these is the motor home community itself that is so ably represented by Motorhome Fun. We met some lovely people during our trip. I have no intention of picking out individuals as you all know who you are, and it is this camaraderie that reminded me a little of my time at sea as a youngster. Secondly a very special mention to our camper “TC” (The Camper). This little vehicle transported us safely, kept us warm dry and fed and allowed the whole trip to be made possible. To say we have bonded with TC is an understatement even though we realise that a relationship with a machine is totally illogical.....we don't care, we love him to bits.

Finally a thank you to those of you who have had the stamina to read this rubbish. It was written for our own use as without it we would never have been able to remember half the things we have done or the places we have been. However if it has been of use to you and perhaps made you smile on occasions then so much the better.


Roll on December when we will be off on our travels to Spain and Portugal again; hope to see some more of you guys on the road,

All the Best

The Tincas

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}