Gibraltar

7th February Gibraltar

 

Mike was feeling good.  The pain from the extraction being less than his previous toothache so we went back to the dentist to pick up the dental x rays and then set off for Gibraltar. The route was lovely as we kept getting these wonderful vistas across to Africa.

We arrived in Gibraltar for a late lunch.  We had been recommended a parking spot but found out on arrival that the police had moved everyone on that very morning.  still the traffic warden directed us to another free parking area that was rapidly filling up with motor homes so I dont know what the morning manoeuver achieved. We walked across the border as we had been told that due to some 'politicing' it can take a couple of hours to get a vehicle back into Spain from Gibraltar. Although we did have to wait for one of the few BA flights to land as the access to Gibralter is right across the runway.
 Ignoring the various touts for taxis we decided to take the cable car up to the top of 'The Rock'.

We so pleased we did as it was such a lovely clear day that we had really amazing views. We had a really enjoyable walk back down looking at the famous Macques although I was glad I only walked one way as my feet were aching due to wrong shoes.


 It was strange being plunged back into a British environment after our time in Portugal and Spain but we had a really good time walking around Gibraltar.

Back in the van we decided to start the journey up to Ronda. It was a very tortuous route going up through the hills but it was beautiful in the evening sun.  the colours just seem to glow in the evening light.  By the time we reached Gaucin the light was fading so we pulled off the main road and found a side street to park for the night. Our spot was opposite a police garage so that at 10.30pm when the policeman came to park his car for the night we anxiously waited to see if we would be moved on.  However there was no contact at all.

Tarifa: Kite surfing and tooth extraction

The 5th February started out at a chilly 7C but the sun soon warmed up to 20C and it turned out to be another beautiful day

We had originally decided to head straight for Gibralter but instead we decided to take the coastal route via Tarfia. our first stop was at Cabo de Trafalgar. It was off this coast that Nelson lost his life in the Battle of Trafalgar. it was a very pretty part of the coast adn we had a pleasant walk through the sand dunes, past a salt lagoon and on up to the lighthouse. Another piece of history viewed although there was very little reference to the Armarda battle.
From here the road rose quite sharply and we fonud ourselves driving throguh a beautiful nature reserve full of lovely pine trees and offering beautiful views down to the shimmering sea. We pulled off for coffee and to enjoy the views. As we came out of the nature reserve the landscape changed again.  There were many low hills covered with wind turbines,but as we approached tarifa the sea came back into view.

Tarifa was a busy town and parking was impossible until we again ignored the 'no motorhome' signs.  We heard that a year ago there had been a big  police clamp down on motor homes due to soaring numbers. No doubt attracted by the areas excellent reputation for kite and wind surfing.  We walked for over three hours up and down the beach and into the town.  I was amazed at how close the African coast was with the Rift mountains being clearly visible.  Tangiers was only 14.5km away; 35 minutes by the hydrofoil ferry. 

We needed to buy more painkillers as Mike's tooth was troubling him badly.  We had 15minutes to kill before the pharmacy opened so we went to a neighbouring cafe and had a small beer each with some lovely olives.  When the chemist was open we bought a pack of 40 ibuprofen 600mg for less than 2 euros - much cheaper than the UK.  From there we walked back to our van where an older Danish couple told us where we could legimately park overnight. it was not a stunning night time stop in any way but the rest of the day and the fantastic sunset made up for it.  more importantly the wind had got up in the afternoon and the kite surfers were out in force. we spent a long time admiring them.


The following day Mike woke up feeling miserable. Although he had been hoping to hang on until we reached Alicante he needed to get the dentist today. Mike had spotted an English speaking dentist on his morning trip out to get bread so we set off.  There we were told that if we came back at 12 the dentist would see him.  I decided to do some work whilst Mike went to the dentist but two hours later and no sign of Mike I was getting worried.  Another hour went past and I decided to walk back up to the dentists only to find I had missed Mike by 5 minutes.  We caught up back at the van where I found out that although the dentist had originally tried to save the tooth he had had to take it out (for 125 euros).  Poor Mike.  The rest of the day was a gentle one (although not the wind which was much stronger than the previous day and had brought out the kite surfers in droves). We did some food shopping, watched the kite surfers and the sunset again.  Mike seemed to be doing well on pain killers so we hoped to be able to leave Tarifa for Gibraltar tomorrow.

Cadiz and surrounding area

February 3^rd 2013

We left the campsite around noon and headed in the direction of Cadiz.  We had planned to find a wild camp for the night and then travel down to Cadiz on Monday so that we had a full day there. We stopped at a place called Sanlucar de Barrameda. This is on the estuary of the Rio Guadalquiver, where the river enters the Gulf of Cadiz.  The tide was out but the river was flowing very fast and it was very windy. This had enticed half a dozen kite surfers out.  I guess they knew where they were surfing but it looked a bit like surfing on the Bristol Channel.  Mike and I had some lunch and then went out to explore the town.  There had evidently been some type of carnival here in the morning which we had missed but the square was full of local people ‘wining and dining’ in the sunshine.  Mike and I sat on the edge of a fountain ‘people watching’ before heading back.  This area is close to Jerez de la Frontera which is famous for sherry (and Spanish brandy) and this town had its own sherry cellars.  We plan to call into Jerez tomorrow on our way into Cadiz and perhaps take in a sherry tour or tasting.

And that is what we did.  Monday midmorning found us outside of the ‘bodegas’ of Gonzalez Byass who amongst other products make Tio Pepe and Croft sherries.  We had an interesting tour, it is quite amazing to see and smell all the sherry in the barrels.  The tour ended with a tasting and tapas. I have always found Tio Pepe too dry and todays tasting did not change my mind.  At the end of the visit I was a little light headed so we went back to the van for more food and coffee before driving down to Cadiz our next port of call. 

 It was a pleasant drive through rural Andalusia but finding somewhere to park in Cadiz was a nightmare.  Eventually we found a beachside place but it was a long walk back into town.  Cadiz does not have many special buildings but it was an atmospheric place and we enjoyed our time there.  Our one disappointment was that we had read that Cadiz was the home of fried fish and chips – not England! We were going to treat ourselves but could not find any.  On the plus side there was a glorious sunset.  It was dark when we set off. En route it had been recommended that we spend the night in Conil de la Frontera on the Costa de la Luz.  All we had was the name of the town and it was with some difficulty that we found a parking place.  The fact it was dark meant we missed the signs forbidding motorhomes from parking near the beach!  In the morning we found we had chosen a lovely spot above a golden beach with gentle waves.  No one had asked us to move on although a police car visited our parking area about three times. 

 

Seville

February 1^st – 2^nd 2013 Seville

A new month and a new country.  Today we went back into Spain and had to adjust our clocks forward an hour.  We were both sorry to leave Portugal and we will especially remember our time in the beautiful Duoro valley and the sunshine in the Algarve.

We had had no access to services the past few days and we needed water and to get rid of our waste.  We pulled into an aire on the border where there was a hill fort.  Mike was initially keen to explore it but we decided that we ought to get on the road to Seville.  We crossed the border on a toll – free motorway and after an hour stopped at some services to brew some coffee.  Our back drop was an orange grove and an orchard of almond trees covered in their pale pink-mauve blossom.  The journey into Seville was an easy one although the city itself was busy.  Our overnight stop was nothing exciting being a motor home dealership that offered free parking.  We needed to get some oil and the offer of secure parking was attractive as Seville has not got a good reputation.  However the place was too far out of Seville to cycle in, there was no public transport and a taxi was going to cost 35 euros each way.  We decided we would have to drive into the City tomorrow and hope we could find a safe parking place.

On that note, Mike got me up at 6.30am (feeling like 5.30am) so that we could find a decent place to park before the City got busy.  In this he was successful as we found a good parking spot next to the river and in front of a café where we reckoned we were as safe from theft as anyway.  Seville looked lovely in the early morning sun.  We walked along the river taking in the Torre de Oro, a statue of Carmen and the bull ring.




We then walked through the streets to the Alcazar.  This was a truly splendid palace with very heavy Moorish influences.
 



 
 

From there we visited the cathedral; it is said to be larger than St. Paul’s (London) and St.  Peter’s (Rome) making it the largest Cathedral but it did not feel that big. We also climbed up the Giralda which did afford brilliant views of the city.  
 


  By this time we had exhausted the time on our parking metre so we went back to the van and drove northwards to Italica.  This is the remains of a large roman settlement just outside of the village Santé Ponce.  Mike loves roman ruins and this was a good one to visit (not only because it was free to EU citizens).  Outside of the roman city walls there was a large decaying amphitheatre and inside their were the remains of numerous houses and other buildings containing some well preserved mosaic tiled floors. We spent over an hour rambling around the site and then drove southwards again bypassing Seville and onto a campsite at Dos Hermanos where we spent the night.  At 18 euros it was a bit expensive but we have found that staying near the major cities has always been expensive.  However it did have free wifi so we could skype Millie and my mum and the following morning I used it to do some marking.

The Algarve

24^th to 31^st January The Algarve

We had decided that we were going to go right along the Southern coast of Portugal from West to East.  So we headed for Cabo de Sao Vincente  which is the far south western peninsula of Portugal.  This was nothing like the south west tip of the UK at Land’s End.  There were no expensive shops full of tat, no photo opportunities telling you how far it was to the rest of the world; just a small café and museum and car park.   We left there to go onto our first night time stop on the Algarve at Lagos.  There was a free aire here that could take about 20 vans.  It was packed but we took one of the remaining two places and decided to stay there for two nights before moving further east. By this time the sun should be shining and we could enjoy the rest of the coastline.

We woke on Friday morning and as predicted it was raining.  We spent the morning in the van taking advantage of the free wifi to catch up with some work and more route planning.  By lunch time it was only a light drizzle so we set of exploring this small town.  It did not excite me that much although there was a pretty beach.  I think it is a place that comes to life in the sun.  We decided to go swimming in the pool instead which I really enjoyed as I have not been swimming for ages and I have been missing it.  Mike was refused entry as he had not got any speedos or a swimming cap.  We bought hats and he had to trudge back to the van to get the right attire.

Despite the cooler weather Mike and I had a bad night fighting off two mosquitos.  I think we won as we did kill them but only after I got bitten 5 times on my arm and once on my face with Mike being similarly afflicted.  But when we awoke it was not raining.  It was cloudy but it was already 14C and promising better weather.  We left the aire and headed for Silves; this town is slightly inland and has a Moorish castle that we thought would be worth visiting on our route eastwards.  By the time we got there the sun was shining and the temperature had risen to 18C.  We had a pleasant wander around the castle.  The most interesting item being the huge ‘cistern’ that was capable of holding 1,300,000 litres of water.  This was sufficient for 1,200 inhabitants for a year – an important factor in the days when siege was a key military tactic.

From there we headed to Quarteria stopping for a sandwich lunch overlooking Albufeira.  This was the first time we had seen the sea blue.  As we continued our journey we noticed numerous roadside stalls selling oranges for 1-2 Euros (depending on size) for 5 kilos  of oranges. I wasn’t quite sure what we were going to do with 5 kilos of oranges but at that price we could not refuse them and they turned out to be really juicy and sweet.  Our campsite at Quarteria was great. The sun was shining and we found a good place to park amongst some eucalyptus trees.  We have seen very few British travellers on our travels but this campsite was full of them. Mainly couples who had chosen to spend three months or more of the British winter here.  Once we had settled in we got the bikes off and went for a cycle along the beach front which was a few hundred metres away. We continued along the front and into the next town Vila Moura.  There was a lovely marina here full of very expensive motor launches.  It was very difficult to tear Mike away from them but we eventually left cycling home in a glorious sunset.  Our supper that night was salmon followed by baked oranges with cinnamon (4.5kilos to go!)

Despite the forecast the sun was not shining when we woke on Sunday morning.  This was disappointing as we had washed a lot of laundry the previous evening and now needed to get it dry.  A fellow camper lent me her washing line which we strung up between the gum trees.  Mike thoroughly cleaned the outside of the van whilst I worked on the laptop. In the afternoon we went for a walk along the sand dunes but had to scurry back to get our washing in before it rained.  It was mostly dry.  On Monday the sun returned and we decided to stay another day.  We spent the morning relaxing in the sun and went for another cycle ride in the afternoon.  Our route took us back past the marina so that Mike could dream about boats and onto a cycle path that covers the southern coast of Portugal.  It took us to a secluded beach where there was a solitary fisherman.  We lay down in the sand and enjoyed the warmth of the sun and had to drag ourselves back to the campsite an hour or so later.  
 
 In the evening we went to a local pub quiz (in English).  We joined up with another couple who had handed their catering business to their children, bought an RV and set off like ourselves for a year.  We scored a comfortable 49 points in the quiz; the range being 35-55.  By the time we had another drink or two it was midnight but it was a lovely clear night to walk back to the campsite.

Tuesday 29^th January.  We are still in Quarteria and it is still a sunny 20C.  I did a couple of hours work but it was mainly a lazy morning.   The campsite is really lovely and this morning I enjoyed watching a couple of Hoopoes.  These birds have such lovely distinctive plumage but it is the crest on their head which they raise when alarmed that makes them even more special.  The other thing that happened today was that one of my travel mysteries has been solved.  Particularly when we were on higher ground we noticed web-like cone-shaped nests in the pine trees.  I thought they must belong to some type of spider but have now been informed they are the nest of the ‘procession caterpillar’.  By all accounts these nests are full of caterpillars.  Between Jan and Mar the caterpillars, which are blind, leave their nest and in a procession walk down the trunk and across the ground where they disappear until they emerge as a non-descript white butterfly.  These caterpillars are highly toxic, with barb like hairs that attach to your skin.  We were warned about protecting dogs from them as once these barbs get stuck in their mouths it can cause death.  Humans can also get anaphylactic reactions from them.  I am glad that I found all this out before I investigated one of these nests.  It also appears they have no natural predator.  I need to look into this more when I am next on the internet.

In the afternoon Mike and I went for another cycle, eastwards this time. We ended up cycling through some lovely orange groves where there was a heady scent of orange blossom and onto an exclusive villa development. We found one amazing place that had its own infinity pool overlooking the golf course.

Back to reality we cycled back to the campsite, did a quick pack up and moved down the coast to Villamoura where we had decided to wild camp for the night.  This would give Mike a final chance to dream over the marina.

The following morning (30th) we got off early and headed for Faro. We had been advised of a good wild camp spot on the Ilha de Faro. 


 To get there we had to drive past the airport, through the Ria Formosa Natural park over a small bridge (max 3.5 tons – about our weight)  and onto a small parking area.  The beach there was lovely and we sat for a long time just watching the surf.  After we had our lunch we decided to cycle into Faro town.  We took a lovely red tarmac cycle path which went round the perimeter of the airfield but after a kilometre or so it stopped abruptly. We could not cross the airfield and the other direction was impossible due the multiple pools of the wetlands of the nature park although we did try carrying our bikes along narrow tracks that led nowhere.  Slightly bemused we turned round and started to head into Faro on the main roads but it was very busy and not at all pleasant so we went back to the beach and watched the sunset instead.  

Today (31^st) was to be our last day in the Algarve.  It was another lovely sunny day with temperatures reaching 20C and it was with some regret that we left our beachside camp.  We took the van into Faro, spending about an hour there before heading for Tavira.  Tavira was our planned stop for the night but en route we saw a sign to the coast which we took for a lunch stop.  It turned out to be another lovely part of the Ria Formosa natural park.  We found a place to park by one of the salt marsh lagoons.


We had lunch and then took a walk through the marshes and onto the sand dunes and the sea. This part of Santa Luzia is all that is left of the old fishing village.  Most of the buildings have now been converted into cafes but the area is still known for its octopus fishing. We had a very pleasant time in the sun but then walked back to the van and cycled 12k or so into Tavira and back. It was a lovely cycle in the setting sun and once we got back to the van we decided to spend the night there before heading off for Seville.

Just a few nature notes: All around there is the orange harvests and the lovely smell of orange blossom.  The apricot blossom is just coming out and there are orchards of pink flowering trees. On the marsh land today we saw whimbrel, curlew and redshanks.