The below is a list of all blog posts on our travels in Spain to date.
(The most recent post is on top).
Spain/France – Jonquera, Trouillas & the road to Limousin May 28, 2019 - We sneaked away from the watery paradise of Empuriabrava back inland, with the idea of heading back to France. Our road leading out of Spain, the N11 north from Figueres, was lined with what appeared to be prostitutes, glamour girls in high heels and very little else, waving and bending over provocatively for the passing […]
Spain – El Mas Pinell beach, Roses & Empuriabrava May 26, 2019 - After leaving the too-perfect beauty of Pals, we needed a new place to overnight. Despite the lack of warmth, we decided to head back to the coast and spend a night at the beach. We chose a secluded parking spot at the end of a dusty track at El Mas Pinell beach ( 42.018222, 3.192852 […]
Spain – Torroella de Montri, Sa Riera, Begur & Pals May 15, 2019 - We rolled away from Banyoles, heading east towards the coast. We stopped at Torroella de Montgri to have a short walk around the town, having read comments praising its centre. It was pleasant enough, with a few nice squares and a stone-built cathedral, but we found it no more special than many other Spanish towns. […]Spain – Olot (part 2), Santa Pau and Banyoles Apr 23, 2019 - We slept soundly in our scruffy campsite. It was a chilly, cloudless morning as we collected our bib numbers and readied ourselves for the off. Thinking 10km should be an easy jaunt, less than a quarter of the distance I’d completed the Sunday before at Cheverny, I was a little blasé and returned to bed […]
France/Spain – Andorra, Camprodon & Olot (part 1) Apr 19, 2019 - We finished strimming the garden, reclaiming our pool from winter algae and tiling our cottage bathroom. With cut hands and tired bodies we threw together some clothes and provisions, locked our shutters and drove south. We needed a break, and the blue seas of the Costa Brava were calling to us. Stopping only for a […]
2018 Highlights, 2019 Plans Jan 28, 2019 - Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Mary Oliver (The Summer Day) 2018; another year of memories gathered, activities enjoyed and goals achieved. In some ways it was more of a transitional year, a soft landing leading from […]
Spain / France – Crossing the Pyrénees to Pau Nov 16, 2018 - The building traffic noise in awakening Pamolona arrived swiftly, shaking us early from our slumber. The rain had died down to a soft drizzle and a murky grey smudge of sky filled our view. We serviced quickly and, after a brief hiccup attempting to exit the aire, we became just another slowly rolling box in […]
Spain – The road to Pamplona Nov 12, 2018 - We awoke in LaBastida and, after one last wander around to test our legs after our run, we said our goodbyes to the now-empty town. Heading east, the sky was a sheet of gunmetal, solid and brooding. Yet even in the dreary rain the deep autumnal colours of the neat vines shone through and lit […]
Spain – La Bastida & the Rioja Alavesa Wine Run Nov 9, 2018 - We awoke under the gently swaying willow trees in tranquil Casalarreina, had a leisurely breakfast, serviced and quietly disappeared. We first returned to Haro, parked at their centrally positioned but rather noisy aire and walked into the town to find a launderette. We decided we couldn’t last the full trip without doing a wash – […]
Spain – Haro & La Rioja pueblos cycle Nov 7, 2018 - The weather was an uninviting grey, cold and windy, at first light. In no hurry, we waited a few hours until the rising sun worked its magic on the thin clouds and removed the morning chill. On bikes we tried to leave Casalarreina on a marked, signed route, but as is often the case, the […]
Spain – River Ebro & Casalarreina Nov 5, 2018 - Waking up at Nanclares la Oca we found the overhead planes had now paused but the traffic flow had increased, leaving the humming background noise much the same. With no specific plans for a few days, we were meandering southwards, to be a little closer to our next organised run near to La Rioja’s famous […]
Spain – Vitoria Gastiez & Nanclares de la Oca Nov 2, 2018 - From Gorbeiako Parke Naturala we headed south, starting off with a narrow miss on the tight entrance road, from a crazy impatient driver who was desperate to squeeze past us without waiting for us to manoeuvre and make space. The side of his car was lined with deep scrapes, signs of a previous mishap, as […]
Spain – Guernica & Gorbeiako Parke Naturala Oct 31, 2018 - We slept well after our night run in Bilbao and lazily packed up to head the 35 minutes east to visit the rebuilt town of Guernica, or Gernika in the local language. The morning was light with clear skies, making bright a town with a tormented history. Not many historic buildings remain due to extent […]
Spain – Bilbao & the EDP Night Marathon Oct 29, 2018 - We left the lush, autumnal quiet of our private lakeside parking and headed back towards the north. A little over an hour of driving brought us to the outskirts of Bilbao. We were stopping at another aire we had stayed in before, Autocaravaning Kobetamendi, high on the hillside to the southwest of Bilbao centre, with […]
Spain – Ulibarri-Gamboa lake – walks, runs and cycles Oct 26, 2018 - Under dull, monotone skies and with heavy hearts we again said our goodbyes to San Sebastián and drove south, away from the coast. The morning was chilly, a damp, hanging fog had descended and, combined with a light but bitingly sharp breeze, the heat from our limbs was ripped away. This was very different weather […]
Spain – San Sebastián, revisited Oct 24, 2018 - We slept soundly, weary from our run, despite the pounding rain bouncing noisily off Benny’s roof. When morning arrived the deluge had dissipated and the sun was out – it was time to move on. We followed the busy coast road west, slow behind unpassable tractors and cyclists on the narrow roads, in the direction […]Our first year full-timing in a motorhome – how much did it cost? Sep 4, 2017 - Our first year full-timing in a motorhome – how much did it cost? Here’s a look at the costs, annual and daily, associated with our chosen lifestyle choice. (4th September 2016 – 3rd September 2017) It’s been a full year now since we took the plunge, leaving our professions, friends and family behind for life on the road. […]
Our first six months – an activity and financial synopsis Mar 25, 2017 - Our first six months – an activity and financial synopsis Following on from our First six months photographic synopsis, we decided to also create an activity and financial synopsis, to record the details of our life on the road to date: As motorhoming newbies, going full-time in our very first van was quite a scary […]
Our first six months – a photographic synopsis Mar 13, 2017 - Our first six months – a photographic synopsis Over the preceding twenty-six weeks, or more accurately 184 days, we have passed through many stunning places, towns and landscapes around Western Europe. We have cycled, walked and swam in beautiful and varied locations, covering more ground and staying fitter than we would have during the cold, […]
The Costa Brava Jan 11, 2017 - Day 1 – To Sant Feliu De Guíxols We spent one night in the quiet aire at Quart, near Girona, then decided to drive back to the coast, primarily in search of warmth. We arrived in Sant Feliu De Guíxols and into what turned out to be a very popular central aire, busy with winter […]
Girona Jan 11, 2017 - Day 1 – Girona Leaving the comfort of Blanes, we first headed north, away from the coast, for our final city visit in Spain, Girona. We drove to the small settlement of Quart, a little way south east of the city, parked in a free aire, then caught a local bus into city centre, only […]
Blanes – Christmas Camping Jan 11, 2017 - Blanes – Christmas Eve From Colònia Güell in eastern Barcelona, we fought our way through the morning traffic to reach the northern ringroad, then with no particular rush, we cut back onto national coast roads to both avoid any unknown tolls and to enjoy the expansive sea views. We stopped for a big grocery shop […]
Barcelona Jan 1, 2017 - Barcelona – Day 1 From the chilled rural quiet of the #ARTCAVA vineyards, we braved the early packed city roads and perhaps our first full stop-start traffic jam, as we worked our way slowly to a western suburb of Barcelona called Colònia Güell. This small area, along with its connections to Barcelona’s favourite son Antoni […]
Tarragona and #ARTCAVA Dec 27, 2016 - Tarragona Leaving the peaceful Delta L’Ebre behind, we headed away from the coast and back into the familiar comfort of the mountains. But before reaching our goal, we had a quick side visit to glimpse a portion of the city of Tarragona. We drove through the busy centre and found a narrow but workable space […]
Peñíscola, Morella and Delta L’Ebre Dec 26, 2016 - Peñíscola Before leaving Valencia, we got word, after weeks of chasing, that a garage nearby would take a look at a few troublesome items under warranty on Benny, so we headed to see them first thing. The service could not have been better; greeted by name on arrival, given a lift to a local town […]
Valencia Dec 25, 2016 - Valencia Leaving our rural solitude, we had a transition day filled with much needed jobs. After completing these, we braved the busy motorways around Valencia, skirting the city to the north west to find a comfortable stop in a commercial aire that would allow us to later visit the city. We parked up and settled in, […]
Carcaixent and Hort de Soriano Dec 24, 2016 - Carcaixent and Hort de Soriano After our time in Simat, we drove only a short distance across the valley to the nearby town of Carcaixent. We parked at an aire at the train station and walked around the town centre. We found little of interest in the town, other than the large superstores on the […]
Guadalest and Simat de la Valldigna Dec 19, 2016 - Serra D’Aitana Leaving our comfortable apartment back in Torre Pacheco, we drove along the coastal road heading north east. Around Alicante we cut left and headed directly north into the mountains, spending a night in the town of Ibi. From here we drove slowly along the quiet winding mountainous roads of the Serra D’Aitana range, […]
Murcia, Cartagena and around Dec 18, 2016 - Day 1 – Los Alcázares and Torre Pacheco Leaving Totana behind, we made the short journey east to the coast, for a bit of a treat event. Our destination was the town of Los Alcázares, there to pick up Mummy Finch, Nicky’s mum, in the centre of town. She had flown out to visit us […]
Totana and La Sierra Espuña Dec 15, 2016 - Almerimar & Playa la Carolina Leaving Granada, we headed back to the coast in search of some warmth. For the full extent of our drive, the whole coastal region we passed through, for at least fifty miles, was covered in plastic wrapped spaces set for growing vegetables and fruit for market. It looked like the […]
Antequera and Granada Dec 8, 2016 - Antequera After Casares, we initially planned to spend a few days exploring the Costa del Sol. We passed Estepona, then stopped for an hour in Puerto Banus, a marina town that I knew reasonably well from a previous life, but after a quick explore we decided to move on. We then quickly passed through Marbella, […]
Ronda, Benarraba and Casares Nov 30, 2016 - Ronda We left Olvera early (for us) and followed the winding mountain road a little way south, to Ronda. The drive was spectacular, the snaking road clinging precariously to the mountainside, with views out over the rolling hills and valleys below. The neat undulating hills, set like moguls in the snow, were still lush and […]
Puerto Serrano and Olvera Nov 23, 2016 - Puerto Serrano – Day 1 We sadly left Seville to head further south. The weather turned, overcast and grey, to reflect our leaving mood, but the traffic-free roads were kind to us this Sunday morning. We headed back into the rural hills, as we planned to cycle a part of the Vía Verde de la Sierra route, […]
Sevilla (Seville) Nov 22, 2016 - Sevilla – day 1 Early the next morning we moved off for Seville. It was less than a ninety minute drive on the A22 motorway, over the bridge into Spain and beyond. Forgetting that Portugal is an hour behind, we lost an hour simply crossing the border so arrived in Seville later than we’d hoped. […]
Castillo de Monterrei & Bragança Oct 20, 2016 - Castillo de Monterrei We left our very comfortable temporary home in O Mundil after suffering through three very relaxing days, with the site to ourselves, and headed south east towards the Portuguese border, first to the outskirts of the town of Viren. The fortress, Castillo de Monterrei, was beautifully sited for both strategic and aesthetic […]
Ourense and O Mundil – rural camping Oct 20, 2016 - Ourense We left the eerie, misty sea in Boiro, heading south and east to our last large city in Spain, at least for a while. After an hour or so of wide, empty country roads, through vineyards and tiered orchards, we arrived on the outskirts of Ourense. As we’ve often found, we again encountered difficulty […]
Noia and the coast road to Boiro Oct 18, 2016 - To begin our exploration of the Galician west coast, we decided to follow a driving route described in a Portugal guide book gifted to us back in Avranches, France by a friendly Australian couple. Familiar now with the northern coast of Spain, our expectation was that the west coast would likely be similar except with […]
Santiago de Compostela Oct 18, 2016 - A multitude of pilgrims on the plethora of official camino trails, whether starting in France via the north or central route, or any of the other southern variations up western Spain or Portugal, are all ultimately heading to the city of Santiago de Compostela. After our brief exposure to the camino life, having both cycled […]
Lugo and Palas de Rei Oct 12, 2016 - Leaving Tapia and the Spanish north coast behind us, we headed south with the intention of walking a portion of the Camino de Santiago. We earmarked a popular stretch of the walk, two one-day legs from the town of Portomarin to Palas de Rei and then on to the town of Arzúa. We planned to […]
Tapia de Casariego & Riberdeo Oct 9, 2016 - Tapia de Casariego After Navia we moved only a small distance west along the coast, around 20km, to the small village of Tapia de Casariego. We located the aire and picked a nice corner spot overlooking the sea. It was €4 to park overnight in this designated aire, and we decided that, although not quite […]
Navia and Ortiguera Oct 9, 2016 - We moved on from Gijon, via Oviedo, to a small town on the north coast called Navia. It was only a short drive there, 37km total. The mountains in the north of Spain spill right down to the coast, with a blanket of tall, thin trees covering their slopes. They provide beautiful views but also […]
Gijon, Oviedo and Cudillero Oct 9, 2016 - Gijon With poor weather sneaking in and stealing our mojo on our last day in the Picos, we decided to pass on our original plan to walk around the Covodonga lakes, and instead move on. This walk was said to be another of the ‘must dos’ when in the Picos, but with low grey clouds […]
Los Picos de Europa – Part 2 Oct 9, 2016 - Day 5 – Fuente De After an evening of enjoying internet from Benny directly for the first time since we’d been away, we then additionally enjoyed the on-site bakery in the morning, picking up croissants, pain au chocolats and a still warm baguette. The appetising fresh bakery smell filled our senses as we enjoyed the […]
Los Picos de Europa – Part 1 Oct 8, 2016 - Day 1 – Arrival in Potes Leaving Cabarcero and the elephants behind, we headed south west, into the Picos at last. The weather was bright and clear, cheery and sunny to suit our excited mood. After only a few miles the road became narrower and more picturesque, more like a lakeside drive at Loch Lomond […]
Santander & Cabarceno Oct 5, 2016 - A short drive on from Bilbao, the city of Santander was an obvious next stop on the Spanish north coast. We had previously been sold on visiting some more rural areas of the Cantabrian coast, exotic coves where future episodes of Game of Thrones were to be filmed, but we were too impatient to reach […]
Bilbao Sep 24, 2016 - Arriving on the outskirts of Bilbao, we were rather underwhelmed by the dirty, industrial nature of the buildings on the autoroute leading into the centre. There seems to be a distinct hierarchy in Spanish cities, where the old, historic centre is first surrounded by grand 19th century housing or commercial premises, then a more suburb 20th century […]
San Sebastián Sep 24, 2016 - With the sky remaining a muddy grey and retaining the distant threat of rain, we were a little wary on our arrival in San Sebastián. This time our aire was located near the western edge of town, so we looped around the southern ring-road, passing by harsh industrial areas that did nothing to sell the […]
Aaron and Nicky's travels 