Portugal to Spain to France and home

After reluctantly leaving Portugal we spent two nights in Spain.

The first night was in a campsite south of Salamanca and next day we left very early. I had forgotten to give Angus his 'sleepy' pill 40 minutes before take-off and he was agitated, so we hoped to soon find a place for coffee and a bit of breakfast

                     This shows how early we left. But how beautiful is that?

Unlike France, Spanish restaurants are open early and serve breakfast.

Not too far along we found one a little way off the highway. It was filled with coffee drinkers standing at the counter. Brian ordered a wedge of tortilla. As you can see it is nothing like a Mexican corn tortilla.  It is more of a potato and egg omelet and is served everywhere at any time.

                                    Image from Spanish-food.org

 It was already under glass at the counter and just had to be heated. 

      Croquetas, or croquettes, are a Spanish food staple (Photo: Roger F. Ibanez)

I ordered croquetas off the blackboard.  The order taker asked "Croquetas?"  "Si! Dos croquetas por favor", I replied. He said it would take five minutes to heat them up. Twenty minutes later we were still waiting. However, they finally arrived and were delicious. I love croquettes!

But it wasn't until later that evening, looking at a menu, that we realized croquetas are not a breakfast food, they are served as tapas at lunch or dinner. No wonder he questioned me about eating them so early in the morning!

While we were waiting we observed a middle-aged man with three late-teen females. They were hungry and ate rapidly. At first, I thought it was a father and his daughters but soon realized they were prostitutes. It is not unusual to see young women, mostly east European looking, sitting at the side of roads and at roundabouts. Some of these poor girls are lured here with promises of jobs as nannies, etc. only to be forced into sex slavery. With no knowledge of the language or laws, they are at the mercy of their captors. Not a pretty life.

                         On the road:  Blue sky and virtually no traffic

Our last night was spent the same as our first night at Gran Camping at the top of a winding road that overlooks the ocean and town. It was clear up top but the town was obscured by a light mist, most probably from the sea.

While Brian had a nap I chose to sit in the sun and read. To remain in the sun I had to move our lounger to another pitch. It was heavenly! I was serenaded by a fellow camper, quietly playing his guitar as I relaxed in the warmth. Gracias señor!

When we were here in December we happened upon this colorful, puffy little robin holding on tightly in the blustery wind.

And two months-plus later we were charmed by this little bird perched facing the sun, enjoying the good weather.

That evening we had dinner in the upstairs restaurant with great views.  We chatted with the Dutch couple, who were in the next pitch, who was at the start of their vacation on their way to southern Spain for three weeks.
As we finished our meal a magnificent sunset was just beginning 

                   The sky is in full bloom!  A picture-perfect last night scene.

In the morning we didn't leave too early but arrived home around one o'clock. We emptied the RV of food and toiletries and were thankful to be safely home.

 Thank you for traveling with us.  We will be sure to invite you along on our next outing, but before that, we will be posting on our old blog at http://ourlifeinfrench.blogspot.fr/

ps Reality was in the form of two owls that had taken up residency in our barn and made a huge mess over everything below their perches; white splotches and pellets the size of small rodents. Poor Brian had to pressure wash the floor and so many items will have to be thoroughly washed or thrown out!  
The good part? No mice in the house.  

A bientôt! (see you soon)

Leaving Portugal and Returning

What a boat ride this was! Eight of us decided to take the trip to the grottos around the coast of Lagos. 

 11 of us were in this boat. It has to be this small to allow it to go in and out of the grottos.  Photo by Dave M.

The expert boat handler guide gave us a running commentary and it seemed that each rock had a name. Too many to remember...  Here are a couple.

Titanic and Iceberg

The Elephant

Perspective: Do you see the fishermen at the top of this rock???

                                          Photo by Dave M.

It was a sad farewell but we eventually left Turiscampo on February 20th, three times we gave notice and three times we stayed for another week, or two; we just didn't want to leave. A few hours later we were in Seville (Sevilla), Spain. 

We had been told of an "aire" where we could camp on the river. It had WIFI, toilets and electricity and near a bus stop into the city. Another couple we met said they had just stayed there and gave us the co-ordinates. 

It was the most depressing place with a working dock across the river and we didn't find the bus stop so had to take a cab into the main area. We have subsequently discovered that there are TWO camping areas and we went to the undesirable one! The other is at a marina - much more civilized and will stay at that one when next in the area.

However, Sevilla itself is an amazing place. We were enchanted by the street performers, the architecture, the tiled designs on pedestrian areas and the sheer buzz of the city. 

                                

        

  The bar where we had a couple 

of tapas and drinks also had 

a ham counter at the front of the establishment.

So many kids out there performing - I wonder if they are students earning money for school or are they immigrants trying to make a living in a new country?

                             Flower Pot Man

                  

And lastly: New Meets Old. The juxtaposition of the tram and the old church exemplifies the ways, over the centuries, in which ancient cities have had to make changes to survive. Sevilla has achieved an edifying compromise.

We had planned to return in the morning because there was so much more to discover but overnight the weather had dramatically changed to cold, wet and nasty and since our Fiat Ducato clutch was acting up we drove straight south to Torre del Mar, where we had been last year, rather than down the coast and meeting up with friends from Canada. That was disappointing.

It was rainy and misty all morning.

Algeciras is written in Arabic as it is the port where the ferry plies back and forth from Moroccan docks.

But as we drove closer to the coast it warmed and brightened up.

When arrived at the campsite gate we were shocked and disappointed that it was full, as was the one further down the beach. Nothing to do but camp on the sandy area in front of the promenade stone wall. It couldn't have been better! There was an unlocked outside toilet at one of the restaurants and we could hear the ocean all night long.

99.9999% of the time Brian lets Angus out early in the morning, but on this occasion, I heard him first. So, fashionably decked out in my jammies, housecoat, and crocs I take him out and we are greeted by the start of an amazing sunrise.  So, of course, I excitedly ran back to the RV, after Angus was finished, and I  retrieved my camera. Thank you, Angus!! Good boy!

           Unretouched photos

           Then a little while later the fishermen brought in their illegal catch. 

                         In the palm trees just outside the campground

In the morning we were able to obtain a pitch and our campground stay lasted eight days. Our appointment with the Fiat mechanic was not until the following Monday. So what to do for a week?

We visited the weekly huge market. I never cease to be amazed by the shoes Spanish vendors have on sale. Who buys these? I have to say I have not noticed any women wearing them. The French markets, in our area anyway, only have flat shoes for sale. Hmmm...
 We bought the usual fresh edibles - avocados, mangoes, and petite pois, which we had for dinner one night. 

Speaking of tootsies:

Brian's first but, he is sure, not his last pedicure!

He loved it - especially when it tickled his soles!   I opted for a purple color, surprisingly though, Brian said - NO color thank you! He is just not that adventurous....maybe next time   /blush

As we would have to drive a distance to the mechanic and be without transportation for an undetermined amount of time, we rented a car.

                   On a couple of occasions, we drove into the mountains. 

What a bizarre tree and if I had to name it I would call it The Rhino Tree. Those sticky-outy pointy thingies are very sharp indeedy.

February 28th is Dia de Andalucia or Andalucia Day which commemorates the day in 1980 when Andalucians voted to become an autonomous state. Almost all shops were closed but the restaurants were open.  We stopped at a mountain village cafe and had lunch. The food was not memorable but Victoria is a regional brew from Malaga, founded in 1928 and it was Tasty! 

San Miguel is a national brand

                                       

Our appointment with the mechanic was at 10:30 and 32 km/20 miles away and it took us an hour to get there. I drove in front setting the pace so Brian would not have to stop for pedestrians or roundabout traffic. We had driven the route the day before and knew exactly where we were going. Hats off to Brian for changing gears without a clutch!  Our contact was there to meet us and after the paperwork was completed we went about finding a hotel.

On Tripadvisor, I found a "boutique" hotel (the definition of such is vague), El Tiburon hotel. It is close to the beach on the outskirts of Torremolinos and it accepts small dogs but not children. What a find!  It is modern and comfortable, completely redone in 2012, and retains exceptional staff. It was a two-minute walk to the beachfront, the promenade, and the pedestrian shopping area. 

At check-in, I realized we had left our passports in the RV and my driver's license as well. It is the law in Europe that you must present your passport in exchange for a room key. The manager sympathetically agreed that we could check in with the proviso that we would bring them the next day. He very kindly also offered a sleeping blanket for Angus. Having no suitcases with us we had to transfer from our rent a car our packed clothes, etc. in recyclable grocery bags (oh the shame as we entered the hotel).

                              The pedestrian way -it is so clean and well kept.

We stayed two nights but Angus would have liked to have stopped longer in the bigger space with a balcony; but, our chariot was ready to go.

Instead of following our original plan to continue east up the coast, Brian suggested we return to Turiscampo to visit our new friends Maureen and Anthony. I had tears in my eyes at this suggestion.  I may have mentioned that Maureen fell off a Carnival float dislocating her shoulder and fracturing her arm in three places. She had had a couple of operations to insert titanium plates and pins and had since returned to camp. So, I was certainly on board for the change of direction to see them.  

This also meant a shorter distance home, another plus. Angus, the dog who has traveled on a plane, boat, and ferry, ridden in cars and the RV without a qualm had suddenly turned into a trembling, terrified traveler. During our two-day stay, we went to the vet - they know us quite well there - and he generously gave us tablets to tranquilize Angus. They worked like a charm.

As guests of Maureen and Anthony, we lunched at an extraordinary place on Alvor's beach - excellent fish and service enhanced by the sea and rock views. It was regrettably too cold and windy to eat al fresco but nonetheless, it was a superb time.

                             And then it was time to say goodbye.

Dr. Anthony saying - Hold your arm this way

Maureen asked - Like this dahling??

The last images of our friends! We left them to work it out...

And we will leave you with this:

                                      

The Moorish Legend of the Almond Blossom  

According to this delightful story, during the time when Al Garb still belonged to the Moors, there reigned a young Caliph in Silves called Ibn-Almundim, who fell in love and married Gilda, the daughter of a great lord from the North, who had been defeated in battle by the Moorish king. 

Their love was mutual, and the marriage was celebrated in grand style. However, the beautiful princess grew sadder day by day, with the Caliph unable to make her smile.  They consulted magicians and wise men from all over the world, but none could find a cure for her sadness…

Until one day when an old Nordic man told the king that Gilda was longing for the white snow-covered fields of her homeland.   Ibn-Almundim then ordered thousands of almond trees to be planted outside the windows of the palace, which, when they were in blossom, covered the land with white petals.  The illusion took away her longing and she became joyful once more.

And this is why, since that spring so long ago, the Algarve relives each year the magic of the almond blossom

Until next time...

Happy Campers at Turiscampo in Lagos, Portugal

A few people have asked - What is campsite life like? What do you do all day?

For us Brian is up at five or six, makes coffee and reads the newspapers on his iPad, walks Angus, then around eight he makes tea and breakfast for me. I catch up on emails and Facebook then we head for the toilet block.

In this building there are mens and ladies showers, children's showers, dishwashing sinks, a laundry with washers, dryers and hand-wash sinks and the room where the chemical toilets are emptied. All of it is kept immaculate. The campers respect how much effort goes into keeping the area clean and each of us help maintain the high standards.

Some days the RV has to be replenished with water.

This is easily done with a watering can with a piece of hose attached. The water spout is just across the street from us. The RV can hold 80 litres of fresh water. We only use this water for flushing the toilet, hand washing, brushing our teeth and Angus' water bowl.

The toilet cassette requires to be emptied every other day. I'll spare you photos of that but it is a simple procedure. Brian removes the sealed cassette, empties in into  a big basin in the toilet block, rinses and adds two cups of bleach.


While stationary the 'grey' water we accumulate is let out in a dribble from under the RV. 

Our pitch. We have already chosen another one for the end of the year. This is such a popular site for long term stays (2 - 6 months) that the sooner we booked the more choice of spots we had.

We love to go to local markets and while searching online I found a monthly one (4th Monday) in the delightful little town of Odiaxere ( pronounced Odiash) with a non operating windmill. Market looking and coffee sipping is always an enjoyable way to spend a morning.

This stall just tickled my fancy! It reminded me of the seven dwarfs.

Praia de Luz (Loosh) is a sweet little town,  1.5 kms from the site, that remains unspoiled by the addition of high rise hotels and condominiums. It gained notoriety in 2007 when three year old Madeline McCann disappeared from her parent's holiday apartment. We have become acquainted with beachfront Cafe Havana and have spent a few leisurely coffee breaks with friends

We took Angus and a dog we were co-sitting to the beach and moments after I let him off his leash he was headed for the stairs!  He definitely NOT a beach dog. Or a dog park dog either.

Not far from the cafe are Roman ruins. Thankfully they have been left as excavated. The rooms are quite small but they sure had a great sea view.

About once per week we do the laundry. We don't have a dryer at home but we use the one here as we don't have a super sunny pitch. Most folks hang theirs out and the site can be quite colorful on a sunny day.

The campsite has weekly entertainment. We didn't join in but one evening it was Fado. Fado is a form of music with mournful tunes and lyrics - similar I suppose to Country and Western laments.
For Valentine's Day there was an exceptional 5 course meal with dancing afterwards. We started as a table for six but as the upcoming week progressed we grew to twelve. 

On February 17th there was Carnival Mardi Gras - the staff members going around camp making lots of noise. This was unfortunately when Maureen fell from a float and was rushed to hospital with her arm and shoulder broken in three places. Not a Good Tuesday for her.

Although we have eaten at many restaurants we still do buy groceries and eat at home. We try to frequent the twice weekly farmer's market with its fresh produce.

Long radishes, violet potatoes, pumpkin, growing lettuce, seller and live fowl.

Because of the number of non residents in the area the city has the amenities well signposted and we are forever thankful.



All most every night we meet our new friends at the 'clubhouse' for happy hour, have a wine or coffee in front of the fire and catch up on what each of has been doing the previous or that day.
So that about rounds up what we do except to say many, many hours we spend reading and each night we watch a Netflix movie or series.

We like it here so much that we have made plans to leave three times and three times we have stayed another week.

But, soon we will be on the road again.... bom dia!