Feb 2010 Going To Blogging Portugal!

Feb 10th to Feb 14th

We left home in light snow and a bitter wind. Through the tunnel and into France it was the same. Usually French Aires (the picnic areas) look good enough to spend your whole holiday in, but the weather changes one’s perceptions, as the photo shows, and the functional toilet block takes on the appearance of a Russian H-bomb shelter.


So on to Arcachon, just south of Bordeaux, where we stayed for a couple of days. Arcachon overlooks a large lagoon famous for its farmed oysters. The must-see visit here is what the French claim is the highest sand dune in Europe. We climbed it, puffing and panting, and were rewarded with an impressive view from the top even on such a grey (and bitterly cold) day. However, all Welshmen believe that the dunes at Merthyr Mawr, near Bridgend in South Wales, are higher. Clearly, only a game of rugby between the two countries can ultimately settle this dispute.
Driving the short distance from the dune back to the campsite, an oncoming car impacted with one of the towing mirrors. These project an extra foot beyond the normal mirror so you can see around the caravan when towing. They should be removed when you’re not towing, but hey, we’re only here for a day, so I didn’t bother. A salutory lesson! But apart from a loud bang and the total disintegration of the mirror, no other damage was done- and the other vehicle didn’t even stop.


Saturday 13th saw us crossing into Spain near Biarritz, with more sprinklings of snow and biting winds. Lots of snow on the Pyrenees and other mountains as we proceed inland, all very picturesque.





Sunday, today: stopping for coffee at a roadside café, I noticed a rack labelled “gifts”. It was composed entirely of catapults! Do let us know if there’s any nice little lad you want to send a little prezzie to: anything to get his head out of the computer.

By early afternoon we passed around Salamanca, continually heading south, although you’d hardly believe it because at no time since we started from England has the temperature risen above 3 degrees.