Start: Saturday 12th March
This year we have full Brexit in operation, so new regulations: 90 days max stay in the EU, take in no dairy products, meat or fresh veg and fruit – apart from bananas! We follow the rules and arrive early at Eurotunnel with an empty fridge expecting to be scrutinised. Well, we weren’t. A dismissive wave through as on previous occasions, and we’re loaded on the train early. We can’t wait to get started on our banana sandwiches for lunch and banana fritters for tea … only another 24 kilos to go..
We arrive at Abbeville, one hour south of Calais, and spend an
extra day stocking up with all the food we could have brought with us but
didn’t. Pleasant campsite, convenient for the autoroute, and a pretty sunset
from our pitch.
We noted that the tent on the right in the photo seems to be
on pillars. More investigation in the morning is needed.
So here we have it: a tent on stilts, about 2 metres above
the ground. Ill advised to drink in case you need to negotiate the ladder in
the dark. Notice too the canvas Nissen hut in the background. There are quite a
few of both structures, set up like a themed area. It reminds me of photos of
some WW2 prisoner of war camps. Maybe this is the new novelty: Camping Colditz,
here we come!
Monday we press on to Tours, on the Loire, for an overnight
stop. It’s mainly a residential site
with room for some tourers. One of the residents, a Dutch guy, told us we were
lucky to arrive today because tomorrow the whole site is closed, having been
requisitioned by the local authority to house Ukrainian refugees. Several Red
Cross vans taking people to prepare those park homes already empty. We thought this
a splendid idea but couldn’t say that the Dutchman seemed over pleased.
Overnight a red dust rain descended on us and most of Europe.
The car and caravan needed a quick wash before setting off. The dust was Saharan
sand so was worse the further south and nearer the Sahara you were. Friends
already arrived in Spain took the next photo showing the orange Armageddon sky
from which the red raindust fell.
Now on from Tours, in our cleaned-up car and caravan, to a location just south of Bordeaux. A laid-back site where we’ve previously stayed, in the pinewoods, with friendly chickens for company.
Thursday: into Spain and no Covid, Brexit or any other sort
of border checks. In fact, we weren’t
too sure where the border was. We were soon climbing the foothills of the
Pyrenees, crossing central Spain, heading for the Mediterranean at Valencia. The
mountain weather was wet, cold and sometimes we were driving through low cloud.
However, central Spain is all high plateau so no great improvement in temperature until we descend on approaching Valencia. One more stop and we are at our destination. Less campers this year, especially the Brits who can’t overwinter because of the Brexit 90 day maximum stay rule. But it does mean there are plenty of good pitches, and here we are all set up with the awning and the mountain behind.
The campsite laid out In terracing with two rows of pitches
at each level. The photo below shows a typical terrace with the pitches on the
right having the sea view and those on the left backing onto the next level up.
The white car is our pitch.
Our view of the sea completes the site survey, but the sun
didn’t oblige on this one and unfortunately hasn’t done so since! It seems we
are locked into a depression with strong north easterly winds and heavy rain. Spaniards
looking for a sunny holiday right now are advised to head for England.
