We delayed our departure by one day due to forecast high
winds. Caravans and gales don’t mix: Tuesday was breezy but towable.
Wrapped up in our concerns about the wind, we are oblivious
to other road users’ problems. 8 miles of lorry queues leading to Calais ferry
and tunnel terminals indicate that there were other issues around.
BBC news told us that French customs were working to rule.
We wonder how long the queues will be after Brexit!
We left Calais and the waiting lorries, and drove on two
hundred miles to our first stop, a municipal site at Chalons en Champagne. Our
short stay here creates the “guess what this is” photo underneath.
Answer: it’s the caravan entrance door lock, and it’s been
mangled. Evidently someone tried to force the lock during the night, but
thankfully didn’t succeed. However, the front door is now unlockable from the outside
so one of us needs to stay with the van at motorway services or on campsites.
We phoned Swift, the caravan manufacturer. Polite, but not
really interested in providing a solution. Pioneer, on the other hand, where we
bought the van, were much more proactive and are arranging for a new lock to be
sent to our destination campsite in Spain. So it’s not really such a disaster.
Heading on down through France into northern Spain, we spend
a few days near Barcelona. NIce site, near the beach, but you have to cross the
railway line first, and then take the footpath that runs right alongside the
tracks. Probably wise not to swing your arms as you walk!
Our last night halt is at Benidorm. The approach to Benidorm runs through some
stark but attractive scenery. Our campsite here was chosen for convenience
rather than ambience: the abiding impression is one of tight pitches crammed
with campers and equipment, all set in narrow access lanes. Something
resembling a refugee camp.
On the road early next day and an easy two hours to our
destination, Camping Los Madriles. No comparison with the previous site. We
find a roomy pitch with a sea view.
It must be our tenth visit here, a home from home, and we’ll
stay until the end of April. Now let’s relaaaaaaax.
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