Category: Travel (Page 6 of 21)

Quick Update for 2024

6 January 2024 / Juliet Stratton

Happy New Year to all our friends and family! We are very much looking forward to a new year of travel, exploration and fun!! We’ve had a disastrous summer last year, travel wise….after leaving Spain to head to cooler climes in Northern Europe, our travels were quite quickly halted by a series of issues. Benny (Kia Sorento) developed a noisy, expensive sounding “clonk” at every bump and the boot developed a mind of it’s own, shutting when open. Bessy was also groaning after having spent half a year in 50 degree sun drying out her internal mechanics, one day the water pump stopped working, the next day the toilet pump died then utter disaster!!! the fridge stopped chilling the beers, so we dashed from Southern France to Bilbao, got on the next boat back to the UK to locate an available repair shop. We did try very hard to locate one in France and Spain but they took one look at Bessy and said “No! Eengleesh. No parts in Spain” and so we limped back……

Fast forward a few months….. Benny has been upgraded to a shining newer Kia Sorento with 6 years warranty remaining, hopefully alleviating any excessive bills for the next few years. Bessy has been fully winterised and is very happy in her new home in storage in East Yorkshire, covered in a centrally heated fleecy blanket, surrounded by lots of other lovely caravans. We were able to take Bessy (and a friend) out to the Yorkshire Dales in August for a week’s testing and made sure all the mechanics were up and running and we CAN CONFIRM that beer and wines were chilling to perfection, toilet was flushing and water was flowing!! She’s a happy Bessy again!!

This month, our passports are being flexed, opened and stamped again – we are heading off to Goa, the first time since lockdown in March 2020!! We left a few suitcases with a friend we met there – hoping to return to collect them the next year, but that hasn’t happened until now, when some 3 years later the Indian government allowed British citizens to reapply for travel visas. In December, I was so excited to learn that our suitcases contain a hair dryer and lots of clothing, I only hope they still fit us!! Only a few days before we find out!!!

Our plan is to return to Spain in March and maybe spend a month abroad somewhere else, yet undecided. We plan to return to the UK in June, collect Bessy and head to Bavaria for a few weeks, before heading back to Spain. Maybe, later in the year, we may travel to Malaysia, New Zealand or Africa…..it’s an option, the world is our oyster! Watch this space!!

Castles and Cobbles in Spain

2 April 2023 / Juliet Stratton

Following a short travel hiatus, we are on the move again, just us two and Benny the car. Bessy will be enjoying a sunny holiday in storage in Torrevieja until the summer.

David and I have left Torrevieja for a few months to relight our travelling wanderlust, starting with a return to the UK for essential services, Doctor, MOT, dentist etc. Our route up to the ferry has taken us from the Alicante area, north through the La Mancha wine region to Toledo, north through Madrid to the Duero wine area then up to Santander. This post is a diary of our journey. Our next post should be from Dubai or Vietnam, fingers crossed 🤞.

Driving up from Alicante towards Albacete, we were surprised by the number of roadside castles and forts, all stunningly perched on hilltops, surrounded by rows of heavily trimmed grape vines, pink blossoming almond trees and white blossom cherry trees. Some castles were surrounded by windmills perched on the crest of the hills.

TOLEDO – World Heritage Site

Fact: there are over 20 churches, chapels and synagogs, one Cathedral and one Mosque as well as several convents in Toledo, thanks to its Christian, Islamic and Judaism roots and more recently Catholic influence, that’s almost one on every street corner. This partly walled medieval city is heaving with tiny cobbled streets, steep hills and ancient buildings, dating back to Roman times (128BC) and the old areas still exist within this modern looking clean city. The Jewish Quarter is full of dusty workshops with monacled men in waistcoats tapping away at silver jewellery and tea sets, as well as the famous Toledo steel knives. Toledo is also famous for its silk and the hand made roof tiles found throughout the City, AND, its very narrow streets!

The centre is dominated by a huge Gothic cathedral, a large college and so many architecturally stunning buildings all accessed through streets so narrow that locals have permanent scrapes on the rear wheel arches of their cars. Taxis whizz around the streets, buzzing through strolling tourists without any problems, at night the traffic can only be described as manic until 9pm, when locals are jam packed in restaurants and the streets become the opposite – deadly quiet. The only constant noise is the rushing of the Tagus river.

At night the buildings took on an ethereal look, cool and calming yet bright and invitingly stunning.

Here’s one for the ladies, a snapshot of several exquisite Llaudro ornaments!

Price tags, a tad over €25,000!!!

SANTA MARIA DE LA VID MONASTERY

It was recommended to us that we stop halfway between Madrid and Burgos on our way to the Ferry Port, and what a lovely stop it was. After a long day walking the streets of Toledo, we experienced relaxation and quiet at this ex Monastery Hotel, in a little village way off the beaten track.

In the Duero valley, right on the Duero River, the monastery was originally founded in 1152 and was run by a Dominican Order until the mid 1800s when it closed for a few decades. Opening again by the Order of St Augustine it was run until 1991, closing with plans to change its use to a hostelry and conference centre, retaining the working church and various museums which are open to the public.

To top it off, next door was a Bodega and restaurant offering the most amazing wine and food! We stopped there during the area’s Tapas Route, this was their contribution, a crispbake with the lightest ever jamon topped with a fresh salsa and violet mayonnaise……simply heaven!

In the late afternoon, the Monastery was open for a tour, despite it being fully in Spanish, I thoroughly enjoyed the peace, tranquility and splendour of the building.

Dinner that night was outstanding, cheese pancake to start, cook your own steak…. but Dessert was the highlight. I couldn’t decide between Green Apple sorbet with a coconut foam or Violet ice cream so we ordered both!!

Next stop, Santander Ferry!!

Hey ho…..hey ho….it’s off to Spain we go!!

17 October 2021 / Juliet Stratton

Finally, after being away for over 18 months, we are heading back to Spain. Yippeeeee!!!

Bessy, our new caravan is turning out to be very comfortable, Benny (the lovely red BMW convertible) has been replaced with a much more practical towing vehicle, a Kia Sorrento. Just don’t ask why!!!

Pictures and more details will follow, as we set off into the sun and settle down in the lovely town of Benicassim, just above Valencia.

Our planned journey, Peterborough, Chertsey, Portsmouth leaving Saturday

Arriving into Bilbao Sunday, overnight at Zaragoza, arriving Benicassim Monday!

We had an amazingly smooth crossing around the notorious Bay of Biscay, stopping overnight in Zaragoza, before arriving in Bonterra Park by MOnday lunch time.

We’ve been on our pitch for over a week now, it’s so lovely to be somewhere familiar and surrounded by people we know and to be able to sit outside in the sun during the day! Happy hour has been extended to 3 hours a day, bit too long if you ask me! The restaurant still does Menu del Dia, 3 courses plus a drink for about £10, and the same happy friendly staff that we knew 2 years ago are still here, plus a few more new happy faces.

Bonterra Park is just outside Castellon, Valenciaregion, in the town of Benicassim, famous for it’s summer music festivals and the Paella festival in January every year. Several changes have been made to the campsite, bringing it up to a higher standard than before. We have found ourselves a large pitch on the sunny side of the Calle (road) and have spent nearly a week setting up the new awning, with a kitchen and dining area.

Now the domestics are sorted, we’ve joined in activities, starting with tai chi on the beach in the morning – gentle exercises on the sand whilst loooking at the rolling waves and breathing in fresh saline air. We then walk along the seafront and return to the site, clocking up our first 5000 steps of the day 🙂

Our bikes have been serviced and we are ready to start exploring!

There’s Light at the End of the Tunnel

16 August 2021 / Juliet Stratton

At the recommendation of our nephew Jack, (a HUGE steam fan) we took a day trip on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, starting out at Whitby, stopping at Pickering and returning under a different engine to Whitby.

The scenery was spectacular, moors and forests, scarps and mountains, rivers and brooks, farmers fields with sheep and cows, antiquated station stops and railway worker’s cottages.

There is nothing better than the lulling sensation of a train, the soothing sound of the engine working faster to pull the carriages uphill then speeding up to go downhill and the toots of the whistle. I got off the train 5 hours later with a huge grin on my blackened face and a head full of sooty grit, a very happy person!!

I hope you enjoy these images, I can say no more. Lots of pictures I’m afraid 🙂

East Coast Tourists

16 August 2021 / Juliet Stratton / 0 Comments

South from our base at Cayton Bay

Bessy decided she wanted a trip to the East Coast, to see if the wind off the North sea was any warmer than off the Irish Sea. After a week, there is no clear winner, both are as freezing as the other! Benny was happier, several days were sunny so he was able to put the roof down and cruise the country lanes, some days it was just too windy!!

Filey

Our first day trip out was south to Filey, a quaint small seaside town, with traditional accommodation on a hillside village, with very little of the hustle and bustle of bigger coastal towns. We visited on a Sunday afternoon when the brass band was performing on the bandstand to a green full of people in deckchairs and on benches. Several coffee shops were open so we had to indulge in tea and cake!

Bridlington

Further down the coast from Filey was this small town, nicknamed the “Lobster Capital of Europe”.

This place is a working fishing village but more famously known for its stunning beaches, child heaven!! We briefly stopped here, just to admire the coastline.

Flamborough Head – Seal Spotting!!

No trip to this side of the coast is complete without a stop at Flamborough Head, well worth the small parking fee to blow away any cobwebs, spot the basking seals and admire the fabulous coastal scenery.

Flamborough Head is a high point of land that juts out into the sea, 8 miles long on the Yorkshire coast, it is a chalk headland with sheer white cliffs. The cliff top has two standing lighthouse towers, the oldest dating from 1669-74, making it the oldest lighthouse in England. It was made from chalk but it was NEVER lit! Flamborough Head Lighthouse (no 2) is a working structure and was finished in 1806. You can still see it working today.

The scenery here was amazing, this formation is called “the drinking dragon” – when the tide is in and at the right angle it looks like a dragon drinking from the sea. Its “tail” has steep paths down to the beach but no-one was heading down there as there were seals nearby!

Just beyond the dragon’s spine, we were lucky enough to spot a large “family” of basking seals, some grey babies, mainly adults. A ‘knowledgeable’ man passing by suggested there was a pod of over 100, they come up onto the rocks to digest their food. The odd barking sounds were different to anything we have ever heard before.

We were lucky enough to see several birds wheeling around, puffins nest here until the end of September and sea terns were diving into the shallow waters to scoop up small fish.

Heading North to Scarborough

Scarborough is a typical seaside town, an old fishing village that still has a lively daily fish market but also has lots of arcades, takeaway food shops and sweet shops! We walked down to the harbour and got a lift up to the town on the tram railway, all for the sum of £2.20!

We went to the theatre one evening, sadly most of the decent restaurants closed on a Monday and/or Tuesday night so we had to make do with Wetherspoons!

Robin Hood’s Bay

Visited here one chilly Sunday, didn’t realise how steep a road could be! Just as we were about to head into a cafe for lunch, a Morris dance group arrived and performed their first dance for 18 months, you could tell – some of the men were a bit stiff and had forgotten the moves!

Robin Hood’s Bay is spectacular, amazingly small narrow streets that run up and down a very steep hill, ideal for olde worlde smugglers in years gone by…..would I like to live there? No thanks, far too much pressure on the calf muscles!!

The old slipway used to house smuggler’s tunnels

And finally, Whitby!

We visited Whitby twice, once to get on a steam train, the second time to do the tourist visit. We were a little disappointed with the beach, grey and full of debris, perhaps the grey weather didn’t help. The narrow streets were heaving with scantily clad people, despite it being chilly that day.

Whitby is another town split by the estuary entrance, one side is the main town, railway station and tourist centre, the other is the Abbey and Whitby House remains with a smaller village below, 199 steps up to the Abbey!