Wed 20th October 2010

W spent a couple of days around the campsite, the indoor pool is lovely and the garden outside is a real sun trap! Afternoons spent swimming and sunbathing! Yesterday we took the local bus which stops outside the camp, into Vilanova. Had a wander around and found a large indoor market selling every type of fish you could think of and a few more. We then walked down to the marina and had lunch at a cafe over looking it, before moving onto the beach area which is great, lovely sandy beach kept really clean and tidy. Caught the bus back in time for a quick swim and sunbathe.

The bar had the champions league matches on in the evening so after dinner we went up to watch the Arsenal match. The evenings are chilly so I wimped out and put jeans on for the first time since left England!

Looking forward to seeing Chris and Carol tomorrow and of course Em next week!

Saturday 16th October 2010

Left early and had a good run down to Spain where we crossed the border at 10.20am. The border was very busy with shops and lorries, it looked like a huge truck depot! We continued along the N11 towards Barcelona, which is obviously the (non toll road) truck route. We past a couple of women standing by the roadside waiting for a lift or something, then one went to pull her top down as we went past and the next was dressed in hot pants! Some had come prepared and had seats and parasols! Well it was sunny and temperatures in the 70’s!

Having made good time we decided to go straight for the campsite south of Bacelona where Carol, Chris & Emma are joining us. Arrived mid afternoon to find the camp fairly busy, the girl on reception explained a lot would leave Sunday evening and it would be quieter during the week. At weekend the Spanish arrive enmass! They gave us a pitch and an escort to find it, unable to get into the road the pitches were off, so were moved a road up where we had a good pitch on the end.

Had a walk around and found the supermarket, bar & restaurant etc, looks really nice with lots to do including two outdoor and one indoor pool. One of which has fantastic views over the coast. Sarah is very concerned about having to wear a swimming hat for the indoor one! This should be fun!

Friday 15th October 2010

Well the day started off well, sunny morning, left the camp in good time and set off to find the D618. Last night we had looked at the map and found that rather than go all the way back to Perpignan, we could go a much more direct route along the D618, which even brought us in on the right road to the Aire we wanted in Amelie-les-Bains. Sure enough not far down the road off a large roundabout we found the D618, it took us into a village, but the signs said no entry for over 12ton lorries or vehicles exceeding 10m in length. As we came out of the village following the signs the road narrowed and then we saw the single track road leading off into the hills. We stopped to look for a way to turn round but that wasn’t going to happen unless we shrank into a mini! A couple of French young men walked past and seeing our hesitation stopped and said that it was OK big lorries go along it. OK then, can’t go back got to go forward!

Please bear in mind Sarah and I don’t like heights!!

The road was just wide enough for us to get through and as we climbed it had a rocky face to our right and a sheer drop to our left! It twisted through 120 degree bends and bridges (just wide enough) in between tight bends! We only just managed to get the rear end out before the front end hit the sheer wall of rock! First and second gear were the order of the day as we slowly crept our way up and down. We past a cyclist who had to stop and let us slowly edge past, but no other traffic for ages. Eventually we had a car behind us but we managed to find a wider spot just after a bridge to let the past. After what seemed like ages we had climbed really high and began to come down when we reached a small village and saw a road sign with our destination on it! Great! Must be getting close! Then we saw the 31 before it, Lynn looked at the map yes not yet a third of the way there yet! We slowly continued through stunning scenery I suspect, but I had my eyes (on 6” stalks) firmly on the road and Sarah was staring intently out the right hand side window! As we got about halfway and at our highest point I did see the snow capped mountains (God they looked close!) the road started to widen and you could let a motorbike past us if you were careful! We started to meet the odd car, luckily either at a passing place or near enough for them to reverse! Generally I stopped as far over as I could and they drove past at warp factor five, with inches to spare! After what seemed like a life time we came down again and entered Amelie-les Bains, a busy spa town. We found a large car park with several motorhomes in it, so we joined them and parked up to catch our breath! Bloody hell, don’t want to do that again! Oh and when you see us ask about the goats!

We went for a walk and found the Aire which was small and down a steep slope, not very inviting so we decided to stay where we were. Had a walk around the town which was very pretty and full of OAPs! I reckon the average age here is 80! Bought some local wine (5lts!) and french pastries to aid our recovery!

Thursday 14th October 2010

After breakfast (fresh bread and croissants delivered to reception), we did some chores i.e. sat in the sun whilst the washing machine did its job! Then set off for a bike ride, followed a route our dutch neighbours had given us, along tracks and lanes back to the town with two names! On entry the signs on each side of the road spell it differently, Millars or Millas! Too much wine for the sign writer at lunch time?

We had a great cycle around the town, had lunch by a ford, where the water was rushing past having come off the mountains. The big kid amongst us played “Pooh Sticks”, I’ll give you a clue it wasn’t me or Sarah! Rode home past some lakes and a large ford spanning a river which was blocked by trees etc and had a JCB digger very gingerly making its way out to the middle to try and clear it, not for the faint hearted. The views were great and the mountains in the distance had snow on the top of them.

Wednesday 13th October 2010

Left Narbonne for the campsite west of Perpignan. Had a lovely drive past some large vineyards and great views. Took the ring road around Perpignan (phew) and headed west through some lovely villages to the campsite. The area had obviously had bad rain overnight (turned out it had been for three days!) The book said they take large motorhomes, hmmm, they seemed slightly surprised at ours and the owners daughter explained in perfect English, that they would put us on a camp road so we didn’t get stuck! We needed to refresh all the water so reversed into the parking area where the waste/water was. Had to do 6 point turn to get anywhere near it and soon attracted some interest from Frenchmen staying here, who shifted plant pots, barrels etc to assist. One even began to try and dismantle the wooden sleepers protecting the disposal point! We explained that wasn’t necessary! After we had finished, the owner took us to a lovely spot in amongst three empty pitches and indicated we should stop there on the road! Very private and secluded, not far from the shower block etc. Lovely small site, owners very, very,  friendly.

Tuesday 12th October 2010

After a good night’s sleep we woke up to sunshine. Lynn and I walked into Narbonne and then spent the day around the van watching a circus set up over the road. Had a chat to some expats who live in Spain and a couple from France. The ones from Spain said it was cheaper there and they loved living there. Obviously the couple now living in France preferred it here and wasn’t keen on Spain! The repair man arrived and fixed the barrier, which took all day. Once he had started there was a mass exodus of vans leaving whilst the barriers were up, including the Belgium who had been there four or five days!

Monday 11th October 2010

After a night of gales, van being rocked and the water levels rising! We had our breakfast, nothing stops the bread man! And left for Narbonne and a dry footing! Arrived at the Aire and pulled up to the barrier, entered our details and waited for the ticket to be issued by the machine and the barrier to raise, you guessed it neither happened! Lynn and Sarah spoke to someone via the help intercom who said they would send someone. We looked at the time, 11.30am, hmmm, unlikely to get anyone here before midday and then it’s a two hour lunch! So we settled in for a long wait! Gradually other vans arrived and with each one we (Lynn, they automatically go to her side!) had to explain why we were sitting there and yes we had gone backwards and forwards to the barrier, put our details in etc etc. We may be English but no we’re not stupid! It was raining now and Lynn was losing her sense of humour, to the point where one particularly irritating women was lucky to escape with her life, and they say I’m the one with the short fuse! A Belgium guy from a large motorhome in the Aire came  over and explained he had reported the fault at 11am that morning and went on to tell the women at the other end of the intercom what he thought of their response! Others tried the same, whilst an Aussie waiting behind us and I discussed the option of just removing the barrier! We decided the local police response would probably be more effective so we settled for lunch, handy when you have your home with you! Around 4pm a guy arrived and asked us to pull forward even closer to the barrier, then tried everything again, still didn’t work. He left and returned with another guy this time in a yellow flori jacket, getting serious! They couldn’t fix it so after some encouragement from the French motor-homers (we now stretched out onto the busy road!) they just raised the barriers and let us in.

Sunday 10th October 2010

Saturday 9^th October 2010

A local baker arrived delivering fresh baguettes and croissants- good start to the day. Having the beach so close is huge bonus, even when the wind is a little blustery, making it more spectacular. Enjoyed spotting the wildlife- jellyfish (2 at least a foot in diameter!) and a small snake- at the water’s edge. Ended up near a rocky jetty where Sarah became the local ‘David Bailey’- 50 photos of waves!! Gotta love waves! Returned to ‘Bella’ and the scrabble tournament continued with a great competitive spirit! Imagine this….the scores are close…in an instant dad puts down the big one –‘JUST’ triple word, double letter with j, adding t to another word- 68 in total! The tears began to flow! The evening ended in high spirits thanks to the wine and the ipod playing…but was slightly affected by ones great dancing skills (begins with D and ends in D!) 

Sarah and Lynn xx

Sunday 10^th October 2010

The bread man appeared again…but brought the rain….heavy rain…gale force winds! Great mixture!

Spent the day in ‘Bella’ playing cards and watching the lake build up around us. Maybe being so close to the beach was not such a great idea! Yet impressive views of a powerful ocean!

Sarah and Mum xx

Friday 8th October 2010

Easy journey to the Aire at Narbonne plage, only took 20 minutes. Large hard standing Aire with a few trees and only a sand dune bank separating it from the beach and the Med. Set up, had coffee and went for a walk along the beach towards the town. The weather forecast had been cloudy with some rain, but the clouds cleared and the sun came out, warm enough for SATS (Shorts And T Shirts) and paddling, waves rolling in and miles of lovely sandy beach, fantastic. Spent the afternoon walking along the beach to the town marina and back, then sat in the sun with a beer or two (wine for the girls) drinking to your health, especially to you Sally just about 4.15pm here, 3.15pm your time. A lot of German vans here, some big ones and a couple towing “Focus” size cars on trailers, one has a car and a moped on the trailer!

Thursday 7th October 2010

Decided to stay an extra night and spend the day cycling along the “Canal De Robine” which was only a couple of minutes away. Had a great day cycled over 20k from Narbonne out to the large bay on the coast. Lovely views and very quiet, only saw a few other cyclists and four or five boats on the canal. Stopped by a lock on the way out to watch boats going through and spotted a bar/restaurant on the other side. Stopped off there on the way back for wine and a chocolate desert with ice cream and raspberry coulis, it was delicious! Great spot by the lock, slightly bohemian crowd wearing very brightly coloured trousers! Lynn has started to use her gears and is now turning into a speed freak! Went to a Decathlon store on our return to the van (walking distance) and bought cycling helmets and a saddle cushion for Sarah, if it works Lynn wants one!

Whilst typing this a guy from another van has come out and started walking around having a nose and leg stretch. Nick he is the spitting image of your dad, even the way he walks and stands! We’ve nicknamed him “Nicks dad” and as Sarah and Lynn have the best view out the window (go figure!) they’re giving me updates on what his up to. Moving on to Narbonne-plage tomorrow to see what the coast is like.

Wednesday 6th October 2010

Tuesday 5^th October

Walked into the town (5mins) and bought fresh bread and Pain au chocolat for breakfast. Left nice and early and made our way towards Narbonne. The Aire was situated on the east side of town and wasn’t easy to get to. We had a cunning plan! Came through Narbonne from the north and headed east only to find the road we wanted was blocked “Diversion”, and the others Sally Sat Nav suggested were like farm tracks! Continued away from Narbonne for a while before turning round and heading back into Narbonne. This time we found the signs for the area we wanted and the Sat Nav kept it’s signal, driving through the city was interesting! Found the aire by a sports stadium, with a cycle track/footpath into the centre along the canal which only took ten minutes.

Spent the afternoon in lovely sunshine (high 70’s) walking around Narbonne, great walk in and very historic centre. Found a hairdressers in a small square and booked Lynn in for tomorrow! Returned to the van to watch the locals run round the sports field, some of them were very serious runners. Also rugby training taking place, Lynn enjoyed watching them!

Walked into the centre and left Lynn at the hairdressers whilst Sarah and I had explored the back streets, where we found the street with the expensive boutiques . Sarah enjoyed looking in them and found a lovely dress, asked how much, 275 euros! OK, moving swiftly on! Returned to collect Lynn who had managed to avoid getting her hair dyed orange! She had been out for a few minutes and had been asked by a group of students to assist with their task of seeing how many people they could get in a plastic hoop! You just can’t leave her on her own for a second! Took Lynn back to the boutiques and had a coffee before walking back to the van for lunch. Afternoon spent looking round some shops, food shopping and sitting in the sun with a glass of wine.

Monday 4th October

After a stormy night, left in bright sunshine and a hot morning. Made our way to the Aire by the “Maries” office in Puicheric, only to find it had gone! A new road system had taken some of the carpark which housed the Aire. Sarah and I went into the mayors office and spoke to the lady inside, who explained (in french) it had gone, but we could stay the night parked outside if we wished, but there was not any water etc. Since this was no problem for us and the town looked interesting we decided to stay and parked between two rows of trees at the side of the building. At which point the high winds and rain returned! Had lunch whilst the storm blew itself out and then went for a walk around the old town in sunshine. The town was in the center of the wine region and had a distillery, I swear you get drunk just walking past it! There were tractors with trailers and large tankers coming and going all the time. Found the towns cemetery which was full of very impressive family crips and a fabulous old church high on the hill. Walked along a small canal which led to the Canal de Midi and the river Aude which runs through the town. All the shops were closed so we returned later, they were still closed but one of two local wine producers shops was open! Bought two box’s of wine (6lts) for 13 euros, the old man in the shop was very proud of the fact his wine was organic. Returned to the van for cheese and wine, very very good!

Saturday 2nd October 2010

Saturday 2nd september 2010

Spoke too soon, cloudy/windy today and it doesn't look like changing for a couple of days! Went for a walk into the nearby village through the vines. Bought our bread etc and had a look round, small hilltop village, fantastic views. Came back for lunch and scrabble, Lynn now winning by two games! Em where are you! Sarah winning at cards! Chris get your horse moving, this is like "Custers Last Stand" and the indians are getting over confident!! Great to see some more "followers" Lynn says a big "Hi".

Friday 1st September 2010

Arrived at the campsite in lovely sunshine, only four other vans here all in a group, we chose a pitch overlooking the lake on our own! Sitting in the sun drinking wine within 15 mins of pulling onto the pitch! Much warmer than the last campsite, door still open at 8pm, much more like it.

Thursday 30^th September

Arrived at the campsite in Le Bastide De Serou on Tuesday and booked three nights. Campsite very quiet, found a large pitch (well using two normal ones!) lovely views, very sunny and near the loos!

Wednesday, we went for a bike ride along a disused railway line, told it had a couple of inclines but was basically flat. It began to go uphill albeit fairly gently from the point we joined it and continued uphill for two to three miles! Fantastic views and a lovely sunny day made up for it. Once we had reached the top we didn’t go far  down the other side as we realised we would have to come back up! Had a picnic lunch near the top and enjoyed the freewheel downhill.

Thursday, cloudy over the hills. Gave “Bella” a clean before going for a walk around the town, following a small map from the reception. Took us past old mills and along the stream that runs through the town and our campsite, about 9k.

Rainy afternoon, so relaxing in the van. Sarah on “SIMS”, Lynn reading and I’m doing the blog and sorting out the photos I’ve taken over the past couple of days. Planned our route to Carcassonne for tomorrow, only one suitable campsite close to it so we’re keeping our fingers crossed it’s OK!