Month: December 2024

Week 2. 21st – 27th of December 2024. Lloret de Mar to Mar Menor 436 miles

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Saturday 21st of December 2024 (Lloret de Mar to Amposta – 155 miles)

We hope that you have all had a lovely Christmas. Our best wishes for the New Year…

In the last week, we have driven from home in East Cowes in the United Kingdom to Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava, Spain. We got through France in three days. We have seen the Millau Viaduct, been on the beach in the Med, seen some lovely old Spanish towns and had our first ‘menu del dia‘ on this trip at least. We have also enjoyed some sunny walks on a beach or two. A good start.

Today we are leaving Lloret on this the shortest day and heading south on our journey. We leave later than we hope but we are off after filling up with diesel and a fine Spanish coffee from the service station. Bit of a long one today, 3 hours. We are planning to stop at a free spot next to Port Aventura, which has one of Hayley’s favourite rollercoasters, Shambhala, we won’t be visiting it today, however, as it’s the weekend and too busy. Our route will take us along the back of Barcelona on the AP-7. It’s another bright sunny day and getting warmer.

We find the free spot, but it’s a bit away from anything unless you are visiting the amusement park, so we decide not to stay the night. No matter, we have a spot of lunch and we are soon on our way again, this time to another free spot, a very popular one, on the Ebro Delta south of Barcelona. It’s getting warmer, 18 degrees. It’s a lovely drive.

We get a space, which is lucky, as there are only two left. Whew! It’s a nice spot next to the city of Amposta. We get settled in and have a chat with the Dutch neighbours behind us who have also just been out for a week, but are out until March…

We have a good walk around the town near to us, it’s not bad, nothing spectacular but it’s warm and sunny and we like walking around new towns. The walk back to Jess is through the local park, which is very nice.

We are back at Jess at 5 pm. A full day.

Dinner tonight on Jess is a local dish, Fideua. Similar to Paella, but made with small thin pasta instead of rice. Hayley does this really well.

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Sunday 22nd of December 2024 (Amposta to Benicarlo – 25 miles) HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEL!!

Today, we’re taking a short 30-minute drive to our next stop, where we will spend Christmas. We’re doing a full van service and filling up with LPG. Even though it’s Del’s birthday, some jobs still have to be done…

It’s a lovely day today, and as we move further south, even though the drive is short, the temperature is a warm 18 degrees. There is a threat of some clouds, but nothing yet.

We are heading to a campsite that we have stayed at before in a town called Benicarlo, Camping Alegria Del Mar. It’s a very popular site with people from all over Europe who are transiting through or spending weeks at a time there. It’s a very nice place, well maintained, with lots to do with some good walks.

We are given a nice and spacious pitch and get settled in quite quickly.

Today it’s Del’s birthday and Hayley has booked a nice beachside restaurant for lunch. He has already received his gifts, his favourite Champagne, Taittinger, and a nice pair of Apple Air Pods Pro. He loves them.

Lunch is just a 5-minute walk from the site so we set off and we are given a nice inside table with a great view of the sea.

The sun is lovely and warm, at 18 degrees with no wind. What a day and a place for a birthday.

Lunch is delicious and very well-priced for what we had and the location. We walk it off with a short walk towards the marina and the town before setting back towards Jess. The city of Benicarlo took quite a bashing from the floods in the Valencia area that killed so many people in October/November 2024.

We see, at first hand, some of the devastation as the road that used to connect the campsite to the marina and towards the town has been swept away.

As we are staying here over Christmas we get Jess set up for the festive season. We have some lights to put up and we find space for the Christmas cards that we were able to bring. She is all set up.

In the evening we stay indoors and play an escape room game and finish off the rest of the champagne. A lovely day today. There is a threat of strong winds on the way apparently.

Many thanks for all of your kind birthday wishes for Del and our Christmas cards. There may be some back in the UK that we missed after we left which we appreciate.

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Monday 23rd of December 2024 (Day 2 Benicarlo)

As predicted the wind has built up overnight and is expected to get fierce later today and overnight, calming off for Christmas Eve. We have a simple and quick breakfast today before setting off for a walk into the city of Benicarlo. It is windy, it’s behind us so we will struggle to walk back in it.

It’s a nice easy 30-minute walk into the town which, is fabulous. A very bright, clean and lively town. It’s a small city with a population of just over 26,000. We stop at a busy cafe as Del wants some Chocolate con Churros. A popular Spanish snack all year round, even for breakfast but very popular in the winter months, especially this time of year.

It’s basically a doughnut straightened out with some icing sugar sprinkled on top with a cup of very thick hot chocolate. Not very exciting but if you get a good one it’s delicious, and this one was a good one. Just the right amount and only 3 euros! In the UK we have seen £5 and upwards for a rather substandard copy. Never had a decent one at home.

Back at Jess Hayley knocks up a very pleasant Malaysian dish with chicken and massive Spanish prawns, very tasty. The rest of the day is spent at Jess reading and just enjoying the sunshine despite the strong wind. The last time we were here it was the same. We seem to attract the wind…

Tonight it’s free bingo at the campsite bar. Yipee! A pleasant afternoon, reading, chatting and Del doing a bit of work, all very relaxed. We get showered and set for our big night out!

The restaurant on the campsite is very popular and we can see why. The menu is excellent, it’s cheap and they are quick. It’s very good.

We have a pile of calamari, patatas bravas (again) and a massive house salad. We cash in our two free drink vouchers that you get when you check-in.

Bingo time. Six games were played in total and Hayley won the full house on the last game! Well done Hayley. The prize was a bottle of red wine. Very nice.

The last time we were here she won twice… A bottle of wine and a huge bar of chocolate.

It’s still windy as we make our way back to Jess. It’s supposed to calm off soon, we hope. It would be nice to sit out in the sunshine for Christmas.

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Tuesday 24th of December 2024 (Day 3 Benicarlo)

Finally, the wind has gone away – well, kind of. We are expecting a warm, sunny day, so we shall try to get out and sit in the sun and read our books with a cold beer. Fingers crossed.

Del is off for a solo walk along the beach. It’s fabulous. A bright, clear, warm sunny morning. Hayley is back at the van sorting out drawers and cupboards. She likes that. Well in small spaces, everything must have a space… Back at Jess we just take it easy, reading outside.

Lunch today is at a Japanese restaurant called Matuya. You order everything on an iPad that is bolted to the table on a gooseneck arrangement so you can move it about between you.

Our walk to the restaurant is blocked off completely today. The road was completely smashed apart during the recent Spanish floods, and now the temporary fix is shut, so we have to take the long tiresome trudge over the stone pebble beach.

We are shown to a table in the restaurant, which is rather nice on the inside.

It’s very big and spacious with lots of tables with a very bright, ‘easy-on-the-eye’ decor. It’s busy already. The waiter cleans down our iPad and resets it for us. For 15 euros you can eat as much as you like! Drinks and dessert are extra. What a deal. When we lived in Barcelona there was something very similar, only it was the traditional belt that went around the restaurant and as the small plates sailed past, you just scooped one up. We spent a lot of time in that place. (And money!)

Hayley has Sake to drink, and Del has a cold local beer.

Indeed we take advantage of this place. We have lots to eat, maybe too much. The restaurant has a policy of ‘fining’ you if you order and leave too much food behind.

Quite right too, however, there is no chance of that at our table as we hoover everything up that we have ordered.

A very pleasant walk back in the afternoon sunshine. Back at Jess we just lay back in the sun and read. Del lasts 3 minutes before he’s snoring.

As Christmas Eves go, it’s fab. Warm sunshine, a good walk and a great value lunch. Not bad, not bad at all.

The evening is back at the van and another escape room game from “Unlock” by SpaceCowBoys, helped along with a few drinks of fizz… Tonight we did well… 4/5 on this game!

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Wednesday 25th of December 2024 (Day 4 Benicarlo)

Merry Christmas to you all… Have a great day!

When we look through the van blinds this morning, the sky is beautiful and clear. We are up and wishing each other a “Merry Christmas.” Del puts together a fabulous breakfast complete with fizz and Christmas crackers.

We exchange some gifts and cards over coffee. A lovely morning.

The weather promises to be very nice today, and we plan to go to the same restaurant that we went to for Del’s birthday, Mar Blava. The only space they have left is on their terrace, so we have booked that for 3pm, but first we should have a walk so we set off for the short walk to the beach. To our surprise, and shock, the skies have clouded over, but quite a lot, not what was forecast as we feel spots of rain.

No matter we have a couple of options up our sleeve. We can eat at the very good campsite restaurant, or we can eat at Jess, which is equally good.

The clouds thicken as we walk back to Jess, but the rain has now gone. Del gets himself comfortable outside with a chair, his book and a small beer, Hayley joins him and they just get comfortable when a small shower of rain passes through. We decide to cancel our Christmas lunch at the beachside restaurant and decide on the campsite restaurant instead.

Despite the cloudy sky and the odd, very light shower, it’s still warm as we sit in the van with the door open and read, watch videos and exchange messages with friends back home.

One of Del’s gifts from Hayley was a bottle of 10-year-old Scotch, so of course he has to try a sample. Delicious.

So who got what:

Hayley: A year’s subscription to Audible. A box of Hotel Chocolat chocolates. A Bluetooth sleep mask.

Del: A bottle of Scotch. A Scotch tasting kit. The two remaining books are from the Brian Klein Trilogy. And a phone holder/lamp gismo.

Here is a quick promo for Brian Klein. Brian Klein is a TV director who turned his hand to writing during COVID-19. He has written three books, with a fourth on the way in March 2025.

They are excellent, real page-turners, and highly recommended. (There you go, Brian, that’s a fiver you owe me!) They are a seriously good read. You can see them all here. Give them a go.

Christmas dinner is at the campsite restaurant which is excellent. House salad followed by chipirones (baby squids), fiduea and a dessert. This is all helped along with a couple of glasses of house red all for 50 euros… Excellent.

Back at the van Hayley gets her guitarlele out and plays us a few songs with a little help from Del with vocals until bedtime.

Here is the setlist.

1. Don’t Speak – No Doubt
2. Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day
3. One More Time – Britany Spears
4. Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
5. Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
6. Day Dream Believer – The Monkees

INTERVAL

1. Army Dreamers – Kate Bush
2. Rebel Yell – Billy Idol
3. Sail Away – David Grey (Our Wedding Song)
4. I Got You – Split Endz
5. Please Let Me Get What I Want – The Smiths
6. California Dreaming – Mamas and Papas

ENCORE

1. Heart Of Gold – Neil Young
2. Harvest Moon – Neil Young (Del’s ‘H’ song)

2ND ENCORE

1. Strong Enough – Cheryl Crowe

Blackout…!!!

No kidding here. She really does strum and pick these tunes out properly on her guitarlele that we have brought with us… Good stuff!

We have had a lovely day today, and a good Christmas. Stress-free, easy going and just nice. We hope that you too have had a lovely Christmas and we will see you in the New Year. The evening is finished off with some good old country and western tunes from Patsy Kline, Kitty Wells, Glenn Campbell and Loretta Lynn. Love it…
Our very best wishes to you all…

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Thursday 26th of December 2024 (Benicarlo to L’Olleria – 140 miles)

Today, we are moving on. We have spent four nights in Benicarlo and have enjoyed our stay. The town is not a tourist town by any means, but it has a lot to offer. It has everything you could want. It’s vibrant and busy, very clean, and well looked after. The town also has a good collection of great places to eat. We only tried two of them, but there are many here with at least two Michelin-rated restaurants.

The campsite is great. Well run and looked after, they have something for everyone. Us Brits are in the minority amongst a large contingent of Germans, Dutch and Swiss. We like that though, that’s why we are here. We have enjoyed a good Christmas, no overeating or drinking, some sunshine, lots of fresh air and a very happy Christmas. We hope that whatever you did, you enjoyed yours…

Time to move on though and get ourselves further south. We are heading for a simple overnight stop, inland. It’s a piece of land that has electricity and water with hens that peck around the van.

It gets great reviews, so we shall see. The weather is cloudy and we do have a few showers of rain, nothing heavy, just a light shower or two.

We leave Benicarlo via a fuel stop. It’s a 2.5-hour drive but we are in no rush to get there. Our journey takes us through the outskirts of Valencia where the traffic is pretty heavy and where we also see where the flood water came through. The city itself was spared the worst of the flood but the water came rushing through via the dried-up river bed bringing heavy debris and trees with it.

At 2:30 pm we arrive at our stop after taking the wrong turn and ending up on a cycle path. We have a very short moment of concern about how we are going to get back, or turn around, but fortunately, the path opens up again onto the road and this time we make the correct turn.

True to its reviews it is just a large scrub land, but well provisioned with electricity, water and there is even a shower. The weather is the warmest it’s been but by 4:30 pm it turns a bit chilly.

In the field with us is a large dilapidated IVECO truck converted into a motorhome with 2 adults and 4 kids (and a washing machine)… There are 2 vans registered in Estonia, a Finn, a Swiss and then us. The Finnish car/van has been here for a month and a half!

At 5 pm the chap who owns the land, and has a very nice substantial house next door, comes to collect payment.

15 euros for the pitch, electricity, water and half a dozen fresh eggs from the hens next to us, who aren’t allowed to peck around the vans anymore (much to Hayley’s disappointment).

Dinner in tonight and early to bed.

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Friday 27th of December 2024 -116 miles (L’Olleria to Mar Menor – 116 miles)

Our breakfast this morning is the fresh eggs that we bought from the site owner last night when he popped by for payment. They are in Hayley’s words “…the best eggs I’ve ever had…” and they are. Very tasty eggs, laid by the hens behind the van.

It was a very pleasant stay here, L’Olleria. It was very peaceful. Today, we are off to Mar Menor, south of Alicante. It doesn’t take us long to pack up, and we are on our way. It’s a cloudy, cold start to the day, but we are hoping that it will improve. On our way, we need to do some shopping, so Hayley finds us an Aldi, which is about an hour away. We also need some LPG, so she finds that, too.

The journey is a bit gloomy. There are lots of heavy, low clouds about, and we think it might rain.

Indeed, we do get a small shower or two. In this area of Spain, farmers are allowed to burn wood at this time of the year. It’s bad this morning. Plumes of smoke are dotted throughout the countryside. You can’t smoke in a lot of places in Spain now but you can burn as much wood as you like. We tried to get a photo as we left the farm this morning of the sky. There was a low cloud stretching for miles that was yellow, yes, yellow! Wood burning had been going on since the early hours.

We get parked up at the Aldi. Hayley goes in while Del stays with Jess. The shop is at a busy intersection, and at the lights, Del spots an unusual busker. Every time the traffic is stopped on red, this chap jumps out into the waiting cars and starts a juggling act. Very odd.

The next stop is to pick up LPG. We have a successful fill up so we are ready with plenty of gas for cooking and heating. While Del pops into the shop to pay, Hayley is left to remove the adaptor from the side of the van that allows us to fill up with LPG. As she removes it, the excess that had built up in the pipework of the van spits back at her and gives her a nasty ‘ice-burn‘ on her finger. Over time these can turn into a nasty blister so we will keep an eye on that. Needless to say, she is now banned from having anything to do with the LPG unless it’s inside the van, i.e. cooking, making the tea and putting the heating on…

The drive has taken just under 2 and a half hours when we arrive at the campsite in Mar Menor. Camping Mar Menor is a popular place frequented, as usual, by the Germans. We like it here. It’s good for bike riding. We get parked up in our allocated pitch.

After a cup of tea and some traditional ‘Kings Day‘ Roscon, Del rips the van apart and gives her a good clean. The outside is prepped with the awning, table and chairs, finished off with some decorative lights. While that’s going on H is running back and forth to the site laundry facilities getting some, much needed, washing done.

By 6 pm we are all done.

We have a clean van inside and out, all the laundry is done, we are full of gas, and water and plugged into the mains and we are now settled in for our 5-day stay here. It’s here that we will bring in the new year. 2025.

See you on the other side…

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Week 1. 14th – 21st of December 2024. Home to Lloret de Mar, Spain – 913 miles

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Saturday the 14th of December 2024 (East Cowes to Dieppe – 154 miles)

We have never been big fans of winter in the UK, the light, the damp and the cold. This winter seems to be a bit more depressing than normal. It has been sometimes difficult recently to be really “cheery” about stuff. There was always a plan to escape winter in a big style this year with lots of trips planned, and today we are off on the first of many. Jess will cheer us up and take us away somewhere with bright light and maybe a bit of a warmer climate.

We are up early today to finish off some of Jess’s packing; we did most of it yesterday. Last week, Del was away working while H was left to organise the trip. Unfortunately, she was floored by a really bad cold, which meant she was not able to do any of her usual prep. She likes a list. She has a nice spreadsheet with check boxes and categorised sections to check it all off. It’s lovely, but sadly, the pen didn’t touch the paper. Most of the prep and packing was done on Thursday and Friday and in a rush.

Del has also been feeling a bit under the weather, but nowhere near as bad as H. Poor thing. 

With all the packing done, we will be off to catch the 11:00 am ferry from Fishbourne to Portsmouth followed by a drive to Newhaven and the 4-hour ferry crossing to Dieppe.

So what are our plans for this trip?

We are planning to be away for 7 weeks. The plan is to get to Spain as quickly as possible, the south of Spain in particular. The first bit of the trip, through France, we will just make it up as we go along. Most, if not all, of the campsites in France are closed now for the winter, so we think that we will be over the French/Spanish border in 4 days. Fingers crossed.

It’s quite a nice day today, for a change. It’s an easy drive. We do one stop to check the tyre pressures and to fill up with diesel. We arrive at Newhaven Port very early. You just can’t trust the ferries on the Island anymore, and we have to build in extra time in case they decide that the water is too watery and can’t sail…

Time to kill in Newhaven. A nice cup of tea with some German stolen cake on Jess, getting Christmas off to a good start. Very nice. We are flagged through to the waiting area at 3:30 and placed, ready for our 5:30 ferry.

We are eventually loaded into the belly of the ship and given our keys to our cabin. We like the cabin. It’s only a four-hour crossing but it has a shower and a comfy bed. We drop our bags in the room and head for the ship’s restaurant and have an early dinner, after that, it’s a shower and a lie down for an hour or two. Nice.

The crossing is calm and very pleasant and before we know it we are back in Jess and being loaded off. Hello Dieppe! We are stopping at a paid-for ‘camping carpark’ spot, which is just a 1-minute drive from the ferry. Once settled in, the kettle is on and we are quite content.

It starts to rain.

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Sunday the 15th of December 2024 (Dieppe to Riom – 360 miles)

We did have some very light rain this morning. It’s very grey, very dull in Dieppe this morning, nothing like our last time here in October when it was cool but bright and sunny.

We want to get through France as quickly as we can so we have a simple, quick breakfast and we are off and away by 10:30 after a quick van service. We need to do a shop so we stop at a supermarket to stock up. In France, it’s the law that supermarkets can open on a Sunday, but they have to close at 12:30, so it’s quite busy. 80 euros later we have a good collection of goodies including a freshly roasted chicken and potatoes! That’s lunch sorted out.

Hayley is at the wheel, after 30 minutes she gets bored and there is a swapover. We push through France and different types of weather from a bit of sun to rain to fog, everything except snow. That may yet come in the next day or two. We stop on the way at a layby and get stuck into the chicken and spuds. They are fantastic! Very tasty.

We decide to just keep going and going. After 360 miles we arrive and settle in the French town of Riom. 360 miles is like going from London to Manchester and back. With all the stops it comes to about 8 hours. Remember we are in a motorhome where we do an average of 60 miles an hour! We could go faster but we would use up a lot of fuel pulling our 3.5t van and it would be very noisy!

In Riom, we stay at a very nice spot and decided to do some exercise and take a walk in the town. It’s dead, empty, but very pretty. They have some lovely Christmas decs up, all very clean and tidy, but closed!

Having done a long day driving, and had a bit of exercise we are back at Jess and settle in with a light snack and a witter before bed.

A good day. We are two-thirds of the way through France. It’s a big country.

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Monday the 16th of December 2024 (Riom to Portiragnes – 223 miles)

It’s a beautiful bright cold morning this morning. clear blue skies, 4 degrees. After breakfast, we do a full van service. It’s the usual thing, empty the grey water from the shower and the washing up etc. Fill up with fresh water and, the best bit, empty, clean and freshen up the chemical toilet. Nice.

We fill up with diesel, again, and set off south. We are confident that we will cross the border today and into Spain…

Hayley will do most of the driving today. She does a good 2 and a half hours at the wheel taking us up and over the Massif Central which gets up to just over a kilometer in altitude. Jess works hard pulling us up the hill, which has recently had some snow.

Onwards towards the Millau Viaduct. Designed by Norman Foster, it’s the tallest bridge in the world and quite spectacular, more so today in the bright sunshine.

After a walk and a spot of lunch, we change our plan. We are ahead of time so instead of going over the border to Spain, we head for a ‘camping carpark’ in Portiragnes on the south coast of France. The camping spot is right next to the beach so when we get parked up we go for a walk and meet the Med. It’s a beautiful afternoon, not a cloud in the sky, no wind and the sea is flat and calm. Wow!

Dinner on board tonight. Steak and chips…

Tomorrow we will be in Spain.

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Tuesday the 17th of December 2024 (Portiragnes to Capmany – 91 miles)

We had a fantastic sleep last night. It was so quiet and peaceful. For a while, we have not slept the best, especially Hayley with her cold, but last night was great.

We woke up this morning to grey skies, chilly. We have a good protein-filled breakfast of scrambled eggs and salmon with toast. Today we will be in Spain. We are heading to a regular stop called Capmany, just over the border. The site is a bit rustic but it has everything you need, and it’s a short walk into the charming little town.

Hayley is at the wheel today for a very pleasant 1-and-a-half-hour drive. It’s a very nice day today. We arrive just before 1 and Del checks us in using his best Spanish. Not.

We can choose our own pitch and we get settled very quickly with a cup of tea outside on our chairs basking in the afternoon sun. It’s lovely.

Time for a walk so we get our coats on and set off for the small village of Capmany. It’s closed… We are the only people around. Everything is closed, the streets are empty. It all looks rather festive with the Christmas decs out though.

We make our way back to Jess and catch the last of the afternoon sun. It’s cool but nice. We sit and have a small beer.

After showers we have a rather nice dinner of turkey, potatoes with onions and roasted peppers. Lovely.

We are a day ahead of schedule. If we had one…

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Wednesday the 18th of December 2024 (Capmany to L’Estartit – 35 miles)

We are up before the sun rises over the hill where we are pitched. It’s a lovely bright sunny morning, with clear blue skies. We have breakfast, clean up, and set off by 10:15. We drive for only 20 minutes to a small town on the Costa Brava called Peralada. There is free overnight parking for up to 6 vans with free services.

The drive is fantastic. The countryside is beautiful. It’s 13 degrees, clear, and bright. We arrive at Peralada, hoping that there will be a space for us. We are lucky; there is. We park up, secure the van, and set off through the stone archway into the town.

There are lots of these types of towns and villages in this area. Once Roman settlements, some have expanded and have more modern buildings, but the centres have been restored and kept in tip-top condition.

This one is beautiful, well looked after, clean and tidy. We have a look at some of the restaurants but they’re very expensive. These towns are real tourist traps in the summer. Thousands flock to them causing mayhem with hundreds of people and cars. Today, however, out of season, it’s quiet. There is hardly anyone about and it’s a pleasure walking around this town, which we almost have to ourselves. It’s cool in the shade, but warm in the sun. Perfect.

Once we finish the walk we reconsider whether we should stay the night, once you’ve seen the town, you’ve seen it, so we set off for the large seaside town of L’Estartit.

We have fond memories of this place. When we were boat owners we used to sail around here going from France to Spain and back again. We stopped at a lot of the marinas along the Costa Brava and this was one of them. It’s a great place to hang around in. Before the boat came along we used to holiday in this area, staying at St. Pere Pescador, then driving around the coast and visiting all the towns here.

There is a newish camping stop here called Costa Brava Area. For 18 euros you get a nice secure pitch with electricity. Some services cost extra but are very cheap. It’s in a great location. Once settled in we set off to find lunch, in particular the good old ‘menu del dia’, menu of the day. The chap who checked us in tells us where we can get a good one. It’s called Don Quixote. It really is nothing special, just your average Spanish restaurant that all the locals go to, but it is fantastic. Old old-fashioned inside, a bit rustic, but the food is fabulous. A 3-course lunch with a drink is 14 euros each. Bargain, and it’s delicious.

Time to walk it all off. We walk the full length of the town. The weather is just fantastic. No wind, just clear blue skies with 13 to 14 degrees of temperature. What a fantastic walk we have, reminiscing about our days here on a boat and on holidays which is now 25 years ago!!!!

Back at the van we settle in after showers and have a quiet night in. We have had a lovely day today.

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Thursday the 20th of December 2024 (L’Estartit to Lloret de Mar – 49 miles)

There is no rush this morning. We have two nights booked in Lloret de Mar, our next stop. A big holiday place that started back in the ’60s, 70s, and 80s, it was one of the first to offer Brits the package holiday experience. There is a campsite in the centre of town so we are going to have a couple of nights there.

It’s a bit cloudy this morning but it promises to be a nice day as we go further south. It will be about an hour’s drive, but first Jess desperately needs a wash.

The rain coming through France was dirty and plentiful. She’s looking a bit sorry for herself.

It was a nice stay here in L’estartit, very nice. It’s a short drive to a van wash, and 8 euros later Jess is looking fabulous in the sunshine. The next stop is Hayley’s favourite supermarket in Spain, Mercadona. She loves it there. They are rather good, spacious, and bright and they sell all the best Spanish goodies. We do like it. Sad that in our lives we have a favourite supermarket! Well, you have to have a hobby.

While Hayley dives in with her trolley, Del does a few touch-ups on the van. Once Hayley is back with a full trolley and grin on her face, we set off once again.

45 minutes later we arrive at Lloret de Mar and we can drive in and choose our space at the Lloret Blau Campsite. The lady at the check-in is very friendly and helpful so we are off to a good start here.

Once we get parked we set off for a walk towards the beach. The weather is the best yet, in fact, the best we have seen in a long time. Bright clear skies and in the sun it’s more than enough warm. It is lovely. We stroll around the bay along the beach and find a bar right along the front with a fabulous view looking back along the bay. It’s fantastic. We just sit there and say nothing while we bask in the sunshine. Finally. At last…

Hayley has a medium cava, but when it arrives we are sure that it’s a third of a bottle, it’s massive, but it doesn’t stop her from finishing it, with a little help from Del who is sipping on a delicious cafe con leche.

We finish up and stroll back towards Jess. We watch a German motorhome getting towed as they have parked right in the motorbike parking spaces. Oh dear, they will have a nasty shock when they find their home on wheels gone. We walk to a hotel that Hayley visited with her mum and dad 42 years ago when she was 11! The hotel is still there and still looks the same…

Back at Jess we get showered and settle in as the late afternoon sun disappears and the air starts to cool.

Tomorrow we will explore some other parts of Lloret if we can find them. We shall see.

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Friday the 21st of December 2024 (Lloret de Mar – Day 2)

Our second day in Lloret de Mar. We had some wind blow through last night so it’s a bit cooler this morning but it’s dry and bright. Not much on today. We go for a walk to see what Lloret has to offer. It’s not much really, 80% of it is closed as it’s out of season, but we like the walk especially along the front again as we make our way to the same place on the other side of the small bay where we had a drink yesterday.

We have some calamari and patatas bravas, the usual staple of the visiting tourist. It’s just nice to sit in the warm sun and look out to sea.

The visibility today is amazing since the wind blew through. So clean and fresh.

We have a slow walk back to Jess, where we get some laundry done and just relax until dinnertime. We plan on going to bed early tonight, it was late last night. Tomorrow, we are setting off for Salou, a good 2-3 hour drive from here.

We have been out for 7 days now. It has gone very quickly and we have come so far.

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