1066 And All That

This weekend just gone we took the Navara on its maiden towing voyage.   We've camped in the Pegasus a few times over autumn/winter (with no blog updates, sadly), but the Navara was only purchased two weeks ago and this was our first opportunity to get it out and tow the van.

Navara as a Towing Vehicle

First things first, the towing experience.  One word:  Superb.  Our Navara is automatic which helps with smooth pull-aways.  We really noticed this, as the California, which was a manual, did tend to kangaroo a bit in lower gears (obviously nothing to do with my driving, no).  The Navara has shed loads of power which means it can accelerate up to required speeds with a 1.5 tonne van on the back with no issues.  And the visibility was great down the sides of the van.  

On site we chucked the Navara into 4WD mode and easily whipped the caravan around the grassy field.  To be fair it was a dry July weekend, so I doubt it was needed, but hey, we have 4WD so might as well use it!  It's one of the main reasons we picked a pickup over another Transporter as a towing vehicle.

Pondarosa Campsite

Site:             Pondarosa Caravan Park
Type:           CL
Score:          8 / 10
Facilities:    Water, chemical disposal, electrical hook up
Comments: Spacious site, well maintained; had more than 5 units on it.

Our main destination this weekend was Battle Abbey, in East Sussex.  And we were on the lookout for a cheap campsite, so a Certified Location (CL), was just the ticket.  For those who don't know, CLs are low facility sites, typically with nothing more than water, chemical disposal and usually an electrical hook up point.  They usually have no showers, toilets or other facilities.  They are usually just a field.  But they are a lot cheaper.  And because right now the shared facilities of campsites are shut anyway, and as we have all the facilities we need onboard the van, a CL seemed a good choice.  So Mrs Blakey located the Pondarosa Caravan Park about 15 minutes drive from Battle Abbey.

First Impressions...

...were excellent.  The site is really well maintained, with mown grass across the board.  There are about three hard standings and space for 4 further grass pitches.  We were the last rig to turn up so had no choice on where to park, but I think we had the best spot if I'm honest!  

Pitches

Our pitch had the evening sun till really late and had lovely views across the fields of the farm we were on.   The field next door had a bunch of horses and a very excitable donkey in it that were all very friendly.  The owners gave us permission to feed the horses some carrots which the kids loved doing and they were always coming up to us for a stroke.

The observant among you will note that there were 7 pitches on this CL.  I'm reliably informed that there is a maximum of 5 pitches supposed to be allowed on a CL, so I am not quite sure that happened there.  But the place is so spacious, it really didn't matter at all from an enjoyment and relaxation angle.

The site is on quite a bit of a slope, so we would have been on a big angle, but the ever-friendly Caravan and Motorhome Clubers around us rushed in to help, offering chocks and plastic ramps to get our rig levelled and in no time we were sat in the sun enjoying a beer.   We've added "chocks" to our shopping list for the van.

Attractions

Battle Abbey

On Saturday we went to the aforementioned Battle Abbey which was really amazing.  I can't believe I've lived in the south east of England for nearly 50 years and somehow have failed to ever go there before.  The site comprises a huge gatehouse and walls dated from the 14th century which is where you enter.  

Behind there you can see the new Battle Abbey School which is a really posh private school.  A really well organized walk takes you around the field where the Battle of Hastings was fought, and a pod cast, which is downloadable to your phone for free) talks you through about a score of information points which explains how the battle panned out.  These are punctuated with wooden statues showing the different types of soldiers involved in the battle.

The tour climaxes back at the site of the Abbey where you are shown the exact location that King Harold is supposed to have copped it with an arrow through his eye.  

This is where William the Conqueror apparently built an abbey to atone for his sins, for killing thousands of men that day.  The original abbey, which was built 4 years after the Battle and took over 20 years to complete, is now gone but the layout is marked out and the remains of the 14th century abbey - some of which is now being used by Battle Abbey School - is still very impressive.

All in all, an incredible day out, highly recommended.

Rye

On the Sunday we headed off to the picturesque town of Rye and took a wander around the cobbled streets.  Most shops were shut, being a Sunday, but we were able to get an ice cream and coffee in one of the many cafes which were doing a brisk trade.  

We then headed off to Rye Harbour where we took a seat in the beer garden of the homely William the Conqueror pub which did a lovely chicken burger and chips.  We didn't try the beer as we had a long journey home towing the caravan before us, so I can't comment on that.

A really great first outing in the caravan in the Summer of 2020.  Our next outing will be when we take the van on holiday for two weeks.  Should be interesting!

Campervan becomes Caravan

It's summer 2020 and a lot has changed in the world in the last few months.  But our decision to change our "van" was made back in autumn 2019.

In October 2019, after a lot of soul searching, research and discussion we decided to trade in our VW T5 California Beach for a Caravan.  Why?  Well, mostly it was due to the changing circumstances of our family.  With two young kids the campervan was proving to be hard work to use for extended trips, even with a drive away awning.  And we also wanted to extend our camping season out into the autumn and winter.

So we went to the excellent Chichester Caravans in Uckfield and spent a long time looking over the different options they had.  We finalized on a huge 6-berth, double axle, 8' wide van, even though there are only four of us in the family.  We bought the giant Bailey Pegasus Grande Palermo which is a fantastic piece of kit.

People said we were mad to tow an 8' van with no towing experience.  Mad.  But we did it anyway.  We swapped our old campervan for a powerful Nissan Navara pickup which has no problems dragging the van around the countryside.  And, precisely because we have no experience towing, we don't find the 8' wide van suddenly wider or harder to two than "before" as there never was a before for us!   

Of course so far we've not met another caravan or big truck coming the other way on a tiny country road.  I know it will happen sooner or later, and then maybe we'll wish we had something smaller.  But for now, the huge van pays off in spades when we are camped up and have a lovely spacious caravan to relax in.

With Lockdown ending in the UK and campsite opening up again, we are beginning our travels once more.  I'm going to endeavour to restart the blog, this time discussing our travels in the new "van", and probably writing it more from a family perspective.   We'll be discussing the campsites we've stayed in and the pros and cons of the locations, plus the activities we've done whilst staying at these new places.

If nothing else this will serve as a reminder to us about the different campsites we've stayed in and help us being able to find the good ones to return to!

Summer 2018

It's been a while.  But what with the kids now growing up a bit (aged 6 and 3 now) and with 2018 having been absolutely scorchio, me and Mrs Blakey have been using the van.  For camping.  Who'd have thought it?

For the last few years we've been sleeping in a lovely big Vango Edoras 500XL airbeam tent, which was great, but we've always wanted to get back to the van and using it for camping.  We're still in the 2014 model Beach, which has been our family car for the last 4 years - and which has been a great car.  This summer we've happily started to use it as a campervan again.  We've picked up the Vango Cruz II airbeam driveaway awning which is superb and gives us the outdoor space we need with very little effort to pitch.

I've enjoyed it so much that I've even decided to dust off the blog.



Southdown Way Campsite

This summer we've camped quite a bit.  We've stayed at Blacklands Farm campsite with its amazing kids' playground; at Southdown Way campsite which is clean and well kept; and at the quiet Kitts Camp which is spacious and off the grid (no EHU).




Kitts Camping

This weekend we spent three nights in the van at the crazy Eweleaze Farm, which is more like a festival than a campsite.  It's a huge site with four or five fields.  No electrical hook ups.  Showers which are a mixture of solar panel and gas driven.  Toilets which are literally a hole in the ground (nice).  The site has a lovely central area where you can buy food and beer, plus loads of camping essentials and all at reasonable prices.  There are loads of farm animals you can feed and play with and they have lots of activities on too.   There is also a privtae pebble beach which is a simple walk down to.   It's a good four hour drive from us, and the facilities are very basic, but for a fun time and a really good vibe with loads to do it was excellent. I'd rate Eweleaze as about 8/10.  Definitely one we'll come back to - probably to stay longer next time.

Next weekend - back off to Blacklands farm for a weekend visit...

Sportline Beach

The Sportline modifications have been completed by SMG Cowfold.  I'm really happy with them. 

 

We had:

• Sportline front spoiler
• Sportline rear spoiler
• Sportline chrome side rails
• Sportline 18" alloys (old school style)
• Sportline 30mm lowering springs
• Limo tinted glass throughout.

Very happy with the new look to the van.

 Importantly the van now drives really well.  It feels firmer and stiffer, the handling is better and it drives even more like a car than a van now.  This is as a result of the lowering springs and thinner tyres.

All in all, really pleased with the mods.

Inka Waterproof Seat Covers

As soon as we had the van we ordered some Inka Waterproof covers for it.  They arrived today - super speedy delievery.  We had them specially tailored to allow the ISOFIX system to still work in the back.

Rear 3-seat bench

As you can see they are not a very tight fit - they probably could be made better if you were prepared to spend hours straightening them out, but as soon as you sit on them they shift anyway.

From the picture you can see that we have fitted an ISOFIX base (near) and a seatbelt fitted base (far) into the seats perfectly happily with no issues.  Hopefully the seat covers will protect the seats from the inevitable child incidents.

Front cab seats

The front seat covers are even less of a clean fit.  They are slotted down the side to enable the air bag to function.  Other than that they seem to fit pretty well though.  I did find that the head rest covers do not fit properly.   I need to see if this is the case for all their Cali sets or an issue with mine.

Anyway, these covers should help protect the seat covers from mud and water when we use the van for biking trips or camping.  Well worth the money.

It's Here

Yesterday we picked up the Beach from the dealer and brought it home.  We stopped off on the way home to drop off the spare two middle seats in storage as we won't need them most of the time.  So now we have a 5 seater van with the option to add two extra seats in when needed.

Pics of what it looks like today:

Front

As you can see it is pretty plain at the moment - the default California in Reflex Silver.  We have a plan to change that later this week with a visit to SMG Cowfold to bling it up a bit, but I'll save that for a fresh post at the weekend.

Front Side

First impressions on getting it home:  Pretty cool.  I'm loving the electrical side door, it's dead handy to be able to open it by remote control when carrying a heavy car seat in the rain for example.  I think it will be a great addition until it breaks....

We took the removeable 12v cool box out of the back and stored that away for when we need it.  Not something we would have ordered but as it came with the van anyway, it's an added bonus.

Rear side

This van came with Premium Bluetooth.  Again, not something we would have ordered if we bought from new but as it's in there we may as well use it.  Hooked my phone up to it and have tested making calls and playing music through it.  All works a treat.

Side

As you can see from the pictures we have removed the side awning.  Personal choice but we found we hardly ever used the one on the SE, it was windy and rattled as we drove along and can only have added to the fuel consumption too.  Plus it was an ugly lump on the side of the van.   I'm very happy with the improved looks on the Beach without it.   There is still the side rail on both sides so you can still hook up a drive away awning directly to the van - which is important.

One thing which is really annoying is the rear 3-seater bench.  In our old SE it was really simple to shift the bench foreward and back.  You simply pulled a lever on the front of the bench and slid it.  With the Beach it seems this is no longer the case.  From the manual (which is not very clear) it appears you need to fold the back of the bench down first.   This is clearly impossible with 2 child seats fitted so as yet I've not managed to shift the bench.   I've posted a question on the ever excellent California Forum to see if that actually is the way to shift it and will see what answers I get from the clever people there.

UPDATE:  Yes, it seems that you do need to fold the back seat down before you can shift the rear bench.  Not a great design from a user point of view, but I tried it and it is easy to move the bench singlehanded once the rear seat drops down.  Just can't do it with the kid seats in.

Life's a Beach

Some 18 months after selling the California SE, we have bought another van. This one is the new California Beach model.

The original Beach

It's basically the same van as the SE but with all the camping equipment removed.  So no cooker, no fridge, no cupboards.  No wardrobe, no overhead lockers.  No kitchen sink.  This is actually a bonus for us over the SE as it means there is loads more room inside the van, including a 3-seater rear bench where the SE has a 2-seater.  It also means we are not driving around with a bunch of kit in the van we don't use day to day.  Sure we will have to rethink how we use the van for camping but this Cali was bought more as a big family car than as a camper, with the added bonus that we can camp in it if we want to.

The Beach does still have many of the features we loved about the Cali SE.  It has the pop top roof.  This one is manual, but is otherwise completely the same as the old model, including that lovely, comfortable bed.  It has the superbly flexible rail system down the middle of the van, allowing the rear bench inside to be slid forward or back at will.  We have 2 extra seats which can slot into the middle section of the van, thus making it a 7-seater if wanted.  They can also be removed to give more space.

It has a 240v electrical hook up with a single socket in the van.  This is perfect for getting power when camping.  The front two seats swivel, allowing the van to be turned into sociable living room - and in fact the missing kitchen units mean that the passenger side seat swivels much more easily than in an SE.

The Full Specification of the van is as follows:

VW California Beach 2.0 TDI 140PS BlueMotion Technology

• Reflex Silver
• 3 Seat Rear Bench
• 2 Additional Seats
• “Milan” Fabric Seat Coverings
• Electric Side Door
• Power Latching for Tailgate
• Leather Steering Wheel, Gear Knob and Gaiter
• Bluetooth Premium
• Laminated Glass
• Cool/Warm Box
• Tyre Pressure Warning Light
• Front and Rear Parking Sensors
• Removable 13-Pin Towbar
• Supagard Paint and  Upholstery Protection

We pick the van up on 1st December.  Looking forward to it loads!

New Van - Cienna Sportline Edition

It's been a while.  In fact it's over a year since we sold the Cali - sadly the little one didn't take to camping in the van very well, and that combined with the horrendous summer made our minds up to sell the van and buy a car.   That was back in April 2013.

So, now, a year later, I have built a new van.   Yes.  Built.  Okay three of us built it.  In an hour.  But the little one prefers this new van to the old one so I guess it's a success.

Presenting the VW Sportline Cienna Edition...

VW Sportline Cienna Edition Front End

Crafted from finest cardboard boxes recovered from the recycling bin and decorated with the latest pipecleaner windscreen wipers, the new Sportline is very distinctive.

VW Sportline Cienna Edition Side View

The alloys are a curious mixture of cereal packets and more recycled cardboard with a combination of 8 and 9 spokes.  The distinctive VW badge finishes them off.   The "windows" are easy to use - even a 2 year old can figure out how to look through them and there are no complicated buttons to make them go up and down.

Front View with the roof off.   The only configuration it has.

This Sportline is the Cabriolet version, with no roof - perfect for looking cool in on a hot summer's day. 

The good news is Mrs Blakey has conceded that a new van would be "a pretty good idea" so I'm starting to look again.   In the meantime, this Cienna Edition may be seen all around the lounge and dining room...

Southern Europe - Day 28

Home.

I'm writing this on the Eurotunnel train, sitting in the back of the van as we're whisked along under the channel. This is the way to travel! Just need a beer really but have some driving to do on the other side (and no beer).

We drove through the centre of Paris today and were rewarded with a panoramic view of the city with the Eifel Tower prominent. Not too bad a city to drive through.

We were supposed to be staying in Boulogne this eve but can't find a good camp site so we decided to try our luck with the tunnel and have managed to get a train 18 hours early for £18 extra. Well worth it.

On the way to the tunnel we took the coast road for a while and were rewarded with views of the white cliff's of Dover as its so clear today. What a sight after four weeks on the road!

The Cali has done magnificently. Not a single glitch or issue. No break downs, no problems, no worries. A true pleasure to tour in and streets ahead of our last van for this purpose. We really love it.

Had a superb 4 weeks on the road but we're both really excited to be home again. We can't wait to get back to english life: driving on the left, busy roads, traffic jams, rain, our friends and family and most of all Real Ale. God how I've missed it.

Next year we'll probably have a considerably more stationary holiday as Baby Blakey is due in April.

Cali comment: we're keeping it!

Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 27

Southern France.

We woke in an aire in the Pyrenees and camped the evening in an aire in the Loire valley. One thing the Cali gives us is much better ability to free-camp than the old van, with a 30 litre water tank and a brilliant fridge.

We woke in freezing temperatures with ice all over the outside of the van but as we'd slept down stairs with the heater on we were cosy enough. We did turn it off in the middle of the night as Mrs Blakey was feeling all suffocated - the heater takes all the moisture out of the air. When the heater was off it got very cold inside, although we did have the roof up (and bed down) which probably didn't help. Would like to try and work out a way to have the heater on all night. Maybe sleeping downstairs, roof down, front windows open a crack? Any Cali owners cracked this problem?

Today was a bit boring really. Just a driving day. French toll roads are superb of course so we made great progress on our way home but they're not cheap.

Tonight's aire is just by the side of the road. We haven't refilled the water tank for 2 days and we're still doing fine. It's interesting to see just how long you can be totally self sufficient - but we're going to want a shower soon!!

We did want to get water today but the last aire we tried was switched off so we drove onto this one which seems to want a token for water and electrical hookup. Sadly we have no tokens and haven't seen anywhere which might sell them. No worries, we have enough water to last us and the leisure battery is fully charged.

Tonight is much warmer so we'll be upstairs.

Cali comment: our laptop ran out of juice this evening. We've left our inverter at home so can't power it off a 12v socket. It's a shame the 240v socket isn't backed by an inverter which could draw from the leisure battery when the van isn't hooked up to mains.

Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 26

The Pyrenees.

We drove up into Andorra today and over the Pas de la Casa down into France. Up on top the snow was thick and a few people were skiing but the lifts weren't running and there were no real pistes yet. I guess we're still a little early for the season in these mountains.
The Pyrenees are pretty but I prefer the Alps. Andorra is picturesque enough although perhaps I'd feel a little claustrophobic in Andorra de Velle - the capital - as it is surrounded on all sides by sheer mountains with no view across anywhere to speak of.

We're in France now, still in the Pyrenees, and camped in a little aire. The French really do free camping well.

Cali comment: it's 8.5 degrees outside now and only 6.30pm. It could get pretty chilly tonight! But if it does we'll simply sleep downstairs with the heater on! Cosy!

Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 25

Barcelona.

Today we spent the day and evening exploring the city of Barcelona. We took a bus into the city from the campsite - a mere €3 for an hour's ride - and were dumped off in the centre of the city.

From there we hoped on the open topped city touring buses and circumnavigated the city. We jumped off at a few spots around the city for a better look at some sights.

Our first stop was the Sagrada Familia, the basillica designed by Antoni Gaudi. Started at the end of the 19th century it is not due for completion till the middle of this century. The inside was recently finished (it wasn't last time I was here in 2005) and so this time last year was consecrated by the Pope. This is one of the most magnificent and unusual churches I've ever seen. It's the icon of Barcelona and really amazing to look around. We wandered the interior and took the lift 65m up to the top of the completed towers for views across the city. Spectacular.

Next we hopped off the bus at the Park Guell where Gaudi lived. Guell was his main patron and this park one of his most impressive works.

The bus took us all around the city to the Neu Camp (which we couldn't look around as Barce had a home game), the Olympic Stadium and many other sights. We stopped off at the Spanish Village which was built for the 1929 exhibition taking example building styles from all regions of Spain. It's very quiet and there are loads of traders practising their crafts here. We watched a master glass blower making horses and cats and swans with amazing dexterity.

Then it was down to the port and the bottom of La Rambla, the main drag through the city. This was heaving with people, ice cream stands and stalls selling all sorts of Christmas goodies. It had a real vibe to it.

From there we dropped into the gothic quarter and had a wander around the cathedral and grabbed some tapas. Then back to La Rambla for a wander around a huge open air market and then some gofre (waffle with ice cream) and a sit down to watch the world go by.
Finally it was time to get the night bus home for a good sleep.

Barcelona: 8/10.






Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 24

A driving day.

We really didn't do anything today other than drive from Valencia to Sitges just outside of Barcelona.

We did take a quick drive around the F1 track in Valencia as we set off which was weird as the F1 track is painted onto the road surface and they stick concrete lumps down to make the normal road lanes - roads which have no markings on them. It's very disorientating.

Cali comment: Silver is a great colour for touring. 4 weeks of hard driving and although no longer shiny it doesn't look filthy as any other colour would my now.
Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 22

A cracking day sightseeing Valencia.

We spent today seeing the sights of Valencia. It was a swift 6 mile bike ride into the city on well defined, well maintained bike tracks. This took us straight to the 'Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias' (City of Arts and Sciences). This is a wonderful collection of buildings of quirky design which host a massive IMAX cinema, a science museum and a huge Oceanographic centre.

As we pulled up to the area it was packed with people, roads were closed and a loud speaker announcer was in full flow. Turned out that we'd arrived on the day the Valencia marathon was being run and the finish line was right in the centre of this attraction and the winning athletes were just coming in! Good timing!

We watched a few people cross the line then moved off to the Oceanographic centre where we watched a very impressive dolphin show and then wandered around the huge aquariums there, seeing walrus, seals, penguins, baluga whales, sharks, stingray, moray eels, turtles, jelly fish, sea dragons and all manner of fish. Its quite an amazing set up actually and easy to spend many hours there.

We went from there on further into old Valencia for a look at some of their old buildings. Central Valencia is all high buildings and small alleyways making it easy to get lost but we found our way to most sights we wanted to see. We also had time for a bite to eat in one of the many cafes.

Next we cycled back through the park to the Science Museum. The park is a neat feature of the city. It wends its way through the city like a river, with many bridges crossing it. I wonder if it even used to be a river which has since been drained - something to look up when we get home (unless anyone wants to reply here and let us know?). Its full of green spaces, bike tracks, fountains, orange trees and joggers and is a really pleasant place to stroll, run or ride.

In the Science museum we didn't have much time so it was straight to the top floor and the zero G simulator which wasn't much of a simulator really but did manage to make you disoriented in a similar way. There was also a flight simulator which simulated a visit to and from the International Space Station. That was quite cool although Mrs Blakey had to skip that bit due to being pregnant.

We ran out of daylight and so didn't get time to visit the marina or the F1 track but might do a drive by tomorrow morning on our way to Barcelona.

All in all Valencia was a cool place. We didn't see too much of the city itself as the Arts and Science 'city' takes loads of time - but it's now one of the city's main attractions. Another place I think we'd come back to.

Cali comment: discovered today that the bed will happily sit in the 'up' position with a duvet and 2 pillows still laid out in sleeping position. There is no need to shift them all to the back. This will be very helpful when staying in one place - but is less so for us at the moment as we are moving on nearly every day so need to bring duvets and pillows down to actually put the roof down.
Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 22

Costa Blanca.

Quite a change to the Costa del Sol although to be fair we only paid a visit to Benidorm so I'm not sure we got a fair view.

It was a driving day today with the only goal being getting to Valencia before the sun set so we could spend a few hours sitting out in it. That we achieved even with dropping into the most popular Spanish resort of the 70's.

Benidorm is all high rises clustered around a crescent moon bay. The beach is all man made and not brilliant. It is full of retired brown and wrinkly people with big beer bellies. We hardly saw a single young Spanish person there. We ate our sandwiches on the beach and pressed on. Hmmmm.

Bonus for the last two days: 20-25 degree heat and virtually no clouds at all. Its been lovely! Sadly we've spent a fair amount of that time in the van travelling, but it beats rain!

Cali comment: the front windscreen blind goes in really easily if you get out and push it in through the side door. Took us 2 weeks to figure that out! They could do with making it easier and somehow more built in like the other blinds.

Tomorrow: taking the bikes into Valencia for the day. No driving!

Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 21

Costa del Sol.

We drove from Estepona to Almeria today all along the Costa del Sol. The place is beautiful where unspoilt and generally pretty smart where the resorts are. We took a stroll around Peurte Banus and loved the marina with its expensive yachts. I guess they do touring like us, just a lot more upmarket and with more champagne. Banus is where I went on my stag weekend and it was good to return and show Mrs Blakey the sights. Well some of them anyway! She agreed it was nicer than Birmingham where she'd had her get away.

We also dropped into Torrequebrada where our neighbours own a place. Very nice resort indeed and we did lunch on the sea front there watching a small left hand point break going off in front of us. Too small to ride even if I had my board.

We liked the Costa del Sol and can see why people come here on holiday.

Cali comment: I sometimes wish the Cali had nicer looking wooden cupboards and curtains. I see some internal finishes on similar priced campers and think they look much cosier. But the Cali is extremely practical. Curtains get dirty and need cleaning and take up lots of space in the van. Whereas the built in Cali blinds simply work really well.

Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 20

The day we almost got to Africa.

We've turned north this afternoon after spending most of the day in Gibraltar.

We woke on the outskirts of Cadiz and crossed the huge bridge to check the place out. We totally failed to find parking as the place was rammed so we didn't stay. We did take a mad tour of the cobbled lanes inside the city walls in the van before finding our way out again though. Liked the place and would have liked to have stayed and properly explored it.

Next stop was 80 miles south east - the British colony of Gibraltar. A very interesting place and a bit quirky. All the road signs, the road markings, the traffic lights, even the bins are English, yet they drive on the right which is a bit strange. The place is hugely built up with one local telling us property was really expensive to buy or rent - due to the lack of space.

After a lunch stop on the southern tip looking over Africa in the distance we took the cable car to the top. There we saw the famous "apes" of Gibraltar that are actually a rare breed of tail-less monkey. They're very cool, climbing and jumping on everything including the visitors. Suffice to say before long they decided to jump on us too.

We experienced a cool phenomenon on the top of the rock - the easterly winds brought warm wet air off the Med and sent them straight up the 423m sheer face of the rock where they literally turned to clouds right in front of our faces. I know the theory but to see it in action right there at cloud level was something exceptional.

After exploring the rock and playing with the monkeys for a while we wandered into town. Gibraltar's high street could be any pedestrianised English high street with M&S adjacent to Next and BHS. We stopped for a coffee (sadly no real ale seems to get out there) in a very English pub and chatted to a few locals for a bit.

Definitely Gibraltar is very unusual and somewhere I've never been anywhere like before.

From there we drove onto the Costa del Sol and parked up in a very small, plush shopping centre we found in the dark. We spotted a few motor homes parked there surrounded by uplit palm trees and decided to join them. Getting out and looking around we realised we're about three foot from the beach! We cooked a chili and munched it and then took a wander around the shopping centre not quite sure what to expect.

Wow. This place has its own beach, pool, beach side bars and restaurants but we were the only ones here. It looks like a posh beach hotel complex only it's all free! We found one restaurant which was open and were invited in by the italian owner from Rome who we spent some time drinking a few beers with. No one else was around. What a top place to find for some free camping!

Cali comment for the day: we wish the carpet at the front didn't exist but they'd carried the excellent rubber floor through to the cockpit. As this is supposed to be a camping vehicle, why have carpet up front? We have some mats but it seems silly that we need them.

Tomorrow: Costa del Sol. I suspect it's gonna rain.
Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 19

Brilliant day today covering 2 countries and one superb city. And the sun shone bright and hot all day.

We woke in Portugal but quickly were on the road and into Spain. We headed for Cadiz on the coast and TomTom routed us via Sevilla. When we reached Sevilla we figured we'd have a peek about the place but almost gave up when parking was a struggle. Then we found an area of open ground and free parking so were set. And we're so glad we did!

Sevilla's central area is mostly pedestrianised. Apart from the horse drawn carts and trams of course. Once in the centre we quickly decided that paying for a horse drawn tour of the main sights was more value than going into the cathedral and the castle and about the same price. It was a luxury sitting back and being taken around the city with the sun on our faces and seeing all the attractions the city had to offer.

The Plaza de Espana was absolutely stunning. It was built in 1929 as much of Sevilla's important buildings appear to have been, for the Ibero-American Exhibition. It has an array of fountains and bridges and looked glorious in the afternoon sun.

We finished our horse drawn tour back at the cathedral where we indulged in some scrumptious tapas sitting outside being baked by the sun. Lovely!

From there we wandered through the old quarters of Santa Cruz down to the world famous bull ring and took the tour. What a fascinating place. We would both dearly love to come back and watch a bull fight one day, although Mrs Blakey would be cheering for bulls.

Sevilla was a wonderful city. Easy to get around - the bike tracks are everywhere - and well kept besides. It really notices that we've left Portugal behind.

Cali thought for the day: I'm impressed with the tailgate. We have two bikes on there with the default VW bike rack and the tail gate holds them up without needing help. It just sits at 90 degrees no problems.

Sent from my ZX Spectrum.

Southern Europe - Day 18

The last of the Algarve, the last of Portugal.

We finished seeing the last of Portugal today. We started off with Faro, visiting the Ilha which sticks out into the sea beyond the airport. Bizarrely enough we stopped at the very same bar I'd visited 18 months earlier on rugby tour. At last a place I recognised!

The ilha was a big sand bar so big it has a causeway road out to it and numerous bars and cafés on it. The beach there is massive but not really any different to all the others we'd been to this tour.

From Faro we drove to Tavira and stopped for lunch. This was a pretty riverside town with the ubiquitous fort and cobbled streets. It also had an ilha (sand bar) we drove out to. Would probably have been lovely in the summer. Was deserted and bleak in the winter.

From there we drove on to Vila Real San Antonio which is right on the border with Spain. We're camped in a big car park on the river front along with a veritable village of motor homes. And it's a little scummy. But hey, it's free. The other side of the river is Spain and we'll be heading there tomorrow.

Cali comment: we've just realised our battery charger isn't working. When plugged into the mains the leisure battery doesn't recharge and the charging symbol isn't displayed. I don't think it's ever worked. Not been any issue so far as we've only got the leisure battery down to 60% worst case when staying in Luz for 2 days - when we were on a mains and should have been charging. As we're touring and thus driving most days the alternator is doing the job of topping it up. Fortunately it'll be under warranty so one to sort when we get home.
Sent from my ZX Spectrum.