RETURN TO ENGLAND THROUGH SPAIN AND FRANCE
2013
Margaret and Barry Williamson April
2013
Continued from: Spring in Portugal
2013
To Camping Isla de Puebla, Puebla de Sanabria, Castilla y Leon -
263 miles (Height 2,972
ft)
Open Easter-30 Sept. See www.isladepuebla.com. 22.50
per night, inc 10-amp electricity
and Free WiFi. Cash only. N 42.04930 W
6.63068
On a fine morning in mid-April Cliff & Chris, our
neighbours at Camping Asseiceira, skilfully manoeuvred their fifth-wheeler out
into the lane, as Gary hastily pruned the olive trees and the rest of us
stood by to shout STOP. We too set out to tow our caravan on the long
journey through Spain and France, exiting somewhat less dramatically after
Felipe had come by in the bread van. We shall very much miss this scenic
and historic corner of the High Alentejo and its friendly people,
including the local hairdresser who had transformed us both! Like many
others, we came to Santo Antonio for a few days and stayed a
month.
We drove northwest past Castelo de Vide to join the IP2 (good new highway)
after 20 miles at Alpalhao. Continuing north, this road
descended to cross the River Tejo 16 miles later, down at 300 ft/90 m the
border between the provinces of Alto Alentejo and Beira Baixa before
climbing for 2 miles to join the A23 motorway at 650 ft/200 m. This was a
toll motorway, with electronic cameras at regular intervals working on
number plate recognition of vehicles registered for the system. There
were no toll-booths and no indication of how to pay (in advance or
later). We'd been advised by Portuguese residents and other travellers
that no system had yet been devised for charging foreign vehicles and
that we should just forget the tolls so we did.
The virtually empty 4-lane motorway climbed gradually past Castelo Branco,
reaching 2,120 ft/642 m on entering a pair of tunnels at 84 miles, then dropped
to a service station 5 miles later at 1,360 ft/410 m. A lunch break here near
Covilha on the edge of the Serra de Estrela Natural Park, site of the
country's highest mountain, Torre (with a stone tower on the summit to bring
it to 6,600 ft/2000 m!)
The A23 continued via a series of short tunnels to Guarda (Portugal's
highest city at 3,300 ft/1000 m) at 117 miles. Here we joined the A25 towards
Celorico da Beira for 15 miles, leaving at exit 28a to take IP2 north for
Braganza. This mostly new road (not shown on our road atlas or SatNav) is a
big improvement on the twisting N102, which we had to take on incomplete
sections, for example where a new bridge is under construction across the
River Douro. We traversed a hilly landscape of red soil, olives and vines
(no cork trees since we left the Alentejo), our progress alternately fast
and slow.
From Braganza at 235 miles the narrower rd 103-7 led north through the bleak
Montezhino Natural Park. A campsite 7 miles along on the right was firmly
closed (as we knew, from phoning the Tourist Office earlier). We
climbed for another 8 miles up the winding river valley, past the tiny
villages of Franca and Portelo where horses ploughed the fields, to the
top of a pass marking the Spanish border at 2,690 ft/815 m.
Putting our watches forward an hour (this was turning into a long day!), we
entered the Zamora district of Castilla y Leon and continued on rd 925
across heather-clad moors. In Calabor, the next village, the plough was
pulled by a donkey. The road climbed above the tree line, reaching 3,625
ft/1100 m, before gently descending for the final 6 miles to the
little medieval town of Puebla de Sanabria.
Turn right at the sign, immediately after the roundabout on entering town, to
find the campsite down by the Rio Tera river. Unusually the price for a car +
caravan was considerably higher than a motorhome but the Receptionist was not
willing to discuss this, despite speaking excellent English and repeatedly
calling us 'Darling'! But there was a cosy bar/restaurant/take-away on site in
the old water mill and we were more than ready for the excellent home-made
burgers and chips it supplied.
At Camping Isla de Puebla, Puebla de Sanabria, Spain
On a beautiful sunny mid-April morning (after complaining to no
avail that the campsite showers were cold), we walked the footpath into
the village and climbed cobbled alleyways up to the 15thC castle. For
3 each, we explored the
enormous well-restored fortress, looking at the displays,
climbing the 4-storey tower and walking some of its outer
walls, with good views over the town and our riverside
campsite, where anglers fished for trout at the weir.
The large church next to the castle was locked, despite lying on one of the
Santiago de Compostela routes. A lone pilgrim, complete with scallop shell,
trudged by in search of the Tourist Office to stamp his 'passport'.
For images of this splendid hill town, Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/puebla-de-sanabria.html
After lunch (without the caravan in tow) we filled up with diesel, costing
less in Spain than Portugal, then drove out to Lago de Sanabria Natural Park
about 10 miles north of the town. Up at 3,635 ft/1100 m, the deep clear Lago
claims to be Spain's largest glacial lake. We parked at Ribadelago de
Franco, a tiny settlement at the far end of the lake, intending to cycle
around the water. However, we soon found that the track was just a rough
stony footpath and an air of desolation hung over the place, which
smelt of recent forest fires. Then we saw the memorial to a
catastrophic flood in January 1959, when 144 people - the majority of the
population - lost their lives.
Back at the campsite we tried a tasty pizza from its restaurant and watched
helplessly as an incoming British motorhome snapped its roof aerial on the low
overhead wires.
To Camping La Viorna, Potes, Cantabria - 188 miles (Height
1,230 ft)
Open 23 Mar - 3 Nov. See www.campinglaviorna.com. ACSI Card rate
16 per night, inc 6-amp
electricity and Free WiFi. Cash only. N 43°9'16 W
4°38'37
Just 2 miles from the campsite to the eastbound A52,
which had 4 quiet toll-free lanes. Near Benavente, 50 miles later, we turned
north on the equally empty A66, the Autovia de la Plata, across rolling
open country planted with wheat and vines, every pylon crowned with nesting
storks. In the absence of service stations, we joined 2 trucks for a break in
a large rest area at 57 miles.
At 85 miles, shortly before Leon, we took exit 152 and made our way via the
A231 (Autovia de Santiago) for 20 miles to Mansila, at 2,670 ft/810 m.
From here rd 625 begins its tortuous route northeast towards the Picos de
Europa the snowy peaks we saw ahead. At first it climbed gradually along the
Valley of Rio Esla, where storks nested on every village bell-tower. Parked
for lunch in Vidanes, at 128 miles and 3,035 ft/920 m, we watched dozens of
storks following the tractors that ploughed the red earth, like flocks of
seagulls in Britain.
Two miles later there was a new bypass round Cistierna, the only town on our
route, then rd 621 started to twist through the foothills of the Picos. At 141
miles, height 3,300 ft/1000 m, we crossed into the Parque Regional de los
Picos de Europa at Cremenes, on another of the Camino de Santiago
paths. Five miles into the Park, now at 3,600 ft/1090 m, we drove through a pair
of tunnels alongside the dammed Embalse de Riano. The road, edged with
snow poles, became much narrower after Boca and the towing skills of both Barry
and our Sprinter van were about to be tested.
For dramatic mountain images, Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/picos-de-europa.html
At 165
miles, Portilla de la Reina (4,042 ft/1225 m) marked the beginning of a 3-mile
gorge, which climbs over 500 ft to Llanaves de la Reina. Then the road snaked
up another 2 miles to the Puerto de San Glorio at 5,263 ft/1609 m, where we
parked to photograph the lingering snow at the top of the pass the border
between Castilla y Leon and Cantabria.
A 10-mile descent (gradient 8%) hairpinned down to Vada at 1,770 ft/536 m.
With a sigh of relief we continued north for 6 easier miles to Potes, suddenly
busy with tourists, hotels and souvenir shops. Quite a contrast with the
mountains we'd emerged from! Turn left along the popular road towards Fuente
De, then left again signposted for Camping La Viorna and the monastery of
Santo Toribio.
It's a great campsite, level and grassy with a good view of the peaks of the
Picos. Our only disappointment was that the excellent restaurant with an
appetizing Menu of the Day was closed.
To Camping Orio, Orio, Nr Zarautz, Basque Country - 192 miles
(Sea level)
Open 1 March-1 Nov. ACSI Card rate 16 per
night, inc 10-amp electricity and Free WiFi. N 43°17'12 W
2°7'34
Sadly we awoke to a mist of drizzle, the snowy peaks no
longer visible, and the weather forecast poor. Decided to abandon any plan to
visit Fuente De (and its cable car into the Picos) or the monastery of Santo
Toribio de Liebana and its holy relic (reputedly the largest surviving piece of
the True Cross, complete with nail hole, brought by Christian refugees from
Muslim-occupied Spain in the 8thC).
In persistent rain we drove north on N621, through the stunning gorge of La
Hermida that twists its way for 18 miles alongside the tumbling River Deva from
Potes (at 1,247/ ft/378 m) to Panes, down at 120 ft/36 m. The narrow road
criss-crossed the river on old stone bridges and would have been a delight,
except for the number of tour buses coming down from the coast and proving a
hazard at each bend.
In Panes the road widened, continuing north for another 8 miles to meet the
motorway at Unquera. We shopped at a large supermarket just before joining the
A8/E70 Autovia del Cantabrico motorway, eastbound. It was wet, grey and
busy, but toll-free as far as Bilbao.
At 52 miles (junction 230) we left the motorway, in order to avoid Santander on a dual carriageway that our atlas showed
'due for completion March 2009'. It was
still a congested 2-lane road, with roadworks! Rejoined the A8
at Solares after 20 slow miles, then parked for lunch and
diesel 5 miles later at a Repsol services by exit 194.
Continuing eastwards, we had a glimpse of the sea near Laredo
then turned inland after Castro-Urdiales. At 115 miles we passed
the first exit for busy Bilbao, which looked grimly
industrial. A series of new tunnels bypassed the port, with a
toll of 1.13, willingly paid!
At 141 miles a toll booth issued a ticket, which cost 9.39 when we left the
A8 at exit 11 for Orio. And still it rained. The campsite proved difficult to
find, poorly signed and awkward to access through the busy town and its one way
system. Nor was it really worth the effort, being a very basic and rule-bound
municipal. The swimming pool, shop and restaurant were in various stages of
demolition, in order to build more statics. The sea view was blocked by
high-rise flats and the 'free WiFi' lasted for 2 hours only. With hindsight (a
wonderful thing) it would have been better to continue into France to
Camping Larrouleta at Urrugne, where we stayed on our outward journey last
December.
INTO FRANCE
To Camping L'Arbre d'Or, Parentis-en-Born, Les Landes,
Aquitaine - 123 miles
Open 1 April-31 Oct. ACSI Card rate 14 per night, inc 10-amp
electricity and free indoor heated pool. See www.arbre-dor.com/campsite-landes.
WiFi cost varying, eg 14
for 2 days, 18 for 4 days (continuous use). N 44°20'46 W
1°5'35
Rejoined motorway AP8 at junction 33, paying 1.48 toll (NB: westbound
traffic cannot exit at J33). Continuing east past San Sebastian, we bought
diesel after 17 miles at the last Spanish services, paid another toll of
2.12, passed a heavily armed Customs post where the
heavies were searching a battered car, then paid a final toll of
2.50 at the border at 23 miles. Bienvenus en
France.
We took Autoroute A63 past Urrugne, Biarritz and Bayonne, paying a toll of 3.40 after 13
French miles. It poured with rain again as we crossed the Adour River at
Bayonne. The last toll (5.20) was paid at 53 miles at J8. 10 miles later
we turned north up the N10 - still free, though it is being upgraded and
the toll booths stand in readiness. The sun came out as we stopped for
lunch at the L'Ocean Est services at 83 miles.
Easy driving now across the flat landscape of Les Landes, to exit 17 at 112
miles. The final 10 miles, west on D43, brought us to the small town of
Parentis, with at least 3 campsites. We headed for the ACSI Card site, which
is level, modern and quiet. With time in hand for our ferry booking
(Roscoff-Plymouth) and a good weather forecast, we stayed over the
weekend.
At Camping L'Arbre d'Or, Parentis-en-Born, Les Landes,
Aquitaine
Time to catch up with laundry, shopping (Super U, 2 miles away, for
delicious patisserie, ιclairs, croissants), emails and writing. We also
cycled from the campsite, using a vague free map of Pistes Cyclables.
They were not well signposted!
Cycling
1. A 40 km/25-mile return ride from
Parentis to Biscarosse and beyond. This used various sealed bike
paths through the forest, as well as a segregated bike lane alongside road D652
past the airfield to Biscarosse. We rode on to Port Navarrosse on the Etang
de Sanguinet lake but found it over-developed, with a busy marina,
water sports, many campsites with statics, and Aires filled with
motorhomes (entry fees payable by credit card!) Back at the campsite, where the
restaurant was closed until next week, we treated ourselves to a chicken curry
out of the freezer bought from Carol at Camping Asseiceira, Santo Antonio
das Areias, back in Portugal. Fond memories!
2. A 51 km/32-mile return
ride from Parentis to Ste-Eulalie-en-Born and Mimizan.
We cycled out on forest paths and
alongside roads through Gastes and Ste-Eulalie to Lake
Aureilhan, near Mimizan. Stopped for a welcome coffee at the
little bar in Ste-Eulalie on the way back.
To Camping Municipal Le Bois Dinot, Marans - 182 miles
Open 1 April-30 Sept. 15.80 per night, inc 10-amp
electricity. See www.ville-marans.fr. Free WiFi near
Reception (no good). N 46.31682 W 0.99158
Dry and sunny as we drove east from Parentis on D43 for 11 miles, then
N10/A63 north (still free but due to become a 6-lane toll-motorway).
Anticlockwise round the busy Bordeaux ring road, the Rocade, exiting
onto the A10 at 63 miles. We crossed the Dordogne (on its way to join
the Garonne in the Gironde estuary), took a toll ticket, then stopped for
lunch on the Saugon services at 86 miles.
At 129 miles we turned northwest on A837, the Autoroute des Oiseaux
with a Hoopoe symbol. Rain set in as we passed the
ancient quarries of Crazannes, source of the stone for the nearby Roman
town of Saintes. Across the Charente river, lined by poplars heavy
with mistletoe and a stork nesting, unusually, in a tree. A single
toll of 20.80 was paid at Rochefort at 145 miles, from where
A837/N137 continued to La Rochelle. Here at 169 miles we took N11
east for 5 miles, then turned north on N137 to the sombre canal-side
town of Marans.
The campsite is on the right, a mile after the town centre, next to the
swimming baths. An easily accessible night stop, it's wooded and grassy with
hedged pitches, though the Sanitaires are basic and the 'free WiFi
around Reception' was not working. After settling the caravan down and a pot
of tea, we nipped back into Marans to shop (Aldi) and refuel (SuperU). Rain
gave way to sun for a pleasant evening.
To Camping Les Jardins de Kergal, Guidel Plage, Le Pouldu, Brittany - 199
miles
Open 29 March-30 Sept. ACSI Card rate 14 per night (+ 1 local tax),
inc16-amp electricity and free indoor heated pool.
See www.camping-lorient.com. WiFi cost
varying: 14 for 2 days, 18 for 4 days (continuous use). N
47.77466 W 3.50616
One mile north of Marans camp, turned right onto D938. Joined motorway
A83 to Nantes with a toll of 13.10 at 75 miles before joining the free ring
road clockwise. This crossed the Loire on a high bridge at 88 miles, to the
west of the city, before we exited onto N44 and N165 heading along the coast
of Brittany a Region with no toll roads.
At 130 miles we crossed the dual carriageway to park for
lunch on the Aire de Marzan a huge rest area on the west side of the
road that we'd used back in November when it was all but empty. What a
contrast today: we could scarcely find a space! Continuing northwest past
Vannes, we took exit 45 for Guidel at 193 miles. Road D306 led us to the
village of Guidel, then via an awkward deviation round the centre and on
towards the coast. The large campsite, signed left before reaching the beach,
turned out to be busy with families, games, a bouncy castle
It's the start
of French school holiday week! This was our last night before the ferry and
the minimum price for WiFi was 14 for 2 days, so we easily resisted that
temptation.
Once settled in, we drove 2 miles back to Guidel for a
last raid on the SuperU (diesel, patisseries, bleu d'Auvergne
cheese, a roast chicken), then had a look at the sea at
Guidel Plage, half a mile past the campsite.
OVER TO ENGLAND
To Riverside Caravan Park, Plymouth, Devon 98 miles
in France + 6 miles in England
Open all year. £22 inc16-amp electricity. See www.riversidecaravanpark.com. No WiFi.
It was overcast but dry and calm, good weather
for the Channel crossing. Just 5 miles back through Guidel to N165, then north
past Quimper to exit 18 at 64 miles. We were closing in on Roscoff: rd D18 to
Sizun, D30 to Landivisiau, D69 and D788 to St Pol de Leon at 92 miles, finally
arriving in the harbour town before noon. It was a surprisingly hilly
journey, max height 560 ft/170 m.
We waited in the large free car park shortly before the
port until it was time to check in for the 3 pm Brittany Ferries sailing to
Plymouth. On board the splendid Armorique we dined well (salmon &
rice for M, fish & chips for B) and had a smooth passage, arriving on time
at 9.15 pm or rather, only 8.15 pm in England.
Luckily it was not yet dark, as we made our way through
Plymouth to the nearest campsite. Reception was closed but, as we'd booked
ahead, the caretaker was looking out for us. We have a gravel 'superpitch' (own
tap and drain) but no privacy at all on a busy site.
We took a second night here, in need of time to shop and
readjust to England's noise and traffic. With just a few days of April left, we
now head for our base in Cheltenham.
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