Over the Sierras and into France

13th May


Today it was off to the city of Zaragoza, to a Carrefour hypermarket, when we got there it had height restriction barriers, trying to get back out, there are hundreds of traffic lights, many due to the trams that run around the city, I can’t say I enjoyed the city, it was just around this time when Max decides he needs the toilet, with nowhere to pull over we stopped at a small town on the outskirts, our patience tested to the Max!!
Now headed for an Aire in the town of Sarinena 41.791840 -0.149460 had some lunch,  the Aire was ok for a stop over, but we had a change of plan and headed to the city of Monzon, it looked better?

The town of Sarinena, didn’t really inspire us

Monzon was a better choice, 41.918610 0.189440 although the camping area is on an industrial estate, opposite a Ford dealership, there are a few supermarkets close by and many bars and shops a five minute walk away. As is usual in many Spanish towns and cities, there are many churches and cathedrals galore. One thing I've noticed in all the supermarkets, is their vast range of “Sin Alcool” No Alcohol beers, whole isles of the stuff, I don’t get it, why tease yourself, just get pop and be done with?



One of the many metal sculptures around the city,
Walking and cycle routes..





Monzon Castle built in the 10th century


Statue of the Knight Templars







These are the basic services that are provided on the majority of Aires, and the rules.










14th May

We left the province of Aragon and into the last Spanish one of this trip, Catalonia

 

 

We are heading for the town of La Seu d’Urgell in the Catalan Pyrenees, another beautiful drive through numerous small villages and nice countryside, passing many lakes and rivers that stem from the high mountain ranges all around, I also saw more Vultures soaring on the currents.




We stopped at this picnic area for lunch, at Emb. de Oliana.











The site is in the heart of the town and overlooks the Sierra de Cadi mountains, 42.359200 1.464410, there is a nice feel to the place with many designer boutiques, with cafes and restaurants in abundance a water park and some nice boulevards that have that distinct Catalan style similar to Barcelona.
The town boasts a Romanesque cathedral from the 11th century, the church of Sant Miquel, again from the 11th century, also the Sagrada Familia, now the City Hall, from the 15th century, along with a Diocesan Museum, which contains examples of medieval painting and sculpture, and the convent of Sant Domingo, which has been converted into the Parador de Turismo hotel.
    Elections are taking place in Spain at the moment, there are banners in all the towns and cities.                     

Another nice place, with a lot of interesting places to visit.

Some words of wisdom from Lawro’ s post this week  “They deserved praise, not criticism and it is about time I eulogised about Swansea myself too. Basically, they have stuck a pie in my face with their form because I thought they would sink like a stone after selling Wilfried Bony to Manchester City in January.They have done the opposite and have gone higher than probably even they thought possible,? (not really Numpty) with a top-six finish within their reach. That is very different to their position in the league table (19th) based on my predictions. By some distance they are the team who I have been the most wrong about”   his prediction: 0-2   Consistent to the end! I’ll take a draw.

  



              

15th May

 

 

We left La Seu d’Urgell at midday, the weather is hot in the high 30s, for the nearby principality of Andorra, about 7 miles to the border. We have enjoyed Spain, and have seen a lot more this time, and have been fortunate with the weather, sadly we say goodbye.

We entered Spain four times, from France, Morocco and Portugal twice, in all we covered over 1800 miles, in 10 of the 15 regions, we spent 21 days and stopped at 18 places, we only paid at four places, at a total cost of £35.

Andorra is duty free, a chance to stock up. We stopped at the first town of Sant Julia de Loria, 42.453098 1.486630 where there was an enormous LeClerc hypermarket, over three floors, people were leaving with trolleys laden with booze and cigarettes. There is an Aire in the lower car park, we had originally planned to stay at, but with the shopping over we decided to go onto an Aire in Ordino, it looked better? There is only one main road in Andorra, and it’s quite busy in parts, it changes to a dual carriageway on some sections, and every few hundred metres there seems to be a roundabout for you to change direction. We passed through the highest city in Europe, Andorra La Vella, and when we got to Ordino the designated camper spaces are full of cars, a quick check there is an Aire further along, so we set off, this turned out to be a bad decision and we would pay for it.

The road from Ordino took us through the long Dos Valfres tunnel, then it started to climb, it was drizzling earlier, that had now turned to light snow flakes, the Aire we are going to is in Grau Roig/Grandvalira ski resort, 42.532855, 1.701009 it sounded nice with great views, by the time we had ascended a third of the mountain to the car park it was a blizzard! I could drive no more and could barely see 10 metres in front, the mountain tops no longer visible, and the clouds were below us.

 

 

We had done nearly 50 miles in what this morning was originally going to be 20 miles

The only thing we could do is sit tight and hope the weather breaks, I arrived in shorts t-shirt and sandals and had to dig my UK clothes out for the first time since November. Last week in Arguedos we were complaining about the heat, and were using just a sheet for a cover on the bed, we now had to dig out our duvet and blankets. We took a short walk to check out the place, and nigh on froze to death. The skiing season is over, the half dozen or more hotels are dead, and we are the only vehicle in the huge car park.

 

 

 

 

There are many ski lifts all around, that take you to the higher parts of the surrounding mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pic I took when we first arrived when the snow had ceased, we thought about moving on over the mountain to another Aire, but shortly after it started snowing and much heavier, we settled in for a chilly night and a roast chicken dinner.

The only bar I was interested in today was closed.

16th May 

Last night the temperature plummeted to minus 3, we woke early and it had not brightened up, the low clouds covered the peaks of the mountains, a decision made easier, we would not cross over the mountain ranges to the last town in Andorra called Pas de la Case, instead we would use the Tunal d’Envalira”  3km of straight tunnel at a cost of 12.60€, to make matters worse we drove straight into France, failing to take a right turn on the roundabout, we had not filled up with diesel at 1.01€ a litre and tobacco at 5.60€ a pouch, that hurts!

This shows the road over the Pyrenees and the tunnel route.

The road down to the town of Merens-les-Vals and beyond, was equally as treacherous, tight switchbacks and steep declines through a few more tunnels in pea soup conditions, visibility was restored nearing the town

 

 

We are heading to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse so called because it is under the Chatuae de Peyrepertuse. Still descending the Pyrenees we take the D25, at Ax-les-Thermes we started climbing again, and about 15km on we passed another ski resort, then a sign with a picture of a tyre with snow chains? We carried on climbing, Sam said she did not like it and to turn back, I carried on but was then met by an oncoming car coming down, he flashed me and I pulled over, he told us the road was not accessible and we should turn around, I had to do a six point turn on the narrow road with no barriers to stop you dropping into the ravine below, after a change of pants we drove back the 20km to Ax-les-Thermes, there was an alternative route to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse along the D117 but now we had decided to give the castle a miss and get down to terra firma.

From there we took the N20, a better road descending most of the way stopping for diesel at 1.25€ a litre, through the Parc Naturel Regional Des Pyrenees Ariegoises, into Pamiers and onto the town of Auterive, 43.351929 1.476440

 

 

100 miles

 

The Aire is beside a canal, it’s free with usual facilities, although the dump and water facilities are a few streets away at 43.350250 1.477300, we notice all our plastic bottles have deflated and are deformed, this we put down to the change of altitude? It’s a nice place we took Max for a stroll, before settling in for a few drinks and a bite. The weather is considerably warmer, unlike Grau Roig.

 

 

 

When I get internet I will look up Marcel Soulan, who appears to have paid the ultimate price working for the resistance?

I can only think it was something extraordinary, because on the two sides of this other monument in a park, are the names of countless other soldiers and resistance fighters from Auterive that lost their lives in all the wars to date?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This has to be one of the smallest churches I've come across, built into the side of a hill, with two small rooms to pray in? 

17th May

It rained last night, it was damp and overcast this morning as we set off for the south coast of France, the small town of La Tamarissiere. We leave the Mid Pyrenees and into the region of Languedoc-Roussillon, another wine producing area, miles upon miles of vineyards along the way. We drove around Carcassonne and Narbonne where we stopped for lunch at Parque de la Campane.

The fairy tale buildings of Carcassonne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of Chateau's in Beziers and Narbonne

We mistakenly drove through the centre of Beziers, damn Chinese satnav! One of these days I'm going to oik it out of the window.

125 miles 2hrs30min

This is the first site we have had to pay at in seventeen days, Camping Les Pleupliers 43.298401 3.451940 is a dual site, in as much as it has an Aire at 7€ or 9€ including EHU or 11€ on the campsite or 13€ with EHU and they want 1.50€ for a dog on the campsite?

The only difference is one you’re parked on gravel, the other in a nice mown field, you have the same facilities just different showers, you also have use of the bar and pool, it also has wifi one of the reasons we are here to post the blog, as I don’t have a French sim card as yet, hopefully we will get one soon?

When we got here there is clear blue skies and it’s hot, back into shorts and t-shirt, we took a walk along the river to the small fishing village, stopping at one of the many bars.

 

A rare picture of moi? even rarer holding a pint!

It’s also nice to be on a beach again, has you can tell from the grin on Max’s face, he loves it.

Sam with her thinking cap on, working out the cost of the beers?

 

 

There are several camping sites along the road for tepee's and tuggers, all pretty much full, it’s a busy area, and a popular place, we’ll stay another day and get our washing done.

 

 

 

 

18th May

 

 

 

A day of lazing no driving just sitting in the sun, or in my case sitting indoors getting the blog ready to go. Sam got the washing done and it dried no problem in the hot sunshine. It was also an opportune time to start planning our route back home.

Yesterday Bony came back to haunt us and puts the game against City out of reach at 3-2, I was happy to see he was on the bench, but he comes on as a sub and scores, typical eh. Numpty is right for a change with the two goal difference albeit 4-2 to city!

 

 

 

19th May

 

 

 

I was hoping the blog would have been posted yesterday, however the onsite internet is as weak as West Ham’s defence, I spent an hour last night sitting on a bench outside, as close to the transmitter as physically possible,  and eaten alive by mosquitos, a waste of time as it kept timing out!

Today we are going North to a town called Lunas, hopefully along the way I can pick up a sim card. The weather this morning is grey, it had been raining, but has now stopped.

 

 

56 miles 1hr 20min

 

 

 

Not a bad road the A75/E11 for most of the way, then after Lodeve you are climbing over a few mountains then down into a valley. Lunas is a medieval town, the Aire is on a nature

park,43.705490 3.185530 free with usual services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a bar and swimming pool/water park with slides next door, closed, they were doing work to both, Pool 4€ to use when open.

There’s a lake that’s fed from the river that runs through the town, with some nice walks with picnic and relaxing area’s

We took a walk into the town, many of the local men are playing petanque on waste bits of ground, and then found the ruins of the Chapelle St Georges, and further up a hill the fortress of Redondel, some of the original stonework pre Roman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The track to the top of the mountain takes you to the statue of a virgin that looks over the town, which has been there since 1877, and restored in 2009, from there you have a great view of the town and surrounding areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the distance you can see the Aire with quite a few motorhomes parked up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The virgin overlooking the town.

 

Worth a visit in my eyes, some nice bars and restaurants and a few shops as you enter the town. We still have no Internet, maybe tomorrow in a larger town

20th May

 

 

We set of for Florac early this morning, this will take us back into the Mid Pyranees, and over the Millau Viaduct. This has been something I've wanted to see for some time since it’s completion in 2004. We're back onto the A75 all the way to Millau, we were climbing most of the way to the viaduct, and even higher once we had crossed over it, over 1120m ASL at times, we stopped off at the Aire Millau for a coffee and to take some photos, by the way the cost to go over it was 11.20€, once we left there it was more climbs and over even higher mountains, through quite a few more tunnels and viaducts.

 

It’s behind you Max

 

While we were there, we checked out the reviews on the Aire at Florac on CamperContact,  we found that dogs weren't allowed, we had used the All The Aires France book yesterday, no mention in that?   So decided to go up the road to Le Malzieu-Ville, another medieval town. 44.855061 3.333850

115 miles about 3hrs

 

Back in the Languedoc-Roussillon region,it now has an alpine feel about it, with the chalet type buildings, and huge expanses of green fields and woodland, mainly pine. When we finally arrived it started to hailstone, coming down hard, we have now encountered every conceivable bit of weather possible, we are at 860m ASL and not far from the Rhone Alps, once the hail had subsided we took a walk, now sunny again albeit fresh.

The town has just had a medieval festival over three days, we missed it by three days.

 

 

 

It’s a charming town, the main part is walled,

I’m not sure if there are still any wolf’s in France, but it seems they were here up until the 70’s, if you look at the suit on matey with his pitch fork?

Butcher and Bakers        

When we got here it was hailstones, by the time we had walked about the town it was warm and sunny, time for a beer, later on in the evening the temperature would drop to 1c

21st May

 

 

You get some good days and you get some tough driving days, today was one of those days. The town we are going to is in the Rhone Alps, the Aire apparently has free wifi, like yesterdays was supposed to have, but we could not pick any up, and we tried the bar to no avail? So far in the part of the country we are in, we’ve not come across any big hypermarkets, plenty of supermarkets, but still have not been able to source a sim for internet!

We set of earlyish, made good progress to Mende , then the road was a series of twists and turns up and over the mountains, it took ages, mostly in 3rd or 4th gear, my brakes took an hammering, and barely going over 30mph with a few stops for Max and a cuppa, we stopped at a few viewing areas, high in the mountains with great views all around, as far as the eye can see, you’re looking at pine forests, with many logging operations around and numerous sawmills, the last 11km to Les Borels Casteljau was scary to say the least.

 

92 miles 5hrs with a few stops

 

Driving in you enter a narrow road with 2m width restriction, zigzagging along careful not to hit the walls of the buildings you find the Aire 44.399639 4.213450 This place is in the middle of nowhere,  the only building of note is the old church, we walked to the end of the village in a few hundred yards, then we walked back the other way about half a mile, and voila, we came across a nice bar with wifi, shame I did not have my pc with me.

 

I found out Lawro has predicted a draw in our last game of the season against Palace, at least we don’t come last in his table QPR have that distinction, 19th and relegated though.

The village boast’s several campsites, there are two other vans on the Aire, both Mercedes panel vans, one is hand painted with murals, our neighbours for the evening, our immediate neighbour “mural van”  has dreadlocks and reminds me of Swampy,  It’s also next to a cemetery, and there’s a monument in memory of the fallen soldiers of the 14-18 war, over 20 men died from this small hamlet, must have been the majority of the men folk? The weather here is better, very much warmer than the last two days, back out with the shorts!

The bar is a part of one of the campsites, it has a nice pool, we were tempted to stay at 20€ plus 4€ for Max, with EHU and pool, even for the wifi, but tomorrow we hope we can sort that side out?

Swampy seems to have green fingers, his two trays of Tomato plants? are coming on well in the sunshine.

22nd May

We’re off to the historic town of St Paul Trois Chateaux, about 50 miles, even that takes close to two hours, along the D901 again, through some very small villages, many have a market going on today. The satnavs try to take us on the D290 through the Gorge de l’Ardeche, I checked that road out this morning on the map, and it looked ominous, I have had enough mountaineering the last few days. On-route we enter Languedoc Roussillon again and for a short while, then the Cote D’Azur region before re-entering the Rhone Alps, crossing the Rhone near Pont-St-Esprit.

Bad news on the wifi front, we stopped at a large E.LeClerc in Bollene, but they only do contract and no PAYG, our last option is to find a Carrefour, they apparently have their own network?

Par for the course with us, another free Aire, with services 44.347835, 4.771205 there are quite a few vans here. We read on CamperContact that you can get free wifi here at the tourist office, correct but only for half an hour, not long enough for me to migrate the blog over to blogger and edit?

This is another medieval walled city, in the south of the Rhone Alps region, along the Rhone Valley, and the heart of the Drome Provencale. The city is full of history, and the capitol of Tricastin.

The Tricastin Black Truffle is found in this area, it’s rare and served on the best tables. also in the Rhone Valley the vines of the appelation “Grignan-les-Adhemar” produce many wines: “Grenache, Viognier, Syrah, and Mourvedra”

Thanks to the Tourist Information office for enlightening me.

We have visited a few historic towns, France has a lot of character in their buildings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Town Hall


 

The Cathedral of St-Paul-Trois-Chateaux

The cathedral was listed as a historic building in 1841. Many stones carry the marks of workers that cut them, the city was elevated to “civitas” under the Roman Empire and has a lot of cultural heritage.

 

There are a few squares with bars galore, this place ticks all the boxes.
 

I notice something I have not seen in any other towns to date, some plaques commemorating when the city was liberated by the American third army, shortly before the end of WWII.

 

 

 

23rd May

 

 

Today we are in search of internet. We headed a few km up the road to the town of Clansaves, a nice Campsite/Aire 10€ and 4€ EHU 44.36936 4.79678 we would have stopped there, but told them we needed good wifi, they said it’s ok unless it’s windy? there was a breeze, Sam tried several places, even next to their house, and got ziltch, they extended their apologies, and said return another day when you're not desperate for internet, au revoir.

We then headed for a place very dear to my heart, Chateauneuf de Pape, a favourite tipple of mine, and not too far away.

 

44 miles 1hr

 

We are now in the Cote d’Azur, a region we have looked forward to, with it’s many sights to see, including Roman buildings and artefacts of World Heritage. The drive took us through the city of Orange, it has a fantastic archway and an impressive town hall, as well as many other buildings of interest, as the driver I’m unable to take photos, and my co-pilot is oblivious of the surrounding landmarks, get a photo Sam! too late, as we drive by each and everyone!!

Shortly after we pass miles of vineyards degustation “tasting” welcome, after entering and exiting the old town of Chateauneuf de Pape we found the campsite 44.041409 4.824520 it has wifi all over the site, first 30mins free and about 5€ for unlimited for 24hrs, the fees are 24.90€ including Max and EHU, we feel we have done alright with regards to free camping, and will spoil ourselves for two days, get the sun loungers out and furniture, have a BBQ later and relax, no driving for two days, what more I will be able to post the blog.

The site also has a swimming pool and bar/restaurant another bonus.

 

 

A recap since the last blog of our route.
 

 

The site has the Rhone and one side and one of it’s branches either side, plenty of woodland walks and only a few km to the town.
 

A view of the town of Chateauneuf de Pape, overlooking the surrounding vineyards, we will take a walk in tomorrow and try a bit of this degustation,

Petanque is played anywhere there is a bit of flattish ground, played by young and old.

If there was room in my trophy room I’d take it up, It looks tailor made for me.

Apologies once again for the late post, not for the lack of trying, but we have struggled, Chateauneuf de Pape and onwards will continue in the next instalment, I have also posted two more video's, we hope to have better luck as we go on.