hokley
howard kelly Joined: August 31st 2007
Logged in: January 29th 2008
Logged in: January 29th 2008
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Travel Blog Posts
For anyone who would like to contact us for updates on whats happening, look us up on facebook! ... read more
Tuesday 25th October, 2007 Well, you guessed it, we're home! I've just read the last blog and it seems soo long ago since we were in sunny Albufeira. We arrived back last Saturday. The trip northwards took us a week and a half and was very enjoyable. Wednesday 10th October, 2007 We packed up the campervan today and hit the road northward bound for Evora. This was quite a short trip taking just under 3 hours. It was a quiet site but the swimming pool was still open which was a bonus as the heat was incredible here. When we arrived we headed straight across the road from the camping site to a little bar which we were sure was shut, but decided to chance it anyway. It was open alright and surprise surprise, the restaurant ... read more
My Gan!!
Albufeira in the rain. Can I just start by saying that even the rain is better here !! It doesn’t rain in Ireland, whatever the wise ones might say, they are wrong. In Portugal when it rains it pours, biblical proportions !! There we were sitting in a lovely little restaurant in an old converted wine cellar, complete with the most perfect vaulted ceilings and a couple of thousand bottles of port in the walls, when it started to rain. We had just ordered lunch and were looking forward to going on to watch the Ireland -Argentine game when drops as big as golf balls began to fall. So far no problem about to tuck into avocado salad with prawns followed by grilled sea bass washed down by a bottle of vino branco, yum. Looked at ... read more
Foz
Tuesday 25th September Found a lovely little Net @ Kafe here in Albufeira, to escape the midday heat, you know. Actually its difficlt to find a wi-fi place here as they are all making too much money out of the fixed stations. This place is up beside the MacDonalds at the shopping centre and worth the trip. Anyway enough of the advert, not even getting a free delicious coffee !! We got here on saturday afternoon after a pleasent uneventful drive cown the motorway, avoiding Lisbon and the traffic. Main roads here are surper and signposts are clear and in English as well as Portugese which is fair enough I suppose !! Saw the match on friday bight before we left Foz. Got taxi down to little beach bar where it was being shown asked the ... read more
Estela
Any old Portugal and no storm. Sunday 16th Sept. Crossed the border into Portugal yesterday around five o clock, with a huge sense of joy and sheer emotion, happy tears flowed, we are here !! We have been to Portugal enough to know the welcome you could expect and it did not disappoint. Northern Spain to be honest we were glad to see in our mirrors, when I can borrow them from herself, just for a few minutes for driving like !! We had over nighted in the very nice fishing port of Luarca, which is about 70km west of Gijon on the northern coast of Cataluña. We have been using the Alan Rodgers camping guide and find it great, it rarely steers you wrong, which is a good thing as we decided not to replace ... read more
Cheers
10th September - Biarritz. Here we are in sunny Biarritz-ish, we are actually about 1.5km south of the town between Biarritz and Bidart. The campsite is called the Royal Pavilion its right on the beach with its own access to a wonderful stretch of beach. Golden sand and azure sea all the way north to the rocky Biarritz coast and as far south as you can sea towards St.Jèan De Luz and the Spanish Coast. You can clearly see the blue mountains above San Sebastian our next port of call, probably on Wednesday. We drove here more or less direct from St Emilion on Sunday. We took the scenic route down over the mountains into Langon and south past Mont De Marsan and Dax and over to Bayonne and then here. It was national roads all ... read more
Little Vino
Wednesday 5th Sept. Writing this sitting outside the van in our latest stop enjoying the evening sunshine and sampling the first of the bottles bought from the local chateau.We are at Domain de la Barbane, about 2km from St.Emilion, in the Gironde region, east of Bordeaux. I know that I can be prone to a little bit of exaggeration, but this place is stunning !! More of here later. Really enjoyed our last few days in Chatelaillon . The weather has been wonderful mostly very sunny days and in the mid 20’s. The nights have been perfect for sleeping about 16-18 degrees, with clear star filled sky. We went for a superb bite to eat in a little place opposite the Mairie, mayors office, in Chatelaillon called Crepe Suzette. Nice friendly place with super food, absolutely ... read more
Sunset in Port Punay
Saturday Sept 1st Its has been a beautiful warm day here with a slight on shore breeze, just to stop the overheating, Went to the beach this morning, got there just after high tide, about 10.30ish. There was maybe 100 people all standing there staring out to sea and all wearing wellies. Didn’t know what kind of cult we had stumbled upon, but within 15 min all was made clear. The sea receeded rapidly and in 15 min had started to expose mussel and oyster beds just off shore. Half an hour later the beach must have been 1 km wide and the enormous harvest was there to be seen. Dozens of tractors full of pickers armed with buckets, mini picks and sharpe knives headed out to work. French locals and foreign tourists alike followed with ... read more
Ponterson Bridge
Day 6 in the TTH (Trailer Trash Heaven) Well we've made it as far as Chatelaillon- Plage in the Charente-Maratime. The campsite is called Port Punay. There is a small shellfishing village outside the gates with views to die for; especially at sunset as it faces due west. A boardwalk / cycle track takes you 1km back into Chatelaillon. We arrived here yesterday (thursday) from a great little town called Pontorson, about 8km from Mt Saint Michel in southern Normandy. Pontorson was a great choice as a first stop on the trip. Its was and I am sure still is, about 150 km from Cherbourg where we sailed into on monday. By the way, Karl K, methinks the celtic link is the way from now on. Irish ferries were a nice crossing, big ship, but tiny ... read more
