The First few weeks....

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First update - 21.40 31/05/09

So, having left Brighton Seafront at 9.30 in the morning. The burqusle dancer called Georgina and a club called 'Queens, Thieves and Lovers' at Club Audio is another story. (Only to say that the event was the closing show for the Brighton Rocks Fashion week and full of catwalk models- no I'm not sure how I manage it either....!)

Got fuelled up and on the ferry, brought everything I'd forgotten at an inflated price and found out my mobile 'roamed' but couldn't call anyone. Managed to follow TomTom's directions to my uni friend Paul's house in the outskirts of Paris. Only once straying on to the 'wrong side'. Leaving the van in a tow zone until 9am I went and met Paul and family( Celine and George), who very nicely put me up for the next four days and showed me Paris as through a locals eyes.

Couple of beery nights, one lost phone (paul's not mine) and a close encounter with a really crap pickpocket. (Classic line from Paul - 'errr..get your hand out of my pocket...') These things kinda happen when I see Mr Southcote.
Major league 'Battok' sessions at the local park some major walks around Paris. Bastille, River Seine, Canal front bars, Notre Dame (ok touristy but impressive and free- which must be seen from the back as well as the front).
Finally managed to sort out the phone too. Phew.

Managed to read a whole book in the bars/cafes/front room ' Freakonmics' by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt. My first alternative economics book but worth a read. (Had to finish it as it was Pauls).

Favorite place (maybe even a top tip) was the 'Aux Petits Oignons' Bar, 11 rue Dupont de L'eure (on the corner of Rue Orfila), Paris 20. Felt soooo French in there... sat at the bar all night with Paul and Celine. So good it made me wanna run a bar like that in England...then realised it would never work in England. Imagine taking tabs for everyone who orders a drink and actually getting paid at the end of the night and giving a free Cognac to those whose company you enjoyed (yeah we got one). Never work. Via la France.

After spending a night at Bois de Boulogne campsite in West Paris, which Paul came over with me to 'escape' for a night. You'd think he had a young family or something. Veggie korma became the first real meal prepared and cooked in the van. As is tradition with a curry - we had a beer favoured desert. In the morning I bid goodbye and a hearty farewell to Paul. He not only eased me into the travelling mode, driving on the left and also taught me some basic french to get me by. We vowed not to leave it 7 years before we see eavh other again!

After a full days drive I stopped at an Aire (a posh french layby- with bogs and picnic tables) chanced on a poster for Dorzanec so headed there. It's a medival town with a free campstop next to the river, home for the night. Went for a long bike ride around the town and found the place virtually empty (guess Sunday nights are slow everywhere). Thoughtout the town and next to the river there were exercise stations made out of logs. They circled the whole town. In the morning I did the entire circuit and a gentle 2 mile run to burn some the Parisian excesses off. Washed in the river - yeah I know, starting to go feral already. It was bloody cold.

Headed over to see a village called Collonges-la-Rouge, the entire village was made up of tiny streets and castle turrets all made of the local red brick. Pick up some maps and leaflets about canoe-ing then headed to find a place to do a canoe type thing - only to find out that 31 May is a french bank holiday and none of the hire centres were open. Ended up in Rocamanco (on Paul's recommendation). Very impressive sceanery and had a wander around the castle (via an underground lift system) brought an ice-cream. All of which I thought entitled me to stay in the carpark for the night. Started one of the books brought on the ferry (James Patterson- Maxium Ride/The final warning) which is a decent read but seems to be pitched abit low. Might be the popularist Patterson or I have picked up a kids book - hahaha. Read half the book whislt making dinner.

3 mile run in the morning - up and down some steep little roads and a lazy morning packing up before I decided to start the four and a half hour journey to B, a popular surfing spot near the French/Spanish border. Half an hour into the journey and I drove past one of the canoe centres that I had heard of- pulled in and signed up for a 28km solo canoe experience (which had to be completed in less that five hours so I could make the last bus back to the start point. I'm gonna sleep well tonight.

Again, hiring the canoe entitled me to stay overnight in the carpark. I think the French are alot more relaxed about this sort of thing, maybe they get worried if the van remains there a week or month. Washed the Dordogne after a quick run by the river.

Heading towards a surf spot called Biarritz near the French/Spanish border. My sunburnt knees are starting to glow (didn't cover them while canoe-ing- D'oh, a schoolboy error. Begining to understand the French term 'Rostbeuf' their slang for 'sunburnt English pigdogs'.
Stopped for the night in the local 'Aires' in IIbartiz and went for a long walk down the beach in the surf, blinding people with my burnt knees along the way. Got back to the van to find the local filth were walking round charging everyone 10 Euros for the night. Not one to agrue with the Foriegn Law - I stumped up. Got an offical receipt so what I thought might be a Policeman's Christmas Ball fund is actually a geniune tarrif. But when for a very long bike ride to explore/find somewhere to camp incase I want to stay around. Came across a beachfront called Cotes des Basques with a few Surfer types and more importantly surfer vans hanging around.
Headed there in the morning after beening woken by a roadcrew working outside the Aires at 7.30am. The noisiest and expensive 'free campspot' so far.

After parking the van, immediately met an Aussie couple called Bill and Tina. Hung out with them and talked about Portugal (they have just come over from there) exchanged travelling tales and Bill lent me his 'Stormrider Guide' to plot a few beaches with.

After food and another wander round the beaches. The weather turned that day and the rain started in the afternoon and didn't stop.

Decieded to press on towards Portugal, but with the onset of the rain I just kept going covering the 600 miles to Portugal in a very long afternoon/evening session. Managed to get to Portugal with enought daylight to get quick trip to the supermarket and a brief walk around the town before crashing out.
Traveled to Peniche, a surfer spot and medival fortress (I keep managing to combine the two!) Been here for two days - which is a new record, have spend a day wandering and a day running up and down the 2 mile beach getting ready for the San De Farmin festival in Spain. Yeah the Bull running festival....!

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