BLOG 4 Tuesday 8 May – Halleluiah, we have sun!! We left you last time earlier today, in overcast skies, at a McDonalds in Caceres trying to Skype Tom (with no luck). Whilst one of us dealt with computer matters the other did a big shop at Carrfour (bless him!) We then drove for just under an hour, along a mostly motorway road with reasonable but very flat landscape to Trujillo. Once again you could see it in the distance – a magnificent walled castle town atop a big hill. This time it REALLY lived up to expectations – the best place we’ve been to so far.....AND by the time we got there the sun was well and Trujillo out – his vest and both coats were abandoned and having parked up near the town, we ... read more

Hello again.......... Wednesday 25 April – From our campsite just out of Salmanca, we were going to cycle the 6km river path into the city today but...........too damn cold and windy (at least no rain). So instead we drove in, managing to find fairly close parking. What a bloomin’ difference the weather makes.........our memories of Salamanca was bustle, life and fabulous streets and buildings. The buildings of course were still as great but the impetus to walk around them in gale force winds, plus the lack of life on the streets – nothing out on the pavements etc – made it a less enjoyable visit than last time. We treated ourselves to a delicious typically Spanish 3 course lunch in a charming restaurant, including bread and a BOTTLE of red wine.....for 12 euros each! Amazing value ... read more

So, another trip – not long now. Getting excited .......but leaving our two gorgeous grandsons for 3 months will be harder this time as we now live so close and obviously see them more often. Of course Claire and Paul will be missed, as will Tom, whom we’ve just seen for a few hours between returning from Cape Town and driving the truck from the UK to Istanbul for a 8 month trip to Beijing and back. However the yearning for a bit of sun and adventure is calling and go we must. The final organising/stocking-up is underway and we hope to be ready to set forth on Tuesday 17 April, arriving in time to check in for our Portsmouth to Santander crossing at 5pm. Our last Spanish trip in 2010 took us through France, down ... read more

Mon 16 May.....We left our loyal blog followers in Audresselles, near Boulogne on the Sunday night. Monday was cool and chilly.....getting us acclimatised for Pommyland! We drove out to Cap Gris Nez to see the far-reaching views...NOT! and after being blown to bits meandered along scenic roads into Boulogne, heading straight for the tyre garage, in a dock-side/industrial area. Arriving at lunchtime, they were of course closed, so we lunched at a trucker’s cafe (tarted up with window boxes of plastic flowers). Using best French to acknowledge the arrival of two beefy, tattooed, hairy-chested, jewelleried lorry drivers...........but only getting the word Eck-oss, Eckoss repeated in reply....... it turns out they were Scottish! (Ecosse). We had a long chat but their accents were so strong, it would have been easier to understand them had they been speaking ... read more

Mon 2 May..... Having enjoyed our time at Obernai, we moved on.......but not before completing two necessary tasks....an E.Leclerc supermarket shop (which was an even bigger one than last time) and a long session at MacDonalds Internetting......emails and blog. Whilst the text for the blog is written (when possible) daily and therefore can be copied and pasted, the photos (also downloaded/named daily when possible) have to be selected...eg we chose 52 photos for this week’s blog out of a possible 197!!!! We will be selling tickets on a first-come first-served basis for a full showing of all our photos on our return (17ish May.....make a note in your diaries!) As it turns out, Obernai was about the last of the really good villages on the wine route. In a similar way that we found the best ... read more