Definitely an unfamiliar feeling as I pulled on socks and walking boots ready for a walk high up in the Picos Mountains. I have not worn socks for months with my day to day footwear mainly being sandals. I often hike/walk in sandals too but this was mountain terrain with rough tracks, snakes and lizards. Never saw any of them but the walking boots did turn out to be the right choice of footwear.
'Oviedo' was our last cosmopolitan visit and I am afraid it was a quick one as parking within sensible range of the city centre was not to be had. We did enjoy a good walk around a huge park in the suburbs where Tanya was in her element with doggy stories to sniff out at every tree and post. There were amazing views too of the 'Cordilera' with snow covered peaks. Very Alpine.
We motored on after locating a supermercado and topping up the larder. A stop for the night at 'La Isla' where a pleasant evening was spent entertaining two young 'surfers' from Portland, UK. They had just come off the ferry at Santander and were hungry for knowledge of good surfing beaches in Portugal. I was able to give them some detailed info of the area south of Lisbon down to Sagres. They were eager to get down there but also very typical young men. At ten thirty the next morning as I left there they stood bleary eyed by their cramped van full of surfing/windsurfing/kite surfing gear with bowls of cornflakes in hand. I stopped to say cheerio and handed each of them a huge juicy Portugese orange to go with their breakfast. Good luck to them. They were two nice lads.
I headed up into the hills of the 'Reserva nacional de Sueve'. In particular the 'Mirador del Fito' directly above our wildcamp spot on the beach. What a fantastic viewpoint it was too. We got there quite quickly, which was good. Not until evening did I realise we were at a different 'Mirador' than the one I had planned to visit. What a place though. Fantastic views, good parking for Sadie and a detailed information board showing a five K walk to 'Pienzo' an 1160m high peak. We were soon on our way and soon stripping down as it was hot and musical. The music being provided by the many grazing cattle and horses all with their individual bells. As they munched away the bells dingled and dongled with at times a tuneful bell melody ringing out from a group of head down munching herbivores.
We did not quite make the peak. The last half a kilometre was extremely steep and rocky. After talking it through in detail with Tanya we decided for a 65 yr old man and a 75 yr old dog that was quite far enough in this heat thank you very much! Especially as we had to walk back. We trudged a few more metres and surmounted a lower ridge which again gave breathtaking views. Lunch was very much enjoyed and so was the total strip down and wash of self, Tanya and clothes at the nearby cattle watering trough. Huge it was and spring fed. Gorgeous! Walking in wet shirt and shorts kept me cool for a while.
I have to say we were both glad to see Sadie at the Mirador appear below us once more. I have not done serious mountain walking for some time and had forgotten how tough it can be. Ten years ago Kate and I would have loved it. We would have reached the peak and we would have done it a lot quicker. Guess I am aging eh!
We're in 'Bermeo' tonight. Right on the dockside. The weather, as forcasted is overcast with some rain so we are using the opportunity to travel. A milestone day too. A full circle day with our starting point back in January of 'Bilbao' being crossed and then left behind.
I had picked Bermeo purely as a sensible distance to travel in one day. What a find though. A busy little port with of course no central parking available and in fact no place to turn except on the actual dockside just by the ice making plant for the fishing boats.
"Caravanar unos noche camping OK senor?" I said tongue in cheek to the guy manning the ice making plant. Usually port areas are 'Prohibido' for overnight camping. To my suprise though he answered;
"Si si senor. No problemo. Sleep no problemo."
I did not hesitate but stopped right where I was. The 'Policia Locale' came round later and I stopped them also and asked them if it was OK.
A big shrug and a stream of amiable Spanish amply signified to me that it was fine by them, it was 'no problemo', and have a good night!
A great spot with all the goings on of a reasonably busy port plus all the locals promenading the exceptionally long sea wall.
The rain arrived overnight, with a vengeance, and has not stopped since. Today we slowly meandered along the beautiful coastline toward France. We did not see much; it could just as easily have been Scotland or Ireland where sea level mist and driving rain is the norm for much of the time. Agreed: this was warmer, a bonus, but in all other aspects .... miserable!
It got worse too as 'Donostia San Sebastion' hove into view. Lovely though such a town may be in the sunshine today it was decidedly wet, crowded and giving out a strong message saying; "You can forget your wildcamping ideas around here sonny. This is serious built up, wealthy, and not for the likes of you coastline!"
"Hmmmph" says I as I re set Mrs Sat Nav for an Aire (Motorhome parking area.) not too far away and out in the country. Well. Either Mrs Sat Nav got it wrong or I misheard/misread her cos all of a sudden we were headed up the tiniest and steepest of concrete roadways with water rushing down it like it was a river bed.
"This is no right Tanya. In fact it is looking decidedly dodgy. Thinks I'll just turn round between these two gates and get the hell outa here."
It had been a long day. I was tired. There was a sickening lurch to the left as Sadies back wheel slipped off the steep narrow concrete strip and there we were, well and truly stuck with Sadies back end firmly wedged in the grassy bank and no way she could pull herself out. It was also still raining cats and dogs by the way. I was not happy. In fact I was pretty close to shedding tears of despair and frustration at this mess of my own making.
Suddenly the electric gate at the end of the long posh looking driveway where we were stuck started to open and a car duly appeared. Luckily we were not blocking the road, just narrowing it a touch. I approached the male driver to offer apologies and to see if he knew where I could get someone to tow me out.
He turned out to be a very genuine guy. Two hours later his father appeared with his big 4x4. We were very quickly roped up (I always carry some) towed out and back on solid ground plus they gave me assistance to safely turn around. They then gave me the correct directions (miming and gesticulating left or right is really very effective in times of no verbal mutuality!) to the solid and wide tarmac'd Aire I had been seeking. They would not accept a thing for their invaluable help.
Sadie has a rather muddy and dirty looking offside rear end but miraculously no damage. I'll clean her up tomorrow morning. For now....well I'm just glad we're safe and sound and on solid ground. It could have been a lot worse. It is still raining cats and dogs by the way. 'Ho Hum!!'
- - -
I am pleased to report today has been a very different and better day. For a start the sun has been out. We have also crossed over into France which inexplicably felt like coming home. A pleasant feeling though and very welcome after yesterdays trauma. Finally; we hit Biarritz and daringly drove Sadie right into the thick of it. Good fun but not to be recommended except for old and rather crazy pensioners who like sitting up high and creeping up the narrow, cafe lined boulevards slowly, very slowly in fact when you're in a bloody great motorhome and the car in front is having a job to squeeze through. The bonus? ..... plenty of time to admire the gorgeous women who seem to inhabit this city and make it their own. Honest! I've never seen so many classic expensive looking beauties in one place. I probably could not afford one side of the top half of their, not much left to the imagination, bikini's. Thankfully on our later bike walk around the place we were treated by all and sundry exactly as expected. Totally ignored and viewed, quite correctly too, as a rather scruffy old tourist with an equally scruffy looking dog. There is something rather comforting in now being old enough to no longer get even sidelong glances from females eying you up, or males sizing you up in order to warn you off.
Biarritz is a beautiful resort though. Humming and lively with a big surfing crowd who were all out today catching the huge waves rolling in off the Atlantic.
With the trauma of the day before still haunting me we are now headed to a campsite at 'Mayotte', near 'Biscarrosse'. A couple nights luxury and catch up with the washing etc is, I feel, what we need for the moment.
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