Viva l'Espana etc etc.

"Oooh Sh*te!! That was a bad one. Something must have broken somewhere. Now come on Steve, concentrate, bloody well concentrate!"

The trouble with travelling on smaller rural roads, which is what I like to do in order to experience 'off grid' Spain is that sometimes you don't actually see the important bits you need to see. Like speed bumps. This happens to me once or twice every year before I learn. I hit one too fast and wham bang wallop everything gets shaken and strained to breaking point. Its the same in France and Spain, but Spain in particular scatters these sadistic vehicle killers liberally around on anything other than major roads. They are big too. Really big, often with a pedestrian crossing on the top. The entry and exit slopes are usually pretty savage which demands Sadie be in second gear to creep over them. This particular 'Ooooh sh*te' was hit unexpectedly at about twenty mph. Disaster!! Thankfully the only damage was a bent bike rack and a sticky door which were both fixable. My nerves were in tatters though and I was pretty amazed no other serious damage happened. I've been very careful since.

Sadie was not let off lightly though. She was immediately flung into the gorgeous windy, as in hairpin bend after hairpin bend, cliff hugging road complete with breathtaking views of the sea between 'St Feliu de Guixols' and 'Lloret de Mar'. We even did an excursion up into the hills to the old hermitage at 'Sant Grau' where we enjoyed a peaceful night. While there out walking following one of the many 'cork tree bark cutter's' trails, there was lots of evidence of wild boar. At one point I could hear them snuffling away in the forest below us. Tanya was kept close as we quietly retreated.

Sant Grau at one time must have been a school or holiday centre as there was a large abandoned and empty swimming pool and sports area. Graffiti adorned most walls with one in the games area sporting a lurid, highly coloured, and sexually explicit but beautifully done piece of very clever artwork. I've attached a photo but it really does not do it or its creator justice. I'm afraid it knocked the scenic trail of Rennie Macintosh landscapes back in 'Port Vendre' firmly into second place.
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Mmmmm: warm sunshine, no early morning heating required (a first for this trip) and a view across the 'Delta De L'Ebre'. All this as I tuck in to my breakfast of fresh Mango accompanied with Jordans Almond and Raisin Oat crunchy. We are at a very pleasant Aire near 'El Poblenou del Delta' way out near the coastal edge of this flat wetland, rice growing and bird sanctury 'Parc Natural'. I've already 'binocular spied' the Flamingos, numerous Herons and the prowling Marsh harrier. Plus, as you'd expect, the large tractors with huge rear cage type mulching wheels. At this time of year they literally drive through the flooded rice paddys mulching last years rice crop stubble into a big mushy and muddy mess. Next month they drain the paddys allowing them to dry and be cultivated and then re-sown with this years rice crop.

I also had a long chat to a German guy and his 'Eagle One' rig of big old Mercedes truck complete with live in trailer. He too is a fulltiimer, travelling solo and also runs a blog. Then he tells me his blog has 750,000 subcribers and the Google adverts on his site are what fund his adventures. Well, when I last looked I had 9 readers of my blog. Guess at that rate I would have to pay Google! The downside is he was moving on as he needed internet access. His followers demand an update almost on a daily basis. Not for me I'm afraid. I quite like my alone'ness and out of touch'ness. Once a week internet seems fine for me at present. Mind you if my readership should rise to say 10 or even 15, my goodness, then I'd have to think again would I not!

Bike came out today. Another first for this trip. And why not. A lovely warm and breezy day with completely flat rice paddy and dyke land to pedal over. Eeeezy peeezy. Errrr no! Going out to the coast was exhilerating with the wind at our back nearly making pedalling unnecesary. Coming back was not so easy with the afternoon wind even stronger and me tired after running the legs off Tanya on the huge beach. However; because of this slow cycling we were treated to a beautiful  Kingfisher sighting. For some time it skimmed along the dyke to my right just above the water then perched on one of the many small entrance bridges to the rice fields. It seemed to be waiting for us to catch up. As soon as we did a flash of red and blue and off it went skimming to the next bridge. Tired legs fade into the background when nature allows you a glimpse of Kingfisher magnificense. Mind you it could have been the other way round. Mr kingfisher may have been saying; "Will y'get a load of this. Bright yellow (my bike jacket) green (Tanyas bucket) and black moving thing with red and yellow (Tanya + red collar + flourescent yellow harness) Boy oh boy; as a Kingfisher I thought I was pretty cute with my blues, reds and greens but this human thing .... I tell you guys it was something else. Got me proper turned on it did!"

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Few days later.
Fourteen kilometres of Sadies 1st and 2nd gear it was. Magic though. Totally un-metalled (ie rough track) hugging the coast and well on the way to being washed away by it in several places. The plan (Ha ha!) was to move to a campsite for a few days as laundry was building up and Tanya needed a good wash and clip. "I'll just put 'Peniscola' in the sat nav. Looks nice and it will make a good lunch spot." Says I. It did too with a bonus amazing sand sculpture on the beach. Re-setting the sat nav I noticed a much smaller road hugging the coast to 'Camping Ribamar' near 'Alcossebre'. Camping Ribamar was listed in my ACSI book of European campsites as quiet, near a rocky beach and with all facilities at the standard ACSI price of €16.00 per night. 

"Just the job. Now how do I find my way out to this smaller road mrs Sat Nav".

  Mrs Sat Nav gets all flustered and grumpy when I start doing things like telling her she is a bicycle which forces her to show me the little roads Motorhomes are not supposed to be on. Bless her, she's only getting flustered out of concern for us which is fair as usually it takes a bit of; 

"Oops! Don't really think we should be going down here Tanya!"

 before we finally clear town and reach small rural roads proper. As I said earlier this was definitely rural with only mountain bikers and locals in their 4 x 4's raising the dust on this stunning track along the coast. Yes it was rough. Slow slow very slow was called for. The reward? A night out on a clifftop over the sea right out in the wild with amazing views both ways along the coast. Plus a long chat with a couple from Wrexham! Yes Wrexham! They were on holiday in Peniscola and walking the hills and coast. We all enjoyed a coffee courtesy of Sadie, and I think they appreciated, as you do, the accompanying chat with the owner of this British registered motorhome which had perched itself in  such an unexpected place.

We resumed the next morning slowly easing ourselves along the track which was perfectly serviceable and well used but shiny protruding beach rock rough. Beaches were walked and crashing waves were watched. Camping Ribamar hove into view mid afternoon and it was not long before we settled onto pitch H2 and bubbling kettle birthed a welcome cup of tea. I'm sure I heard a big sigh of relief from Sadie,  particularly her wheels and suspension, as I turned the key and let her engine stop.

Downside of campsite? 3g signal is zilch and wi fi is an expensive extra.

Upside? They have a dedicated doggy washing area c/w warm shower. That is cool yeah?!

Plus - unusually there are 3 other Shnauzers in the vans around me. I've met 2 and been told of the other. One of them is called 'Anya'. Even more cool yeah?!