As Craig mentioned in the previous post we have travelled through Spain to Portugal and are now back again in Spain, this beautiful country that we have all absolutely fallen in love with. Portugal was also very pretty and after some initial exploring, we spent a relaxing week in a cabin by the beach. The camping park we were in had the added advantage of a pool with waterslide, the boys were in heaven. It is Spain though that has dazzled us and so I will begin with my raving.....
We crossed over the French/Spanish border on a rainy Sunday afternoon and headed straight to San Sebastian. We had been advised to visit this city by a lovely Spanish girl we met in San Fransisco. As it turns out her advice was perfect, after driving through the city we headed up the hill and found a cabin to rent for three nights . The boys were in heaven as we have been living like Gypsies for quite some time, they thought it was luxury to put their pjs under the pillow instead of packing them straight back into a suitcase. The cabin had a fantastic view overlooking the Mountains and surrounding farms. Following a restful day on the Monday we headed off exploring the town and surrounding tourist sites on Tuesday. First stop was a lighthouse overlooking San Sebastian and the bay. The view was breathtaking, on the opposite hillside was a huge Statue of Jesus which we visited later that day. San Sebastian lies between two mountains jutting into the Atlantic Ocean as well as spreading out beyond. It is a clean, modern, lively city with a relaxed feel as the bay is two minutes drive from the main part of town. Craig and I fell in love with the place and have added it to our growing list of favourite cities. The boys were so happy to be playing in sand and water again. Spain is the first country we have experienced where many of the locals speak very little English, so shopping or ordering food is always a bit of fun. The boys are great and will always attempt to use the local lingo, often with some comical outcomes.
On Wednesday morning we reluctantly packed up and headed off again (still so much to see and do, who said this was a holiday). Craig was keen to drive along the Coastline. At this point I would like to add he now drives like a true European, fast, determined and with some wonderfully,creative parking techniques. He has also fitted the Peugeot along some ancient alleys and stone passageways where we have had to withdraw the mirrors to fit. To date the Peugout has clocked up 5000 kms in just over three weeks. Any way back to the Atlantic coastal drive. In a word ....WOW!!! Windy, steep roads overlooking the most amazing little beaches and townships. We spent the night at a little seaside village called Celerio, in a musty smelling cabin. We had driven through many similar little towns that day and went back to one for dinner in a restaurant right on the water. The waitress spoke no English and as Craig and I have a very limited Spanish vocabulary, ordering our meal took quite some time. It was certainly worth it though as the meal consisted of yummy fresh seafood and a nice bottle of champagne with a total cost of 67Euro for the six of us. The next morning we decided to explore the little beach nearby. It was stunning and certainly worth walking past the many bulls grazing freely in the paddocks (see attached photo). Luckily they were very content bulls, happy to stare at us as we wandered past.
From there we headed south toward Madrid, arriving at about 9p.m and had a stressful time finding a hotel. As it is daylight saving over here, we have sometimes driven later than planned because it is so light and have found ourselves stuck for somewhere to stay. These nights are very stressful and remind us what an adventure this trip really is. Luckily we have had very few stressful moments in the many months we have been travelling which is amazing. After a brief stay in Madrid and some internet research of places to see we headed to Sergovia, a city famous for it's ancient acqueduct. The city square has formed around this structure, which at the top accesses a myriad of alleyways with a variety of eateries and shops, both old and new. A massive cathedral highlights this level which eventually leads to the fairytale castle. A must see city for tourists.
Leaving Sergovia we drove through Avila to see another castle then onto Portugal, which we will cover briefly with some more photos in the next Blog.
The Wockies
Jason will be so annoyed that he missed this castle! We will just have to go back to Spain. Did you go through Toledo when you left Madrid, it was Jason's favourite city and if Craig enjoys all things medieval as much as Jason then he would love it too. The driving and parking in Spain had our heads in a spin and when arriving in Madrid and having the GPS drop out on us in the middle of the city was not fun to say the least. We know exactly how you feel but it's all part of the adventure like you said. I hope you are going to Barcelona as that was probably my favourite city. Still enjoying the blogs, take care, be safe, Meredith xo
ReplyDeleteWell, I posted a comment, but deleted it so sent it by email. (I think!) I was doing a couple of things at once. Goodness knows who will receive it. Let me know if you do. I will try to remember what I said in it and send it again, if you don't get it. Never mind, you look like you are having a marvellous time. Keep on storing the wonderful memories and keep safe.
ReplyDeleteValerie xx