Trout and Chatsworth

Fishing again before breakfast and this time I did manage to catch just one trout. We had to leave site before lunch and called at the Chatsworth farm shop and then went to see Clare and Jack in Derby on the way home.

Fishing in Derbyshire

We had a night away in Barlow, Derbyshire at a site with both trout and coarse fishing lakes. Fished for the evening on one of the trout lakes without catching anything.

We are back home

We are back in Croft after a 2150 miles round trip of Spain including a diversion to have a KFC on the M42 before we got home. Only about 1000 photos to sort out this trip.

A few more facts - the best exchange rate on the credit card was €1.41 = £1, diesel only cost about 90p per litre. We stayed in 17 locations/sites/cabins during the 46 days we were away, from the 'all singing and dancing' Playa Bara on the Costa Dorado to the car park at the Monastery of Montserrat.

The cheapest site we stayed at (and also the best facilities) was Park Playa Bara  where we stayed 6 nights for just £65. The most expensive was El Escorial near Madrid where we paid £96 for 3 nights at  peak rate for the Mayday long weekend (but £13 for one additional day which wasn't a holiday). We used ACSI sites quite a lot paying £12 per night on average.

Coffee with milk was typically €2 - €2.5 (about £1.50) and a 3 course Menu del Dia, with wine, was typically  £8 - £10, a bit more in the tourist hot spots around Madrid.

Rosemary's hair wash, cut and blow dry in Roda de Bara was €18 and she was very pleased with it!  

There were 1200 photos on the three cameras, which have been slimmed down to 129 for Picasa Album - Spain15.

My Fitbug recorded 372,000 paces during the holiday so we walked approximately 150 miles.
  

Malvern journey break

We called in to see my cousin Barbara at Oakhampton on the way home. We left just before lunch but the M5 was stop/go and by mid afternoon we were still only a few miles north of Bristol.

It looked like it may be a nice afternoon so we decided to break the journey and have stopped at Malvern Hills CC site for the night. It's a big site with a CC&C site next door and every other van seemed to have 3 or 4 dogs. One motorhome by us just discharged 5 greyhounds. It appears there us a dog show at Malvern showground.

It is a nice evening but quite breezy and it's getting a bit cool now at 7pm. Will be watching first English TV for 45 days after the burgers and salad.

Ouessant channel off Brittany

Home again - nearly

Arrived back in UK this afternoon after a bumpy crossing overnight from Santander. The Pont Aven was late arriving due to storms in UK earlier in the week so if was full speed overnight. However it was dry and sunny and we came back through the Ouessant channel, which also saved some time, so we were in the UK on time. Spent the last of the Euros in the on-board shop and we are now overnighting in a pub car park (a Britstop) on the edge of Dartmoor with the wind howling. It's good to be back!

Comillas and Sant Vincent

We spent the last day en route to the ferry following part of the Camino de Santiago trail. At Sant Vincent we walked up to the old church and ruined hostel that is in on trail. There were quite a few pilgrims around town on both occasions we were in the town. Then in Comillas we went and looked round El Capricio which is a house designed by Gaudi in his typically elaborate style. Also in Comillas there is a Hermitage on the hill overlooking the beach and on the Camino. Nearby is another less grand Gaudi enhanced residence. This one has an entrance, to the grounds, with three gates. A wide gate for carriages, a narrow gate for people and a round hole for birds to fly through.

We finally stopped at a Carrefour to stock up with more wine before joining the queue at the ferry terminal in Santander. It was late arriving.

Car deck Pont Aven

Why were we squeezed in between a huge bus and a massive truck?

Last day in Spain

It was a sunny warm day today and now there is a salmon pink sunset in the west and a full moon in the east. The mountains are just reappearing out of the heat haze.

We walked down the track past the golf course to the sandy beach at Oyambre. The tide was out and the beach is huge. We paddled along the shore for a while looking for shells and then had a coffee at the beach bar.

Walked back up the hill and spent the afternoon chilling out before going to the pool later.

Did a bit of organising to make room for some more wine tomorrow on the way to Santander. Had dinner in  the excellent site restaurant again.

That's it - last full day of our holiday, but there will be time tomorrow to revisit Sant Vincent before we head for the evening ferry home.

Drizzle, murk and cool

We are really suffering today:-) No sign of the sun or the mountains, it's actually raining a bit and only 15 degs. So we took the van out and went to Sant Vincent to buy provisions.

That's the estuary with the tide out. It was coming in just as we left so Rosemary fed the big fish (bass I think) with bread.

Then we went back past the site to Comillas which was heaving on Sunday when we drove through, but it was almost deserted today. Had a look around the old part of town which is heavily influenced by Gaudi and his contemporaries and took lots of photos. We will be cooking and eating in the van tonight for the first time in ages.

Update - Actually griddled the prawns and steak outside on the plank with the Jamie, but ate inside. However It is drying up now so maybe tomorrow will be a better day.