90 days, mountains, vultures & offroad tracks……

Countries & Principalities visited – France, Andorra & Spain

Miles travelled – 2066

Sunny days – 27

Coldest night – 7’C in the Spanish Pyrenees

Warmest days – 38’C in the Spanish Pyrenees

Highest mountain pass travelled – 7477 ft track from Llessui in the Pyrennes

Cheapest fuel - €0.93/litre in Andorra

Best meal – Roast chicken & potatoes, thank you Mrs B J

Weirdest place we wild camped – ghost ski resort in the Pyrenees

Most useful things – our warm clothes  whilst we were in the mountains,  the road atlas & guide for Spain that Fiona & Colin gave us, thank you.

Least useful things – big rectangular plastic storage box…it actually took up too much space so we gave it away & our auxillary battery that died a death.

LOWLIGHTS…

1) We thought €35 was a lot to be charged for camping but we were yet to be surprised when we got to the Costa Bravo……€55 a night for two people is outrageous! We compounded our shock by trying to sleep in the cab of Dassie which resulted in stiff necks and driving into the mountains at 2am…..we slept very well in a forest car park after this!

2) Nick losing his wedding band….I don’t think it is in the Land Rover but there could be a lucky gypsy in The Camargue that had his day made finding a platinum ring!

HIGHLIGHTS…

1) Spending a great afternoon sailing and swimming with friends.

2) Finding a fabulous campsite in France with a secret beach for snorkelling.

3) Doing some super 4x4 tracks high in the mountains in Andorra & Spain., we spent most of our nights wild camping in the mountains too.

4) Vulture spotting in the Pyrenees.

2) Walking the length of the ancient aqueduct in Segovia and visiting the Mosque/Cathedral in Cordoba.

RANDOM FACTS…

1) A lady always finds a way to do some shopping…….as some of you will know, Nick occasionally enjoys the occasional cigarette. Although I don’t mind this entirely, I did mind the fact that the cigarette money was coming from our daily/weekly budget. So a compromise deal was reached….I get the value of the cigarettes in a little kitty to spend on whatever I like J

2) We treated ourselves to our first gift and we bought ourselves a snorkel and mask each. We have already spent some great hours swimming and spotting different fish.

3) Spanish road signs can sometimes be a bit sparse (missing, stolen or possibly removed purposefully) so if in doubt drive on a bit further and you will inevitably find another sign to point you in the right direction.

4) The library in Toledo’s Alcazar is really fabulous. A great place to unwind for a little while, they sometimes have some photographic/art exhibitions as well as free wifi.

5) We have helped numerous people in a spot of bother, which started during the 60+ days. Two of these incidents happened at one campsite, different people, different days but one thing in common….as the owner of the campsite said, ”Problemo camping platz number 10!!” We have helped to put smiles on people’s faces and allowed some to go to bed with full tummies.

Nick & Vicki
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11
www.langebaan-sunset.com

We used Lonely Planet Guides in Europe

        

Salt!

Hi folks, well we are slowly creeping around the Med and have been enjoying some great sites and sounds and also some exotic cooking! 

The Camargue - Salt pans and Hippies

We were staying in the Camargue Region of France that is kind of like the Everglades in Florida. They grow rice and its famous for its salt pans, horses and bulls.  The main beach front is miles long and its free to camp and people live there all year, so if you don't mind nudists, hippys and travelers you are quids in.

We had been having a few issues with the fridge battery supply that meant we needed to use up some nice cured ham we had purchased.  Nick decided to cut up the ham and make a Spag Bol, with the "Bol" being made of tiny and not so tiny bits of the ham.  All seemed to be going well and so we made a "mega" amount of the Bol for the next few days. 

Perfect Spag Bol

Vicki did mention in passing that the meal might be a "bit" salty and the first batch we ate was not in want of any supplementary grains.  All was well.  However the next day we had another batch and the Bol had taken on a mild "sea water" taste.  OK with plenty of water and a bit of salt is good in a hot climate we thought (Nick noted that the Spag to Bol ratio on Vicki's plate had some how "dramatically" shifted in favour of the Spag) .  However, by the 3rd day, the Bol salt levels could only be described as having reached "danger" and could not be eaten.

To add salt to the wound (sorry about the salt theme) the Bol decided to leak out of its box and coupled to the smell of the nearby salt pans**, we decided that we had had enough of of our friend Sodium Chloride.  We pushed onwards to Spain but the whole incident brought back some "happy" memories of Nick's first (and last) gammon Xmas dinner....... the one where he "some how" forgot to boil the ham before putting it in the oven to roast ......  Matt & Jess we apologise again!

** BTW - the smell of a salt pan at 35'C is almost "retch inducing"

Nick & Vicki
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11
www.langebaan-sunset.com

Southern France is a great place to explore