Croatia - 26 April to July 9 2022
After 2 years stuck in the UK due to covid we decided to make our first trip to Europe in the Motorhome to Croatia, again! We never need much excuse to go there (but this was a good one) because Croatia was not yet in Shengen (which means the time spent there would not take away days from our allowance of 90 days within 180). We have travelled there in many ways, towing a caravan, in the camper, in an Austin Maxi and even by bicycle (without Chris), but the first time we flew there and went back packing for our honeymoon.
We had such a bad experience with buses in the first week, we found somewhere in Omis and stayed put for the second, but the place inspired us so much that we drove back the next year in our Austin Maxi. Mind you that was not without its transport problems as the gear box started to fall apart in Northern Italy and we managed to get it half way across Germany before it fell apart completely and we had to abandon it for the AA to get it back to us a few weeks later, whist we went home by train.
But that trip was also not without its inspiration as I re-built the engine and added a recon gearbox during the winter and we drove to Italy the following year (and back) without any issues.
This time I am glad to say, we had no issues at all with the motorhome
Lake Bled, Slovenia .Looks just the same as when we first came here 50 years ago, when it was Yugoslavia
We spend a few days up the coast from Vrsar and take a boat trip there from the camp site
Having a coffee in Vrsar
Camp site near Omis
We then moved to a site right in Omis so we could walk into town. We couldn't find the place we staid in for a week during our disastrous honeymoon here 42 years ago
Trogir, our furthest point South this trip
Campsite at Nin near Zadar
Nin, like many towns is on a small island next to the coast
Now we are in the 1st world war trenches in Solvenia in the Soca Valley
It was then the border of the Austro Hungarian Empire with Italy, where fighting continued for over 2 years without movement either way, but which took the lives of 1.7 million soldiers between 1915 and 1917,
Where we found some interesting solar powered bikes
France/Spain - 17 September to 3 November 2022
We have spent a lot of time is Spain over the last 20 years, but very little documented in the blog as we bought a house in Andalucía in 2002 and have had many flights back and forth to Malaga, Jerez and Seville (as we were equidistant from all of them). We did drive their a couple of times in the camper via Portugal, the first time in 2017, when Chris had to fly back from Lisbon (detailed in the Nov 2017 blog) and then again in 2018 via a similar route.
We have since sold the house (plus the camper and the Landcruiser, all within 3 months in 2020), but still have a few friends down there and as it is 6 years since our last visit we decided it was time for another, this time driving via places in Spain we have not visited before,
Starting at Arras, our first time here but quite impressed (with an Aire right in the city, next to a canal).
Next day we stopped at an Aire on the river side at L'escale de Gurgy and decided to take the tow path (about 7 miles) to Auxerre.
Cyrano de Bergerac (in Bergerac). Stopping at a nice camp site on the far side of the river just under a mile from the center. We had lunch in the restaurant on the far side of the statue.
Avilla, second day in Spain, I have wanted to come here for a while. Ruby pulled the lead out of my hand and ran up to the top of the bank, towing her lead, and sat below the wall and waited for me! (and it is a bloody steep bank. Chris decided to go back, whilst I walked Ruby round the outside of the wall and the heavens opened just as we got to the furthest point, we got soaked (unlike France none of the bars would me in with Ruby!)
Alcazar de San Juan - Don Quixote and Pancho
Campo De Criptana
An impressive row of Windmills
With a small castle at the end
Back to Alcazat de San Juan
Wher the whole town is devoted to Don Quixote, wit various metal statues
and Mosaics
Then a stop at Coripe, which is in the middle of a Via Verde, which have ridden before but its always well worth riding again. This one was built in Franco's time, it has around 30 bridges 12 tunnels and 5 stations, but was abandoned before they laid any track.
Then on to Jemira de Libar (just down the road from Cortes de la Frontera, where our house was. We met Paul and Synnove (in picture) at the bar at the station in Jemira de Libar not long after we bought the house. A year later they moved up from the coast and took over running the bar. They made quite a name for themselves by putting on some terrific Music Festivals that people would travel for miles on the train to get too. They were also both avid walkers but Paul has had to give up the bar and walking because he has Parkinson's, but still organizes and promotes the Festivals
Not far from Biarritz, almots November so getting chilly now, but still warm when the sun is out.
Then along the beach
Walk was a bit longer than we thought so time for a well earned kip.
