Heading south to Spain

Headed south from Le Crotoy. Embracing slow travel (i.e., avoiding motorway tolls 🤣) ended up at a beautiful old small town Vivonne, just south of Poitiers - a village etape (small town of <5000 inhabitants with all necessary facilities for travellers). Parked up for the night under the Plantane trees in the main square (a section dedicated to motorhomes - and free!). A quick beer at the local bar on the square, some homemade food, and an early night 😃 The VPN that Max sorted for us enabled an episode of Have I Got News For You before bed (pleased to be away from the reality of the UK news madness) 👍🤣

Keen to get on the road early, we grabbed a couple of pain au chocolat from la boulangerie and headed off before light. Found a fabulous small Aire once it became light for breakfast stop - the french do this  so well, and provide numerous motorhome parking areas along the way, many in beautiful surroundings, and usually all for free. Ruby very happy to stretch her legs and have a wander round 😃

Lovely breakfast stop on route

Interesting passing over the border from France 🇫🇷  to Spain 🇪🇸, as nothing seemed to have changed for us since leaving the EU. There was no obvious border, just a welcome to Espana sign, and no one checking non EU cars. I guess the check for us was on entering France, and the assumption that we will “check out” via France as well (for passport monitoring purposes). Again, feeling very privileged at being able to cross borders so easily, given the challenges which face so many other people. 

Arrived at the campsite in San Sebastián, after a hairy last 10k drive along an extremely narrow (no passing places), steep (in parts 30% gradient), and twisty road 😃 Dave rose to this challenge, yet again 👏 Heard someone later at the site referring to this road as a “goats track” 🤣

Rehearsed our best Spanish for arrival at the site, but typically the receptionist spoke back to us in English. I also very proudly announced that we would like pitch number trienta y dos (32), and the woman looked at me blankly thinking I had said 132! Hmmm…a long way to go with our Spanish - have booked in for a lesson next week with our teacher Alfredo 👍🤣

The site is @5k outside of San Sebastián, high on the hillside, but there is a regular bus from the site into the centre, and back (€1.85 each way 👍). Headed off into town for the evening to sample the numerous pintxos bars (basque version of tapas). A favourite was Frederiko’s bar.

A popular Pintxos bar with locals, so it turns out (surf instructors)

A well deserved cerveza for Dave 😉

Spicy patata bravas - yum 🤣

Amazing croquettas - one of our favourites!

Dave using his best Spanish to try to find out where our missing mushrooms were 🤣

Both feeling very satisfied

We hadn’t quite appreciated the significance of halloween in Spain - El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead or All Souls Day). Celebrations usually start on All Hallows’ Eve and are often a three day event. The streets were thronging- it was certainly a Spanish fiesta 🤣 

Amazing early sunrise views from the campsite before heading off to the mountains -The Picos de Europa.