Eurotrip 12 is now officially underway. Only possible because we didn’t spend our full allocation of 90 days in Spain over winter.
A successful first night at Bognor Regis where we met someone who purchased our virtually unused Isabella Sunshine awning. The item had been for sale on eBay for a while and it happened that we could meet the buyer before we spend the weekend in Hayling Island. Incidentally, this awning could have been quite useful for this summer trip.
Pitch 16 at Rowan Park CAMC Site, Bognor Regis
Rabbits at work, Rowan Park Caravan and Motorhome site, 2024
Our ferry to France leaves on Monday. We feel un-prepared. We know nothing about the French “crit-air” stickers and we hope the tolls still accept cash or credit cards. Presumably the French gendarmes are too busy dealing with tractors and the Paris Olympics to worry about us.
After a week or so in France, we will head East.
Meanwhile, our friends driveway on Hayling Island looks a bit fuller than usual!
The highlight of the weekend trip and our second weekend away was two nights in Peterborough. We had secured weekend tickets for one of Joe’s favourite bands, Pendragon.
It was a busy weekend – we visited the Cathedral in Peterborough and nearly bought tickets for the heritage steam railway – the Nene valley railway. However, the trains we needed to catch were not hauled by steam so in the end we gave it a miss.
On our walk to the Nene valley railway we came across the Nene Viaduct which was built to carry the Great Northern Railway across the River Nene. It is a Grade II listed building.
Pendragon were performing at a great little venue in Peterborough alongside the River Nene – the Key Theatre.
We found a great place for tea on Sunday – The Brewery Tap microbrewery in Peterborough, serving fantastic Thai food.
Thursday morning we drove to Blickling Estate, a National Trust property about a 20 minute drive from West Runton. Mentioned in the Doomesday Book, Blickling Estate is believed to have been the birthplace of Anne Bolyen, the future wife of King Henry VIII.
Blickling Hall, Blicklington, Norfolk, 2024
Blickling Hall, Blicklington, Norfolk, 2024
During the second world war, RAF crew were billeted here whilst its owner, Lord Lothian, was part of Winston Churchill’s circle of influence.
In the 1740s, Sir John Hobart converted the Long Gallery into an impressive library after being bequethed a vast book collection by renowned scholar Sir Richard Ellys.
Philip Kerr, the 11th Marquess of Lothian was a part of the history of the National Trust as he was a driving force behind the National Trust Act of 1937 and the creation of the Country Houses Scheme. This enabled large mansion houses to be transferred to the trust in lieu of death duties, preserving some of the UK’s most beautiful buildings.
We took a tour of the inside of the mansion…
Dining Room at Blickling Hall, Norfolk, 2024
And afterwards walked around the lovely gardens and lake.
On Friday we took the train to Hoveton and Wroxham (from the station at West Runton) and travelled on the heritage line, the Bure Valley line. This nine mile railway line, which is narrow gauge, runs along an old branch line which was a part of the Beeching cuts.
Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk, 2024
Wroxham Station, Wroxham, 2024
Being around a 1:3 scale, this narrow gauge railway allowed the creation of a long distance footpath running alongside the line between the towns of Wroxham and Aylsham.
It was another pleasant evening and we dined again at the Village Inn, West Runton.
Saturday morning we drove the two hours to Peterborough for the highlight of this trip…
Wednesday morning and a relaxing start to the day before heading to the railway station at West Runton where we caught a Great Anglia train to Sheringham. Once at Sheringham, we bought ourselves a day rover pass each for the North Norfolk heritage railway line. It was a sunny spring day but with a cold breeze blowing off the North sea the temperatures struggled to hit double figures.
Sheringham Heritage railway station
The steam train hauling the carriages today is “Hercules” which is a guest engine from the Dartmouth steam railway. We think that we have already seen this engine on the Paignton to Kingswear heritage route.
At the end of the line we arrived at the town of Holt. Holt is a lovely town with lot of alleys and yards with all kinds of high end shops. We spent a good hour there but could have stayed longer had time permitted.
The walk from the station is around 35 minutes into the ancient town of Holt and there are also regular buses.
Later in the afternoon we stopped at Weybourne station with the intention of grabbing a coffee before the final train journey back on a heritage DMU. Alas, the cafe was closed but one of the railway volunteers was kind enough to make me a cup of tea!
In the evening we had booked (essential) a table at the Village Inn at West Runton, a short walk away from the campsite and the pub was highly recommended by the site wardens.
We weren’t disappointed. Beef stew for Moe and Chicken skewers for Joe.
Dinner at the Village Inn, West Runton, Norfolk, 2024
We started this mini-break in Milton Keynes for the wedding of our friends – Duncan and Ruth. I have known Duncan for 35 years and Ruth for somewhat less time, but they make a great couple.
A wild night before the wedding, with a reservation in the restaurant for around 40 friends and relatives, was followed by the wedding ceremony and reception on Sunday.
One relationship sealed, at least one other ended – possibly two – and one guest attending A&E. No reports yet of anyone arrested.
An eventful, full-on weekend.
And a few pictures from the wedding day itself.
Bank Holiday Monday and we left the comfort of our hotel in Milton Keynes and set off for West Runton. A few days on the Norfolk coast in our campervan Nellie.
We are staying at Ingleboro Fields Camping and Motorhome Club site in West Runton.
Ingleboro Fields Caravan and Motorhome site, West Runton
The site is a huge rambling affair over several tiers and Fields but as always is in pristine condition.
We have a great pitch with full sun all day.
Ingleboro Fields, West RuntonOur pitch at Incleboro Fields
The site is also perfectly located for bus and train links. Both a short 15 minutes walk away.
WestRunton train station
Tuesday we headed towards Sheringham to an old Priory, Gardens and Maze but due to the extremely wet winter we have just endured, the site isn’t yet open to the public. Instead we walked to Sheringham for a look around this somewhat jaded seaside town.
With Moe away for the weekend and a recommendation from a friend to see the AC DC tribute act “Live Wire”, I decided to head to Frome for the Saturday evening.
Having bought a ticket for the show, I was then emailed details of another event on the same weekend – LimeHouse Lizzy. Another highly recommended tribute act.
So I left East Devon Friday lunchtime for a weekend of off-grid camping and music.
I arrived at a local “pub stopover” – The Masons Arms – on the outskirts of Frome and there were 3 or 4 vans already lined up in the car park.
The Masons Arms pub stopover, Frome, SomersetFriday night at the Masons Arms
I received a warm welcome and a flexible offer to stay the following night as well if I couldn’t find a place in town. Parking is a problem in Frome, so this was a good offer.
At the time of my stay, the pub had suspended its food service, so I enjoyed a pint before walking the half hour or so into Frome.
The following evening, all of the sites I was looking to stay at in town were full, so I extended my stay at the Masons Arms for a second night. This time, I was the only van on site.
Saturday at the Masons arms
Friday night was the Thin Lizzy tribute band – Limehouse Lizzy.
On Saturday I drove to Chew Valley lake and spent time walking around the body of water.
Chew Valley Lake
Saturday night was a return to the Cheese and Grain music venue in Frome. The venue is the largest music venue in Somerset with a standing capacity of around 800. It was built in 1874 as an indoor market for farm produce with secondary use as a community hall.
Tonight, it played host to arguably the best AC DC tribute band – Live Wire. They did not disappoint. Having first seen AC DC as a teenager in Birmingham, 1979, this show was an authentic and very loud tribute to AC DC. It was a fantastic evening – for me, this kind of venue is much better for experiencing live music than the big stadia.
Leaving East Devon on the Thursday morning, I had an un-eventful but long journey to Clitheroe for my first stop of the weekend. As un-eventful as it was, just as I was approaching the Clitheroe Camping and Caravanning club website, I drove passed a good school friend, Phil. That scuppered my plans for a quiet night at the sight and a bite to eat at the very local pub, the Edisford bridge inn.
Nellie at the Clitheroe Camping and Caravanning club site, April 2024
Nellie at the Clitheroe Camping and Caravanning club site, April 2024
River Ribble at Clitheroe, April 2024
River Ribble at Clitheroe, April 2024
Thursday evening I headed into Clitheroe for dinner with Phil, his wife Katie and their Ukrainian lodger Lily at the Bowland beer hall in central Clitheroe. A vast micro-brewery and leisure complex crafted out of an old and long abandoned Textile mill.
Friday morning and I headed over to Skipton for a re-union with 6 or 7 school friends. Park4Night indicated that the car park in Coach street would be a good option in a central location. Charges and signage were a little confusing.
There are 5 motorhome spaces at a charge of £5 overnight and it’s not entirely clear if my campervan should be parked in one of these spaces or just in the general car park. In the general car park, it says there is no overnight charge for cars and campervans but strictly speaking you aren’t supposed to sleep in your vehicle outside of the motorhome spaces.
The fifty or so outfits which stayed overnight weren’t sure whether to pay the £5 charge or not but it is a great overnight stop and really good for trade in this market town.
Nellie at the Coach Street car park, Skipton, April 2024
Motorhomes parked overnight at Coach Street car park, Skipton, April 2024
Late morning I headed for a walk along the canal and through Skipton Woods.
An afternoon of visiting the local hostelries ended in the Skipton Sound Bar, where DJ Spon (one of the class of ’79) , was playing a punk set.
Saturday Morning and breakfast with Phil and Katie at the Snooty Fox, Skipton, before heading further up the dales to the Caravan and Motorhome club site at Threshfield. The site was busy for what was weather-wise a fairly miserable weekend.
Timings were perfect and I arrived at Wharfedale RUFC in time for kick-off. The last game we would see this season saw a wonderful performance by Dale and worthy winners at 40-17. Dinner was at the Old Hall, Threshfield. What a fabulous weekend and great to see my friends from the class of 1979, Ermysted’s grammar school.
The major downside of the weekend was that I brought home a dose of Covid and subsequently passed this on to Moe, who was rather ill as a Covid first-time.
The wet weather continued into the weekend but with the six nations on TV at the bar, entertainment was available both days!
Monday we visited Vejer again, this time with Paul and Andrea – their first visit to El Calife – taking the bus from Conil to Vejer. It turned out Monday was some kind of “festive” holiday so a revised bus timetable was in place. Fortunately, our preferred buses were operating and we enjoyed another fab afternoon at this Moroccan restaurant.
El Calife, Vejer de la Frontera, Spain 2024
Miserable weather at Vejer de la Frontera, Spain 2024
Tuesday was the first dry day after a spell of wet weather and this was perfect for drying and taking down the awning. We BBQ’d with Paul and Andrea before our final quiz. A reasonable effort but no prizes this week.
An early start on Wednesday morning for what should have been an un-eventful drive North, turned out to be anything but. On the motorway near Cadiz, we heard an unfamiliar noise from the caravan and some passing workmen were gesturing at us to pull over onto the hard shoulder.
There we discovered the Jockey wheel had dropped and the tyre, wheel and rim were destroyed. We tidied up as best we could and headed off on our way again as fast as possible. Anyone familiar with Spanish motorways will know the hard shoulders aren’t much safer than our very own “smart” motorways! They are not wide enough for a large car and caravan!
Our next problem was Seville and the demonstrating farmers. The motorways south and north of Seville were blocked and this cost us a delay of several hours. Bang on two o’clock however, the protestors and tractors retreated back to the countryside for lunch and a siesta and that was the end of our hold-ups.
Protesting farmers, Spain 2024
Protesting farmers, Spain 2024
Protesting farmers, Spain 2024
Protesting farmers, Spain 2024
We arrived at Camping Olimpia, Salamanca about 7:30pm and ate at the campsite. Once we had located a new jockey wheel the following morning (Caravanas Sitmon near Salamanca were very helpful), we drove the short distance to Camping El Astral at Tordesillas. A wet afternoon curtailed our plans to walk into town.
Broken Jockey wheel, Spain 2024
Jockey Wheel replaced, Spain 2024
Friday we drove to Santander and spent the afternoon at Virgen del Mar. The weather was glorious and we wiled away an hour or two at the local bar there. The campsite – Camping Virgen del mar – is very convenient for the Santander ferry but we felt didn’t justify the top tier ACSI price of 27 Euros. Cold water only at the washbasins, tight pitches and a dodgy electricity supply!
Our ferry departed Santander on time and we were blessed with another smooth crossing, arriving at Portsmouth on Sunday evening at 20:00. We were close to first off the boat and were pitched up at Morn Hill Caravan Club site before 21:00. An uneventful drive back to East Devon and a week of very wet weather awaited our arrival home.
Arriving back from Olvera last Sunday, we were ready for a few days of rest. Afternoon sherry at Richard and Jennifer’s was followed by our customary Sunday dinner at the Camping La Rosaleda restaurant.
Lamb Chops at Camping la Rosaleda, Spain 2024
Monday morning, Richard and I headed off to the local co-operative for some provisions – they sell everything from fruit and veg, sherry (in industrial quantities) to farm equipment and seeds.
My haul was 3l of sherry for the princely sum of 11.99 and some packets of seeds. About half the price of the UK but large quantities.
Monday evening was another care in the community meal with Flamenco dancing!
Wednesday evening was Quiz night and a respectable fourth place with a “could and should do better…”
Still, that’s prizes on two out of three quiz nights. Hmm, don’t look too closely at the “rough notes” as that was a failed guess of mine…
Quiz three, Rosaleda, Spain 2024
El Natutico at the Port of Conil re-opened this week and we managed lunch there on Thursday. As good as ever with fantastic views across the port but the weather was somewhat cloudy, in advance of the “named” storm Karlotta. The waitress was amused by us having written our order on the paper mat…
Andalusia is in the grip of a serious drought so the storm will bring welcome rain (up to 50mm in 24 hours) and unwelcome wind. Wind gusts overnight on Thursday and into Friday were in excess of 100km/h but we saw no signs of any damage around the campsite. A trip to Joe’s favourite DIY store (“Leroy Merlin”) on Friday afternoon was followed by a Bolivian themed meal in the restauarant.
Peanut soup followed by meat and sausage stew with chips was actually quite nice. First time I’ve tried peanut soup and it tasted remarkably good!
With just a few days left here and further inclement weather in the forecast, we will take a couple of days packing up and then head north on Wednesday. The farmers in Spain are also protesting which might make for an interesting journey.
