It’s time to head for the border. We leave Camping La Rosaleda at 08:30 for our 380 mile drive to Salamanca. It’s an uneventful journey, traffic is light and is essentially freight and returning caravanners and motorhomers.
There’s a large Guardia presence all along the route but we aren’t harrassed.
Guardia monitoring the motorways
We arrive at Camping Olympia mid afternoon and it’s chaos with people attemping to stay here. There are only around 40 places and anyone without a reservation is turned away.
Nerves are frayed as news comes from the “advance party” that they can’t find anywhere to stop en-route from Bordeaux to Tours as all Aires and Truck stops are closed. An interesting day ahead tomorrow and still some 900 miles to go before we reach Dieppe. And fingers crossed the ferry actually operates on Monday.
Looked to book a Tunnel crossing as a backup but no availability until 23rd April. This is looking increasingly challenging as restrictions everywhere become even more draconian.
A few pictures from Camping Olympia. It’s a perfectly serviceable stopover site…
Had a nice chat ‘on-air’ with Janet Kipling (Radio Devon) following up on an email I’d sent in. I was hoping the ABTA guy may have been more forthcoming about Brittany Ferries responsibilities through all of this but this wasn’t his speciality area.
We still haven’t been told our crossing has been cancelled on the 31st March but the website indicates Brittany Ferries passenger operations have all but closed down. More rumours that the crews are refusing to risk being exposed to Covid-19 circulate.
Our “advance party” have crossed the French border without incident but no indication whether or not any sites are open in France for the journey north through France.
We hope to leave Camping La Rosaleda tomorrow morning at 08:30, destination Salamanca.
Restrictions are increasing. Anyone staying has to confine themselves to their small metal box (caravan or motorhome).
A quick update from Camping Rosaleda. Busy day ahead readying for our departure tomorrow. This is the planned route.
Long road to Blighty
The Spanish government has announced all hotels must close by the 24th March and all visitors to Spain should return home. The classification of campsites as long-stay / short-stay seems to be confusing as to whether people will be allowed to remain. The messsage seems fairly clear though – get out while you can.
There are four of us intending to travel in convoy which should improve security when we are forced to wild-camp.
Couple of “information” pieces here. Just over 2 weeks ago, this site was a bustling metropolis with probably over 1000 here. Every pitch was taken and all the bungalows were occupied for Andalusian weekend. There must be 350 camping pitches and 60 bungalows in total.
Yesterday, we counted 70 pitches still occupied and perhaps about 20 bungalows. It takes 50 minutes to walk up and down each road of the campsite and this adds some 6000 steps to our fitbits…
A busy afternoon packing up ready for our departure on Friday morning. We hear that the “advance party” has arrived at Salamanca which is half way to the French – Spanish border. They have free passage but the Guardia are stopping people travelling South.
We have printed the document for travel through France. There is no option to be out in France “travelling to the UK”
Form for travel through France
We need to add “Je rentre au Royaume-Uni en voiture”. There are fines for not having the doument ready to show to the French authorities. The document can be downloaded from the French government website.
Sleep was disturbed last night as a gale force winds sweep across the region for the next two days. Trees and branches are down all over the campsite and the town. Waiting outside the bank I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such strong winds. With everything else going on this feels like Armageddon.
Brittany Ferries have indeed suspended all crossings for about a month but no-one is expecting them to resume until much later this year and indeed perhaps not at all in 2020. More rumours, but apparently the French won’t crew them for fear of catching Covid-19. Another rumour is that Spanish campsites have been ordered to close in 3-5 days. If true, the roads North will be packed with caravans and motorhomes.
Trees down and uprooted…
We have booked a ferry crossing from Dieppe to Newhaven and will monitor the progress of John and Teen who left for France this morning. If the border to France is open, then we will cut and run Friday morning…
It’s a cold, grey and a wet start to day 3. The wind is rattling in from the East and there’s thunder and lightning in the sky. Quarantine isn’t going to be a problem this morning.
Lockdown Day 3…
We are though becoming more concerned that this could extend for months. Information is at a premium and various rumours abound with regards to border closure, freedom of passage and possible port closures.
We exchange email addresses with a couple heading up through Spain and France for the Dieppe to Newhaven ferry whilst we continue to assess options.
One person is allowed out for 1 hour a day to walk dogs. We are thinking about sending a flyer to all dog owners offering to pay them to walk their dogs. What an upside down world this has become!
Our friends send a picture from onboard the Cadiz to Sevilla train. It’s 9 o’clock in the morning and the first stage of their travels are looking good – complete with a breakfast Prosecco. As the train looks empty I ask if there are many other passengers. They reply, “No, there is someone else on the train somewhere…. I think he’s driving”.
It’s Monday the 16th and we wake up to another beautiful day here in Conil depite a chilling wind from the North reminding us that it is day 2 of lockdown.
We assess options. Two outfits were planning to leave on Wednesday to travel through Spain and France but they just heard all Brittany Ferries will be cancelled soon. Ester from the site tells us they will be allowed free travel through Spain but can’t guarantee the border to France will be open. Once you leave the site, the State of Emergency doesn’t permit re-entry.
They are also now re-assessing their options and we decide to stay here. If the lockdown continues beyond 15 days medication might be a problem, in particular a specialist asthma inhaler for Moe.
We head into Conil as we are allowed to do if visiting a Pharmacy or Supermarket. Without prescriptions (we show empty boxes), we secure 1 months worth of the common meds for 23 Euros. No surprise they haven’t got Moe’s inhaler.
Pharmacy number two also don’t have the inhaler but in a fantastic show of service, promise they’ll locate one by 5pm. They do and it’s a whopping 34 Euros. Not an issue under the circumstances but in Blighty, it can take days to weeks to track this down…
Next we hit the supermarkets. Only one person per family group allowed, security on the door and yellow lines at the checkout to mark out the 1m “safe” distance. Nothing is in short supply except our favourite red wine, “The Guv’nor” – but that’s not entirely unusual.
There is no hand santiser, gloves or masks available anywhere. We have created our own hand sanitiser but don’t tell anyone.
Makeshift Hand Sanitiser…
Homemade hand sanitiser – finished product
Our friends in Cadiz are rounded up by the Guardia and told to stay off the streets. They will be hoping that the trains to Sevilla are operating tomorrow and also the BA flight back to London.
In an act of sardonic madness, we throw a BBQ for Paul and Andrea and listen to a new Spotify playlist – “Coronavirus Awesome Mix 2020”. Copious amounts of food, beer and wine are consumed. Ester from the campsite tells us to remain 1m apart!
We were expecting the lockdown to commence at 08:00 on Monday so had planned our last trip out on the bikes. A quick visit to reception (where the staff are now donning gloves and masks) and a difficult converstation from about 3m away, behind the new barrier, seemed to indicate the measures had been implemented immediately last night.
We are told we can’t travel anywhere and not to attempt to drive to Cadiz. Being a Sunday, there are no shops open so apparently there is no justifictaion to travel. A couple walk to the beach and are turned back by the Guardia.
It will be possible to visit the shops tomorrow but only one family member is allowed in at once.
The only note from reception so far is:
Camping La Rosaleda Official Statement
Our friends in Cadiz were told to leave the hotel on Monday (the end of their reservation) but have managed to secure another night. They have booked a BA flight out of Sevilla tomorrow and plan on taking the train there from Cadiz.
A number of outfits are planning to leave Wednesday in the belief that their journeys will not be impeded as they travel through Spain and France. Traffic jams of Caravans and Motorhomes have been reported around Salamanca as people try to escape the lockdown. Salamanca is about half way to the France – Spain border.
We read a lot and BBQ in the evening. Another hot and sunny day. Tomorrow we will head to the shops and see if anything is available… We have a larger excess of red wine and Cava now that our friends are stuck in Cadiz.
Friends of ours flew into Jerez on Friday and are spending the weekend in Cadiz with plans to join us on Monday at Rosaleda. They appear presently quite relaxed about the situation as they relay everything in Cadiz is open.
Meanwhile, the opposite view is being taken by many of the French and Dutch campers at Rosaleda. Our neighbours were here when we arrived and had several more weeks planned in Spain. Today, both couples either side of us quickly packed and headed off early. How true it is or not, they are expecting the Spanish French border to be closed from Monday.
We are able to buy fresh supplies at Aldi and Mercadona and have sufficient food for around seven days. We weren’t able to stockpile toilet roll – we don’t need any – but perhaps a large pile is some kind of status symbol? The meat aisles were fully stocked but we heard a little later that the meat had all sold out within an hour of our visit.
We look into Brittany Ferry Spain to UK ferry crossings and as we log in, their Website tells us our sailing to Plymouth is cancelled. We can’t amend the booking so call Customer Services. After an hour on hold, during which time we’d already booked another return journey on the 31st March, we got through to someone. They advised that Pont Aven would not be returning to service until 12th April (earliest) due to a cessation of bookings – so entirely for fiscal reasons. Jason sorts out the refunds and we have a date home.
The State of Emergency has now been in place for almost 24 hours and whilst we haven’t heard any official announcements, we understand only supermarkets, pharmacies and petrol stations will be allowed to remain open. All non essential travel will cease. Our daughter was very lucky to return back to Bristol yesterday.
I speak to our friends in Cadiz around 7:00pm and they aren’t now quite so relaxed. In the middle of their tea, everything around them is being locked down.
Much later we try to help them find flights out of Seville tomorrow but availability is vanishing before our very eyes. It appears that maybe Pedro Sanchez has issued the decree to shutdown Spain already.
Somehow folks must have got wind that this winter the weather would be exceptional in Spain. Today our daughter Sue and boyfriend Carlos arrived at Malaga airport from Bristol.
It’s about a five hour round trip from Conil de la Frontera to Malaga airport and despite the flight being delayed by some time, we still managed to arrive a few minutes late at the airport where Sue and Carlos were awaiting their taxi.
They had rented one of the bungalows at Camping La Rosaleda and we arrived with time to collect the keys and to settle down for the England v Wales rugby game. A comprehensive win for England despite the close score (30 – 33). The scoreline became as little more presentable to Wales during the latter stages of the game when the player count was 13 against 16 in Wales favour.
Dinner was at the campsite restaurant.
Sunday we made lunch at the van before heading into Conil and a swift beer at the Shack. BBQ in the evening.
Sue and Carlos headed into Cadiz on Mondy for a days sight-seeing. We went shopping and then what is probably our favourite cycle ride, the circuit through cabo Roche, down to the port of Conil and finally off-road across the cliffs back to Conil.
Circuitos ride round cabo Roche
Tuesday was the repeat of a previous trip to Trafalgar, Vejer and the morroccan restaurant, El Calife (Plaza d’Espana, Vejer).
Wednesday the young ones caught the train from San Fernando Bahia Sur to Seville. The oldies drove to Jerez and enjoyed a tapas lunch, following the mapped out circuit of Jerez de la Frontera.
Main square in Jerez
Plaza de la Ascunsion, Jerez, Spain 2020
Inside Jerez Cathedral, Spain 2020
Another of our old favourite walks and haunts – the 8 mile round trip hike to the port of Conil with lunch at El Nautico. The portacabins have doubled in size since our last Spanish adventure and have had something of a makeover. We still recognised the waitress and the food was as good as ever.
This week has gone really quickly and it’s time to return to Malaga so Sue and Carlos can catch an early morning flight tomorrow. They get a half day to do some sightseeing but the major venues are closed as a result of the Corona virus, Covid-19. Yesterday the Andalusian government annouced the closure of all schools and this has freaked people out. The Mercadona this morning was like a shop at Christmas – long winding queues and empty shelves. To date, the only items out of stock have been hand sanitizer and pure alcohol (rubbing not drinking!).
We return to Conil but get caught up in a horrendous traffic jam near Gibraltar so divert through the town of Los Barrios. We pass a Pharmacy and guess what – alcohol!
Makeshift Hand Sanitiser…
It’s almost beer o’clock when Paul appears and drags me to the campsite bar where there’s a large gathering of Spanish locals glued to the TV screen. Spain has declared a State of Emergency and will announce sweeping new powers within 24 hours. The locals expect this to result in the closure of all bars and restaurants for at least two weeks.
Now we are concerned. Our meat supply is depleted, we need further stocks of wine and beer, plus we need more toilet roll. A lot more toilet roll. I don’t know why as we’ve got plenty already, but apparently in the face of an apocolypse, Toilet Roll is our number one best friend.
We decide to enjoy the last supper at the campsite restaurant…
