The Roma Return

 Gino's garden at Ciampino is a fifteen minute walk from the Casa Bianca Station and as I still had the TrenItalia app on my phone which had retained all my details we were able to check the timetables and book tickets in to the Rome Terminii central station. Here we found our way through the shopping area down to the Underground Line A which took us to the outskirts of the Vatican City in no time at all and just required a tap of a bank card to pay the fare. Emerging in to warm sunshine we walked towards St Peter's Basilica and were approached by a friendly Bangladeshi woman, one of the many runners offering tours. She said we could get on an English language tour that was just about to leave so took us to a small office where we paid €80 each to cover the tour of the Vatican City including the Sistine Chapel and avoiding the queues. No doubt we could have saved by sorting it out ourselves but our guide was excellent, we avoided the queues and were soon inside the City complex with ear pieces giving us access to his commentary. Some 4000 people a day enter the State to work, most countries of the world have Embassies there and the complex includes many acres of lovingly tended gardens and suites of rooms, chapels and galleries linked by many corridors. Several museums display an astonishing array of paintings, tapestries and sculptures and it would take many days to do them all justice. Along the walls of one long gallery were mediaeval maps of the world and in another there were intricate tapestries covering scenes from the Old and New Testament.

Eventually we reached the Sistine Chapel which was indeed remarkable given that it was the work of one man, working at great height and apparently having to mix and apply his own plaster base for the paintings. Whilst hugely impressive we both felt that we had seen equally amazing work in other churches and cathedrals on our travels.

Our guide left us to enjoy the Basilica at our leisure so we decided to pay to ascend the main dome via several hundred steps that wound their way inside the curved walls before emerging high above St Peter's Square with extensive 360° views across the city.

Half way down after grabbing a drink and snack in the small and reasonably priced cafe we stopped to walk around the inside gallery of the dome which gave us a real idea of the size of the structure as we peered down at people on the ground floor. Mandy had a particular desire to see the Pietra which is now housed behind a protective screen after a hammer attack many years ago. There were many remarkable paintings, decorated crypts, papal tombs and richly gilded altars which we enjoyed before exiting after a full day as the sun set with the colourful Swiss Guard watching over the main entrance to the Pope's private quarters.

The few homeless people in a small tent city just off the square contrasted rudely with the excess and affluence we had been experiencing and gave us cause for thought as we found the station again and returned to Terminii. We knew our train would be at the end of a long walk to platform 18 but jogged a bit as it was due to leave. In fact having settled in our seats on the upper deck we learned that there was a delay due to a problem down the line which caused a group of British guys to panic as they had clearly cut it a bit fine for catching the evening flight to Manchester so disembarked and ran off to get a taxi. After twenty minutes we were on our way and I suspect given the traffic the British group might have been better staying on the train. Walking back to Gino's we were tempted by the Baffalona Steak House which had a meat counter with a remarkable range of steaks available from Waygu to buffalo and in a choice of weights. The friendly staff took our orders, produced the wine and subsequently served two delicious fillets accompanied by roasted vegetables and potatoes. We noticed other groups tucking in to great slabs of meat with little else but were glad we had ordered less, if only 'cos it left room for pud....

After a quiet night we were back on the train again with time for a quick coffee in a bar before reaching the centre once more and catching the same metro but getting off at the Spanish Steps we had missed last year. The rest of the day was spent walking at leisure and with no specific itinerary but we returned to the Trevi Fountain, found a square with 3 fountains and eventually reached the Coliseum that appeared as impressive as ever. A coffee in a smart cafe overlooking the structure revived us as we dipped in to the metro once more for our train home. Having trekked out to Platform 18 we found out that all trains on our line were disrupted so returned to the main concourse to find out more and after half an hour a train going our way was indicated so we trailed up to 18 again, sat down somewhat exhausted and before long were on our way.

On the Saturday we serviced the domestic side of the van and settled up with Gino (€25/night) and then drove out the few miles to Ostia Antica which had once been the port for Roman Rome. The Tiber estuary had silted up leading to the place being abandoned but the extensive remains of a variety of buildings and the street plan including fortifications and gateways were well worth exploring on a sunny day. The museum had a collection of statues and busts that had been discovered as well as various artefacts and was well presented. The cafe behind sported the all too common surly and indifferent staff who were more engaged with their phones than their customers so no tips were forthcoming.

I rang a number for a sosta an hour or so away and the lively Florinda said we would be welcome to stay. On arrival down a track we were redirected from one house to another large property set in substantial but unkempt grounds where Florinda greeted us and introduced us to her two friendly dogs. She was multilingual having run a group of three hostels in Rome for many years but was now retired and living in the family home having sadly lost her parents and husband during COVID. She was an endearing and intriguing character and we enjoyed a quiet night at her home before saying our goodbyes and heading along the coast.

We stopped at the War Cemetery in Anzio where Operation Shingle had seen many American lives lost and walked down to the port area where fishermen were mending their nets and numerous smart eateries lined the harbour side. We walked out to the end of the breakwater and then chose a street food outlet for a delicious burger in the sun.

Near Sabaudia we arrived at a farm stay on a large horticultural enterprise occupying many hectares of the sandy land along the coastline. There was no one around but I rang the owner who was out to lunch and said just to settle in as required. We followed signs past huge polytunnels to a hedged off grassy area with power and water points and just one young Italian family in a small caravan.

A walk along the lanes passing the usual appalling fly tipping brought us out on to the long sandy beach which was our return leg home as the sun set. The next day we met the owner who showed us inside the huge polytunnel and gave us a handful of the small courgettes (zucchini) that was the current crop. The yellow flowers are a local delicacy dipped in batter and fried briefly. Heading up a very twisty road we reached Cap de Creus with its stunning views across the Bay of Naples and walked out towards the radio masts before descending via another series of hairpins and picking up the road south towards Naples. A deviation in to the hills brought us to an aire outside Sessa Aurunca, a walled mediaeval town which also had an impressive Roman amphitheatre on the outskirts. The aire was a bit unkempt but provided power, water and a park up for no charge...remarkable. So far we have been paying for stops, mainly for the security aspect, but Sessa felt fine and there was a full time dweller in a caravan with a large awning who we thought would deter unwanted visitors. We walked through a large gate tower in to the town's maze of narrow streets spotting an elderly upholsterer hard at his trade and eventually reaching the town's impressive cathedral lit brilliantly internally as the evening mass was underway. A smartly decorated cafe provided a friendly and warm space for coffee, the indifferent service and attitude seems largely confined to the employees in the public sector, business owners are generally more welcoming and engaged. After a quiet night on the aire we returned to the town for coffee in the square and a look inside the now quiet church before giving the owner of our planned stop in Pompeii a ring. Giuliana was again multilingual and was at pains to point out that her place was the one below the road....

After a supermarket stock up and crawling through the narrow traffic choked streets of Poggiomarino where we saw the Italian driving style at its best (particularly the reversing blind out in to traffic) we reached Giuliana's camper stop (English and Russian spoken) where one other large German van was parked up : his driving experience would have been awful and as always I was grateful for the modest dimensions of the battle bus. The site was well kept and her son Flavio soon had us parked up with a shot of limoncello in my hand, and a map to show us where things were in town. After lunch we walked down to the station to check out train times and ticketing arrangements as there is a local line, the Circumvesuvia that operates the most useful service. Out at the entrance to the Pompeii site it all seemed rather quiet but we familiarised ourselves with the set up and then enjoyed a drink on the main square adjacent to the huge church

Torrential overnight rain had cleared as we set off early hoping to beat the crowds (daily access is limited to 20,000 visitors) but on arrival there was almost no one around. After a basic security check we paid 25 euros each to include access to the two 'suburban villas'. We enjoyed the amphitheatre with the place to ourselves and then started exploring the vast grid of cobbled streets, many showing the grooves of carts and chariots, lined with the remains of shops, taverns, bakeries, food outlets, houses, villas and temples. We spent a thoroughly absorbing day dipping in and out of covered displays when the heavens opened and getting warmed up in the small cafe. The suburban villas lay outside the main complex and housed some stunning mosaics and frescoes and were well worth the visit. We returned via the large Forum once more with temples and civic buildings around the outside and were grateful to have experienced the place more or less on our own.

On the Thursday we caught the train out to Ercolano, a twenty minute run for a couple of quid on a rather squalid and graffiti covered local EMU and just outside the station signed up for the two o'clock bus up to the start of the crater walk of Vesuvius. This gave us time to explore Herculaneum which had also been covered by up to 75m of volcanic debris which had also pushed the shore line out by a few kilometres. A good app provided information on another remarkable layout of streets in a rectangular grid, the ruins of the houses, shops, taverns and villas, temples and gardens that were now available to explore. Being considerably smaller than Pompeii it was perhaps also more manageable and we left in time to catch the 2 o'clock bus that climbed steeply up the twisting road on the slopes of Vesuvius with superb views out across the sprawl of Naples. There is a cheaper local bus, the 808, but as our bus had included the entrance ticket and been hassle free we felt, like at the Vatican and some border crossings, that paying a little more was a good investment.

With the higher altitude it was decidedly chilly as we set off up the cinder path to the Main Crater. Some workers were filling in channels eroded by the previous day's heavy rain and we were soon at the crater edge looking in to the enormous void where steam and gasses were escaping from numerous fissures and holes. The path continued round the rim and to our delight the sun emerged as we looked out across to Pompeii and back in to the inner depths of the crater itself. The return bus journey left us a little queasy and the evening train was fairly packed so were glad of the walk home after an enthralling day.

Yesterday we settled up with Giuliana who moved to Italy from Russia 25 years ago and was interested to hear about my plans and amused by the half dozen Russian phrases that I have mastered. An hour's drive brought us to Camping I Pini at Meta on the Amalfi coast where after an hour in the sun we walked down to the station to check out trains to Sorrento and then descended many steps to reach the small harbour and beach. Waves crashing over the rocks and walkway made for an exciting stroll round to a smart bar for a drink before we returned via the small town stopping at a couple of shops for some basics.

After the 7 minute train journey to Sorrento we walked through the town and came across a large area of lemon trees with a visitor centre and adjacent public park detailing the history of the Sorrento lemon, a PDO product. Heading through the main centre we waited respectfully as a funeral cortege left the cathedral with the deceased clearly an important figure as police officers stood to attention and the hearse was a modified Maserati estate car. A long series of steps brought us down to the Marina Grande where we watched local fishermen bringing in the catch, mending their nets and repairing their boats....in a back street we looked in to the workshop of a boat builder before heading in to a restaurant for an excellent sea food lunch. Back up at town we took another set of stairs down to the Marina Piccolo (ironically actually larger) from where ships departed for Capri and Naples but a heavy downpour had us heading back up to the main square for coffee and cheesecake before the short walk to the station and even shorter journey home. I had had a text to say that my Digi SIM needed topping up to roll over unused data and I overcame my spare phone's inability to operate the app by installing it on the newer phone and soon had another 100Gb for about £8 which should see us through Italy and across Greece.

This onward progress will be reported next time.....

More Pics

Spain in the Rain...But the Coast Was Clear

A quick look round mediaeval Besalu in heavy showers gave me a chance to walk over the impressive bridge before heading to a park up north of Girona as there was a spell of bad weather forecast. Karl provides minor servicing and secure parking with power and water for €7.50 for T4 sized vans and I arrived in torrential rain to tuck away for 48 hours. The raised concrete yard was surrounded by flooded land but there was at least two feet of clearance so I wasn't unduly worried. 

Mind you a state general alarm sent to all mobiles in the early hours was a bit disconcerting but the areas most at risk were further down river and on the coast. By Wednesday things had settled down and I headed out to rather lovely Cadaques where an empty car park provided the perfect stop over just up from a cove and beach. After the 48 hour confinement I needed some exercise so unloaded the bike and rode out to Cap de Creus with very strong side winds adding an element of excitement. Up at the lighthouse the wind was screaming in from the sea so I ducked in to the bar in the old keepers accommodation and enjoyed a coffee and cake with stunning views. It was full of character and characters but eventually I battled to get out of the door and was soon off down the steep hill. A side road caught my attention and took me down to the section of coast known as Tudela. For 40 years this had been the sight of a sprawling Club Med resort but in 2002 it was closed, all traces of the 250 or so buildings removed and the area restored to its natural state, quite remarkable.

I cycled down to Cadaques itself where the waves were still rolling in causing some businesses to shut up shop whilst the Policia Locale kept people off the beach and rocks. I returned to the van for a quiet night before taking the sinuous road back over to Roses and then stopping at the Greco Roman remains of Empuries which were hugely impressive with the two clearly distinct sets of remains from both cities separated by a well presented museum. The audio guide was clear and informative (a rarity) and I spent several hours on the site - a Roman cheese grater was immediately recognisable and like many of our visits in Turkey the scale of the place was remarkable.

Mediaeval Pals was deserted but looking its best in the bright sunshine and after a short drive south of Girona I picked up the twisting and scenic coast road towards Tossa de Mar but chose an old hermitage up in the hills to stay at with a Dutch and Belgian van for company etc.

Dropping down to Tossa I could very much see the attraction of the place with a curved bay, sandy beach and the walled mediaeval town at one end and more modern development kept reasonably separate. The large central parking area is free out of season so sported a few dozen vans but there was plenty of space so I parked up and walked up to the lighthouse for a coffee with more stunning views. The adjacent museum housed in the base of the lighthouse was again well presented and referred to the film Pandora and the Flying Dutchman starring Ava Gardner that had been filmed here in the 50's and kick started tourism. There was also a photo of the accommodation provided for Kirk Douglas whilst filming out at Cap de Creus, a far cry from the luxurious 5th wheelers todays star expect. An interesting footnote was that the land speed record scenes in the Pandora film were actually shot at Pembrey in South Wales.

It was still very windy but warm and sunny so I walked to the far end of the beach noticing that a number of roads were still flooded and the beach strewn with debris. A small bar provided a decent lunch of mussels and a pizza washed down with a beer as I had decided to stay the night. Back up at the lighthouse a Spanish guy quietly approached me and opened a small red box with a diamond ring inside, suspicious of some kind of scam or distraction robbery I was relieved when he asked me to film him proposing to his girlfriend which I was happy to do. She was completely taken aback and fortunately overjoyed and we ended with hugs and high fives all round.

After dark the town became even more photogenic and I explored the quiet lanes and alleys before returning to the van for a comfortable night.

Moving on towards Barcelona I booked a park up online near Mataro within easy reach of trains in to the centre and decided to head in straight away despite a return to cold, grey weather. A few people were waiting on the platform so I bought a ticket from the machine and assisted two couples, one French and one Norwegian to do the same. We all then stood for over an hour in a chilly wind with no sign of any train in either direction. Lots of unintelligible announcements were made and the odd local drifted off whilst others arrived but eventually I decided enough was enough as the day was slipping away and I was chilled to the bone so headed back to the van deciding on a whim to try the Chinese Restaurant the Norwegian couple had recommended. A lovely Asian lass served me, spoke good English and explained that the train drivers were on strike following safety concerns over recent accidents. Clearly the announcements hadn't declared this and the machines were happy to sell tickets - hey ho.

Back at the van I caught up on some TV as O2 still seems to enable IPlayer access and my roaming data had reset. The Aire was well run and reasonably priced at €20 given its proximity to a major city and fortunately Sunday dawned bright and sunny so I cycled the  12 or so miles along the coast on a track running parallel to the deserted railway tracks. Badalona saw the start of cafes and bars so I stopped for a break before taking a route around the old power station with its three dramatic chimneys, disused now but destined to become an arts and media centre.

A good network of cycle tracks took me to the Besos River which I followed north and back again for an hour before taking the Diagonal Avenue right in to the city. The cycle lanes need some concentration as although essentially separated from traffic and trams these do of course crisis cross the routes, along with pedestrians and the ubiquitous and silent scooters.

As expected the area around the soon to be completed Sagrada Familia was busy but not unpleasantly so and I then walked through a park and cut through the old centre of the city heading for the port. A loud but good natured Kurdish freedom protest was being supervised by the police and I followed old lanes and alleys to emerge down at the main marina. Here two superyachts were moored up, one owned by a Chinese billionaire and costing £20m a year to run on top of the £200m price tag. The other of a similar standard was another story......seized by the authorities from a Russian oligarch four years ago it has sat idle running up bills that no one is paying and will presumably be sold off one day. Both were the epitome of luxury and contrasted sharply with the wind blown tent city passed earlier at the old power station, some things just ain't right.

I tracked back to Badalona, stopping at the same cafe for mountain rice : I often return to places based just on the friendliness of staff, as in this instance, but the food was excellent as well and prepared me for finishing off what turned out to be a 48 mile ride in perfect conditions. I just had time to load up the bike and cover it up before the rains returned and I slept soundly once more. Monday was ferry day so with time to spare I found CampingGas at the local CEPSA petrol station and thus have four full cylinders, more than enough to get us down to Brindisi where I know we can get more in preparation for Greece where CG is unobtainable. Beyond there in Turkey I will get a local cylinder and all these can then be filled again, I hope, in Gori, Georgia before the challenges of Russia and beyond. A launderette saw the bedding and a month's worth of clothing washed and spread around the van to dry

Out at the port there is no parking and back around the marina it is all underground so of no use to me but I found a quiet street behind the station and got ready for the overnight crossing.

Three hours before sailing I checked in at the Grimaldi ticket office and then cooked a meal before we were boarded an hour before departure. The huge Cruise Roma vessel was an impressive sight and I headed up to my cabin on deck eight where a luxury four berth suite with lounge exceeded my expectations....our last Grimaldi experience from Tangiers to Genoa (via Barcelona incidentally) had been less than satisfactory, something I suspect to do with it being a popular route for Moroccans whereas this is a flagship route for more affluent countries. Up on the top deck at the outdoor bar I got talking to two lively women who used to run a pub in Ilkley but are now settling in Sicily and planning to buy a small yacht to sail around the Med. They were fortunate that Lisa had an Irish Passport so they were both exempt from the Schengen Shuffle. Whilst this is irritating I have not really found it a problem as it has encouraged me to broaden my horizons so still be able to be away for several months.

I slept well in the comfy bed, the pillows were so good I could have bought them and woke to a calm sea with Sardinia and Corsica appearing mid morning giving a couple of hours of mobile signal. With the luxury of the boat and cabin exerting its influence I decided to have lunch in the Business Restaurant which has a capacity of several hundred but with a rather empty vessel only four of us were in there. It was beautifully presented and wraps round the stern of the vessel giving good views through the large windows. The staff were excellent and happy to chat as things were slack, apparently in the summer it is always packed although the term Business is misleading as they really mean Executive, just so me!

The sun set and after a final shower and a rest Civitavecchia appeared in the distance and we docked on time. Unloading was quick and efficient and the sat nav took me up to the sosta just ten minutes away. This had been pre-booked and a Q code emailed so at the electronic gate I put my phone in front of a lens and the steel railings slid open. It provides secure storage for vans, caravans and boats as well as a dozen or so short stay bays so within minutes I was plugged in and sorted. The LB is now fully primed after the earlier charging issues but rather annoyingly the glow plug light has started to flash regularly but as the van seems to start and run fine I will just monitor things for now. I am planning on an oil and filter change in Igoumenitsa in Greece at the VW place that did my wheel bearing and rear pads so will ask them to have a look...an online search points to a possible link with the brake light switch but they are both working OK so it may be something else. As the van is 25 years old issues with the electrics are I guess understandable, the recent coolant after run pump issue was resolved with a new sensor and the low oil pressure light has a mind of its own so could do with changing as well.

En route to Ciampino I stopped for a much needed hair cut, did a supermarket shop and then contacted Gino whose wife was ready to open the gate when I arrived. A terrific deluge had left standing water in their yard but I was happy to reverse on to the ground and settle down for a couple of hours, write this update and monitor Mandy's flight from Manchester which is on time and due above me in two hours time.

We will head off to the Vatican City by train and metro tomorrow as last year and then plan to head down to Naples for Pompeii, Herculaneum and then some volcanoes before crossing to Brindisi in mid February for the ferry to Greece.

I will post again in due course and have further photos

HERE

   

Pyrenees .... A Mixed Bag

 Up in Broto the warm and friendly La Cantinera provided a couple of local beers (Ambar) to wash down a tiny tapas style beef burger before I walked back over the new pedestrian steel bridge for a very quiet night.

The blanket silence was explained when I woke as 5'' of snow had fallen and without a breath of wind settled magnificently even on wires and fencing. The clear skies saw some good solar input as I walked up the valley to Torla where the view of the old village and church had not changed since my last visit 38 years previously. I had walked up with a young couple so joined them for coffee before returning to Broto for another beer. A thaw the following day enabled me to cycle up to the Ordessa Valley where being even higher and shaded from the sun the snow was even deeper.

Moving on to the lovely old village of Ainsa I parked in the aire and walked down to sort out my Digi Mobile SIM in a phone shop as the company had requested €20 euros or my number would be disconnected. The shop seemed to think I had been signed up for a contract but were otherwise unable to help so I topped up for another 100Gb for €10 and later rang Santander to see if they could sort something out.

The old village and castle are very beautiful and I got chatting to Matthew who is traveling with his lovely dog Lola and a keen cyclist. I was very impressed by how he had fitted his ebike inside the rear doors taking up very little space.

Two good rides the following day took me in to the local countryside although the heavy clay soils did rather gum up the wheels and drive train, later Matthew and I walked down for a beer : he had been out on an exciting looking ride out towards Bielsa that followed a water channel cut in to a sheer rock face.

Coincidentally we both turned up at Benasque so rode out together up the valley following for much of the ascent a rather snowy track that made for some amusing sliding and slithering before we crossed the river for a fast return on tarmac and another beer in town later. The proper aire required access via a website and code which wasn't working so we along with another couple of dozen vans just used the adjacent car park.

A superb back road through the mountains brought me to Rialp via Vielha where another aire sat on the edge of town. I had done a good shop in Vielha so enjoyed cooking a meal after a walk round and slept well on another cold night.

Quiet Arseguel was located high above the main valley which I had reached by climbing the Miravall pass that reached 6,600' and was the location for a popular ski resort. Under blue skies it was a stunning area and the van was pulling well up the long climbs.

The aire at Arseguel only had two places and is the parking for the traffic free and very picturesque village. The water was on but the power wasn't which wasn't an issue so I walked around the quiet streets before returning just as a ludicrous expedition truck attempted to squeeze in beside me. The poor turning circle and visibility led to him crashing in to the covered parking roof and as previously I came to the conclusion that driving one of these monsters must be a constant headache.

Another walk later took me down to the old laundry area where a series of stone troughs used a spring water supply to provide the necessary, there should have been a view of a range of mountains reaching 8,500' but the low cloud obscured the panorama and I returned to the warmth of the van. Now that the split charger is working properly the leisure battery is doing a good job of powering up the Eber (which uses very little of either fuel or power once in action) but I would like one night on hook up just to get it fully charged. I've not had a connection over the last three weeks and there has been limited solar so perhaps I'll run the genny if I tuck away quietly one night. I've had another sort out of storage and created more space with better weight distribution by placing the lightweight printer on a rear wardrobe shelf and putting the cordless drill, batteries, charger and the fan heater under the single central seat along with most tools, spares and recovery equipment. This all came about as having split up my US dollars in to five packs I had forgotten where I'd stashed them. I have now found four of them.......

Leaving the truck to get down the tight curves of the mountain road I took another high road past another ski resort which was absolutely buzzing with long queues for the lifts, presumably there were good conditions as the snow was a couple of feet deep. 

Down at Planoles a new aire alongside the station was ideal other than that the hook up points were paid for by card and the reader declared that there was no internet connection so no juice was available. I looked at the possibility of catching a train down to Ripoll and settled on the 14.00 departure giving me time for lunch. None of the usual train apps even referred to the service let alone enabled me to buy a ticket and the unmanned station only had validation terminals so I decided to wait and see.

The line is mostly single track with trains crossing at various stations of which Planoles was one so first the northbound train arrived, followed shortly by my southbound one. Once we were underway I got my ticket from the conductor and was in Ripoll within half an hour where I walked through to visit the  stunning monastery with its ornately carved main entrance and quiet courtyard cloisters.

Back at Planoles heavy rain set in overnight and has largely accompanied me today as I passed through the Garotxa Volcanic Park stopping for a look round ancient Santa Pau.

Thus late afternoon I arrived at tonight's stopover which is provided by a community of people who live in a spectacular setting. The ancient fortified tower and other buildings alongside a small church provide a home for around ten adults and half a dozen kids. They all try and live sustainably and run the commune in a very eco conscious way and welcome people to stay for a small contribution. Pascal proudly showed me round as there are facilities in the old tower, a campers kitchen in a two storey open fronted stone  building that has a relaxation area above, and various vegetable gardens that are carefully tended. It must be a superb place in the summer when meals are eaten communally but with the grey skies and persistent rain I was happy to retreat in to my cosy capsule and plan my route out to the coast to visit the very NE part of Spain that will be new to me with a couple of days in Barcelona next weekend before my sailing a week tomorrow.

Bonus Pics Here

Calm Crossings but a Wobbly Start

The line up for the Bilbao crossing indicated that this too would be a crowd free crossing, almost no freight and I guessed an occupancy level of about 20%. We were boarded two hours before the midnight departure giving me time to get to my cabin, shower at length and then step outside to watch as we eased away from the dockside. The Santona is another of Brittany Ferries LNG powered ships carrying some 800,000l kept at -162°C so was a virtually silent vessel that powered smoothly across a flat sea.

In the early hours we would have passed close to Land's End but I had slept well and woke to see the NW coast of France slip by centred around Brest. A full English breakfast in view of the calm conditions was justified and good value but should have been served warmer and I then enjoyed the full fat WiFi package that covered the entire crossing for £20. 

Bizarrely whilst walking the outer deck I spotted Paul from Porthmadog, a fellow MBA volunteer who was heading to Morocco for his first visit. He too was 'doglegging' via Ireland as the direct sailings were full. He'd bought some very expensive vehicle insurance but they'd not sent a Green Card so that was causing him some concern. I reassured him that he could get insurance on arrival at Tangier Med and that Green Cards are more or less a thing of the past and certainly no longer green. Like me he had obtained an IDP but he wouldn't need it and I gave him the blog details plus my contact details should he need further advice.

That evening I treated myself to the Azul restaurant's a la carte menu and enjoyed the shoulder of lamb, half a bottle of Bordeaux and a pavlova to finish.

A family with 3 unruly kids turned up and, to be honest if a little snooty, they really should have gone to the Taberna as the predictably indulgent parents asked if they could alter the menu choices so the kids could have pasta and tomato sauce or egg and chips. The kitchen duly obliged but it is a bugbear of mine that people are so picky....

Anyway after time on deck noticing the milder temperatures I retired for another night's kip only to be woken by various rumblings at 06.00. Not my meal but the ship pulling in at Bilbao two hours ahead of schedule, as it transpired for the purpose of refuelling as neither Rosslare (nor Portsmouth) have as yet put in the necessary infrastructure so the ships have to carry twice the amount needed. There is a similar nonsense on the West Coast of Scotland where again due to lack of infrastructure the LNG CalMac use for their new ferries is supplied by 40 tankers a week travelling up from Lincolnshire, and of course returning empty!

We disembarked at 08.00 and I ensured my passport was stamped (Irish passengers were of course exempt) and as expected on a quiet Sunday morning there was no diversion to complete the new EES biometric formalities that will lead to the ETIAS scheme later this year.

The quiet roads soon had me away from the city and within a couple of hours I was on a camper park up at Onati on the edge of the small town. It was cold again being inland and at altitude and I noticed the leisure battery wasn't charging so stuck the new panel out as clearly it had not been charging since leaving Brecon. I'd not noticed this as I'd been on hook up courtesy of Jan and the Pope but despite a prod of various wires under the bonnet I could not trace the issue, partly because it would require running the engine to the annoyance of my neighbours. I walked in to town where there is an old steam engine marking one end of the Via Verde cycle route and then headed back to the van to sort out things from the crossings.

On the Monday having filled up with water I stopped at the local agricultural co-op for Camping Gaz and propped up the tailgate whilst retrieving the three empty cylinders. Unfortunately whilst my back was turned the single pole I'd only used (STUPID) retracted in the warming sun and the heavy tailgate crashed back down : fortunately I had closed the gas cupboard door otherwise that would have been destroyed and there was no other damage, phew! 

Unfortunately they didn't have any full cylinders anyway but a CEPSA forecourt a few miles away did and at almost a third of the UK price at £21 each. 

I decided to stay at an aire en route to Pamplona as it had power available for 3 hours at a time but it turned out a jeton obtainable from local shops was needed and Spain being Spain it was siesta time. However further on the aire at Irutzun on the Plazaola Via Verde is usually in full sun so I parked up there and put the new 80w panel out. It was also quiet enough to have the engine running and I decided that with different voltages either side of the relay that it might be the culprit.

Down in the village I called at the cafe/bakery where Gary and I had caught up a couple of years ago and returned to the van and a slightly fuller battery. It was a bitterly cold night at first but snowfalls in the early hours raised the temperature to just below freezing but cancelled any thoughts of a bike ride or even a walk up to the old monastery.

I skidded down to the cafe again for a coffee but being Epiphany everywhere else was closed so I raided the deeper recesses of my store cupboard for the evening meal.

On departure the following morning the water outlets were frozen, as indeed was my water pump despite being inside so I headed away carefully down the icy hill and picked up the road east and past Pamplona. At sleepy Agoitz I finally managed to get some groceries before pulling in at the village aire whose water was turned off for the winter. I still had plenty of course but at this time of year it is important to fill up at every opportunity. Still my pump had thawed and again whilst the panel was in the sun I did some more testing of the split charge system.

Heading south next day I called at a couple of garages who didn't stock relays but one directed me to a ferreteria in nearby Sanguesa who produced the required 12v/70 Amp 4 pin relay. I popped this in at the car park but with no success so somewhat flummoxed headed on to Jaca for the night.

The aire in town was quite busy but again the water was off but an alternative out on a developing industrial estate had a working tap : if you provided a handy set of pliers to do the necessary. Back in town with good sun for the panel I began further investigations and by checking continuity and voltages decided the 70amp fuse which looked intact might be at fault. I removed one spade connector but the other was seized and took some freeing off and lo and behold was the source of the problem. A heavily oxidised terminal was soon shining again after the application of some wet and dry and the 25 year old system was restored to working order, much to my relief... it was a good learning curve and I now have the old relay as a spare and have a 70 amp fuse and holder put away with it. After tidying up my tools I wandered in to Jaca and bought a Digi mobile PAYG SIM to put in a spare phone to act as a hotspot, an arrangement which worked well across the Caucasus last year and will be the plan for this trip. €10 for 100Gb seemed a bargain but interestingly the new SIM was logged against my passport for counter terrorism purposes.

Back at the aire it had filled up but was a quiet place to spend the night and I moved on today with the split charge finally doing its job. I filled up with fuel having now only covered 250 miles to get to northern Spain from Brecon, fuel being about 20% cheaper over here and also returned to fill up with water before heading east and then north to the Ordesa National Park up in the snowy Pyrenees - Lourdes is some 30 miles due north across the mountain border.

A paid aire at Oto was my destination and I arrived after a long climb through heavy snowfall that brought me to one of Spain's many spectacular road tunnels. Emerging from this in to bright sunshine was surreal and I pulled up on a level field on the edge of tiny Oto with a sign asking you to pay via the TripStop app. €15 was asked for and would be OK if the water and loo/shower cabins were operational but as it's a National Park this is really the only sensible option. After lunch a friendly guy dropped by to say that the site was actually closed, despite the info on P4N and the app but he said I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted. When I said I'd settle up via the app he insisted there would be no charge and further insisted on refunding me in full - a really decent gesture.

Anyway the rain has eased off so I'm off out to look round Oto and then walk on to marginally larger Broto for a beer. 

I've found before that getting going takes some adjusting and requires some administrative tasks but now feel ready to tackle the challenges ahead with vigour and enthusiasm and for those reasons alone will seek out a beer tonight.

No further pics this time.....

To Russia With Love......

A P4N location at the Old Colliery Pub on the outskirts of Edinburgh proved the ideal place to spend two nights as it was next door to the P&R so I enjoyed a decent meal in there before a final check of my paperwork.

Tap and go made it easy to catch the bus in to the centre at Prince's Street from where I walked the mile or so out to the Russian Visa Application Centre. This turned out to be a nondescript and unsignposted office behind a block of flats whose steel roller shutter door was just lifting as I arrived at 10am. My appointment wasn't until 10.30 but the place was hardly humming and a polite lady asked me to sit down at a glass screen and then checked off my forms, took my passport and then fingerprints from both hands. A receipt was issued for the couple of hundred pounds in cash that covered the visa application fee and returned tracked postage and I was away in under 20 minutes.

Walking back I passed the old Holyrood Castle which is £25 to get in but only a pound if in receipt of benefits so I decided to give it a miss and visited the new seat of the Scottish Parliament alongside. The security guy was a friendly Moroccan and as the Parliament wasn't sitting it was possible to have a good look round the modern structure although quite where £400m went was hard to see.

Outside I decided to hop on the City Tour open topped bus for a good view of the major sights before I caught the bus back to the P&R and dined again in the pub.

After the rush hour had died down I set off south down the A1 in torrential rain, at one point narrowly missing a lorry prop shaft strewn across Lane 3 : the bemused driver was stranded on the hard shoulder a mile later.

I detoured in to Huddersfield to get a new two pin sensor that I hoped would sort out the coolant after run pump issue and was impressed by the stock held at the renowned Brickwerks.

Finally back in Sheffield I joined Mandy and friends for Carol's 80th birthday walk and called in to Curry's at Meadowhall where Emily and Joe had a decent enough refund waiting for me. The newsagent in Stannington issued a 1968 International Driving Permit for a princely fiver, Post Offices no longer provide this service.

The local Kwik Fit fitted 3 new Michelin CrossClimates and put my unused spare on as the fourth one but retained the best two 'old' tyres : one as a spare to go back in the cradle underneath and one to be taken and fitted to a second rim in due course. They had done 20,000 miles and all worn evenly and would be good for another 10k but I wanted good tyres from the get go and the spares had to be meaty enough to do the job if necessary. The second spare sits nicely on the bike rack and can contain the spare fuel can : as I am only taking one bike the weight is about the same. We also managed to change the sensor which seems to have resolved the issue at last which is good news.

So after a final day of packing everything for the next ten months I headed down to Brecon and stayed the night at Jan's prior to my dental appointment which fortunately revealed no concerns. I had left the bike and other clobber with Jan and headed over to Bristol for a night on Dale's drive as on Tuesday I had arranged for a new clutch to be fitted. It was a lovely evening catching up with him, his daughter and her boyfriend and I was away first thing to drop the van down at Gloucester Road Gearboxes who had done the previous clutch 8 years and 110,000 miles ago. I walked in to Bristol for a couple of hours and then met Dale at his works as he had taken time off which allowed us to walk his now fully recovered dog along the Avon at Saltford. A dairy farm that has diversified in to cheese making has a good cafe to stop at and it was even warm enough to sit outside before we returned to the car. My phone rang and it was the garage asking what they were doing to my van, so I confirmed it was a clutch replacement to which the guy said 'why?, there's nothing wrong with it..'. I explained my travel intentions and the reasoning behind my request which he completely understood, confirming that it is not possible to check how much a clutch has worn. He also stated that the gearbox was on its way out which had me somewhat alarmed unil he explained he meant it was coming out....

After another enjoyable evening at Dale's I waited until a call the following morning confirmed all was well and caught a bus down to the centre. At the garage the manager was fascinated by my plans and confirmed that the clutch was nearing the wear indictators so my decision was quite justified even though as the van sports a dual mass flywheel the bill was £1200!

Back at Lower Chapel I sorted out more tools and the 3 each of oil, fuel and air filters plus front and rear pads, 12l of oil, the spare alternator and two rear springs that I would be taking with me and on the Wednesday night joined good friends from the badminton club for the Christmas Meal. The Bull at Libanus yet again put on an excellent spread for us.

A couple of days spent in Brecon saw the EcoFlow power pack supplementing the leisure battery as the cold grey weather meant zero solar. The Rotary Club Brass Band entertained people in Bethel Square, I enjoyed a final crumpet in St Mary's Church before sadly the cafe closes and only just spotted a stealth van parked alongside one day. The Post Office produced the $5,000 in small denominations I had ordered as in Central Asia cash is king and ATMS few and far between, which was split up and hidden in ten different locations around the van. Then on the Monday I headed up to Sue Pope's campsite west of Llangurrig for the rest of Christmas week. I was the only occupant and with the weather turning cold was content to fill up with water, plug in to the power and prepare for the staff Christmas party the following day. This went well with everyone I invited turning up and the festivities going on for minutes.

A bright but breezy day saw me complete the circuit down to Rhayader and round the Elan Valley with a return via Cwmystwyth where the winds had increased and bowled me along to the start of the climbs back over to Sue's. I picked up a message from Crad to say that my passport had eventually been delivered a day late by Royal Mail and did indeed contain the much hoped for multiple entry transit visa for Russia valid for 6 months from mid April.........

Christmas day saw me ride out to Nant Syddion bothy where apart from a wind damaged loo shed and rusted out flue all was well. My return against an incredible head wind was arduous and slow going leaving me no time to call at Nant Rhys and indeed that evening the wind chill was significant until things eased around midnight.

I called at Crad and Dawn's to collect the passport and my last meds and was hugely privileged to join the whole family for a late breakfast, all 3 sons plus two wives and two grandchildren plus various dogs. It must be ten years or more since I saw everyone under the same roof so there was a lot to catch up on. Just after leaving them the van clicked over the 150,000 mile mark, 120,00 of those under my care. Not bad for a 25 year old vehicle......

Finally I returned to Lower Chapel where Pete joined us and on the Saturday five of us rode over to Erwood and back in good conditions : a tough ride for the traditionalists but at least the ebikers opened all the gates....

Sunday saw the three of us walking up to the old folly above Talybont returning via the Hop In in Brecon for cider and tapas before sorting out a semblance of caving gear for a quick trip planned for Monday.

As the clutch guys needed to inspect the job after 400 miles to validate the warranty I offered to drive as I needed to get some miles on and we pulled up at Penwyllt alongside the South Wales Caving Club hut to meet the others including two very excited 6 year old lads on their first ever trip. To keep to the party size limit we three pushed off on a separate trip once inside the system's Top Entrance and spent a happy couple of hours whilst Jan experimented with her new phone's camera. We all met up again in the Big Chamber Near The Entrance and dropped back to the hut to change and show the boys how huge the system is as there is a remarkable survey on the common room wall.

Pete left early morning and I was not far behind with my appointment at the garage taking under ten minutes before I headed back to Wales with time to call at Mike and Claire in Talybont who are just starting a whole house redecoration after having all their walls insulated internally prior to a heat pump going in.

That afternoon I repacked the van with all tools, service and rescue kit now in one place under the single seat and the following morning loaded the spare tyre and bike, attached the cover and headed down to Brecon to get my laundry done only to find the machine broken, ditto at Sennybridge where due to -5 degrees overnight their machine was frozen. They have also removed the jet wash but moving on towards Carmarthen I found one at Nantgarredig so gave the van its first clean since July thanks to the Yorkshire hose pipe ban. A launderette in St Clears was working so I arrived at Fishguard ferry port in plenty of time for the 01.30 sailing.

New Year's Eve fireworks entertained us at the magic hour and by 01.00 all 9 cars were loaded and we were underway. There was no problem finding a corner to sleep in on the almost deserted vessel and we disembarked without issue on time.

I headed out to the beach below Rosslare village and crashed out until late morning before clearing my head with a bracing walk along the sands. Culletons of Killrane allow overnighting in their car park and I enjoyed roast duck washed down with Guinness before a quiet night.

So today I have spent the time down at Carne Beach with another bracing walk before tucking away until check in opens at 20.00 for the 32 hour sailing to Bilbao that leaves at midnight. Direct sailings from Portsmouth were fully booked until mid February but this slight dogleg has cost the same despite the extra crossing as fares from Eire are cheaper. From Bilbao I will head slowly to Barcelona for a ferry to Rome by the end of the month where with luck Mandy will join me for the Vatican City, Southern Italy and then Greece.

My trip to Central Asia is ambitious for both me and the van and will no doubt be full of adventures and surprises. There has been a lot of planning and thinking on my part but behind the scenes the trip would not have happened without the kindness and support of many friends who are, to name but a few : Crad, Dawn, Jan, Ian, Dale Michelle and Megan, Greg, Pete, Mike and Claire and of course Mandy....

If it all goes belly up there is only one way to point the finger : right back at me !!

A few pics here