After gratefully receiving my Covid booster jab in mid December I joined friends for the Badminton Club Christmas meal near Brecon after spending a couple of days near Crickhowell on a simple site with no facilities but an EHU. From here I had taken the canal down to Pontypool and then returned via the old railway line cycle track to Blaenafon and its industrial heritage before dropping back via the Clydach Gorge. As my digital Covid pass updated more quickly than I had expected it to I decided to look at options for travelling abroad and decided to book a sailing to Santander from Portsmouth to avoid France which was restricting UK travellers. I also booked a decent cabin so the fare was some £700 one way as it was peak time but I figured I'd be spending at least £100 a week just to sit still in the UK.
Thus I had to nip back to Sheffield for some extra bits and pieces and Mandy's bike in the hope that she will be able to join me eventually. On my return south I had to deviate back to Brecon as my new style EHIC card had arrived - this is a rather provocative item in my opinion as it rather pushes the Union Jack in its design. I joined Crad and family for another excellent takeaway from the village owned Shoemaker's Arms and touched base with his elder lad who is off to seek fame and fortune in London once more.
On my way over to the New Forest I called at Portishead where an old friend is enjoying converting a very nice LWB transit in to a camper - he had made good progress with insulating and lining and was now considering cabinet and power options.
Near Ringwood I arrived at the beautiful woodland site we had used in the summer and paid for my 8 day stay in advance as I wished effectively to isolate from the general public so as to minimise any risk of Covid that would curtail my plans. Tucked away amongst the pines there was little solar but the new battery fitted recently seemed to cope OK. I cycled out most days including one over to Nomansland for an outside pub lunch in the unseasonably mild weather. Unfortunately on my return with 12 miles to go and an hour of daylight left I tore my rear tyre on a flint to the extent that even a new tube wouldn't last. I limped to a near deserted car park and approached two ladies who had just finished litter picking and one very kindly agreed to run me home after I had explained my predicament. I gave her friend one of my cards by way of good faith and locked the bike to a sturdy rail. Sarah explained their work on the way back and was delighted that the New Forest District Council had cleared up fly tipping I reported online on a Sunday by Monday afternoon - they are responsive due to the possible impact on wildlife. She dropped me at the end of the track and I hope to repay her kindness by joining her group for a day on my return. I nipped back for the bike that evening which gave the battery a quick top up.
The following day I struggled to fit my spare tyre due to the cold weather so nipped in to Ringwood where a friendly motorcycle dealer used his airline to pop the tyre on tightly. I picked up fuel for my genny as well and returned to the peaceful spot - a pair of deer slid past at dusk but otherwise nothing stirred. I ran the genny that night to ensure everything was fully topped up before my sailing - it is a silent runner and runs about 4/5 hours on a couple of litres of petrol powering everything if high demand appliances are used at different times. A ride along the old railway track to Lymington was lovely and I considered that if my Europe plan stalled I would go over to the IoW.
However nothing untoward occured so on the Monday I swopped my Calor gas cylinders for the 3 Campinggaz ones I had collected from Jan and Ian and left them tucked behind the site owner's barn for future collection before heading round to Portsmouth. In Fareham I pulled in to a large Tesco car park with good 4G coverage and began to complete the rest of the Spanish Travel Health Form. You can complete it in advance with your sailing details but can only apply for the Covid Q code with your UK Certificate 48 hours before arrival in Spain - with a 36 hour sailing this leaves a tight timeframe. Anyway after some effort all was done and I received the email with my code, downloaded it and then printed everything off as a back up. The printer doesn't see much use but is invaluable for things like this - as it runs off a small plug in 75w inverter it can be used at any time.
Later that evening I slid between two larger outfits on the dockside and slept well, excited at the prospect of getting away for the first time in over two years. We were all loaded by 9am with no paperwork or other issues and after a brief delay whilst 3 tugs eased a container ship out of our way we were off down the Solent passing our two aircraft carriers with their 24 hour police boat patrols, the historic dockyards and of course the ever impressive Spinnaker tower.
I explored this the Brittany Ferries newest vessel and took a much needed shower in my neat little cabin. I enjoyed a good breakfast before standing out on deck as the IoW slid by but as we left its shelter the wind and waves picked up and by mid afternoon the outside decks had been closed for safety reasons. The crossing became so unpleasant that I retired to my cabin to go to bed and watch the telly trying to avoid repeats of both sit coms and my breakfast. For the next 18 hours the boat rolled violently as huge (9m apparently) cross waves crashed against the sides of the hull making the whole boat shake ominously.
I emerged around lunchtime on the Wednesday with zero appetite but enjoyed the Picos D'Europa appear on the horizon before we slid in to Santander in calm seas with people sunbathing and swimming on the beaches. We were soon unloaded and for some reason I was waved past the long queue and was soon on the road out and heading towards the Cantabrian mountains for an aire some 30 miles away. Unfortunately at about 4,500' the tiny mountain road was blocked by snow requiring a somewhat nerve jangling multi point turn above a very sheer drop. So Plan B was a night in Lierganes on the aire by the station which gave me the idea to catch a train back in to Santander to see more of a city that most people just transit through. The £5 return ticket gave me a 40 minute journey in to the centre passing the shipyard where two of the other BF vessels I have sailed on were getting their winter overhaul. It was hot and sunny and I was tempted by the small shuttle ferry across the bay to Somo for a good view of Santander's waterfront and an excellent lunch. On my return I walked out to the headland passing sunbathers and swimmers before arriving at a small marine park where a seal appeared glued to an almost vertical rock face, completely oblivious to me and the waves that washed up to him.
From Lierganes I took the main road over the mountains that was open and turned down to Perdura at the Embalse de Ebro. At the old station parking was offered for £5 a night including EHU which given the cold nights seemed a good idea so I paid for 3 when the caretaker arrived and wandered in to the village to find a shop - however only a small butchers and bakers continue to trade there but it gave me the basics and over the next couple of days I cycled this section of the Santander Mediterrano Via Verde a planned cycle route on the old railway that will one day cross Northern Spain over some 700 miles. The original line was intended to remove the need for freight to travel right round the Iberian Peninsula but when all but 24 miles was completed the project was shelved as it was felt it would be uneconomic given the arrival of container shipping. The 4 mile Engana tunnel nearby was finished but track never laid and its eventual reopening will be a major step in the final completion of the VV plan.
I moved on to Ona which had a huge monastery and some very pretty Christmas lights as well as the VV south towards Burgos and an excellent walk in to the limestone mountains above the town. At a high pond perhaps 40 vultures were gathered around the muddy water but soon took flight as I arrived. I was glad to have the 1:25,000 maps on my Satmap Active 20 as although well out of date for urban areas and new major roads they do show all the mountain tracks and trails if not the actual routes suggested as walks.
In the Sierra de La Demanda another aire - no more than a flat parking area with no facilities provided a spot for two nights as I again took the VV around the Embalse de Uzquiza and returned via the quiet roads - it was a Saturday so the local hunters had been dashing about in their 4x4's with trailers of dogs taking tracks high in to the snow capped mountains. The nights were very cold but the Eber managed very well running all night with the new leisure battery receiving enough solar by day to keep everything in order.
At Hontoria del Pinar my initial plan was to do more of the SMVV but signs for the Canon del Rio Lobos caught my eye and the following day I set off on 15 miles of superb single track that followed the limestone gorge south under towering crags, crossing dry fords and the odd set of stepping stones, a few bridges and some sections of walkway before I emerged at an amazing chapel surrounding by lofty cliffs with vultures soaring. A steady climb out of the gorge brought me on to the plateau before I picked up the VV for a return to base and another very cold night. The following day I took the VV through the 50,000 acre pine forest where at one time the line had been used to export the timbers and a gantry crane was still standing at the highest point of the line. I was also intrigued to see that manual signals made by Westinghouse in Chippenham over a hundred years ago were still in working order.
A beautiful parking spot by a ruined chapel at Calatanazor gave me the chance to walk in to a village I'd visited once before in 2014 - whilst the traditional buildings, quaint streets and unusual chimneys are unchanged the castle has had some work done and it is now possible to reach the top of the keep for some amazing views. A friendly Alsation adopted me and came right back to the van presenting a range of sticks to be thrown.
The urban aire in Calatayud promised slightly milder overnight temperatures and I took a walk round admiring the ornate towers of the local churches and climbing up to the castle overlooking the town. The old town is a warren of tiny streets and I met a small dumper truck delivering buckets of oak logs to the tiny houses as storks nesting high above clattered their beaks noisily. Many of the larger buildings seemed to be collapsing and as most people now live on the outskirts in flats with parking and modern utilities easily available I wonder how long the old centres will survive.
Daroca further on faced similar issues although seemed more sure of its future with the buildings better maintained and more fully occupied, all sheltering under the 14 towers that dot the 4km long walls. I walked the open sections under a hot sun before moving on to Cretas near Teruel that allegedly had a Campinggaz supplier which proved inaccurate as the location was just waste ground. I stayed on the aire anyway only to be woken early by what I presumed was scaffolding being thrown around early next morning. Once the sun was up around 08.30 so was I, only to find the weekly market carrying on around me! Nobody seemed to mind and I hadn't been sold so all was well.
A CEPSA filling station yielded two cylinders of the elusive gas at half the UK cost and with diesel 25% cheaper than home I was good to go once more so headed up in to the Sierra de Gudar stopping at the best preserved fort in Aragon at Mora de Rubielos. The chilly ticket seller seemed pleased to see me and I enjoyed a couple of hours exploring the various rooms and buildings and the recreations of various mediaeval weaponry in the extensive structure. On my way north I got distracted by a side road that would take me a different way so climbed high before descending only to find that the village road (and the only one at that) had just been newly concreted so had to retrace my steps and continue the original way to Monteagudo Del Castillo. Here whilst water and the WC drop were located by the small playing field the actual overnight spots were dotted around the village and were I felt intrusive so I dropped back to a nearby alternative at El Pobo high on an open plain and nicely located on the edge of the tiny village. The adjacent models of prehistoric animals made for quiet if unusual company and after dark I walked in to the deserted village for a look round. The one bar was open and had a good fire going so I stopped for a beer before returning to the van under a superb moon and starry sky.
Moving on through Cantavieja and Mirambel, both beautiful old villages with traditional stone houses, narrow streets and dominant castles I eventually pulled up on a rather scruffy aire at Alcaniz. The town is overlooked by its old castle which is now a top hotel or Parador which I walked up to for its remarkable views. Affluent Spanish couples were enjoying the evening sun and opportunity to pose and at £75 a night we might even be tempted one day. La Fresenada was a real treat with its ruined chapel on one rocky outcrop and a castle on another, then more stunning mountain roads took me over to Valderrobres where the parking down by the river was perfect with the clear waters reflecting the old stone bridge and houses. I walked up to the church and castle before deciding to take advantage of the free city wifi and update the blog. Unfortunately after two hours work the wifi had crashed and nothing had been saved so especially for you I have just done it all again here in Tortosa so please enjoy and have a look at the additional pictures here - perhaps a few too many but it has been a few weeks since my last post, lots has been happening and your evenings may well still be long.
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