Spain 2003

All arrangements with Euromotohomes done using email with very few problems, worried for a while, when we got an email saying that the building of a new motorway, meant moving the showroom to the other side of Barcelona.

Booked Easy Jet (not KLM) to go back to pick up the van and as its our first trip abroad in the van, we booked the long crossing Santander to Plymouth, to save driving all the way through France (we are going back to France later in he year) and this is just a trip to the collect van. Unfortunately Easy Jet will not start direct flights to Barcelona until next month so we have to go via Stansted. The only way to do it, is to get the last flight out of Newcastle one night with the first flight out of Stansted the next morning which means sleeping in the airport over night.

Day one started the evening before, flying out of Newcastle for Stansted, no problems with Easy Jet arriving on time. Very uncomfortable night in Stansted airport but we had to check in at about 05:30 for Barcelona and again flights on time with no problems.

Had to wait a short while for the lift to the showroom but he eventually turned up and took us on a very long drive, the old showroom was close to the airport (the plan had been to set off from the showroom and drive straight to Sitges ((although the words straight and Sitges don't really go together if you know what I mean)), a simple one road drive but now we are on the other side of the city).

Everything now turns very Spanish on us, we are sat down with a coffee then nothing seems to happen, I look out of the showroom windows down onto the motorhomes parked below in the compound but can not see one that looks like ours. We are eventually asked "do you require the cycle carrier", "yes thanks" I reply, then nothing starts happening again (to be honest I think paperwork is being done). while we wait, I get my laptop out with the photos of the motorhome, as I am now worrying that ours is not out there.

Eventually we are asked if we would like to see the van, now the reason I could not see ours becomes apparent, it has a roof rack and a ladder that I was told "not on this one", then I begin to wonder if this is a deferent van (has it been switched for an older high mileage one) but no, the registration and VIN number is right plus two small dents in the bonnet are there. The headlight has been fixed and the bike rack is on, we say nothing about the roof rack and neither do they.

Some time later the paperwork is complete, we are insured through them until we arrive in England and we set off back to the van for a demonstration of how everything works. The van comes with an instruction manual, spare set of bulbs, a full 2.7kg cylinder of Campingaz, an electric hook-up cable, water hose, blue loo stuff, cutlery, pans, plates, bowls, cups, washing up liquid, cleaning cloths and several other things necessary for first time motorhoming (I am led to believe this is better than some people get in this country). After being shown how everything works (and incidentally not getting any of it), I am invited to reverse the van up to a tap, to fill the water tank, not a pretty site but not too bad for a first time.

The original plans out the window, no one road to Sitges, we get the laptop out and set a route on AutoRoute from out present location (this is a lot easier when we get our GPS mouse, next year). As we are well out to the north of Barcelona we decide not to head towards the coast and city centre but instead travel parallel to the coast on main roads and then head towards Sitges. What we do not have is a lot of diesel, so we stop at the first service area, also the van it did not come with the red breakdown warning triangles, so in the service station I looked for some. Being unsuccessful I attempted to ask for warning triangles, I tried everything, saying triangle with a Spanish accent, making triangle shapes with my fingers, pointing at other triangular shapes (Toblerones, etc) but could not make myself understood. In the end I give up and go and look again and eventually found some, on returning to the checkout the nice lady says ha, Triángulo.

When we turn off the motorway to head down to Sitges we find ourselves on a road that is practically a dirt track, I am probably exaggerating but this is my first time driving the van or anything this size, anyway its not a pleasurable experience.

Once in Sitges, we find the site without too much trouble, we are well out of season, the pool was green but the bar/restaurant was open. Spent some time sat in the sun and getting to know the living space in the van, reading the instructions translated from Spanish, was very strange. In one suitcase we had all the usual stuff you would take for a holiday and in the other we had a duvet, quilt cover, sheets, etc, what we did not have was pillows but thought cushions off the seats would suffice. On making up the bed we discovered while putting on the fitted sheet that the over cab bed is king size and not double, the mattress sprung up at the four corners with the sheet stretched between.

Had to have a walk in to town, quite a walk to the seafront and then quite a bit further along the front to the centre, just over one and a half miles. Had a drink and then back for an early night, its been a very long day, will be back tomorrow for a longer more leisurely look round.

We need pillows, incredibly uncomfortable last night, will get some from the town this afternoon. Sitges is a nice place, with a good long beach. We did not know Sitges was a mecca for gays but we did wonder what the the phrase "great for gays and family alike" in one tourist book meant.

Could not find pillows anywhere and after looking for hours we eventually asked a girl serving in a small bar, we where resting in, thankfully she knew somewhere and pointed us in the right direction. We retuned with our newly acquired pillows to say thank you and obviously, have another beer or two

Another day out in Sitges, picking up more things we need in the van, can opener, bottle opener, matches, hot glue gun (glue gun??), etc. Some nice tapas bars, restaurants and shops (strange to see advertisements in clothes shop windows with pictures of men kissing though). Came across the train station and considered a trip in to Barcelona but decided against it, we have been twice before and it would be a bit of a rush. So we spent the day at a more relaxed pace instead.

There are some very nice properties on the front leading out of the old town south, there are also two motorhomes that looked to be parked up long term on the road, I can not see this happening in the summer, when it is busy.

On the site, I see a scooter on the back of a motorhome for the first time and think that it would be something to consider in the future but maybe with a small motorbike.

Set off for Cambrils about a 50 mile drive, but when we got there, they where building several new roads around the area, one right in front of the site we where aiming for. We could see the site but no matter where we went we could not get to it, we went round and round, did give me plenty of practice driving the van in a built up area though. To cut a very long story short, we had to drive across the roads works, along a dirt track (a real one) and down an embankment to get there, and to cap it all, we didn't like the look of the site and left.

Parked up on the front and had something to eat, then a walk, another nice seafront.

We then doubled back to Salou, we had been there on a package holiday years before and thought it would be nice to see it again. The two sites in our book where still closed for the winter, so we drove through to one on the other side on the way out of town, it was open but because of some refurbishments going on, motorhomes where not allowed? We stopped at a bar nearby to ask about camping and was told that there where some motorhomes wild camping on the seafront at the very north of Salou but we did not think we should try this, maybe at a later date (didn't fancy being moved on the the middle of the night).

Went back to Cambrils, to a site we had seen just off the main road, and booked in for the night, it is just a short walk from the hotel Port Vinyols on the N340.

We where given a map and instructions on how the get the the seafront, so off we set, never did get there although we walked for miles. We walked along country roads, paths, across fields, are chased by farm dogs and end up not being able to cross the railway lines. So we head back and find what is supposed to be a petrol station/service area but inside its a bar and restaurant, food is being cooked over an open fire like a huge BBQ, it looks really good but we have decided to go to the hotel for our evening meal, so for now we just have a drink.

The hotel does one of them, three courses, bottle of wine and water for a fixed price things, these are very good value. The menu is all in Spanish (as you would expect away from the main touristy bits) but the waiter is very helpful, explaining a best he can what everything is. He must have done a good job, as it all gets eaten and is most enjoyable.

Only stopped in Cambrils one night, the site is a bit out of the way. Decided to head north east, towards a site in Haro, about 280 miles, well on our way to ferry at Santander. Just after we set off, Dot starts moaning about a smell and blames me, I am most upset (although it usually is me) and point out it is probably coming from outside but this smell persists. We work out that it must be coming from inside the van and Dot goes back to investigate. She traced it back to the dirty water tank and it is easily cured, simply by putting the three plugs in the three drain holes. We make mental notes to remember this next time and to buy some bleach, it was pretty bad. Made one wrong turn and nearly ended up in Tarragona as we took a shortcut from the A7 to A2, we went onto a trading estate to get our bearings. I think we where just confused by road signs and where on the right road in the first place, anyway we took the opportunity to fill up with diesel on the trading estate.

This trip is when we discovered just how good it is to travel on the motorway in Spain, now this may not be true for all motorways in Spain but on the toll roads in northern Spain it is. We travelled for miles with only one lorry up front, about a mile in the distance and maybe one the same distance behind but the strange thing is, every time you come up to overtake one of these lorries, three cars will suddenly appear from nowhere and get in the way. The other strange thing is, that these cars will be about ten feet apart, as if towing each other and still will be as the disappear in to the distance and this will happen every time.

We had pre-booked the site, mainly to be sure we knew a site that was open. The site is just across the river from the town about a ten min walk to the centre but up hill all the way. Its a lot cooler in Haro, luckily we had nice thick coats with us, that we had used to get to the airports on the way out, we had also packed some warm clothes for the evening.

When we arrived there wasn't anyone at reception, so we had a look round the site, which as with the others we had visited, it was pretty much deserted. We eventually booked in, and then walked up in to town for a look round and something to eat.

We had a good look round and then headed back to the main square, just as we got settled for a drink outside one of the bars, a large crowd started to congregate outside what looked like the town hall. Whatever the protest was about it only lasted a few minutes, thinking about it later, the gulf war had just started, so it was probably that. The bar we chose had lots of tapas on the the bar but this looked different to what we had seen in Spain before, as it seamed to consist mainly of small sandwiches with cocktail sticks through them. Anyway we got a menu and I was surprised to see egg & chips top of the list, just what I fancied, I think Dot had an omelette or a pizza.

Later on the way back down the hill, we passed a very busy bar/restaurant, so popped in for a look, these had masses of tapas, the traditional type and one, slices of potato baked in oil with chillies, looked particularly good, so we had to have a portion between us. It was better than it looked and we vowed to return.

There is a very small tent on the plot opposite us, the young gentleman it belongs to, is on a bike, hence the small tent. Now the reason I mention this is, the cheek of the young man, you have to pay extra for hook-up but this chap wanders across to an unoccupied site next to ours, opens the hook-up box and plugs his mobile phone charger in. Then he's off to washes his pots and pans, on return he goes over to one of the static vans by the river, takes a tea towel off their washing line and dries his stuff. Its easy to travel light if you have the nerve and don't give a dam about other peoples property.

By this time we are out of water and will have to fill up for the first time on a site, the hose we got with the van is very short and the tap is a fair way off. So we put away anything that could fall over and drive round to the tap, after a bit of fiddling with fittings the job is done. We now usually fill up on entering a site, if we are only there for three of four days this will usually suffice and if not, we use a five litre water bottle to top up, the water tank is easily accessed under a seat and filled by removing the tanks large screw lid.

Found a supermarket on the edge of town, got a few things we needed but will return on our way out of town to stock up with alcohol to bring home. This is the centre of Rioja production but at this time in our lives we are not big wine drinkers, pity.

That night we head out on the town, tapas at the first bar we come to (luckily this is the very busy bar/restaurant from yesterday) then on into the main square. It is very quiet for a Saturday night and the few bars around the square are practically empty but then we discover, up the side streets, several bars and restaurants, that we hadn't noticed during the day and they where heaving. We had a real good night and we ended it by popping it to the bar on the site on the way back.

Our last full day in Spain, although we will not be home for another four days, its a long way back to the north east of England. The sun is out and we decide to have a quiet day, walked up to town, did a bit of shopping and had a sit in the sun in the town square. It's there sitting outside a bar, on the opposite side of the square to our usual, of we notice a huge nest on top of one of the buildings. As we watch a large bird flies to the nest, we had seen these birds flying over earlier, but had not noticed the nest. I think the birds were cranes but am not sure.

First we stop at the supermarket, there is not much in the way of good beers, so I just stock up with a few packs of Spanish stubbies, some cans of Hoegaarden and some wine, not a lot I know but as I mentioned before, we are heading off to France in June.

The Drive to Santander is a bit busier than the drive to Haro, as the road passes more urban areas but it is still far better than traffic in England. The last half of the journey is along the coast and is quite pleasant. We arrive at the port about five hours early, with the intention of having a look round Santander. We are allowed to park up at the port and given a time to be back for loading, we then set off for the town, which is just outside the port gate.

Santander is really hot, something we had not expected after Haro, also the shops are all closed for siesta something else we didn't expect. The shops eventually open in time for us to have a quick look round and get cigarettes for a friend, before we have to head back for the ferry. The ferry leaves right on time to give us a wonderful sunset over Spain to say adios.

Arrive in Plymouth about 17:00, its been a long day on the ferry, there is entertainment but as I had to drive I could not have a drink.

As we leave, immigration ask me to get out and to go in to the back to check for two escaped stowaways (illegal immigrants now, I suppose), how do you let stowaways escape? And what am I doing looking for them?

I pull over at customs to inform them I am importing a van, "move along sir" says the customs officer, "I'm bringing this van into the country" says I, "yes very nice" says he, "now move along you are in the way". They are not interested at the port, I did not need to pay tax anyway as the vehicle was over six months old, I just thought they would like to know..

Its now I find out that the LHD is just as easy to drive on the left, as the driving position is that high up, you can see over the top of cars, and the door mirrors are really good.

On the way back through England we camp at relations in Ashburton, Devon, then next day at friends in Worcester, we also then go on to visit our son, who is building a temporary ice rink outside the Trafford Centre in Manchester.