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Adventures not dramas and retiring to Spain….Happy Anniversary.

Nearly seven years ago, full of excitement and a little trepidation we took early retirement and moved out to our little holiday home here in Murcia. We sold up in Scotland as having two homes wasn’t within our budget and we are pretty proud of how we have lived simply on small pensions, some savings and my part time teaching. We have had the most amazing adventures and finally at 65, I decided to retire properly last June. My work with Interlang Idiomas was brilliant in many ways. Possibly after going online thanks to Covid, I met more students from all over Spain and learned so much as they improved their English. I still prefer face to face classrooms but would not have met such a wide range of people if I had continued teaching only in Murcia. Spain is an incredible country , every autonomous region with its own culture , food, weather and geography. We have been lucky and explored a lot but there is still so much to see. The academic managers and office team in Madrid were also great to work with and staff meetings in Spanish helped me improve my understanding too although I was always a little nervous about contributing opinions!

However at sixty five and a half there were several reasons to call it a day. Some and not in any order of importance were a) my ancient lap top that I continue to write on, decided that the camera was meant to make me look like an Andy Warhol painting , pretty disturbing for students and I was not willing , nor could afford a new computer. Working a month to buy a laptop or having time to potter in the garden, hike with Walt and Rocky and go away in Ziggy when ever we wanted? Daddy or chips? I have no desire to be a digital nomad, when we go away exploring I don’t want to be online! b) was the exploring, I was pretty envious when Walt went off on day jaunts and I was in my cave ! ( spare bedroom with ancient laptop) . c) It has also been brilliant when family come to visit or I go to Scotland and can relax without classes and planning. My lessons all started at 8am. That was 7am when in Scotland. On the 30th of June, I took my last class and I am getting really good at saying ‘no’ when neighbours and new friends ask if I will teach them or their little people. I have retired….. 100%.

The reality of my decision really only kicked in when our schools went back in September and it did feel a little strange after so many years of planning and opening up a pristine academic diary! The strangeness did not last long. We had had three brilliant weeks travelling in Ziggy, from home to Cuenca , the Spanish Pyrenees, Andorra, the French Pyrenees and back in to Spain via Hendaye, San Sebastian and of course our much loved Picos de Europa. Walt did all of this with an L2 fracture of his back although at the time he thought it was a very bad sprain after picking up our very heavy motorbike which had fallen over when parked. It wasn’t until we came home and he finally went to the doctor that we learned how serious the injury was…. adventures not dramas? Well we have had a few dramas too. Despite this , we had an amazing trip and wanted to do more. Another reason to retire.

Hendaye , February 2017. The adventures begins.

Happy Anniversary Walt.! This blog has been languishing in ‘drafts’ for over a month as we had a very busy February and start of March. It was seven years exactly since we moved Walt and Ben over in our old Vauxhall lovingly called ‘Disco Dashboard, ‘ and the adventures began! To celebrate we spent nine days in Andalucia and I fell in love with the Costa de la Luz. I am planning a short blog to tell you about our wonderful February fun! We then flew to Edinburgh for five days and had a fabulous family time together. Back home and I think we have cured the seven year itch !

March , some mayhem and magic in Scotland !

Seven years on, we have had time to reflect and there have been moments of feeling unsettled, a little homesick for Scotland and family and friends . The long , very hot summer was one of those times. Every year seems to be hotter and even three weeks away in the cooler north, meant nearly two months of temperature that were rarely under 30 and on several days hit 40. We love being outdoors but for much of August and September, we were indoors from lunch time until 9 or 10 at night. We love the northern autonomous communities of Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia and did spend some time scrolling through the property pages for these communities. It passed some time when we couldn’t do much else! By October, our gentle Autumn and winter reminded us of why we love it here and the reality of moving, the costs and paper work to move to another community and government calmed us down. It had been interesting reflecting on what we have done and would we do anything different if we were to do it again. What would we say to anyone contemplating moving abroad later in life?

Go for it! As a little girl one of my favourite TV programmes was Daktari. Set in Africa, I can’t remember what country it was set in but the sun drenched landscape fascinated me. I wanted to live in a warm, sunny country. ( the reality of 40C+ hasn’t changed my mind on this one). Having said that , in some ways, I think it would have been easier making the move when younger. It is definitely more difficult to make friends and integrate in to a community when not working. We have done so to an extent but our neighbours are mainly young families with long working hours and weekends spent with their parents and grandparents. We didn’t want to live in an expat area and don’t regret that decision but we can see why for many people those types of areas offer a ready made community. If you are retired and family are over 1,000 miles away there are other similar aged and minded neighbours with facilities such as doctors , dentists and tradesmen all offering their services in English!
Thinking about where to live. We bought our home off-plan in 2007. We do a lot of things on impulse. It’s just the way we are! We don’t regret it and love our home . It is small and easy to look after. It was within our budget in 2007. Had we had a crystal ball regarding the financial crash of 2008 and that for the same amount as we paid for our two bedroom home, we could have bought a three bed semi villa when we finally got the keys in 2010, we might not have been so impulsive but that’s life! Three bedrooms would be very useful when our grandchildren come over! If your family is growing, keep this in mind when looking at property. I would also recommend renting first,which ofcourse we didn’t! As we get older the lack of public transport and a hilly 3 mile walk to the village make us think that perhaps being closer to amenities and not needing to drive so much would be really good. Spain is hugely diverse and if we are honest, the northern coast, Asturias, Galicia, Cantabria probably appeals to us more in terms of natural beauty but the Mediterranean in winter sparkles ! You can’t have it all!! Travel about a bit, experience the different seasons in different autonomous communities. My hairdresser is from A Coruña in Galicia and she says that she would never return, it rains too much!
We chat about the ‘comfort zone’ of living on the costas now and then but I still wouldn’t do things differently.. It’s a hard one , the comfort zone question, and we deliberately chose not to live in an expat area . I have begun going back to our local library and am enjoying reading in Spanish, I am determined to improve and Spanish friends are very encouraging. We are planning a road trip early in 2024 to explore more of Andalucia. I have never been to Cadiz and I fancy seeing if we can let Rocky experience snow in the Sierra Nevada ! (We did this last month , it was incredible!)
Be honest with your expectations. It’s not all G&Ts as the sun goes down. Accidents and illnesses happen that need doctor’s and MRI appointments , the dog needs his vaccinations, the van breaks down and we need to organise a breakdown truck (grua) in Spanish and French! Good for our learning and old brains but it can be exhausting. Again on the Costas you can find, at a price, someone to translate and help you with all of the above and through the maze of Spanish bureaucracy needed to gain residency, driving licences, health care and more! We did it the hard way!
Re number 4…..Learn as much of the language spoken in your chosen country as possible. Even if you live in an expat area. It’s just rude not to! I have been to the library and local pool today, no English spoken!
Remember to take time, slow down and relish the ordinary and the out of the ordinary that living abroad allows you to experience. I love the weather, apart from July and August, I love our huerto and its abundance. I love the seasonality of food , the oranges are so delicious just now. I love the simpler, slower pace of life. This has probably got a lot to do with being retired! I am so very grateful for our adventures so far. We have plans and dreams but also know as we get older that every day is precious. Which brings me to my last point.
Changing your mind or doing something different is not ‘giving in’. If it doesn’t work for you, if you reckon like us , that in a few years time and nearly 70 and will perhaps need those amenities closer to hand or family nearby , no problem! There will still be adventures just different ones! Never stop dreaming!

More roads (and paths) less travelled still to find.

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Back in the huerto…..

We have been allowed back in the huerto. Along with an hour’s exercise and children being allowed out with parents for a walk or play in open spaces, getting back to the garden has been a gift.

I have to admit to having been a bit grumpy when the huerto was closed. I was not alone in thinking that with common sense and care , we could have maintained it and still not endangered any one . However the rules applied to every one who is part of a small neighbourhood project like ours. If you have a larger plot or orchard , you were permitted to tend to your produce. Our garden is surrounded by houses and we could , on reflection , see how our pottering in the garden when no one else was allowed out of their homes could be demoralising and not helpful in keeping the ‘stay at home’ message universal. Eight weeks later, a certificate to prove we have permission to be there, a timetable of when we will be there and a padlock to keep every one except huertanos out and we’re back in business.

A very wet April and hot sunny start to May meant that nature has taken back what is rightfully hers. The weeds and wild flowers are head high, the birds and rabbits loving the peace and quiet. While we have cleared and replanted our plot, the common areas are still wonderfully wild. It won’t last, the crazy summer heat will mean the birds and bunnies heading for shade and snoozing most of the day and the wild flowers dying back until the autumn rains but at 8.30 this morning it was beautiful. We have tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, onions, herbs and salad all bedded back in but I have kept some of my make shift planting at home as well. Stepping out the front door and being able to add to dinner, fresh basil, oregano, thyme, mint , salad leaves and….. a small but very tasty first harvest of potatoes is a brilliant feeling.

Our quarantine is still in place, the relaxations are being phased but with a careful eye on how case numbers of the virus respond to the humans having more freedom. I for one am in no hurry to embrace ‘ going back to normal’. The dangers of complacency seem to far outweigh the fleeting pleasure of mixing with the masses again! I am not a crowd person normally , I do miss family and friends and the ability to plan ahead, however it is a great lesson in taking each day as it comes and in being grateful for the little things. Getting to the garden, dirty knees and mud under my finger nails ( I can’t keep gloves on ) , dropping Walt off at the top of the hill for his first proper run in two months and now a glass of chilled rioja blanco… simples! Have a wonderful weekend.

wild fennel among wonderful wild flowers.

Small steps and being patient.

This title really does not reflect how we are both feeling at the moment but to put the actual feelings in to words might seem a little too dramatic! We have passed the longest day and are now in what feels like the longest summer. After a wonderfully wet spring, June roared in and the thermometer is now set at 35C plus until the end of August. Too hot! Six months in and it is fair to say that 2025 has thrown us a fair few challenges and sad, sad moments. I am of the generation that tends towards the stoical. I haven’t felt like writing but did start a ramshackle sort of diary in February. I started doing this as the unsettled feelings we have both been feeling for some time were making me unpleasantly grumpy. I wouldn’t want to be around me in those moods! The sort of diary has helped, it stops me taking my grumpiness out on others ( to an extent, check that one out with Walt!) Having said that , after nearly three weeks in the green and temperate motherland , my grumpyness has returned , in spades!

Why were we in Scotland and for such an extended length of time? We were taking small steps (and trying to be patient) as well as spending lots of time with family and enjoying long walks in pleasant sunshine but sensible temperatures. Home again and I was talking to both Spanish and overseas visitors ( Scotland, England, Sweden, Holland} at Hugos Home Farm* yesterday and those of us who are either Spanish nationals or residents all agreed that no! you do not get used to the heat and yes! it is definitely hotter, earlier every year. The odd 35C plus in June is not unusual but this is now unbearable. Insorportable ! The adjective used by our neighbour Yolanda yesterday. We were not in Scotland deliberately to escape the heat however, the current heatwave cranked up just as we left Torreguil on the 5th of June. We were there to begin our search for a new home!

*Hugo’s Home Farm is an equine rescue centre run by a young Scot and his partner and partner’s family. I have been volunteering here for a couple of years. It is an amazing place. Check it out! https://hugoshomefarm.com/

Almond blossom in Beas de Granada, early February. We had a few beautiful days in Andalucia , before the challenges kicked in!

February in Portobello, fresh air and lots of hugs.

‘The top o’ the toon’. Stirling, in March.

Jacob’s ladder, North Berwick . Where we started planning our adventures twenty years ago!

Those unsettled feelings that I wrote about in the first paragraph have grown and propelled us in to thinking that the retiring to Spain chapter is about to change and turn a page. We have had the most amazing eight years living here full time and fifteen with our lovely little home. We have no regrets and will be sad to leave . However as 2025 moved from a chilly but happy new year spent here with my little grandson and his parents things began to change. In February , after many appointments and an epic 90 minute MRI, Walt was diagnosed with possible osteoporisis. ( nothing is certain except the pain!) As we came out of the consultant appointment trying to process what we had been told and the treatment available for Walt , I had a phone call from my daughter. She was losing the baby that would have been Arthur’s little sister and was very unwell. Could I come over? Walt found me flights for the next morning . On that flight I had a very long chat to a lovely Spanish women who had lived in Edinburgh for twenty years and brought her children up there. We compared notes of living in a foreign country and missing family!

Walt and I had planned his annual trip for March and so I was back in Edinburgh just a few weeks after helping Hannah. We hired a little car as we needed to get to the Scottish Borders to visit Walt’s brother, who we had just learned was very poorly. It was a bitter sweet visit as Scotland was having a beautiful spring and we enjoyed pottering about in our little car!

Bouncing around in spring sunshine! While the rain was phenomenal in Murcia, this was Scotland in March!

Rocky was in his wonderful kennels, an oasis just twenty minutes from us and when we returned it was with the intention of settling back down and being grateful for our life in Murcia. We needed to get our van mojo back and a couple of weeks before Semana Santa, we had four wonderful days in Agua Amarga. This lovely village is on the coast and within the Cabo de Gato regional park, Almeria. Our van adventures began in this area and we had stayed on the site before when our little people were in a rented apartment there. It was a golden view days.

One day these photos will bring back great memories.

But not yet. Golden days in Cabo de Gato.

This is the part I have dreaded writing about and because of this, I will try to so in few words. The day after we came home, Rocky became very unwell. We rushed him to the vet school emergency department and they drained his heart and lungs of fluid. He came home three days later and seemed to be on the mend . Hannah and Arthur came over for a few days and Rocky had lots of cuddles. On Easter Sunday, he collapsed again and we sat with him , wrapped in blankets , trying to find a vet on a holiday and knowing that he was too poorly to move. He passed away on our roof terrace, his favourite place, in Walt’s arms. He was only just coming up for his seventh birthday. He had given us so much unconditional love and joy. We were destroyed, heartbroken and lost. All our adventures in Spain, Portugal, France, Andorra and briefly Switzerland, had been as a wee team of three. Ben, our labrador had done a fair bit of adventuring too and we still miss him but he was fifteen when he died, a ripe old age for a labrador. We were prepared to say goodbye to him. We were totally in shock at losing Rocky. It’s eleven weeks since that very sad Easter and we have had too much time to reflect, ruminate and tears are never far away. Our stiff upper lips are a thing of the past.

Coming home from hospital, we really thought he was on the mend.

In those eleven weeks we have also been waiting to celebrate the coming of grandchild number five . My youngest son is going to be a daddy and he told us very early on to cheer us up when Rocky was ill. We were the only ones who knew and then their first scan showed some ‘possible ‘ anomalies. Could 2025 throw any more curve balls? Many tests, two more scans and thankfully all looks well and we know it’s a wee boy. Due in the Autumn.

When we promised ourselves to settle back down three months ago, we had no idea of what lay ahead. Combined with my finding the summer heat ever more difficult, the huerto project fizzling out, feeling isolated in our wee house because walking Rocky was our way of meeting and chatting to neighbours and generally feeling that we need to be nearer to our family, we decided that now was the time for change and a new adventure. We love Murcia and Spain. This is home but Scotland is home with our roots and family.

We have not one single regret about our ‘retiring to Spain ‘ adventure. We were unfortunate,like so many people, to take a big financial hit on our home due to the recession when we bought in 2010. When we spoke to out neighbour and estate agent, José, he had good news. The value of our home had almost reached what we paid for it. No one knows what the next few years will bring as the world seems to be ever crazier. What if there is another recession? We are heading towards 70, our energies will get less. Now seems like a good a time as any and the universe seemed to be sending us lots of signs!

We put our house on the market thinking it would take a while to sell…it sold in two days! We asked for a long entry as Walt has follow up appointments in August for his back and bones! No problem , our buyer was happy with this

Patience now and small steps. Getting ideas of where to live in Scotland. We are pretty open minded! For three weeks we stayed in Hannah and Richie’s attic guest room, watching the magpies defend their babies from the city foxes who sunbathe in the garden . We walked and hiked and even viewed one house. We decided we are country mice or small town on the edge of the country mice! Not city foxes! We came home to 35c + temperatures and now have to be patient until September. That’s the challenge ! We will have days at the beach and time in the pool, pilates in the village and me trying not to be ( too grumpy) between lunch time and opening the shutters again at 8PM! I really don’t do being stuck indoors very gracefully!

A bit fuzzy but these guys were enjoying the sun and keeping an eye on the magpie’s nest !

It’s the first Sunday in July and all attempts to cope with heat have been abandoned! We are on a very quiet campsite in the Picos de Europa. It’s cool and fresh and beautiful. If you look at previous blogs you will see it’s one of our favourite places! Walt squeezed in a bike trip here earlier in the spring and we only have ten days between appointments but this a healing place! I can hear cow bells! To go back to the very start of the blog…we will be fine ! It’s been a challenging few months but with patience and small steps we will find our joy again. ( probably helped by a four legged friend but that is another reason to be patient !)

We walked and walked in and around Edinburgh…in perfect temperatures!

Primavera…

After almost two years of drought, spring in Murcia has been wetter than Scotland. Weather patterns are all over the place but the result here is green! Welcome to green Spain and it’s not Cantabria, Asturias or Galicia.

I am having a writing drought at the moment but wanted to record this for later in the year, July and August , when the desert returns!

Not what the family expect when they come to stay at Easter !

In to the light..Costa de la Luz.

The campsite beach at Chipiona. The light on this coast is magical.

It is July already, very hot and a year since I retired. How did that happen?

It has been a wonderful year with more visits than usual to Scotland and time to spend with family. We have done lots of little Ziggy trips and adventures. Having a tiny home on wheels gives us so much freedom, some long adventures and many simple away days locally. It’s a beach home, a mountain retreat and an occasional city break ! The beauty of a little van like Ziggy is parking. Even if we have to park beyond a low emission zone (she is an old lady) we can always find secure parking and walk in to do some sightseeing. Almeria, Granada, Ronda and Cadiz have been visited in the last year. None of these towns or cities have low emission zones, yet, so we were able to park reasonably close to the historical centres and enjoy exploring. Almeria in January was a lovely surprise with a beautiful sea front walkway and stunning Alcazaba and gardens.

The walkway in Almeria used to be a railway wharf.

Ronda, Granada and Cadiz were part of our February trip. It wasn’t our first time in Ronda but we love it and haven’t explored it all even yet. The countryside surrounding this beautiful city is breathtaking and we had spent half a day hiking a circular route from the famous view point beneath el puente nuevo, through lush green meadows back in to the town for a menu del día! If you have watched the Disney film Ferdinand, the home where the little bull grew up is set just outside Ronda. Look for the bridge!

We found this amazing park up..very lucky campers !

Walt getting to know a hawk in Arco de la Frontera. The owner assured me that at home in the campo his birds had lots of freedom to fly about.

Our longer trips always give us wonderful surprises , road trips take us to places that we could never find on a conventional holiday. Last year it was the sierras near Teruel and the little village of Bronchales. There are ski resorts in this area and mountains as high as the Sierra Nevada but I had never heard of this beautiful, green and wonderfully cool part of Spain. This year, our February trip was nine days long and after several days in Guadix, Beas de Granada ,Antiquera and Ronda we travelled slowly towards the border with Portugal and the Atlantic ocean. We were heading for Cadiz .

Our first campsite and hike, a tiny village outside Granada. Beas de Granada. Snow on the Sierra de Nevada but too high up for us to reach!

Antequera, a beautiful medieval city in the Malaga region.

From Ronda we headed to Arco de la Frontera, a pretty medieval town where after a long climb up through its winding alleys we came across a square with an amazing rooftop cafe and a local with his bird collection. A beer and tapas then we set off for Jerez de la Frontera and a possible park up as Jerez is just a short hop from Cadiz.

Arco de la Frontera and it’s very brave drivers!

I explored this sherry city several years ago and was cross with myself then for not jumping on the 29 minute train journey to Cadiz. Walt was at the moto GP and I had a whole day to explore. This time, the park up in Jerez didn’t transpire, the motorhome parking was full up and it was getting late in the day. Where to ? I am the Park4night person and found a campsite on the beach in a little town called Chipiona. We were back at the Atlantic and discovering this new -to us – Costa de la Luz. ( The coast of light). It truly is! Chipiona was in carnival, the festivals celebrated all over Spain just before Lent begins. It is a beautiful fishing village and the campsite is magical. It is literally a campsite ‘ of two halves’, divided by a dirt road or ‘camino rural’. One side has designated pitches with electric hook up, the other is a huge field, choose your spot! The loos and showers were rustic cabins scattered around the field. Basic but very clean and shabby chic ! Beyond the field over another camino rural was a large field that lead to the site’s private beach. The field was a great playground for Rocky. We stayed two nights. The February weather was perfect, warm and sunny. Chipiona has a Mexican feel about it. I have only ever been in Tijuana, very briefly and a long time ago so really only know Mexico from armchair travelling! I suppose it’s actually the reverse however, Mexico will reflect the architecture of Spain!

A siesta on grass…a luxury as only parks and golf courses that are watered have grass in Murcia! I love how the boys are mirroring their snooze positions!

We really could have stayed in Chipiona for longer but Walt had a check up Doctor’s appointment that we had to return home for. We continued on to Cadiz. Wow ! Exotic and definitely very different from any other Spanish cities we have visited . Africa is so close and it definitely felt like a fabulous mixture of all the many cultures that have contributed to it over the millennia. Cadiz is one of the oldest cities on the Iberian peninsula, going back before Christ or BCE if you prefer. We spent a lovely afternoon there and then began moving homeward with a few stops.

Marinas often allow campervans in designated areas for as little as 12€. These all have loos and the first one we stayed on also allowed van folk to use the showers. We parked looking on to the moored yachts and had a very peaceful night. The next day we let Ziggy feel like a surf van and went to Tarifa. Beautiful beaches, lots of waves and a great atmosphere. Being February it was quiet but there were still enough real surf folk to allow us good people watching! I love this beach. Apparently Africa is visible from Tarifa, especially at night when lights can be seen twinkling across the sea!

There’s a point in every adventure whether simply a few days, a week or a month that you begin to adjust your mindset homewords. I had wanted to visit Cadiz for five years since missing the opportunity before. It was worth the wait and being with my boys made it all the better.

From Cadiz we drove along the coast to La Linea de la Frontera, the frontier town with Gibraltar. We stayed on another marina with ‘the rock’ as our back drop and had a lovely dinner in La Linea. We tried to go in to Gibraltar, mainly out of curiosity but our European ID cards wouldn’t allow us in, we needed our UK passports and they were at home. Rocky could have have however, he had his passport!

The next day we visited Estepona. A seaside town on the Costa del Sol. This was on Walt’s want to visit list and a favourite holiday spot for very close friends of ours. It is busy seaside town, even in February, but beautifully looked after with a very pretty old town and impressive promenade. We enjoyed a beer and sandwich in a gorgeous, flower strewn plaza. We then set off to look for a site. There were none to be had on the Costa del Sol. February half term holidays? They were all full. Our last night of the trip was in the mountains again, on a ‘aire’ provided by a town hall. It was quiet after the nearby sports centre closed and we slept well before our final hop home.

Estepona promenade…

Thank you Ziggy* and Andalucia for an amazing nine days, Spain never stops surprising and delighting us. The Costa de la Luz however, really did lighten us up , it is magical and we will be back. Hasta pronto.

* The gentle Mediterranean winter definitely made the practical side of this adventure very easy and comfortable. Ziggy’s solar panel and our Jackory power station meant we never needed hook up power on any site. I could rinse out clothes by hand and they would dry in the sun, so no laundromat needed! We could cook outside apart from one evening – a downpour in Ronda – and it was pizzas from the campsite restaurant to the rescue!

Mad old bat on a motorbike. (Title suggested by my equally mad old bat pal in Scotland or wherever a coach trip will take her!)

Never in my youth or sensible Mummy years did I even consider a motorbike as a mode of transport, travel or fun. My lovely Dad had a BSA Bantam in the 1950s. My very elegant Mum would never be seen without heels, a good coat and gloves so going pillion was not an option. Dad added a sidecar. The BSA and sidecar were stuff of family legend but as my brothers and I came along at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s, the bike was soon replaced by a sensible car.

Dad on his BSA. Note..no bike gear, not even a helmet!

A wee bit claustrophobic? Pillion is better!

Motorbikes didn’t feature in my life until I was in my 50s! The children were all grown up but Walt was working on not growing up if he could help it. In 2011 he decided that as he had not been allowed a motorbike in his youth, he would have one in his not so youth! His Mum had threatened to throw him out when a teenager, if he came home with a bike. Sadly in 2011, Annie was in the early stages of dementia. In some ways this might have been a good thing, as she never really knew or understood what her laddie was up to.

Walt breezed through the labyrinth of tests from CBT to full license in no time and quickly moved up from his 125 to our first big Suzuki. I say our because at this point I had the option to go pillion. At 54, for the first time in my life I could go on a motorbike. Did I want to ? I was terrified! I was in my early fifties and teaching in a large comprehensive by day , doing hospital visits and sorting out carers , shopping and appointments for our oldies after work. The sandwich years! Maybe a bit of excitement would be good for me? There was a wonderful little bike accessory shop in South Queensferry where we bought my first helmet. It is a work of art and although I have a newer one now, I still keep this beauty. I didn’t want to spend too much in case the fear out did the fun. My first outing was local, wearing my golf waterproofs over jeans and jacket, new helmet, black winter boots and some very pretty green bike gloves that Walt bought me. They were made in India and of embossed leather, I still have them too! We didn’t have a top box at that point , so when Walt accelerated on the dual carriageway to Longniddry, I thought I was going to be ejected and land on the tarmac. Frightened? Oh yes!

In the Scottish Borders on our first Suzuki and with my fabulous helmet!

However I persisted and we branched out to the beautiful Scottish borders. I had to learn to sit still , not easy for me , especially when going over rough ground such as a gravelly lay-by . Walt was carefully getting ready to park and I was getting ready to get off too quickly . We found ourselves looking at the sky with a Suzuki 650 on top of us! It was a slow decent and thankfully there were no injuries and no one around the quiet country road to see us or injure our pride either. I got straight back on and began to enjoy the experience. That was a spring day, probably early 2012. The lambs were playing in the fields, it wasn’t raining and being on a bike is so much more that just travelling. The wind, the smells, views of the countryside and peoples’ gardens can’t ever be matched sitting in a car. This doesn’t mean I still don’t feel nervous before getting on the bike but it’s other road users that give me the fear, Walt is a brilliant bike rider!

By the summer of 2013 , Walt had ridden his next Suzuki ( a beautiful burnt orange beast) down here to what was then our little holiday home in Murcia. I flew out with some basic bike gear, summer jacket , helmet, boots and gloves. I had moved on from golf rain gear over jeans! We used the bike to do trips to the beach, tying the sun brolly to the side of the bike and a longer run up in to the hills above Benidorm. We stayed in the very pretty village of Guadalest. It’s a coach trip mecca during the day but quiet at night. The hotel we stayed in , and keep promising ourselves we will go back to , is called Cases Noves. A stunning old building, converted in to a fabulous small hotel with a terrace looking over the hills to the sea. We also found a great little motorbike museum and farm shop on the very winding road up to Guadalest. Nothing like a few hairpin bends to make you feel like a real biker!

Suzuki number 2, on holiday in Murcia ….

The adventures continued on a family of bikes. In Spain, a Yamaha 650 called Yaz! A run about for using locally! In Scotland a bigger Suzuki, big (1250) Suze 3 , a Yamaha Thundercat that Walt bought in London and rode all the way back up to Dalkeith. It was a sports bike so not the most comfortable for journeys like that and a pillion built for super models with tiny rear ends. I was never on that one! Walt had a distressing run in with a fox on the Edinburgh by-pass early one morning on the way to work. He loves animals and was really upset , he sold big Suze 3! He only lasted a few months with out a bike. Motorbikes are like that, they are much more than mere vehicles. Our last bike in Scotland was a very stylish Triumph Sprint, super cool but not quite as comfy for me . Meanwhile in Spain, the little Yamaha had been replaced by Big Suze 4. A beautiful dark blue Suzuki 1250 with very low mileage, delivered from Barcelona by truck. A keeper,now with many kilometers on the clock and lots of adventure to relate.

The Thundercat that was ridden from London

The Skye and Spain Suze. A stunning bike at a favourite Sunday morning stop.

There is something about a Triumph. At St Andrews West Beach

Big Suze 3 was a stunning bike and built for long distances. Our first big tour was to the Isle of Skye. A very damp, no absolutely soaking adventure. Even with rain gear over everything, the water ran down our necks in to our boots and out the other end. We stayed in a fabulous B&B just over the Skye bridge in Kylachan . Our hosts were wonderful, hanging wet bike clothes on every available radiator for us. There were also some great hostelries just a few steps away and so after peeling off the soggy stuff and donning dry clothes ( the panniers were waterproof thankfully) we went for one of the best seafood feasts I have ever had. We also had a nightcap in Saucy Mary’s . This interesting old pub also had some basic, dorm style accommodation that Walt had the pleasure of trying to sleep in on a Bonnyrigg Bike club tour . The weekend did not get any drier but we still enjoyed the stunning beauty of Skye, Plockton and Eilen Donan Castle.

The sun did make a fleeting appearance on our second day, enough to take this photo of our digs..

……..and at the iconic Eilean Donan Castle

Being soggy was the theme that year as we decided to ride all the way down to Murcia, in July, the summer, sunny weather and great riding, surely? We were not much beyond the Scottish border before having to don the rain gear! It did dry up at the channel tunnel port, luckily as there was a four hour delay due to signal problems. We could do a wee bit of sunbathing on the grass verge in the car park! The ride through Belgium , to visit WW1 war graves , and France was also cold and damp. We didn’t have a sat nav on the bike and I have memories of crouching beside the tank trying to shelter from the rain and work out where we were, using my iPad. As soon as we crossed the border in to Spain, the sun came out. We stayed in the Girona countryside in a beautiful hotel to break the journey home. That last part was pretty hard on the legs and posteriors. Our return journey was a little easier , via Zaragoza and the Bilbao – Portsmouth ferry. Road trips can be damp and tough but you get to see places and meet people that you never would otherwise. This was my one and only really ‘Long Way Down’.¹

‘The lady with the big boobies’ will always remind us of Lyon, France and the lovely Australian gentleman that offered to take this photo.

It did however inspire me to book a ‘try a ride’ at the Edinburgh School of Motorbike riding. It was super scary. My classmate, a young nurse form the Royal Infirmary, took to it like a duck to water. I was more like a terrified cat stuck up a tree . I kept the bike upright and even managed to change gear, using your foot, but cornering in the tiny yard was almost impossible. My heart didn’t stop galloping until very late that night..I was not a natural but I had given it a go. This mad old bat would remain a pillion or in Spanish ‘ un paquete’ – literally a packet or parcel!

While on Spanish translations, talking about my Dad’s BSA to Spanish friends we asked how to translate ‘sidecar’ . It is ‘ sidecar’! Pronounced sid ee car. I kid ye not! As a pillion or parcel I enjoyed great days out for the next few years, the borders always a favourite, bikers’ Sunday mornings in South Queensferry, Fabulous Fife, and watching fearless ( crazy?) racers at British Super Bikes, Knockhill. In 2017 our wee holiday home became our permanent home. Walt moved before me in the February. I had to work out my notice at school and sell our flat so didn’t do the big move until September. I did have one short run in that time. I flew to Malaga for a weekend in March. Walt met me at the airport on Blue Suze and we stayed in Torremolinos. Out of season it was full of Spanish and French pensioners having a ball, dancing and singing til the wee small hours. We were just 59 at the time, mere bairns. Walt ‘ nicknamed the hotel ‘ the youth club’. It was brilliant.

After our move to Spain the mad old bat on a bike stuck mainly to local trips to the coast and exploring Murcia. Walt ventured further afield solo to Portugal , Andalucia and discovering what has become our ‘very happy place’, the Picos de Europa. This incredible mountain range in Northern Spain is truly magical and along with the autonomous communities it spans or neighbours, has become our refuge and sanctuary when Murcia summers are just too hot. After the very strict lockdown of 2020 I got back on the bike in the August of that year and Walt took me to the Picos for the first time. We stayed in Riaño, a beautiful village on the edge of the national park. That surreal .year, 2020 , will be etched on everyone’s memories. It was grim and so very sad for many people. We were lucky health wise as a family and our youngest grandson, Arthur was born in June. In August the UK government said it was safe for travel from Spain. I booked flights and covid tests. Then it wasn’t ok! All cancelled and I wouldn’t meet Arthur until he was over three months old. Frustrating but we were all safe and healthy. I was sad and like so many people , scared . We had planned a bike trip to the Picos for September. Riding a bike is perfect for social distancing! In August with nothing to do and temperatures at home close to 40C, it was a case of of what’s stopping us? We could travel in Spain, the road and restaurants were spookily quiet. ‘Let’s go’.

There is mirador called the ‘ Mirador del Oso/ Monumento Al Oso Pardo. We call it ‘ the bear’ . The views are beyond description. Early on our first morning in Riaño, we rode out and up , up and up. Clear blue skies, fresh temperatures in the low twenties, cowbells tinkling and snow on the highest peaks. All the stress, worry and sadness melted away. This is our happy place and spiritual home. We have been back again every summer since, either on the bike or with our camper-van. Walt has shared the love by taking his brother and sister in law on tour with their hired bikes and is going back this May again with Drew!

Tilting at windmills? En route in Don Quixote’s Castille la Mancha. The windmills of Consuegra can be seen from the motoroway, we had to make a detour. Should we rename Suze , Rocinante?

August 2020 , feeling free again after a pretty strange few months.

It’s hard to explain just how much this part of Spain means to us.

The mad old bat is officially now just doing ‘day trips’ that mean a nice breakfast or lunch somewhere. Ziggy has somewhat taken over for long trips, we can take Rocky with us! I have suggested a sidecar and leather goggles for him but Walt poo pooed that idea! I have not stopped going on Suze, our mechanic is forty minutes away and as Ziggy is in for a service today , we have to use the bike too. I drove the van to the garage, Walt picked me up. We have had some strange weather recently but this morning , early , was cool and clear. Getting on the bike and enjoying the scenery was fabulous. Just waiting for the mechanic to phone and we will do the reverse journey! The motorbike is our only other mode of transport, she saved our bacon at Christmas when Ziggy broke down and had to be taken to the mechanic on a breakdown truck. It’s amazing how much grocery shopping fits in a top box. I still love a road trip over any other mode of travel, motorbike or campervan? There are definitely lots of adventures still to be had, on two wheels or four? We’ll see.

1. ‘ The Long Way Down’ was a TV series in which Messrs McGregor and Boorman covered far more miles than I ever will! Their travels are inspiring.

Some photos from our motorbike album!

Walt on Yaz , before we had neighbours! ( see earlier posts)

Two wheels, much more than just getting from A to B!

Oh my goodness, tomato mania while we were on our road trip!

I am working on the road trip story, it’s probably going to be a long one, but just in case you thought the enthusiasm for our huerto had wained this is a short harvest report!

We took on an extra parcela in the spring as our winter crops were still going well….broad beans, lettuce ,onions, parsley, chard and more. It seemed a shame to clear it to get summer seedlings in on time. In late March , on the new plot, we planted several varieties of tomatoes, peppers , basil, chillies and aubergines. April was unusually dry and hot, May unusually wet! Sun + rain = supermarket sized green peppers and some early tomatoes in June. There were so many peppers, we gave away a load to neighbours and ( not asked for) were given some amazing eggs from their friends’ hen runs!

We left for a Ziggy trip to the cooler Pyrenees in July and in our 24 day absence, Anne harvested over 12 kilos of tomatoes , made litres of gazpacho and filled both hers and our freezer! This morning we picked another load and it’s my turn to make the gazpacho! Once the weather cools down, 38 here today, I will experiment with tomato jam! The irony of all this? Walt’s not that keen on tomatoes! He does like my tomato soup though and will be having a fair bit of that in the Autumn!

The older plot is still going well although much slower, masses of squash plants with beautiful flowers but no fruit!! We think it’s too hot for them. Rain forecast for this weekend, roll on September!

Today – tomatoes plus some very tasty figs, red onions ( from the original plot) and peppers.

No room for anything else in the freezer.

Completing the Camino…at the end of the world.

A chilly November day in Murcia , the perfect type of day to finally complete Ziggy’s first adventure. We have had a very busy few weeks but no more excuses!

To complete the Camino de Santiago, pilgrims have to present their stamped passports in Santiago de Compestela. You have to have walked , cycled or ridden a horse at least 100km of one of the ways. We hadn’t done this but had seen the many ways signposted by the ubiquitous shell. The final part of the Camino is not obligatory but definitely worth a visit. Fisterra / Finisterre or ‘ the end of the world’. A lighthouse jutting out in to the Atlantic. Next stop America! However people didn’t know that if they had been living in the dark ages. The world was flat ! If you kept sailing from Finisterre you would eventually fall of the edge! We parked a few kms down from the point as there was quite a lot of tourist traffic and we weren’t sure about parking Ziggy at the top. It was a lovely walk , completing our own Camino with incredible views and once we reached the lighthouse you really could understand why folk in the past thought you would fall of the edge…the horizon was a straight line in the distance..no curve to suggest something beyond it!

We ( naively?) thought that this would be a quiet spot , perhaps with a night park where we could watch the sunset over the ocean. There were one or two vans on the point but we were pretty sure that they would be moved on by night time and so we decided after a picnic lunch to try and find a place to stay nearer Santiago.

My family and especially Walt know that my spacial awareness and navigational skills are somewhat wanting. After leaving Finisterre I was in charge of finding our next park up for the night. I had a ‘stay in our garden’ spot picked out on Park for Night. I am not sure how I did it but must have put the wrong coordinates on to maps. As we drove up a very pretty country lane, Walt began to shake his head then laugh. I was taking us back to the little ‘octopus ‘ sight that we had just left that morning. Doh! Back to the drawing board or Google maps! Once on the right track, we quickly found Castor and Marianne’s beautiful home on the edge of Santiago de Compestela. We had emailed them on our way as there are only 2 spots for vans in their garden. There was one available! When we arrived Castor welcomed us with hook up for our electricity, beers and the offer of doing a washing for us! He and his wife couldn’t do enough. The other spot was taken by a lovely French couple in a tiny van. We enjoyed a chat with them in the beautiful salt water pool while Rocky relaxed under a fig tree! As the festival in Santiago was still in full flow we had a day off , a gentle hike, swimming , snoozing , reading and Walt made a drone video of the house and garden for our hosts. They were delighted with it and quickly shared it far and wide.

A perfect park up in beautiful countryside just a short hop from Santiago.

Our two days in the garden at Xesta saw us almost completing two weeks on the road. We were sad to leave this beautiful spot and our amazing hosts but we felt that were getting good at the campervan lark and after a lovely stroll round Compestela and a good walk to retrieve Ziggy , parked at an out of town shopping centre we headed back to the coast. The sight we headed for was a paid one, on the beach across the estuary from the town of Vigo. It was not my fault this time but the GPS decided to test Walt’s driving skills in a van on tiny, single track , super steep roads before taking us back on to a main road and the gate to the camp site! As we parked at the edge of the drive near reception, a black VW with UK plates pulled in behind us! The couple we had met a few days earlier . They were touring France and Spain , taking seven weeks to do it! The little sight was perched on a cliff with a short walk to the beach. After a day walking in Santiago and our GPS stress, the following day was going to be a catch up with washing, tidying Ziggy and relaxing on the beach day.

Anna , our wee granddaughter never fails to ask for Rocky before me or Papa Walt when we face time so he had to send her a postcard!

Another fantastic park up , swimming, lazing on the beach and a refreshment in a cafe by the sea.

Day Fifteen ! Time for a new country . We set off early although Google maps wanted to take us on another tour of the steep , narrow streets we had encountered two days earlier. We needed diesel and putting the nearest petrol station on to maps lead to some confusion! We were on a peninsula and had to get back to the mainland and routes to Portugal. Eventually we made it . We had taken 15 days to travel from Riaño in Cantabria, through Aturias and Galicia. There is still so much to see in these beautiful regions that we will definitely be back . We are hooked on campervan camping ( we’ve done a few short hops this autumn aswell) and with some adjustments and improvements to Ziggy and our organisation we know that we could be on the road for much longer in the future!

Our first stop in Portugal was to have a ‘left overs’ lunch…basically bread and cheese and a welcome tea for Walt, coffee for me. My little Italian coffee pot, bought in the Scottish Borders is travelling well! We stopped in a large, empty beach carpark. It was on the Portuguese camino and as we ate our lunch a good few pilgrims passed us by. Our spot was sheltered by high dunes and after lunch we walked over these dunes and on to our first Portuguese beach. Wow! Mile after mile of soft sand, big waves and beautiful skies. The carpark wasn’t on Park for Night but with hindsight and some tips picked up from other vanners it appears that this part of Portugal is not so strict about overnight parking as in the more touristy parts such as the Algarve. We probably could have stayed there, it was quiet, very pretty and it had loos! We did have to move on however, if nothing else but to find food! Our small van supplies tend to stretch to three days at the most. Storage is limited but I am thinking of ways round this during the winter months. We now have a roof solar panel and after one or two learning curves are confident that with a little more in the food cupboard ( ikea boxes) we could survive off grid for longer.

The solution to both food and an overnight spot to sleep was in this lovely park above… it was part of a restaurant and recreation area where mini buses arrived with children on holiday club activities and elderly folk for a very pleasant day centre. The car park was large, tree lined and free to stay in. Park for Night suggested that having a beer or similar was a polite thank you. We went a bit further and had the most delicious ( after a bread and cheese lunch) burgers – they were amazing. Before dinner we walked along a track to the beach. At the end of the track we found at least twenty campervans set up comfortably and housing lots of surfy folk! Once again the park had council run loos and no bans on overnight parking. We’re not surfy folk though and were quite happy with our spot. Once all the day visitors and restaurant clients went home we had just two neighbours, an Austrian family in their van and Dutch couple in a tent on the roof of their car!

Day 16 and Porto next stop! We have visited Lisbon and loved it . Porto also came highly recommended, one of my students was particularly keen on us trying some port! For various reasons that didn’t happen but after a quick breakfast and tidy up, we hit the road with a council run autocaravan park in a little town just outside the city, in our sights. This sight was 5 minutes walk from the railway station and a half hour train run in to the city. We had read that parking in Porto was not easy and not always safe. I reckoned that Rocky wouldn’t be that keen on another city anyway so after we parked up, Walt took the train in to Porto while Rocky and I sat under a tree and tried to speak Portuguese to a very lively group of children who wanted to cuddle Rocky! I now know Portuguese for dog, thank you, what’s your name and good day! There was a park and community centre next to to the van park up which explained the hordes of little people. For 5€ a night, paid in to yet another honesty box, we had electricity, loos and an outside shower! The heat was cranking up again so this was fantastic.

Walt had a wonderful walk around Porto and this local delicacy!

It’s called a Franceshina, and is basically a 1300 calorie meat sandwich topped with a special sauce , chips and sometimes a fried egg! Cholesterol on a plate! Luckily there’s a lot to see and plenty of walking around this beautiful city , at least some of those calories were burned off! My turn to visit the city was the next day. It was a Saturday and the temperature had climbed well in to the 30s so I had a shorter explore than Walt but did visit the cathedral and looked at the Osborne Port warehouses across the river. I was too hot and tired to fight through the tourists to sample the port so found a very quiet cafe for some tasty sardines and a lovely craft beer. The port will have to wait! There are lovely shops around the railway station but I am not a shopper so a bit of window shopping was enough for me then the train back to the boys! We had a decision to make!

The decision was….. how to get home? We had two choices . Walt had wanted to go through the Douro valley for ages, either on the motorbike or in Ziggy but this summer the heat was just too much. We could either head straight for the Spanish border and Extramadura, air con on ,such as it is, in Ziggy or wend our way down the Atlantic coast to the Algarve and then along the Mediterranean. We would have loved to have done this but had to be practical. We had set a budget for the trip and as fuel was so silly expensive this year, that much longer road trip was way out of the budget! We decided on a ‘go for it’ get home quick option. After 18 days, we had had an amazing adventure and lots of of plans for more in future. Early on Sunday morning we packed up and left Porto. We drove directly for the border , inland this time. We still avoided motorways however and passed along some beautiful country roads lined with Cork trees. Ever wonder where your wine cork comes from? Now I know! Theses wee trees look so strange, their trunks stripped bare!

They only get denuded once every nine years! The bark grows back in this time.

Our park up in Extramadura..so hot we poured buckets of water over Rocky!

Sunday morning cycle race as temperatures reach 40! Crazy or very brave!

We found a great campervan sight in a small village not far from the town of Caceres. The countryside was stunning and there are lots of interesting places to go, hikes to make. Caceres is apparently one of the prettiest towns in Spain. It was however too blooming hot to do anything. I have never felt heat like it. The air and wind was like a hairdryer at its hottest setting. The campsite manager said that spring and autumn are the best times to visit! We sat in the shade of Ziggy until the sun went down, had a very tiny dinner..too hot to eat!, then put the mosquito net up over the tailgate and tried to sleep. I had to get up at one point and sat outside trying to cool down, the plus ? As we were in the countryside and on the edge of the village there was little light pollution…the sky was beautiful, millions of stars, a yellow moon and in the distance , the lights of a small train snaking through the valley. We got up very early the next morning and left the village by 7.30. It wasn’t a sleepy early morning scene…the shops were busy, people were doing their garden, painting houses , cramming in as much as possible before the heat made it impossible! Day 19 and we focused on going home! After nearly three weeks on the road and feeling so grateful for an amazing adventure, we were already planning the next one! We got home to a very warm Murcia but a lovely healthy garden thanks to our watering system and a good friend who keeps an eye on it for us. We are so lucky. Where to next?

Our first big adventure with Ziggy..part two. Where does all the time go to?

It’s over a month since our adventures in northern Spain and Portugal. We have had a couple of mini adventures in Ziggy but the delay in writing has been more to do with lethargy than lack of time. It has been so hot, throughout Europe and even parts of the UK ,one of the hottest summers on record. I can hear you saying that if forced to stay out of the sun, surely there’s plenty of time to write? This should be the case but it’s not worked for me!!! I had a lovely day meeting old friends from Ross High..in Benidorm. While there, Walt decided that 20 months having not visited Scotland was too long. I came home on the Alsa bus to find he’d booked flights for a week later! That week flew by as I had begun a dress for Rachel, my eldest and as Brexit has made parcel sending dodgy, Walt seemed like the ideal delivery person! Week one of August …done, dress completed …only three weeks of holidays left! Those three weeks have been hard going , getting as much done early in the morning before hiding ìn a darkened room until late afternoon, then a swim! I have read a ridiculous amount, and managed a few projects that didn’t require too much thought! The huerto is flourishing despite the heat and I will pop a separate post on about that….we are rather proud of it! Thus on the 3rd of September, I am finally using my scribbled diary notes to write and enjoy the memories of our first big adventure.

Benidorm with Eilidh and Carrie…Two fabulous young women that I was so lucky to work with..and have adventures with…Eilidh and I took pupils to Berlin and Normandy on international trips! Five years since I retired and we last met…it felt like five days !

The beach and nearby village at Camping Molino

Meanwhile back in Asturias and Galicia!After two days on the very busy Gijon site, it was time to try again for a more tranqil spot. Having said that, Camping Molino was a friendly and welcome rest spot. Although I knew, way at the back of my memory , that Asturias had once been one of Spain’s major regions for coal mining , the national parks , mountains and beautiful coast line make it easy to forget or even imagine many of the high villages we passed through were once mining towns. Clues were signs for Mining Museums and social clubs similar to the Miners Welfare clubs in my home county of Stirling and Walt’s in East Lothian . There weren’t many buildings or workings left but some of the villages had a surprising number of very utilitarian apartment blocks along side the more traditional Asturian homes and huertos. Was Camping Molino an escape for the miners and their families when the industry was thriving? It is certainly still very popular and a happy place for many. Rocky made friends with a group of three old ladies who sat outside their caravan watching the world go by, they loved him! We left Asturias and headed towards another seaside town, Foz in Galicia . Using Park for Night we found a recommended park up…on the waterfront …if you didn’t mind being squashed in behind rows of vans , there must have been around 100 of all shapes and sizes. There was water and some services and a five minute walk to the harbour and old town of Foz but no! We couldn’t do it. This was not what we had imagined van life would look like. Foz sits on an estuary and with his binoculars, Walt could see another spot on the opposite side of this. Park for Night said it had only 10 places. It was out of town, on the beach, surely it would be impossible to bag a place, late in the afternoon given the number of vans on the town side? We weren’t going to stay in the campervan jungle, why would anyone, so decided to give it a go…

Across the estuary from van life ghetto!

Day 7…Across the water from Foz. There was a spot, almost on the beach! We could see the van village in the distance but our little park up on the beach was perfect. There is a small chiringuito ( beach bar) which was slightly busier in the evening but once everyone went home, we had a handful of very quiet van neighbours. The site is free but limted to a 48 hour stay. We were still having problems with Orange and data. I was handwriting this but Walt loves to make films, take photographs and document our travels digitally. By lunchtime on day 7 we had lost all but the most basic, make a phone call/send a text method of communication. It was time to ditch Orange and buy a pay as you go sim card! We also needed to top up our Jackory power station. We can do this when driving, hooked up to electricity on a paying site or using our portable solar panels. It was a beautiful day so we decided to take advantage of the 48 hours and stay put. We set up the solar panels and then made a little picnic camp further along the shore on a grassy hill . Sea in front of us , oak trees, hawthorn and bramble bushes behind us. Perfect. Walt took photos and made a film of the bay and estuary, Rocky and I snoozed on the grass . There is no grass left in Murcia in August , unless watered by the council in parks. Lying on a picnic rug with daisies, clover and 25 degrees of seaside warmth and a gentle breeze was absolutely wonderful! Later in the afternoon Walt went in to Foz to buy pay as you go sim, Rocky and I walked the coastal path from our park up which took us out to the open sea and the most incredible beaches. We eventually wandered back to meet Walt for a wee refreshment at the chiringuito. It was starting to get chilly. Time for supper and an early night!

Day 8…going back inland. We were quite proud of our first real ‘off grid’ campsite and keeping the fridge, lights and phones charged up for free thanks to the lovely, sunny, Galician day before. A week on the road! Time to celebrate with a paid campsite..we badly needed a washing machine or laundry! Storage in Ziggy is limited and so travelling light in the clothes department is a must. Luckily our motorbike tours have helped us perfect this! However one week in and we did need to freshen up bed linen, towels and larger items that we couldn’t just rinse through and hang on Ziggy’s wing mirrors! After a swim in the estuary, we packed up and before going inland headed to la playa de catedrales. Wow! Unfortunately the tide was in and we couldn’t get on to the beach but the rock formations really do like like flying buttresses and the wild waves hitting them were breathtaking. I would love to go back when the tide is out!

After a walk along the cliff top wooden boardwalks we went back in to Foz to replenish our supplies , then headed inland to a fabulous site called Frafas de Eume. It was on the edge of a beautiful woodland , small and with everything we needed. The weather can be very changeable in Galicia, we were lucky and even managed to get a big washing dried on our makeshift line, but there was an indoor kitchen and dining space if needed. The large garden area was being used for a summer holiday club with local children having great fun and the manager of the site was busy with this, so after welcoming us and an English couple whose black VW pulled in just behind us, we payed via envelopes posted in to an honesty box!

Leaflets beside the honesty box, Galician tourism making finding sites easy!

Day nine. Laundry done and a lovely hike in the woods . Two days chilling in the beautiful Galician countryside.

Bell heather and ferns.. hmm.. where does this remind me of?

I think there is just the possibility that as Scots and Northern Europeans , Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia felt a little like coming home. We love Murcia and winters are perfect but you have probably begun to realise that we are finding July and August in southern Spain hard to handle. This year the heat cranked up in May and no, we haven’t got used to it. Long hikes in the middle of the day are a luxury. One we relished in Green Spain.

We have been reading and watching a lot of information and stories about travelling in a campervan. Whether as a holiday van or alternative lifestyle, they all seem to agree that time slows down in a van, nothing gets done in a hurry and that days can pass without you going very far or sticking to the plans set out back at home. Galicia definitely had this effect on us! Three years ago, I flew to Santiago de Compestela to meet good friends from Glasgow who had completed the camino. I went to celebrate with them and while I was there we took a train to A Coruña. It was a very wet June day but we had a lovely lunch and walk along the promenade before getting the train back to Santiago. I would have loved to have seen more and now I could!

Day 10. A Coruña. Walt had read about the Torre de Hércules. The Tower of Hercules is a lighthouse built by the Romans! They were incredible civil engineers! It was renovated in the 18th century but is still very much a Roman lighthouse. Perhaps the oldest existing lighthouse in the world? It is a tourist attraction but was not too busy and there are even designated parking spots for campervans nearby! After our walk up to the lighthouse and spectacular views, we were able to wander in to the old part of the city for lunch…pulpo ofcourse! ( octopus is Galician speciality). A Coruña is a beautiful city with possibly the easiest and free parking so far! What wasn’t quite so easy was finding and parking near the local branch of Decathlon. We needed gas for our cooker. From a relaxed lunch in the beautiful old part of A Coruña to a concrete nightmare of a shopping centre on the outskirts of the city…at 5 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon…mayhem and super stress for Walt. We circled the underground car park and came out the other end without stopping! Eventually squeezing on to a verge outside the concrete monolith. There was a Mercadona nearby too, so food and gas bought, it was time to escape.

From lighthouse to dragons in the plaza. A great afternoon in A Coruña.

We found a very pretty little site back out in the country side. The only problem was it was very slopey and as yet, we don’t have wedges to level the van. Finding a flat spot is crucial for a good night’s sleep. We found one at the top of the sight overlooking the countryside and the marquees that were going erected for the next day’s octopus festival! 🐙 It was a beautiful spot but a good walk down a dark, steep hill to the loos and dish washing area. It sounds picky but even with the head torch, I could see me landing in the nettles on the way to brush my teeth! We decided to stay just one night then look for a park up nearer Santiago de Compestela. It was time for Ziggy to complete the camino! I was just a little curious about the octopus fiesta. As we left, catering vans were pulling up and huge cooking vats were being set up…poor octopus!

We were heading for Santiago and knew from the English VW travellers that it was fiesta weekend there too. In Santiago that meant a big festival. In fact the King and Queen were expected on the Monday. Security, crowds, and lots of noise…not a good idea, Rocky would never have made a police dog! We fancied a quiet day and found what looked ideal for this on Park for Night. It was described as a farm stay just 10km out of Santiago. We could enjoy a ‘day on the farm’ while the King was enjoying the fiesta and go in to town the next day. Perfect. Before Santiago however we wanted to go to…the end of the world! Maybe even find a park up there …

Part 3 of Ziggy’s camino. To be continued!

Rocky goes on holiday

Our first big adventure with Ziggy and Rocky. Part one – Planning and the Picos. ( Can we hack it and will we love it or hate it?)

I am happy to report that yes, we all loved our big adventure. We are home again after 18 days on the road and are confident that there are lots more journeys to follow. We have learned some more, picked up tips and overall are pretty chuffed at our teamwork but most of all delighted by the freedom Ziggy has given us and the fun of course!

In the planning stages we had a few concerns – would Ziggy be big enough to accommodate us, Rocky and the extra ‘stuff’ needed? Would we still love or even like each other after living in such close quarters? Would we feel like this was a holiday and not a chore after a few days ? Up until this trip, we had only been away for weekends. Two to three weeks would be a whole different ball game. Remember please that we are newbies to this , I know there are many van lifers out there who will scoff at our two to three weeks but we all have to start somewhere!

On the road – in search of cooler climes!

We started at 2am on a Thursday morning. It was fresh, even here, and we planned to go from the Mediterranean to cooler Cantabria and our favourite little village on the edge of the Picos- Riaño – in one day. It might have seemed crazy but the Iberian peninsula was in the grip of a horrible heat wave , even Riaño was recording 30 degrees ➕ and stopping off to camp in our usual half way halts of Toledo or Ávila where it was nearer 40 did not appeal. We did it! With a picnic in a service station carpark, lots of comfort and ice cream breaks and a fan rigged up for Rocky, we rolled in to or up to the campsite overlooking the lake and views we love so much and as the evening wore on, it was cool enough for a sweat shirt! Sheer bliss!

Walt is the driver, and a brilliant one at that, I will do an hour here and there on a long , straight motorway but as we were planning only to do motorway driving for day one and the return leg home, I was happy to be quartermaster. We were doing this trip on a budget as we wanted to see how feasible a much longer ‘on the road ‘ would be once I stop teaching. Could we feed ourselves using such limited space, two IKEA storage boxes , a small portable fridge and a picnic cool bag? Yes! It was a challenge but in 18 days, we only had one dinner , one lunch , one breakfast , a snack and a few beers out. I love cooking but wasn’t too sure about it before we left . Inspiration came in the form of ‘ Campervan Cooking’ by Claire Thompson and Matt Williamson . I pre- prepared our first two days at home using recipes from this great book and then adapted ideas and simple ‘cheats’ from it as we went along.

This is a fabulous little cooker….I need my ‘real’ coffee!

Great recipes and tips for ‘home cooking ‘ on the road!

Day Two…. slowly, slowly. Coffee with a stunning view and then around midday, a drive to a very special place…Mirador del Oso or ‘The bear’! Two years ago in the middle of the pandemic but when we were ‘allowed’ to leave our municipality , Walt brought me here on the motorbike. It has become our our personal pilgrimage. The mountain air, cowbells, snow on the higher peaks and quiet away from the madding crowd! It is magical ,in the moment and totally relaxing.

We continued to another favourite view point, the deer , where Walt was able to use his new toy. Walt loves making films of his travels and added a small drone to the equipment used for this. He is still learning but has created some beautiful memories already using it. I just love the Picos and the mid 20s temperatures meant we could do all of this in the afternoon. Rocky was loving it too. I am writing this now under the fan in the bedroom, Rocky is on the floor beside me…we won’t be going walkies until about 9 this evening! Too hot! After our meander we returned to Riaño and a beer at the Hotel Presa, our digs on previous trips.

The staff know us , we’ve been here so often! Walt was here in May, doing a bike tour with his brother and sister in law.

Day 3. A quick stroll up to the ‘ biggest swing in Leon’ breakfast, coffee in the Hotel Presa then on the road through the Picos National Park and Asturias. We thought it would be cooler still as we climbed higher, on twisty roads that Walt thought nothing of on the bike – they were a bit more challenging in Ziggy! It wasn’t cooler, the humidity was fierce. We had a picnic lunch on a Park for Night spot outside a village. It felt like a sauna! Very pretty but very sweaty!

A quick stop of as we went in to Aturias…this time the biggest bench!

Our next challenge in the van life adventure was to use the Park for Night App to find somewhere to camp. We wanted to be brave and try either wild or semi wild camping after the comfort of the Riaño site. Lots of people do it and we had a tiny bit of experience in Almeria. How would we fare in Asturias?

Using the Park for Night App, we found a free campervan stop on the edge of a lovely park and only 9kms outside Oviedo. Perfect? Almost apart from a very happy, loud celebration or party in the park! Happy families of all ages dancing and having a ball, they were there for the long haul judging by the trestle tables groaning with with goodies. The music was getting louder and chilling or taking Rocky for a walk was not an option. Time to look again. We turned to go down the narrow track from this park up when we were stopped by a very agitated cyclist in an adapted bike/ wheelchair. Were we going too fast down the narrow road? Didn’t feel like it. As we climbed out of Ziggy , we found two equally agitated Spanish ladies trying to free an old man who had been eating fruit on a bench, dropped his fork and tried to retrieve it. Hard to explain but he was wedged between the bench, a tree and a metre high drop in to his hen run! The wheelchair cyclist was simply asking us for help. Walt managed to free him and pop him back on his bench with lots of thanks from his carer and rather cross wife…’ we told him not to move’ . Thankfully the old gentleman was only a little scratched and shaken . He was probably in for an evening of ‘ I told you sos’.

We set of again, this time high up in to the mountains and El Mirador del Angliru… a mountain hostel’s carpark . The hostel seemed mainly dedicated to touring cyclists, brave and super fit to make it up here! For 10€ there was water, waste disposal if you have a big van with all mod cons, loos, a cafe and the most incredible views. It was still very humid even at that time of night, we had a good walk, snack and drink in the cafe and rigged up the mosquito net so we could sleep with the tailgate up. The park up was closed at midnight and super secure. Our first, not quite free park up but a good compromise!

Good night and good morning . Not a bad spot for that early morning cuppa.

Day four- Sunday morning seemed like a good time to visit the first city on our route. Oviedo is the capital of Asturias and one of the starting points for the Camino de Santiago. Ziggy was becoming a pilgrim! There are several different routes and we seemed to criss, cross them everywhere we went!

Ours was a double edged mission that morning, one to see the historical centre of this beautifil city and two to find a cafe with wifi. Our Orange contract was not working despite umpteen attempts to contact them and sort out the problem. I have a pay as you go UK sim that I use when in Scotland. Luckily it has roaming and worked perfectly in Spain but that wasn’t the point. Ironic that 3 UK was better than Orange ES. We had breakfast in a shady side street, the wifi was fine but Orange continued to play up. Time to put the phones away and take a stroll. The main square and cathedral are beautiful. There was a medieval market and procession of an Astursian pipe band in progress. Rocky wasn’t too impressed. He isn’t keen on drums! Memories of Ben and the North Berwick pipe band on parade…he slipped his collar and bolted. Where is their Celtic blood? The band was excellent however and the ancient part of the city very interesting. We had parked in a residential part of the city, about 20 minutes walk away. Parking in cities is not one our favourite things to do. Like so many Spanish towns and cities the ancient and medieval centres are ringed by modern flats and commercial areas. Some are 60s and 70s concrete and grey but this area , while made up of uniform and neat blocks was surrounded by trees and green areas. I still wouldn’t want to live in a city…definitely a country mouse! It’s always a relief to get back out in to the open.

We planned one more night in Asturias, on the coast but it turned into two. We needed a rest and when we found ourselves wedged into a corner of a huge ‘family ‘ campsite near Gijón -the touring/camping area was tiny and our pitch was blocked fairly effectively by a large German holiday home and a gang of teenagers camping in two tents plus lots of stuff scattered in teenage fashion all around- the enforced time of the road was actually pretty welcome! Camping El Molino might not sound like the rural idyll we were looking for but it was only a five minute walk from a beautiful beach and coastal walk. What was even better was that the ‘ola de calor’ broke on our first night there. We walked in to the small seaside town and back before dinner, a couple of miles each way without breaking sweat, what a wonderful relief. The following day was cool enough for a long morning walk, then as the teenagers’ parents came to round them up, we were able to squeeze out and explore a beautiful sculpture park on the edge of Gijón. It was a ‘let your dog of the lead park’ . Thank you Gijón ayuntamiento! Rocky had a wonderful run about.

Sculptures and the stunning Asturian coast.

We were now just about to celebrate a week on the road! After two nights in our cosy corner it was time to move on. I had my first swim in the Atlantic ( Bay of Biscay) while Walt and Rocky took some photos and drone footage then we said goodbye to Camping El Molino and Asturias. Now to explore Galicia.