Crossing Spain

So we are now on the other side of Spain, in Baiona, below Santiago de Compostella. After Girona, where we left you on our last post, we navigated back to Barcelonaand dropped off the car at the train station,luckily the guy who took back our car ignored the scratch on the side!! We honestly do not know how it got there. we spent a night in Barcelona, the hotel at the train station is extremely handy and got a train to Vitoria. Vitoria is the capital of Catalyuna, but mostly it was on holidays! every other shop was shut and we had difficulty finding an open restaurant. Also we discovered it seemed like it would be very difficult to get to our next nights sleep in Arriondas...as the buses were full. However next day all worked out and by 9.30 we were on our way to bilbao and from bildao to santander and took the narrow gauge rail from Santander to Arriondas. a lovely train journey, arrived at our destination at about 7 pm. a lovely country hotel on the hillside in the most beautiful countryside. Hotel Posada del Valle. Had two wonderful days there takin it super easy, walks, swapped books and great food including vegetables!!! Claire got her foot stood on by an Asturian pony ..more of those later. On to Oviedo which is an interesting town to visit a good Art Muesum, got a car two days later and by a seriously circuitious route, including a dead end about twenty kilometers up a mountain on the worst road ever, we got to Somiedo Valle del Lago camping. (We decided to go through the dead end ..it looked better on the other side than the road we had driven up on) It was more than worth it. VAlle del Lago sits in a glacial valley in Somiedo Natural Park. It is a Biosphere park which means the environment and cultural protection are key concern there. It is home to twenty bears, wolves, hundreds of birds of prey, rebecko, a kind of wild deer/goat, lots and lots of horses and a farming/tourism community. The camp site was lovely, set beside a stream in a green field fringed with trees. The stars were so bright on clear nights. We did alot of walking. Claire went on a horse ride with a true Gallego cabellero and survived. We visited a troop of horses and foals at the top on a hill who came to talk to us and a regal stallion who didn´t. WE got friendly with an Irish family and Mark got beaten at chess by one their eight year old son..he did struggle! After six nights and one very rainy day! (yes just one ..but you should see our tent! ) we decided to move on. On the way to the west coast we stayed in a Parador to ease sore backs after camping and that was just the ticket. In a new camping site now not great but hey at least we can truely compare. . we are off to the Illas Cies in a half hour to go swimming hopefully. Lots of love to you all. time is flying, miss you , Claire and Mark

Camping travels - Costa and Oix

Well back in Girona after six nights of camping. we got our car a week ago and managed to navigate our way out of Barcelona to Girona where we bought our camping gear in Decathelon. From Girona to the coast where we found our camping..Moby Dick in Calella de Palafrugell. MAP It was great to settle down again for a few days and although everywhere was busy it was lovely to get into the water and go snorkelling and swimming. We got into the swing of getting up, going to the supermarket for a fruity breakfast, going for a snorkel, a walk, lunch, a swim, a sleep, tapas a la mark (tuna on crackers!) and sleep. The campsite was choc a bloc but the pathway (cami de ronda) down the coast was quieter following a rocky coast and clear waters. We visited the Jardin Botantic on Cap Roig and went inland one day to visit Peratallada, a medival and very stony village. Had a great lunch of tapas watching swallows nesting in the courtyard of the restaurant.

After three days we decided to move inland to Oix where I had found a camping before we left ireland. Oix is a tiny tiny village in the foothills of the Pyreenees that is reached by a very small windy road (think Healy pass but much more trees) The camping was great, situated very near village in a valley surrounded by forested hills. MAP Loads of space, a swimming pool, restaurant and believe it or not a badminton court for the badminton set we had bought on a whim 4 days before. Went for a long walk the next day, heading off on a path we didn´t know where, by luckily in lots of shade through the woods. Arrived at a very small village (?) St Miguel de Pera with a lovely painting of Sant Miguel over the doorway of a Romanesque church. Decided to walk back by the paved road for a change of scenery ..bad idea..very long hot hot walk of 8 km. Anyway saw loads and loads of amazing butterflies. Drove down to Girona this morning and are staying in the very nice Bellmirall Pension..a nice change from camping for six nights. We are having fun and getting a little brown ..no real sun burn yet and being careful!! Lots of love to you all Claire and Mark xxx

Barcelona

Arrived here this evening, after a long train journey, which seemed to zig zag all across the north of Spain, but despite that was fairly comfortable for nine hours. Collecting a car tomorrow to head off up the Costa Brava. Nice to be back in familiar Barcelona, much busier than we have seen it before though! Mark got caught up in a mini riot in San Sebastien yesterday! people being whacked and shots fired around his head, protesting against a high speed train in the Basque country. Very dramatic, as Claire had her evening siesta. Had a lovely swim in the Atlantic and look forward to comparing it to the Med.

Hols

Hello everyone, Well here we are on holidays...first posting ex-Irlanda. slowly feeling the holiday spirit sink in. takes a while to wind down ...to become accustomed to not having a whole pile to do ... I think Mark is better at this than me - although he sprained his shoulder this morning trying (and managing ) to beat me in a beach race which has forced him to take it easy...no bungee jumping yet.
Try to set ourselves projects to get over the feeling like we should be doing something worthwhile in all our spare time. Not set up to experience this not having anything to do for extended period of time... fell out of practice having holidays...! :0)

It was so green here - surprising on arrival - lots of trees and green fields. Looks a littlel Swiss or Austrian countryside, houses with wide red roofs, like chalets. Bilbao is surrounded by small green hills. First few days in Bilbao went fast and enjoyable. One highlights - eating in Guggenheim restaurant - wish I had had a camera - first dish something of a gastronomic menu was literally grass and sheeps milk!! Tasty though. Waiters possibly thought we were laughing at them!. Notable seriousness of waiters here..it is a serious business afterall... Just like holidaying ..a serious business!

The Guggenheim is really a beautiful and fascinating building, and works well with the surrounding city. Also walking to this park and watched fountains and dogs jumping in them. The fountain plays to music usually, but as it was not playing at the time, spent a few minutes imagining what music the fountain might be dancing to.

Arrived here in San Sebastien/Donostia yesterday by bus from Bilbao
Busier than Bilbao here on arrival, but weather a little greyer (still 25 degrees) and that cleared out the beaches to-day! Planning to get bicycles tomorrow and scoot around..

new Spanish words
surtido (my spelling) = a half a caña (glass of beer)
arroba (my spelling) = @
lots of love from us
C & M xxx

PS something for you to watch if you want http://new-art.blogspot.com/2008/07/muto-by-blu.html

something else http://new-art.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

The garden crowd

Thanks to everyone, we had a fabulous day. Can't wait to see all your photos


Mr. Mark and Mrs Claire
xxxxx

MARRIED!

Yeah! we did it ....

More dancing !