Day 14 Tues 22.02.2011

Location  ACSI S. Jacinto Orbitur Campsite, Aveiro, Portugal

We both work early this morning and decided to leave as soon as we were ready, set off just before 7.00 am. The snooper sat nav decided to take us on a 200km detour, not sure why. We ignored it and followed our planned route on autoroute on the laptop.

We filled up with diesel before we crossed the border as fuel prices are higher in Portugal. When we crossed the border into Portugal and we noticed the landscape changed so much, Portugal looks greener, cleaner and well looked after. We were both glad to have left Spain behind us.

We entered Portugal on the A62, drove over the mountains, another ear popping journey. As we approached junction 6 of the A62 we notice the new electronic toll signs, we ignored them and stayed on the road until out planned exit junction.

The approach road to the campsite runs along by the water for about 10km, we arrived in glorious sunshine, a very pleasant end to our journey.

We arrived at the campsite at 11.30am (Portugal are 1 hour behind Spain, same time as the UK).

We were greeted by the owner of the site, a very nice man who spoke a little English and gave us maps and a guide book for the local area. We walked around the site to look for a suitable pitch, all pitches are on grass set amongst the pine trees.

Road to the Campsite

Campsite Entrance

Pitch amongst the pine trees

We parked up put the table and chairs out and changed into t shirts and shorts as it’s so hot. From out pitch we can hear the Atlantic on one side and on the other side of the road we can just see the Ria de Aveiro.

Day 13 Mon 21.02.2011

Location: ACSI Regio Campsite, Sta Marta de Tormes, Salamanca

Long / Lat N40º56.53’ W005º36.53’

N40.94819, W5.61459

We left Haro before 8.00 am, it had rained during the night and we churned up the grass a bit before the van finally moved.

Headed for Salamanca to the Regio campsite, we had several stops and the journey took about five hours. It was an easy drive dual carriageway most of the way once we had cleared Burgos.

The campsite is located behind the Hotel Regio, out of season the campsite reception is closed so you check in at the hotel, helpful English speaking receptionist.  The location is ideal for a stop over if you are entering Portugal on the A62. Once again we avoided toll roads.

The site has seen better days but is ok for a stopover. The pitches are surrounded by small trees, some with low branches so we had to careful where we parked. The site wouldn’t be suitable for RV’s.

You can use the hotels Wi-Fi free of charge in the reception area or the restaurant. Campsite residents are offered a discount of 10% in the restaurant, not sure if we will eat there as they don’t start serving until 8.00pm and we are both very tired (we have also lost the sat signal so no TV tonight) we will probably be asleep by 7.30If Paul is very good I might let him watch a DVD.

                                                                    Regio Campsite

Regio Campsite

Our route so far

Entrance to campsite

Camping Regio's Big Bird Next To Our Pitch

 

Day 12 Sun 20.02.2011

Location  ACSI Camping de Haro

After breakfast we walked into the town along a footpath next to the river, the town has plenty of shops, restaurants and tapas bars. It was a bit overcast and chilly so we just bought some bread and walked back to the campsite. Paul spoke to the lady in the bakers in French which confused her a little.

By midday the sun had broken through and the cloud had lifted so we could see the tops of the mountains that surround the campsite.

The ground we are parked on is still quiet wet after the rain yesterday so we moved the van nearer to the access road to make it easier to get out tomorrow.

We have been invited for drinks by an English couple who we lent our Spain & Portugal Aires book to, we are going to refuse anything alcoholic as we have a long drive tomorrow.
We are heading for a campsite in Salamanca and are hoping to set off at about 8.30am.


                                                                       Haro 

Haro

View From Campsite

 

Day 11 Sat 19.02.2011

Location:  ACSI Camping de Haro

Long / Lat

We left Biarritz at 8.00am and crossed into Spain about half an hour later heading for an ACSI campsite in Haro. We had decided that we would stay off the toll roads again but we both agreed that if we were travelling later in the day when the roads are busier we would use the toll road to cross into Spain.

The weather wasn’t very good, rain most of the way so visibility was poor which was a pity because the views as we crossed the Pyrenees we breath taking. Would love to do it again sometime on a clear sunny day.

When we arrived in Haro we had a bit of trouble finding the campsite and once again drove into the town. We eventually stumbled upon the yellow campsite signs and located the site.

The road leading to the site is narrow and the entrance involves a tight turn (well tight in our 28 foot van). The staff are friendly and very helpful and speak good English. There are lots of static caravans on the site and the touring pitches are a bit small so we have parked on the grass field which involved a bit of wheel spin and churning up mud as the ground is wet. Slip mats now in place.

The site has Wi-Fi, €9.00 for two days, a bit expensive but we can update the blog and catch up with our emails. We are going to stay here for 2 nights then head to Salamanca for one more stop before we cross into Portugal.The shower blocks are clean and the heating is on.

Tomorrow we plan to go for a walk into the town.

Camping de Haro




Entrance To Camping de Haro

Camping de Haro

Day 10 Fri 18.02.2011

Location   Biarritz Aire day 2

We woke early to more sunshine and decided to have some breakfast then walk along the sea front into Biarritz town centre.

The bread van arrived at 9.00am and the chicken that wandered through the aire yesterday was back.

The walk into town is about 2 miles, it’s a pleasant walk as most of the way we were walking within site of the sea so it didn’t seem too far. We walked as far as the Rocher de la Vierge, a rocky outcrop topped with a white statue of the Virgin Mary, the iron catwalk that joins it to the land was closed but Paul climbed to the top of a big rock and took some amazing photos.

We walked through the town, lots designer shops and surf shops many of which only seem to open during the high season. We bought some quiche for lunch and headed back to the aire. The walk back took a bit longer as we got a bit lost (Pauls fault…lets go that way to cut off the corner…).

After lunch we started planning where we’re heading for tomorrow, we want to travel into Spain but lots of the sites in the North don’t open until April and we don’t want to stay on an aire the first night. Finally found a site that should be open on the route we want to travel.

It’s 7.30pm and the local police have just started collecting the parking fees. We plan to leave at about 8.00am tomorrow if we wake up early enough.

Rocher de la Vierge

Why did the chicken cross the Aire?

Day 9 Thurs 17.02.2011

Location  Biarritz Aire

Long / Lat N43º38.143’ W001º26.809’

43.46645ºN 1.57197ºW

We left the Capbretton aire at 10am and headed for the aire in Biarritz, about a one hour drive away.

The Aires book advised approaching the aire on the D911 from the south but of course we came in from the north, drove through the middle of the town in some very heavy traffic, yet again narrow streets and parked cars made it an interesting journey.

We arrived at the aire in bright sunshine, the aire is €10 a night which includes water and electricity (collected by the local police at 8.00pm). It’s a two minute walk to the beach and there is a intermarche supermarket five minutes walk away.

It’s been very warm again, we can’t believe that we are walking around in t-shirts in the middle of February.

We walked to the beach just across the road from the aire, beautiful beach with white breakers crashing onto the sand, would imagine that it’s extremely busy in the summer.

We like it here so much that we’re going to stay for two nights, tomorrow we’re planning to walk into the town.

We’ve met an older Scottish couple who are on their way back to the UK after a couple of months in Portugal, they’ve recommended some campsite and aires and have told us that we should not worry about the new electronic toll roads.

Biarritz Aire

Biarritz Aire

Beach 5 mins Walk From Aire

Beach 5 mins Walk From Aire

 Beach 5 mins Walk From Aire

 
Beach 5 mins Walk From Aire

Our Route So Far

Day 8 Weds 16.02.2011

Location: Capbreton Aire

Long / Lat N43º38.143 W001º26.809

43.63647ºN 1.44682ºW

We left the campsite just after 9am, just used the last of the milk and we have no bread so first job today was to find a supermarket. After filing up with diesel and food at Carrefour we headed for the N10.

We also needed to fill up with LPG so we stopped at the first service station on the N10 selling GPL. No problem filling up but when it came to paying I had to stand in the naughty corner while the attendant went out onto the forecourt to replaced the filler hose correctly. (She did a little mime for me but I thought she was pretending to be a tea pot).

We headed to the Capbreton Aire, it was an easy journey but were surprised that there are so many lorries on the N10.

We arrived in sunshine, the aire is just behind the sand dunes, we walked over the dunes (about 1 minute from where we are parked) to one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen.

The aire is large with marked bays (long enough for our van but not very wide). The water and electricity are turned off but we filled out water tank before we  left the campsite . There is no charge to park here in the winter.

This is the busiest aire we have stopped at so far. We have spoken to two German couples, a German dog shook my hand.

We got chatting with an English couple Peter & Jenny and invited them over for a drink, both woke up the next morning with sore heads.A bread van came at 9am, Paul got some croissants and bread.

Capbreton Aire

Sand Dunes Capbreton Aire

Beach At Capbreton Aire

Beach At Capbreton Aire