Now in Cadiz

We decided we wouldn't risk stopping anywhere else in the Algarve so we got on the autovia and headed for Spain. Andalucia th.. th.. th.. -the Pinky Ponk wasn't impressed, she wanted to stay on her fast road and cruise at 80kpm. She saw Seville at winced. Around the by pass and on to bull-fighting country. It was 6pm , oh no, the hour had changed again so it was actually 7pm before she stopped. We were in Arcos de la Frontera which was apparently a tourist attraction but we didn't care by then. We'd been free camping for a week so we needed a shower but the only camp site for 40km was closed. Treeless, barren, every inch recently ploughed Andalucia does not lend itself to free camping but off we went. We even tried some hostals but they were all full. It was beginning to get desperate when we found a tiny cork copse just off the road. Fine for a night and free again.

So now we're in Cadiz - (what a relief that we've all made and now the blog is catching up too.

Low battery and end of Wifi - post quick - off to Africa tomorrow - love to everyone

Never go back!

The next day we went to Praia de Luz in the Algarve. We left the kids in the tent while we went to the restaurant - joking!!! It was actually where Mick used to work in a restaurant. It was my idea of hell on earth. The John Bull Pub serving roast Sunday lunch and Sky TV on the big screen. A wedding where all the guest were over 16 stone and wearing cerise. A beach front absolutely full of sun-loungers and umbrellas so you can't sit down for free. I had accidentally left my swimming costume in the rucksack which was locked in the trailer so whilst everyone else swam, I stood there up to my knees feeling so completely alien although surrounded by my own kind. We tried to find Mick's old restaurant but things had changed so much he wasn't even sure if he had the right street.

Needless to say we didn't stay there long. We went to Boca de rio just up the coast which Mick remember as where the old convoy type travellers used to go. I was a little sceptical (no, Jenny sceptical, that can't be). We were just in time, the place was unchanged except now most of the 'travellers' now travelled in posh motorhomes. But just on the cliff above a huge JCB was carving out a new road to connect it to the hell on the other side of the bay.

Even the mullet in the waves were still there as Mick remembered. Teo kept finding dead ones which he used for bait to fish in the river. He sat for hours, very patient and wasn't at all concerned that he never caught anything. Mimi just digs. Where ever we are she find some sand and sieves it into her bucket, adds water and makes castles.

The picture is me beating my washing on a stone in the river beside the beach. Not too bad so far (remind me I said that in a few months).

When I was a teenager

After Lisbon we headed for Porto Covo, a place where I camped on the beach for a month or so when I was 19. It was just a beautiful as I remembered it, tiny sandy coves separated by contorted cliffs full of sea bids. The village was still the same, just a bit bigger - the old boys in cafe were still the same I'm sure. We camped on top of the cliff, cooked sardines and watched the sunset out over the ocean. It was a great trip down memory lane.

Castles and Cathedrals

Teo and Mimi loved the Moorish castle but Mimi terrified Mick by running up to the top of every turret she could find. She's definitely got her mum's head for heights. It so good to be away from a world dominated by health and safety.

Love Lisbon

We spent a week on a great camp site in Cascais just outside Lisbon by the beach. We all needed a bit of time to just take stock. The children have been so good - what they get up to in the back of the Pinky Ponk is beyond belief, we have great trouble trying to open the doors to get them out.

There's so much to see around Lisbon, we hardly scratched the surface. The palaces and castles in Sintra are magnificent - all built over the last 2000 years in the hills overlooking Lisbon. For me though it was the gardens I really fell in love with.

Serendedity

Speeding on now to Portugal. Wonderful country. It was a shame I had to try to forget my rapidly expanding Spanish vocabulary ha ha.... We only knew one word of Portugese, 'Obgrigado' (thank you) but luckily we managed to acquire the Lidl's promotions magazine which served us well as a dictionary for most conversational requirements!!

We arrived inLisbon on Saturday evening having been hounded by hundreds of motorbikes all the way. When we finally found the campsite (still too painful to recall the experience of that!), it was practically full and most of the people were on bikes. Doubly weird because on every other camp site we were practically alone and never any motorbikes. It took us until we were buying a drink at the bar to be told that it was the Lisbon Motorcycle Grand Prix the following day justup the road at Estoril.

We had to go of course. We tried to get tickets but they could take bank cards so we save ourselves 90 euros and found a bar just outside the track that had erected a scaffold so you had a grandstand view of the chicanes.

Santiago de Compost-ela

All Mick kept saying was he was darn glad he hadn't walked all the way as he would have been very disappointed!

After the fantastic natural beauty of northern Spain, the gaudy angels the size of Zeppelins and little red electric bulbs to pay to light instead of candles was all a bit much.

Chaos in the back

Mimi and Teo having fun in the back of the car as we wind our way up to 2000m

Into the Picos d'Europa

The poor little Pinky Ponk really struggled this day - especially as we made her take her trailer as well.

Obligatory sunset

The view from our camp on the Cantabrian coast - real lovely spot but the first of our 'camping prisons' where you are right on the beach but can't get to it because you are fenced in by 3 meters of chain-link and barbed wire.

Panorama from a hotel window

By Mick Butler 2009

Bilboa

The Guggenheim museum of modern art, Bilbao, Spain. Great building to house a very small amount of uninspiring rubbish. Though it did inspire Mick to produce his own photographic study entitled 'Panorama from a hotel window' (excerpts to follow. We booked in for two nights in a Formule One Hotel, a bit of luxury in the city. It was hell - trying to a weeks washing in a corner hand basin!

We're still alive!

The word bit of this blog is proving a problem - I spend so long thinking about what to say that we loose the Wifi connection before I publish! Solution - mainly pictures.

Just to recap on a few highlights so far. These pictures are of Pyla Dune, in the Gironde, the highest in Europe. It was great fun rolling down except I'd neglect to put my knickers on!