Trailer Touring - Tuscany

After our visitors left we headed 40km north to Livorno or Leghorn. It was a fairly uninteresting motorway drive and there really wasn't anything to see other than large fields of sunflowers.

Wild Camp 14: Livorno Ferry Port 

We arrived about 6PM and were shocked at how busy this spot was. There must have been 30 other camper vans and we managed to bag one of the few spots left. There was fresh water and waste water disposal and there was no charge for staying at the port. There was a large ship from Napoli docked right in front of us and a couple of large cruise ships further along.
 



An unusual view for the evening

We walked around the port and came across a huge American indoor market. They had military surplus stores selling knives and batons and everything you would need to survive alone in bear infested forests. Jac was adamant we should buy a weapon for protection although Kayleigh managed to persuade him otherwise. They even had harpoons for sale if you fancied trying to harpoon yourself a whale. There were food stores selling typical American imports such as Peanut M&M's, cookies, peanut butter and Hershey bars. There were typical American clothes brands such as Levi's and Diesel and thick lumberjack style coats although why you would need one of those in 35 degree heat is beyond us. We stopped in a bar for a drink before heading back to the camper for dinner. We had some boozy pork marinade left from the BBQ in Cecina, we mixed it with sausages and pasta for dinner. The following morning we were up and out by 8 and headed to a garage in Livorno for (yet more) camper repairs. 

Vintage Scooters at the New American Market, Livorno Ferry Port

 

Wild Camp 15: B Auto, Livorno

An unexpected two nights wild camping in the compound of a garage. The part needed for the van was hard to get hold of and would take two days to arrive so the owner of the garage kindly offered to let us stay in the compound until the van was fixed. An unusual camping spot but it saved us checking into a hotel for two nights. Without a van to get around and a slight language barrier we feared we would be stuck wandering around a industrial estate whilst the van was repaired. Kindly,one of the mechanics offered to take us into the city. He drove us around and acted like our very own tour guide showing us the Naval Academy, Piazza Grande and the beach. He told us which bus to get back and told us to call him if we had any problems. We spent the day wandering along the beach and around the city before indulging in a four course meal. We had bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to start, followed by ham, melon, mozzarella and olives, followed by pasta (lasagne and carbonara) and an ice cream and lemon sorbet to finish. We headed back to the camper on the bus. The Italians allow dogs everywhere, even in clothes shops so we had no trouble getting around with Oscar. The following day was much the same, we got the bus into the city and spotted a market/carboot situation on the way, we hopped off early and went back to check it out. We rummaged through some rails and a huge table of 1€ items. 16€ and some absolute bargains later we walked away feeling we had treated ourselves.
 

Our bargain haul from the market

 

Five minutes down the road, another market, this time predominantly food. Probably the largest market either of us have ever seen selling every kind of fruit and veg you can imagine, however to Jac's disappointment no Pink Ladies. We stood for a while admiring strangely shaped fruits we'd never seen before before stumbling across a warm food stall. We bought some tempura vegetables and roast potatoes and polished them off whilst walking around the rest of the market. Later that evening we left the garage and headed back to Livorno ferry port for the night, it was only a short distance from the garage and somewhere we had stayed before. 

Wild Camp 16: Castiglioncello
This morning we ran out of gas. There is no universal gas sold across Europe so we are stockpiling empty gas bottles from various country's in our bathroom at the moment, not ideal. Gas is not as readily available in Italy as it is in France and Spain where it is sold at every fuel station and supermarket and certainly not as cheap. In France we paid 25€ for the first bottle and 5€ for a refill. We turned up at what looked like a junk yard where we were greeted by two large dogs barking loudly at the van. Kayleigh wound up the windows and locked the doors and pushed Jac out to negotiate an angry looking man and his two unfriendly dogs. We were stung 90€ for the first bottle and told it would be 45€ for a refill, we had no choice and begrudgingly paid it before setting off again. Approximately 60KM from Livorno, we arrived around 3PM and were really just hoping for a free or relatively cheap spot for the night, somewhere with wifi so we could plan our next few stops. This place was a real disappointment. Essentially a camp site in the middle of nowhere with a few spaces in its car park for campers. They charged 15€ to park overnight and charged an extra 2€ per person for a shower. With nothing much else to do and every card game exhausted we decided to try our hands at origami. We bought a beginners book with us and after much frustration and tearing of paper we managed to make a rabbit, two fish and a flower, improvement needed but it's a start. We showered and did some washing and left the next morning in search or somewhere more exciting.

Our origami efforts. Clockwise; Rabbit, Fish & Flowers

Wild Camp 17: Marina di Grosseto

70KM along the Tyrrhenian coast is our next stop. Similar to Marina di Bibbona in Cecina, a large pine wood forest between a large camping area and a sandy beach. We found a spot in the shade which was welcome news for Oscar as he'd spent the whole day lying in a heap in the van panting. Also welcome news for us as it probably reached 35 degrees today and of all days our fridge decided to give up the ghost. All that remained was some melted butter, warm water and rock solid ham. After sundown we walked him through the pine forest and to the beach where he paddled in and out of the sea fetching sticks. You would think by now he would be used to sand however every time he steps foot on a beach it's like he's never seen it before. Running around like a lunatic and digging, flicking sand on anything or anyone behind him, then spends the rest of the night sneezing because his nose is full of sand. He never learns.

The beach at Marina di Grosseto

Wild Camp 18: Saturnia

50KM south east, slightly inland we reach Saturnia. High up in the mountains on the very edge of Tuscany. This is not strictly a wild camp as it costs 16€ for 24 hours here although we were more than happy to pay this. A dreamy little spot right on a mountain edge with space for 30 campers. The daily rate includes electricity, wifi, fresh water, waste water disposal, showers, toilets and a free shuttle service to quite possibly the most beautiful sight we have see yet.
 

Saturnia camper parking, La Quercia

According to history Saturnia is the most ancient Italian city. It's original name was Aurinia before if was renamed by the Romans. Characterised by a troubled history, today it is a small and quiet tourist village made famous by its thermal baths. Legend has it that Saturn, angry with men always at war with one another, threw a thunderbolt to earth causing a gush of sulphurous water from a volcano crater.

Thermal Baths, Saturnia

Today the thermal baths or Le Terme in Italian run at 37 degrees. The hot steamy water cascades down from a waterfall gathering in pools of differing sizes and levels, the water is aqua blue and very inviting due to the presence of sulphur. The area that we visited was free and when we arrived at 8AM we were the only ones there. Oscar even had the opportunity for a little paddle he loved hoping in and out of the pools but didn't quite understand some where deeper than others and kept disappearing underwater.

Oscar & Jac relaxing in the thermal baths

 

We decided to go first thing in the morning as it was still cool outside we couldn't imagine it would be as nice in the blistering heat but most people use it for relaxation and massages.

Saturnia

Wild Camp 19: Pitigliano
We got up super early again this morning as we wanted to go to Le Terme one last time before we left Saturnia. We arrived at 8:30 along with a handful of others. We floated about in the hot pools for a while before heading back to Park La Quercia to pack up and head off. Before heading to Pitigliano we took a detour to Scansano where we visited Locanda Terenzi vineyard.

Locanda Terenzi Vineyard

It was very grand, we entered through large gates and drove down a huge driveway bordered by vineyards of Sangiovese grapes on the right and olive, oak and fruit trees on the left. We paid 20€ each for lunch, wine tasting and a tour. For lunch we had bread, olive oil, a selection of cold meats, cheese and chutneys.

Wine tasting & snacks

We tasted three wines (which was quite enough for Kayleigh!!) a white and two reds. The white was named Balbino, dry and made with Vermentino grapes aged in stainless steel tanks for 5 months. Next a red named Morellino Di Scansano, made with Sangiovese grapes and also aged in stainless steel tanks for 5 months. The last red we tried was called Purosangue, again, made with Sangiovese grapes but aged for a year in Slavonian Oak Casks.

Locanda Terenzi

We were told they produce 400,000 bottles of wine each year and shown the enormous vats they are produced in. Neither of us are big wine drinkers but it was something we thought we should do whilst we were here and it was well worth the money.

From Scansano we drove 41KM east to Pitigliano. It is like a fairy tale country and the residents refer to it as a city suspended between sky and earth or the city of the living and the city of the dead. The entire village is set on a plain of tufa rock in the mountains.

Pitigliano

The old town is a maze of alleyways, secret passageways and cellars carved into the rock. Whilst the surroundings are green rolling fields, dense forest and waterfalls cascading into an oblivion. Our wild camp is pretty simple, no running water or electricity, not even a rubbish bin in sight but it's definitely worth it to see this magical village. 

An evening stroll through Pitigliano

Wild Camp 20: Sorano
We arrived at Sorano mid afternoon, there wasn't anyone else there and not a lot to do in the town apart from walk Oscar down a very steep hill to a small part of a river so we headed to our next stop Lago di Bolsena.

A Visit From Home - Italia

Ridiculously excited about reaching Italy

Nine hours after leaving Cannes we reach our home for the next couple of weeks. Marina di Bibbona, 40KM outside Pisa. To get here we drove 540KM, all of it through mountains and miles and miles of rolling green countryside, at times we were so high up we were driving through clouds. The majority of the journey was along the coast with the most amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea, and when we crossed the border the Tyrrhenian Sea. The bright blue glistening ocean went on for as far as the eye could see with the occasional fishing boat or luxury yacht, a dot in the vast ocean.

We could not believe our eyes when we stopped for fuel, 1.74€ per litre of diesel, we had not paid more than 1.24€ since we left home almost 3 months ago.  It's evident that the people here can afford these crazy prices as on our journey we spotted at least 6 brightly coloured Lamborghini's, 4 Ferrari's and practically every other car was a high end sports car. It's no surprise that in our 22 year old camper we were often the only vehicle in sight as they all sped past us disappearing into tunnels. Eventually, after what seemed like driving for ever we reached our exit on the toll road. We had pretty much travelled along this road from France so when our ticket demanded almost 50€ we weren't at all surprised. We've managed to avoid toll roads up until now but Italy is pretty much a network of toll roads so we are expecting to spend a small fortune traveling through. We drove for another few miles through complete darkness until we reached Marina di Bibbona. 

It was 11pm and the streets were lined with holiday makers, there was a busy market in the centre and all the restaurants were full. We found our campsite in a cluster of 6 or 7 others. The reception was closed but the night porter kindly led us to a pitch and said we could check in and pay in the morning. After a long day of driving we settle down to get some sleep, although this is short lived as Oscar woke us at 2AM throwing up all over the camper van, the joys of having an overindulging, greedy beagle. 

resisting temptation. For now

Not feeling so good after overindulging

 

We waited until 8AM to check in and were directed to a large pitch right in the middle of the campsite. It's boiling hot already so we get to work putting up the awning and making ourselves at home. With all the wild camping we've been doing recently it makes a nice change to stay on a campsite and make the most of the space. This took us most of the day to do so when the sun started to go down we rode to the dog beach with Oscar which was through a large pine forest. He spent the majority of the walk chasing lizards and chewing up pine cones. When we reached the beach Jac wasted no time in stripping down to his pants and doing his best Daniel Craig impression. He emerged from the water a few minutes later to drag Oscar in with him and go searching for driftwood. Oscar was less than pleased about this and spent the rest of the walk running away from Jac afraid he would make him swim again. After the walk we got a take away pizza from the restaurant and watched Breaking Bad. 

Jac doing his best Beagle impression. Fetching sticks together.

 

 

Jac Luckins AKA Daniel Craig

The following day we enquired about a hire car and wrote the worlds longest shopping list in anticipation of our long awaited BBQ. We spend the next couple of days lazing about in the sun and eating ice cream. Tuesday lunch time a hire car is delivered and we take our monstrous shopping list into the city. Kayleigh's parents and grandparents are due to arrive late that night so we spent our day shopping and getting excited about their arrival and although it sounds ridiculous, a holiday. We spend our time moving from one place to another and planning and researching the next few stops so the prospect of settling in the same place for a couple of weeks is inviting. There are no cars allowed on the campsite so we join everyone else in cruising around on our boneshakers. Practically everyone here uses their bike to get around and everywhere you go there are old Raleigh Shopper style bikes. 

Our visitors arrive in the early hours of Wednesday morning, we meet them at Galileo Galilei, Pisa international airport and drive them back to Marina di Bibbona. We get a few hours sleep although later that morning excitement wakes us early. Jac's been preparing for this BBQ for a couple of days so is keen to get it going. A mixture of pine cones, pine needles and coal is the perfect concoction for a successful BBQ and we are soon sitting around the table eating the hordes of food Jac has prepared. There is sticky chicken, boozy pork and curried prawns all marinated in a variety of weird and wonderful ingredients, including rum, honey, garlic, chilli, mustard and fresh herbs. The food goes down a storm, as does the wine, which is sold in litres at the local shop for 2.20€ (red or white). A good few litres later we are onto cards. Fred, Kayleigh's Grandad is an avid card player so we spend the rest of the evening learning how to play various card games, watching him win every time. 

Addicted to Benny

This pretty much shaped the next two weeks, early morning dog walks through the pine forest to the beach, lazy lunches in the sun and cards and wine in the evening with a spread that rivalled Christmas. We took lots of trips into the village where there was a small selection of shops selling food essentials and souvenirs and an almost daily trip to the Ice Palace Gelateria. We must have tried every flavour ice cream ever invented from traditional Italian pistachio to tiramisu and cheesecake.

Evening spread, courtesy of Chris and Pearl

We also took a trip to Pisa to see the leaning tower or Torre Pendente in Italian, serving around the world as a shorthand image for Italy. A freakishly beautiful building and a sight that no amount of prior reading can blunt.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

 

Interestingly, we found out that twelve years after work began on the tower in 1173 it started to subside, in the opposite direction from the current lean. The build halted when it was only three storeys high and didn't resume until a century later when three more uneven storeys were added and in 1350 the stack was completed with a lop sided bell chamber. Since then measures have been taken to stop the tower from toppling at any moment. By 1990 the tower leant more then 5 metres from vertical and was finally declared closed to visitors. It was reopened in June 2001, once more allowing visitors access to the 293 internal stairs. Sand blasted in 2012, the tower is no longer black and now looks a light cream colour leading some people to believe it has been painted. After taking photos from every angle we headed to a restaurant where we had seafood and pasta. Feeling suitably stuffed we wandered back to the car and headed back to the campsite.

Pisa, Italy

Six days into the holiday Chris and Sophie arrive and we collect them from the airport. No sooner than Sophie is off the plane she wants to model her new bikinis and summer dresses for her big sisters approval. We arrive back at the campsite where Oscar is hugely excited to see Sophie, he jumps all over her planting big slobbery kisses all over her face and she is equally excited to see him. Greetings out of the way, Sophie can't wait to drag Kayleigh down to the pool to show her how her swimming has improved. She's advanced to butterfly stroke and manages to con 15€ out of Chris for a new pair of goggles. This becomes a daily ritual and we even find ourselves being roped into aqua gym, or in our case throwing ourselves around like a pair of lunatics in the water hoping to burn a few calories. 

Kayleigh & Sophie

Before our visitors flew home we decided to go for a meal in one of the many restaurants in Marina di Bibbona. We chose a small, secluded place not far from the campsite. We ordered enough food for 100 men, there was a nice meal of carbonara, steak, pork, pizza and chips left at the end which was a nice treat for Oscar. Jac and Mark sat quietly in the corner sinking vodka like it was going out of fashion, Fred, head of the table stuck to sophisticated G&T and telling jokes whilst Pearl, Chris, Kayleigh and Sophie chatted about all the amazing memories they had made in the last two weeks. When they waitress handed us the bill she also gave us a bottle of lemon cello, a lemon based liqueur best drunk in a frozen vase shaped glass originating from Sorrento. We had a couple of after dinner shots (obviously excluding Sophie) and there was still half a bottle left, not one to waste, mark polished off the remainder straight from the bottle, much to the disapproval of grandma. It was a lovely meal and the perfect way to end an excellent holiday. 

Mark & Jac

Sophie, Pearl, Kayleigh & Fred

Kayleigh & Chris

We were sad to say goodbye again but also excited to get on our way and explore. Neither of us have ever been to Italy before so we plan to spend 4-5 weeks here to see as much as we possibly can. 

The French Riviera - Another Day, Another Border

We apologise for our lack of photo's for this post!! Our next stop is Southern France. We cross the border from Spain and immediately notice a difference, from the sticky, clammy, hot city air we experienced in central Spain to the cool, crisp sea breeze that was now whirling around the camper. It was a welcome change and we were both glad to be back on the coast again.

Our journey from Vic to Perpignan was 140 miles and was somewhat uneventful. The journey was mostly motorways and when we got to the border it was busy with police checking people's vehicles and passports. As soon as we entered France the backdrop changed, rolling green mountains which echoed grey shadows that went on for as far as the eye could see. Some of the peaks were out of sight, high in the clouds, the Southern Alps.
 

We enter a sleepy seaside town with what looks like an old disused water park and funfair, there are not many people around and it resembles a ghost town. We arrive at the campsite and get settled. We get showered and changed and head down to the bar to watch the England v Costa Rica game. The waitress brings over an appetiser, a kind of pork pie situation but cut into squares with a soft glazed pastry casing. It didn't last long and the taste of some carbs has forced us to order a chorizo pizza. We waddle down to the beach with Oscar for a quick run around before watching the sun set and heading back to the camper. The following morning is a slow start, the weather has turned so we are camper bound making the most of the wifi and planning our next few stops. We check out and set off around 11AM. 

The journey from Perpignan to our next stop in Toulon is 325 miles. We travel along dual carriageways lined with vineyards, each one offering free wine tasting. There are numerous farm shops selling meat, cheese, homemade preserves and fruit & veg but we resist the urge to stop. We notice four flamingos flying alongside the van through a field at one point, we are both dumbfounded, neither of us are quick enough to get the camera. We reach Marsielle, a bustling city where we sit, stuck in traffic for two hours. We are at a standstill high up on a bridge alongside the port, watching the freight trains plastered with bright, colourful graffiti come and go along the busy train network, from up here it resembles a bowl of spaghetti. We enter the port twice by mistake as our satnav spins 360 degrees at a frantic speed trying to figure out where we are. Eventually we drive alongside a marina, busy with little fishing boats and expensive yatchs, the water is clear and inviting and almost level with the road. Opposite the marina the streets are lined with shops, cafés and bars busy with locals.

Wild Camp 13: La Seyne-sur-Mer
A few miles outside Toulon, the road follows the waters edge for miles until we reach a maze of one way stretches, we follow the sat nav to a large sports complex where locals are playing football outside. There are already four other camper vans here, not to mention the dozens we noticed wild camping in lay-bys and on pavements along the waters edge. We park up and claim the second to last spot and within 10 minutes another camper has arrived and the car park is full. We cook dinner and go straight to bed both exhausted from the long journey.

 

Our next stop is Cannes. Quiet fishing village turned millionaires playground, unfortunately the film festival took place in May but we are excited all the same. So excited that we left la Seyne-sur-Mer at 5:45AM hoping to miss the traffic and avoid sitting in the heat, our camper is too old for air conditioning. By 7:30AM we are at a standstill. All the patisseries are busy with people buying their breakfast pastries and French sticks before heading to work. We eventually reach the campsite, 8KM outside of Cannes around 9AM. We get settled and wander into the town, there isn't much to see although we do come across our first European charity shop. Residents of the French Riviera have a somewhat individual style so we didn't pick anything up but it's always fun having a rummage through the rails. We sit outside a small bar and watch the world go by for an hour or so.

Later that afternoon we head back to the camper for a siesta and a break from the sun. It's starting to get so hot now and a little nap in the shade does us the world of good. After this we head down to the beach and watch some people playing volleyball. We can see Cannes right along the shoreline, it's beautiful. There are lots of luxury beach bars and posh seafood restaurants and Oscar's nose is working overtime. He snifs his way right along the beach to the beautifully lit up Casino Royal. The sun has gone down and it's starting to get dark but there are still lots of people sitting in groups along the beach with BBQs and wine. We walk along the river into the town before heading back to the camper. The next morning we drive through the centre of Cannes. It absolutely stinks of money here, the seafront is lined with designer shops, Louis Vuitton, Mui Mui, Gucci, Prada and Michael Kors to name a few. There are wealthy residents and a few tourists meandering along the pavements laden with shopping bags. We don't stop for long, our budget couldn't withstand more than about an hour here. We press on to the next wild camp about 32KM away. It was our intention to stay here for one night and make our way to Italy the following day.

We turn up and the wild camp is full, probably due to its location just outside Cannes. We decide not to hang around and head straight to Italy. If we are lucky we'll arrive before dark.

Heading Back To Espana - Madrid & Barcelona

We leave Madalena (Porto) and drive the width of Portugal 240 miles to Almedia on the Portuguese border. It takes us 7 hours to reach the wild camp, it's day two of the detox and we are one van of grouchy campers when we arrive.

Detox dinner, salmon, rice & veg 

Wild Camp 8: Almedia 

A quiet spot with a picnic area and toilets outside the village walls, inside the village wall a maze of quaint streets with locals shops, a bar, a post office a church, registry office and museum. It reached  34 degrees today so we sit outside in the evening as it got cooler and play Yahtzee. The following morning we get up early to walk around the village again before we leave for the next stop. We wander through the perfectly kept gardens and spot some birds nests opposite the fire station. We watch as the swallows fly back and forth to the nests with food for their young. As we are leaving the village we notice some old fire engines and a VW in the fire station so Jac asks to go in and look. The firemen let him wander around taking photos whilst they make coffee, we shout abregado (thank you) and head off for Spain. 

Heading back into Spain 

Wild Camp 9: Salamanca 

We arrive at the next spot 100 miles east of Almedia across the Spanish border. We are unimpressed with the location and our gut feeling is to move on. If this trip has taught us anything it's that's if you have a gut feeling it's usually right and you should follow it. With this in mind, we decided to have some lunch, walk the dog and head off. 

Our next destination, Madrid, is 150 another miles east. We travel through vast spreads of farmland and sometimes what seems like desert. There isn't another car for miles and the only sign of life are the ten or twenty birds of prey circling high above the dry, dusty terrain. Occasionally there is a abandoned building that has been taken over by stalks, now housing their huge nests on the highest points. These birds are so tall, with long spindly yellow legs and a wing span that must exceed two meters, we are fascinated and it's something you definitely have to see to appreciate. We eventually reach civilisation again and stop for supplies before checking into the campsite. 

The following day we intended to go to Madrid, we don't make it as we stayed up until 2am watching Breaking Bad. We do not leave the campsite all day, instead we do our washing and clean the camper van before taking a siesta in the afternoon. We head down to the bar to watch the football (England v Uragay). 100 Egyptian children turn up, part of a football academy, they are playing in a tournament in Madrid. A group of them appear after dinner and feed Oscar their desserts, yoghurt, his favourite, although when they started balancing yoghurt pots on his head as hats he sulks under the table. England lose against Uragay and Jac isn't best pleased. Kayleigh manages to refrain from making those stupid female World Cup related comments like 'there's always next time babe' and we head to bed. 

Arriving in Madrid 

The following morning we are up and packed away early ready to leave the campsite by 9. We FaceTime Alfie and Sophie before school and head into the city. We park at Atocho train station which is beautiful and grand. We spend all day walking around Madrid and see some of the most extrodinary buildings including the Museo Nacional Del Prado, Casa De America, Palacio De Cibeles Centrocentro and the Puerta De Alcala. Between visiting these amazing landmarks we spent our time staring at pictures of burgers and mayonnaise adverts and decided to stop tourturing ourselves and go for lunch (detox out the window). As soon we got to the restaurant we both fell straight off the wagon, we ordered a club sandwich (probably the best we've ever tasted) and fries to share. Oh and a bottle of water each for good measure. We shared a chocolate milkshake for afters and both waddled away feeling guiltyfor breaking the detox.

A street performer with Kayleigh 

Everywhere we looked there was something going on, people in Disney costumes, street performers and huge groups of 'lookie lookie' men selling the usual, bags, belts and sunglasses.

This man poured an endless pot of tea

It was getting late and we still had an 85 mile drive ahead of us so decided to head to the last point if interest and then make our way back to the camper. We walked to the Palacio Real which is Spain's equivalent of Buckingham Palace. It was beautiful with a huge queue of tourists at the gates wiating to go in, we strolled around the grounds for a while whilst Oscar jumper in and out of a water fountain before collapsing on the floor and deciding it was time for a quick nap. 

Walking around a busy city all day obviously takes it's toll 

After an amazing day we reluctantly paid the 20€ that our parking ticket demanded we owed before heading off for our next spot. 

Wild Camp 10: Ucles 

A sleepy spot with an impressive monastery high up on a hill overlooking the village. The wild camp spot is next to a large barn with a cemetery to the front and side, the book certainly didn't mention that but we decided to stay all the same. We walked along a river and made our way up what felt like a thousand steps to the monastery and enjoyed the view of the village. Keen to make a super early start in the morning we watched one episode of Breaking Bad and got an early night. The alarm was set for 5 AM and Oscar had been asleep for hours already. 

Wild Camp 10; Ucles 

Barcelona bound!! We both get up as soon as we hear the alarm excited to get to Barcelona. Another camper has arrived in the night so we quietly pack up and head off. We fill up with fuel and are on the road by 6. The sat nav says we will arrive by 1PM. Eleven hours and 500 miles later we arrive in Barcelona. The majority of the drive was on motorways, the occasional dual carriageway and three toll roads totalling 40€. We check into the campsite for one night (19€), do our laundry and take Oscar to the beach, but not before we have passed the shop for an ice cream. Both shattered from the long drive we flake on the sofa and manage four episodes of Breaking Bad before going to bed. The airport is busy and there are planes taking off every few minutes so neither of us sleep particularly well. 

Arriving in Barcelona 

The following morning we are heading into the city, I ask the receptionist for directions to a car park without height restrictions, she tells us not to drive into Barcelona as the crime rate is high and thieves are targeting camper vans and mobile homes. This worries us and we decided to drive in and take a look around before we decide what to do. We stumble across a large hotel with a high level car park with CCTV. We pack as much as we possibly can into the safe and head out to explore. We walked up and down busy streets for what felt like forever and didnt find anything remotely touristy, the map we had wasn't helping so we went to a cafe with wifi and checked google maps. Still no such luck, failing miserably we set off in search of Camp Nou, Barcelona's football ground. It's pretty spectacular so we spend a while wandering around and taking photos. Feeling satisfied that we have seen something in Barcelona we head back to the van and set off for our next spot. 

Wild Camp 11: Vic 1 (Gurb) 

70 miles north of Barcelona along the Mediterranean coast, a quiet spot just off the motorway outside a motorhome dealership. We decided to stop here as there are a couple of minor things that need replacing in the camper. We need a new waste water tank as our has split and spits out filthy dishwater whenever we use it. We were the only people at this wild camp although there were two lorries parked just around the corner so we feel safe to stay. Monday morning we were up early and at the motorhome dealership with our list of repairs, it came as no surprise and just our luck that today was in fact a national holiday therefore it was closed. This has happened on many occasions since we started our travels. Frustrated we walked Oscar around the neighbourhood and spent hours chatting about our travel plans and where else we would like to go. 

Wild Camp 12: Vic 2

Two miles down the road from Wild Camp 11, Vic 1. This wild camp was situated in a green area and was part of a large sports complex. It had shaded pitches, drinking water (100 litres 2€) and electricity (3 hours 5€). We decided to spend the night here and try the campervan repair place again the next day. We fell asleep in the sun after lunch and when we woke up there was a German couple parked next to us. We spent the majority of the evening chatting to them, they are en route home from a round the world trip, we were fascinated by their stories. 

Next stop, the south of France... 

Crossing the French border