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Harvey10 - Europe-bound
  • Pip Greenwood
  • John Anslow

Harvey10 - Europe-bound

Una aventura de 91 días de Pip & John Leer más
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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    Carving, and threading beads

    3 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    It's a bit over-rated this making things malarkey. We both spent the day sitting in the sun being 'creative'. For my part, this involved making a necklace with the beads I'd bought yesterday. When I'd finished, it looked wrong, so I undid it and started again, then repeat-repeat a few times. Almost completed now bar the thread knotting. Now't to write home about (or even on Find Penguins about 🤔), and it felt a bit of a day wasted. On the other hand, it was relaxing, warm and fairly enjoyable. John had similar success with carving a piece of olive wood, which he'd collected from his friend John-Paul in Portugal 2020. But he's persevering.
    On an evening walk just before sunset we realised that the beach was quite busy! At least in comparison to normal. The week-end has brought more people. Including some lads going crazy and loud with their motorbikes and sound systems in the woods. Luckily eased off now.    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    Social on site

    4 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We're not big socialisers and not outgoing types. In fact most people on the campsites we've been to seem fairly reserved. I think there are so many nationalities that you're never quite sure how to greet people or how to even start, let alone continue a conversation.
    So, not having my usual walking or keep fit chums to socialise with, we have few opportunities for conversation other than with each other.
    I have found the washing up area a good place to chat, though and so far have met an English woman who spent 4 months going with her partner to France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania in a small VW. They were heading to Portugal and staying a night or two in a hotel, which is a former palace north of Faro. If the going gets tough, e.g. raining too much, they often just go and stay in an air B&B. She had a few tips to share about the countries.
    Then I also chatted with the French woman with the young family of four kids. They are based in Dijon and travel in the winter, with her husband working on the move. She home educates the kids and they've been with them to Peru, French Polynesia, Portugal and England (Stevenage), where she gave birth to her 4th child, which she was carrying in a papoose on her back.
    Both those people left this morning.
    Whilst we were sitting in the sun with a cuppa, a woman passed by on her mobility scooter and asked if John's mug was from the Isle of Skye. She was a very outgoing Dutch woman who had spent many holidays in Scotland. She and her husband used to go to events on their Goldwing motorbike. She spoke colloquial English very well but with a Scottish accent and even said "Och aye". She invited us to drop by for a tea or coffee some time as she sped off on her. Scooter with a wave.

    Next, we talked to our Belgian neighbours when I plucked up the courage to ask him if he could play Angie by Bert Jansch. He did and it made my day. Beautiful. We asked if he could show us the instrument he had mentioned called a Nyckelharpa. It was amazing. He had made it himself. His 8th one.
    It was originally from the 16th century in Sweden. There's been a revival of it, and he and his wife go to Sweden regularly to Nyckelharpa events. We told his wife she's very lucky. She smiled and said "hmmm sometimes not so much, when I'm trying to read." I can imagine him practising in a campervan could be a strain.
    We chatted a while about our artwork too and Brexit etc.
    So that's it ... a little bit of a social life! 😉 😉    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    Of course another happy paddle

    4 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    So as well as enjoying a wee chat, I got to listen to live music, which I LOVED, read a bit, had a good 3.5 mile stroll in the sand plus a lovely tortilla and salad. We were too quick to judge Lidl. Really tasty.Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    A sort of sorting sort of a day

    5 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    It wasn't planned, but today, we ended up mostly sorting with a bit of reading on the side. Haircutting, laundering (finally a campsite that you can hang out your washing from tree to tree), working out an itinerary for the next leg and assessing the budget.
    It was a bit cooler with it being fairly cloudy, and we even had the heating on briefly this evening. It's 13° at 9pm, so not bad for early Feb.
    The site has got far fewer vans on it now and feels very different. That said, a van arrived this evening and two cats got out with the people. I'm a bit baffled how they stop them running off.
    There's rain forecast for Wednesday when we leave. Mind you, we're slightly concerned about encountering cold weather again as we travel inland and north. Also the news of French farmers trashing the motorways and other routes is another concern.    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    Staying ... Isla Christina

    6 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    I've just written at length about our day and restaurant experience, then lost the lot. So ... nutshell:
    Walk along beach and paddle, then into town to eat at Casa Pedros.
    A local downmarket, no frills type pavement restaurant with a rather brusque, make-your-mind-up waiter, but kinda friendly too. Lots of interesting characters there. We had good food and came home with a 2k box of strawberries for €5. John had taken pity on the guy who'd come to our table and we declined. Then a nearby table haggled him down to €4, and John thought it mean as €5 was a good and fair price. So called him back and said "yes please".
    The box weighed a bit less by the time we got home. 😉
    Strangely it was really hard to get the bill from the restaurant. There was a youngish guy kept singing, I think to do with carnival as they have contests.
    We weighed up our choices, the weather, the warmth and made a decision to stay another week. Then, as you can get 30 nights for the price of 20, we've paid for 20 and will decide later re how long to stay. A bonus is there's a carnival parade on Sunday and as we missed the first one by an hour or so, we're rather pleased to get a 2nd chance.    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    Beach saunter, lazy day

    7 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Fairly lazy saunter along the beach towards the bridge and back along the boardwalk, just 3.5 miles. The shells are so beautiful and the plovers are still racing the waves. John photographed a beetle and looked it up. Seems to be from the Brachycerus family.
    I forgot to bring a sunhat, so improvised with a scarf to protect my head and hair a little.
    Finished my necklace with a dab of nail varnish. John took the van to fill up and empty water.
    I tried some Spanish and finally learnt how to ask for the bill but have already forgotten, so I'm recording a screenshot on here.
    A fairly lazy day.    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    Call that rain?!

    8 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    An overcast day so we stayed on site and rain started about mid afternoon but it was a poor show I'd say. A mere sprinkling, so I went for a walk around the perimeter of the site with no need for a coat. Quite a variety of standards of accommodation on the site. There are permanent tent set-ups in some areas, which make it look a bit like an abandoned shantytown. The photographs don't show it so much. Old (very old) caravans in places, chalets of differing standards and the lovely white tents on platforms, which are waiting for fairweather inhabitants.
    There's some winter
    maintenance work ongoing and they're waiting for permission to prune the trees as it's a protected area.
    The motorhome areas are where the most ostentatious people are. Our van looks dwarfed by some of the vehicles here.    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    Call that rain (cont.)

    8 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    And the Swedish van next to us is pretty large. There's a Swiss one up the top seems more like a lorry and has a MASSIVE TV screen, which we can almost watch from here. There's a morphing colour changing light display on the outside. I'm pleased we are just understated grey with no decoration.
    We've seen vans announcing, 'Privelege', 'Superior', 'Advantage', 'Palace' (cost £500,000) and on the internet there's a 'Grand Empire' costing €686,552.
    I'm pleased I checked out the translation of this tin in the shop. Tripe, rind gelatin with lard didn't really appeal.
    The rain is a bit more now and making a gentle splatter noise on the roof. Bit of a wind picking up too.    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    1 - Some proper puddles!

    9 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Last night it rained ... a lot! I had a lie in enjoying the sound of rain on the van roof and watching raindrops, plus Wordle-ing of course. John sat in his chair and read.
    When we opened the blinds and side door, we found ourselves in 'a bit of a puddle!'. We weren't the only ones. The site maintenance chap came and cleared a drain blocked with vegetation, and soon we were cleared but still muddy.
    When the sun came out we decided to make a quick dash to the beach for 15 mins or so to see the waves that we could hear roaring. No time to comb hair etc as more rain was imminent.
    Once we were out, the power of the waves was so exhilarating, we just kept on walking. The tide was the highest we'd ever seen and was still an hour or so before high tide, so there were afew dashes towards the higher dunes! 3.5 miles later, we reached some buildings by the next town. And a restaurant with a covered area safe from the wind. What a sight we were and the only customers. Windswept and salty! My tuna salad was delicious! Ham croquettes were also delicious and of course the boquerones fritos and tomatoes. 😃 John's choices.
    I tried out some Spanish on the very patient lady who served us and didn't speak English. Two coffees for me at €1.50 each and 2 beers for John at €2 each.
    The walk there and back along the beach was so enjoyable we hardly noticed the time and distance. Quiet beach at high tide, though a woman was in the water topless and throwing herself sideways into the waves! A brave soul swimming on her own in such conditions. I decided against a paddle this time.    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound
    2

    2 - Some proper puddles

    9 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Cont ...

  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    Usual stuff ... walks

    10 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    A food shop had to happen at some point. As the fridge was empty, it was time to step out to the supermarket along the beach and into town.

    The landscapes along the beach have changed due to the storm and water coming so high and washing away some previously soft slopes into now what I would describe as sand-cliffs. Onto the boardwalks we found large sand drifts so it was a bit like walking on the beach.

    We have to be careful that we don't overload ourselves, which is hard when you find something else you want, that's not on the list. Today we made the mistake of buying 'lomo', which up till now has always been gammon. Not today. 😞 We were really looking forward to it but when I cooked it, the meat was suspiciously like pork fillets. John REALLY doesn't like those. So he couldn't eat them and had to substitute cheese. Can't say I was too keen either but I ate mine.
    We stopped for a wee coffee for me and a double scoop ice cream for John. Only €5!
    Once back home, we went for more beach walking and saw big groups of plovers, including 2 or 3 with only 1 leg. I'm beginning to wonder if they hold one up.
    Back just before sundown in time for a shower and a disappointing tea.

    More beach photos ... of course.    Leer más

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  • Harvey10 - Europe-bound

    1 Carnival!!!

    11 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Rain almost stopped play today. SO glad we walked up to see if it was on! It was and it was such a sensual feast, visual, sound, dance and so much fun! All ages all shapes and sizes, anyone dressed as anything they liked on the streets and photographers dream!
    Between us we took many hundreds of photos. John took a proper camera and telephoto lens, so he has some cracking shots!
    Eardrums suffered but only temporarily. I can still hear the fun going on now.
    There was a fairground later and there was such a buzz.
    After 3 hours, we sat and had some special (especalada) burger (burguesa) and baguette. Chicken, ham, fried eggs salad and chipsticks, all in a bun. Delicious!
    Too many photos for one day, so I may continue to post over the coming days.    Leer más

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    1

    Walking to Islantilla

    12 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    "Hey, fancy a short walk down to the beach and back?"
    8.5 miles later, we arrived back home, 15 minutes before sundown. Twas getting a wee bit cold in just shorts and tops with arms exposed. Top temperature was 20° today. 😃
    We had a look around Islantilla, which was built as a holiday town, purposefully for tourists. I read that in 2010 the population was 460, swelling to 100,000 in the summer apparently. It now has a population of 640, I don't know how many in the summer. Needless to say, it was deserted. But quite nicely built.
    We managed to find a cafe with doors open and just two tables laid out facing the sun. I used my best Spanish to ask if we could have drinks (bebes), the answer was unintelligible to us, so we persevered and got coffee and orange juice, she said no to beer. As European coffees are very different to UK coffees, I have a little ritual and I order "descafinado cafe, con un poco de leche y grande taza" (which I THINK means decaffeinated coffee with a little milk and large cup). I have varying results, usually involving disappointment at the size of the cup. Often a mere thimble. As per pic from 2022 in Pamplona showing how unimpressed I was that they considered it a large cup!
    Today was different, she came with two glasses and asked me which I wanted. Of course I chose the largest. When it came it was the largest coffee I've ever had in Europe, they seemed quite amused, as were we when I realised it had no handle and was so hot that I couldn't hold it without a tissue. It must have been at least half a pint! Took me forever to drink, and there's nowhere to have a pee on the 4 mile walk back!
    As we sat there, we realised that the two tables were set up for the owners and they were having a lunch break, so probably what she was trying to tell us was that they were closed. We had started something because another person came along and there was discussion before they let him have a drink. Then another persistent English couple and the owners kept saying 'closed now' but eventually reluctantly got them a table and drinks too. They brought us a tiny dish of what seemed like stuffing with pork pieces, two teaspoons to eat it. Really tasty. They were friendly but wanted a quiet day I think.
    Carnival video from yesterday.    Leer más

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    Oh, the Carnival - the singing!!

    13 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    WOW! As if the parade a few days ago wasn't stimulating enough, the lady on reception here told us there's more! So, with a keen appetite, we went into town again with an open mind re what we might find. It was absolutely brilliant and we had a fantastic time! Not back home till well after midnight, so I'm writing this in retrospect to catch up. We have SO many photos and videos, I'll have to post my quota of one video per day for weeks!
    What we loved was that all over the streets, there were groups of people singing outside bars and most people were dressed up in way over the top carnival style. Some of the singing was fantastic. They were so passionate and expressive. Every singer was strong and giving it their all. It was all pretty much about carnival and 'amour' (I think). I've never seen so many men and boys comfortable in wigs, lipstick and tutus!
    I even got an urge to dance so just went up to a group of women and joined in, then a fully costumed carnival lady came up and danced with me. I loved it! This is very unusual for me, especially sober. People were so welcoming and inclusive and generally pleased if you took a photo, so John was popular with his telephoto lense.
    One man cleared people out of the way so that I could get a clear video of some singers. He was very proud to tell me as much as he could about the singing and that when they'd finished, they'd be singing with a group of 50 people.
    We waited in a square where something appeared to building up. Eventually that group paraded with a drumbeat lead and we eagerly followed. We were the only ones and they were back streets. They invited us to go in to an indoor singing area with a bar and children singing, then more children singing. Very good and very cute, the youngest being a very accomplished 3 year old, fully engaged, singing the words and stomping her feet in the right places. Amazing! We were about to leave after about 8 songs, when our troupe of singers took to the stage. We were both blown away with the drama and passion of it all. When we left, another group was singing. We wondered whether it went on all night with 50 groups!

    We're so glad we didn't come home after our burger at the fair around nine (which is when we'd been told it finished) and went back into the bar areas to see more singers.
    What a great evening, and all free!    Leer más

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    Valentines, sardine, carnival

    14 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Another full-on evening of fun and frolics at the carnival. Writing in retrospect again as we were home so late!
    We were told the procession to bury the sardine started at 5pm. In fact it started at 7.30 (Spanish time, so 8pm). We couldn't find anywhere serving food, so did a fair bit of wandering and waiting. It was a funeral procession with a symbolic sardine and black widows plus more. Less organised than before. All sorts of crazy sights and I've never seen so many blokes and boys comfortable in wigs, lipstick, and tutus.
    Many photos later we went to a familiar restaurant and inadvertently ordered far too much food. Unlike us not to leave the plates bare. Came home stuffed, tired and I was cold. Had a passing chat with our neighbours from NE UK. who were dining in Casa Pedro. They've 'been there. done that' re carnivals, having lived in Fuertaventura for four years. They have Spanish residency.
    Pics later (got carried away with shots of confetti on floor and motion blur while we were waiting for the action. Note the single boot, in the spirit of one legg-ed plovers).    Leer más

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    Recovery and rest

    15 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We're not used to late nights, noise, people everywhere, and all the excitement, so we had a quiet subdued day and wandered down to the sea briefly.
    The drums started again this eve. Their fun's going on and on. We can't take the pace.
    One pic for now but likely more later.    Leer más

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    Kids in a sweet shop!

    16 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    The shops often shut at 1pm and open again at 5 pm, so we went into town this morning so I could buy some material, and we looked around the bazaars. So we got lots of bits and bobs, fabric, art and craft stuff, braids, beads, make-up, and came home with an almost 'grown-up' equivalent of a 'Claires Accessories' stash!
    I think we maybe (or I did anyway) missed out on some stage of our development. 😉
    But come to think of it, Claire's Accessories didn't exist when I was growing up. Fred Aldous was the closest thing to it.
    Video from parade last Sunday 11th ... there will be more.    Leer más

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    A welcome and a wander

    17 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    We stopped by some fellow campers on our way to the beach and had a wee chat and were welcomed and offered a wee cuppa. They are from the Netherlands but have spent so much time in Scotland that they both speak with Scottish accents and use phrases like 'och aye'. Had a great chat with them. She uses a mobility scooter to get around. In their younger days, they toured Scotland and other places on their Goldwing bike, including the Lakes, and tried going over Hardknott Pass (1 in 4) with a motorbike pulling the scooter on a trailer. Three separate locals stopped at the bottom and advised them not to. It wasn't till the third one that they took heed. That was because it was advice from a fellow biker. They returned a few years later with their campervan and learnt from experience, and the wheels not fitting on the tarmac, that it really wasn't a good idea in a camper either.

    Walking along the beach, there were quite a few people in one area collecting cockles, both in the water and along the shore.
    The town was full of people still donning costumes and a whole bar taken up by dung beetles, who'd carefully placed their 'shells' whilst they ate.
    We planned to eat at Casa Pedros on the way home but got the timing wrong. We're quite good at that.
    I tried to use Spanish to ask if they were still open and if we could eat and mimed eating. The answer came in German so I tried my German and he said in German that we could eat, so we ordered drinks while we studied the menu. Then another chap came and spoke Spanish, we didn't understand but he made it clear they weren't serving food. It was a strange experience being served by a Spanish person who would only speak German and made no attempt to understand my Spanish, even though I told him in German that we are English. He came across as very odd. Not someone most places would want on their staff.
    Hey ho, we came home and ate here.

    It's Saturday so Spanish families come to camp at the w/e. It's quite interesting to see the difference in their style of camping. They fill every inch of the pitch. With tents, cars, caravans, long trestle tables, chairs, bikes, washing and people! It's quite funny to compare it with their neighbour in my photo. Just one vehicle with canvas on the roof.    Leer más

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    Sunday market

    18 de febrero de 2024, España

    We've been here for weeks, and only yesterday did we discover that there's a market here on Sundays! Of course, we had to go and check it out. Once again, we were not disappointed. Well, there was a generality of stalls more like a jumble sale with tables and piles of clothes and shoes to rummage through. The latter sometimes on the floor and people were rooting through to find a matching pair. But there were also some material stalls, and John found some material for me to make him a steampunk coat. I got some trimming stuff and a fun colourful top.
    There are still people dressed up and partying. I liked some of the teapot hats and asked if I could take a photo, ending up with the dad holding my phone and getting me to join all the females of the family in a posed shot. They're very friendly.
    We stopped at John's favourite pastelleria and he had a slice of nata. A woman was there buying two massive versions, like gateaux, enough to feed 18. John's not impressed with the town maintenance from a walking surface P.O.V. They've clearly spent a lot of money on the tiles for the blue and yellow precincts. But they don't do repairs much, and when they do, they don't match the colours. This is Spain, known for its tiles industry! Also the pavements are a hotchpotch of undulating hazards. You have to be on alert for very raised or sunken paving, dog poo is a big problem, they don't have fines like the UK. It's everywhere and John trod in one today. 😞
    Plus in the woods and on the campsite, we need to look out for processionary caterpillars. They can be quite dangerous, realeasing tiny spikes if disturbed. There were some by the toilet yesterday.
    Back here for the afternoon and I had a play with beads in the sunshine. John read. Another shorts day.    Leer más

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    John's photos and 'The Conversation'

    19 de febrero de 2024, España ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    It had to happen sooner or later ... today it did. We had 'the conversation' which we've been putting off about when we have to leave here in time to get to the ferry port of Dieppe. We've decided to be here for a few more days yet before long drives north to colder climes. We really need to realise that it is in fact February, which is winter, especially inland.
    But it was 23° here and too hot in the sun. Shorts weather. News of very heavy rain in Wales is not so good.
    A lazy day with a pleasant 4 mile paddle along the shore and laundry done and hung out.
    All photos are John's of various times during the carnival. More to come.    Leer más

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