Caves & Castles

This is our journey back to France, Spain & Portugal to visit some of the things we’ve overlooked in the past. Read more

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Caves & Castles Misadventures Of Wanda
Back on our own
November 18, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
I was up at the crack of dawn and the whole morning was quite hectic with Ellie’s brothers family rushing around putting things away and packing as they were leaving.
At 12:30pm we all bundled into Wanda and took the 30 mile drive to Faro Airport where we all said our goodbyes and then Ellie and I were back in our own.
We went back to the villa for a couple of hours and then decided to head out in the car back to Pêra.
We parked on the beach at the other end of town and then took the 5km walk all the way down the boardwalk all the way through town to the other end and once there we are at the Indian restaurant again where we had eaten last night.
Once dinner was out of the way we walked back to the car in the pitch black feeling very fat.Read more
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Caves & Castles Misadventures Of Wanda
Last day at Portugal House
November 19, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
I didn’t sleep well at all considering we even changed beds and I was up at 6:30am watching the mist clear from the golf course opposite the house.
Today would be our last day at the Portugal house and once Ellie was up and we were both dressed we started re-packing Wanda and tidying the house.
At 11am we drove to Silves in the car to do the shopping for Wanda and once we were back we emptied the fridge in the house and loaded Wanda.
I had a last dip in the pool and then I went to say goodbye to Diego. The kitten we had left here 3 years ago, then at 4:30pm we left the Portugal house and drove to Silves.
Our plan was to spend the night in the car park at Silves but day parking only section was completely empty so I didn’t like to chance staying there and we didn’t want to pay €9 to sleep in the Motorhome area so then we drove back to the house.
Once we were back at the house I remembered seeing a Motorhome in the car park at the local theme park so I checked Park4night and found the location and we set off. The only reason we didn’t stay back at the house was because we had cleaned it and the driveway slopes.
At 6:30pm we arrived in the Zoomarine car park. It was quiet, dark and level so this would be our park up for the night.Read more
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Portel & Moura
November 20, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
We were up at 6:30am and we had both had quite a good nights sleep. We left our park up at Zoomarine just before 9am and I’d left the sat nav to use the toll roads and soon after leaving we picked up the A22 and then the A2 northbound, it cost us around €11 to cover 100 miles on the tolled motorway and we arrived at our first stop of the day, Portel, at 11am.
After a quick brunch we took a walk into town and then up to the castle.
Before we got to the castle we had to go into the interpretation centre which gave us the history of the castle and at the end of the timeline it said the castle was to be restored but this had only started in 2023 so unfortunately we could only walk around the outside of the structure.
After the castle we headed further up the hill to a derelict building which turned out to be an old flour mill. It was a fascinating structure and even the old millstone was left at the bottom of the mill.
Our original plan was to spend the night in Portel but once again we had peaked really early and it was only 1:30pm so we decided to move on to a place I had seen on park4night.
Moura beach is a newly built area 10 miles outside of Moura town and it is built around the reservoir. It has a boating lake, a large cafe, and 2 swimming lakes, one shallow for children and a deeper one for adults. We arrived there at 2:15pm with blue skies and warm sunshine and it was beautiful. The first thing I did was go swimming in the lake. It was debatable on whether it was warmer than the pool at the Portugal house but it was very enjoyable.
Once I was dressed we spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in Wanda watching boats and waiting for the sunset.
At 5pm we drove round to the top of the reservoir to take some photos where there were giant letters that say “ On A Clear Say You Can See Forever” it was a great sign and a nice sunset.Read more
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Monsaraz
November 21, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
We both had a terrible nights sleep as we realised we had mosquitos in Wanda just as we were getting into bed. We saw 2 and tried to get them but missed and then they vanished. I woke up at 3am roasting but I couldn’t throw the covers off because I didn’t want to get eaten any more than I already had and I pretty much spent the rest of the night awake.
As soon as we woke up we spotted the mozzys and squashed them.
At 9:30am we left our park up by the lake and drove 35 miles to our next park up in Monsaraz. This was an unplanned stop but the reviews seemed good and it was near a medieval town so we thought we’d give it a look and were glad we did.
Monsaraz is a real medieval town with its original cobbled stone streets that hardly changed since the 12th century partly because the roads were only ever wide enough for a horse and cart. Now the residents who have vehicles have to follow a one way system.
There is a castle that was repurposed for use as a bullring in the 1930’s and is now being restored and 2 ancient churches. Most of the buildings are original and have just been modernised at the whole town is a rabbit warren of tiny roads and walkways. We also found 2 very cats one of which showed us all the way around the castle before he finally left us back in the Main Street. He was very pretty.
We had lunch of Baguettes and coffee in one of the restaurants and then made our way back to Wanda for the early afternoon.
We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling in Wanda until dinner time and once it got dark we headed back into the town to have a look with all the twinkling lights.Read more
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Elvas
November 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
We left Monsaraz just after 9am and drove 1 mile down the road to the next town as that’s where the dump station and fresh water were located. From there we took an hours drive north to the fortified city of Elvas.
The city of Elvas has always been a fortified city and was on the northern and eastern most frontline of the Portuguese borders dating back to the 15th century.
In the mid 16th century the Spanish invaded and decided to build 2 forts with side of the city, essentially flanking it but although the construction of these forts started in the 1650’s they hadn’t been completed by the late 1790’s by which time the war had taken a different course and the forts were completed by the Portuguese.
There star shapes make these forts almost impregnable and even today they are considered to the most heavily fortified and impregnable forts in the world and are a UNESCO world heritage site.
Our first stop was Forte de Santa Luzia where we spent the princely sum of €3 each to get in.
The fort has been fully restored thanks to a government initiative back in 2015 and this includes, the barracks, stables, armoury, tunnels that ran from the fort into town and the governors house on top of the fort.
The whole of Elvas has literally been restored, and painted it’s original colours which includes the 2 flanking forts and the whole of the fortified city.
To really appreciate it you need to see it from the air. All of the forts and the city are a defensive star shape.
From Forte de Santa Luzia we drove Wanda to our park up for the night underneath the Amoreira Aqueduct. This was how the main city of Elvas got its water. Once we were parked we walked up into the city and still the only way to gain entry is by passing through one of 5 portals that were former drawbridges.
Once inside the city walls we visited the castle, then wandered through the cobbled streets looking in the shops. We brought some roasted chestnuts from a street vendor and watched as the Christmas market and ice rink was being erected ready for next week.
At 4pm we got back to Wanda just as a little shower started outside that didn’t last too long and we spent the rest of the evening inside.Read more
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Merida
November 23, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
We left our park up in Elvas at 10am and it took just over an hour to drive the 55 miles back into Spain and arrive at our parking spot in Merida.
2000 years ago this town was known as Augustas Emerita for the thousands of years the romans were here. It was a massive and very important Roman town with visits from Augustas, Julias Ceaser, Marc Anthony and Nero which shows how long this town has been established. It had an amphitheatre, theatre, temple of Diana, Roman baths, a Roman circus or racetrack as we would call it. A court house and other judicial buildings, not to mention the town itself and the various businesses you would normally find in a town. Basically Augustas Emerita was massive in its day.
Our first stop was the amphitheatre and theatre where we brought a combined ticket to visit all locations dotted across the city for €17 each.
The amphitheatre was really impressive and we actually walked in seating area. Walked down the steps that the dignitaries would have used and walked through where the gladiators would have waited before going out. It was amazing to get so close and to touch the stone pillars that are over 2000 years old.
Next to the amphitheatre is the Theatre and it’s pretty intact and is still used for performing arts today. It’s difficult to comprehend how the pillars were made and how the blocks of stone that are bigger than me were put in place.
From the theatres we crossed the road to the Casa del teatre or the house of the theatre. This house probably belonged to a Roman dignitary as it was massive and had a courtyard for greeting people.
Some of the mosaics were still on the floor in some of the rooms. They are incredibly intricate.
From the House we travelled on foot through the city to the Alcazar or ancient fort. This was once Roman and housed the Roman army but sometime after the romans left the Muslims invaded this region and built the fort we see today from some of the old Roman buildings and then they renamed the town Merida.
From the Alcazar we headed back towards our parking area cutting through the city and visiting the Trajan Arch which was the main entrance to Augustas Emirita. Once the Muslims arrived the only entrance was over the old Roman bridge as the whole city was walled in. After the arch we visited the Basilica of Santa Eulalia and its underground crypt. The crypt was fascinating as there were hundreds of stone coffins underneath the Basilica and what is now the floor of the church used to be lower. Unfortunately there just wasn’t a lot of information in the crypt to tell us who was there and why.
By the time we got back to Wanda it was 5pm and we’d had a full day of walking covering 8km but it felt like more.Read more
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Plasencia
November 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
We had a good nights sleep in Merida considering we were right in the city Center and at 9am we left before the streets got busy.
We had a 100 mile drive ahead of us and as soon as we got on the motorway we realised how windy it was and we had to drop the speed down to just 50mph.
We were heading for the city of Plasencia today and 20 miles before we got there we stopped to fill up our LPG tanks and the wind just seemed to increase.
At 11:30am we arrived at our parking spot. The Puente Nuevo ( new bridge) car park and the wind was now gusting up to 40mph.
We were here for me to ride a Via Verde but after getting changed and unhooking my bike I decided it was a very bad idea and swiftly put it back on the back.
It was a Sunday so very few would be open so we decided to have a lazy day and watch kids films on the TV.
At 4pm with the wind still howling we took a walk into the city and we were surprised. From the outside the city looks like a pit, but getting into the city center via outside public escalators took us into a very historic center with some huge buildings dating back to the 14th & 15th century.
There were 3 huge churches, a monastery, a convent, a huge indoor market place, an orphanage and a huge house that is now the modern day law courts. Obviously being Sunday nothing was open but it was interesting and we needed the walk.
We got back to Wanda just after 5pm and it was still windy so we spent the rest of the evening inside.Read more
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The Via Verde ruta de la punta
November 25, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
The wind had dropped off overnight but in the early hours the rain started and I could hear it even with earplugs.
Fortunately by 9am the rain had stopped and although it was still wet outside, Blue sky was appearing and it looked to be a good day.
I got dressed into my cycling gear and at 9:30am I set off and I had a 1km ride through the park before I picked up the trail for the Via Verde ruta de la punta or route of the tip.
The route started off going through a short tunnel and then across a huge viaduct. 2km up I crossed another viaduct and this one was surrounded by vultures and kites. They were just gliding at head height across the top of the viaduct.
I wanted to do 50km up this route to get my 100km in and it was a beautiful ride and the scenery was like the Peak District with big rocks and small waterfalls.
35km in came across a fallen tree and a lady struggling to get around it with a double buggy and lots of backpacks and 2 dogs.
I asked her if she needed in help in Spanish and she said yes. I don’t know what was in the buggy but it must have weighed over 100kgs. She would never have manoeuvred it on her own. When we got around the tree we had a small conversion in Spanish and she gave me a hug because she was so grateful, then I was back on the bike to complete my 50km up the trail.
On the way back the tree had been moved by the via verde people in a truck and u didn’t see the lady I’d helped again.
Stupidly I’d forgotten my food but I had remembered drinks and by the time I got back to Wanda at 3pm I was starving. I’d covered 104km.
After a quick bite to eat Ellie and I then took a 9km walk back to the via verde so she could see the vultures but by the time we got there the sun was setting and we only saw 3.
Hopefully we’ll see them tomorrow.Read more
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Avila
November 26, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C
We had another good nights sleep in the free car park in Plasencia and I slept like the dead. We woke up at 7:45am and it had been a cold night of 9°c and I had to light the fire for the first time on this trip to take the chill out of the air while we had coffees.
At 9:45am we took a walk back to the via verde to try and see the vultures but it wasn’t warm enough and there weren’t any so we took a 9km walk for nothing.
We got back to Wanda a midday and then took a 100 mile drive to the walled city of Avila which took 2 1/2 hours and we arrived just before 3pm.
We have had to pay for this aire as it’s right in the outskirts of the medieval city and it is cost €12 but that includes hot showers and toilets.
I’d already checked on google maps to see what the sights would be here and it looked like a lot of churches, convents and monasteries and once we were inside the walls that’s exactly what it was.
This town is most famous for being the birth place of mother teresa of jesus and there is a church named after her on the very place where the house she was born in used to stand. We didn’t go in the church but we did pay the €2 to enter the catacombs which are now a museum dedicated to her. Even after the museum we couldn’t tell you why she was a saint.
Avila is a large walled city with a lot of nothing inside and I would think most people come here to walk the ramparts which cost €8 each and to visit the cathedral which was closed when we arrived. It didn’t matter to us. This was just a secure stop on the way back through Spain and we knew that some of our stops on the way home would be like this.
As the sun started to set the temperature dropped and the sky turned a fiery red and orange. By 8pm it was just 6°c outside and it was set to get to 0° by the early hours. This will be our coldest night yet.Read more
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Santo Domingo de Silos
November 27, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
We were awake late today at 8:30am and it was a very cold -1°c outside and just 5°c inside.
I lit the fire and we waited for Wanda to warm up before moving.
At 10am we left the air and did a quick shop at Lidl and then hit the road.
Our original plan was to go to the city of Segovia but it was just for a stop and I decided to push further up and go to a little town called Santo Domingo de Silos. This would be the starting point of a big canyon hike.
It took us 3 hours to reach the medieval town of Santo Domingo de Silos and we parked up in the large tourist car park next to a German Motorhome. It was now 2:30pm and we decided to take a little walk around the area today and do the hike tomorrow.
We were surprised how pretty the town was and it really is medieval dating back to the 15th century. There are 3 churches here, a convent and a monastery which is still in use today and the monks do Gregorian chanting.
At 6:45pm all if the bells sounded from all of the religious buildings for 2 minutes. Then at 7pm they did it again. The sound is amazing.Read more
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Hiking La Yecla Gorge
November 28, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
We were woken up at 7:45am by a 2 minute blast from the bells. Then at 8am they sounded again. There is definitely no lay ins in this town.
It had been a very cold night,into the minus numbers and I spent the first half of the morning sorting out the squeaky brakes on my bike.
Just after 11am we left Wanda and started our hike down through the town and out the other side and into the wilderness following the path of the Yecla stream.
After 3.5km we came to a metal walkway that was built over the stream and we started climbing.
Before long we were into a gorge and well above the stream that was now a river that had carved beautiful water filled potholes into the canyon below and we were walking on a narrow walkway climbing up all the way.
The walkway followed the entire canyon for the 2km and when we came out the other side we were surrounded by hundreds of Vultures circling above us, it was an incredible sight.
We stood there for around 15 minutes watching them before making the journey back the way we had come.
By the time we got back to Wanda we had walked 10km, that’s 6 miles, and it had taken us 2.5 hours and the time was now 1:30pm.
It was a beautiful day and we sat in Wanda with the door and Windows open chilling until around 5pm and as the sun started setting the temperature dropped fast. By 7pm it was just 6°c.Read more
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Back to Arnedillo
November 29, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
We left Santo Domingo de silos just after 9am and took a very windy road towards the city of Soria where we filled up with diesel and then continued another 50 miles up into the mountains of the La Rioja region and to one of our favourite places Arnedillo.
We arrived in Arnedillo at 12:45pm and we filled up with water and emptied our toilet before finding a parking spot next to 2 other moho’s. Then I had a shave and a shower before putting my trunks on and then Ellie and I wandered down the very steep hill over the high street and down to the hot springs.
There were already around 15 people in them but the coldest one at 37°c was empty so we got straight in there.
Every 5-10 minutes u would get out and immerse myself in the ice cold river next to the hot springs and then get back in and gradually as people left I moved up the 3 pools into the hottest one which is a constant 40°c. We sat in there for about 20 minutes baking our brains and relaxing before we started the walk home back up the very steep hill.
Back at Wanda we had a late lunch and were joined by the stray cats which was great as I’d brought some cat food from home and we brought extra biscuits during our last shop. Most of the cats were very skittish except for one silver one who was super friendly and kept coming back for cuddles even when the food had run out.
We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling out in the sun until a couple of vanlifers came up and pinched the bench behind us. Fortunately once they had, had dinner they left. Then we mainly fed the cats for the rest of the evening.Read more
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Via Verde cidacos & hot springs
November 30, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
After a good nights sleep we were awake at 8am which was a good thing because at 9am the bread van turned up honking his horn like it was some kind of emergency.
We brought a fresh Chapata and a warm croissant.
At 10am I got on my bike and headed down the hill and back towards the hot springs where the via verde cidacos starts by running through a huge tunnel. I had really been looking forward to this route thinking that once I was through the next town which is just 3km away I’d be out in no man’s land but this wasn’t the case.
The route was 35km long and I ended up passing through 4 small towns before ending up in the city of Calahorra. Then I turned around and made the uphill journey at 2% all the way back to Wanda including the very steep 15% hill up to our aire.
I got back at 2pm having done 70km and Ellie had been for a walk also on the via verde but went to the viewpoint to see the vultures.
We spent the rest of the afternoon back at Wanda sitting on the bench cuddling the cats and talking to our Swedish neighbours. Then after dinner we headed back down to the hot springs in the dark for another dip in the hot springs but it was heaving. This is obviously the time people come with their bottles of wine because it was definitely a party atmosphere and not very relaxing.
We were back in Wanda at 8pm and luckily I had made the bed before we left so we spent the next hour watching TV in bed.Read more
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The Roman city of Los Banoles
December 1, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
We left Arnedillo at 10am, it was chilly but sunny and looked set to be a good day except that after 10 miles down the road we hit a fog bank and the scenery disappeared for the rest of the day.
Just before 1pm we arrived in Layana. A tiny little village with a free aire at the end of it and it really is the end of it because this is where the main road ends and gravel begins.
We parked Wanda, had some lunch and a rest hoping the fog would clear and although we do think it thinned slightly it did stay si at 3pm we set off down the gravel track on foot. This is the old Roman road into what was once the city of Los Bañoles and it was a massive city 2000 years ago. It is now just a site to walk around covering over 2 miles and there are no fences, barriers, ticket booths or even tourists. This place has literally just been left which is a shame because it is fascinating and one of the best sites we’ve been to. There are still huge columns and the edges of buildings with steps in. You can clearly see the layout of buildings and even the town. There are ancient Roman baths, monoliths to victorious warriors and governors and even the remains of a huge aqueduct, it really was incredible.
We were out for almost 2 hours and walked 7km and when we got back it was dinner time.Read more
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Alquezar - Catwalks of the Vero River
December 2, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
We were up at 8:15am and after a couple of quick coffees we were ready to roll just after 9am.
Just outside the aire was fresh water where we filled up and tipped off our grey and then our next stop was 70 miles away in Huesca to do our last Spanish supermarket shop. In Lidl we brought all the Spanish sweets we could fit in Wandas cupboards, stocked up with Spanish sweet treats in the fridge and got enough food to do 4 days dinners.
Back in Wanda it was another 22 mile drive to the medieval town of Alquézar. High up in the mountains and perched on the side of a cliff I had seen this place on La Vuelta.
We arrived at 1pm and We were here to do the Gorge Walk also known as the catwalks.
We left Wanda and headed down into the town and the tourist information centre and paid €5 each and the lady at the counter gave us a map and sent us on our way.
As I mentioned, Alquezar is perched high up on the edge of a cliff with the Vero river running down below. Now we had to negotiate wet and slippery stone steps 100 meters down to the valley floor. Once down at water level it was a little muddy and still slippery until we reached the man made steps and metal narrow walkways they call the catwalks and then we were traversing the gorge hanging off the side of the mountain.
It was a beautiful walk. The river was the clearest we have ever seen because of the limestone, The catwalks took us over the river, around the mountainside and even when we were ascending we didn’t notice. The views were spectacular, with waterfalls, Bearded Vultures circling above us and the castle of Alquezar in the background. This was one of our favourite hikes of the trip.
Once we left the catwalks and the trail, back in town it was all uphill to Wanda our legs were burning. We had walked 6.5km and climbed 233 meters.
We got back to Wanda at 4pm and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the mist come back in to the valley below. We had been so lucky with the weather today.Read more
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Back to France
December 3, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
We were up at 8am but in no particular hurry as today was our last day in Spain. That would mean no-more heat, although we haven’t had that much, no more pistachio filled eclairs or croissants, and no more practising speaking Spanish. We will miss Spain.
We left Alquezar at 10am and it would be a 4 hour journey into the Pyrenees, criss-crossing Aragón and Catalonia all the way to the Vielha tunnel with beautiful Mountain View’s all the way. It was a spectacular drive and a road through the mountains we hadn’t taken before.
Passing through the Vielha tunnel we were still in Catalonia for the next 20 miles but these were the most French, Spanish towns we had ever been through. Everything looked French but the signs were in Spanish and sometimes Catalan. It was bizarre.
We finally reached our parking spot in the town of Montrejeau at 2:30pm and the first thing we did was make lunch and have a cup if tea.
Our parking spot for the night is just a random car park but it’s in a beautiful area right next to the lac de Montrejeau and a golf course.
Around 3:30pm we headed out to stretch our legs and did a lap of the lake and park and then it was back to Wanda for the rest of the day.Read more
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Carcasonne & the Christmas Markets
December 4, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
We had a rough nights sleep in the car park. We were joined by the local boy racers at 9:30pm doing handbrake turns and beeping there horns which was intimidating and annoying, and despite every review we had read stating that the trains stopped at 10pm they didn’t. And to make it worse from 10:30pm every train that passed beeped it’s horn until 1:30am.
We decided to take the toll roads to Carcasonne as it was 2 hours quicker but only 7 miles shorter as we were both knackered.
Our first option for parking was a vineyard farm stay but the ground was unbelievably sloping and they had a dog in a kennel barking it’s head off and there were no services so after lunch I decided to move and we parked in our usual spot at Le Cite Aire du camping car, this cost us an extra €14 but that’s because Ellie said we had a 3rd person with us accidentally but here we have water, it’s flat and there’s no barking dogs.
We chilled out in the afternoon and grabbed a quick nap, then after dinner we walked into the new town to see the Christmas lights and the market which opened today.
As we walked into the park we could see the stalls and all the Christmas stuff was out but nothing was lit up. I thought I had completely screwed up and just as we were about to leave the park suddenly all the Christmas lights came on.
It was amazing. It actually looked and felt like Christmas was coming. The lights looked spectacular and all the animatronics were moving. From the park we walked up to La Bastade, the centre of town and then Christmas really hit us.
Here there were loads of market stalls in a huge square, an inner square where the craft items were sold and an outer square around that where food and drink was sold. Then at the centre of it all was a huge ice rink. We had mold wine and it was super good.
Once we were done with the markets we took a long walk back to Wanda via the medieval city which was open but there were no people and I really wished I had taken my proper camera.
Walking the deserted streets was eerie and strange as it felt like we shouldn’t have been there and in the past we had to fight our way through the crowds.
After a lap of the medieval city we took the route back along the river path in the dark which was creepy and we were glad to get back to Wanda as the temperature was dropping fast. We had just walked 7.5km.Read more
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Hiking des canalettes
December 5, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
We were up at 7:30am and we had a big drive ahead of us today so after coffee it was time to roll out of Carcasonne.
Our first stop was Decathlon in Carcasonne to Christmas presents for people and some shorts for us both for our upcoming Africa trip. Then it was 2 miles down the road to Lidl to do food shopping. After that it was another 1 mile trip to Lê, Clercs to fill up with fuel and then get 2 litres of oil to top Wanda up.
All of this took a couple of hours and by the time we actually left the vicinity of Carcasonne it had gone 11 o clock. Far later than I wanted and we still had a 2 1/2 hour drive ahead of us.
We decided to take the toll roads to our next stop as the mileage was the same but it was 50 mins quicker and we arrived at the parking area of Site des canalettes just after 1pm.
This marks a significant milestone in our trip as this is our final planned excursion, we have completed our list and after this our stops will be whatever else we find on the way home. For this final hike we needed it not to be raining which is why I really wanted to get here while the weather was good.
After a quick cup of tea we left Wanda at 2pm and headed down a gravel track following signs that said Les Cañoles. We now know that means canyons.
I knew that this was a gorge walk but Ellie didn’t and I wanted to keep it a surprise until we got there but I did get a little lost and we had to backtrack and start the hike again.
We marched through woods until the large rocks started appearing either side of us and then the ground started sloping down. Then the rocks formed walls and we realised we were in a canyon and it got tighter and narrower until we couldn’t walk any further. At this point we could have shimmied up the wall and into the next section but Ellie didn’t want to do that so we turned around and headed to the next canyon.
The next canyon was much deeper and longer and this one came to an abrupt end in total darkness. Then we had to turn around and head back to Wanda.
Thanks to me getting lost I’d added an extra 4km to our hike and an extra hour and by the time we got back to Wanda it was 4:45pm, the sun was staring to set and we still had to find a sleeping spot. Luckily l had marked one off first thing this morning and it was 20 miles and 35 minutes away and we arrived in Alzon at 5:20pm just as the sun was setting.
Alzon has a free Motorhome area with a dump station and there were already 2 motorhomes here and we parked in between them. This looks like a beautiful little village but I don’t think we’re going to get a chance to explore.Read more
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Caves & Castles Misadventures Of Wanda
Issoire
December 6, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
We were up at 8am and had, had a pretty good nights sleep. The forecast has said rain overnight but we didn’t get that but now the wind had picked up and there were some very strong gusts.
We left the aire just after 9am having tipped off our grey water and emptied the toilet. We still had half our fresh water left from Carcasonne and we didn’t want to buy more.
We had a 150 mile drive ahead of us today and we left the aire with 3/4 of a tank of diesel. I had already decided to use the toll roads as we were in hilly terrain and I didn’t fancy decending all the way down into Millau and back up so we crossed over the Millau viaduct and it was unbelievably windy and we were down to 40mph and getting buffeted around.
After Millau we were onto the Hors Autoroute and as in the cycling world Hors means all category when it comes to climbing mountains and this road was just like that. We climbed up to 800meters then 1100 meters then 1500meters getting buffeted around by big gusts every time we summited.
We stopped at one of the aires on the motorway and refilled our LPG tanks and one we got to the city of Issoire the first thing we did was fill up the diesel tanks.
This is a lovely free aire right on the edge of the city with a tarmac drive and compact gravel to park on. It has free water and dump station and it opposite à carrefour supermarket with laundrette.
On arrival the first thing we did was go to the supermarket and get fresh bread and some soup and then we came back and had lunch. After lunch we did the washing which will be our last laundrette visit and in the morning we will refill the water after both showering then Wanda will be completely topped up and we’ll be clean.
At 6:30pm we headed in to the city to watch the switch on of the Christmas lights and there was a big display of fireworks. Lots of the historical buildings had light projections displayed on them and we saw Father Christmas. In the centre of town the historic church was open and we went inside and it was one of the most beautiful town churches we had been in. All of the pillars were decorated, the ceiling was painted and the altar area was also beautifully painted but not to Gordy and there wasn’t a lot of gold like most churches.
Also because the Christmas light display was happening the crypt was open to the public which was also amazing to see.
At 8pm we got back to Wanda and it was now just 5°c outside and feeling Christmassy although it is meant to get cloudy overnight and actually warm up.Read more
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Caves & Castles Misadventures Of Wanda
Saint-Léopardin-d'Augy
December 7, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 10 °C
We left our little aire at 9:30am and refilled our fresh water and tipped the gray and toilet, all for free. We had a 120 mile drive ahead of us today and it was raining and very windy.
We had decided to take the toll roads again as it would get us to our destination 50 mins faster and I desperately needed to get on the bike.
It took us 3 hours to get to our free aire in the quaint little hamlet of Saint-Léopardin-d'Augy. There are around 5 houses here. A town hall and a church and nothing else and they have put on a free to stay aire with 3 Motorhome bays on compact gravel and a free grey and black waste station but if you want fresh water you can buy a token at the town hall between 8:30am and 12:30pm. There are also beautifully clean toilets and a wet room with a shower next to the church and it has hot water.
After a quick lunch and waiting for the rain to stop I went out in my bike and it was seriously wet and windy and half way through it pissed down again.
The ride took me just over an hour and it felt good to stretch my legs although I was soaked to the skin when I got back but I took full advantage of the hot showers and once I was back in Wanda the rain came down again and the wind got up again.
By 7pm it was lashing it down and the forecast was for rain for the rest of the night and all day tomorrow which will make for a long day of driving. Especially if it stays windy.Read more
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Caves & Castles Misadventures Of Wanda
Fontainebleau
December 8, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
We were up at 7:30am and it was still raining and still windy.
We were in no particular hurry today as it was set to rain all day so we didn’t leave our aire until 10am.
We had another 120 mile drive and today we didn’t take the toll roads and it was a 3 hour drive and we stopped on route at a Leclercs supermarket for breakfast and diesel.
We finally arrived at our park up in the town of Fontainebleau and our sleep spot is at the entrance to the Chateau de Fontainebleau. It’s 50 miles south of Paris, and it’s not really an aire but a 24hr parking area but it’s free and for us it’s perfect as it’s still on route.
After a quick lunch we headed out for a walk in the rain and managed to walk the entire grounds of the chateau. It is a massive place, with gardens, fountains and huge water gardens. In it’s day riding up to this place must have been amazing.
The Château de Fontainebleau, is one of the largest and most historically significant royal residences in the country. It is renowned for its stunning architecture, elaborate interiors, and rich history, spanning over eight centuries of use by French monarchs.

Historical Overview
1. Medieval Beginnings: The site was originally a royal hunting lodge in the 12th century under King Louis VII.
2. Renaissance Expansion: King Francis I transformed the château in the 16th century, heavily influenced by Italian Renaissance styles. He invited Italian artists like Rosso Fiorentino and Primaticcio, who introduced the Mannerist style to France. This led to the creation of the School of Fontainebleau, a major artistic movement.
3. Baroque Period: Subsequent kings, including Henry IV and Louis XIII, expanded and embellished the château, adding new wings, gardens, and decorative elements.
4. Napoleonic Era: Napoleon Bonaparte considered Fontainebleau his “true home” and renovated it extensively. It was here that he signed his first abdication in 1814.
The Chateau is now a UNESCO world heritage site and it has served as a residence to over 30 monarchs from medieval kings to Napoleon 3rd.
Our walk of the grounds covered 7km and we got back to Wanda at 4pm and we weee both soaked through but it did feel good to stretch our legs. We spent the rest of the afternoon drying out and sheltering from the rain.Read more
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Caves & Castles Misadventures Of Wanda
Nearly there!!
December 9, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 6 °C
We were woken up early at 6am by forklifts moving around in a unit nearby but Ellie hadn’t felt well most of the night and hadn’t got much sleep atall.
After coffees we decided to leave at 8:30am as we had a long drive of 130 miles. I initially decided to not take the toll roads but the traffic was horrendous and the French just can’t drive at the best of times let alone first thing on a Monday morning and after seeing 2 accidents and numerous close calls we decided to get off of the single lanes and get on the motorway and toll roads.
I had found us a nice aire next to a canal and it took us 3 hours and slightly more mileage if 150 miles to reach Bellicourt.
Our aire is just off of the main road and has space for 4 motorhomes. There is paid services here and it’s €3 for 4 minutes of water.
After a quick lunch, just after 1pm I set off on my bike for what I thought would be a road ride, but within 2 miles of leaving Wanda I was on a grass farm track and it was seriously muddy. I had totally the wrong tyres in the bike and slipped off and ended up laying in the mud. Luckily I wasn’t going any speed and it was so wet and muddy it was a very soft landing. The rest of the ride was pretty much the same terrain with some woods thrown in for good measure. It was like riding on ice the entire time, but because it was so demanding it was actually quite enjoyable.
I got back to Wanda at 2:30pm and Ellie had, had a Power Nap and put the hot water on so after a coffee I had a hot shower and then as the rain started to come down again we put the fire on and took shelter for the rest if the day.Read more
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Caves & Castles Misadventures Of Wanda
Back to where we started
December 10, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 7 °C
We were up at 7am and had, had a good nights sleep. After coffee Ellie showered and when we were ready to go we refilled the water and tipped off all of the dirty stuff and set off just after 9am.
It was freezing outside with a top temperature of 5°c but a bitingly cold wind making it feel like it’s in the minus numbers.
Our first stop today was our usual last stop of LeClercs at Lumbres to Wash Wanda. It was an 85 mile drive using the toll roads and we got there just before 11am and it took 30 minutes to wash Wanda and when we finished we were completely numb with cold.
Our second stop of the day was our final food shop and last minute sweet treats in Lidl, where they didn’t gave everything we wanted but it’s to late now. Then we programmed the sat nav for the final 20 mile push and we got to Gravelines at 1pm.
Once we had refilled with diesel we drove 2 miles out to the coast and back to the Motorhome stop where we started the trip in France.
It was unbelievably windy and as we sat there eating our French soup and dipping our French bread, Wanda was rocking side to side. We decided not to go for a walk and spent the rest of the afternoon chilling and keeping warm in front of the fire.Read more
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Caves & Castles Misadventures Of Wanda
The last Drive
December 11, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C
We were up at 7am and on the road at 8:30am. Our first stop of the day was Lidl in Gravelines to get the bits we couldn’t get yesterday. Then it was the last 20 miles in France to Calais and we got there at 9:30am.
We were second in the queue and had to wait until 11:15am to board which was the actual time we were meant to sail so we were already running late.
The journey took 90 minutes and we got off the other end and then it was the final push for home.
The 200 miles took us the best part of 4 hours thanks to the heavy traffic but finally at 4pm we arrived back at home.
We’ve had a great trip. Yes the first 2 weeks was really rough weather wise but we were lucky to miss the majority of the heavy rain and the floods. We have seen more than was planned and the extra bits always made a nice unexpected highlight. We’ve also seen 2 Christmas lights switch on in France finally after 3 years of trying. Driving wise we have covered 5100 miles in Wanda and once again she has done well getting us everywhere we needed to be and keeping us safe at night and through the bad weather. Now it’s time to unload her and get her cleaned up ready for our next adventure.Read more
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Trip end
December 11, 2024