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Wanda’s First Adventure

October – November 2021
  • Misadventures Of Wanda
This is our first road trip and test of Wanda in all weather conditions Read more
  • Misadventures Of Wanda

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  • Portugal Portugal
  • Spain Spain
  • France France
  • England England
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  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    More hotsprings in Arnedillo

    November 10, 2021 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    We woke up to a beautiful sunrise at 7am and I was tempted to send the drone back out and get a sunrise shot, but I thought that might be tempting fate and instead closed the blinds so I couldn’t see what I was missing.
    After a sausage baguette for breakfast we left Bakio on another long drive inland. 165 miles through some of the most spectacular landscapes of long sweeping roads through wine country where the grapevines were autumn colours of yellow and fiery red with a backdrop of mountains, churches and castles and at 1pm we arrived in Arnedillo, in the motorhome park up for €10 euro per night.
    It is a beautiful airè and after lunch we headed down the hill into town to bathe in the hot springs. These were the perfect temperature and we stayed for about 30 minutes before Ellie said she was starting to feel sick again and I must admit I was feeling a little tipsy.
    We walked back to Wanda and by the time we got there I did feel quite happy drunk and probably could have just fallen asleep but we got dressed and then headed down a small track from the motorhome airè that ran along the mountains side and down to the town towards the castle. On the way down we saw what I thought were cave houses carved into the cliff face under us and in reaching them we realised they were infact bodagos for storing wine and there were hundreds and they all looked like hobbit houses. Then we headed for the castle which you can no longer get into but the view of the town from the castle is amazing.
    Then we took the hike back up hill to Wanda where we made dinner and chilled for the rest of the evening. It was crazy to watch the temperature drop from 23°c when we arrived to just 3°c by the time we went to bed.
    This town is one of the quietest we’ve stayed in considering it’s so busy down below and it feels very authentic, I think I’d be happy to settle somewhere like this.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    The missing cave houses of Ardeno

    November 11, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We had a very peaceful nights sleep, except for the vanlifer that pulled up at 10:30pm and parked right next to us and proceeded to bang all of his doors, have an explosion of his belongings because there isn’t enough room in his van for all of his shit, and then open and close the sliding door umpteen times before popping his roof up with the bed in it. But that was ok, because Ellie had her headphones on and I carried on watching tv so I could drown the noise out.
    At 9am the official from town hall came round and we paid him the €10 euros for the nights parking, then we went off for a walk down by the river to check out all the little windy backroads. Arnedillo really is a marvellous town.
    From there we drove 8 miles down the road to Arnedo which was supposed to have cave houses and museums and even a restaurant that was set into the cave but despite a lot of walking around and a visit to the castle we didn’t find the museum. But I did find a real cave house set into the mountain side so that was probably better.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    The Palace of Olite

    November 11, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    From there we drove to Olite and a motorhome site, to visit the palace. The park up was very noisy so we decided that if we got out of the palace early enough we would push on.
    Olite palace was amazing and almost completely restored to it’s royal glory. As you get to the keep there are pictures of when they first started restoring it and in 1913 when they started it was a complete wreck. It’s amazing how they’ve restored it and it was only €3.50 to get in. It’s also where they filmed the borgias tv series that was on sky Atlantic.Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    The Church of Artejona

    November 11, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    From Olite we pushed on to our last destination in this area. The church of Artejona and I knew it wouldn’t be open until the weekend but Artejona also has a motorhome airè and this one where we are parked is super quiet so hopefully it will stay that way.
    On arrival it was siesta time so the town was quiet and I managed to get the drone up and take some pictures of the church which came out better than expected. Then we went for a walk at 5:30pm which is when we thought everything would open up, but it turns out that because it’s out of season the town is pretty dead of open shops so we went back to Wanda to have some dinner and chill for the evening.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    The Caves of Zugarramurdi

    November 12, 2021 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We had an unbelievably quiet nights sleep in Artajona. It was so quiet the silence was deafening and I’ll be honest I had trouble staying asleep because my brain kept on making noises up that weren’t there. At one point I could even hear the polystyrene in the walls creaking as they cooled down.
    Bleary eyed at 7:30am I decided I’d had enough of the silence, got up, made tea and coffee and then we both went down to the local bakery and bought some fresh bread for breakfast. At 10am we left Artajona and headed 70miles west back to Basque Country and up into the mountains to a tiny little town called Zugarramurdi. This is the place where the Spanish Inquisition started in the late 1600’s because they thought witches were living in the caves, it turns out that of the 5000 people that confessed to being witches 1500 of those were children, it was a bizarre time and once again it was down to religion and people believing in different things.
    After the caves we visited the witch museum which again was fascinating and they even had videos in English for us, they’ve obviously spent a lot of money on the museum with all of the technology they’ve put into the place to bring the museum to life.
    From Zugarramurdi we were going to go to the caves of Urdax but they are closed Fridays so instead we headed for the town if Urdax where there is a small motorhome park up, just as we arrived someone was leaving and we got the last standing available. The shops were opposite so we popped over the road and got some supplies and then came back to Wanda, had dinner and watched a little tv before turning in at 9pm as we were both pretty tired.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    The caves of urdax and fontet.

    November 13, 2021 in France ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We had a lovely nights sleep in the small airè in Urdax, there was no noise, no vanlifers waking us up at stupid hour and no traffic. So when we woke up at 7:30am we felt refreshed and ready to roll.
    We had to hang around until 10:15am because our first and only stop of the day didn’t open until 11am and we were only 2 miles away. The Caves of Urdax. These were beautiful caves, not as big as some we have visited but every cave is different and they are always worth a visit and thus one didn’t disappoint. It was formed some 50,000,000 years ago when it was still under the sea and before the Pyrenees were even born and to this day the river that formed it’s limestone walls still runs through it.
    Even though we weren’t allowed to take pictures I managed to get quite a few by staying at the back of our group and always being the last one out enabling me to shoot in silent mode with no flash.
    We left the caves around 12:30, and then it was a 170 mile drive to our camp spot for the night. Originally our plan was to go to Bordeaux but as Ben has left us and we’ve already been we opted for a quieter night in a little village with a big airè called Fontet. Fortunately for us the mayor of this little place is a motorhome fan and has introduced a beautiful airè next to a canal that has a security barrier, screened off pitches and electric all for just €11. To top it off the airè even has it’s own restaurant.
    It had been raining most of the way here, not heavy but it was wet so when there was a break in the weather we popped out for a walk and ended up in the local cemetery.
    We’ve always loved visiting cemeteries in other countries just to see how there dead are remembered and I’ll be honest, England is pretty bad at it.
    All over Europe families are buried in one plot, like a family tomb, because they lived together and even if they didn’t live together they stay in close proximity for life so when you die there’s always someone to remember you. They even put photos in graves in Europe so you can put a face to the dates which I think is a lovely idea especially for the younger generations to remember there elders.
    I’m definitely impressed with the way Europeans remember there dead.
    We weren’t out long before it started raining again so as we’ve got free water and an electric hook up it was back to Wanda so we could both have a well needed shower before bed.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    La Rochelle & The Bunker

    November 14, 2021 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After an early rise and breakfast of fresh bread we had a long drive ahead of us. 150 miles to the port city of La Rochelle. I had wanted ti visit this city for a number of years since watching lots of stuff on the submarine’s of world war 2.
    We hit the outskirts of the city about midday and it was a nightmare heading to the port area which is where the attractions are. TomTom had already warned us this was a car route and not a camper route but didn’t say why so I was looking out for weight limits and low bridges.
    The problem turned out to be crazy traffic, crazy parking and super tight roads but eventually we found a car park and followed cars in and it was heaving. There’s no way we were going to get Wanda parked here so then we tried to exit but ended up on the port side.
    I kept on looking on the sat Nav for more parking but there was none nearby so I gave up and went back into the car park to leave and as we got to the exit barriers there were about 30 spaces and one was on a corner which was perfect for Wanda so we got parked.
    I couldn’t work out why it was so busy except for the fact it was Remembrance Sunday but these people didn’t look like church goers.
    We parked right underneath the lantern tower of La Rochelle, walked through the gates of the chain tower and into town. It was heaving with people and nobody was shopping, infact most people were eating. I know this is a café culture but for a Sunday this was ridiculous.
    We wandered around the old town and eventually found the bunker museum, paid our €8 euro each and headed on inside.
    The bunker was built by the Germans to house the commander of the 33rd U Boat flotilla and it was built directly underneath a hotel which they requisitioned for the officers quarters. It was a fascinating place and huge inside, with dormitories, medical rooms and even 2 large lounge areas. All equipped with huge steel doors to secure the place during air raids. The ceilings, walls and wall art and floors were all original.
    From the bunker we headed back to the port, wandered around taking photos and looking at the street art before heading off around 3:30pm.
    We didn’t know where we were going to sleep but I thought I’d start heading to the next destination and look in the way.
    About 20 miles outside of La Rochelle I flicked on park4night and searched where I was and straight away a motorhome airè popped up, I quickly looked through the photos, all the reviews were 5 star so I pulled off the motorway and found somewhere to pull over and set the coordinates.
    Where we stopped the was a bread vending machine so Ellie jumped out and got tomorrow’s breakfast while I set the sat Nav.
    The airè was only 4 miles away in the village of Puyravault, it only had 9 places and luckily there was only 2 other motorhomers when we arrived so for €9 we paid the entrance fee and had electric and WiFi for the night aswell.
    Again this is a beautiful airè. Clean, quiet and set in the marshlands of France.
    We’ve another big drive tomorrow as we head further up the country so hopefully we’ll get a good nights sleep.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    Domaine de Suscinio

    November 15, 2021 in France ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    This morning we were woken up by church bells and cockerels at bang on 6am. The church bells sounded like they were falling out of the tower they went on so long but the cockerel went on pretty much non stop until the sun was fully up at 8am.
    At 10am we left our camp and headed for the Chàteau de Domaine de Suscinio. I knew it was temporarily closed and it was a little out of the way as it was on a little peninsula sticking out the edge of France but it was a beautiful chateau with tall towers and I wanted to photograph it.
    From there we found a hidden little campsite, and it really was hidden in a little place called arzon around the back of what we think is a hotel but we’re not really sure.
    We paid our €10 and have access to washing machines, hot showers, electric and walks along the beach so we hooked up, put our clothes on wash and then went for a nice walk along the beach while they washed.
    Then we put them in the tumble dryer for 45 mins and had dinner before settling in for the night and watching some Tv.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    Carnac and Lorient

    November 16, 2021 in France ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We had a wonderful nights sleep in our creepy little campsite. It was completely silent and we both woke up at 8am, had coffee and some baguettes for breakfast and hit the road at 10am.
    Our first stop of the day was on route, and another find from the Tour de France. The route des alingnements de Carnac. These are standing stones running a distance of 4km dating back to 500 BC. Nobody really knows why they are there but they are in perfectly straight lines and start with smaller rocks one end and they gradually get larger. Also each rock has the same depth of it’s base in the ground. Such an amazing site, I couldn’t resist hiding in a field and sending the drone up.
    From Carnac we headed north to the city of Lorient and the port.
    This is where le base is, a huge 3 building submarine base that was first built for use in world war 1 and gradually grew bigger over the years until the french MOD abandoned it it 1997.
    It is a huge structure that was Bombed repeatedly by the allies in world war 2 with “tall boy” bombs but nothing could penetrate it’s 3.5 meter thick roofs. We even got a tour on a daphnè class submarine which used to house 50-60 men in it’s day.
    From lorient we drove 5 miles to the beach and found out first camp spot but something was a little strange.
    There was a dedicated motorhome area but small peaugot partner vans kept on pulling in with single old men in. They would stop side on to Wanda and just stare at us. Then move off and 5 minutes later come back. Then a few cars came in and did exactly the same.
    Then we noticed that a couple would get out of the cars, urinate up the hedge and get back in to the car and finally a van pulled up next to us with a proper weirdo in. He just stared through our windows, then he opened his drivers door and stared through the windows and finally he had a piss right next to us.
    This was a perverts paradise, a dogging spot for dirty old men so we put our things away and drove further down the coast and found another park up for the night.
    This place is nice, it’s nearer the beach. We’ve parked inbetween 2 piles of gravel so no vanlifers can pull up at stupid hour and it’s sheltered from the wind. We’ve had a walk on the beach to watch the surfers and explored the remains of an old fort next to us, so we’ve settled in ready for another long drive tomorrow.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaMisadventures Of WandaWanda’s First Adventure

    Le Phare du Petit Minou

    November 17, 2021 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We had a great nights sleep again, it was super quiet with just the sound of the waves crashing against the nearby rocks to send us to sleep. At 8am we woke up, and by 9:30am we were in the road heading the 90 miles north to Phare de petit minou. This has been on my photography bucket list as a long exposure shot for a long time, especially as I skipped it last time we were here.
    Unfortunately when we first got there the sun was gleaming through the clouds and the sea was completely white from the glare and try as I might with all the different filters I just didn’t get a shot I was really happy with.
    From there we found a free motorhome airè just 5 miles away in a quiet little village so we parked up, had something to eat and drink and at 4:30pm just before sunset I decided to head back to the lighthouse.
    Lucky for me the sun was just dipping behind the clouds, there were very few people in the end except for the idiot that just stood on top of the rocks staring into nothingness and the light was perfect. Pink skies, long exposure and no people. I will have fun editing that when I get home.
    Then it was back to our little airè and except for the church bells that keep ringing randomly and a Barking dog that we’re hoping will shut up it seems nice.    Read more

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