Hi.

Well it's just a couple of days off  Christmas 2012 and we are planning our next trip which will start in April 2013... We will be away for a good eleven months touring Europe, We have a start destination and an end at home in Aldbrough, everything that happens and countries we will visit, well who knows?.

So we Start in Germany then travel to either Greece or Italy to over winter, then over to Spain and we have to go to Portugal as we love that country..

It will be so much better in the new van as it has a fixed bed at the back, so no messing about putting beds up and down, it also has a big garage at the back which swallows all the gubbins we take with us on the long trips, It is also big enough to fit a scooter in which we are going to buy in March, this will allow us to go into the various cities towns and villages en route, ones we can't get into with the motor home.

Here are a few pic's we took last time we went.

 

New Blog.

Well we are back in the UK and it's freezing raining with snow forecast.. Eh!..

We had a great time in France thanks to Bill and Bonny letting us leave the car and trailer at their place, which meant we could let the Tom Tom loose to take us down the small back roads through France, enabling us to see all the little villages that are tucked away, and obscure out of the way Aires to stay on instead of boring motorways we use when towing the trailer on the back of the van..

We spent most of the time in the (excuse the spelling) Dordogne? area, it was very good and picturesque with lots of things to see and places to visit, and all it took was a visit to the local tourist office wherever we ended up at, we collected some brochures of interest around the particular area we were at, then off on another adventure..

I think what we will do is tot up how much the 4 months have cost us in fuel, tolls, gas and camp site fees.. Cost of food will not feature as this is a cost we have where ever we are.  I will let Sandra work that one out!..

I have taken quite a few photos of where we visited but they are on the lap top, when I have a bit of time I will sort some out and put them on the blog..

Ok here's to the next trip which might be to the Farnes in Northumberland, or back to France to Help Bill dig his lake deeper....

New Blog..

We have left Bill and Bonny's place and have moved on to “Future Scope” near Limoges, we will spend a night here on their Aire and will have a look round tomorrow Sunday, it is open 19 am till 20.30 so it will be a long day.

We will then go down to the Dordogne for a couple of weeks touring round, as we have left the trailer and car at Bills to collect the week before we set off to the UK..

Bill & Bonny's pad..

New Blog......

Well we have left Mequinenza and Spain for the luxury of Bill and Bonny's pad in France, we have been here two days and have the luxury of sleeping in a proper bed with en-suite facility's.

It was made obvious in Mequinenza we were not wanted when the Guardia Civil civil threw us out of our pitch and told us to vamoose!... We sent a text to Bill and he just laughed and said come down to our place in France, so we have..

We will be on our way on Saturday morning but we will leave the car and trailer at Bills place so we can explore France more easily as we still have a month until we come home, so it will be good to have a look round, and Bills place is still not too far from Dunkirk and the ferry about a ten hour drive..

We are not to bothered about leaving Mequinenza as I have two PB's with the big carp and this catfish!!!!....

New Blog.

Well we moved on. We went further North to N.V.Cerveisa at the top of Portugal on the Portuguese Spanish border to visit “Coto Chris” off Yorkshire Divers forum..

We arrived on the 15^th of Feb at about 7 pm.. I t was a very nice ride up but the tolls were very expensive. We had a brilliant time on our stay, the weather was perfect, the town was perfect and to top it all Chris and his family were the most welcoming and easy going folk and made our stay one we will always remember and I hope we can welcome them to the UK as Sandra and I feel we have known them always....

Monday the 20^th Feb we set off again for Spain and had a good two day trip with one stop off for the night in the mountains, all was well but for one thing the silly buggers who do the Spanish road works had cut a slot in the road surface, maybe to put a cable across the road but just left it open the full width of the road, there was just a sign for road works but nothing else!. We hit it with a bang, the upshot being the Carver water heater shook itself to bits and started leaking water all over the place, the carpet was wet through, I didn't notice it until I stopped for some fuel and found water streaming down the outside of the van. A jar of coffee in the cupboard spilled its contents all over and the car door on the trailer popped open so you can tell the force of it all..

Tuesday 21^st Feb we arrived in Mequinenza and tried to get onto the camp site along with Bill and Bonny, it was not very good so we made a quick exit and came down to our usual spot on the lay by under the castle which is on top of a large hill just behind us.. Bill and Bonny left the camp site and came down to park with us and stayed until Friday when they left to get back to France to their home there, they say they will be going back to the UK at the beginning of march as they have to sort out the car tax and stuff!..

I have fished every day but have only managed one fish so far a carp of 24lbs 7 oz which is one more fish than anybody else has managed. There was a couple of English lads who called round asking if I had caught anything as they hadn't had a bite all the time they had been in Mequinenza, and guess what Keith comes from Hull and the other Paul lived in Aldbrough for a few years, they both fish the lakes at home, small world..

The weather at the moment is brilliant and very hot, but today Sunday the 26^th of Feb it is windy and if it stays like this we will not be able to put up the dish for Sky.. I have been watching the weather forecasts for home and it seems to be warming up nicely for our return at the end of March..

Steve can you go over the caravan before we get home and turn on the water and check there is nothing amiss? .. You can put the heating on by turning the thermostat in our bedroom on the end wall to the “on” position and check the boiler is set to heating and hot water and the small lever on the clock is set to constant, if everything is OK then put the lever on the clock to timed and everything should be OK for our return.. I do not know if the gas bottle outside is still full but if not there should be two full bottles. You can turn off the empty one and turn on the next bottle and switch over the outside valve for the other bottle that is connected..

We are going into Fragga tomorrow to the Vodafone shop to get some phone credit on our Spanish sim card, so you will have to use the Spanish number again instead of the Portuguese one, I will also get a Spanish dongle so I can get on the internet as the free signal in the town is too iffy and keeps coming and going, cutting out at every opportunity...

Hi.
And looking up at the mountain and the stag,,

Hi.

A couple of pictures taken from the top of the mountain overlooking Ceviera..

Hi.

We arrived safely here in NV Cerveira and what a beautiful place it is, had a walk round this morning down by the river and then round the old town.. We only had one interesting episode when I took the wrong turn in Porto which is a big city, and you guessed I chose the rush hour traffic to do it in!..  Anyway the nice Lady on the Tom Tom took charge and extracted us from it all phew!..

Some big hills round this part, one entailed first gear for about 2 miles, but the van coped well  better than me I was glad when it leveled out enough to put it into second gear...

I will take some picture and post them later, I can't be bothered at the moment as we are both chilling out as the sun is very warm and we are crashed out in the van with the radio on...

New Blogg..

Hi we are now packed up and ready to set off from Markadia in the morning to North Portugal, the van and car have been washed and Sandra hoovered them out with her new hoover, so we will sparkle all the way!..Still undecided whether to go on the toll roads or chance the non tolls, I don't fancy going through one of the small villages where the roads may become too narrow for the van and trailer and then we have to some how extract ourselves out of the mess..

Probably bottle it and go on the motorway as the distance between the two is not worth bothering about, it should be by the Tom Tom 560K or there about's..

So by Wednesday of next week we should be back in Mequinenza Spain, the forecast has got better and even though it will be cold at night the day time temperatures should be OK..

And the kitten Siluro..

I told you it was warm..

New blog.8^th Feb.

Well we are undecided on whether to go to Mequinenza as the weather on the internet there does not look so good, we are sun bathing here in Portugal at the moment and I do not get my tooth fixed finally until next Monday, touch wood!..

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Anyway we have had a count up of fish we caught in Mequinenza while we were there, some rounded to a nearest guess at the beginning as the scales packed up, but the weights will be on the conservative side of the ones shown...

19 Carp .

30lb

40lb

2 @ 25+

25lb

31lb

28lb

28.08oz

25lb

25lb

30lb

25lb

28.06oz

25lb

35.08oz

33.12oz

36.10oz

38lb

And last of all the one that got out of the carp sack 50lb+ bugger again!..

1 roach 2lb plus caught on double 24mm pellets, OK I don't know how I managed it, or should I say the roach managed it.....

2 Siluro.

1 kitten at 3lb

1 monster at 100lb + it was too heavy to pick up with out putting my back out..

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The weather here in Markadia continues to out stand, we can sunbathe most days so far when out of the wind which has been blowing during the day for the last few days, but seeing as most of the UK is shivering in below freezing temperatures and laying under a blanket of snow especially at Aldbrough with the lakes iced up, and me being able to sit here in my shorts with my shirt off fishing topping up my sun tan does not seem to bad,,

I spoke to Norman a couple of days ago and he is scratting about trying to catch a few silver fish on bread punch at a lake near him, while we have caught over 300 carp in the last 12 fishing days.. Cool.

We seem to have made a couple of new friends in Bill and Bonny, they seem to be turned on to our wavelength as Bill especially is into his fishing, he has a boat on the Ebro lower down from Mequinenza, they are planning on selling it in the near future concentrating on their new adventure motor homing in their new motor home, we are keeping in touch and they were at the last text in Gibraltar..

Sandra found a Terrapin? Yesterday but it seems on it's last legs, we don't know whether to put it back in the water or as we have left it on the edge so the sun can warm it up, if it comes round it can get back into the water, one thing is for sure if we put it back it will drown as I am sure it hasn't the strength to swim …..Oh well who said we are Terrapin experts!..

So the up shot is are we going to stay on here at Markadia or risk the colder weather in Mequinenza, currently 10degs daytime and minus 5 during the night according to the internet..

Now let me think!..

Hi.

New Blog 28^th January.

Well we are still in Markadia settling into a nice routine of chilling, fishing, and sleeping we are turning into right old lay a bout's !..

We have been here over 3 weeks and it has flown, it is doing Sandra the world of good as she is looking a lot better in her self after all the trauma of 2011 with her health, we shall carry on with this theme and hopefully when we move on she will be back to her old self.

We will probably stay here another 2 or three weeks depending on the dentist, I have lost one week when the tooth he put back temporary fell out breaking the peg he had put in to hold it in place, so he had to re do it this time with a false tooth which is more robust than the capped one that broke off. He says it will take another two sessions till he finally puts in the new tooth. The Portuguese technician is going to let me jump his cue of patients as I am on holiday and my time in Portugal is limited..

We had a quick work out of the time we have left before we come back to the UK. We will set off up to Coto Chris at the north of Portugal in about 2 weeks time making sure we get to his house on a Friday so we can have the weekend staying at his place, we will then spend a couple of days going back to Mequinenza in Spain where we can spend another month wild camping at the side of the Ebro having another go for the big fish that escaped from the carp sack when we were there last time.. (Some hope).. We will;then take about another 4 days or so meandering back into France till we get to Hornfluer where we will spend a couple of nights in the “Aire”, it is here that there is a local vet who speaks very good English, She gives Evie all the relevant jabs and treatments so she can stamp up Evie's passport to get her back into the UK.

Well that's the plan lets see what happens!..

A few more pictures..

Just a note!... If you click any of  the pictures they should pop up full size.. Ray.

Hi
Pictures from Nellies New Year cruise..

New Blog.

Well it has got round to Christmas and we are nice and warm tucked up in the van, we can at least watch the telly as we get all the Sky programmes we have at home except BBC of all things!.. The Weather is very misty when the wind comes from the East, and the visibility into Fragga where we went Christmas shopping was bad.

Had a nice tea and set the rods, it would be just our luck for the alarm to go off when we are into a good program on the telly, but silence remained so we settled down, put the bed out and we went to sleep. The alarm was quite all night until 8.30am when the alarm went off, a nice way to be woke up on Christmas day, a carp of 28.6oz..

We phoned home to speak to the family it was nice to talk to everybody especially the grand kids, opening our pressies was nice especially with wall to wall blue sky and it being quite warm, all the locals were walking past on their strolls, and it was just like home with the kids riding their new bikes..

Sandra has discovered a couple of pairs of Eagles that are perched on a ledge on the mountain across the lake, she saw one flying about while taking Evie for a walk, she has tried loads of times to take photos of them but none have turned out successfully, oh well !..

It keeps alternating between freezing when the mist comes and red hot and blue sky s when the mist burns off, we took advantage of the nice weather to make a film of how we fish at Mequinenza, I tried to make it on this laptop but something has gone wonky and it wont let me into the program I use, I will put together a movie on the computer at home when we get back.

New Years Eve. Last fish of 2011 a carp of 36lb 12oz, not a bad end to the fishing season ..We walked into town for the midnight celebrations, everything was shut in Mequinenza except a couple of bars and the Kebab shop, so we had a couple of pints in a bar then went to the Kebab Shop where we stayed for a couple of hours and we really enjoyed it talking to the owners, well talking is an understatement as they can not speak much English and I cant speak much Spanish, but we all managed.

We rang home and some friends for midnight in the UK which is an hour adrift from Spanish time which is an hour ahead making it 1am when we rang, I wanted to ring Aunt Jess but have lost her number when I put in the Spanish sim card..

New Years day we went for a cruise in Nellie her longest voyage yet, we sailed up to the dam wall, it was good fun and we took some good photos looking back from the lake. We did not bother fishing today and it was nice not to be tied and be able to chill and watch the telly most of the day..

2^nd January 2012.

1^st fish of the year at 2 am a 38lb 14oz carp a great start for the new season, will it last?.. we fished all through the day with no more bites and then into the following night until 2am again when the alarm screamed into action again, woke us up and got us tumbling out of bed once again, I picked up the rod and bent into the fish and it was solid, another Siluro?.

The fight went on out in the darkness as the fish just swam about in the distance as it had stripped off lots of line in it's initial run while we were getting our gear on to go out in the cold night air. After about 20 min's a shape appeared on the surface illuminated by our head lamps, it wasn't a Siluro but an enormous carp, that only just went into the big carp landing net when we could get it into the shoreline, it weighed a ton as I lifted it onto the unhooking mat in readiness to roll it into the carp sack where it would spend the night so we could weigh it and take it's picture in the morning daylight.

Next morning we went out to take it out of the sack but as I looked at the sack on the end of the tether line I could see it was flat without the fish shape we normally see, a pull on the line confirmed this and an empty sack came ashore and straight away we could see the zip open where the fish had shoved it's nose into the partially open zip and forced it's way out.. Bugger!.

The only thing we could go on was the carp was a lot bigger than the one we caught 4 years ago which weighed 52lb 2 oz, so it was the one that got away, even though we caught it.

So it was decided that this would be a good day we would break camp packed up Nellie and the van, got the car on the trailer and set off to Portugal as we would never better this fish..

It took us two days at a steady pace to get to Markadia in Portugal. The place on the camp site we normally park up was free so I wriggled into the space with the van which is a tight manoeuvre because of overhanging branches, and I have to site the van with the gap in the trees so the Satellite dish has a clear view to Astra 28 satellite..

We are now settled in have put up the wind curtain which hangs off the roll out canopy all of which makes a big room we never have had before, money well spent on that.

The site is very quite with only four British folk on at the moment even though the weather is brilliant, maybe most folk have gone down the Algarve or are being put off by the problems with the Peages (toll booths) with all the shenanigans that have been rife on the motor home forums, I must admit we have not had any problems with the tolls so far!.

The fishing here in Markadia is the best we have ever had, the first days fishing started with me catching 3 Carp and a Barbel, with Sandra catching 3 Carp on my rod when she had a wonder down to see if I had caught anything.

The next day we both went down to the Barregem fishing, Sandra rowed Nellie out and dropped a marker buoy in, something we can fish to, I went out and baited the area in preparation putting in ground bait, chopped Spam, pellets and sweetcorn. This worked spectacularly as I caught over 50 Carp, 2 Barbel and Sandra about 10 carp well over 150lb of fish.. The carp are all between 1.5lbs and 4 lbs averaging 3lbs..

Next day down to the lake at dinnertime, I set up both rods and Sandra went back to make a pot of tea for us and a bacon sandwich for me. Big mistake I took a bite from the sandwich and my front tooth broke off!. We spent the rest of the day finding a dentist to fix it, we finally found one in Bega the next big city, he stuck it back and I an now having dental treatment which will mean a new tooth being made which will be screwed in..Oh I nearly forgot we got a parking ticket for our troubles as well, not one of our better days!..

Next day I fished alone while Sandra washed with here new twin tub washing machine we bought at the “Lincoln Motor Home Show” it appears it is one of our better buys as it works great. I fished on and caught 24 Carp and 2 Barbel in the afternoon, but this time the bigger fish have moved in with average going up to 4lbs.

Friday the 13^th..Fished today with Sandra , I caught 27 Carp and one Barbel, Sandra caught 3 Carp and was in all kinds of trouble with her fishing, catching everything but fish, even managing to fall off here fishing chair when she leaned over to get something, a bit like Dell Boy in “Only Fools and Horses” when he falls through the bar flap.. It made us both laugh as she was scrambling about in the mud trying to get up, luckily she didn't fall into the lake.