Beautiful Bourges

Really surprised at this overnight stop. Well worth visiting for a few days. Site 15 minutes from the medieval centre and cathedral.

Wines by the Mile.

Two of the best value reds from Lidl for under 3 euros. 2020 Cotes du Rhone Villages Grape: Carignan, Grenache & Syrah Terrific taste on the palate with a strong follow through. Francois Dubessy Malbec 2020. A smooth gentle red, full of fruit and lingering flavours. I have been drinking both of these wines for 3 years now and have been amazed by their consistency. Before returning to the UK I always stock up with both.

End to an awesome 8 nights in llafranc.

We've had some great weather but got to start heading home. 4 hour drive to millau where the temperatures dropped to 14c. Good site on rivers edge.

Llafranc to tiramisu !

Actually it's Tamaru but we never stopped calling it by its sweet name. Tough beginning and we managed to loose the main trail ending up on the roads. However me Jonesy, barbs and Owen discovered the trail on the last leg. A magnificent stretch of coastline, superb views and lovely town to arrive in. Busy with most restaurants full but we found one with the last table. The owners must have been so glad of our custom as we downed several bottles of wine and a few beers. I don't mind admitting that I was quite drunk and slept well after the taxi home.

Friday night in Pallafrgell.

John and Brian kindly dropped us all off in pallafrgell. We walked a little around the town, downed a few drinks and then a pizza, all within the main square. Late into the night we discovered a lively bar... So more drinks. Everywhere we went we kept bumping into the same guy who although coated in charm and charisma claimed to own among other things... The posh hotel on the front in llafranc, a wine export company between burgundy and the US. Probably a bull shitter, but very funny.

Playa el Castell

John and Jen from the site have told ne about this place and I can't believe we haven't been here so with Barbara wanting a quiet day I took off solo to give it a look. Great bike trails mainly off road and fairly flat so iit was an enjoyable journey and a spectacular beach.

The monster from the deep.

Went for a swim in llafranc with Owen today. Lovely water but suddenly I felt something on my leg and su realised that a large Octopus had attached itself tightly to my leg. Scardy cat Owen legged iot to the shore while I fought to get it off me. Eventually my Bruce Lee kung-fu kicks got rid of it and after a few minutes of rest it swam off. Another monster was created in The Lafranc Hotel last night as Alex ingested his new cocktail... A large cognac with hot chocolate. We all enjoyed our chateaubriand and fine local Emporda wine.

Wines by the Mile

Hachon verdejo Lidl Spain 1.99 euro. Yes that's right, a bottle of decent white for under 2 euros. The first thing I noticed when I uncorked it was the abundance of smells that emit from this wine. For a cheap white it has a good nose. You'll predominantly sense lemon and pear but moving onto the taste you may find hints of nuttiness within it. Not being a great white drinker, I did find it slightly acidic. But overall a good experience. One thing I noticed in the many lidl stores I visited was that this was flying off the shelves, with many stores empty of stock. Always a good sign. Hachon Ribera del Duero Reserva. Lidl 5.99.euros. If you've always been reluctant to move away from your customary Riojas, this is a good one to try as it's base is the same Tempranillo grape but lacks the pear drop taste evident in some Riojas. This one is a rich Ruby colour, strong in blackberry flavours with just a hint of sweetness. A good prolonged after taste.

Guess what.. Llafranc visit again.

Another place we keep returning to and have done for the last 30 years. Great to meet up with Dave, Carol. Owen and Alex for the festival of fun. An 8 day festival of laughter, drinking, melodrama, repetition, fly Hole observation and repetition.

Torre La Morre

Only an overnight stop but great to retunn to this site. Its abou a mile f the motorway situated on a beach with a large pool and decent restaurant.

Bye Bravoplaya

What a fabulous return to Bravoplaya for 2 relaxing days, and we managed to win the FA Cup. Now we are sited on another of our favourites at torre La mora, North of Tarragona. Sat with a sea view. See pic

Gorgeous birds

Some gorgeous birds on the waterfront at Oropesa.

Wines by the Mile

Two good Aldi reds. Finca La luna Ribera del Duero Reserva. 7.99 euros. Like the Lidl reserva the first thing you notice is the banality of the label. However this is soon overcome with the popping of the cork when you are treated to the oak aroma. Slightly cheaper than the similar lidl reserva. Toro Loco red. 4.99 euros. I really enjoyed the flavours of this wine but unfortunately threw the bottle out before noting the details. Aldi sell a number of Toro Locos under different guises and labels but it was this one that attracted me despite, yet again its dark and unattractive label. More of a medium bodied wine.

Jonesy cooling off outside Bravoplaya.

Great dog shower here. Even a machine to wash dog beds. Showered him before and after his swim in the sea.

Quick return to Bravoplaya.

If Javea is our favourite resort then this site is fast becoming our favourite camp site. Here for a couple of days.

Completion of a great week in Javea.

Love the place. Tried a new tapas bar in the old town. Waiter very funny.

I'm sure I'm in The Trueman Show.

So every day I get up and walk around Camping Javea. Strangers give me broard smiles and say hello, some stop to talk. I get the bikes out and off we go. Again total strangers wave and smile some point at Jomesy in his carriage behind the bike and make a humerous comment This is all so nice and friendly that it has roused some suspicions within me. I have now taken to swimming further from the shore to see if I can find the infamous set dome/back screen. But seriously all of this can be explained by the fact that after a couple of months of changeable weather we have now entered a period of warm cloudless skies. Javea is quiet and peaceful and everyone seems to be relaxed and laid back. This morning we took our coffee f down at the arenal beach where it was really quiet. We then cycled down to the port for a swim.

Wines by the Mile.

Rosé Mezquiriz 2020. DO Navarra Remember when wine first started to be noticed on our supermarket shelves back in the 70s,. One was the infamous Mateus Rose. We rushed home with our beautifully designed bottles, mainly because it was claimed that the bottles could be converted into lamps. I never saw one that had. That sweet tasting wine dominated the rose market for a while. Now the choice is greater and to me at 1.75 euros this Navarra stands out amongst the low cost cheap wines. Just bung it in the fridge, go off to the beach and enjoy its fresh dry fruity flavours as you return to cool down. Made from the Garnacha grape. Verdejo is the main white grape in Rueda, producing wines that are fresh, aromatic, crisp and dry, this Spanish white wine is a great alternative to those of us who habitually stick to our Sauvignons and Chardonnays. A great one to try if you wish to be more adventurous with your grape selection. At 4.99 euros from lidl not the cheapest of the whites on offer but even at £6.50 in UK stores well worth a try.

"easy like Sunday morning *

Great to wake up with the warn sunshine and eat breakfast in the sun.

Guardamar to Javea

After our lengthy stay in Javea last Autumn we agreed to stay away from Javea for quite a while but its so difficult to stay away from what we belive to be the best resort in Eastern Spain. Guardamar was nice and the site was as well but it was a a distance from the town. We had some issues at reception when leaving but soon sorted them out. We liked the big pitches enclosed with hedges, own tap and drain. The pool was excellent.

Am I really in Spain.

Walked to shops and as we arrived around 11am it started raining. Got soak wet through, even my undies were wet, yes it was definitely the rain. Its now nearly 5pm and it's not stopped.

A nice day in Guardamar.

Bike ride into Guardamar, temps rising to 24c. Had lunch on the prom and did a bit of bartering with the street traders. Always avoid these but took a chance with a kids footy strip for Aiden and a tiny bag for Barbara. Got another 6 bottle's of the reduced Chardonnay from Masymas. Back to the site a couple of hours at the great pool complex and evening watching a very nervous Liverpool beat Villereal and make their way to the final.