DAY 186 - si senora

Finally we made it……we have arrived!  Sun, beach, Sangria, Paella, tapas, bull fights, fiesta & siesta. aaaAHhhhhh, yessszzzz, Spain is exactly what we have been looking forward too and it hasn’t disappointed thus far.

As soon as ‘wher’dmadaygo’ was fixed, we hit the continent and b-lined to Spain to chase whatever sun we could before winter set’s in.   We’ve found an awesome caravan park called ‘Bonterra Park’ along the coast in the Spanish village – Benicassim.  It’s about 50kms north of Valencia and is so lovely.  It’s not too touristy, very Spanish and has a great beach around 200m from the site.  There’s Dutch and Germans everywhere in the campsite.  Thankfully so far all have been fully clothed at not too hairy!!!  The last thing I need to see wiener sniztel and J.W. Bush!!!

We’ve started to get into the ‘campsite life’ a bit.  Most of the time in UK and prior to here we have been on the move and only stayed 1 or 2 nights in any one place so haven’t been able to pull out the awning and set up!  But as soon as we arrived here we felt like we were instantly on holidays and knew we wouldn’t’ want to leave for a while, so booked ourselves in for a month.

It’s so funny,  the average age of guest’s is 75 and the most exciting thing that happens during the day on site is when they all meet around the communal ‘washing up area’ and discuss (gossip) about the day (or last nights) events in Dutch and or German, which we can’t understand!   Many look at us and kind of say hello, in that Dutch manner, but I feel that perhaps we are much younger they are a little scared to say too much more.

We’ve started naming the neighbours by whatever event or sound we can associate them with.  For example, the other day the internet was down in the whole area and the Dutch guy next to us was running down our little lane screaming ‘nine interneta, nine interneta’ and the guys opposite them always say ‘yah – yah’ so of cause they are called ‘nine interneta’ &  ‘yah yah vunderba’.

Today ‘nine interneta’ left to return to Nederland’s and slowly to sun drenched Dutch and Germans are leaving one by one to return to the cold and will probably be replaced with the English trying to  avoid the winter which might then mean it’s time for us to move on!

bull ring

The village was in Fiesta when we arrived which was pretty cool.  Every night there was a party at the village square which generally included running of the bulls through the village streets, dancing in the street, fireworks, food, sangria, and a late night street party till 5am.  We gave it a go one night and stayed up till 4am but couldn’t do it anymore after that.  It was so funny at the campsite.  Half of the oldies where upset and couldn’t bear the noise anymore at night and the other half didn’t care and where telling the rest to get over it, it only happens once a year.

Fiesta Fireworks

We met a lovely couple English couple from Southampton who are our age and who come every year for 6 months or more to Spain.  They have been doing this for 12 years or so and completely have the whole lifestyle in Spain down pat.  We really admire their lease on life and attitude towards things. 

                

They do Spanish lesion and cooking classes here on the camp site, so I’m hoping to improve the Spanish and learn a few more recipes.

Here is a local Spanish dish I learnt the other day:  Its scrambled eggs in laylend terms, but tasted really yummy…give it a go!

OH and P.S…..I will also write it in the same style it was provided to me…so good luck & happy cooking!!

Ruvuelto Asturiano (scramble eggs Asturian style)

·         2 big tomatoes

·         4 or 6 eggs

·         2 or 4 cheese slices

·         300gm Parma ham

·         powder onion

·         black pepper

·         Provenza herbs

·         Olive oil

Step 1: cut the tomatoes in little squares

Step 2: with a few of oil fry the Parma ham and cover all with Powder Onion, add a few of black pepper and mix with a big spoon.

Step 3: add the cheese and stir until the cheese with be melted

Step 4: add the tomatoes and stir

Step 5: add the eggs and cover all with powder onion (again) add a few (again to) and Provenza herbs.

Step 6: stir all together until the eggs will be curdled

Step 7: serve in a beautiful dish

A few points to note:  don’t use fresh onion as it is too watery and don’t beat or blend eggs, just crack them into the pan and keep folding the mixture until scrambled (curdled).  If you use Parma ham you don’t need salt but if you use sweet ham, add a bit of salt.

local village

  

DAY 164 - HASTE YE BACK!

It’s on the sign posts at the beginning of any major roadway or motorway.  Don’t know why, but I found this really funny!  I think it means – WRONG WAY  - GO BACK!

Rosie in da homeland.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Scotland.  After catching the Ferry from Dublin to Stranrear and an amazing drive along the coast to Galway we set up camp in the 24hr TESCO supermarket for 2 days and then got told to move on.  (Tight arses!).

Glasgow was so pretty, I wasn’t expecting much after visiting Ireland and feeling a little disappointed but was so excited to find that Glasgow was so much more than I expected.  To top it all off,  Brad Pitt was in town filming a new movie so I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!

The buildings, the shopping, bagpipes & that sexy Scottish accent….we both fell in love with Scotland immediately.

Rosie in da Homeland

We then headed north along Loch Lommond towards Isle of Skye and to my surprise, although my brother and sister-in-law did tell me, we stumbled on a little place “Gollanfield”.  When we first saw it we were driving along this awesome scenic route between Onich and Fort William and just saw the sign out of the corner of our eye.  The roads in Scotland are narrow and really windy and private property goes right up to the main road so slamming on the brakes, and finding somewhere to pull up to get a photo was interesting.   We eventually pulled up on someone’s front lawn…our whole big 28’ motorhome that is towing a motorbike on trailer….ran down the road to get photo’s, ran back and took off like lightening before the owners kicked up a fuss and gave us a mouth full.  I can just imagine Daniel and Ingrid having to do the same thing when they found it…so funny and felt so nostalgic too.

The drive from Fort William to Isle of Skye is one of the most scenic beautiful drives we have ever done.  It’s still one of the best driving days we have had.  We spent the last 2 days in & around Isle of Skye, and rough camped it at some amazing spots.  Then drove towards the highlands and followed the northern route to Inverness via Garve.

Paul caught a brown trout about 30cm, when we were rough camping in Isle of Skye, so we pulled up along a loch near Garve, set up camp, tried for some more fish (no luck), and stocked up the BBQ, so awesome and one of our most enjoyable days so far. 

Paulie with dinner

Before leaving England, we bought a generator so we can pull up anywhere and have power to watch telly etc. without the need of a campsite.  Which is great as of cause all the best views are off the beaten track, but also means communicating can be hard via phone networks & we also have no internet?

Inverness was really nice too, after wild camping in Garve we headed a little south again so we could do the scenic route to Inverness via Loch Ness, we didn’t see no monster but was a really  pretty drive and such a buzz to see Loch Ness which is the legend of so many stories.  Inverness is really pretty along the river and is also the major city near the Gollanfield where my family is from.  We rode our push bikes along the river and in and around the city and sat down to have lunch on the riverbank only to be attacked by ducks who wanted our food more than we did.  It was so funny, they were nearly sitting on our laps trying to eat the food out of our hands and fighting with each other to make sure they were as close to us as possible and their mates where at the back of the line.

We totally fell in LOVE with Edinburgh.  It’s such a cool city….so pretty, so much history and just really funky and happening place.  The buildings are great and you get the feeling your actually walking into a bit of living history (like London and Rome).  I’d love to be there during the Fringe or some other festival one day.  I could live there…if it wasn’t so bloody cold.  It’s now by favorite UK city and has bumped Oxford and Bath off the map.

My only regret about Scotland is that we only got to spend 10 days there and wish we didn’t spend so long in Ireland.

in the middle of no where....on a high mountain pass we found this guy blowing his pipes