2 - Rocky Mountain High! (Portugal, Spain, France & Italy)

26th Jan – 3rd Feb – Faro , Portugal to Turin, Italy

Buon giorno everyone, yes we are now in Italy , Parma to be precise.
Our first ‘proper’ week on the road and we are still alive, talking, laughing and hugging though we have had a few ‘moments’!! An interesting leg which can be summed up with the words; mountains, snow, rivers, spectacular and cold bottoms (Clares)!

After a years planning and preparation for the trans Africa tour why didn’t anyone mention Europe ? It’s big and it’s cold! In all our excitement and ‘fears’ about Africa we totally forgot about the 5 countries and 5,000 odd miles we have to travel before even hitting the Middle East & Africa, made even more challenging with it being January and February – Winter!! With no heating in Bula and campsites closed due to ice and snow we are not best equipped; also finding that the budget is being stretched by the hotel stops! Keep suggesting to Clare we camp but she’s not having any of it (he’s not that brave either, it’s bloody freezing here!).

Okay we might have been ill prepared but we have had a fantastic time through Spain and France crossing the Pyrenees, Ardeche and Alps in the space of a week – 1,677 miles, 4 countries!

Despite being a tad chilly the weather has been fantastic and the scenery spectacular. After the ‘last supper’, actually lunch with mum and dad we finally left Portugal on Friday 26th January. Bula’s alternator had been fixed and her bonnet re-enforced, our own batteries recharged so we were ready…..until we hit the snow in Spain ! First night in a cheap trucker’s hostel outside Cordoba with great tapas for supper (very cold bedroom with separate beds!) Next day headed north towards Madrid and soon hit the snow which upset Bula immediately and she decided to throw off her windscreen wiper!!! Not a problem & easily fixed so on we went. Next few days we spent off the beaten track traveling through the middle of Spain through Cuenca and Teruel staying in a variety of hotels / hostels (certainly not suitable for the Windsor girls & Harrogate boys!!), one night we think was a brothel with very thin walls!!! Temperature remained very cold, -5oc one morning, but clear and sunny so no problems on the roads.

Sunday we hit the Pyrenees and stopped short of the French border in the Ski are of Vielha proceeded by a very spectacular drive thru the Mountains which included the amazingly long Vielha tunnel (5 kms). We decided to treat ourselves and booked into the Paradore Hotel, complete with double bed, bath and open log fire – luxury! Having driven almost 1,000 miles since leaving Portugal we decided to take a rest day in Vielha and visited one of the Ski areas, though decided a broken leg now would not be a good idea so had a bottle of wine and sunbathed instead. Took the opportunity to catch up on emails and generally relax, very pleasant.

From Vielha, Spain we soon crossed into France and headed into Toulouse, where we had lunch and visited the Basilican Saint Sertm – the largest Romanesque church in France – also saw the Rugby Stadium (oh joy!) Other cultural excursions included visiting the Toulouse Lautrec Gallery in Albi which we both really enjoyed.

The next few days continued with more amazing scenery as we followed the Tarn River through the Ardeche Region where poor Bula had another big climb up to 1300 meters. Stopped one night in Aubenes where we met our first English people since leaving Portugal and talk about a small world – they live within spitting distance of Clare’s sister in Bursledon, Southampton and there neighbours are Rosie Bales parents!!

From Aubenes in the Ardeche we soon hit the Alps and once again climbed up to 1,200 meters, Bula has been exceptional (he’s like a proud farther!). Stopping in Savines – le-Lac (near Gap) we were once again in a Ski area, though the real attraction was the Lac De Serre Poncon – the largest artificial dam in Europe – stunning area which we thoroughly explored both in Bula and on foot (our first bit of reasonable exercise, getting fit could be a problem!).

On Friday 2nd February we crossed into Italy through the Ski area of Montagenevre @ 1,800 meters and descended into the fog of Turin .

Yesterday we explored Turin on foot before finding Murphy’s Irish bar to watch the Rugby – Johnny is a god! After 8 pints and a Sambucer I must have had a dodgy pizza as felt decidedly off colour and retired to bed (well I put him to bed once we had negotiated the journey home!!!) Today we are recovering in Parma and I am Never drinking again!!!

So that pretty much brings us up to date. We have already completed over 3,000 miles & been ‘on the road’ for 21 days yet seem no closer to Africa & the warm sun but at least today we finally turned South! I hope not too long or boring – I have left lots out, promise!