Then a longer walk this afternoon around the cliffs.
Saturday - Aberdaron
A very nice day - bright but windy. A walk down to the cliffs to see a standing stone and views out to Bardsey Island.
Then a longer walk this afternoon around the cliffs.
Then a longer walk this afternoon around the cliffs.
Friday - Ty Newydd site, Aberdaron.
A pleasant drive stopping to take photos of Portmerion across the estuary.
Then through Portmadog to a National Trust house and garden.
Then on to Aberdaron and an evening walk to see the sunset.
RosieMay can be seen in the middle of the field.
Then through Portmadog to a National Trust house and garden.
Then on to Aberdaron and an evening walk to see the sunset.
RosieMay can be seen in the middle of the field.
Wednesday - Harlech
A day at Portmerion - using Public Transport!
We toured the village and all the shops then walked the woodland path to the lighthouse.
We toured the village and all the shops then walked the woodland path to the lighthouse.
Tuesday - Harlech
To the castle and then round the town. 
The view from the castle. 
Then a six mile walk on the beach. 
Monday. Through Aberystwyth to Harlech.
Wonderful walks along the front at Aberystwyth and up the funicular. Then around the town.
Then along the coast to Min y Don site below Harlech Castle.
And a walk along the beach.
Then along the coast to Min y Don site below Harlech Castle.
And a walk along the beach.
Wednesday, Cap Finnisterre, off the Isle of White.
Lost on the voyage - my sea legs, my lunch and many photo opportunities. Not a good journey - cruel, cruel sea.
But England looks lovely, let us hope Wales looks as sunny. Home for lunch.
But England looks lovely, let us hope Wales looks as sunny. Home for lunch.
Tuesday, Ferry port, nr Bilboa
Amazing. Blogging from the ferry queue. A slightly scary journey here- who in their right mind would put Santander Ferry on the sign and expect you to know that they meant Santander and also the Bilboa ferry port? Anyway. You can turn around quite easily on these motorways.
So we are here.
So we are here.
Monday, Camping Itxaspe, Deba, nr Bilboa
Our last day here. We drove down to Deba to fill up with fuel, check out the Peage we need to travel on tomorrow and to buy some bread and cakes. Nice town. Big church - a pilgrimage church of course.
Then we did all the packing up jobs before we took our last local walk.
Our last view from RosieMay.
Then we did all the packing up jobs before we took our last local walk.
Our last view from RosieMay.
Sunday, Camping Itxaspe, Deba, nr Bilboa
Calling at reception for advice about walks we found the nice man on Sunday reception unable to speak English but happy to participate in the illusion that our Spanish is reasonably workable. We got our advice, though later didn't follow it. Then a young woman in her pyjamas came in announcing in English that she had left her iPhone in the taxi last night and had got the taxi driver hanging on at the other end of her friend's iPhone, but they couldn't understand each other. Would the receptionist speak to the taxi driver please? With some waving and pointing and a couple of key Spanish vocabulary items like 'left' 'phone' and 'in taxi' and 'speak to taxi man' (luckily the Spanish for 'taxi' is 'taxi') it was all sorted out to everyone's satisfaction. Team work.
We set out for a nice quiet Sunday stroll which turned into a longer walk than we intended. The sun shone and we just kept going, following a nice well kept path with great flowers, views and birds.
At one point this path goes past a house on its way to the sea shore that has at least four tethered dogs, all ready and waiting to warn off any passers-by. On noticing a walker, they all fling themselves to the end of their chains barking and baying like Hounds of the Baskervilles. One in particular has refined his way of operating: after each set of walkers he retreats to his kennel to hide himself, so that he can burst out and frighten and horrify the passers-by even more. The path divides at that house and there is no way mark; walkers go to the left, discover after a few yards that this is the back garden, and retrace their steps in order to go down to the right. This gives the cunning hiding dog two chances to scare the bejasus out of us all.
We ended up at the same spectacular piece of coast as yesterday but by a completely different route. When we got back there was still time to sit in the sun etc. and relax.
We set out for a nice quiet Sunday stroll which turned into a longer walk than we intended. The sun shone and we just kept going, following a nice well kept path with great flowers, views and birds.
At one point this path goes past a house on its way to the sea shore that has at least four tethered dogs, all ready and waiting to warn off any passers-by. On noticing a walker, they all fling themselves to the end of their chains barking and baying like Hounds of the Baskervilles. One in particular has refined his way of operating: after each set of walkers he retreats to his kennel to hide himself, so that he can burst out and frighten and horrify the passers-by even more. The path divides at that house and there is no way mark; walkers go to the left, discover after a few yards that this is the back garden, and retrace their steps in order to go down to the right. This gives the cunning hiding dog two chances to scare the bejasus out of us all.
We ended up at the same spectacular piece of coast as yesterday but by a completely different route. When we got back there was still time to sit in the sun etc. and relax.
Sunday, Camping Itxaspe, Deba, nr Bilboa
Sunday. Not a day of rest for us. A glorious hot sunny day. At last.
We walked down to the sea again but using a different road - the route was part of an ancient pilgrims road.
Wonderful scenery.
Lunch was eaten on some stone steps in the shade of a fig tree.
I have called this one the 'cuddly toy orchid'......
And this ugly duckling that I think is a parasitic plant - no leaves as it lives off another plant - which looks like something out of The Muppets.
We walked down to the sea again but using a different road - the route was part of an ancient pilgrims road.
Wonderful scenery.
Lunch was eaten on some stone steps in the shade of a fig tree.
I have called this one the 'cuddly toy orchid'......
And this ugly duckling that I think is a parasitic plant - no leaves as it lives off another plant - which looks like something out of The Muppets.
Saturday, Camping Itxaspe, Deba, nr Bilboa
Well, as you see from the photos and Chris's comments, this place rocks.
We walked along the coastal path and had some fabulous views of the rocks from a distance and then we descended to sea level and got to see them close to, as well. We sat on some to have our lunch. Chris took many photos of them. The formations were, to be truthful, quite amazing and very beautiful indeed.
We set off minutes after a massive downpour, and it was touch and go whether we would actually do the coast walk out towards the particularly interesting rocky place. We decided to walk in that direction, and within an hour the sun was shining from a clear blue sky. Once again, we carried brollies and macs all the way there and back, though the brollies doubled as walking sticks and gentle wild flower and orchid prodders. It was a steep walk in places. We passed a couple of groups of walkers and a group of cross country cyclists, hurtling down the steep slopes with nothing between them and the high cliffs with rocks below. As we passed, one group of Spanish walkers were just stopping for their lunch, they didn't notice that they were spreading themselves out on a bank of lovely, delicate purple orchids, squashing them flat.
We needed an ice cream on our return to the site, and a long sit down.
After supper we walked along the road to the village. On a telegraph wire was a turtle dove. What luck and what a beautiful bird. The UK population has declined by 93% since the seventies. It is one of our most endangered birds. A very great pity.
We walked along the coastal path and had some fabulous views of the rocks from a distance and then we descended to sea level and got to see them close to, as well. We sat on some to have our lunch. Chris took many photos of them. The formations were, to be truthful, quite amazing and very beautiful indeed.
We set off minutes after a massive downpour, and it was touch and go whether we would actually do the coast walk out towards the particularly interesting rocky place. We decided to walk in that direction, and within an hour the sun was shining from a clear blue sky. Once again, we carried brollies and macs all the way there and back, though the brollies doubled as walking sticks and gentle wild flower and orchid prodders. It was a steep walk in places. We passed a couple of groups of walkers and a group of cross country cyclists, hurtling down the steep slopes with nothing between them and the high cliffs with rocks below. As we passed, one group of Spanish walkers were just stopping for their lunch, they didn't notice that they were spreading themselves out on a bank of lovely, delicate purple orchids, squashing them flat.
We needed an ice cream on our return to the site, and a long sit down.
After supper we walked along the road to the village. On a telegraph wire was a turtle dove. What luck and what a beautiful bird. The UK population has declined by 93% since the seventies. It is one of our most endangered birds. A very great pity.
Saturday, Camping Itxaspe, Deba, nr Bilboa
Anyone who is not interested in geology should look away now.
We are in a Geopark here, because the coastal rocks are absolutely fascinating. Honestly.
We sat here and ate our lunch.
All these rocks and flowers too!
This is part of the view from RosieMay.
We are in a Geopark here, because the coastal rocks are absolutely fascinating. Honestly.
We sat here and ate our lunch.
All these rocks and flowers too!
This is part of the view from RosieMay.
Friday, Camping Itxaspe, Deba, nr Bilboa
Our driving day took us through a lot of different types of landscapes, with interesting geology and varieties of land use to look at as we passed through.
We stopped for a final supermarket session and enjoyed looking at a white stork high-rise apartment block, which was a pylon like structure next to the car park with four or five untidy nests, made of piles of sticks, crammed into the steel work on several levels. Two or three had storks in residence as we looked and we could see the young ones craning their necks asking for food.
As we travelled further West the road and other signs changed from Spanish to yet another language, the language of the Basque countries. The Basque Lands are called Euskadi. The Basques are a very ancient people with a language that is the oldest in Europe, according to the book we have, apparently, even older than Welsh. It has no known relatives. Genetically, ethnic Basques have uniquely persistent European Paleolithic DNA markers - impressively ancient.
Anyway, the site at Itxaspe (note Basque-ness of name) has great views over the sea and the coastal path walks look like being spectacular. We will walk tomorrow.
We stopped for a final supermarket session and enjoyed looking at a white stork high-rise apartment block, which was a pylon like structure next to the car park with four or five untidy nests, made of piles of sticks, crammed into the steel work on several levels. Two or three had storks in residence as we looked and we could see the young ones craning their necks asking for food.
As we travelled further West the road and other signs changed from Spanish to yet another language, the language of the Basque countries. The Basque Lands are called Euskadi. The Basques are a very ancient people with a language that is the oldest in Europe, according to the book we have, apparently, even older than Welsh. It has no known relatives. Genetically, ethnic Basques have uniquely persistent European Paleolithic DNA markers - impressively ancient.
Anyway, the site at Itxaspe (note Basque-ness of name) has great views over the sea and the coastal path walks look like being spectacular. We will walk tomorrow.
Friday, Camping Itxaspe, Deba, nr Bilboa
A long drive from the Pyrennees to the sea - mainly because we took the scenic route through the Bardenas Reales National Park.
We said goodby to the mountains...
Our coffee break looked out on flat lands...
Our lunch break looked over fields that were being flooded prior to planting...
This is what the landscape looks like in the Bardenas...
Shopping in a big town led to close encounters with storks..
And this little gem was in one of our stopping places...
And this is us on our pitch overlooking the sea...
We said goodby to the mountains...
Our coffee break looked out on flat lands...
Our lunch break looked over fields that were being flooded prior to planting...
This is what the landscape looks like in the Bardenas...
Shopping in a big town led to close encounters with storks..
And this little gem was in one of our stopping places...
And this is us on our pitch overlooking the sea...
Location:Carretera Nacional 634,Deba,Spain
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