Sun 28th January Portsmouth.
Having crammed everything we could into Carol’s mini convertible, we set off from our holiday lodge in Burton Bradstock for Portsmouth, to catch the overnight Ferry to Caen in Normandy. Millie sitting on the back seat in her bed surrounded by cases and stacked bags.
Arriving in good time we found a dog friendly pub in Portsmouth Gunpowder Quay to have dinner.
We arrived early for the ferry managing to navigate the nerve racking check in with Millie’s health assessment form and successfully using the hand held electronic device to find her microchip, were directed to the queue awaiting embarcation. We waited and waited … as cars around us gleefully passed by to find we were one of the last ones on the ferry ….. as usual muttered Graham ….
Seemed we were on the pet car deck as many dogs emerged from various cars clawing at the muzzles around their jaws - a requirement to be worn onboard until in their cabins. Millie followed suit - to prevent her trying to paw the damn thing off we had to pull up on her harness until her front paws were off the floor ,and she was half dragged little back paws working hard to the cabin - up 4 floors!
Luckily we had booked a 4 berth cabin - no bunks for us! And after trying out the beds Millie settled into her own bed for the crossing.
Graham showing the strain after the traumatic embarkation and dog dragging …. imagine what he looked like before he had that pint …
Day 2 ,Mon 29th January , Normandy - Charente Maritime.
Had a reasonable nights sleep - Millie stayed in her bed! Maybe she felt happier closer to the ground given the movement and sounds of the ferry.
After a french style breakfast of cold croissant and coffee we returned to the car. Dogs had to be put in the cars before the humans were allowed … Carol dragged the muzzled Millie down the corridor to be advised the stairs could not be used ,and therefore there was a queue of writhing muzzled dogs awaiting their turn to be squeezed into the lift ….. personally Carol thought cramming a load of dogs that don’t know each other and are scared shitless, muzzled or not into a confined space was not the best of plans but we got there …. Never has there been a time Millie greeted being put in the car with such glee!
Had an uneventful drive through Normandy, Brittany and on to the Loire. Then as we headed towards the peages ticket booths after Nantes ……….
The dreaded protesting farmers …. Ah the French eh…
Thankfully 2 booths were allowed open and it seemed the lorry drivers in the other lane were happy to grind to a standstill and high five their (non working) worker brothers , leaving the second lane more free flowing for us lowly car drivers . We passed loads of parked tractors and the protesters were happily drinking coffee or probably pastis at their make shift bar. “ Vive les fermiers!” And “notre fin sera votre faim” read the posters.
[as an aside Graham used to listen to France Bleu news bulletins on the radio - perfect for learning french - 3 minutes of fast talking french. Anyway, every day there were reported: 1. Un grève, ( a strike), 2) a death on the roads, and 3) a mysterious fire, generally in a rural area on a building of little value] when the farmers have finished no doubt the port authorities and air traffic controllers will step in.
A quick stopover at a supermarket for dog food - Carol bought a couple of mini bottles of cava - to celebrate our entry to Europe! Just need some ice but none was available. Carol had an inspired idea! There is a bag of cheap frozen pineapple so we will use this as a substitute. Not IN the cava, but in the sink to cool the bottles down. After an hour or so the pineapple got quite smelly and unfortunately some of the pineapple slipped down the plughole. Still, it will help to mask the cigarette smoke that shouldn’t really be there in a non smoking hotel.
Our budget hotel Comfort Hotel Saintes - off an industrial estate but good for the motorway. We were advised there was a restaurant within walking distance but sadly it was closed. So we set off for a short drive to an all you can eat Chinese Buffet restaurant .. our first ever!
Dogs were allowed and Millie hid beautifully as we took turns to fill our plates. Think it was not your usual buffet fare as there was tons of seafood- sushi, oysters, scallops, langoustines, smoked salmon and a variety of fancy desserts and ice creams as well as the Chinese offerings which we ignored mostly for the French stuff!
And so to bed…
Day 3, Tues 30 th January. Saintes - San Sebastian.
On waking there was the rather overpowering whiff of pineapple permeating the room … Carol took Millie for her morning walk and took the bag of soggy pineapple with her depositing it in a bin far away from the hotel. Hopefully the room will appear as norm once the cleaners arrive.
Probably not an idea worth repeating ….
After a decent budget French style buffet breakfast ( dogs allowed in the breakfast room) we headed back to the motorway to drive on to San Sebastian in Spanish basque country. We’d forgotten how pretty the countryside is around Jonzac - the start of vine growing country, and how ugly the countryside is around the Landes area.
A long drive but forgotten once we arrived at the NH collection hotel. What a gem - in a suburb with a few minutes walk to an expansive sandy beach … full of doggies having fun…a Millie doggie heaven! Downtown San Sebastián was impressive from a traffic point of view, pedestrians and cyclists had equal rights as, if not more rights than cars, zebra crossings, cycle lanes all traffic lighted which together with parked cars all combined to restrict cars to walking speed.
Day 4, Tues 30th January. San Sebastian.
A day off in San Sebastian. After a lovely breakfast san Millie who was allowed to wait in the room, we set off on a tour recommended by the concierge at the hotel.
Firstly a visit to a sculpture by the sea. “ The comb of the wind “
The Atlantic rollers dramatically framed the installations.
The sun was shining and the thermometer registered 18 deg C. People were promenading in front of the beach, sunbathing on the beach and swimming in the sea. I think we hit it lucky with the weather but San Sebastián does look a very nice place.
We walked into San Sebastian old town enjoying lunch in an outside terrace of a restaurant … in January !
A view down a side street.
Looking onto the marina - a well placed sculpture.
We walked back to the hotel via a couple more beaches much to Millies delight but not to Carol’s whose dicky hip was playing up - 18,000 steps ( 12 km) a few steps too far!
Passing some impressive sand art
Back to the hotel and after a lovely dinner in the restaurant ( Millie waiting patiently in the room). A peaceful nights sleep before the next days drive to Aranjuez.
Day 5, Thurs 1st February. San Sebastian - Aranjuez.
Leaving our lovely haven we headed off back on the motorway … another 5 - 6 hours on the road to Aranjuez just south of Madrid.
Eeek it may be the capital of Spain but the council must have run out of budget for the roads … the road was terrible - but no tolls to pay so we cant grumble…. much …. I know Graham i know …..
Aranjuez is a town based around an old palace of the Spanish royal family -a vast old hunting lodge - it is a tourist attraction of which the hotel may be an old part of the palace? Sadly the romance of the place was slightly ruined by the extensive graffiti on most walls of the surrounding buildings but thankfully not the palace itself.
Another NH collection hotel - a vast one at that but we’ve been spoilt by the lovely San Sebastian one. This one didn't allow dogs alone in rooms and we had a solitary dinner in a corner of the vast lobby at the empty bar area …. Put well in our place.
Day 6, Fri 2nd February . Aranjuez - Competa.
Our last day on the road - greeted by a chilly and dull morning not the weather we were getting used to at all!
Distant view through the car windscreen.
However a hour or so later the sun put its hat back on.
As we approached Andalucía the roads and the scenery improved. We passed vast rows of olive trees on sunny hillsides with scattering of almond trees in blossom for miles and miles, literally about 50kms - beautiful.
And then approaching Granada …. The Sierra Nevada.
Wow! The snow shimmered on the distant mountains towering over Granada.
And then the long descent down to the Costa del Sol and on to our destination Competa, a white housed village in the hills of La Axarquía.
A speed shop in Lidl by Carol in Nerja as Graham and Millie waited in the car then back on the road for the last few miles of the trip…
Just off the road nr Torrox, a 30 - 40 min drive on the narrow winding road led us to our villa - Casa Repisa.
Don’t think we’ll be going very far in the next couple of days…
We opened a bottle of cava and watched the sun going down from the terrace.
