Northwards through Spain and France

Hello everyone

Well, the rain has been a regular feature this week and it’s turned much colder – quite a shock to the system and we’re missing the constant warm sunshine!

We continued north-eastwards through Portugal via Coimbra and back to Spain. The border crossing was completely unremarkable – a sign by the side of the road which you’d miss if you blinked. The quality of the road surface wasn’t as good with long bumpy stretches and our cupboard contents were jostled again, but the scenery was beautiful with the sierras covered with snow.

 

After another border crossing at Irun, we were in France again.  Heading northwards, we stopped off at Montreuil-Bellay on a free stopover. It’s a very picturesque town with a chateau dating from the 11^th century and rampart walls surrounding it.



 

Further north into Normandy, we visited the World War II landing beaches.

At Arromanches, sections of the artificial Mulberry harbour remain, and parts of the floating pontoons which made the roadway to the shore lie partly buried in the sand. It’s a magnificent sight and story boards displayed on the cliffs describe the D-Day events. Unfortunately, the museums are all closed until February – definitely a place to revisit.

 

 

 

Eastwards at Ouistreham, a replica of the Pegasus Bridge is in use, with the original displayed in the outdoor museum nearby.

 

 

From here, our route continues north-eastwards and after crossing over The Channel at Calais, we’ll spend a few days in the big smoke of London.

 

Will post again next week - love to all