Explore europe in a campervan

On the ferry

simon — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:55:47 +0000

So the Lowlands festival is over and we’ve now left Holland. We had a great time at Lowlands, not as good as last year but the lineup this year wasn’t half as good. The Friday night was the best night as Hadouken and Kooks played. Then the lineup on Saturday wasn’t that great and drinking beer wasn’t quite as much fun. Then the lineup on Sunday wasn’t great either and drinking yet more beer was even less fun. We had a good time but next year we might try a festival in Madrid. (more…)

A Camping flight to Lowlands Paradise

lucy — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:51:29 +0000

we’re here at Lowlands festival. Last night we saw Hadouken and the Kooks. but we just ditched Franz Ferdinand to talk to you folks. We’re surviving the weather and looking forward to seeing everyone…but pining a little for the beach and the sunshine.

Rain…rain…more rain

lucy — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:04:39 +0000

Since leaving Tarifa we’ve had a sprinkling of rain almost every day but it seems that the closer we get to the UK the worse the weather gets by day! We spent a night at a municipal aire in Saint Amand Montrond and the rain hammered on the roof all night. (more…)

Our drive home: A day in Leucate

simon — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:00:19 +0000

We spent the night parked up outside the aire in Leucate, the barriers were closed when we arrived, not surprising since it was 1:30am. The aire looked pretty full and there must have been 10 other motorhomes parked outside. (more…)

Our drive home: Visiting Barcelona

lucy — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:56:39 +0000

After leaving Tarifa we drove directly to Barcelona. Going inland the temperature was very high and we understood why the Spanish tend to have a mass exodus to the coast during the height of the summer. The following morning we set off earlier to avoid some of the hottest part of the day and had a slightly more comfortable drive. We briefly met my friend and work colleague Andy who is holidaying in Spain with his wife, Sarah, and their family. They had spent several days in the city and assured us we should try to have a look around, which we planned to do if we could park. (more…)

Leaving Tarifa

lucy — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:05:44 +0000

Our last day in Tarifa has passed and it’s time to move on. We’re making a short stop in Barcelona to visit a friend on holiday there, and then continuing north through France. More… (more…)

Another kite-mare!

simon — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:58:26 +0000

I didn’t think I was going to get out kiting today as the forecast said no wind was due. After lunch the wind seemed to be blowing around 15 knots and kiters started to get out onto the water. So off to the beach we went, for another session of kiting. (more…)

Kipor IG1000 digital suitcase generator, a cheap alternative to the Honda 10i

simon — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:38:17 +0000

We’ve had the Kipor generator for over three months now so here is a brief review. When we first got our campervan it came with a generator. The noise it made was deafening, we thought it wasn’t worth the extra payload so we let someone take it off our hands. After being away for a few months in winter conditions we realised we just couldn’t do without a generator. So it was a choice between a cheap Kipor IG1000 digital suitcase generator or an expensive Honda 10i. (more…)

No board…but we’re not bored!

lucy — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:41:05 +0000

After Simon’s near miss a lot of lessons were learned. Most of them from sitting on the beach in the following days of very strong winds and watching other kite-surfers get in trouble and rescue themselves to varying degrees. Tarifa’s a beautiful place and the weather is warm and sunny consistently BUT!…when the Levante (easterly) wind is howling it’s not ideal for kite-surfing, sun-bathing (due to sand whipping violently across the beach) or even being in or around the van as the sand and dust blows in. Ok, so we’re not having a truly tough time but our activities have to be altered to suit the weather – poor us! (more…)

I’d lost my board out at sea, my kite was wrapped around a fence and I had no shorts!

simon — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:02:19 +0000

We’ve had a very windy week indeed. Parked in the pig field in Tarifa there was no way you could avoid the wind, if you left a window or door open then dried grass and dust would get blown into the van. Due to the strong wind kite-surfing was pretty much a no-no, my 11 metre kite was just too big for the conditions. I gave it just one attempt though, when the wind seemed to have eased off… (more…)