On the road, AGAIN!

At La LLosa

Hello everybody,

I guess that many of you know already but Chris has dragged me away from the warm and comfortable Ramshack in order to satisfy his wanderlust. Fortunately, the new caravan is comfortable and here, in Spain, the weather is warm and sunny so I really shouldn't complain too much. Chris even got to put a cat flap into the caravan and I did test it out before we left.

We left home almost two weeks ago. Chris was impressed that he could pick me up and deposit me in the caravan without me inflicting wounds and drawing blood on him. Quite frankly, I'm very experienced in this travelling lark and, short of disappearing for a while and annoying Chris, there's not much I can do. As he left a compartment open, with a cushion on the floor, I just settled down in there for the first part of the journey.

Actually, we were on the road for less than three and a half hours before we stopped. I stayed in the caravan while Chris met up with the owners of a campsite in the Lot Valley and agreed to work there for 6 weeks in May and June. The campsite is called “Ruisseau du Treil” and is in a village called Larganol. Chris says it's a very beautiful spot and that the owners, Jenny and Nigel, seem very friendly.

Testing the new bed

Back on the road we had one overnighter on a motorway aire, where I could stretch my legs and then it was another long day as we drove into Spain and all the way to Camping La Llosa in Cambrils, where we stayed four years ago. I thought I recognised it when I got out of the caravan and remembered all the cats which, once again, I had to see off MY territory.

It's hard to believe but, once Chris had settled in, he started to dismantle and rebuild bits of the caravan!

His work resulted in a fixed bed at the back where, if truth be told, I have more room to stretch out than before when Chris is down for the night. He also says it is much more comfortable than his previous 2' wide bench which, him being now of “mature years”, was a bit too narrow for the old guy.

Almond blossom

Ruth - ready to go!

Sunset over the mountains from Cambrils

I've tended to stay in and protect our home on wheels as Chris cycles the area. He says he hasn't done one single walk but has done some longish bike routes, with his major achievement a 100km loop through the mountains. He would have come back and gone on and on about this if it wasn't for a young lady, Ruth, who had pitched her tent near our caravan and had unloaded her touring bike for the night. She was cycling to Japan, on her own, and her trip would take a year! Chris made tea for Ruth and him and they talked bikes and travel – which was very boring. However, Ruth was thrilled to meet me and, before she left this morning she took my picture, one on her Polaroid camera for her journal and another which will be on her next blog post at ruths-adventures.ianmillard.com, so make sure you check it out. Chris says that he is aiming to do a 100km ride each week. I still don't think he'll be anywhere near Ruth's mileage but I'll humour him, anyway.

Reus

Last Friday he did venture out to Reus (where the architect Gaudi came from) and trundled around the historic centre with its Modernist buildings. He also aims to ride to Tarragona soon and visit the modern art museum and Roman ruins as well as picking up some of the “Carnaval” festivities.

Ok it's time for another rest, after all this writing, so I'll say farewell for now,

Much love,

Banksy