Stayed a couple a nights in Segovia which I definitely recommend for a visit. It has a Roman aquaduct 900m in length built in 50AD. It also has an Alcuzar which looks like a fairy castle (it was rebuilt after a fire) and evidently Walt Disney used as the basis for his castle in Sleeping Beauty.
But apart from all that it’s a lovely place to walk around. Small enough to manage and at this time of the year not crowded with loads of tourists (only a select few).
We wandered around the old Jewish quarter (the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella) Where they have a permanent exhibition in a Jewish centre.
Stayed overnight on an Aire at the bullring- very pleasant and just a 10 minute walk to the centre
We arrived in Santander and decided that the one Camperstop in the town would be full up, so drove for 30 minutes to a delightful medieval village called Santillana del Mar. This had a great big Aire on the edge of the village with a few other vans
The village was just five minutes walk and we found a most acceptable restaurant up a little cobbled street, especially for Valerie’s birthday. A €16 menu 3-course meal including a bottle of Rioja ticked all the boxes.
I would definitely recommend it for a night’s stop when coming off the ferry
A great camperstop by the sea in this beautiful place
Went for a cycle ride and saw a flock of white flamingos on the lagoon. The tide was low and they were wading looking quite extraordinary
White flamingosHere’s the evidenceSunset over the misty sea
Thus was our second time at the camperstop. For €4 you are right by the beach and have water, washing up and laundry, toilets, shower, brilliant. Also a pleasant little village 1k away and cafes restaurants on the beach
Staying overnight at an Aire in the village of Sauternes in SW France. It’s wine country- Sauterne and Graves. We tried the Graves this evening at a quirky little bar which included swings and table tennis. All delightful and delicious
View from the van at camperstop by the Brenner pass
Started on our way back home today. Now in Austria staying at a CamperStop just by the Brenner Pass. Views are spectacular if cloudy and at last it’s a bit cooler!!
in the morning went for a walk in the woods and found an area where logs were being stored. They were all stacked in gradations of size and made really interesting shapes and patterns.
Stack of logs in the woods by the Brenner passLogs stacked near Brenner
A lovely campsite near Siena. On a hill the panoramic views over the beautiful Tuscan landscape are stunning. It’s a largish site with many terraces so somewhere for everyone, has lots of trees but best of all has a proper size swimming pool with a cafe/bar and restaurant. There is also an attractive village within walking distance.
Towards the end of July it will start to get very crowded but at the moment it’s perfect. It looks as though there may be some cycle routes and we’re planning to try those in the next couple of days.
View from the van at Le Soline campsite near Siena
Spending a few days in the campsite at Stoupa ( the only campsite down this coast – fortunately it’s fine) and went for a walk in the hills today. In the village of Kastania found an amazingly beautiful 1000 year old Byzantine church – Agios Petros.
Agios Petros in Kastania
And inside it was stunning. The first amazing thing was that it was unlocked and then it was covered in beautiful frescos!
It’s amazing to realise that this is how all these churches would have been
As we travel around I continually realise how little I know about so many things. We’ve just spent a day in Mystras an amazing ruined Byzantine city with a castle perched on top of a hill. Know about the Byzantine empire? Well I didn’t.
A very quick history lesson – whilst the western Roman Empire came to an end in AD476 when the last emperor of Rome was executed, the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) continued until AD1204. It started when the Roman emperor Constantine I founded Constantinople (Istanbul) in AD330. The Byzantines made Mystras into their second city and this was maintained into the 15th century even though the knights of the Fourth Crusade and other Franks (any foreigner from NW Europe) had sacked Constantinople and taken over part of the Peloponnese.
The churches in Mystras and throughout this area of the Peloponnese have a very distinctive style and architecture, and internally and are filled with amazing frescos.
We stayed in a nearby campsite called Castle View and walked to the old Mystra site. There are two entrances and I recommend entering at the top ‘Fortress’ entrance as then you walk slowly down. If you entered at the Main entrance you’d have to walk up and would probably run out of legs before getting to the castle. It is a fantastic site and we spent the whole day there wandering around looking at the castle, houses, churches etc
