OIARTZUN

Sat 9th/Sun10th Dec
For the next two days we took it very easy after the shock of what had
happened to us.

ESTEPONA

Mon 25th Dec

Merry Xmas to all!!

We are hooked up for the next few months and will update the blog
in the next few days together with our address and Spanish mobile
no. We are staying with friends and having a great time in the sun.
In the new year we are house sitting and planning trips to Africa,
and all the famous cities of southern Spain.

Happy New Year To all !!!

OIARTZUN

Fri 8th Dec pm

Well,we survived just! As the eye of the storm left us after 3hrs we went
outside in the rain and wind to check for damage.By now the lorry park
was full and some of the truckers helped us bring down the awning and
Malcolm went up on the roof on his stomach to cut loose the tv mast.
We contacted our insurers which at one time inc. a four way conferance
call between the UK,France,Spain,and us! Help arrived later in the day.
The awning was cut away and we had repaired the hole in the roof with
plastic and Mastic ! Only then did it hit us at what had happened.

OIARTZUN

Fri 8th Dec A M.

One helluva day ! The previous evening we had made friends with 3 Portugaise drivers
who had followed us in to the lorry park with their car transporters and parked next to
us.They left very early in the morning,which left us open to the elements,unknown to us.
At 5.00am what sounded like a train hit us head on to our right side.We managed to bring
in the slide-out,lower the jacks.and sat/dish and drop the tv mast.An atlantic storm from
the Bay of Biscay with winds of 100mph had arrived without warning!! As we were un-
protected to our right,we took the full force for the next 3 hrs.The awning was ripped
from the side of the Winnebago and the four support bars bent and broken landed on
the roof and smashed into the tv mast forming a shape of a sail.This caused us to lift
off the ground on more than two occasions and nearly turn over!! We wrapped our selfs
in bedding and waited for the outcome.

SAN SEBASTIAN

Thurs 7th Dec

We are parked up in a truckers stop outside San Sebastian !! We set off this morning
in a thunderstorm so we decided to not use the ferry from Royan ,but go by the direct
route to Bordeaux then onto Bayonne using the pay route which was also a lot faster
and shot past Biarritz and through the mountains down to San Sebastian.

LUCON

Wed 6th Dec

We woke up to a sunny day in Lucon so we shot out to top up with supplies
ready for the move towards Spain.Ms Painot checked out the scooter hoist
and helped to re-set the scooter on the ramp.Madam Painot called in to say
Au Revoir as we were planning our route for the next couple of days.Martin
called from England to whish us Bon Voyage and we rang our best friend 's
Tim and Thea to catch up with all the news in North Wales .

LUCON

Tues 5th Dec

Just another day in Lucon,rain,rain.rain ! We are now planning to leave
on Thursday as Ms Painot want's to check the scooter hoist tomorrow
before we leave.During the afternoon as we were servicing the Winnebago
a car pulled in and the gentleman started talking to us.It turned out that
he saw the Winnebago and wanted to talk to us because he was from the
Circus that we had passed in La Rochelle last week and they had a very
large home similar to ours. It turned out that he was the clown in the
Circus and his wife was the high wire act !! They then asked us to call in
to see them on our way past La Rochelle.

LUCON

Mon 4th Dec

In the morning we ran around the town to top our supplies up in between
the heavy showers.This afternoon Ms Painot was able to finish all the repairs
as the rain kept off for most of the rest of the day.The new gas gauge and gas
adapator,out side shower taps and out side lights where all fixed. Then he gave
the Winnebago a good service including checking all the tyre pressures,even
the spare ! The engine oil,coolant,transmission fluid,power steering ect were
all checked and topped up as required.We started up the aux/gas generator
and finished off by putting the scooter on the hydraulic hoist.So we are ready
for lift off on Wednesday after our planning day tomorrow!!

LUCON

Sun. 3rd Dec.

Another quiet day here, had the wind and rain this morning,
had planned to go to the Xmas Market as Ms Painot had given
us the use of the car but waited for the rain to go off, it didn't, so
we set off regardless, they had marquee's set up opposite the
cathedral with carol's in the background but it was so wet we
decided to go and have a Pineau to warm us up then came back
and replied to a few e-mail's, one from Australia and another from
Mike and Annie (a couple we met in Honfleur) they are currently
having a few weeks in Spain.
Hope to be on the move by Wed. heading towards Biarritz and
San Sebastion.

LUCON

Sat. 2nd Dec.

A very wet day here, absolutely pouring with rain all morning,
after lunch it stopped so went into town on the scooter for some
shopping , then had a walk and later made a superb curry for
supper.

LUCON

Fri 1st Dec

The parts parcels arrived at the garage on Tues/Wed whilst we where on the
Lle De Re and Ms Painot is fixing them over the weekend and also giving the
Winnebago a good service prior to us setting off to Spain on Mon/Tues !
Over the weekend the Xmas festivites are starting in Lucon so we are going
to check them out tomorrow.

LA ROCHELLE

Thurs 30th Nov

Another beautiful morning so after breakfast we went out to look at the
shops around the harbour as they were all closed on Wed.we purchased
a set of unique champagne flutes which we had spotted on arrival on Tues.
and managed to get a reduction on them (an anniversary present to us)
then we found a new art shop displaying some magnificent photographs
which had been transferred to canvas, unbelievable work of art.
We then started to head back to La Rochelle, on the way we stopped
along the coast and found the spot where the oyster beds were laid, the
tide was out so walked along the beach, then went into La Rochelle and
Martin and Patti took us to a real Pizzeria (Teatro Bettini Ristorante)this
was a Grill/Brasserie during the day and a Chic Bar /Diner with Jazz
in the evening, only just managed to get a table, it was so busy, what an
atmosphere in there, it was tremendous. Then had a wonder around the
wonderful shops, could spend days just browsing around them, they have
such wonderful exotic and unusual things in some of them,Patti bought
some Xmas presents for her grandchildren, they are due to go home on Sat.

SAINT MARTIN DE RE

Wed 29th Nov

SAINT MARTIN DE RE

Wed 29th Nov

After a very enjoyable breakfast in the conservatory overlooking the garden,
Martin and Patti had arranged a beautiful bouquet of flowers for our 35th
(Coral) wedding anniversary.We set off for the town of Ars En Re where we
had lunch outside on the quay on a beautiful crisp sunny day with blue skies
and views for miles.Brenda also received text messages from her two sisters
in England.In the afternoon we went to the coast to see the salt marshes and
the Mussell beds.In the evening we went out for dinner in Saint Martin De Re
On returning to the hotel we met an English couple,Dean and Jackie Fulton who as it
so happens lived near Burton Upon Trent where they had business interests
and where their beautiful daughter Olivia attends kindergarden ! The following
picture shows us at the beginning of the day.

LLE DE RE

Tues 28th Nov

We travelled down to Lle De Re with Martin and Patti and stopped for lunch
in the dock area of La Rochelle at a "Les Routiers " restaurant for the fixed
price menu.Afterwards we went round the side of the dock area and there
in front of us was an amazing site- The U-Boat penns from 1940 ! The main
covered entrance to the inner harbour is a 1/4 mile long,then the actual 12 penns
with behind them the storage/work area's .They are indestructable and
are just awe inspiring,they stand 150ft high and 1/2 mile long,a very strange
feeling takes over you when you are standing inside them.We then crossed over
a spectactular bridge to the island of Lle De Re and the town of Saint Martin
De Re.The hotel we where planning to stay in was closed for refurbishment
so we checked into theL'Hotel De Toiras on the harbour front which is part
of the Relais de Chateaux group and managed to get a 50% reduction for
the two rooms,one of which was the junior suite which we settled into.
We went for dinner to one of Martin and Patti's favourite restaurants
"Le Belem". The picture below shows the view !!

LLE DE RE

Tues 28th Nov

LUCON

Mon 27th Nov

Didn't have any plans today so we popped out to put some petrol
in the car we have been using over the weekend and pick up a few things,
on our return we found Martin and Patti here asking us to go for lunch
to a Le Routiers place that they use. We have arranged to go to
L 'lle de Re' (an Island off La Rochelle) tomorrow for the day so they
are picking us up at 9a.m in the morning.

LUCON

Sun 26th Nov

A quiet day in Lucon started with a light breakfast but as the sun came out
we decided to go for a drive down to the coast.Les Sables D'Olonne was packed
with the locals walking along the beach and the sea front on a beautiful sunny
day.We drove around the end,past the casino and into the old town and port.
The old town is full of restaurants and was very busy and the port is for the
fishing boats.We spotted a river taxi which takes you across the harbour to
the older side of the town so we popped on with the locals.From the end of
the promenade we could see across to the sailing boat marina where all the
translantic races start from.

LUCON

Sat 25th Nov

A shopping day in Lucon at the open fruit.veg and meat market followed by a
visit to the hypermarket to top the stores up for the move next week.We also
called into the local liqueur distillery in the center of town opposite the cathedral
to buy a bottle of the local fire water called "Kamok" and some Creme de Cassis
for the Kir Royals ! We spotted the cinema in town is showing the new James
Bond film so if the the rain persist's we are going to see it tomorrow.The distillery
was started in 1812 by a local man a Ms H Vrignaud.

LUCON

Fri 24th Nov

The Repair pack from Oxford has got lost in the post so we have arranged for
another pack to be sent by special courier asap! The storms past during the
dayso we stayed in and planned another weekend in Lucon.