The Caravan Club Highlights of Spain Grand Tour 2015 Madrid

Correct the weather finally improved slightly and we went on our coach to Madrid.  We had the most fantastic English speaking guide, who really made the day. We were able to use our coach as a -hop on/off bus as the streets are so wide and spacious. I think it is just about possible to see Madrid in a day, well she  certainly had a good go! The first stop was for coffee. This went down very well with the male participants. I wonder why?

Yep I'm not a football fan but it is impressive. 3 euros for a coffee?, However much are the tickets?,

or so now I've got to remember what my other pics are....!

Oh yes that was the Post Office! The got thought it was too grand recently so they took it over!

View of Madrid, with Royal Palace in the background

Now how the heck do they do that?,

There's lots of photos missing...ie the lunch....A typical chickpea stew. It sounds awful but believe me it wasn't!  It was so good that there was no time to take pictures,only to eat! Oh go on then...drink as well!

The Palace was stunning as usual. We arrived back at the campsite at 7 and I think everyone was in bed by 10! No not together-its not that type of Tour!

Oh, I just found a couple of pics of the campsite and it's spectacular terrace. I will add them here

Who put that gin and tOnich there?! Today is a day off which basically means a wash day! Whatever you are doing I hope the sun shines on you! 

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/european-tours/highlights-of-spain-grand-tour

The Caravan Club Highlights of Spain Grand Tour 2015 Stop 2

We left Haro and headed for camping Monte Holiday, just outside Madrid. This place never fails to disappoint. The super deluxe pitches overlooking the stunning countryside and the staff here and their efficiency and friendliness really cannot be beaten. We arrived in the early afternoon  and had the most amazing meal in the restaurant. The entire evening from start to finish was impossible to fault.

Suck Peter suck!

All I can say that this was really Spanish cuisine at its best. Being sad I came back to the caravan and watched Masterchef  but the food that we ate last night would have beaten anything on there,!

So today was a coach trip to Segovia.  The campsite sent a lovely member of staff with us. The forecast was showers so she promptly gave each couple a golfing umbrella!  She then went on to hand out goody bags for our hours coach journey! Bottles of water,boiled sweets,tissues and maps! Some of the ladies were a little cold so the member of staff nipped into a shop and bought us all scarves,

! Service and care or what?!

 It was an interesting day and then we were fed again....suckling pig . The restaurant was amazing but the views did it for us

The view from the dining table!

Some views inside however weren't so good!

Segovia and her aqueduct is why we were really here!

The cultural bit..This is where Is a belle the Catholic was crowned.  What she later went on to do for this Country was unbelievable.

How I love this scenery here. The view of my van

I couldn't help laugh when our friends and neighbours put their new canopy up

I was getting a bit worried. We are staying for 6 nights here. I think Lizs arms might be a bit sore after that length of time!

Well today ,Sunday is a day off and all its done is rain...One thing for it...team meeting in the bar. Watch out Madrid tomorrow here we come,

!

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/sites/spain/monte-holiday

http://www.lunarcaravans.com/

The Caravan Club Hightlights of Spain Grand Tour 2015

Morning world. I havent blogged for a while but I know quite a few like to know wthat we are up to. So yesterday was day 1 of this Tour. We finishrd the Andulucian Tour which was great fun and tried to have a break at Marjal Costa Blanca for a while but that didnt quite materialise as we still had 9 sites to inspect! We found some super new sites that will be joining the Clubs network next year so that was quite exciting-maybe I need to get out more! Oh whilst we were at Marjal we had the first real problem with our Lunar Caravan. A manufacturing defect on the front gas box! Eeks It didnt look good with bungy clips holding it in place! Now could a bigger piece of the caravan break? Could I be in a more difficult location? Easter right when I needed the part? All I can say is that they were amazing! Within a week a new front box was sent to Marjal free of charge! I was able to have it fitted and on I went! What service in this day and age. This caravan as you can imagine gets really put through its paces and thats the very first time Ive had to claim under warranty. I think its already been to well over 20 countries and approximately20 000 miles so not bad going at all. To havr it repaired so quickly Im a very happy bunny!
We finished inspecting on Sunday and had a days rest before people started arriving early for the Tour. We are at Camping de Haro. The capital of the Rioja region. Last night my brief was to get everyone from the Tour into the bar for A welcome drink. A drink?!!! Well they were going to open the bar especially for us but being the tight canny true Yorkshire lass I worked out that if we did our own thing with the money allowed we could all have several drinks, if not an entire bottle up here for the money allowed for one drink! I put it to the particiapnats and guess which they went for? Well we are in the Rioja region and we needed to start the Tour in a good and proper way! The trouble was just as we started so did the thunderstorms! It would take more than that to dampen our spirits particularly after consuming so much wine! We found a sheltered area and had a great night. Im not sure what the weather is going to do today as we possibly have a group  barbecue. The group are really great as usual and from all walks of life but would you believe it more than 75 percent of the group are from....yorkshire! Dont worry about it though we are giving the others elocution lessons! They will be speaking properly in no time at all! We only have one motorhomer and the friendly banter was great fun. Some of this Tour have been with us before and its lovely to see familiar faces as well as meeting new ones. Others havent done Tours at all before and some have never ever been to Spain. Certainly with this Tour they are in for some suprises.
Tomorrow we go to one of my favourites Monte Holiday. Some were amazed how mountainous Spain is just coming from the ferry ports,. Wait until they see this and so close to Madrid. I think it could ahve something to do with the food as well as to why I love Monte Holiday so much. The restaurant there is to die for and some of the trips out are also good too-complete with food. Is there a theme running here?! I hate cooking! Theres so much more to life but eatings a different matter! I watch Masterchef but some of those dishes?! If I was served some of that up it would be gong straight back!
I wasnt very good with my camerra last night, I was a little pre occupied I will try better..so onwards and upwards Id better check out the forecast and see if I can convince the men to cook for us on the barbecue! Any excuse. Have a good day folks!

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/european-tours/highlights-of-spain-grand-tour

www.lunarcaravans.com/brands/lunar

www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/sites/spain/camping-de-haro

The Caravan Club Andulucian Grand Discovery Tour...things were going far too well!

We are nearly at the end of this spectacular Tour. It has been great fun. Not only the places that we have been but the weather and the people too. We travelled yesterday from Las Lomas near Granada to Caba de Gata. All 15 rings were performing well but then about 5 miles from the final destination the BMW decided that it didnt want to play anymore!

Thank god for Red Pennant! Davids car was recovered along with his caravan to the campsite by a tow truck. He was able to empty the contents of his car at his leisure and then the truck came back again to recover the car. It sounds as though the car is seriously poorly so as we speak someone is coming out with a low loader from the UK to deliver him a hired tow verhicle and to take his broken one back to the UK for him-the holiday shall continue! Things could have been so much worse-like breaking down on the mountain range that we had just crossed and the winds were horrific.

So that was our excitement yesterday. Last night we went up to the bar on site and had menu del noches for 9 euros. We drank a fair bit of wine with people ordering extra bottles etc. When we went to pay they wouldnt charge us for the wine! We had all that for 9 euros each! A 3 course meal and drinks! 

So today was off exploring the Cabo de Gata National Park and luch out. The weather wasnt being so kind to us and we were grateful having our own coach and timetable as well as an english speaking guide so we could stop and hap on or off whenever we liked

These are two volcanoes...I wonder why they are known locally as the two titties?! Really they are the two brothers!

We had a super meal out. This paella was just one of our many starter courses!

 

The group modelling thermal raincoats! It was so blooming cold!

So tomorrow night we have our final meal which I fear could be a bit of a rowdy affair and then its back to Marjal. This has been the most amzing Tour! Cream crackered but well worth it! 

www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/european-tours/andalucia-discovery-grand-tour

www.campingcabodegata.com/en
www.caravanclub.co.uk/insurance/overseas-holiday-insurance

The Caravan Club Andulcian Grand Discover Tour. Granada

Wow

I honestly think thos is the best place for morning coffee in Spain! It does get better in April time whrn the whisteria comes out and theres still snow on the mountains!

The Resevoir is the most brilliant turquoise

how quickly this Tour has gone. Only 5 more days left. We are now at Las Lomas Camping. A beautiful site with incredible views and a resatauranto to die for. The towing to get here is not for the light hearted but as long as you have a good power to weight ration andf plenty of nerve its well worth it!
Yesterday we went to Granada. Not one of my favourite cities but Im probably not being fair as I have been many times before. The Morroccan Bazar is still good fun if you havent been before and the views of the Alhambra

The welcome meal provided by Paco was......ummm please can I have the same again for my breakfast,dinner and tea for the next week?!! Yummy would be an understatement. We have a day off tomorrow and then its our final destination Cabo De Gata. Tonight we are meeting up for drinkies in the bar as itsa member of the groups birthday. Well it would be rude not to wouldnt it?! lol
www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/sites/spain/camping-las-lomas
www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/european-tours/andalucia-discovery-grand-tour

The Caravan Club Andulucian Grand Discovery Tour-what a tour!

Well we have all fallen in love with the campsite La Campina.  We had an awsome day around Cordoba but then the evening was just hillarious. Together with Matilda the campsite owner we decided to have our own Andulucian night with e flamenco dancer and paella. We expected a female dancer but we got a young man dresses as a mixture who could not only dance but sing as well and talk abiut audience participation?! I swear I have never met some of them before!

 The cook couldnt resist joining in!

 Err Lois?! Captions please!

 Omg look at the face! What has he done?!

We had a truly fantastic time here and we received the warmest of Andulucian Welcomes. It was so nice to get off the tourist trail and enjoy real Andulucia. The group had such a good time that we had a collection for Matilda and Ricky the owners who really went above and beyond. If ever you visit this site look out for the wall clock from the mad hatters on Tour!

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/overseas-holidays/european-tours/andalucia-discovery-grand-tour

http://campinglacampina.es/

The Caravan Club Andulucian Grand Discovery Tour Update

We enjoyed our time at El Rocio. The update re nr nasty is he who laufhs last..it was a shame I didnt get to see it though! The owner of the campsite reimbursed me with my 8 euro hostage money that I had paid and asked me what I would like to see happen to him. Still trying to remain professional and not involve the Guardia Civil I had an idea. I knew that he was expecting to pay 16 euros a night with acsi and that he had left his acsi card with the reception until he left and paid in full. I explained that I thought it was a scam and didnt see why he should only pay 8 euros for the night in question. The campsite held his acsi card to ransom until he paid 24 euros for one nights camping! They also wouldnt release his electric cable from the box! In effect he made nothing from his behaviour! Unfortunately we had gone for a day out in Huelva so I never got to see this! Grr how I would love to have seen his smug face when we had one over him!
Anyhow Huelva ...oh I should have known the way my day was going. My brief was to get everyone on the coach and meet the guide at the column of christopher Columbus.  ...simple..not! There are a total if 3 blooming columns to Christopher Columbus! I will never forget where Columbus sailed from!

If I hear the words Christopher Columbus ever again?! 

There really wasnt a great deal in the lovely city to do , except visit a lovely little monestary and have a fantastic menu del dia in a superb Italian Restaurant. The guide was lovely but much of Huelva and its history had been destroyed by an earthquake in the 18th century.

The following day we headed through Seville to camp at an amazing little site at La Campina,  tucked amongst the olive groves

Now how can anyone be cross with these views?! It is sooo hot. There was only one place to go for some. The first in the pool here this year.

Yesterday was an action packed day from 0830 until 1830! We were led by Matilda the owner of the campsite to an olive factory, a garlic factory, a monestary, a bodega where we had lunch and then a pittery! We were miles away from any other tourists and it was the real spain. We even had to put white protective clothing on to go in the garlic factory "beam us up Scottie!"

 Rob said that Brian was just pleased to see me!

The day was great fun and a huge success.  Today we are going to Cordoba...now please tell me theres only one Cordoba!