Spanish Pyrenees Mountains - Snow Bunnies!

After meeting an Aussie guy (Doc, playing a banjo...) and his Belgian GF in the campground in Barca, he put us onto this place in the Spanish Pyrenees. Great spot, near deserted but luckily for us still open. We had free parking right at the bottom of the ski lift. Snowboarding all day for 35euro each. Home for lunch and beers makes for a cheap day out. Here's how it went down...

29/03 Skiing Vallter 2000. First ever attempt at snowboarding. Got the hang of it pretty quick unlike Purdy, who invented new and interesting ways of landing on her ass… Within an hour I was promoted to the ‘advanced beginner’ slopes, and started the much steeper decent alone… After nailing a few high speed turns I thought I was pro… Then I forgot what rail was front or back, and promptly backslammed into the not very powdery ice at about 40kph… tailbone impact, whiplash neck and a long time on the ground brought out the rescue team. But like a proper Aussie, I was back on the horse within minutes… After ‘getting it’ for a bit longer it was time for a high speed front cartwheel with a triple pike and a shoulder ac joint tear. No worries, got to get this by the end of the day. Apparently the total lack of people on the slopes meant that the snow was turning slushy and not very good. Persistance paid off and I finished the day with a few faultless runs on the intermediate slopes before packing it in and licking my wounds for the rest of the day. The next 3 days are a blur of serious pain medication, massages and old man walking as I deal with the ridiculous levels of bodily pain and apparent broken rib… Seriously, this is stupid… Like crashing a motocrosser at 60 and cartwheeling into trees then off a cliff to break your fall. 

30/03 Oh my god it hurts so much! In a world of pain and it’s out with the strong pain killers and Voltaren cream. Hit the road at midday and the road down the mountain gets the brakes on Bessy pretty hot. They are smelling bad and starting to fade as we get to the bottom. I can hardly change gear with my shoulder feeling like there is real damage, great. Cross into France without knowing, somewhere near Duilhac Sous Peyretuse in the hills NW of Perpignan.

 

Home for 2 days

 

Snow dummies not bunnies...



1 hour lesson and into it - EASY!



The most patient instructor in the world. Didn't help, she doesn't listen...




Stru, slightly unconsious, after the 'big one'



Most of her 2 hours were spent like this...


CAN'T WAIT TO TRY IT AGAIN!!!



Barcelona - for a day.

Barcelona!

Arrive in outer suburbs of Barcelona, and spend an hour trying to find a campground, even trying a car park in the middle of Barca… Finally settle on Camping Masnou just SE of the city. Looks proper dodgy but they let us park wherever and we do a heap of Googling. There is an ugly old woman with too much makeup going around with a stick poking around in all the skip bins followed by about 15 cats. Not sure if she is getting more cats out of the bins, or shooing rats and mice out for the cats. Either way I haven’t seen this many cats for a long time…

27/03 Catch the train into the city after some advice on where to go and a brief lesson on Spanish Architecture (‘Gaudi, you don’t know Gaudi?’), we jump on the Barcelona Hop on-Hop off Tour and spend the day looking around Barca from the top of a bus. Should have gotten out and taken more pics and had a look around, but we didn’t have that much time and I was being lazy. We end the tour in the shopping precinct and Purdy spends 1.5 hours looking for clothes. She spends 45 mins in one shop alone and I sit outside and watch Barca go by, wondering what I’d do if I lost her… Talk her into heading back to Cashies to buy a camera tripod, and we jump on the Metro. Stop at a bar for a beer, snacks and WC, and them on to Cashies. Buy a tripod finally, and have a look around before we get back on the train and get as far as the city before I realize that Purdy has left her bag somewhere! Panicking she runs back to the train and we get back to the bar where she thinks she left it in the WC. She asks the barman on the way in if he’s seen it, but he says no, she runs in the toilet and comes out empty handed! I (nicely) ask the girl at the bar and she says yeah no worries, I’ll get it from out the back for you. The guy comes out wearing Purdys sunnies that were in the bag so he clearly knew what was going on. All's well that ends well and we back on the train a little deflated and getting tired. Dinner at the Marina opposite the campground, nice seafood Paella but they overcharge us and the waitress is a proper mole. Should have complained, too tired.

All in all Barca is really nice clean city. I think we could spend some time here and really enjoy it.

Gaudi?



Sagrada Familia

Another happy church scene!



Barca harbour. Another cracking day in Spain.

Into Spain - Espanol!

Second time into Spain, this time from the west and inland. More dry landscapes, but striking valleys, quaint villages and fortified towns. We spent a week cruising around on the way to Barcalona, and no, we didn't do Madrid, Seville etc etc... Another day.

 

22/03 Monsarraz (which is on the border) to Caceres is 3 hours was not too much of a struggle and we get a spot between some other big ‘homes and settle in. I feel someone touch the trailer and sure enough there is a girls soccer team using it to get changed on. A brief hello and 'nice car' followed by their training session is fairly rowdy and we don’t get to sleep till late. 

23/03 Woke up to police moving half the ‘homers out as we are parked in the coach parking area. Caceres to Jalance via N roads which mainly follow the toll roads, so pretty easy going. Arrive at a nice little aire in the hills at Jalance after big 6 hour drive. A few bangs that sound like gunfire (not again…) but it’s just kids with fire crackers nearby. Some mother has lost her kid and is crying out ‘Carlos’! Walk into town and buy some food etc. Nice dinner and easy night. Awesome. 

24/03 Jalance to Peniscola on the Mediterranean, we meet a Porsche club getting ready for a treasure hunt type event and they go bananas when they see the 911 under the cover, so we pull over and have a chat to them. Really nice guys, all keen as mustard and many stories and photos are exchanged. 
Peniscola is very dodgy (like the name) and we pay 8 Euro to park in a gravel car park for the night. Thought about a swim in the ocean but it looks really crap. There is a massive amount of tourists here in the summer, why I don’t know. What we have seen so far is a dump, and roads to get in here are worst so far. Not impressed with the Spanish coast as yet folks...

25/03 Peniscola to Morella. Morella is another fortified town, stunningly perched atop a hill, with mountains and farms as far as the eye can see. No one around, we set up for a relaxing few days.

Get Porsche off for a drive on the N330 which is just another sensational road in the Spanish mountains… Get the GoPro going and ended up screwing it into the front plate of the Porsche. Did all our washing and had a nice day just chilling out overlooking the castle and town across the valley. Tried to find a supermakat in the town, but it just seems too hard to get in and around in there, and Purdy reckons it’s just a bit creepy.

I get her to have a drive on the way back home, and take her through a fast uphill section of straights and sweepers. She is a bit nanna at first, but on the way home she overtakes a car, just as another one comes around the corner the other way and she has to floor it! Gets to 160ks and then has to take the next corner going faster than she was expecting. I think some wee may have come out of her, a little scream certainly did…

26/03 Woke up early and did the N330 again with the GoPro. The road is in such good condition, and there are bikes apparently coming from everywhere to ride it, I’d say it’s a popular spot.

Drive from Morella to Barcelona, via bush prossie madness, they are everywhere for a little stretch along the coast and we have a great time spotting them in the bushes! We pass Valencia Circuit, and onto the coast road north of Valencia city. Arrive in outer suburbs of Barca, and spend an hour trying to find a campground, even trying a car park in the middle of Barca… Finally settle on Camping Masnou just SE of the city. Looks proper dodgy but they let us park wherever and we do a heap of Googling. There is an ugly old woman with too much makeup going around with a stick poking around in all the skip bins followed by about 15 cats. Not sure if she is getting more cats out of the bins, or shooing rats and mice out for the cats. Either way I haven’t seen this many cats for a long time…




Morella. 2 dyas relaxing in the quiet hills.



Motorhoming round the world style...



Porsche club Barcelona. Had to stop for a chat. They loved us, but we had to drag ourselves away...



'Whale Tail' Turbo 911, one of my boyhood dream cars. Still cool 30 years later!

 

Country Portugal & the Chapel of Bones

After leaving our new friends in Sintra, we pack up the road train and head east towards central Portugal and towards Spain. We heard about a few different 'chapels of bones' and were keen to see if they really are what they say they are... Guess what...


20/03  Sleepy wife still in bed long after we are supposed to be at the Chapel of Bones, but she is a good wife and she can stay there for now. Chapel of bones is only small but really is packed to the rafters with human bones! Very creepy and cool. 

The Capela dos Ossos was built in the 16th century by a Franciscan monk who, in the Counter-Reformation spirit of that era, wanted to prod his fellow brothers into contemplation and transmit the message of life being transitory. This is clearly shown in the famous warning at the entrance Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos (“We, the bones that are here, await yours.").

The entrance to the chapel of bones, Evora.

 

 

More bones...

We think the remains of a small child...

The lugubrious chapel is formed by three spans 18.7 meters long and 11 meters wide. Light enters through three small openings on the left. Its walls and eight pillars are decorated in carefully arranged bones and skulls held together by cement. The ceiling is made of white painted brick and is painted with death motifs. The number of skeletons of monks was calculated to be about 5000, coming from the cemeteries that were situated inside several dozen churches. Some of these skulls have been scribbled with graffiti. Two desiccated corpses, one of which is a child, dangle from a chain. And at the roof of chapel, the phrase "Melior est die mortis die nativitatis (Better is the day of death than the day of birth)" (Ecclesiastes, 7, 1) from Vulgate is written.

 

Quite a creepy place...

  

Depart Evora and have a look around Morau and stop for lunch at the restaurant Claudia recommended. The food is awesome and the little place really is worth a visit. Cheap too! We try and park in a small Aire* in the middle of town, when we speak to some French Motorhomers and follow them to Monsarraz where there is a big free aire. Wow. This is amazing. We spent an hour just walking around looking for a good spot but they are all awesome. Dinner and nice wines overlooking the amazing view.
*An 'Aire' is basically a serviced (or not) area for Motorhomes only. No tents, no caravans or other scum allowed. You're not really allowed to set up tables and chairs, BBQs, etc outside, and take all rubbish etc with you. Easy really! Some countries have limited Aires (UK = none...) but others like France & Germany have literally thousands. Makes this trip a lot cheaper, and more intimate. No neighbors and just fields, ocean, rivers or forest for views is what we dreamed of. All for free! Bliss.
 

The free 'Aire' in Monsarraz. Looking over the border into Spain.

 

21/03 Walk through the town and take some tops photos of Monsarraz and the bullring. Awesome. Meet Bob the pommy Motorhomer and get ‘All the Aires Portugal Spain’ off him. Nice. This is the book we have been wanting. Just another awesome relaxing day in this perfect spot.  



Cobbled streets of Monsarraz



Cracking day for a stroll!

 


The old bullring. On a cliff, inside the walled village of Monsarraz.

Red rag to a bull...

Someone is full of bull, that's for sure!

 

Estoril Track Day - First real test of the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

Only read on if you like cars, speed & adrenalin...

First track day in the 911, and what an experience. A day full of nerves, drama and unbridled excitement. We think Khrisna lost control of her bodily functions, but not surprising the speeds we were doing...

The best part about tracks like this (REAL racing tracks), is there is run off areas. Built for MotoGP and F1, it's VERY hard to crash at the speeds we do. Some do however find a way...

18/03 Track day Estoril! Up at 0800 to start preparations. Fill Bessy and hit the road. Only 20 minutes from Sintra, and we get in to the admin area with a heap of other car and bike nuts. Tickets, stickers, schedule all sorted we head into the track. Parking in the infield right near the fence overlooking the fast right kink in the mid straight. Cars flying past, very exciting. Fill up the 911 and go to drivers brief. Get a special 1 on 1 English version and we’re done. Get some advice off a 4S driver about tyre pressures and head down to the pits. A GT3 guy pumping up his tyres tells us a different pressure and we split the difference. End up with 1.9 and 2.1 Bar front/rear. Quick feed and a Red Bull and we are ready to roll! Khrish comes for the first bit and we plan to pit and swap passengers at the halfway mark of the 30 minute session. Lining up with a Carrera GT, 911 Turbo, GT3, 4S, Beemer M3 etc is pretty cool. A few old classics and Caterham style open wheelers too. Out onto pit lane and we are on the track at last! A real racetrack! Switch the car to sports plus and leave it in auto. Race tracks are so wide and smooth, and the corners flow so well, we are going pretty quick immediately. 3^rd corner and cold tyres we drift a little, and we are not even going that fast! Keeping up and even catching the guys in front, have to remember this is not a race… First lap done and getting faster. Again turn 3 is tighter than I expect but this time it loses traction and we spin! Have to drive backwards into oncoming cars to get turned around!. Purds calmly looks at me and says ‘what happened there then?’, cold tyres, that’s all babe… A little too fast if I must say. So now I know a limit of traction it’s time to work on lines and flow. After 4 more laps I am getting the hang of it and starting to put some fast laps in I reckon. Catching an Evo 10 and a WRX and again Purds reminds me it’s not a race. Catch them just as we hit the halfway point and head into the pits for a passenger change. Purds says she’s done and doesn’t want another go! Big call so early… Claudia gets in and we are off. Haven’t lost much temp from the now warm tyres and back on the pace. Back into the flow but 2 laps later I hear something flap for a second then come loose, sounds like rubber… Into the pits and check all 4 tyres, but it all looks ok. Back out and it feels fine so back on the gas for the rest of the session. Starting to get the S bend right, and clipping most of the apex’s and ripple strips on the exits. Feels really fast. Braking at the end of the straight is amazing. At 235kp/h you hit the skids with I think 200m to go and it just doesn’t feel like it’s going to pull up. But it does! It doesn’t skid or lock, and you can just throw it into the first corner in second and off again! Turn 5 is a flat out right kink in the middle of the track, and we are not lifting through there. 170 as we clip the inside paint and over 200 before hard braking for the double apex left. Catch a black Turbo before he pulls into the pits and pass a few others. 30 minutes is up and we head back to the pits. I’m sweating and my mouth is dry. Absolutely exhausted but buzzing! Back at the pit area I check the car over. Bad news. There is a strip of belt showing through the very inside of the rear rh tyre. This isn’t good… Claudia and I immediately start to ring around to try and find some tyre place open, that stocks massive 305/30ZR19. Good luck! After a few failed phone calls, we walk around the pits asking various Porsche owners and race teams if they know anyone. After an hour of this we are about to give up! Then I spot a race van sponsored by a tyre company. We wait for the team to get their driver away (a frustrating 20 minutes) then ask them. After an animated 20 minute discussion, all in Portuguese, we have the name of a place that is at least open, and we run back to the van. I don’t hold much hope so I start making lunch as Claudia calls them. You can tell by her voice and the hilarious stamping of her feet up and down that they must have some tyres there, but what sort and how much? She asks me what brand? The fronts are Pirelli so I ask for them. Ok, what model and N1 or N2? Seriously, they have these? Price is $400E, and this sounds too good to be true. Oh my god, we have 1.5 hours to the next session and they are 25 minute drive away. Lunch is devoured as we jump in the car and tensely (with a big strip missing from the tread) take off to Lisbon. SO NERVOUS just driving there…  Claudia and I are so excited and nervous we hardly speak. We then work out that the price is for one tyre… Still a lot cheaper than OZ, so I’m not too upset. We get to the place after an agonizingly slow drive on the dodgy tyre, and they get to work straight away…

Back at quarter to and getting ready while talking to Lena and Hugo. Khrish has decided to change the settings on the GoPro so that isn’t working… Awesome. Out on track for the second session. Claudia to start this one and we are off and fast pretty much straight away. The new rears are grippier immediately, even though they are not scrubbed in! Turn in some really good laps and catch and overtake the Carrera GT and the silver GT3! Nice! Into the pits to pick up Hugo. Out on the track I get a bit carried away having a guy in the car, and miss a few apexes. Need to concentrate… Hugo is clearly not ready for the corner speeds and braking distances possible in this thing, so I brake extra late into turn one. Then an alarm comes up, ‘Service limit reached on brake pads’. Hmmm. Still on full attack for another few laps and then the brakes just give up. The onboard computer switches the engine to safe mode and we limp back to the pits. At least we got most of the session in but not sure what’s going on with this alarm business. We let the car cool down as the wheels are even too hot to touch, I reckon the disks would have been glowing hot, and check it a few times to see if the fault has gone. No such luck. The transmission appears to be back to normal though so I clean all the cross drill holes out with a rat tail file (as they are full of brake pad, oops) and hope for the best! Last session and Claudia has sorted the GoPro’s out. Looks like there are not too many cars left in this class, and at least one (Silver GT3) has binned it bad. Poor guy… We hit the track and round up the Evo and some open wheelers. One of the track day Caymans has stopped and is getting a tow. Oops… Lap times are still good but just using Sport setting and braking a little earlier, hoping to make them last the whole session. Switch Clauds with Hugo after about 4 laps and back into it. Purdy has somehow gotten a lift into the infield and keeps popping up around the track taking photos as we go through the corners etc. Hugo and I even see her getting a fast lift on a scooter by a marshal! This she reckons was her highlight of the day. That’s it, we’re getting a scooter! Change with Hugo and Claudia a few more times and the car is still working fine. Running low on light and fuel and the chequered flag comes out for the last time. What a day! All 5 of us are pretty stoked and have had an awesome time. We pack up as quick as we can in the fading light and fill the water tanks and empty the grey water. Back to Sintra and park up for the night. Then there is a beep out the front. The guys are in the car and ready for dinner! Back to Sushi in the city and we make it in there by 2130. I’m sure the little Chinese lady nearly fainted when she sees us five come through the door! This time though I restrain Claudia a little and she only orders half the shop… Lena and Hugo are first time Sushi and chopstick virgins, but seem to like it. Hugo especially eats everything and gets the hang of the sticks pretty quick! Gyozo dumplings and tuna Sushimi coming out my ears. Again! Finally home and the massive day ends at about 1300. Bed at last!





Birds eye view of Estoril. Ayrton Senna won his first F1 race here in 1985.

Race Control

Corner 9 - Gancho

 

Just on dusk, last ones out there.

0-100 in 4.5 seconds, 300km/h top speed. Porsche - There is no substitute...

Hitting about 245km/h here, the MotoGP bikes are hitting 320...

From 245km/h to about 40 in 150 metres. The G forces are incredible. This is where most passengers were freaking out... Braking later and later all day, eventually cooked the brakes in the second session.

 

 

Blasting an old 'Rex down the straight.

I dont know who was more excited...

Chasing over $1 million worth of supercar. The one in front is the legendary Porsche Carrera GT. Took ten laps, but caught them both before one spun off, and the other crashed hard...

Braking hard into turn 6, the Parabolica Interior



Pit crew Purdy getting some FAST snaps...

Crazy Claudia, not scared, not for one minute... Cool chick.

'Lena, loves Porsche & Valentino Rossi!

A race car in a luxury suit.



This guy DID find the fence. How on the track I don't know. Looks very similar to the damage to ours after the 'Ring. Poor bugger...

Passenger change. Hard when you only have 1 spare helmet!

 

19/03 Depart Sintra after happy goodbyes with our new friends. Head to shops for some basic supplies. Trailer is still banging when we accelerate and brake so we decide to have a look at it all. Get the 911 off to have a look and it runs out of petrol! We nearly have a fight but sense prevails and I take Bessy and the jerry can to get some juice. Car going and we try and put it on the trailer forwards. It seems to fit ok and there also seems to be better weight distribution. Shall try it this way. Head off on the highway, but the trailer is still not fixed. Great… Arrive in Evora late in the day and make our way through city of cobbled old streets to a dodgy looking parking area. 4 other vans here and a Belgian guy says he’s been staying here no problems.. We set up and make dinner. Tired…

Lisbon, Beautiful Lisbon! I'm in love...

Back to Lisbon, and a few days exploring by ourselves before the wirlwind Claudia arrives and shows us how it's really supposed to be done... Again. We meet her good friends Hugo and Helena, and make some friends for life. This city is stunning, from the buildings, to the streets, to the nightlife. Friendly and awesome. Nuff said...

Smiths in Lisbon in front of the 25 de April Bridge

11/03 First proper fight since we arrived in Europe. Had to happen eventually… Had to happen as we try to see as much of Lisbon on cheap Sunday too. Still, we made up and went to the awesome Hieryonimites Monastary, the pretty average Belem Tower, the cool Coach Museum, and finally the Statue of JC overlooking the city. 





Belem Tower

The Belem tower has only one tiny spiral staircase going up and down, so you have to squeeze past a million stupid tourists to get to the top and back. Purdy nearly snapped and killed some poor French bird. Hell hath no fury…

Hieronymites Monastery

The inside of the Monastery

 She did the good Catholic thing and attended the service in the amazing Chapel at the Monastary, and neither of us burst into flames...



Monument to the Discoveries

Christ the redeemer. We went up a lift in his trouser leg to the top...

 Tried the famous custard pastries with cinnamon and icing sugar on top from Belem Pastries. They are pretty good, but not sure if I’d line up down the street again…



Amazing coach museum in Lisbon. Check out my ride baby!

  12/03 Up at 0830 as usual. Utilising the serviced pitch and doing all our washing too. My twin tub washing machine is a cracker, and other travellers have washing machine envy, you can see it... Unlimited water and power is good every once in a while.

Stru doing the washing. Takes 6 hours in the little twin tub, so beers and tunes and a magazine...

 

13/03 Head back to Leiria to catch up with Claudia agiain. It's only been 3 weeks and we miss her! A little shopping at Continente and I lose 40 Euro out of my pocket. Bugger…

14/03 The 911 is washed, serviced and the warranty inspection completed. Purdy toys with the idea of getting those eyebrows waxed, and she is now paying the price for too many years of overplucking… The Porsche is ready and we go back to pick it up. Except the lazy b___s are at lunch! We go and get a gas bottle and park in the shade until they are finally ready. Load the 911 onto the trailer and fit the car cover. It is a perfect fit as you would expect for $750 Aus, and it looks pretty cool. Still can tell it’s a 911 though, no mistake! Find a Jager supplier for final supplies before starting dinner for Claudia and Joao. They arrive and the drinking starts in earnest. By midnight we are all well drunk, the sushi got demolished and Joao and I are watering the neighbors fence. Love it! Head spins and I’m not even in bed yet! Finally hit the sack about 0300 I think. Good night.

Today after the warranty has been sorted we decide that the track day at Estoril is a chance. I ring the numbers and get put onto a different crew. By the time Claudia gets here she beside herself in excitement. Turns out that she has already sorted it all out just in case we were keen! So it is with her help that we get organized and pay the 120 Euro and it’s all booked in for Sunday! Super excited…

15/03 Awoke with a decent little hangover, not surprising really. Still, dishes done, van clean and on the road by 1030. Drove from Leiria to Nazare. Parked on the cliff tops in Nazare initially for a nanny nap, and watched the huge waves roll in from an otherwise flat ocean. Pretty cool. Park up in the Motorhome area in the middle of the city. Enough room for us to park along the fence, taking up 3 spots, but doesn’t look too busy. MASSIVE waffles and a nice walk down to the marina and we get back to a motorhome park full, and some across the road. Looks like we got here just in time. The car cover may be causing more problems than it is solving, as groups of people stand around trying to work out what sort of car it is under there…

 

Back to Lisbon with Crazy Claudia...

 

Skyline of stunning Lisbon

 

Delicious Ginjinha bar in the city

One of the crazy rooms at the Chinese Pavillion

This on of the cities most exceptional bars. A true collectors museum, it’s completely decorated from floor to ceiling with various objects of Luís Pinto Coelho’s (toy soldiers, hats, helmets from the Great World Wars, etc…). This museum of kitsch isn’t cheap, but it’s well worth a visit, it has some of the best teas and cocktails in town.

Another fun fact is you cant just walk in. First you have to ring the door bell on the street and wait for the door to be answered. IF they can fit you in, a waiter takes you to your own table and gets you the extensive and expensive wine list. Amazing place...

16/03 Head out with Claudia, exploring Lisbon with drinks at a cool bar restaurant (where the circus school is), Carmo ginginha bar, Korean sushi buffet (OMG), Chinese pavilion where we met Hugo and Lena then onto Bairro Alto and drank with 1000 young crazy street drinkers on what was apparently a quiet night for this part of town! Finished with a race home between the boys and girls in the 2 VWs, and me and Hugo trying to communicate with drunken hand signals… Great kids.

Bairro Alto. A street party every night of the year. This was a quiet night, but bigger than NYE in Northbridge...

Dont park your car here unless it's very thirsty.

 Thanks Lisbon, you are amazing. Thanks to the best tour guide in the World, Miss Portugal you rock. Much love to our new friends Hugo & Lena, we miss you already!