If you enjoy a traditional beach holiday your attention is generally focused between your accommodation, the nearest beach, any nearby watering holes and restaurants, and entertainment. You're likely to see little of the country or its people other than waiters and shop-keepers. I'm not knocking it. That's not what you're there for and I've enjoyed many such holidays with my family.
If you embark on a tour, in the way I did, you see a great deal of the country and alot of different people but you're unable to do justice to any one place.
I did see the most complete range of contrasts; from, yes, Marbella and environs to the Biscay coastal villages in the north, to the fabulous mountains of Somiedo, the Picos de Europa, Pena de Francia, the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada, the extensive pine forest of the northern Mesetas to the olive clad southern Mesetas, the beautiful cities of Salamanca, Caceres and Granada, the Tabernas semi-desert, temperatures ranging from 45°C to just 2°C and many extraordinarily friendly Spanish people.
Each day had its surprises and disappointments. Did I see a bear? No! Did I see a lynx? No! Did I see a wolf? No! Did I see an ibex? No! Did I see a snake? No! I did, however, see black vultures, Spanish imperial eagles, storks and flamingoes and also a single 18" long green lizard but none of the others!
My favourite places? Granada, the Sierra Nevada, the Alpujarras and through the semi-desert to Almeria. It was a region of stark contrasts. None of it was particularly smart, just very natural, beautiful, rustic, welcoming and friendly and removed from any direct influence of tourism and resultant hyper-commercialism! It was close enough to the coast to offer a complete range of environments all within just an hour's drive.
I loved leaving behind all the accepted home comforts and taking to camping over the 23 days. I was never uncomfortable or wanting for anything. I took with me a TV, satellite receiver and dish (just in case I was bored) and never once used it or thought about using it! I had my Blackberry for things internet and an Icom IC-R20 communications receiver so I could listen into local radio and TV stations when I wished. BBC Radios 4 and 5 could just be picked up as far away as Santander. Alas, the World Service frequencies no longer extend to Spain because everyone there has satellite or internet radio and TV. The broadcasting authorities forget us temporary vagrants!
I did see the most complete range of contrasts; from, yes, Marbella and environs to the Biscay coastal villages in the north, to the fabulous mountains of Somiedo, the Picos de Europa, Pena de Francia, the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada, the extensive pine forest of the northern Mesetas to the olive clad southern Mesetas, the beautiful cities of Salamanca, Caceres and Granada, the Tabernas semi-desert, temperatures ranging from 45°C to just 2°C and many extraordinarily friendly Spanish people.
Each day had its surprises and disappointments. Did I see a bear? No! Did I see a lynx? No! Did I see a wolf? No! Did I see an ibex? No! Did I see a snake? No! I did, however, see black vultures, Spanish imperial eagles, storks and flamingoes and also a single 18" long green lizard but none of the others!
My favourite places? Granada, the Sierra Nevada, the Alpujarras and through the semi-desert to Almeria. It was a region of stark contrasts. None of it was particularly smart, just very natural, beautiful, rustic, welcoming and friendly and removed from any direct influence of tourism and resultant hyper-commercialism! It was close enough to the coast to offer a complete range of environments all within just an hour's drive.
I loved leaving behind all the accepted home comforts and taking to camping over the 23 days. I was never uncomfortable or wanting for anything. I took with me a TV, satellite receiver and dish (just in case I was bored) and never once used it or thought about using it! I had my Blackberry for things internet and an Icom IC-R20 communications receiver so I could listen into local radio and TV stations when I wished. BBC Radios 4 and 5 could just be picked up as far away as Santander. Alas, the World Service frequencies no longer extend to Spain because everyone there has satellite or internet radio and TV. The broadcasting authorities forget us temporary vagrants!
This is a very précised list of what I took with me:
- Cabela EWT tent
- Hilleberg Tarra tent
- Nash Indulgance bed (SO comfortable)
- Alpkit self-inflating camping mat
- Nanok Performance -20 sleeping bag that was surprisingly cool
- Outwell Reclining Chair
- Coleman F1 single piezo cooker
- Origo 3000 double spirit stove
- Lowe-Alpine 65+15 rucksack
- Scarpa SL hiking boots
- Patagonia Storm jacket and bibbed trousers
- Avtex 103D TV/DVD + Maxview 12V satellite receiver + 1M dish
- 2 Gelert 120L Cargo bags for kitchen ancilliaries and clothing
That'll do! I only mention these items as I did quite a bit of research in establishing the best I could find for their specific puposes and they were what I ended up buying. They all served me very well.
My Volvo V70 Estate was, as ever, a great cruiser, very comfortable, very economical (50 mpg overall) and a great load carrier. Its only downside was simply the fact that being very low slung it's impossible to negotiate rough terrains. A better alternative in this respect for me would be a Volvo XC70 AWD or a Landrover Defender with roof-top accommodation! I certainly wouldn't want to be encumbered by a caravan (except an Eriba Puck, maybe!) or a motorhome. The flexibility and simple fun of camping remains paramount, with pitching and setting up taking no more than 30 minutes, and the freedom from towing facilitates fast travelling. Checking into an hotel always remained a possiblity at any time but not one I felt tempted by except, possibly, when struggling to find a base around Almeria.
Would I do it again? I most certainly would and will! The big question is to where?! Croatia, Montenegro and Albania would be high on my list, as would be that run down the full length of the Spanish Mediterranean coastline, well out of season in May or early June maybe. Sweden, Norway and Finland would also feature very high on my list. I would love to do it on a BMW K1300GT motorbike! Would I look silly carrying a 1M satellite dish strapped to a rear pannier?
I'll have to give that one some thought.
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