Spain -7 to 14 October 2007 (GR2 & 3)

Hola! The journey from France was quite rushed but pleasant at the same time. We opted to travel on the motorway to gain some time as our time was fast running out before we had to be in the UK for work commitments (this was secondary to the fact that the 'Bokke' were playing in the Quarter finals that evening - of course!!). The tolled motorways were splendid and even more so were the inter-state border crossings. We are always quite anxious when we approach borders, but this has proved quite unnecessary, since travelling in Europe has been a breeze.

It was no different crossing from France into Spain . The most trying bit was the paying at the toll station - EXPENSIVE! We then opted for the secondary roads again. Barcelona was our destination and was unimpressed by either the dry countryside or the uninspiring architecture along the way. Quite different to what we've enjoyed in France . We were to learn that Spain 's geography is quite diverse, including near desert landscapes, green countryside and the rugged mountains of the Pyrenees .

We arrived in Barcelona late afternoon and trying to find a campsite proved almost impossible. Most were either closed for the season or only accepted pre-arranged bookings. We searched for accommodation along the coast only to find some very 'liberated' beaches. We could not expose the children to this nakedness; however, Troy found the exposed boobies and bottoms quite amusing. We eventually found an overnight spot in a parking area 45km north of town, along the beach road. That squashed the idea of watching the 'Bokke' play their quarter final clash with Fiji . The next morning we headed, in earnest, to find accommodation on the other side of town. Again, we were welcomed along the road by 'The ladies of the night' close to the 3 Strelitzia campsite, where we spent the day lazing on the beach. The next day was spent marvelling at the sights of Barcelona , strolling along the beach front and venturing down the La Rambla, a wonderful strip where stalls, newsstands, cafes, mime artists, and buskers all add to the flavour of Barcelona . The Barri Gotic, with its serene cathedral, the La Sagrada Familia, with its spiralling towers and amazing sculpting, the La Ribera that included Picasso's Museum, all provided for interesting exploration.

We decided to treat ourselves with lunch on the 'La Rambla' and opted for Chinese. The meagre portions proved to be the most disgusting exploitation of the tourist dollar. We left the restaurant disgruntled, but KFC came to the rescue. Barcelona is a beautiful and vibrant city and we would certainly be visiting here again. San Sebastian was our next port of call, travelling via Zaragoza and Pamplona . Once again, over-nighting in our five star accommodations along the road, our motorhomes. We reached San Sebastian on the afternoon prior to a national holiday in Spain and camped at the mountain topped Igueldo Campsite, that overlooks the pretty city.

We were delighted to meet Neil and Caitlin (NZ and Aussie couple) at the campsite. Neil proved to be a valuable source for any sort of information. Caitlin actually mentioned that Neil should have his own website called 'AskNeil.com'. San Sebastian is a beautiful, romantically relaxed city with lovely shops, restaurants, sandy beaches and mellow jazz musicians basking on the promenades. The food is fantastic and we just had to sample the local tapas menu, offering a variety of meat and fish nibbles. Unperturbed by the protest marches that were happening on this public holiday we continued our touristy explorations, climbing to the top of Monte Urgull for splendid views of the city from the castle and also where a statue of Christ keeps a watchful eye on the city below. We later relaxed on the beach ignoring the turmoil that was happening in the streets only metres away. Litter strewn streets, bins set alight by the protesters, black smoke tainting the sky, irritating police sirens damping the jazzy tunes could not convince us otherwise - San Sebastian is a place worth visiting again. Our short stay in Spain thus ended on a good note and now, back to France , on our way to the UK .

Adios! GRC2C (GR2 & 3)