A week later in Anglet…
Zagan the motorhome’s wheels have remained unturned in a week, as we’ve soaked up December sunshine under smooth blue skies in the free aire in Anglet. Yep, the limit on the aire is 48 hours but it’s vast, and despite getting busier and quieter in waves of white boxes, has never been more than half full. So we’re not feeling too much guilt, even taking to emptying the grey and collecting fresh water on foot to save driving anywhere. Thinking about it, it’s been bliss.
Looking south from the motorhome aire in Anglet
Sunset over the Pyrenees
The days have eased past. Charlie’s rescued sticks from the grabbing waves of the sea, and we’ve both enjoyed long hours of reading, ploughing through the books Larry and Lorraine gave us. My favourites have been Ted Simon’s travelogues, beautifully written by a journalist turned long distance motorcyclist, who spent four years of the 1970s circumnavigating the globe in his 40’s. After returning to a ‘normal life’, he spent 18 months cramming his experiences into the bestseller Jupiter’s Travels, which Larry give me the last time we met. After devouring it, I handed it onto a German chap who’d quit his job to motorbike around Europe, also in his 40’s. His eyes glistened when I produced the book for him, on a campsite in Poland. He’d read it too way back when, and it had stuck with him all these years. This time around Larry passed on Riding High and Dreaming of Jupiter, both again by Ted Simon. The first describes how he’d slotted back into life (badly from the sound of it, which resonates with me), and the latter covers the incredible tale of him undertaking the same journey, again as a solo motorbiker, but this time in his 70’s. Inspirational doesn’t do the man justice.
On the back of a well-travelled German van in the aire the other day
In reading Ted’s books I’m taken by the wisdom he’s built over long years of uncomfortable, often dangerous and difficult travels. One of the best lessons for me has to be the need to lower one’s defences, how making yourself vulnerable to those around you, is key to personal growth. Only by letting people see your weakness can you hope to gain a closer relationship with them, and in turn learn from them. Personally, I’m rubbish at this. It’s no easy thing to do, but something to strive for nevertheless.
Talking of striving, our runs are finally stringing themselves together. Ju is hitting personal distance records once a week, with the current record set at 13km on a jaunt along the coast, through Biarritz and out the other side. Being a Sunday the town was busy with couples and families soaking sunshine and the odd glass of vino from waterfront cafes. The ocean’s been calm this last few days and, on the day of that particular run, had swapped its load of bobbing black-clad surfers for long-finned scuba divers. A darting kingfisher had me shouting and pointing as we ambled along towards the faded silhouettes of the Pyrenees.
Our mates, fellow Hymer riders Phil and Jules have arrived! They broke their journey south through France with some cracking aires and a visit to friends they made during a van-swap-powered tour of New Zealand (they did another van swap in Canada too). Sat in their friend’s house near Bordeaux, they were treated to a marathon of a French meal and were well lubricated with wine, acid-strength home-made liquor and a whole manner of other intoxicating substances. They arrived yesterday with poached eyeballs after a 4 hour toll-avoiding drive south. Respect mind, Phil quickly produced two cans of cider, hair of the dog, to kick things off. Come 8pm we’d retreated to respective vans for a lengthy snooze…
We also had the chance to meet another couple of fascinating folks in the aire. Charlie (not to be confused with our long suffering pooch) arrived in a Spanish registered van, having left the UK many years ago. He’s currently teaching English to local children near his long-time home in Santander. It’s a job he gains much satisfaction from, seeing his students grow into professionals, armed with the language skills he gave them. His dog, Watson, came from Bilbao and had a pet passport made out in Basque which Charlie’s vet in Santander insisted be swapped for one in Spanish! Charlie’s daughter boards at a school in Biarritz and he’d make the trip to the aire at weekends to see her.
But for a few signs here and there we’ve not spotted much evidence we’re in Basque country here
Cliff, another new acquantance, arrived in a British registered van, and shared a bottle of white with us while we enjoyed listening to stories from his life. He was testing the waters on this trip, finding himself bereaved not once but twice inside 4 years. First his wife, a cancer nurse, died of the disease she’d helped others endure, and then his partner had been taken by the same disease, just a few months ago in September. Neither of us could find suitable words to offer when he relayed this tragedy. Cliff came across as a kind man, very well travelled having set up a tour company in the 90’s and with an underlying calmness, strength and sense of humour, struggling with a grief I can’t comprehend. He’d brought forward his ferry from Santander after a week on the road across France, but was already talking of a longer trip in the new year to see one of his brothers in Andalusia. If you’re reading this Cliff: thanks for the wine, magazines and DVDs. It was a pleasure to meet you, and best of British for the future.
I’m sat in in a launderette typing this out. They’re easier to come by in France than Spain, so four bags of washing have been lugged across Anglet and are currently rotating to my right in one of the many dryers. The roads are floodlit with sunshine to my left, as cars, motorbikes and mopeds nip about. The town’s Christmas market was being set up earlier as festivities approach. Our plan is to head across the border tomorrow into Spain, the same crossing Cliff told us used to cost coach drivers a stick of cigarettes, unless they wanted customs officials all over their punters. Blatant bribery of course, accepted at the time as the cost of doing business. No such problems for us tomorrow, our biggest challenge will be trying to spot the cheap petrol station just over the border which we drove past a year ago, thinking there was bound to be a cheaper one…. nope.
Cheers, Jay
Hi guys,
It was a pleasure to meet you too, and thanks for your company and the book.
On the way to Bilbao I called in at a huge hyper market just over the border in Spain – the first (perhaps second) exit off the motorway after the border – well signed as “Centro Commercial” and it is literally right by the motorway after the toll booth (0.85 cents for a motorhome).
Diesel was 1.06 but even better, bricks of Don Simon for under a euro. Needless to say I bought 40 to ensure a ‘Merry’ Christmas.
I caught the ferry his morning – you’d be OK Ju, its flat calm (so a little crowded in the bar).
Safe travels.
Cliff
Cracking, no need for those strawberry sandwiches then! Enjoyed the Eye and learned a thing or two about solar panels. Have a great Xmas, hopefully we’ll bump into you another time Cliff, cheers, Jay
Hi both, we are heading for Portugal on 21 Jan. We have not travelled in the winter in Europe so watching your progress with great interest!
The Arto is currently having the gas tanks changed to LPG. Also getting full engine and habitation service. Any other winter travelling tips greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your continued posts. Great info. Especially on Aires.
Cheers
Joanna and Mike
Hi guys. Unless you’re planning on heading into the mountains in winter, you’ll be fine, just fire up the heating each night and voila, you’ll have a fantastic time. Cheers! Jay
Phew! An update (I’m not sure how you expect all of us to cope for a whole week without one).
You seem to be doing my favourite thing….nothing. Since we bought Humberto we haven’t been very good at that. It feels wrong, like we should be sightseeing everywhere we go, making the most of him. It tends to leave us, on Monday mornings, in need of a break…to get over our weekend break.
We soooo need to be in Southern France now, doing nothing. Instead we shall be in the New Forest for a weekend break…this time we will do nothing (except perhaps for a muddy walk or two).
Keep ’em coming. Have fun chasing the Sun.
Lee @ http://www.gohumberto.com
There’s a balance to be had somewhere between looking at stuff, talking to people, doing stuff and taking it easy (very easy). We’re still looking for it, and probably will be for a while yet Lee! Made it to San Sebastian today, more sunshine, pintxos later, life’s good. Cheers, Jay
A long way off from where you are but Janette and I would recommend a visit to the Alhambra – Granada. We were staying in Andalucia up in the mountains – had to book a time slot which is good as it then doesn’t get overcrowded. Wonderful architecture. Our Hilma Hymer is sleeping in her not so warm storage facility at the moment. We are getting itchy feet and can’t wait to get back out on the road again!
Thanks Ian, we’ve visited the Alhambra a few years ago, somehow managing to arrive when it was quiet, we just got a ticket at the gate. Beautiful place, we really enjoyed it. Cheers, Jay
Entirely agree with you about Jupiter’s travels, if you fancy a completely different approach to motorbike travels have a look at Mike Carter’s ‘Uneasy Rider’ (available for the Kindle).
Thanks for the recommendation Norman, cheers, Jay