European trip - off we go

And off we go

On the 18^th May we drove the van off the drive and headed South on our European adventure.  Stopped off to see my brother before having a few days in Plymouth exploring the sites and sounds of the town before catching the overnight ferry to Santander.

The Van ready for the off

Plymouth  not quite the mode of transport we will be using to get to Spain!

The beautiful gardens at the National Trust Property in Plymouth really worth a visit if you are in the area.

As we drove off the ferry singing Aveva Espainia it all seemed rather more real than in the past.  The adventure had begun!

Our first site on the Peninsula de la Magdalena was only moments from the beach we stayed for 4 nights.

The lovely beaches at De la Magdalena on the North coast of Spain.

We then found a stow away - Big Ted - could not resist taking him to the beach to build sand castles!

One of the many churches in the area

 We are now heading onto Aguilar de Campoo in the mountains, followed by Palencia and Salamanca..

Chile Pictures

A few photos from my Chile holiday in November 2010

Update on Chile holiday

In November last year I toured Chile for a month the highlights for me were:

• Hiking in the Atacam Desert, Lake District & Patagonia
• Hiking up to the world famous Torres del Paine base camp
• Breath taking varied views
• Exploring the coast close to Santiago with Alan

Santiago the capital is not only cosmopolitan but colonial the visit to San Cristoble gives you the famous view of the whole city and the panoramic Andes Mountains. I walked in the national park and along the shores of Lake Villarrica in the town of Pucon in the south.

The highlight for me was the time spent in the Paine National Park and hiking up to the Torres del Paine.  Exploring the park I saw enormous waterfalls, Glaciers & alpine flowers in abundance.

In the Atacam Desert I experienced the lunar landscape. the salt mountains & lakes and home to the many species of flamingos and other colourful birds. The El Tatio geysers were spectacular swimming in the thermal waters was an experience I will never forget.