16th Report: France - Spain - Portugal France
Meli's foot was recovered the next day again to the point that we look at the mystical places in the private forest of Paimpont but still could look at. We walked each of the associated car park a few meters to Merlin's grave, Guiotinen oak (hid here during the French Revolution, a monk) and the source of eternal youth. Raphi even made a trip to the "Valley of No Return" and came back anyway ...
Merlin's grave - a source of eternal youth.
valley of no return.
In Nantes erlebten wir zum ersten Mal Nieselregen. Bis anhin meinten wir beide, das gäbe es nur in Irland und Schottland, aber weit gefehlt... Wir besichtigten die Altstadt von Nantes deshalb im Eiltempo und als wir völlig durchnässt beim Büssli zurück waren, hatten wir zu unserem Schrecken auch noch ein Parbusse an der Windschutzscheibe. Woher sollten wir gewusst haben, dass der Platz kein Parkplatz war? Es standen doch ganz viele Autos schön aufgereiht auf dem Trottoir (?).
Eindrücke aus der Altstadt von Nantes.
Der Schreck hielt nicht lange an, da wir auf der Île de Nantes a wonderful change were: Les Machines de l'Ile. In the old hangars machines are manufactured, which could directly from Jules Verne's stories have sprung. We provided us a ride on a 12 m high, 42 ton mechanical elephant. It shook like a real elephant, and the spectators were driven apart by a steam shower from the trunk.
The mechanical elephant - the elephant ride.
In La Rochelle we enjoyed the other side of the weather. We walked in sunshine by the port facility, according to the military facility, visited (the tip of Sabina following) the best Moules et frites and enjoyed the sea-feeling.
La Rochelle - Mules et frites in the sky.
But on the evening on the next trip through the Rehbügel to Bordeaux was over with the beautiful weather. The above-mentioned drizzle followed us further suffering. We had weather technically definitely spent too much time in beautiful Norway. Our next adventure from which we plitschnass in just half an hour poking was the largest sand dune in Europe, the Dunes de Pilat. We really had the worst time to climb the dune selected, and when we arrived at the dunes, Protect our dripping rain already and the stormy wind blew sand into the eyes then. After lunch, it cleared and then set out again to Raphael but to shoot some photos where you can see something ...
Dune de Pilat in a storm ... - And with vision.
Spain In Spain, we found ourselves right on the Camino de Santiago (Camino de Santiago de Compostella). Time and again we saw signs with the scallops. We wondered something, how to feel comfortable on the road as a wanderer, he leads but mostly off the road on which the cars at 100 km per hour lawn along.
Santiago-Guide - We use the water points on the Camino.
Lagrona In the middle of the Rioja region, we tried for the second service Büssli organize. In the tourist-info, unfortunately the lady was not prepared themselves in the same garage in Santiago to call and when called Raphael in the garage and can speak for someone of English, was asked, simply put. We all decided to do so still it is. We looked at the nearly deserted town, it was just nap ....
The bodegas (wine cellars) on the onward journey was not then, sadly, as we uns das vorgestellt hatten. Wir dachten, da gäbe es einen kleinen Shop, wo man Wein degustieren und kaufen kann. Doch offensichtlich war die Saison vorbei. Wir sahen nur verschlossene Gittertore und wenn dann fanden wir eine Telefonnummer, wo man sich vorher melden musste. Wir kauften unsere Flasche Rioja dann halt im Supermarkt. So geht das... Dafür war die Fahrt durch die herbstlichen Rebberge wunderschön.
Fahrt durch die Weinberge - Geschlossene Bodega.
In Burgos war dann Weltkulturerbe in der Pilgerstadt angesagt. Wir bezahlten knurrend den Eintrittspreis für die Kathedrale (Ablasshandel?). Die verlangen sogar von den Pilgern Eintrittspreise. We then found a bit exaggerated.
cathedral of Burgos.
old town of Burgos.
Our next goal then was the next pilgrimage city of Leon. We found a place to stay overlooking the city and were able to visit so the city early in the morning. The cathedral with 1800 square meters of glass window was very impressive. Sorry, was banned in the church shooting, so that we can not show pictures of it.
cathedral in Leon - Collegiate Church of St. Isidore.
In the collegiate church of Saint Isidore, we admired a vaulted room with ceiling paintings. Even Napoleon's troops were so impressed that she does not touch the paintings (unfortunately photo-ban) ... In the adjacent museum was then treasurer of the church and is kept on the old library, there were beautiful old books.
After so many sightseeing we needed a change again and drove to Las Medulas. A place where hiking area where the Romans dug for gold. We stayed right at the entrance to the parking lot. As the tourist season was over, we were in was also the only one that now plays a definite advantage. The next Migrated during the morning only two sunny days through the red rock formations. It felt good again to be in nature.
Las Medulas.
on the walk by chestnut groves.
Then we drove through rolling hills on winding roads to Santiago de Compostela and drove straight to the first-best VW garage. Actually no one could speak English, but they could make us understand that they have no time for a service. But they gave us the address of another VW garage. The service could Organizer English and had even had time for a service before they closed. Unfortunately, they were not all right filter for our old car, but it was enough at least for a small service.
The next day we went then to the old city of Santiago. It was drizzling again. 2010 is a holy year and one can obtain the full absolution. Accordingly, many pilgrims or those who never let by car to Santiago, were on the road. We visited the cathedral in a human river and let the light of the weather and the long line outside the door, which is open only in Holy Years, the viewing of the relics of St. James.
Cathedral of Santiago - lining up at the portal of St. James.
In stormy weather, we drove to the "Illa de Arousa" to the Atlantic coast. The Surfers Paradise was extinct, the sites were closed, but we found in a pine grove still a good place to sleep.
place to sleep.
The next morning we took the short time with sunlight for a walk to the Cape before we feasts in O Grove in a restaurant seafood. The adventure was fun and tongs with cancer on our table it looked then as if on a Schlachtfeld aus... doch es war sehr lecker!
Meeresfrüchte-Paradies.
Portugal
Nun verliessen wir Spanien schon wieder und fuhren durch hügelige Landschaft nach Barca de la Ponte. Wir wollten im nahen Nationalpark am nächsten Tag eine Wanderung machen, doch diese viel ins Wasser. Es regnete so stark, dass wir sogar auf den Spaziergang durch das Dorf verzichteten und direkt nach Barcelos fuhren. Barcelos ist die Stadt, welche als Wahrzeichen den mittlerweile in ganz Portugal zum Symbol gemachten Hahn, zum Wahrzeichen hat.
Barcelos - Das Kreuz mit dem Hahn.
In Porto, the city of Port wine, we visited the Taylor's Port wine cellars. After the tasting, we learned a lot about the history and the enjoyment of the Port wine cellars in Porto and that the only wine storage and bottling. The whole process happens in about 100 km further upstream Dohua valley. Of course we looked at the old town. The city is built on the banks of the river and it was very steep up and down. It has many churches and old buildings with painted tiles. Very impressive, but much is unfortunately just before the break, although the city under UNESCO's world cultural heritage is.
tasting at Taylor's - barrels of Port wine.
overlooking the old town of Porto - the port wine cellars.
tiles in the station ... - And at the houses.
went for the night's back to the beach. At dark we found a place and really wanted this morning for a ride along the beach. But when Raphael wanted to start the engine, it would not start. Meli went wrong with the jumper cable to look for help, while Raphael uncovered the battery. half after 30 minutes We continue a man with his car. It worked.
Now we sit by in a library, do internet stuff and hope that our Büssli will start for the planned beach tour again.
