Back to Banbury

Our last few weeks in Vinaros just flew by, Arthur and Valerie came for a weeks visit and we went out most days, up to the Font de Pere restaurant for lunch and side trip to the reservoirs.

 

They now have some water in them, quite a change from a few years ago when they were nearly empty.

The Fallas in Benicarlo were very busy but we did manage to see a few of them.

Then a visit to Valencia, the Central Market,

the La Lonja, the old silk market,

and then the Arts & Sciences Park,

Later in the week Dave had his pre Birthday Party, Clive did his signature dish of Piri Piri Prawns, and very good they were too.

Dave cooked pork fillet and Graham’s home made burgers,

Our last week we seemed to be out to lunch everyday, so to celebrate our final lunch we all dressed up !!

All too soon it was time to leave and head north for the ferry back to the UK. The trip north was a little damp to say the least, we did have one good day but then it turned really cold and windy. Our last night was at Caen port and we had a good meal at a local restaurant, our last ‘taste’ of France for a while.

 

So back to Banbury and rather overcast skies,

 

Lots of jobs to be completed, errands to run and appointments to keep, first was a trip to the passport office to get me a new passport, fairly painless except for the cost, on the way back we stopped off at Stoke Bruerne and walked down to Blisworth Tunnel.

 

Noticed some unusual white wild violets by the tow path, or maybe they are not unusual, but I don’t remember seeing white ones before.

 

So the next couple of weeks we will be going to see the nurse for blood tests, to Specsavers for eye tests, and the hospital for a visit to see Dave’s surgeon, just a check up this time, probably.

Winter in Spain

Just a few of the memories this winter

 

The Return Trip

The Ivy man waved us goodbye. Past that vineyard entrance again, they need some clippers on those branches.

Out through the vineyards, to the bottom of Lake Garda.

to a campsite right on the waters edge, not expensive either.

Lunch out the next day, seafood salad, which I could not finish, Dave had to help me BUT…………

that did mean I had room for the Tiramisu

then a very lazy afternoon on the beach

until the sun went down.

Next stop Umag, Croatia and the Istria peninsula, hoping to find some nice bays to visit in the boat.

 

the bay was nice but the campsite was all red dust so it didn’t go into the GPS for a return visit in the camper.

from there we went down the coast road

over the Limski Fjord, and back out to the coast and Rovinj

 

the town looked like some where we should explore but we really couldn’t be bothered to get the motorbike out for just one trip, however, the area and the bay are good so it is in the GPS for both a return trip in the camper and in the boat.

 

another good pitch right by the water

one last paddle before the off

back through the mountains to Biograd.