After a fallow travel year, we’re off. Hooray!
On a two nights Brittany Ferries ship to Santander on 9th January, the first available ferry to Spain in 2024, we are struck by how good the customer offer delivery is by the ferry company.
We’re also struck by the huge majority of passengers being in post-employment status, looking old & many with mobility challenges. Some going out on holiday, some going home after seasonal gatherings with families. From all of this, of course, we’re pretending we‘re not looking in a mirror when we look around. Chris has determined we’ll not be on this boat again.
We visited the boat’s tiny cinema on our whole sailing day: Wonka is as good as the original, albeit a prequel. And Hugh Grant is masterfully cast.
On our last ferry morning, Kath decided we would be woken by her alarm call at 05.10, not like everyone else by the one hour later’s ship system. So an early start! Eventually left the port at about 08.30 to drive to Valladolid – a great Main square, the rest so-so. The journey took us through beautiful mountains, topped with snow & clouds, & great plains with big skies. Transpires EV charging is a doddle, with rapid chargers from, so far, three different networks, all of which take VW charge card payment. One big challenge overcome.
Moved on, after a car charge, to Salamanca, a beautiful sandstone city with an ancient centre, mostly of religious buildings like the monastery below.
Salamancan Monastery – can you spot the herons’ nests on the chimey tops?
Had a tip off for a Cocteleria Niebla Cafe jazz gig, starting at 10.30 & ending at midnight 30. Well chilled. We’d forgotten how everything in the evening starts much later, eg eating before 9pm is not done.
More driving & painless car charging has brought us to Caceres. Its old town is supposedly one of the biggest & best kept medieval heritage sites. And, of course, it has interesting town walls. Couldn’t help thinking of Pop.
Chris & Kath's Travel Time 