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Europe, Spain, Travel, Trips

Alcala De Jucar

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The Journey to Alcala De Jucar

Today we are taking another coach trip with David’s Coaches. We are heading 2 and a half hours North of Torrevieja to a town called Alcala de Jucar. It is here that we will get to see and experience the Cave Houses. 

Boarding our coach for an early start we are able to fully relax. The air conditioning and USB charging points in the bus mean we can relax. Time to enjoy the scenery, something that usually only one of us can do at a time! We collect the other passengers and continue our journey. As we travel our rep brings us lots of information about the towns and villages that we pass. 

The bus is a happy one today. People say hello to the new additions as they board. A steady chatter fills the coach. There is a real mix of age groups on the tours we have been on. Sometimes there is an age bracket and personality type associated with coach trips. We found that to be untrue. The tours was were filled with people from all age groups and backgrounds.

Almansa

Visit Almansa Castle - on the way to Alcala de Jucar
Almansa Castle

As the journey was so long, we broke our route with a brief stop in Almansa. Almansa stems from the Arabic المنصف (al-manṣaf), “half way of the road” and this was very apt for us. Set in the province of Albacete and built at the foot of a white limestone crag. At the top is a castle built during Moorish times. During the Reconquest, a long period in history where the Christians and Muslims fought over territory in Spain and Portugal, this area became a ‘frontier’. This was between the Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon and the Muslim kingdom of Murcia. 

The castle was built in the early 12th century. Quite a few remains of this original building survive in the present structure. As with many historic castles, the building we see today is a vastly modified castle. Over the years, and changes of inhabitants, it has seen parts added and removed. The castle finally fell inactive at the end of the 15th century, after the expulsion of the Moors and a unified nation emerged.

Over the hundreds of years the castles fell into decay. In 1919 the Mayor requested its demolition. The castle was saved and declared a national monument following an outcry to save it. Restoration work continues still today to save the castle. Sadly during our visit we could not go inside due to this work.

vanlifediary Almansa Castle

Almansa Town

That didn’t stop us having a wander around the charming town’s high street and narrow side lanes. There were local bakers with windows full of sweet pastries. Cafes with chairs on the pavement serving hot drinks as well as refreshing cold drinks while the sun warmed up.

The town hall was absolutely stunning and well worth a few pictures. It had a lovely shaded garden with lots of sculptures in and this beautiful courtyard.  

River Jucar

The Jucar River is on the Iberian peninsula of Spain. It runs for around 510km from its source in Montes Universales to the sea in the resort of Callera. The gorge where the road runs is very deep in parts, especially as we get closer to the town. Our rep for the day, a delightful woman with a bit of wiggle room on her sense of humour, announces that we are about to start our ascent to the top of the gorge we are currently in. She advises us (tongue in cheek we hope) that our coach driver only passed his test last week and that he is nervous about the road ahead… Great!

Soon we start to see the road ahead. Winding left to right up the side of a mountain reminiscent of Lombard Street on San Francisco but on steroids. Louise and I look at each other and hope we get to tell the tale. Spoiler alert – she was joking and we survived.

Alcala De Jucar winding road
View from the top of Alcala De Jucar

Cave Houses

We are heading to the top of the gorge for lunch before visiting the cave houses. There are lots of cave houses here and we find out that during the time of the reconquest, the Moors fled for safety. Due to the relatively soft rock in Spain many of them hid in caves. These caves are visible from the road as we drive.

Originally seen as a sign of poverty, recent building and home shows such as Grand Designs, have started to make these cave houses popular. It is interesting to note that these cave houses are subject to the same planning permissions as ‘normal’ houses. This is especially relevant if they want to dig out another room.

There are a lot of benefits to living in a cave house in a hot country. The caves stay an ambient 18-20 degrees. Due to the thickness of the walls and that the windows are at the front of the house only, it stays nice and cool in the summer and retains the warmth in winter.  A quick scan of the internet will bring you up plenty of examples of cave houses for sale in the region of 30,000 euros upwards. A point to remember is that walls are hardly ever straight or symmetrical. If you have OCD or want to hang a large mirror, take your spirit level with you to the viewing! 

El Mirador Restaurant views

Reaching the top of the gorge after a half hour see-saw of winding roads, we stop for lunch at a stunning restaurant. The town, clinging on the edges of the gorge walls, seems peaceful. An odd shape bull ring lies further down. A tear drop shape.

Standing in the garden of the restaurant you get some amazing views of the gorge. They leave you breathless and suddenly the drive seems worth it. We stop for a few photos before heading inside.

Lunch at Alcala De Jucar

El Mirador Alcala de Jucar
View from the restaurant

Entering the restaurant you find yourself in an elegant bar area. To the left is the dining area. The tables pulled together to form 4 long banqueting tables to seat the 52 guests and complimentary wine is on the tables ready for our arrival. Organised into our groups we are then seated. We manage to grab two window seats and get to know our neighbours. 

For starters we had a serving of traditional of hams and cheese with fresh slices of bread. The main course was a delicious turkey stew (and the vegetarians had a fried vegetable dish). The deserts were what ever they had in stock so we all feasted on Cornetto ice creams!  

Wine Drama.

Louise writes – The wine was going down a little too well. More had to be brought to the tables. Imagine this… each table was given 3 bottles of red and 3 bottles of white to SHARE between them! One lady didn’t get that memo and happily polished off a bottle of white before the main course had been served. She then asked the gentleman, sat to my left, to pass our bottle over and down the hatch it went too. Well, this lady had no idea that the 2 ladies from Germany were watching her and so was I at this point, all the while trying to contain my giggles silently. Em kept looking at me and trying to ask discreetly what was going on.

The chap then asked the waiter for another bottle of white and it arrived promptly……. Drum roll please……. The same lady took it from his hands and filled her glass once again. Bearing in mind these were large glasses and could hold over half a bottle. Well the German ladies rolled their eyes, looked at me watching them and we burst out laughing. 

If you thought that was bad – just wait for this!

We got back on the coach to drive us down to the town to the cave house museum. Our rep clocks a bottle of wine in someone’s bag and it turns out that some of the guests felt it was appropriate to steal a bottle of wine from the restaurant. This was a total disgrace. If you took the cost of the trip (27 euros each) and looked at the cost of the menu from the restaurant (17 euros without wine), you would see that they were already offering a highly discounted menu to the tour operator.  Bottles of wine in Spain are not expensive and start from around 2 euros a bottle. 

Our rep made it very clear to the individuals that this is not what is expected and that what they did was wrong. The told the rep that another couple in the group asked them to do it and lets just say it was made very clear to these people, in front of the whole coach, that this behaviour would not be tolerated. You may expect this from the younger generation but actually this couple were retired and living in Spain.

The Cave House Museum

entrance to the caves at Alcala De Jucar
Entrance to the caves

Moving on, we approached the drop off point for the coach. The rep advised that the paths were very steep and the cobbles could be slippery. A safety briefing warned us to use our own initiative. If we felt it was not suitable for us then to stay on the coach. Most of us decided it was worth the risk, after all – that is what we had come to see. She wasn’t wrong! Steep narrow lanes zig zagged from the drop off point to the museum. Ee don’t think anyone ended up on ‘You’ve been framed’ but it was a miracle!

The outside of the museum looked rather discrete. If you didn’t know it was there you could easily have walked past it. The history of Alcala tells us that there are two important caves here. Garaden and Devils cave. Garadén, has 750 years of history and was used as a sentry post. Due to the gorge, anyone who came through from Castilla-La Mancha towards the east had to pay a tribute. The 170m long tunnel essentially acted as a mini customs area! 

cave tunnel
The 170ft tunnel

Juan Jose Martinez

The owner of the caves is Juan José Martínez, an ex Mayor of Alcala De Jucar. Perhaps better known as the bull fighter El Diablo he is also the owner of the restaurant we visited. I can’t help but wonder how far his influence stretches. We are warned that he is a larger than life character and that he is a poet. He has written in excess of 2500 poems, some of them receiving awards. Best known for his moustache and is often at the caves ready to great guests. Juan Jose Martinez is happy to pose for photos. Be warned – he may try to kiss you as it’s customary in Spanish culture!

We each pay 3 euros and are told that at the end of the tour there is (here we go again) a free glass of wine. We are not sure how much of the caves half of our coach saw as they bee lined to the end for their alcohol… The rest of us had a good look around as we saw all of the artefacts that now reside in the museum. Some not seeming to have a specific reason for being there we might add but most demonstrating the layouts a stereotypical cave house may have looked. There were old farming tools, taxidermy animals, mirrors and old cinema equipment.

Strange goings on in the cave disco!

At the end of the bar is a larger section with the walls full of pictures of Juan Jose Martinez with high profile individuals and images of him with lots of beautiful women hanging on his arm. We get the impression he is a bit of a play boy. Not surprisingly perhaps, when we have a look around the area he commissioned as a disco, we see something our rep hasn’t seen before. We have alcohol fuelled minds in the gutter so we will just let the pictures do the talking!

We asked our rep about the rounding of the wooden bar tables and the strange shapes in the concrete ones. We tell her what we see and she blushes a little before trying to explain to the poor lady working the bar what we are asking! Is that table for more than drinking on? Why is it curved like that? 

Bemused we watch as the lady and the rep have a conversation in Spanish before heading off to the area in question. A few moments later our rep is laughing and shaking her head! Apparently the tables are old farm tools, a little like ploughs, that were used to harvest crops. They just flipped them over and made them into a table. The bar lady found it very comical that we thought it was used for secret sex parties! 

Back to the coach!

We had some time to walk around the small town of Alcala De Jucar after the cave museum and see some of the houses still being used today. There was a lovely Roman bridge to cross the river and as we were leaving it looked as though they were setting up for a fiesta.

Little shops selling gifts for the tourist trade adorned the streets near where the coach would collect us. Around 2500 people can visit here each day in the height of the season. Something you would never expect on entering the picturesque location clinging to the side of the mountain and carved out of the rocks.

  • Cave houses of Alcala De Jucar

If you are interested in the other trips we have done in Spain.

Click here to find out where you can swim in a stunning waterfall used in the Timotie adverts.

Click here to find out about Guadalest – the most beautiful town in Spain

And here to find out about our journey to Torrievieja

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guest post, Scotland, Travel

Why you should scrap your all inclusive beach holiday and visit Scotland

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We have had the privilege of knowing Rebecca for a few years now. She is a talented writer, baker, singer/songwriter and dog lover. Whether she wants to admit it or not she is an incredible human with a passion for learning and exploring. At the beginning of the year she planned on taking herself and her car for a soul searching visit to Scotland. As the day came to set off, she got up at silly o’clock and got in the car. Even though she was nervous about the prospect of being her own company, she didn’t let this stop her.

Rebecca kindly accepted my request to write about her adventure. Scotland is one of the places we would love to go to but haven’t yet reached. If you enjoy Rebecca’s post please do show her some love on her Insta channel. Check out the video she made of her adventure! It’s incredible and we take out hats off to Rebecca for her bravery and courage. Without further ado…. Rebecca’s post!

Guest post by Rebecca Allen – Visit Scotland

Visit Scotland and scrap your all inclusive
Visit Scotland

I had wanted to go to Scotland for as long as I can remember. To this magical land fit for Kings and Queens and almost every mainstream TV program and film there ever was. They told me that it was far better than England, and well, the whole of the rest of Europe actually. Well aren’t they full of themselves? 

Spoiler alert: They were right. 

I decided to embark on this mission during May half term of this year (stupid idea, I KNOW). It was just me, my car and a human sized box of snacks to sit in my passenger seat and keep me entertained.  

I did a 1,300 mile round trip, starting in Edinburgh and leaving Scotland at the Cumbrian borders near Loch Lomond.  

I cried for about a week after I got home. That’s a lie, I’m still crying.  

I now tell new friends that I’m half Scottish. Sometimes, I’ll go full days speaking in a Scottish accent. (While spending those five days on my own in a car, I had to get good at SOMETHING). I buy Scottish shortbread and hang the wrappers from my wall like trophies, that only I know about. I bought a Highland coo.  

It’s fair to say, I miss Scotland. 

Scottish lake - Rebecca Allen

A blog post or a dissertation?

I was going to spend this article telling you all the places that you definitely should visit whilst you’re in Scotland, but quickly realised that the length of the piece would be closer to a dissertation than a blog so scrapped that idea. 

On second thought, I now want to convince you why you should scrap your £300 per person-all-inclusive to ‘somewhere in Southern Europe that all looks the same anyway’ holiday (no offence Emma and Lou, I love you really… Benidorm… *rolls eyes*) and instead, go to Scotland! 

First of all, it’s beautiful. Like not just ‘ah that’s a cute sunset’ beautiful, because you’re drunk on the weak Blue Lagoon cocktails Fernadez has shaken and stirred up for you. Scotland is the kind of beautiful where you will wake up at 4am (drunk or sober) just to watch the sunrise. Where every single corner that you turn has a whole new world, shining, shimmering, and bloody well splendid. And the kind of beautiful where that one wrong turn on a road where you can’t do a U-turn for 20 miles is actually a blessing not a curse.  

Scottish mountain and road
Wrong turn or right turn?

My second point is that this place is magic, like genuinely magic. And yes, I’m a bit of a magic fan and talk about it waaaaaaay too much, but even for people who are not into all that, Scotland is magic. It is home to some of the oldest Neolithic monuments, stone circles, and burial chambers in the whole world. If you’re an Outlander fan (don’t, just don’t, now THAT’s a dissertation), you will have heard of the legend that stone circles are time travelling portals, for the right people, at the right time.  

It could be YOU. This Summer… 

winterfell castle
Winterfell

It also has fairy glens and fairy pools and fairy hills, and oh, how can I forget, our good old friend Nessie. (#Ibelieve). These aspects of Scotland make it perfect for kids, not to mention the huge Harry Potter thing they’ve got going on. As in, Harry Potter was written in Edinburgh, inspired by everything Scottish and bits filmed there too (could you ask for more?). And then there’s Game of Thrones, James Bond, Brave, Macbeth, Braveheart, Made of Honour and the list goes on and on and on.  

So, that’s the extroverts convinced. Now for my introvert friends.  

There are lots of giant empty mountains with no one else there that you can go sit on a be alone.  

You’ll LOVE it.  

Safe travels, have a whisky on me, love, Rebecca. 

Rebecca Allen on tour
Rebecca on tour!

We want to know more! Did you ever visit Scotland? Did it change your life?

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Europe, Reservoir, Spain, Travel, Trips

Visit Guadalest

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We journey from a stunning waterfall to a town that looked photo-shopped. Our Guadalest visit was an incredible find with so much beauty it made us emotional. It has white washed streets and fruit trees hanging over the paths showing off its idyllic natural beauty. Picture postcard alleyways around every corner. A bell tower forced to sit outside the walls of the town as there was no space left inside. An incredible reservoir that is crystal blue like you have never seen before! So many components make up the beauty of this walled mountain town and we can’t wait to tell you more! 

A modern way to travel.

Davids coaches had picked us up early from our resorts local collection point on the Costa Blanca. We had all the home comforts you could expect from a modern 52 seater coach including the new additions of USB charging points. Between all of the seats were 2 USB ports to charge your phones, cameras or other devices as we travelled. The coaches were also fitted with Wifi but as we were travelling long distances there were some black spots. Air conditioning was also part of the draw to a coach trip given our 40 degree heat. 

Sadly the coach is quite a large space to cool down so some people on our trip were unhappy at the back. The driver did all he could to keep the vehicle cool but it is worth remembering that there is a lot of space to cool down. It is still cooler than without any air conditioning at all – just be aware and maybe just don’t take it out on the driver or the reps. (You can close the curtains if the sun is coming through the window too!). Bring plenty of water and a little fan to help keep you cool. 

Bucket List Tick!

Fonts De L'Algar

You may recall from the Font’s De L’Algar post that we had just visited the most breathtaking spot. The waterfalls from the Timotei advert where we were able to swim in crystal blue water by the falls. We are still so excited to talk about this moment as it had always been on our bucket list. Admittedly it also included a skinny dip (or chunky dunk) but that would not have been appropriate! We got to swim in a waterfall! We want to shout it from the roof! We have goose bumps just thinking about it. We want to do it again! People were jumping off of the rocks into the water and Emma didn’t do it as she got scared. Next time she will for sure!

The waterfalls were an incredible moment in our life and one that makes us so glad that we are living this adventure together, and us with you! We thought that moment would be the highlight of our day. We didn’t think it could be topped! That was until we paid a visit to Guadalest.

A visit to Guadalest

View of Guadalest from the coach
The view from the coach up to Guadalest

Just under an hour East (and up mountain paths that our driver deserved an award for scaling) we see Guadalest. The roof tops at the edge of the town emerge balanced on a cliff edge. White buildings with beige roofs jutting out as though they have been built into the mountains. Clusters of houses wedged in to keep each other in place and further up, a tower, on its own and a visual marker for our driver as we continue to twist and turn up the mountain side.

We pass Nispera and Almond trees, pine forests and citrus groves. Carob trees are common here too. Our rep explains that these trees possess a fire retardant quality so by strategically planting Carob trees they can slow down wild fires often caused by the blistering heat. 

Arrival

On arrival, we see that the town is quite large and has a fair sized car park to accommodate the many tourists who visit Guadalest. It’s not a surprise  that this location is so popular even from the car park! Strange to think that this little place is only home to 250 inhabitants but is reported to be one of the most visited towns in Spain! It is in complete contrast to the bustling tourist resorts full of English bars that we often associate with Spain. In keeping with its historical past it is a town that time forgot about. Ancient ruins, traditional homes and packed with character. 

Our rep gives us our return instructions. We have around 3.5-4 hours to walk around. Unbeknown to us there was a lunch option and half of the coach continue on to their restaurant and will join us in the town later. We feel smug, we packed a lunch today. We start to explore the town. To our surprise we find a Salt and Pepper Pot Museum, a Museum of Medieval Torture, a Museum of Dolls Houses and the Micro-Gigantic Museum featuring items such as a bull ring on a pin head and the bible written on a grain of rice. Most of these venues were just 1 euro or so to get in.

Cobbled alleyways and a light lunch

We walk down cobbled paths amongst white washed walls. Sloping streets with houses next to shops with window boxes full of flowers in bloom and bowls of water left for dogs and cats to drink from on the door steps. Spanish radio floating out of windows where wooden shutters keep the sun out but let the air in. A side street catches our eye. An apricot tree gives shade to a low wall opposite a little house. An old bicycle leans against the wall and a dog lead is tied to a wooden door, ready for the evening stroll when its cooler. All of these things make up the perfectly relaxed atmosphere of this charming town. Guadalest is worth a visit for sure.

Back in our resort, the local supermarket was full of spanish hams so we feasted on mortadella, gherkins, feta and Spanish bread for our picnic lunch. Fresh flat peaches dripping with juice and a taste that can only be found in Spain itself are our refreshing dessert. Topped up with food we continue to explore the town.

El Castell de Guadalest

guadalest vanlifediary.com
Tunnel to the castle at Guadalest
Guadalest tunnel
Looking up through the tunnel

The town of Guadalest is home to a castle you can visit whilst here. As you follow the signs from the town below you are taken through a short stone tunnel. Top tip – on a hot day, this is a good place to find some shade and a breeze as it flows through the tunnel. On your way up you may have local photographers take your picture to print out for a keepsake if you wish. Once through the tunnel you are met with further squares, shops and cafes. 

The castle is open to visitors and is well worth a look around. Again just a few euros to enter. The castle was built under the Moors occupation in the 12th centuary. On 22 July 1644 an earthquake destroyed the Castle, and in December 1644 another earth tremor destroyed part of the town. Now rebuilt and turned into a museum, you can find information on its former inhabitants through the years, rare Jewels, artwork and artifacts from the area. Unsurprisingly most of the information is in Spanish. If you have downloaded the google translate app on your phone you may be able to hover over the text to translate it to English.

Local goods for sale.

Leather shops display their goods on cobbled street corners and a stall selling herbs and spices fills the air with the aromas you expect from Spain. Some gift shops have sprung up selling more commercial items such as the good old fridge magnet and key rings. Other shops are also dedicated to items such as pottery, glass wares, jewellery and embroidery/lace. Food items such as honey, wine and dried fruits are also available here. 

One shop, quite large from the outside, and further up the hill, displayed really unusual gift items. This location also had a conservatory out the back of the shop and gave our first glimpse of the reservoir below! Interest peaked – we set off for a better view.

Reservoir 

Guadalest Reservoir
Reservoir below Guadalest

It’s hard to believe with your own eyes that it is real and not a photo-shopped image from Insta or a postcard. Did you see my ‘expectation vs reality’ picture on the last post? We all know it’s hard to find spots these days of outstanding beauty where pictures haven’t been touched up. 

We walked to the view point and looked over the stone wall to the incredible views. The colour is caused by tiny particles of salt suspended under the water. Guadalest overlooks the ‘Embalse de Guadalest’ reservoir, built between 1953 and 1963 feeds the Valencian region and Benidorm.

40 Degree sunshine

Vanlifediary Guadalest
Louise and Emma in Guadalest

We spent some time taking pictures and marvelling at the view. Behind us we found a little shade to cool down in as it was the hottest part of the day. A beautiful square dotted by trees and some seats to relax in. Across the square were a few shops and cafes so we purchased an obligatory ice cream. Our water bottles, frozen overnight, were now warm enough to boil eggs in and the heat was tiring. We gathered under the shade of a tree by a wooden door and looked back over the photographs we had taken.

On our way down to the car park we did stop to look around the Ethnological Museum. This is a small museum which displays a typical house from the 18th century built on the rock. This was part of the Old Town originally and the Arabian origins are reflected throughout the display. Access to the house it through is just past the tunnel and the original entrance is still preserved today. From the kitchen and bedrooms through to a small display on farming and agriculture, this attraction may help answer some questions you may have. Another ‘must’ for your visit to Guadalest.

Homeward Bound

Guadalest ice cream
Ice cream

A short walk back through the tunnel starts our descent to the car park. Views stretch out over miles to the sea. The clean streets and proud residents remain a fond memory. Images of the streets remind me of wall hangings in my parents house that I adored as a child. Terracotta roofs and little white houses winding up hills and the sky as blue as a primary colour paint set. I wasn’t sure if they were of Spain or Italy, I just wanted to smell the air. It smells sweet. Of fruit, leather and spices. I feel the cobbles under my shoes and I feel the grain of the painted white walls. I imagine I could lose myself here quite easily in the romance of Spain. 

The time comes to gather back for our return journey. Our Visit to Guadalest was full of surprises. We have plans to take another coach trip and wonder how it will compare. Today has been packed full of things it is hard to attach the right words to. Sometimes there are not enough words to describe beauty. We highly recommend a visit here if you can fit it in and have a day away from your resort.

Whats Next?

Next trip is to a town with Cave houses. We are going to see how the Moors lived after fleeing the Christians and what was once deemed a symbol of poverty are now in fact becoming sought after locations thanks to shows like Grand Designs!

For now, a little doze on the coach and a quiet evening in on the roof terrace. A couple of bottles of wine and some beautiful food (Louise made Crevettes with a garlic and butter dip). We listen to the crickets and smell the evening flowers as a gentle breeze rolls in from the sea. The sky is clear and the stars are out. We are even lucky enough to catch sight of a satellite or two!

Goodnight Moon

Rolling into bed at midnight, the air conditioning keeping the bedroom cool, we slip into a silent nights peaceful slumber.

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Europe, Spain, Travel, Trips

Fonts De L’Algar – Is swimming in a waterfall on your bucket list?

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We are driving towards Fonts De L’Algar following our 8:45am coach pick up. Travelling with David’s Coaches we are now collecting passengers from Quesada, Rojales and Gran Alicant. The rep is educating us about the stunning pink salt lakes on our left as we pass mountains of white granules stacked on our right. Exported for gritting roads, the salt process has considerably shrunk since some of the land is now a protected nature reserve.

Torrievieja salt lakes
Pink Salt Lakes

Torrevieja Lagoons Nature Reserve is approx 3700 Hectares. 2100 hectares correspond to water surfaces and the remainder is the land around the lagoons. This consists of salt marshes, plant formations, reed beds, and Mediterranean scrubland. Marsh land originally and gifted by the King to the locals. Channels were cut to drain the marsh land back into the sea to dry it out, however the land is below sea level and they flooded it by accident. That is how the salt lakes of today originated. A fabulous disaster!

There are museums dedicated to the salt works if you would like more information

“Be a Flamingo in a flock of Pigeons.” Savannah Larsen

Stock image from Unsplash
Stock image of Flamingos

We spot tall birds standing in the strawberry angel delight coloured lakes. A slight pink tint to their feathers, a large flock scattered over the watery fields. Flamingos! They come here in their droves to feed off of the crustaceans.  There is an usual bacteria in the water here called halobacteria. It is the pigments from these that colour the shrimp, that the flamingos eat and it turns their feathers pink. Emma remembers seeing these as a teenager when she last visited the area on a family holiday. Emma has some very good memories from that trip!

Grapes and Roses

Roses on a vineyard
Roses at the end of a vine

Sitting on the coach gazing out of the windows at the Spanish region we are now driving through, with mountains in the distance we are soon to drive up, we are educated about the vineyards flashing past us. There are odd flashes of colour at the end of every 4th row, Roses! They are susceptible to the same diseases as the vines and the farmer will inspect the roses. If they are being attacked then the farmer will know which rows to treat and which rows are OK.

Our rep tells us that when the grapes are starting to grow, the farmers attach paper bags to the stems. This is so that at harvest they are pre bagged. A process that protects them from the damage of the sun, insects and birds and is easier to harvest. Farmers just snip the stems which is quicker and means less bacteria is being passed to the fruit. It’s information like this that really help you to understand the intricacies of the area you are holidaying in. It helps you to understand their traditions and customs but also gives information you wouldn’t be told if you just hired a car and drove yourself. We hadn’t thought of doing coach trips before but we really enjoyed the experience and would do it again.

Arriving at Fonts De L’Algar

Fonts De L'Algar waterfall
Emma at Fonts De L’Algar Waterfall

After a long but educational drive we twist and turn through the mountains. Soon we pull into a large car park by a restaurant at 11am. We get given our tickets and are told we get a free drink here with one half of the stub. The other half gets us into the attraction.

A gentleman just behind us whispers that the drinks are still free after a swim and don’t feel pressured to drink it first! He had been here before and said it gets very busy. His advice is to go for a swim and get your photos first, then come and relax with your drink.

Never dismiss a free drink!

We take his advice! Continuing on foot up hill for another 100 meters and see the entrance on our left. We pass some little shops on the way up with all the provisions you may have forgotten. For example, suitable shoes for wearing in the water, sun cream and clothing. There is also a fresh local/traditional Spanish fruit and veg stall.

Famous for the early Timotei adverts and then for its inclusion on an episode of the TV Series Benidorm, Fonts de L’Algar is really worth a visit if you are visiting the Costa Blanca. Crystal blue waters and mountain views, you can’t help but feel in one of the most exotic locations in Spain. Ever wanted to tick ‘swimming in a waterfall’ off of your bucket list? Now you can!

You can’t buy happiness but you can buy a ticket to Spain, that’s pretty close!

Just under half an hour from Benidorm (15 km) and an hour and a half from Torrieveija, Fonts De L’Algar is the complete opposite to the busy tourist resorts Spain is more commonly associated with. It is also very popular with the local inhabitants given its proximity to them and ability to keep cool. According to the Valencian government this area has a high degree of ecological richness, tourist services and environmental education. It has now been declared a wetland and is protected.

Entering the waterfall area you’re greeted by stunning pools of crystal blue water, known as ‘tolls’ or “source of health”. The water stays a constant 18 degrees all year round. It is a refreshing, but startling, way to cool down on a hot day. Bridges and paths have been added at Fonts De Algar to enable access to parts of the site. The site has a 1.5km circuit path where you can walk through the bed of the river. Do be warned there are a fair amount of steps given the location. If you want to have a drink or a bite to eat there is a restaurant by the entrance but the main attraction is definitely the water!

Expectation Vs Reality


Sadly the sun was not in the right spot during the limited time we had there so the expectation shot and the reality shot were slightly different than we had hoped as you can see below! Still, undeterred we got a picture! The water was freezing and the closer you got to the waterfall, the less air their seemed to be. Once out of the swell of the falls, the water drops down to the pools where the light was better. The water was so clear it was incredible. Once you have your shoulders under the water you quickly get used to it. It was very refreshing given that the temperature was around 40 degrees when we visited!

Expectation Vs Reality waterfall
As glam as Emma gets!

We managed to spend around 2 hours here which was enough to cool off. There were not any areas by the water for lounging, as it is a natural formation, so we were glad we hadn’t opted for the full day excursion here. The crowds were really stacking up now and the queues were getting long. We decided to let the other guests have their time and head down to the restaurant for our free drink.

No rest for the wicked!

Glad to be drying out we sipped our Fanta lemon (it tastes so much better in Spain!) and sat astonished at the fact we had just swam in a waterfall. The restaurant had a shallow pool just deep enough to paddle your feet in. The umbrellas were giving a little bit of shade and we relaxed while the other guests gathered together. We had a set time to depart as after this we were going to a very special location… A town that looks as though it is photo shopped!


Join us in the next instalment to find out where we went!
Read about our journey to Torrievieja if you missed our last post!

Spain, Travel, travel tips, Trips

Torrevieja

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Today marks the first time that I will travel abroad since I was 18. That was *cough* 19 years ago. We are Torrevieja bound! Last week we were so bored of the wet and damp weather in Yorkshire that we embarked on a mission for warmer climates. What we didn’t realise was that the weather was going to get much better in the UK too just as we were due to leave. Typical! That being said as we drove down to Gatwick airport yesterday ready for our flight this morning, we were driving into a reported 60 hour thunderstorm that was sweeping its way northwards.

M25. Always a pleasure!

As per usual the M25 decided to be slow moving and seemed just down to the amount of traffic rather than accidents. It gave us plenty of time to watch the planes taking off from Heathrow and imagine how we would be feeling in just 12 hours time!We arrived at my brother’s and parked Chewy on his drive with about an inch to spare before kissing the gutter. We checked we had our passports about 20 times and had a shower before heading to bed. It was only on the last round of checks that I thought about doing the bag up and realised the carry on bag I had chosen had a broken zip. It’s 11pm and we have to be up at 2:30…We scan the guest bedroom in a panic as we can’t be slamming the van doors at this time. Spying a sports bag on the wardrobe -we borrow/steal it. I make a note to tell my brother in the morning!As night sets in, so do the storms. At 2:30 we awake to thunder and lightning. A rumble that fills us with a little bit of worry. Taking off in a thunderstorm is not ideal! The journey to the airport came free with a light show but luckily by the time we arrived at Gatwick it was passing. It was almost dawn but already the airport was buzzing with people all excited to be flying today.Check in went well with just a small technical hitch over my hair gel being in a bottle that was too big, even though it was almost empty. I hadn’t realised it’s not on the quantity left in the bottle that counts, it’s the bottle size. Noted for next time. We headed through security and Louise told me we were going to the No1 lounge. She had booked us in as a surprise. As I haven’t travelled around very much I hadn’t experienced a lounge before and I loved it! How relaxing! And a prosecco at 5am isn’t a bad start to the day!Soon we were boarding the plane via a short shuttle bus ride from the gate to the plane. A Boeing 737. Smaller than Louise would like but just happy it didn’t have propellers! Taxiing to the runway we felt the excitement and suspense build as the rain was just stopping but the clouds were still dark. The captain said there may be some initial turbulence but should be a good flight. Norwegian airlines have in flight WiFi and an app that let you see where you are on your journey as well as speed and height.

Where did we fly?

According to the captain our flight took us out over Brighton to the English channel and across to France. We coasted down past Bordeaux and over the Pyrenees mountains. Even in June they were topped with snow still! After a quick trolly dash up the aisle with drinks and duty free, our two hour 20 minute journey was over just as quick as it had begun. Coming in to land in Alicante was a delight as we descended close to the mountains and were able to see the stunning landscape unfold before our eyes. It seems the captain was also distracted by the scenery as his landing was quite sudden but safely down, we were able to disembark.

To Torrevieja

We are heading to the Spanish mainland city of Torrevieja. It’s a sunny city on the Costa Blanca. Known for its Mediterranean climate and sandy beaches. Torrevieja translates to Old Town and was once a town demolished by an earthquake in the 1800’s. A recent renovation initiative has seen a brand new city emerge built for tourism. It has the largest market on the mainland every Friday and we can’t wait to go! We were very lucky to have had a lift to our villa and we were given a small guided tour along the way. We drove past some stunning salt lakes where the flamingos hang out before moving on.

The villa

So here we are. Having found our way to the local Aldi (I know… We flew to Spain to go to Aldi but we needed food!) We made ourselves a fresh lunch with meat and cheese, salad and pickles. No bread, cakes or crisps! A glass of wine to toast our arrival and lots of plans to be made. We decided it was far too hot, 30 degrees in the shade, so went for a little walk to find the swimming pool. How beautiful it was with palm trees tapping in the breeze, colourful flowers a small pool for the local residents of this villa block. The water was nice and cool but not cold, so was a delight to cool off after the belting rays of the sun. After a short swim we took advantage of the sunshine and basked in her heat, talking about destinations we want to visit and that we could easily fall in love with Spain!It’s day one of our trip to Torrevieja. We are so excited to experience the rest of what is on offer and will keep you up to date on our adventures. Right now, time for a short nap before we BBQ some fresh fish! Please comment, share and tag your friends. Let us know where to visit below if you have any suggestions for us!

Beach, South Wales, Travel, Trips, Wales

Visit Pembrey Country Park

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In our last post we left you at Kidwelly Castle, South Wales and had been travelling down from Whitemill. We were aiming to work our way along the Welsh coast to be in Somerset in 10 days time. Looking on the map, we found a large green area with what looked like a country park. We decided to visit Pembrey Country Park to see what it had to offer. As you can see on the map, it’s not far from Kidwelly, just 5 miles!

Map of South Wales visit pembrey country park


We secured our stuff and took a slow drive. When you turn off of the A484 you go over a railway bridge which is a single track and governed by traffic lights. You will then see a small car park on the left called Penybeed car park. There are some lovely walks from here. If you follow the road down a bit further you will then arrive at the entrance to visit Pembrey Country Park and a beach site. It is one of Wales’ top visitor attractions.

A park warden greeted us in the toll booth at the entrance to the park. It is £5 entrance/parking all day and they are open until 10pm. We didn’t realise there was an entrance fee and didn’t have cash on us at the time. Luckily they allowed us to drive on through and pay at the visitor centre with a card.  

With over 500 acres of land and beaches, we had lots to discover! Find out more below!

Visit Pembrey Country Park Munitions ruins

Pembrey country park Bunkers

WW1

Although the park, is today a stunning, green and lush parkland, it wasn’t always this way. The park has had many uses over the years and there’s still evidence for you to explore today!

The sand dunes provided an excellent location for the manufacturing of explosives during both World Wars. It was the site of Pembrey’s Royal Ordnance Factory. The earliest munitions were produced here as early as 1882. Using it’s remote location, the dunes would greatly reduce the impact of any accidental explosions. The factory, employed mainly by women as the men were at war fighting, has as many as 6000 employees producing Dynamite and TNT.

USE AFTER WW1

After the First World War the factory closed in the 1920’s, the administration building was then used to house the children of unemployed miners. They were put to work in the factories to produce a component of printing ink, Carbon black.

WW2

At the start of the Second World War the factory re-opened and covered over 200 hectares of land. This mainly covered the sand dunes. The nitration and other dangerous buildings were located here a safe distance away from the admin buildings such as surgery, canteen, police barracks, central office and library.

Railway tracks used in the movement of the explosives can still be seen today. They are especially prevalent around the children’s play area.

Production continued at a low level after the war. It was again was relied upon to produce more around the time of the Korean war in the 1950’s. After the war, the factory was mainly involved in the decommissioning of bombs by breaking them down. The factory closed its doors in March 1965.

SHIPWRECKS

Pembrey country park Shipwreck

Pembrey’s beach, Cefn Sidan, is the resting place of a large number of shipwrecks – many can be seen on google maps! Some of these wrecks have been dated back as far as 1668 and show how important the shipping route was with the movement of timber and coal along the Welsh coast. There are over 300 shipwrecks on this coast line that they know of. Many more are still waiting to be discovered. It’s not just the boats that have been discovered here! Anchors, now placed by the beach car park were discovered within 200 meters of each other. Found near the low water mark with a chain between them. These are the heavyweight anchors from a vessel of at least 1000 tonnes!

BEACH AND SAND DUNES

Visit Pembrey country park Sand Dunes

The sand here is a very fine sand and the dunes are constantly changing and shifting. Reports indicate that the beach can raise or fall by over 6 ft depending on the storms and the tides either burying the beach, or exposing the wrecks underneath and is proof of just how difficult this stretch of coast line was for the boats to navigate the ever changing sand banks.

The sand dunes can be very dangerous due to the type of sand and constant shifts. There are signs up warning not to dig in the sand dunes as they easily collapse.

The beach is an excellent spot for treasure hunting. Aside from the occasional new discovery from the shipwrecks you can find a lot of shells here for your DIY projects. It is great to visit after the high tide and sift through all the debris washed up. Do be cautious though – the beach also has some dead jellyfish wash up and some are huge! For reference, I am a size 8!

The beach is 8 miles long and full of golden sand. It is one of the few places where you can watch the sunset over the sea and the red sky shining on the exposed rib cages of the ship wrecks are a sight you won’t forget!

ACTIVITIES

Pembrey has lots of activities on offer. You can treat the family to an adventure filled week away there and do something different every single day! Why not have a go at the following activities;

Dry ski slope

Tobogganing

Cycle Hire

Archery

Laser tag

Orienteering

Pitch and Putt

Miniture railway

Adventure play area

Equestrian centre

Nature trails (coastal path and woodland options)

Cafe

Award winning beaches

Whether you want to have an adventure or just relax on the grass or the stunning golden award winning beaches that have been compared to the carribean minus the palm trees, there is something you will fall in love with!

CAMPING

visit Pembrey country park and Campsite
We had most of the non electric field to ourselves!

There are 2 campsites at Pembrey. A camping and caravan club site just on the edge of the park or Pembrey campsite within the park featuring 320 pitches. They cater for all with non electric, electric and fully serviced pitches.

They have 2 toilet and shower blocks with a family shower room as well as washing up rooms for your dirty cups and plates. The wardens are very helpful and are only too happy to tell you about the area and where to visit as well as its history!

If you are looking for a season pitch for your motorhome you will be glad to know that Pembrey do offer either a season pitch or just a summer pitch where you can hook up all of your gear and visit as often as you like through the season. Everything you need will be here when you visit Pembrey Country Park.

WALKING

Pembrey forest and Pill Box
Pill box used to fire machine guns at aircraft attacking the munition factory.

Pembrey Country Park has beautiful walks, nature trails and coastline views. A mapped walk took us on a 4 mile hike through woodland and via the historical relics of the munition factory.

If you are brave you can try and make your own path but do be aware, these woods are large and you can easily get lost!

CYCLING

We hired two bicycles for an afternoon. You are not limited to staying on the site. There is a coastal path that runs from Chepstow to Queenferry. We decided to cycle to Burry Port and have a well deserved bag of chips and back. Sadly for us the weather turned rather wet and windy so we had to cut short our adventure and good job too as we had rather tender bits for a few days afterwards!

GHOSTS

As with many places, there is nothing quite like a good ghost story. Pembrey has its own collection. It is reported that everything from ghost ships and sailors walking along the beach to bears in the woods have been reported. The ships would sometimes be carrying exotic animals, such as dancing bears, for entertainment. When they were ship wrecked it is believed that some of these animals found their way to shore and lived in the woods. It had so many reported sightings around the site that the UK television show Most Haunted spent a night here to investigate!

Believe what you may but there is no denying that the beach and woods in the dark do take on an eerie feel when the mist starts to roll in! If you go down to the woods today, you are sure of a big surprise!!!

Visit Pembrey Country Park Woods
Haunted Woodland

VISIT PEMBREY COUNTRY PARK

There is so much here that we didn’t have time to explore and we are looking to visit again with a group of friends. It was a wonderful place to visit and off peak for a non electric pitch cost us £17 a night. That meant that we didn’t have to pay for parking in the park as we were already there as paying campers.

We saw many a family there with the children playing and having fun outdoors. Whether for a day, a week or for a season pass we recommend you visit Pembrey Country Park.

If you have enjoyed reading about Pembrey, you can check out our other locations here!

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Beach, Castles, South Wales, Travel, Trips, Wales

Explore South Wales – Whitemill, Ferryside and Kidwelly.

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Our week started out with us needing to find a campsite to empty the toilet cassette and have a shower. It had been a busy few days with us doing some volunteering work clearing some land. After the manual work we were pretty stinky plus the smell of bonfire filled our van and wardrobe! We decided to explore South Wales in more depth as we still had some time to kill before needing to be in Devon for a family holiday at the end of the month.

Previously we have explored West Wales from Cardigan to Aberystwyth and North Wales but haven’t had time to explore South Wales coast. 

View from welsh mountain Lou meeting the local horses

cooking on the campfire

sunset in the valley  heating water for a wash vanlifediary

Explore South Wales – Let the journey begin!

On Sunday morning we left our volunteering site and ventured in to Swansea to have a well earned carvery and a pint of cider with a friend.  We met on one of the many Facebook groups we belong to. It was so lovely to see her again and have a proper nose about in her camper. She’s got round windows in her van. They look really good but she said they were very authentic of a submarine and leak from time to time! When it comes to Camper windows, whose don’t?

Quarry Lodge Campsite

After our massive roast dinner we made our way to a campsite we had seen on pitchup.com. Beautiful location to explore South Wales from. Just off of the A40 at Felinwen (Carmarthen) and up a narrow road with plenty of passing places. You will find Quarry Lodge campsite on your right. As you pull in the electric pitches are on the right hand field. The non electric and tent pitches are to the left and beyond.

As it’s name suggests the campsite is situated on an old Quarry so it is on a few different levels – the pitches however have been nicely levelled so don’t worry about sleeping on a tilt! They have landscaped the site fantastically to allow for a natural toilet soak-away. This has provided a wild life area rich in plants and animals. From here paths take you down to multi levelled clearings in the woodland. One of these has almost a balcony feel with a hedgerow surrounding the edge.  It was here, that I proposed to Louise.

Luckily, she said yes! There will be more info on the proposal in the future.

The facilities were very clean and well maintained. Several toilet blocks situated on the site make life easy in peak season. A washing up area with information board was a real help. There were fresh chicken and duck eggs for sale with an honesty box as well as a herb box where you could snip your own and herbs for sale courtesy of the owners daughter – 50p for a planted pot of herbs! I also got a push on the tire swing by Rob, one of the owners!

Quarry Lodge is part of the camping and caravan club, and had we known this before booking it likely would have put us off altogether. (Don’t hate us but we have found they can be a little selective and our self build sticks out like a sore thumb!). However we are both very glad that we stayed here. It is a small but welcoming site with very calm energy and amazing views. You cant ask for more from your hosts. Honestly cant wait to visit there again and see Rob and Linda. They were the most amazing hosts and are so lucky to have such an amazing small but cosy site. If you only go to one campsite in Wales, make it this one!

Ferryside

Once we left Quarry Lodge with tears in our eyes, we continued to explore South Wales by heading south to a place just shy of 15 miles away. Ferryside is a village on the opposite side of the estuary to Llansteffan. Strangely enough there used to be a ferry from one side to the other. Although the original Ferry stopped running in the 1950’s a new service run by an amphibious boat has operated since 2018. Trivia fact – Ferryside was the first village in the UK to switch from analogue to digital TV!

As you drive along the road, you can’t imagen the little gem that awaits you! The houses are on one side of the road and their garages are on the other. When you see the railway station crossing you will also see a small turning. It is there you will find the car park for the lifeboat station and the sailing club.

Ferryside Beach

A lovely little beach, mostly sand at low tide but some stones higher up the beach. The life boat station on the right hand side of the car park but plenty of spaces with a low walled sea defence. As you look over the estuary you can see LLansteffan. Whilst walking we met a lovely gentleman who said “lovely isn’t it…. The other side looks like the finest place on earth until you get there, then you look back and this side looks like the finest place on earth too”. Was this a ‘grass is always greener’ comment or the truth that these two locations are among the best of South Wales hidden gems?

We reversed the van up to the wall and opened the back doors to overlook the estuary. It is the closest we will get to those Instagram photos – you know the ones I mean.

No Overnighting!

We had hoped to sleep near here for the night. We were approached by a gentleman from the sailing club who made it quite clear that campers were not welcome to overnight (but they had to tolerate us during the day).

Not wanting to outstay our welcome we decided to then head along a narrow mostly single track coastal road in the the hope we may spot somewhere to sleep en route to Kidwelly. Sadly we didn’t find anywhere and that was including a wrong turn that took us in a massive circle around a farm. There is another road to Kidwelly that may be more suitable for you if you are feint of heart!

Kidwelly

Kidwelly is situated in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. It is 7 miles north west of Llanelli. Perhaps its most attractive tourism pull is the Castle. Kidwelly Castle is a site to behold. We arrived in the evening and pulled into the car park to look at her. She was glowing in the low evening sun all golden and majestic. We knew we had to come back to see her properly in the morning so we found a place on search for sites near the canal. A large car park with stunning walks popular with local dog walkers. Just a warning – you are next to a small sewage works although the wind was in our favour and we didn’t have any nasty smells. We didn’t have any trouble here and cooked our dinner before snuggling up in bed.

Next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we headed back to the castle. Its part of CADW so we used our passes to get in for free. If you are not a member, it is worth thinking about. You get free entrance to all the Welsh sites and half price off of English and Scottish heritage sites. On renewal I believe it’s then free access to all 3.

The castle is a motte and bailey Castle and there current works date from around 1114. It is a double walled fortress. This means that they have an outer wall and an inner wall to protect the castles occupants. An army would have to breech both walls to get inside. The Castle has several towers on the perimeter as well as the remains of chapels, kitchens and a tale of a very lucky magical cat.

Mythical black cat

The information boards around the site tell you of the legend of the magical black cat. legend claims that the cat was the first thing to appear from the castle after the great plague, and there are also myths about her surviving a huge fire. The cat is on the official coat of arms for the town so do keep your eyes open. Legend has it that she still has 6 lives left, and is a magical cat that is still sometimes seen!

The castle is very maternal in its history and the woman that lived here, fought here and died here. The wildlife was in abundance with swallows and crows nesting in the towers and the wagtails patrolling the picnic benches for scraps.

We have added lots of photos for you but we really think this is a castle you need to visit for yourself without too may spoilers! Oh just one spoiler, the one way system that takes you to the castle and out through the remains of the walled town, has an 11ft 3 height restriction that they don’t tell you about at the start of the one way system. We changed our pants after. Close call for our van!

Where did we go next? From Kidwelly we travelled to Pembrey Country Park and Beach. It’s not far from Kidwelly and was so amazing.

We are going to write our next post about this location. We love to explore South Wales and it is getting better every day.

Don’t forget to comment below with any other recommendations for that areas we travel to. We want to know where you have visited too!

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Beach, England, Norfolk, Travel, Trips

Norfolk Road Trip. Kings Lynn to Norwich – Scenic route

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Norfolk is a very special place. It is an important historical county as well as a wildlife haven and it is very easy to enjoy both. It’s known for its flat land and iconic ‘Big Sky’. Familiar pictures of windmills and marshland. You can easily lose track of time and feel as if you are in a different country all together! The best way to see Norfolk is slowly, so lets take you on a Norfolk road trip covering towns, beaches, marshes and much more!

Communities have existed in Norfolk since the last Ice Age. The Iceni tribe inhabited the region prior to the Roman conquest of Britain in 43 AD. After which the Romans built roads, forts, villas and towns.

With ports on the coast, Norfolk was a main trading location with North West Europe. Consequently it has seen many settlers from Romans to Vikings throughout history. It has been farmed extensively. Not just for its animals or woodland, but perhaps more famously, its Peat. It is the Peat farming that helped to create the Norfolk Broads as we know them today with their intricate network of rivers and waterways. 7 rivers and 63 broads are the result of the sea flooding the peat works in the 14th century.

Protected wildlife and AONB sites on the Norfolk road trip .

The Broads are home to a quarter of Britain’s rarest wildlife including the Teal, Wigeon, Reed and Sedge Warblers. The Marsh Harrier has made a comeback and Bittern numbers have also increased in recent years. It’s not just birds that are thriving here, the rare Norfolk Hawker dragonfly and the Fen Raft spider (which can grow to palm size!) are also amongst the protected species. The fens alone have more than 250 different plants. These include the nationally protected fen orchid and the rare crested buckler fern. Thankfully we didn’t see the Fen Raft Spider or this post would have been very short and consisted of hello Norfolk, goodbye Norfolk!

It’s not all marshland and windmills. There are plenty of attractions for families, great restaurants and beautiful towns and villages to explore too.

We are going to take you on a 120 mile Norfolk road trip that will show you the variety Norfolk has to offer!

Kings Lynn

Kings Lynn
Kings Lynn warehouses

Start here for your Norfolk road trip. On the northern coast of Norfolk you will find a charming city, 98 miles north of London. This is a great location to begin your adventure with it’s vibrant mix of history, shopping and entertainment. Although not on the coast itself, Kings Lynn was one if the counties most important ports in the 12th century. The great River Ouse feed the town with vessels for trade. It was as important to the UK in the 12th century as Liverpool’s docks were during the industrial revolution.

In present times, you can still see remnants of the old Kings Lynn with warehouses and cobbled streets. There are a whole host of attractions here from museums, churches and parks to visit. Or if that’s not your thing,’ sit by the harbour and relax after some retail therapy. It’s a great place to start your Norfolk road trip and maybe worth a day or two here alone.

Salthouse Via Hunstanton

Take the 45 miles route on the A149 coastal road to Salthouse. This road will take you on a stunning route past Castle Rising and the Royal Sandringham estate. There are plenty of places you could stop including the seaside town of Hunstanton. Hunstanton faces west across the wash and is one of the few places that the sun can be seen setting over the sea. The picturesque seaside town also houses the Sea Life Sanctuary and a ship wreck of the steam trawler Sheraton!

Marsh Harrier
Marsh Harrier

The villages of Cley and Salthouse are within walking distance of each other on the coast path. The Norfolk Coast Path is a long distance footpath in Norfolk, running 83 miles from Hunstanton to Hopton-on-Sea. Opened in 1986 it covers the North Norfolk Coast AONB. There are so many ways to see the sights that is a Norfolk road trip isn’t your thing, you can always walk it with a backpack! We met a lovely lady on our walk who was doing just that and stopped to have lunch with us.

These small parish villages are located on the salt marshes where it is not uncommon to see Marsh Harriers and Lapwings.

Cley Marsh

Cley Marsh WIndmill
Windmill at Cley Marsh

Cley is stunning with an 18th century windmill, delicatessen, famous smoke house, craft gallery and tea shops. The Cley Marshes Visitor Centre is a great place to start. It will help you get to understand the area of outstanding natural beauty. There is an education centre featuring films about the birds and nature reserve. It teaches you about its unique structure. Not being too hot on my bird breeds I found that I came away with the ability to identify some of the rarer birds. Although there are plenty of ‘twitchers’ around it is also a place for artists, poets and photographers. The natural landscape is inspiring to see.

As far as shops go there are very few in Salthouse. Little village shops and local pubs will see you through but do be warned, if you visit the Salthouse church you will see the museum dedicated to the savage floods that have occurred here over the years and killed many local residents. There is parking right down by the sea defences and it doesn’t state that you cant overnight here. Do be warned that in bad weather these sea defences have been severely breached!

We read one story of a lady who was sat on her stairs watching as her house had flooded. She commented that she had seen the water rise so had lifted what she could up stairs and rolled up the carpets. She then watched in disbelief as a hoover floated past her that she hadn’t seen in years!

Next Stop – Cromer!

Cromer Crab
Cromer Crab

10 miles from Salthouse on the same coastal road will return you to civilisation! Possibly the 2nd most popular seaside destination in Norfolk after Great Yarmouth and famous for its local crab and Seals. This is certainly a must on your great Norfolk road trip.

This popular tourist destination has plenty to offer including a good selection of car parks and on road parking options. The walk to the beach, in some places, is a little steep. From one of the car parks it is down a cliff path but it isn’t too bad from the town itself. The beach is shingle and sand when the tide is out. It is a great destination for a day of lounging about near ice cream stalls and sea food vendors. We were lucky enough to see some buskers too adding to the atmosphere of the sea front.

With rock pools to satisfy the little ones, and surf schools for the slightly older and more adventurous, there was something for everyone to enjoy here. Now I’ve mentioned the seals and I know you are waiting eagerly for this section so here goes!

See the Seals

Blakeney point is a nature reserve. The National Trust have owned this land since 1912 and it has become home to both common and grey seals. There are over 2,700 pups born each year. This makes Blakeney Point the largest colony in England. Between June and August, Common seals have their young, while the Grey seals have their pups between November and January.

Seals Blakeney point
Blakeney Seals

The best way to see them is via a boat trip from either Blakeney harbour or Morston quay. Usually lasting about an hour you’re taken to the natural habitat of the seals around the ‘Spit’. There are several boat operators that you can arrange trips with but we do advise to book in advance – especially in peak pup season!

There are also trips aboard amphibious boats from Hunstanton to the Wash. The Wash is an area of shallow tidal sandbanks, fed by four tributaries.

At Horsey, you will find a large colony of Seals. Please admire from a distance and keep dogs on leads. You may be lucky to also see seals in the water or basking on the beach at Wells Harbour, on the sandbanks at Holkham and at Sea Palling.  

Great Yarmouth

33 miles south of Cromer you will find a bustling town and seaside resort with a long promenade full of arcades, rides and attractions. It is more suited to young families with the pleasure beach and donkey rides. Teens and adults can take refuge from the weather in the abundance of arcades.

The Pleasure beach is free to enter and rides are paid for by tokens. You can enter or leave as you please. It can be quite expensive for rides, after a few, according to reviews.

Great Yarmouth Norfolk road trip
Great Yarmouth

The buildings along the front are very Victorian and some are now derelict which is a real shame. Some have been converted to Night clubs and adult entertainment lounges. You can have a bet on the racing – horse racing and greyhound tracks can be found here if you are into that type of thing. Sadly for us we felt Great Yarmouth was a little dated and much preferred Cromer. It was very difficult to park our large van in Great Yarmouth.

Back into the Wild!

River Bure norfolk road trip
River Bure

After your trip to Great Yarmouth, head 20 miles in-land for some rest and recuperation in Wroxham and Hoveton. Knows as the ‘capital of the Norfolk Broads’ these 2 connecting villages situated on the river Bure provides tourists with the chance to see the broads by boat.

You can also experience a trip back in time with the villages largest department store chain- Roys! Mr Roy started his chain with a department store, a DIY shop, a toy store and supermarket.

You can park behind Roys department store for free for 4 hours but I have been told there are other free spots. There is a large car park by the marina but this can be pricey for all day parking!

Wroxham contains many visitor attractions including a riverside park, the Bure Valley steam railway and nearby Hoveton Hallgardens and Wroxham Barns craft centre. The village certainly is a busy spot in high season, but is open all year round and is well worth a visit at any time of the year.

Lou on the Broads Norfolk Road trip takes a boat trip
Louise on the Broads

Do make sure you take a boat trip on the broads! You can either opt for a guided trip on a passenger boat or hire a small boat and go on an adventure yourself! Just pop over to BroadsTours for more information and for an unforgettable experience on your Norfolk Road Trip. We took a trip along the river Bure on a guided tour and learnt all about the area including some special local boats and also the local wildlife. We didn’t see any otters on our trip but the guide said they are there and can sometimes be spotted so take your binoculars!

Final Destination – Norwich

It is just under 10 miles from the stunning village of Wroxham to the city of Norwich. It is worth trying to aim for a weekday for this trip as we encountered long queues.

This medieval city houses museums and historical buildings including 2 Cathedrals. Norwich Cathedral is a medieval Cathedral with its Romanesque design and ornate cloisters. Across the city lies the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, said to be one of the finest examples of great Victorian Gothic Revival Architecture in the UK. It is complete with beautiful stained glass windows and stonework.

There is so much to see and do here that I would really recommend either the guided tour or hop on sight seeing bus. Even just to familiarise yourself with the layout of the city. It would be a good idea to treat yourself to a few days here to really learn about the city and relax. There are plenty of places for retail therapy and good food! You can’t beat a bit of people watching whist enjoying a drink after a bit of shopping!

Camping

Mobile office on Norfolk road trip
Not bad for a days office!

Norfolk is popular with camping enthusiasts so there is a great deal of choice in where you can pitch up. We tend to wild camp where we can but can recommend Reedham Ferry campsite where we stayed for a night. The campsite is right next to a ferry where you pay a small charge to cross. The site is very clean with lovely hot showers and plenty of space to work in. I found this a good spot to do some admin – accompanied of course by a nice glass of cider!

Other areas to investigate…

Salhouse Woods
Woodland at Salhouse

If you have time, check out Salhouse Broad. A lovely car park leads you to a woodland footpath before taking you to the broad. There is a little campsite where you can borrow a wheelbarrow to move your camping gear. A small marina with a beach awaits you and a woodland that was filled with Bluebells when we visited. She laid out a carpet of wonderful lilac and blue hues.

Bacton Wood is also a lovely spot

Working in Bacton Woods

for a stop over. Nestled in woodland a sheltered car park leads to trails and footpaths where we spotted a muntjack deer, owls and over 30 species of trees. There are bird and bat boxes, open spaces and a tumbling woodland with mixed terain that can attract the bmx bikers but we didnt have any problems when we visited! its perfect for dog walks and nature spotting.

Thetford – Just about within the Norfolk border to Suffolk, this is where the Iceni tribe and Boudicca called called home. Now it is a market town with the remains of a castle on Castle Hill and close to Thetford Forest this location has many hidden treasures to still reveal to archaeologists.

Norfolk Rocks

Norfolk Rock
Norfolk Rocks

It was in Bacton woods that we found our very first painted rock. Norfolk Rocks are a facebook group with lots of members. Many of whom take great pleasure in decorating rocks and hiding them in different locations all across the county. People find the, take a picture and then rehide them. The photos are uploaded onto the group so they can track how far they have travelled. It’s great for the kids but also fun for us! We hid ours around the Salhouse Broad – I wonder if it’s been found yet!!!

That concludes our Norfolk road trip and this is a nice route that can take you as long as you like to complete. We did this in around a week but could easily have spent longer investigating the villages and scenic spots.

If you have visited Norfolk and know of good places to go, drop the details in the comments box below! Don’t forget to subscribe for monthly emails about the behind the scenes information and share us on social media.

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Berkshire, England, Travel, Trips

Wolf Howl!

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The UK Wolf Conservation Trust is home to around 10 wolves living very happily in 4 packs on the conservation site. These include North American and Arctic wolves, as well as a European/North American cross.

They are situated just 10 minutes from the motorway, between Newbury and Reading on a large farm affording large enclosures, paddock areas, an education barn and main entrance with small shop.

The trust run talks and workshops to raise funds and educate the public on the misconception of wolves, the trust’s principles and the worldwide work they are involved in.

UK Wolf Conservation Trust aims to help raise awareness of wolves, raise money for worldwide wolf conservation projects, to provide ethical opportunities to research (and improve the lives of) both captive and wild wolves and provide wolf related conservation programs for adults and young people.

The site has been here for many years and I had previously sponsored one of the wolves (Torak) for a year or two.

Although only a small ‘attraction’ the site offered wolf walks as well as talks and events that could be attended.

Sadly, due to the age of the wolves, the owners have decided that they are going to close the site to visitors although they are going to continue to care for the wolves at the site with a small team of dedicated volunteers and staff.

I was lucky enough to attend one of their final wolf-howl nights and was a magical evening that I will never forget.

Arriving at the farm an hour before we were due because we were so excited, we had hoped to hear the wolves in the distance but it was very quiet. When allowed to enter, we checked in as this was a ticketed event. We were due to have a talk by an external charity on anti poaching dogs however they had broken down en route and the evenings talk was quickly changed to one on wolf communication.

Whilst we were waiting for people to arrive we were able to have a little look around at the first enclosure of wolves. In reception you could watch a video of media clips taken at the UKWCT. You could also purchase items from the shop including the obligatory key chains and T-shirts.

The staff guided us to a purpose built education barn down the hill a little way. It was here that a staff member delivered a facinating talk on wolf vocalisations and body language. Having worked with dogs for 13 years I was surprised and excited about how in some respects they were so similar, but also very different in how they communicated.

Whilst the talk was happening, the air was charged with excitement. It had been a hot day and the cool evening air mixed with the anticipation of what was to follow.

The wolves, however, felt they were being ignored and decided to get our attention. One wolf started to howl, then another replied and another, until all the wolves were singing to us.

Not one to be rude, our speaker allowed the wolves to continue, the visitors were all awestruck. The sound so encompassing and magical that we were all simply stunned into silence. Some of us were very emotional and shed a tear of joy.

We continued our talk with intermittent interruptions by the wolves and once finished we were lead by two other members of the team who escourted us around the enclosures.

THE WOLVES

As I introduce the wolves I will link to their official pages on the UKWCT website. All the pictures of the wolves on this page are from the official website and do not belong to me.

Torak and Mosi

First up, Torak and his companion Mosi. These two share a large enclosure at the front of the park and although Torak can be a little shy, Mosi loves a bum scratch by her human friends to get the fluff out of her coat! Mosi’s sister Mai is also here however when Mosi came of age, she decided she was the dominant female and pushed Mai out of the pack.

Mosi and Motomo

Mai now lives with Motomo, an under socialised wolf from Devon. These two lovebirds hit it off straight away and Mai subsequently give birth to Nuka, Tala and Tundra in May 2011.

The Beenham cubs.

These three rascals have grown up in Beenham and have been a delight for the handlers to watch grow up from day one. Now 7, they became the ambassador’s of the conservation centre.

The three have very different personalities and roles within the pack. Tundra likes to be the dominant female and will tell Tala off if she receives too much attention. Brothers are sometimes hard to live with too and Nuka will spoil the fun ensuring all squabbles are ended. He is the Peace keeper of the group. We saw this in action on the howl night when Nuka had to get in between his sisters and keep them apart.

Arctic Wolves

Born during a storm in Canada, the cubs suffered from hypothermia before they could be dug out from the snow. The mother wolf had 5 cubs in total, sadly one died and the other remained with its mother after the three cubs were transported to the UK. They were the first Arctic wolves in the UK and caused quite a lot of excitement whilst in quarantine!

Sikko is the only female of the pack. Massak and Pukak, her brothers, are larger than her. She is a very smart wolf and can outwit her brothers quite easily. Massak is in charge of the trio but Pukak likes to have fun and rebel when he thinks his brother isn’t watching.

END OF AN ERA

We had an absolutely amazing time visiting the UK Wolf Conservation Trust and learnt so much about the wolves. The team were very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. They were constantly watching the wolves body language and seemed to be able to communicate well with them.

I feel so lucky that I got to experience this before they closed.

Do take a look at their website as they may still have the occasional talk or event running to help fund the wolves retirement. The staff were unsure how much they would be open for but thought it was possible that future events could be advertised.

You can still sponsor the wolves and donate to the Wolf Conservation Trust to enable this work to continue, not just in the UK but worldwide.

External articles, Travel

CareerBreakKate Q+A

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We are often asked lots of questions about why we travel and how we do it.

We were approached by CareerBreakKate, a blogger who runs a website dedicated to travel and career break inspiration. Taking a career break to travel the world transformed her life and she wants to inspire you to do the same.

Career Break Kate on her travels

We were honoured and over the moon that she reached out to us after hearing about our story. Kate’s website offers lots of helpful hints and tips about sabbaticals, career breaks, TEFL (teaching English abroad) and volunteering abroad as well as anything else you need to know. She also covers her travels and adds reviews of her experiences.

We decided to take part because a lot of people want to know why we do what we do. What drove us to both quitting jobs we loved and move into a van. Kate asked us questions that a lot of people ask us so it seemed only natural to do the interview with her.

We would love to share that interview with you now and if you are thinking about taking a career break or sabbatical, have a read through her site for some information.

So here it is!

Couple quit their jobs and pack up to embark on a vanlife

vanlifediary
emma and louise

If you have any questions for us please leave them in the comments and we will answer them! Don’t forget you can tweet us @vanlifediary facebook or email us contactvanlifediary@gmail.com

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