Overnight stops (in date order): Barham; Calais (x2); Montville (x7); Le Lude; North of Bordeaux; Bidania (x3); Tordesillas; Merida (x2); Castillo de la Duquesa (x5)
We left home on 2 March with the vague plan of spending time in Europe and North Africa before finding a way to reach India when the weather there is not too hot or too wet (October). There is no overland route at present because the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan has been closed for five years – the alternatives are via Iran or Russia.
We picked up the vehicle from storage and spent our first night in a nearby hotel – the former home of Lord Kitchener
and a short drive to Dover and the ferry.
After a couple of nights in Calais, we drove south
to spend seven nights at the small town of Montville.
This gave us time to fix our combi heater
and spend time in nearby Rouen;
Rouen’s magnificent cathedral
was painted frequently by Monet.
The Musée des Beaux-Arts has more of his work; including a still-life painted when he was 20;
and a single painting by Caravaggio.
Continuing south, we stopped in the small town of Igé, in the Perche District.
Danielle’s ancestors, Pierre and Louis Gagné were born here in the early 17th Century before emigrating in the 1640s – sailing from La Rochelle to the colony of Quebec founded by Samuel de Champlain. We first visited the town many years ago and met abbé René, the parish priest, who had studied the history of the Gagné family.
We squeezed across the Loire at Montsoreau
pausing briefly for crêpes
before stopping for the night somewhere north of Bordeaux.
Crossing into Spain, we took a three-day break near the village of Bidania;
In a hotel
in the foothills of the Pyrenees.
It was the opportunity for a couple of muddy walks;
including one to a ruined medieval watchtower on top of a hill.
On the journey south through Spain, we spent a sunny day in Merida;
site of the Roman city of Colonia Augusta Emerita.
The new museum
housed some of the wonderful relics found during the excavations.
We crossed the Guadalquivir at Seville
On the last leg of our journey south through Spain to reach the Mediterranean at Castillo de la Duquesa 25km north of Algeciras
on a wet and windy evening.
It looked a little brighter when the sun came out.
Gibraltar was just a bus-ride
and a short walk across the airport runway away.
On 25 March, we drove to the port at Algeciras
to take the ferry to Tangier.
During the crossing we had sight of both of the the Pillars of Hercules which, in ancient times were considered the boundary between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic – the rock of Gibraltar behind us
and Jebel Musa ahead.
Looks fantastic and so good to see you both en route encore. Another adventure!
You’re the most adventurous people!!
Bravo.
Beautiful photos. Keep them coming.
Xxxx
Fascinating photos, Rouen just as I remembered it. Danielle, lovely to hear from you and you are obviously having a great time journeying across the world. Hope you have a full tank of fuel, Paul and you both can keep us stay at homes delighted with your pictures and progress.
Those sculptures in Merida are AMAZING!
They look like people you could run into on a dog walk around Burbage. So lifelike and full of character…
Lovely to see you are enjoying your trip. We always like seeing your photos of historical places and the museum photos were great. Really nice you were able to re-visit the ancestral area of Danielle’s family en route.
We wish you good and safe travel. The pictures are amazing.
Amazing Danielle has found her 17th century roots!
And that the abè studied the family!
I just go back to the 18th century, and there’s quite a bit of inter familial marriages.
Explains a lot🤔
Fabulous to follow in your footsteps, to revisit Rouen, relish in Monet encore and learn of your C17th ancestors Danielle.
On attending le prochain chapitre xx
Siân & Nick
Wow – you went south pretty quickly! Love the photos of Rouen, and the monkeys of course. We also spent a few days in Merida in December (probably at the same spot) but how great to see the inside of the museum from your photos, as we couldn’t go in for dog reasons. Can’t wait to hear your next instalment about Morocco and beyond ! Bonne continuation… love from Anna and Hugh
Amazing trail so far! Looking forward to seeing your photos on route to your destination all the way to India. Wishing you both a safe and successful expedition.
Bonjour à vous deux,
Happy to see you on the road again. Tante Lorraine loved the pictures you posted.
We both wish you safe travel on your journey and we are looking forward to follow you from our side of the poud.
Have fun
That hotel in the Pyrenees looks extraordinary, please could you share the link?
Frankly it all looks extraordinary – I’m really enjoying these adventures and thrilled you got some lovely hikes in as well as seeing Rouen again xx
Great set of photos.Those statue heads are so real. Amazing. Hope all continues to go well. Looking forward to more pics
Enjoy yourselves xx