They went by ferry from Dover to Calais with the car fully packed, leaving them with just enough space for them to squeeze in the front with their cooler box of bare essentials (bread, cheese, sausage and beer). Obviously, the beer was for the evening wind-down after a hard day's driving...
El Pepino waves goodbye to the white cliffs of Dover
Bye Bye England
They tried to cross France in a day, but a combination of a heavy car and attempting to avoid toll roads where possible meant the going was slower than the bats out of hell that they would preferred to have been. An overnight stop in Poitiers in a nondescript business hotel was the result, but it left them plenty of time to get down to the Franco-Spanish border via Bordeaux, Biarritz and San Sebastian the next day.
The itinerary was to get to Santander in the evening to meet up with old friend Roberto where they would stay for a couple of days in the land of España Verde.
Enter the Basque Country
Seaview before Bilbao
Most of their time was spent eating and drinking the local way with their Santander amigos who showed them how things were done up north.
Santander amigos I
Santander amigos II
From there it was a sprint to Barcelona in a day to visit some other old friends and the VW Polo was showing no signs of complaint!
Leaving Santander I
Leaving Santander II
Leaving Santander III
They made it to Barcelona for evening dinner with their old friends Thucito and Susita at their great apartment just around the corner from La Sagrada Família, where they stayed a couple of nights.
Thucito and Susita
Susita and the boys
Thucito tests the guest bed
They had a great time spent catching up over wine and home dinners although some of the cooking went a bit more smoothly for some than others...eh, Thucito and Pepino?? It had been a while since they'd all seen each other but it was just like old times back in London.
Susita cooking like a pro
Thucito and El Pepino cooking like clowns & the result of their juggling 'skills'
Thucito tries again!
After leaving their friends in Barcelona, the Flea and El Pepino were finally on the last leg of their trip and hit the road for Alicante. A final blast and they arrived in time to catch dinner with the Alicante gang. Miss Uzu had cooked a sushi dinner and those there included Oscarinho, El Tupe/El Pulpo, Edu Knievel and Gran Jose and La Susana who are expecting their first bambino.
Sushi dinner toast
El Tupe/El Pulpo gets creative
Something amusing over there
The Flea & Edu Knievel (who is doing his best impression of Tony Manero)
Oscarinho tries to smile whilst sitting next to the oriental connection
It was a great trip with no major worries along the way, except for when the trip was almost over before it began because El Pepino had forgotten to fill the tank up before leaving London and they coasted in to Dover basically on diesel fumes and nervous bottom gas.
