Lagos

We are still here in Lagos after a month!! We stayed for a few nights at the free campervan site next to the Municipal Stadium where there is free wifi, toilets and showers. I could also start my running again as it is really close to the promenade. After reading that the Algarve is the warmest place in Europe we decided it may be the best place to stay for the winter. We went to a local campsite for one night and met some nice people including a guy called Patrick from Belgium who has sold his house to travel (we have met lots of people doing the same). After that we decided to look for a place for a month or so to enable us to have some space (for the kids to do their school work better etc). Nick tried to get one for free through playing but the restaurant is owned by a different company so they couldn't do it. We decided to stay anyway at Turiscampo Espiche, it's a really nice site and has a lovely pool for the kids to play. We have been here for 3 weeks now. The busking has been really bad since the end of October half term and lots of places have closed for the winter now. This has caused some stress with Nick but he has now managed to get some gigs in the local area. He also plays the restaurant at the campsite for a meal for us all. It's nice for us all to be able to go out.

Part of the reason for going in a Bungalow was also to get some school books sent over which my mum has done for us vis Amazon. This is brilliant as we now have everything we need for schooling. The schooling is going really really well, Kaiya has taken full charge of her studies and is really getting her head down after a couple of months of resistance, she is now excitied about the prospect of going to University which is really great. Misha is also brilliant at taking responsiblity for her own studies and is also doing really well, at the moment she is doing a project on the History of racsim for her history lessons. Shae has been a little difficult when he hasn't had one to one attention but we have now managed to get into a routine and he jumps out of bed in the morning now to start his lessons. I am teaching him Algebra at GCSE level and he understands it no problem! I am loving it and so is he! I am very proud of them all and have no doubt now that Home Education is the best for them.

We have also decided to start looking for land in Portugal as it is so cheap to buy lots of land with buildings and its own source of water. All of this we need to become self sufficient which is our main goal. It has been good to stay in one place so we can meet people and get to know what is going on in the area, we have been offered a vila with its own pool to rent for £300 per month including bills and wifi which is a bargain but we feel if we stay we will feel stagnant. We have all enjoyed having our space but I think we are all ready to get back on the road again and explore a bit more. We may come back to the vila later next year. We are definitely planning to go to Morocco but am still awaiting Nick to order the green card!!! The plan is to meet our freind Debbie for New Years eve!! We are all really looking forward to that!!

A couple of days ago I felt a home sick for the first time, I think because we have not been travelling round and occupied all the time. Also Dreadzone were playing in Birmingham and I missed it !! Boo Hoo.

Am trying to find a good deal for a dongle as I need internet access to set up my business but not sure there is any point til after Morocco...

Anyway, we leave the Bungalow on the 28th Nov then Nick has a few gigs booked up until just before Christmas (he has also been offered a new years gig but we won't be here). So not sure whether we will be in the Algarve or Morocco for Christmas day as yet..........

Andalucia, Gibraltar and Dolphins

Spent over a week with Mum, Bri, Alan and Elaine. Stayed at their house for a few of the nights which is near Loja. We also had a look around the area too. One night we went into a town up the road to see Andalucian horses and Flamenco dancers, it was a bit too much to pay for us all so just Shae went in but we had a lovely time looking at the Gypsy caravans on display as part of the festivities. Later the kids went on the fair which was really funny and much better deals than in UK!! Another day we went to Alhambra but the tickets had sold out for the Palaces so we ended up walking around the town which was really lovely. There was also a really good Esher exhibition on which we all enjoyed. One night we went to Alhama de Granada where Nick busked and we looked at lovely town and found underground tunnels and dungeons used by the Moors. Then we went to the hot springs and had a dip! We found some more hot springs in Santa Fe which were a hell of a drive to get to with a campervan! All of the stuff fell off the shelves on our heads!! Really nice springs though but a bit smelly of sulphur and too many unsightly naked men for my liking!! On the last day of seeing mum we went to Antequera which is a lovely town with a castle and lots of nice churches. We met mum, Bri and Elaine up in El Torqual which is an amazing natural park which was the bottom of the ocean 200 million years ago and is now a really beautiful and unusual Karst landscape! On the way up there I saw a black snake with orange rings around its body and have still been unable to identify the type. Mum left and we stayed another night because we wanted to see the Dolmens which are the most important ones in Europe as they face a hill which looks like a sleeping giant rather than the Sun, they were pretty impressive but in the morning we got stuck on a loose track for a while which was quite scary. Managed to get out just as loads of police pulled up!!

We then left for Gibraltar. Tried, but failed to see our friend Clare but got to hectic Gib ok. Bought loads of English food with some English money we still had, Nick did really well busking so we ate out twice! Mushy peas n chips!! YUM!! Stayed in Gib for one night even tho we weren't really allowed to. We then left for Portugal which is where we are now. On the way we stopped to fill up our water at a garage and there was a massive fire just above it which was really scary, we think it was a load of olive trees gone up in flames.

Today we are in Lagos, Nick has been trying to busk us a dolphin watching trip for a while so we came back to see if he could do it. He had the ok from one company called BOmDia so he busked on one of his boats, then he got really annoyed for Nick handing his hat round even though he had originally agreed to it so we thought sod it lets just dip into our savings and go on one anyway. We went to the other company SeaFairer and the guy (who knew nick from before) said he liked our family and gave us the trip for 70 euros instead of 155! The trip was one of the most amazing experiences i have ever had!! The kids were grinning ear to ear the whole time!! There were well over 100 dolphins and 2 types too!! They swam so close to us and we got splashed by them and really nearly touched them. WOW!!!

We are now trying to decide what to do next.........Morocco or Italy, Croatia etc???? we need to pay for a green card for Morroco so not sure what to do, watch this space...........................

Odeceixe and The Algarve

Well eventually found a little time to write the blog again, battery is going though typically so will have to be quick. I am updating by checking in on Facebook which is generally much quicker so join me there if you are on. After Peniche we travelled down the coast to The Algarve. We stopped at CaisCais which is pronounced cashcash and Nick earned lots of cash there!! It is also the place where Alister Crowley the magician faked his death! After that we went to Odeceixe where the English guys were going to work on an organic farm. We ended up bumping in to them again on the beach so we hung out again and Liss taught Shae to surf. When they started work they invited us up there to work and it was really amazing to see it. It has totally awakened our need to do the same thing and become as self sufficient as possible. The farm had straw bale houses and compost toilet and the workers go to work voluntarily for food and board! Its right up our street so this has now become our main plan when we finish travelling. After Odeceixe we went off to Praia Da Luz where we stayed for 2 nights and Nick busked, lovely beach and really nice vibe! Then we went to Lagos where Nick has been trying to busk us on a Dolphin watching trip. He has been offered a gig on a boat there but we are still trying to get in touch with the man to confrim. We then went back and forth to Villa Mura where the rich people's boats are docked and Nick did really well busking. Then back to Praia da luz for a gig before heading off to meet my mum near Granada which is where we are now!

Figueira da Foz and Peniche

We ended up staying in Figueira for another night because the guy who owned the bar would not let us leave and kept putting free beer in front of us!! He fed us all again too and gave us a load of water to take with us together with some hats and phone bags! He was so lovely! Later we met some people from England who are travelling together in the back of a transit van. We ended up going with them to Peniche cos they are surfers and wanted to go there to get some good waves. We are still here with them but we are probably going to move later down towards the Algarve! We are thinking of trying to get over to Morrocco at some point which would be cool!

Figueira da Foz

We are here in Figueira, Nick played outside a cafe on the beach yesterday and the owner gave him 10 Euros and fed us all later which was lovely. We ended up staying in there to watch the Blues v Braga match! He invited us back today for lunch but it was a little grey this morning so there is no-one there eating. We thought it would be a bit much to expect him to feed us when he is not making any money himself from paying customers. Nick has gone into town to busk so when he is finished we will head to the Algarve as Portugal doesn't seem to be that good for busking outside the real touristy areas.

Santiago de Compostella

I forgot to mention our visit to Santiago! We thought we would go and have a look to find out why people from all over the world walk there! The church was pretty amazing but it was very touristy and lots of beggars on their knees. We met someone called Lucy who had just walked from France in 29 days, she said she felt depressed as it was all over but she was interested in what we were doing so that seemed to cheer her up a bit. I had a wierd feeling about the place when we arrived, felt something wasn't right where we were parked and I was right, we had parked right next to a night club so were kept up all night by drunken Spaniards!! We finally drove away at about 5am when we had had enough!

Misha Bday, North Spain, Portugal

Well we went back to Les Eyzies to see the House but Paul couldnt get the keys so we didnt get to see the inside. Paul did, however get us some tickets to see the Font de Gaume Caves which are one of the only caves left open to the public which contain original caves drawings! Fascinating!

After there we went to Aarcahon where the biggest sand dune in Europe is, and it is very big (photos to follow). We went to Aqualand for Mishas birthday and stayed there for 2 days before heading into Spain. We travelled along the North coast of Spain (Basque country), and came across festivals going on where they had marching bands, gunpowder, fairgrounds and in Bermao there where ghosts and men in black masks who set a box alight and threw it inot the sea. I looked up the festivals online and it says they go on throughout Spain in September and are a celebration of the Virgin Mary, although Nick was told it was celebrating the end of the summer festivities! Nick did really well busking there, they really liked him and had a lovely vibe.

We then headed down the coast and stopped at San Vincente which was lovely where they partied too!! Lovely beaches and old castle and port.

We are now in Portugal and heading down the coast. Not much to say yet as we have only just arrived. Nick is busking now and we are heading towards the Algarve.

I finally got Kaiyas results and we have started lessons wihch is really exciting but we still need some resources which we will get over the next couple of weeks.

Lauzerte

We are now in the medievel village of Lauzerte in France, we spent a week in Les Eyzies in the end. We have looked at a couple of houses for possible living in the Dordogne when we have finished our travels. The kids were getting a bit fed up so we needed to get back on the road. We are now visiting Nick's friends and are trying to sort a few phone calls and emails whist we can. I am trying to get Kaiya's GCSE results by email and they won't give them to me via email because of data protection! It's so frustrating as I am unable to plan her future as yet. Misha and Shae showed a great interest in the Pre-historic caves etc so they will both be doing a project which is great as Misha wants to take History. They are all coming on really well with their languages and are learning through listening. My French has come on leaps and bounds as Nick has not been with me in the day because of busking so I have had to ask for things etc. We will be here for one more night then we may go back up to look at the inside of this house we may buy which is amazing. Then we are heading to Arcachon so Misha can spend her birthday in a massive water park there. We were trying to get to Spain or Portugal for one but they are all on the South coast and we didn't want to rush there so Misha has settled for staying in France a little longer.

Les Eyzies

We have arrived at Les Eyzies, where Pre History began. Nick busked and met a man who invited him up to his mansion because he liked his music!! The land has its own caves with some cave drawings and is absolutely amazing!! The kids have been chillin in the pool and we are staying for another two days so we can meet his wife. After this we will go to Rocamadour then on to Lauzerte.

La Rochelle

Been here in La Rochelle for four days now, it is a beautiful old port town. We stayed in the apartment for 2 nights then last night we stopped down the road and the hotel manager has allowed us to use the swimming pool today for free. It is 34 degrees here today. Nick has been busking every day and night and is doing really well, the one night he busked with a potter who makes the most fantastic pots in a few seconds then changes them etc. His name is Habib from Tunisia and he says he could be called Habib Potter!! I took a video of the whole act with Nick but I can't seem to get it onto you tube as yet. At night here the place is full of street entertainment and is really fun. We are staying here tonight then going to Rochefort and Cognac then heading towards Nick's friends house in Lauzerte to see them. I have used the local coffee shop's wifi to download a load of apps for the kids education and Shae is already whizzing ahead with his mental maths!! Off to the beach now, I have never felt so relaxed!!

Rhine event link

Here is the link to the event we attended in Koblenz, google images show how spectacular it is if you are interested:

http://epicfireworks.com/blog/2011/05/the-river-rhine-in-flames-spectacular-fireworks-over-the-longest-river-in-germany/

Update 17th August 2011

Have finally got access to the internet for more than half an hour which has allowed me the time to update the blog so here goes:

We set out with the expectation of travelling to Norway for my 40th Birthday (which is today), we travelled through Lille in France (one night) , on to Brugge (one day), Oldenburg in Germany (one night), Heide in Germany (one night), we then looked at the weather and saw that the constant rain was to continue for at least another week. Rain is no good for busking or for the kids as we would be stuck in the van a lot so we decided to turn back and head south. We travelled from Heide (which translates as Heather) to Munster for 2 nights then into Koblenz on the Rhine. We visited Koblenz last time we travelled together 5 years ago and we really liked it, Nick busked there and got us a boat trip down the Rhine for free (the kids were then 10, 8 and 5 so don't remember it that much. I asked Nick to see if he could do the same so he disappeared busking for 4 hours and came back saying he was allowed to play on the boat the next day and bring his family!! So off we went the next day and had a three hour trip down the beautiful Rhine!! When it was over the captain approached Nick and said he could play on the boat the next night as it will be full. He then explained that there was an event on where 70 boats will meet 3 hours down the river then all sail back to Koblenz together and along the way there will be 9 different firework displays ending up at the Fort where there will be a finale display. He told us not to eat as there will be a buffet! We were all so excited!! So on we got the next evening at 4pm. Nick busked outside and we sat and enjoyed the trip. The food was absolutely amazing!! Later I met an old German lady who explained why they have the event and it was representative of when the French soldiers from the French Revolution burned the houses down the whole of the Rhine, the event represented a celebration of the end of war. The event takes place in different places on the Rhine each year but we just happened to turn up in Koblenz when it was happening there!!! It was an amazing spectacle! The most amazing thing I have ever witnessed, all of the houses were lit up red as if on fire and the fireworks were amazing, we all enjoyed it very much and met some lovely people too! Later we were told by the captain that each passenger had paid 110 Euros to be on the boat!! After Koblenz we headed to Nick's brothers house for a night in Sezanne near Paris. We had breakfast and lunch with them and it was lovely to catch up as we don't see them very often. We are now in La Rochelle in France, we headed here as I liked it last time we were here and I wanted to spend my birthday here. We have booked into an appartment for 2 nights so we can relax and the kids can go in the pool etc. We are all enjoying ourselves, there have been moments of stress but we are excited to see what is ahead of us! Nick's busking is going very well and he has eraned a lot which has now been spent on fuel. We now plan to take it easy now we have found the good weather though so Nick can earn and we can save a bit for Misha's birthday in September and maybe afford a hotel again!! I will try and update as much as possible!!

Welcome

Hi and welcome to our Travel Blog!!  We are off travelling on the 4th August and plan to head up to Norway to start with so that we can be whale watching on my 40th birthday!

We will keep you updated on our adventures on a regular basis!! Please leave comments too as we will love to hear from you!!