UNDER SPAIN’S SPELL
It has been a few years since we last drove as far as Spain, but with a five-week break ahead of us, we decided to fulfil a promise to visit friends who moved to Mazarrón on the Costa Cálida 18 months ago.
A bright mid-September morning saw us disembarking at Caen and heading to our first destination, a campsite in Argenton, set in an attractive park with a fine manor house (now a lacemaking museum) and a lake.
Our route the following day took us via Alençon, Le Mans and Saumur to Airvault, and our next stop, Camping de Courte Vallée. It was warm and we were pleased to find the pool still open. After a pleasant swim, we dined in the restaurant on omelettes and salad.
Continuing south, we drove to Créon, close to Bordeaux. We had visited Bordeaux before, so opted the next day to cycle the 2km to Créon.
We wandered the cobbled streets, past shops, cafés and bars tucked under arched stone walkways, eventually succumbing to the smells emanating from a crêperie, then returned to the site for another swim.
Moving on towards the Pyrenees, our next
