Saturday 8 July to Tuesday 18 July Saturday 8 July. Leave the Bushmills car park where we - and 11 other motorhomes - spent the night. Free to park but no showers and the public toilets are closed at night. Drive through Coleraine to Derry/ Londonderry and park next to the River Foyle. Go for a walk of a mile or so along the city walls, which gives us good views of some of the handsome buildings (Georgian and Victorian), the OTT Guildhall and several 17th century cannons. We see the Protestant area to the east of the city, where a flute and drum band are practising (presumably for 12 July marches) and the Bogside, the mainly Catholic area, both areas where so much violence has taken place. Look for somewhere to have lunch. Plenty of cafés but, after trying the Foyleside Shopping Centre and a couple of places on the streets, we opt for "Maiden Heaven" (groan) near the Guildhall. Order / pay ...
Friday 27 October - 4 November 2023 Friday 27 October we leave 'Flintstones' campsite today and drive north west, along the coast, heading for Agricento, about 120 kms away. Slow journey on winding roads and in the early stages the scenery consists mainly of plastic. Field after field of plastic greenhouses where tomatoes, peppers and aubergines are grown. I'm sure it's good for the veggie production but does nothing for the views. There are huge numbers of eucalyptus trees (or 'Australian weeds' as one of us calls them) growing here. Apparently the roots suck up tremendous amounts of groundwater, and they were planted late C19th/ early C20th to dry up swampy ground and to defeat malaria. Reach Agricento in good time and find the campsite, Valle dei Templi. Find a pitch to park and set up. Not full, and feels very end of season - the bar and the swimming pool are shut. But there...
Bs As and Uruguay 14 to 24 May Sunday 14 May. Collected at Buenos Aires airport (EZE) by the driver who had driven us out there on Thursday. Back to the hostel in about 35 minutes as there's not much traffic. Retrieve our stored luggage and get to our room straight away, even though we're earlier than check in time. Read, do some on line Spanish, have a nap and go for a beer in the garden bar. We have almost no Argentinian cash, and Western Union (with a stonkingly amazing exchange rate compared to getting money from an ATM) offices are shut on Sundays. The Gibraltar pub, where we had dinner previously, takes Visa cards so we go there for a meal. One of my cards (Starling) plays up, but I'm able to pay with another one. It is odd being in a British pub-type environment and waiting for table service for our drinks instead of ordering and picking up drinks from the bar. I have their delicious Thai Green curry which makes my taste buds very happy. John has steak ...
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