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From the Wicklow Mountains to the Puy de Dome
Walking along Glenmalure Valley granite monoliths are engraved with past battles and leaders from 1580 and 1798. It’s hard to imagine battles raging in this valley though the ruins of the old barracks and the military road are reminders of turbulent times. We walk along the valley floor to the end of Glenmalure to the…
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Moody Mountains and Pirates’ Coves – Waterford’s Dunmore East to the Ring of Kerry
Waterford’s Dunmore East offers up classic seaside holidays. Think, pirate coves ringing with people splashing and swimming until 11 pm. The Strand Inn packed to the rafters inside and out. The cliffside park studded with scarlet montbretia and the sounds of the kittiwakes squawking. As if that’s not enough, there’s fresh hake and Dublin Bay…
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Amboise – A Renaissance Jewel, built for Lingering on the banks of the Loire
Amboise’s white tufa stone lends the town a fairy-tale quality with a suggestion of princesses in towers, or hopefully for contemporary princesses, abseiling from the odd turret. The castle on the south bank dominates the river. The Camping Carpark spot is on L’Île D’Or, opposite the château which soars from the cliffs above the river.…
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Hiking from Zarautz to Getaria – Mountains, Atlantic Islets, and the Discovery of Seafaring Heroes and Fashion Icons
We take the train from Orio to Zarautz for a must-do hike, from Zarautz, up the mountain, to the old fishing port of Getaria with its own island. But first a detour is required along Zarautz’s sculptures on the promenade. Huge bronze sculptures represent conches, the movement of water, surfers capturing the perfect wave, but…
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Walking the Camino de Santiago from Basque Coast Orio
A quick dash from the Catalan to the Basque coast offers up parched mountains, rocky teeth, the Pyrenees covered in snow, Medieval towns clustered on hilltops, cypress lined driveways, the Ebro Valley covered in vines, the lacy blossom on thousands of fruit trees and wildflowers romping away in the fields. Basque Orio is a working…
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Climbing, Sliding and Losing the Trail on Mount Montgrí in Torroella
We park up in Torroella de Montgrí carpark, which happens to sit among olive groves. Croissants never tasted better. The winding path is rugged, make no mistake. Up we wind, until the sounds of the school yard and traffic below fade, and we’re surrounded by ochre and russet rocks, mica shining in the sun. The…
Campervan Therapy 