In our VW California...

Got a few pics- tried to stick to van-centric ones.

Basically we landed in Santander on 2nd June, went West to La Paz (near Llanes), stayed there a few nights, bad weather set in so did two nights in Noja nearish Bilbao - then moved on to Ibarritz near Biarritz. Amazing campsite called Pavillion Royale right on the beach with a good pool and excellent restaurant - had some great waves there! It was pricey (40 euros a night) but great.

Then bad weather was forecast and realised we needed to head for the Med for warm weather - drove to Gourdargues nearish Ardeche and had a lovely time in a VERY French (the less Brits, the better for us!) village. Then St Michel something or other (!) on Ardeche river at a very nice Indigo camping site (they have about eight across France). Good site that suited is really well. Then back to a mates place near Pau for a few nights. We stayed in their barn and I did a bit of concreting to sort of "pay" for our stay.

Next stop was Hossegor area - first site was a bit odd so only did a night there then stayed at a campsite just near Messanges; right by the beach and very cheap too - scored some epic waves there!

Next stop was near St Jean de Luz at Inter Plages - stunning campsite and our pitch was 4WD only!

Then over to Spain to Mundaka - quite a weird town with almost nowhere to eat or shop. Felt a bit "ghetto" but the single campsite was pretty top spec. On the second night a big Basque festival kept everyone awake most of the night.

Scored good waves at Bakio nearby (Mundaka was too small) then headed for Islares. Loads of Brits, naff facilities but a lovely setting by the mountains. Then one more night at San Vicente - again great location but COMEDY facilities! Spanish campsites are expensive too - we used ACSI ones where possible but they often didn't have places by the sea.

La Paz



Sunset at La Paz



Van view of Picos mountains:



Left hander I had all to myself:



Drove miles up mountains for this view:



Luckily it cleared:



Waves at Ibarritz:



The little one swimming in a river near Ardeche



Ardeche view:



It got REALLY hot - this restaurant was boiling (sorry about the old git on the right)



Our mates pad near Pau:



Hossegor waves - had three great surfs here!



Me surfing Bakio in Spain:



Mountain backdrop at Islares:



Up mountains in Spain - I went for a run and didn't see a soul in four miles!



Our final morning:

 

Awesome Matt, love the camper.... I can dream!

What a great experience for you and your kids, that's the sort of holiday they won't appreciate when they're older.

 

I'm very jealous, especially as I'm sat in the office in front of a computer on such a nice day. One day

 

Any pics of wifey?

 

Some... ;-)

 

Nice pictures but no points for boobies... Very disappointed.

 

Nice pics...you did some miles, then, the Ardeche is miles from Spain...

I used to love French rivers, we camped beside the Tarn, the Ardeche, the Chassezac, the Verdon, the Gardon d'Anduze and the Herault.

The smell of wet moss in rivers always takes me back.

 

You're posting pictures of yourself surfing....

Is this a troll post?

 

That looks awesome .. you might need a flamesuit more than a wetsuit here though lots of fat losers to start bitching at you

Good luck

 

looks fantastic Mattee

have been in awe of Hossegor ever since I bought the "Stormriders Guide to Europe" back in the day

anyway will be in Polzy first two weeks in August (Rock actually) but "Big Air" as they say

just taken my eldest daughter on a post GCSE surfing trip to Portugal

 

Is that water blue?

 

Hodgy; we will have to try and meet up again. Hossegor certainly packs a punch; on one head high day, I hit the fins on the sand while duckdiving!

Rob; while at one French beach, there were so many smoking hot women everywhere, I needed an old man cold shower to calm down!

 

Wow, Superb pictures! Glad to know you and your family enjoyed yourselves.

 

How old are your kids? I wanted to do this (except the surfing) with the wife and twins, but wifey reckoned they were too young.

Rented Gite in France and hire-car approach being taken instead.

 

Wonderful stuff Matt. I take it the camper replaced your BMW? Or did you need both for equipment etc?

 

Really looks amazing mate. I'm in the process of getting my bodyboard (seen as a doormat to the surfing communities) sent to me and hopefully my family and I can enjoy a surf / road trip like yours at some point. As I miss the camping / surfing trips I use to enjoy along the east coast of South Africa. Might have to invest in a classic wagon instead of a classic saloon.

As soon as I saw your pics I wanted to drive down to the beach, but soon realised I was on night shift in the middle of the Isle of Dogs. So no go for me there...

 

Tarmac; two and a half and the other is approaching five.

CoB; still have the BM - essential for the odd work trip. We left it in a relatives barn; still haven't picked it up!

Bushy; we did a year nearby in the block next to the Cascade building!

 

Nice one mate, our offices are in Millharbour across the water from the Lotus floating restaurant. Whilst I was still contracting I did so much work in the Canary Wharf area that it is starting to feel like home to me now.

 

I know where you mean. Quite enjoyed our time there although we were back down in Cornwall almost every other weekend!

 

I'm looking at fitting out a T5 this winter as a camper. Would like a Cali but don't have a spare £45k lying about ;-)

 

PFFFTT! call that a VW camper!! - I was hardcore last weekend....hahaha
Mind you it was only 20mins down the road - wouldn't like to do your mileage in it
Here I am at CamperJam in Weston Park - Staffordshire - it was v v hot!
Lovely roadtrip there MatteeBoy - can't imaging what it would be like in the old girl though... painful, on my backside and wallet probably

 

Dr Hu; that's a beauty and probably worth more than ours too!

Some older mates of ours have an old Bay and a California like ours; they used to drive the Bay to their house in Italy quite often. The Cali does do the trip a bit more easily! But a diesel clatter will never sound right in a VeeDub, no matter how comfy it is!

 

I thought VW had bought Ferrari for a moment there

Nice pics.

 

Dr Hu, how do you stop the combi rusting away to ****? I love those old vans but my dad had a couple when I was younger and they rust to nothing.

 

lol - by keeping it garaged for 98.9% of the year, unless I'm using it on high days and holidays (oh and a lot of waxoyl too)
The biggest worry is not rust its the tealeaf's who steal them

 

I've heard of at least ten that have been nicked this year.
You didn't need security back in the 60s!

Ours has a safe hidden away which was handy when parked in cities.

John; sadly not a Ferrari but its a bit easier to sleep four people in.