Not so straightforward south

We booked our crossing to Santander last July. It's not that we are super organised, simply we had a Brittany Ferries refund voucher from a previous trip that was due to expire. Initially I didn't take any notice of the departure time on the ticket, the only thing I was bothered about was the date, that our departure for Spain was over 90 days after we returned from our trip to Greece at the end of October.  'Schenghen anxiety', maybe it's destined to become an on-trend ailment like lactose intolerance or SMD (Social Media Disorder).

Some weeks later I looked a little more carefully at out tickets and was surprised to note it was an evening sailing. This involved two nights aboard ship before docking in Santander at first light on day three - more of a 'mini-cruise' than a ferry crossing! My immediate response was that it did not seem like an attractive prospect at all. 

Actually it turned out to be a better arrangement than the usual morning departure. The evening sailing meant we could travel down to Portsmouth in the afternoon with no need to sleep overnight at the docks. The way the voyage involved one full day squeezed between two nights  meant we slept for about half of the 33 tedious hours on board. Furthermore, arriving in Santander at eight in the morning enabled us to to get as far south as Salamanca on our first day in Spain, arriving in sunny Seville with just two overnight stops. 

Temperatures in the upper teens beckoned, but not before we suffered sub-zero ones on Castille e Leon's high plains. Here winter is even more brutal than at home. Less than thirty kilometres inland from Santander we crossed over the Cantabrian mountains; their peaks glistened white and the motorway verges were edged with slushy snow. 

The Duero valley around Valledolid was very dismal, bare trees and a somewhat apocalyptic skyscape.

We made it to Salamanca by mid afternoon, opting to stay at Camping Ruta de la Plata rather than the usual place - Camping Regio. No particular reason, they are Acsi sites, both €19 per night in the low season. Ruta la Plata is in a more rural spot but still connected to the city by bus. However with daytime temperatures in single figures sightseeing was not on the agenda, we simply needed somewhere to sleep before heading further south.

Some reviews dismiss the place as scruffy and tired, it seemed fine to us, a tad rustic but clean and functional. The owner was very welcoming too. One plus at this time of year is that the shower block is heated. With minus temperatures first thing we were stalwart and braved the on-site facilities rather than using the van's.

Onwards, freezing fog  coated the trees and bushes with hoar frost, and the mist persisted until we climbed into the crystal clear light of the sierras beyond Bejar. All afternoon, as we headed down the Autovia Ruta de la Plata, it remained crisp and cold. In pale winter sun the beige plains of Extramadura stretched away towards a dusk blue horizon edged by jagged mountains.

 I love driving this road, it is empty and quiet and everything about the landscape feels epic. Big birds of prey circled above us as we crossed over the Tejo. Soon the countryside assumed a distinctly southern demeanour -  low hills striped with black gnarly vines or polka-dotted with neatly trimmed olive bushes. About ten kilometres north of Merida we turned off the motorway towards Aljucen.

 We used the village's free 'area autocaravanas' last year. The parking place is nothing much, a patch of waste ground next to the village's sports facilities, but the area is level and has a well designed service point. 

Aljucen is an unassuming small settlement, quiet and unspectacular. However it seems well cared for and cherished by its community. The play area in front of the church has the names of the children who use it carefully inscribed on the side of the slide. The village is neat, the houses freshly painted, it exudes a sense of civic pride and belonging. 

Our spirits were uplifted by the weather too, at some point during the afternoon it suddenly became much warmer in the cab, now almost tee shirt weather. Under a bright blue sky and with oranges trees in full fruit it felt very spring-like for early February. 

The evening became chilly, but  spectacularly clear. This is why we escape south we agreed. 

However, the journey so far has not been entirely straightforward, no disasters, but a few glitches. When a motorhome repair company sends an email advising you to sit down before reading their quote, you know it's not going to be good news. I guessed the damage to the rear of the van might cost between one and two thousand pounds to fix. Sadly, it seems £3600 is the potential bill. We are going to have to put it through our insurance even though it means having two claims on the go simultaneously. I phoned Aviva to set this in motion as soon as we parked in Aljucen, hopefully both repairs can be completed at the same time in mid-April. 

Thinking about it, the day has been beset by minor misfortunes. This morning Gill lost a filling, so we need to find a Spanish dentist in the next few days. Then just as we were approaching Aljucen a small icon on the dashboard oddly resembing Aladdin's lamp began to flash red, moments later the message "change oil" appeared above the electronic odometer. This seemed a bit strange to me as it wasn't that many kilometres ago that the van had been serviced. I consulted the handbook. Apparently the manufacturers service schedule no longer stipulates when to change the oil. Instead you get a message on the dashboard telling you when it is due. So as well as a dentist now we need to find a garage too. What can you say? Fabulous drive south, shame about the minor glitches.