Day 20 – at the museum at Campo de Geres

In September 2020 I was travelling in the old T5 in the Pyrenees on route to Tresviso in the Picos de Europa and we were beset with 10 days of rain. Looking back now I can’t see how we managed in such a small space, with only an MSR to cook with outdoors, no heater, and just a very simple leisure battery working from the engine.

After 4 days I took an AirBnB just across the border from where we were in France. I booked one night, then privately arranged with the owner a few more, to sit the rain out.

The following year, 13 months later, I had the Crafter, and we had a week of rain at Grazalema in the south of Spain, pretty much the only rain we had on the course. Heavy rain, that barely let up for 5 days. We stayed on the edge of town, getting out for dog walks, coffee treks, but nothing much more than an hour. There is much more comfort of course in the Crafter, all mod cons..

In April 2022 our arrival into Slovenia coincided with their last bug snow fall of the season. But it was really only two days for which it was difficult to get out, after that it was beautiful. And, it just happened to be a big weekend of sport.

Back in October of last year I was in Hemavan in Arctic Sweden and we caught the first snow storm of the season, which came early. We were confined to the van for a couple of days, not down to choice, but that it was not possible to open the door, the wind and blizzard was so strong.

So that’s by way of an introduction to now, when we have had rain pretty much consistently for a week. It’s been light most of the time, but nonetheless wet. We have been out for some longer hikes, and certainly tested the drying ability of the garage of the van (which has been good).

Today, Sunday, is a much better day, and we are just about to get out. But yesterday the cloud was low and the drizzle set in.

We went out in the morning onto a ridge at 750 metres asl, from the van parked up at the Campo de Geres museum at 600, and followed it for several kilometres to the village of Covide.

It’s a big sports weekend of course, so we were back to follow the rugby.

In Michael Palin’s Golden Gordon one Saturday comes, and the Cup tie against Denley Moor Academicals kicks off. United only have four players (and three pairs of shorts), whereas the captain of the Denley Moor team is the famous bankrobber Eric Olthwaite. Things look bad, but Gordon arrives with the old team who take to the field. Davitt opens the scoring with his bald head, and, shock of shocks, Barnstoneworth eventually win 8 – 1.

“8 BLOODY 1!”

Gordon returns home and after smashing the house up again, ignoring his wife who wants to tell him she is pregnant, and says very reluctantly..

‘I think I might give football up for a bit..’

I feel similarly about rugby at the moment. Though, as Gordon did, in the end I’ll probably stick with it..