His Snow birds on finals to Spain

Crossing in to Spain (via the toll road from Perpignan south) was almost unnoticeable. Once across the border we started noticing LPG was no longer advertised at service station signs and some doubt crept in to our minds about availability. Then a Repsol garage came up and LPG (GPL Autogas) was priced and at a very low price of 68 Cents/Litre, so we pulled in.

At this point I am stood at a pump for GPL and looking at a very different nozzle to the ones in France, it will not fit the UK bayonet or French dish adaptors, I am also remembering I was going to buy an all Europe kit and forgot about it. Trying not to let the boss spot my guilty face and shifty demeanour, I go in to the garage armed with fear of discovery by the boss and my bad Spanish and explain the situation, the lady serving then pops a box on the counter of brass adaptors, fits one to the French dish adaptor I had been waving and bids me happy filling.

Unlike France I found you fill then pay in Spain. In France you have to go in, prepay, then go back out and fill, then return for the receipt for the actual cost.

A point to note for fellow RV users is that In France the LPG is in the car area not the lorry pumps. The car area is guarded by a height restriction of 3.3 metres, dangly red and white plastic boards, so every French service I had to pull up to these overhead restrictions, then nudge under the boards. At 3.7 metres Monty could easily pass under the gantry, but had to push the dangly boards. It is not nice to hear them bumping over the aircon, but I have checked and no damage is being done to the solar panel or cables on the roof. The pump area is 4.4 metres height clearance for all the French service areas I saw on the toll roads, so I have no idea why they put that gantry and boards there, dangling to 3.3 metres. In Spain the GPL is not at or with the Petrol pumps, it is normally to the side and no height restriction gantry, so happy days when you find a service station with GPL.


Our mission was to meet some friends (Eddy and Angela)

Angela, Jennifer and Eddy Playa Fiesta

Steve with Angela and Eddy Playa Fiesta

who were long time motor-homer’s and had tried to help and give advice on some issues as we made our plans in the early days. They had booked in to a beach campsite at Cambrils near Taragona.

I did my usual google earth and then street view of all junctions and turnings, and the very last check was for where we turn in to the site. I spied the entrance to their site was via a tunnel under the coast railway. There was no height information and it looked low or too close to call. The site Els Prats when phoned told us the height was 3.6 Metre, I found a road sign further down the main road that said it was 3.4 Metre and a blog that said it was 3.5 Metre.

The boss was not happy when I told her to cancel the booking, we got a full refund as they had not stipulated a height restriction.

A little research found there were a number of campsites in a row along that beach and one site down from Els Prats was Playa Fiesta. A quick call with a very helpful reception confirmed access was over the rail line via a crossing and they were ok for Monty, they actually said, if a pitch is not big enough use two, we will only charge you for one! How good is that?
They were so friendly and positive we booked, we could walk along the beach to see our friends.

On arrival I was told, go find a pitch and let them know where later. We parked about four metres from the lapping waves on the beach with a clear view out to sea,

Nice spot by the beach

Looked very nice... at this point

and whilst we filled the pitch completely we did not need a second. We drew the usual crowd to observe as we manoeuvred between the trees and on to the pitch with their friendly curiosity. It was sand (of course) so out came the trusty jack pads made from ex-military trackway to load spread. Monty levelled himself and Mike slid smoothly from his rack, things were feeling good.


The boss then found an orange weather warning for Taragona area, severe thunder storms, torrential rain and flooding. So awning put away and secured after just deploying it, Mike put in the lea of Monty for protection and garden furniture tidied away and the storm began.

In coming storm

If you have ever seen a Hammer house of horrors film where totally unrealistic constant lightening and thunder occurs, then you have seen our storm, it started mid-afternoon, as dusk set in so did the heavy rain, the tracks on our site became rivers, a Concord RV across from us had water halfway up his wheel hubs and he was on jacks too.

The wind was viciously battering us and we rocked in the wind and the sea started with the big breakers and we felt quite vulnerable.

Mmm, that sea is getting closer

Darkness fell and the storm raged on, getting ever worse not better. I considered the risks and thought it better to sit it out than try manoeuvring away from the sea in the dark and the rain. At one point in the flashes of lightening we see the sea washing past the Concord RV up to our pitch and we were getting worried. Then there was a break in the rain and storm, in the distance it raged like a war with flashes and rumbles of artillery. People emerged and checked and tidied, we decided a brief walk along the beach to assess the area and look in awe at the power of nature. Fat raindrops turned to torrential rain in moments and we ran for the camp site and Monty. Huge gusts battered us and slowed our progress. On getting to Monty, I see Mike has been blown over, the damage was light, but again I was incredulous that the wind could lift such a weight. I have a curly brake lever now and Mikes paint has a few marks, otherwise Mike survived his knock down blow quite well.

shortly after this, she would have been washed away by breakers

I righted Mike and moved him to a safer more shielded spot, then checked the jacks were not sinking, they were not, the jack pads were fine. Then the site power went out, the electricity cabinets were flooded. The rest of the night the power went on and off. Never long enough off for me to consider starting Monty’s generator.

Walking in the storm break

Day dawned, sunny and bright. The tracks were a mess of debris, the beach was piled with wood, bushes and flotsam and all campers were accounted for, and power was back on. We got some sleep, probably because we found the sound and light show so impressive we sat looking out over the sea in the dark (lights were out up and down the whole coast) with a large glass of baileys for the boss and Tia Maria for myself, being light weights this pretty well wiped us out and we slept for around 4 to 5 hours.

The flood recedes

Some of the baggy eyed faces the next morning told me others had not done as well. By the end of the day the site was fully tidied, though not the beach. It is a good site for RV’s we paid around 14 Euro a night, Our friends at the Posh Els Prats paid 31 Euro weekend and 28 Euro week days. They had an onsite restaurant, tarmac road ways and of course a tunnel. I was surprised to see smaller more cramped pitches, and low over hanging trees. They were not on the beach but It was neater, had a restaurant and was more posh, but no good for Monty.

During the storm their site and pitch became so flooded they had to move because the site did not drain as fast as at our site Playa Fiesta.

We enjoyed our site, it was a bit more “earthy”, with many Spanish who were very pleasant, it had clean toilets and lovely showers and reception baked fresh bread every morning in a small oven. A bargain at 14 Euro per night and a nice helpful attitude We did get one "D" plated motorhome drive by, beeping and shouting "BEXIIIIIT", but we took a leaf from the Penguins in Madagascar film, and just smiled and waved, assuming it was good natured, it did appear that way.