We packed the car, hoped we had remembered everything which needed to be remembered, and set off to travel from London to Lerma in Spain. 2025 was a very difficult year and we were both exhausted. We just hoped that nothing else would go wrong, and that we could have a quiet time for a few weeks.
Petersfield
There was a stop in Petersfield to deliver prints to a charity shop and for a short walk to ease back pain. We have visited on many occasions but this time we stumbled on the Physic Garden – delightful!
And then coffee with friends – thank you friends for coming along.
On the ferry
It took a long time to board the ferry, and there were some slightly anxious moments when the signboard announced our imminent departure to Bilbao! But all was well and eventually we parked the car and found our cabin. We were more than ready for supper and a medicinal glass. We had achieved the first stage of the journey from London to Lerma!
The start of the sailing was smooth, but it was followed by an increasingly rocky second day and it was a great relief to finally arrive in Santander early in the morning, two days later.
Over the mountains
The exit from the ferry port and Santander is easy and we soon found the N623 road over the mountains. Sadly it was overcast and rainy in Spain and previous viewpoints over the mountains and valleys were shrouded in mist. We arrived at the nice ‘breakfast cafe’, on the Ebro Reservoir, ready for breakfast, but were aghast to be told there were no scrambled eggs, just coffee and toast! And it was 10C and drizzling!
Onwards! Over more passes and heathland and then through the Rudron Gorges.
Vivar del Cid
The next little stop was in Vivar, the birthplace of the Cid. We parked the car at the church and then walked down the lane, past the convent, to the old mill where he had lived. The long-distance path following his exile and flight through Spain starts here.
Carlos V also passed this spot on his last journey through Spain. Last year we visited Laredo, where he landed, and also visited Medina del Pomar, another stop on his journey. The journey ended in the Monastery of Yuste, in Jarandilla de la Vera.
And then there was the final leg of motorway around Burgos and southwards to Lerma.
London to Lerma was a tiring journey, with a lot of sitting and disturbed sleep at night. However, we had made it!
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