Bimbles With The Cooke

31/05/2026

Join us for a bimble along the rather stunning Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland ..

us for an unforgettable road...

28/05/2026

Time for another and today we are heading to the land of Vikings and Victoria Sponge ...

Shetland ...

The island that keeps on giving. A month long trip to Shetland in our campervan.

27/05/2026

We need to get north fast ….. Full vlog linked in comments …

26/05/2026

Days 1113 - 1119 of full time van life

If you have been following along with our journal entries (or vlogs), you may remember that after a rather nice day exploring Illa de Arousa, clocking up close to 15 miles, we received some worrying news. We were just settling in for the night, our aching bones reminding us that we have quite a lot of training to do if we are going to be able to attempt our biggest challenge in September … It was around 10 p.m. and Nigel’s phone rang. Never a good sign with a call so late.

And indeed… it wasn’t good news, so much so that we needed to start making a plan for getting back to Ireland. As it would happen, we were as far south-west as we had planned to be, and Good Ole Mr Orange Face of America had just declared war on diesel (along with half the planet). A few weeks ago we had filled the van for under £80, now it was almost £120, and we had almost 3000km to cover. Thanks for that.

On that first day, we made it to Baralla for a lunch stop, but with the weather heavy and the Aire giving us free electricity, we decided to stay the night to recharge both ourselves and the van.

The following morning, with the rain now a distant memory, we drove up to ⁨Priaranza del Bierzo⁩, where the views over the surrounding area were spectacular. The ruins reminded us of our time exploring some of the forts in Greece, especially Acrocorinth. As you can imagine, Nicola was in her element, although we were both still distracted as news continues to filter in from back in Ireland.

From here, it was onto Ponferrada, where Nicola explored the castle while Nigel bimbled the cobbled streets, the bars packed on a rather sunny Sunday afternoon. With the day getting away from us, we decided to stay in the official parking lot— not really an Aire as such, but approval to park and a quiet night.

A long day’s drive followed by a quiet overnight stop before we make our regular stopover in San Sebastián. With things a little (not much) more stable back in Ireland, we decide to stay for a night; the city (and Aire) is much busier than when we visited in February. The weather is milder too, and Nicola enjoys a sneaky ice cream while watching the dogs, while Nigel heads to our favourite pinxtos bar in town— only to discover the owners have had the audacity to close up for a week’s vacation. We end up back in our second favourite bar, Bar Pepes … Oh, who are we kidding… this one is now our favourite, and the bar man remembers Nicolas’s favourite wine from two months ago and also that tiny plates of food make Nigel very happy. He’s a keeper.

The following morning, we bid goodbye to Spain and get some serious miles under our belt with two quiet stops in ⁨Briosne-lès-Sables⁩ and ⁨Montreuil⁩ before catching an early morning Eurostar back to England.

It’s a quick turnaround, and Nicola will stay in Cambridge while Nigel makes the long drive up north to catch the ferry to Ireland. On route, more worrying news from back home with the mood now matching the weather outside— gloomy and depressing.

Back to Ireland, and who knows what comes next … but that, as always, will be a story for next time …

24/05/2026

The call that changed everything …

If you watched last week’s vlo...

22/05/2026

Those blue eyes ... they get you to trust them .. and then when your back is turned .. they rob you blind :)

Grumpy Wife and Big Balls (the cats not us) from our time in Albuferia last year

21/05/2026

Time for another and today we are heading back to southern Spain ..

Welcome back again to the channel and...

21/05/2026

Hey Nicola ... do you want a drink ?
No .. it's fine .... ..

Trouble ahead ....

19/05/2026

Saying goodbye to Muxia .. and hello to Island life ...

19/05/2026

Days 1109 - 1112 of full time van life

A morning coffee watching the waves roll over the rocks behind Muxia lighthouse before we ready the van and continue our journey south. On the way we stop over at the most westerly point of Peninsular Spain Cabo Turin. The weather is once again rather drizzly, so it’s a quick stop before moving further south. Next stop, Fisterra, often the extended finish spot for many Camino walkers. Last time we were here, it was in the height of summer, and the place was completely mobbed. Today, it’s us and the market stall sellers, although Nicola still manages to spend some money on bits and bobs (not to mention a few more bits). As a side note we both much preferred Muxia as a finish spot to the Camino.

We are heading towards an island situated off the western coast, but first, we stopover at a little river beach that sits on Rio Seco just outside Vilarello. It’s quiet, and we spend the evening chilling, although given we like to support local ventures such as this, we grab ourselves a couple of cold ones from the tiny bar. He rewards our business with a couple of free meaty tapas … we think it’s pork. We hope it’s pork.

The following morning we cross the long 2km bridge over to Ille de Arousa⁩, the only island municipality in Galicia. We first visited the island in 2021 and had been staying on a campsite on the mainland. Nigel headed out for a run and on the way back, he stopped in for a coffee and croissant. Unbeknown to him, the OJ served up also contained some bubbles. Bonus. We will try the same cafe tomorrow but best check the alcohol content as we have many miles to cover.

There is official approved parking just as you get onto the island, so we decided to make a day of things. First up, we get our spandex on and head out on a 7ish mile run around the north of the island, passing picturesque harbours, tiny coves, and friendly locals.

Back to the van for a spot of lunch before we are back out on the hoof, this time choosing to walk around the south part of the island, which is less built up. Deserted beaches, sandy forest paths, and azure waters are our companions. Last time, the campsites were packed, and so was pretty much every inch of sand. Today, we could have picked any number to call our own, and we sit in the shelter of a few large boulders— the sun warming our skin, the experience lifting our souls.

Back to the van, and while there are no services to speak of in the car park, it should be a quiet night. The sun sets, and just as the last of the pinks slide over the horizon, the phone rings. A call from back in Ireland, and one that will change absolutely everything !!

But that, as always, will be a story for next time…