Sorry

I know I’ve been lapse in keeping this Blog up to date, but after all we are supposed to be out here enjoying ourselves, which has meant we have been too busy having such a good time to spend any of it on the lap top.

Today though the weather has changed, we were cold early this morning, which soon changed to a windy but warm midday. So after going out to do the weekly shop we dropped into the Dome restaurant in Catral for lunch and then back to the RV for a rest and for me to get to grips with updating the Blog, (It’s a hard Life).

We have been out and about with the cycling group and it is gaining strength week by week. I took the group out to a nice little village called Albatera (a place which Kay and I had reconnoitred a few days before) where we stopped for a coffee and then returned via Sant Isidre to the Marjal camp, a round trip of 13 miles.

After cycling with the Dutch (who normally do 40 miles) these distances for me are a bit on the short side, but we can only go as far and as fast that the weakest and slowest cyclist in the group can handle. Hopefully the distances will increase as the group gets more confident and experienced.

Albatera Church

Albatera Square

The group are really enjoying these Wednesday jaunts as it’s one of the nicest ways to explore our local area. You get to see some interesting things, on our last reconnoitre we saw a group of what appeared to be Mexican field hands planting out seedlings. 

As we passed they shouted out “Hello Americano we love America” sadly I didn’t know enough Spanish to reply that we were English & Welsh not American.

The indoor swimming pool and sauna have been a great boon too us both, as after cycling it’s a great way to ease any aches and pains, especially for me as I suffer from spondylitis and the exercise is helping to keep me fit, loosen up my muscles and joints and to hopefully help reduce my weight, just what the doctor ordered.

Kay’s enjoyed some retail therapy, as we have visited the main town of Elche to shop in the Carrefour and Decathlon stores. We have also visited the Christmas shop on the outskirts of Torrevieja to get our decorations for our Christmas tree.

The Marjal camp is holding a best decorated Christmas pitch competition, somehow I don’t think we stand a chance of winning it, as some campers have really gone to town decorating their pitches, but it’s great to view them at night with all the twinkling lights.

Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights

We’ve been able to keep in touch with the girls back home via Skype, which is great as the distances seem to shrink when you can see them on the monitor.

Ah well its back to living the good life, if I haven’t updated my Blog in seven days you know we are out enjoying ourselves and after the winter we left behind last year, can you blame us?

Keep warm and remember to keep those fat cats at British Gas and all the other greedy energy companies happy by paying out those ridiculously high fuel prices…..I bet you wish you were here!!!!

More Anon

November into December

The winter months are now upon us and considering this is the rainy season we have got off fairly lightly. 

Yes we’ve had the unusually heavy downpours last week but the rains have been mostly interspersed with some quite hot sunny days.

The Animation team have now got their act together and are putting on quite a few events like Archery which Kay excelled in by hitting the target twice (she said she just imagined my face on the bulls eye) which was far better than I or any of the others did. 

We have both enjoyed the Spa and have done some swimming.

We have visited the nearby town of Almoradi to visit the market there which is quite large and typically Spanish. The trees in the main square in front of the church were amazing in how they had been trained the tops are cylindrical which look amazing see photo below.

Market at Almoradi

Trees at Almoradi

We have now got a cycling group organised that ventures out every Wednesday (if the weathers fine that is) and we have already done our first foray into the local area. 

I have been instrumental in going out on my own to reconnoitre the area and discovering as many of the, off the beaten tracks that I can find.

Last Wednesday we cycled through the tiny village of Casicas a one horse village of only two streets down some winding Camino roads (service roads) through the cultivated fields out to a nearby town of Sant Isidro. Here if we wish to, we can get a train into Alacanti for just €4.70 return with free car parking to boot. 

We cycled out of the town and down alongside the railway line towards Elche and past the building works for the new High speed rail link, to yet another small hamlet called El Realenco. 

Where we stopped off at the Ricio a Bodega for a coffee and to refill our 2 litre Vino Tinto bottles for €2.40, then returned via Sant felip Neri to the Marjal Site.

Cycle group

We had a BBQ event put on by the management this week for €3 each which sadly was a total flop. The caterer’s idea of a BBQ amounted to greasy offerings that defied recognition; at least the beer was good.

We have been joining in the usual Brits abroad games like Cribbage nights and Poker nights to bide the time and last night we won the quiz night. Not that we wanted to, as the winners have to set the quiz for the following week.

We had some strange visitors that literally fell out of the blue as a group of power gliders swooped low over the camp site. They waved to the children who gathered bellow amazed at there Arial acrobatics.

Power Gliders

Down he comes

and gives us a wave

Today Kay and I felt adventurous and set out once more on our cycles this time to the town of Callosa which nestles at the base of the Serra de Callossa a huge 572 meter high mountain that is part of the Serra de Orihuela range. There are three towns that sit at the base of this mountain Callosa, Cox and Redovan one day I hope to cycle through all three.

Kay snapping away at Callosa

Serra de Callosa

Kay at Callosa

Callosa Town hall with the mountain behind

Map of the area

We arrived back just as the weather decided to turn from hot and sunny to rain so it’s a night in reading and getting the blog up to date.

More Anon

Sunshine & Batchata

At last the sun has now broken through but not after some dramas and tribulations. The severe weather had caused a lot of the pitches to become too soft to support some vehicles. 

Caravans faired the best as their weight is minimal but unfortunately their awnings become sodden inside as the water rose from below. 

Motorhomes fared the worst as their extra weight meant they became mired in the soft ground and ended up with some being dragged out of their sandy graves.

The term self-levelling pitches took on a new meaning as some of the vans sank to their axels but the hard working ground staff soon had them dragged out of their troubles. No fault can be aimed at the sites owners as the unusually heavy rain was the culprit but some did wonder why the pitches soft cover surface was as deep as it is.

We faired quite well considering, holes started to form where the trees had been removed from our pitch, one inside the windbreaks and the other under the RV and one more where the toad was parked. 

Within minutes the ground staff had the one inside the windbreaks and near the car re-filled and levelled after I had removed the cover matting. 

The one under the RV is out of the way and is as yet not causing us any problems so can stay as it is till we leave.

The ground staff supplied us with some large square boards to put under the jacks to spread the load more evenly than was offered by the blocks I had used before, so now the weight is better spread over the soft surface. The sun has now started to dry out the pitches surfaces and if this continues the grounds will soon be as hard as rock.

I managed to get a stint in the new spa and it was fantastic so we’re looking to spend more time in there. Both Kay and I attended a dance class on the site which due to poor attendance meant we both had our own personal dance teacher (Anita).

She proceeded to teach us to dance the Batchata a Latin American dance that originated in the Dominican Republic. Needless to say we soon discovered we both had two left feet but with perseverance from Anita we did get the rudiments of the dance right by the end of the session but we felt as if we had done an hour in the Gym rather than a dance lesson.

It was great fun and we spent most of our time laughing at our inability to get our feet to move in time with the music. 

Things have also started to get organised as we now have Cribbage nights and Poker nights (Not the gambling variety) Quiz nights and if the weather stays dry the cycling will be back on so things are getting organised.

More Anon

The perfect Storm’s

What weather we’re having, it’s just not on, we came to Spain for wall to wall sunshine but of late it’s anything but.

In the early morning hours of Sunday night we were awoken by the booming of distant thunder and the gentle patter of rain on the RV’s roof, soon the patter turned into a thundering drumming sound as the heavens opened up with a vengeance. 

Thunder crashed and ricocheted off the nearby mountains and lighting lit up the sky all around us. 

It was a fantastic light and sound display but I quickly realised the potential problems for us. 

Firstly our awning was still up. Out I rushed braving the downpour and unhooked the storm straps and quickly rolled up the awning into the stored position. A lightning bolt hit the nearby Marjal elevated sign with an ear splitting crack and all the camps lights went out.

I struggled on through the storm's rage packing away what items I could out of harm’s way as the roads soon turned themselves into rivers. 

Gusts of wind whipped two of our windbreaks (That were securely held down with right-angled steel storm poles) out of the ground and trying to secure them back into a pitch that was now going soft underfoot was a problem, but securing them with extra-long spikes eventually did the trick.

So at 5 o’clock I sat back inside the RV with a warm cup of tea and an early breakfast (in the dark) to watch nature’s fury vent its self out in all its glory.  By daytime the storm had passed over and I went out to see what the damage was.

For us it was relatively small, we had two small wet patches inside the RV where the rain had been forced inside the living area’s slide out (we had rescued it from any further damage by retracting the slide to the parked position, although this gave us less living space it prevented any further intrusion of water). 

This has happened before when strong winds and heavy rain hit us from a certain direction, something I will have to get sorted once back in the UK.

Outside all the windbreaks had held so it was just a case of sweeping off grit and leaves that had blown over the matting, but the ground underneath had become decidedly soft, luckily I had rescued some timber off the builders and had used these under the RV’s Jacks to spread the load when we first set up so nothing had sunk in.

The TV news informed us that four people had died in flooding that night just up the coast (it’s now been raised to five) which on top of the two who had died earlier this month shows how dangerous these flash floods can be. 

Touring the site most people had escaped without too much inconvenience, but I noticed several peoples awnings and storage tents blown down and one of our friend’s awnings had been totally inundated with water when a nearby drain could no longer cope with the deluge. Luckily they had rescued most of their belongings before the water poured through.

   

We realised that we needed a storage tent to protect anything left outside and decided to order one from SOT Caravans who where down near the airport. 

After one abortive trip to visit them on Monday afternoon we succeeded on the Tuesday to obtain a strong Inaca one, which we proceeded to erect as soon as we got back. Thankfully the ground had started to dry out by now.

On the journey back we noticed how high the river Segura had become, no chance of crossing that on the cycles over the ford now which would have been under several feet of rushing water.

I attended an art class that afternoon run by the Animation tem and at seven o’clock Kay and I went out with loads of other campers for an all you can eat €10 Chinese meal, which was once again excellent.

It’s now Wednesday morning and once more rain and thunder are disrupting our stay, the roads are once again like rivers and we’ve retracted the living areas slide out to keep any water out, at least the storage tent is now keeping our external possessions dry an safe. We are sitting here watching the horizon for signs that the storms are passing as everyone else on the site seems to have hunkered down until it clears.

More Anon

One week on

We’ve been very busy this week, so it’s been hard to spare time to keep the Blog up-to-date with all that’s happening. 

Each day is filled with either getting out to different places, not to visit new towns or villages but to get things we need or being invited out to lunch and being involved with organising events.

We did get out taking a cycle ride, but even that had an alternative motive as we are setting up our own little cycling group to go touring so it was more of a fact finding mission with a slight detour to view a local cemetery (Kay’s tomb stoning).

We cycled out of the Site over a new bridge and down a Camino (service) road to the nearest village of San Felipe Neri. It’s a one horse village but has a fantastic restaurant called Casa Harry or Harrys bar that’s well known for good cuisine. 

From there we went through Catral and on down towards Dolores stopping off at a local flea market. We both found this a little un-nerving as the market consisted mainly of car boot style stalls run by mainly dodgy looking Moroccan’s with very few women in evidence so we departed quickly as we stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs.

We had used mostly service roads as we wanted to keep away from any heavy traffic that would be suitable for a cycling group. We returned and called in at a Cemetery just on the outskirts of Catral for Kay to indulge in her tomb stoning and then using the back roads we made our way back to the site.

Inside

Catral Cemetary

Enclosed tombs

We also had a pleasant surprise when a phone call announced the arrival of our friends Nigel & Rose, from the Briarfields site near Gloucester, who were on their way down through Spain to join us the following day. It was nice having them park up on the pitch next to us, with their dogs Susie & Oscar. My reversing guiding technique failed when supervising Nigel onto the pitch when one of his small running lights got smashed on a small tree. 

This ended up with me visiting Cruz caravan at Elche to get him a replacement, must remember a tree has a bottom as well as a top.

The mountains behind the site below

I’ve been meeting with Huglio the Animation (events) chap in organising the art group that will start next week, though he and all the team here are working flat out to make this site a success.

In the week we dropped a couple of fellow RV’ers off at the airport, they had arranged to collect a hire car from there and in thanks they invited us both out to a " meal of the day"  in the restaurant last night.

We have also decided to purchase a storage tent to store the cycles and other bits that are now stored under the RV and have finally completed the task of covering our entire pitch in green matting.

It’s strange how rumours spread; we had an email from a friend on the old site saying that they have been told all is not well at the new site, its complete rubbish of course. It’s probably been spread by one of the group on the old site who is aggrieved at not moving with the rest of us to the new site.

The weather has taken a turn for the worse with clouds and rain, but it has had one benefit in that the crowds of Spanish campers have decided to stay at home so the expected rush this weekend has failed to materialise.

The indoor pool and the gym opens today but unfortunately I’ve caught a head cold so Kay’s advised me to stay away from the pool until it clears, damn and I was looking forward to that.

More Anon

New Week New Site

It’s Saturday and we’ve moved to the new site but more on that later, as the weather looks to change for the worst. 

In the past week we’ve managed to complete quite a few tasks. We had visited the new site last Monday to fit the green matting over the hard packed stone dust surface of our new pitch as well as helping two other campers to complete theirs and then rushed back for a BBQ in the afternoon at the old site. 

It was a great event with live music supplied by Bob and Angie and yours truly doing his bit with the maraca’s again. 

It seems I have become a bit of a celebrity as I’m asked time and time again to show my skills with the maracas, how sad that a classically trained percussionist like me is now only renown here as a shaker and mover, but after seven bottles of strong German Pilsner I was certainly a mover (shades of Morecombe and Wise dancing to Give Me Sunshine).

Bob

BBQ

Mover & Shaker

The following morning both Kay and I (who had also downed seven pilsner's) were remarkably well considering, with no headaches or bad stomachs although I did have a bit of a lager throat. I’d even managed a few rounds of Cribbage after the BBQ so my head was still in working order.

We spent some time over the next few days getting bits and pieces we needed for the new site mainly windbreaks as the site being new is fairly exposed.

We were intending to depart the old site on the Friday, but the management advised us that we should move on the Thursday to the new site as they were expecting 350 caravans from the Alacante Caravan Club on the Friday and it would be hectic getting everyone through the reception area.

So Thursday afternoon we departed the old site and headed for the new one, we made the short hop of 14 miles to this new site without a hitch and started to set up home. 

We have had some fantastic weather with the day time temperature well into the high thirties and the sunsets have been spectacular.

Sunset over the old site

on the new pitch

On Friday the Spanish caravans and motorhomes arrived in their droves and before long the pitches started to fill with riotous Spanish caravaners. 

That night we had a show put on by the camps management and Alex (who is also the young man that runs the art group, some cycling trips and the Spanish for beginners sessions) showed us his skills as a vocalist entertainer and he was very good, for such a quiet young man, he really comes alive when he’s entertaining.

Yesterday we had a visit from Raimon, he’s Marjal’es photographer and Internet chap he took several photos of us and interviewed me on Video Camera for Marjal’s Internet site, he’s a really nice chap half Welsh half Spanish. Now this is confusing bit I’m referred to as Wenglish (Half Welsh half English) so what is Raimon? Is he Wanish or a Wick) you work it out.

Raimon

Kay & I Setting up home

So far the staff have been exemplary with their welcome and professionalism nothing was too much trouble or too difficult. We have raised our windbreaks and just in time it seems as at the moment a strong Westerly breeze has sprung up. 

We’ve just returned from a massive Paella event put on by the sites management (it’s not often you see the director of a site as big as this standing behind the pumps serving beer) each Paella dish was at least eight feet across and there were two of them. The queue of eager diners was quite long but at €3 for Paella and a beer it was not bad value.

The Paella Que

Getting stuck In

Next to our pitch the Spanish group have erected a rope from our lamp post to the next one with loads of Spanish flags as England are playing Spain today in a friendly match so I nipped down and handed them my England and Welsh flags for them to add as well and they were more than pleased to oblige ‘entent cordiale’ or what!

English & Welsh flags amongst the Spanish

More Anon

Good Luck, Bad Luck

Bad Luck first:

The weather has been our bad luck this week, as it’s been wet and windy with the occasional good day. 

On the 31^st it was Halloween, there was a large party organised in the restaurant to celebrate event by the Marjal staff and the Spanish campers. It was a great event with loads of the campers and kids dressed in fancy dress. We didn’t attend as we were feeling a bit tired though we had loads of young visitors at the RV dressed in all sorts of freaky outfits seeking treats. 

Note that the trick part doesn’t seem to be part of the festivities here, thank god.

   

I’ve managed to keep my exercise regime going and completed a 52.9 Km cycle ride with the Dutch group last Tuesday. 

We cycled to the outskirts of Elche where we stopped for refreshments and then returned via Dolores past the El Hondo nature reserve and Rojales back to Marjal, needless to say my butt was very sore and is still recovering.

the Dutch cycle group near Elche

and at Dolores

We have made a couple of trips to the new site near Catral to check the progress of the site and to measure the pitch. 

The pitches here in Spain are mostly hard packed stone dust and in wet and windy weather the stuff gets everywhere. So to prevent it causing a mess all the people with long term pitches put down green plastic matting over the top, this allows you to keep everything nice and clean.

Our new pitch its big....very big

Main Drive

We have been seeking some windbreaks as the new site will be very open and we will need some protection from the wind and also to have some privacy when we eat outside. 

These items we found can be very expensive and we have been fortunate to find a supplier just north of Benidorm at Albir who will call down to this site with a good selection of reasonably priced items that several people here are looking for.

Good Luck:

Last night we attended a charity event just outside the town of Guardamar on the Lemon Tree road which had been put on by some folks who were raising funds for the Nuffield centre. 

The venue was packed with people from all over the area and to help with our diets we had deliberately avoided eating prior to attending the event, but sadly the food, for €5 each, came in very small portions which left us feeling still hungry, though we resisted the urge to order a second helping. 

The music was great with a five piece band that did an Everley Brothers tribute selection, an Eagles tribute Selection and finally Status Quo.

During the evening they held a raffle, now with our luck at winning prizes I didn’t hold out much hope, I even made a comment to two friends that if we won anything it would be a holiday for two weeks in a nuclear reprocessing plant in Iran. 

At that Kay turned to me and said “our numbers just been called” so up I went and was asked to select a playing card from one of other the ladies, it turned out to be the Ace of Clubs.

At the table I was told I’d won the top prise of a Christmas hamper and what a hamper, it was full of High quality stuff, Champagne, Brandy, red & white wine, Bailys Crème, Brandy, Christmas puddings and chocolates. 

The chocolates

The booze

I then selected the next ticket for the raffle and returned to the table only to find Kay had disappeared, it turned out the next number I had drawn was Kay’s and she returned with a bottle of Whiskey and Vodka, lucky or what.

So the diet will have to take a back seat while we diminish the now burgeoning stock of chocolates and booze.

More Anon

Ghouls & Ghosties

Halloween time and this weekend it’s a big event here in Spain, such a pity that the weather has decided to be so damned miserable. 

It’s wet, windy and rather cool for this part of the world and certainly not what we came here for. I think a call is needed to the Spanish tourist board to complain about this awful weather.

The week has been fairly quiet for us so there’s not much to report. Yesterday we had a visit from Vida & Collin, two friends who used to live in Port Talbot and who now live just down the road on the outskirts of Torrevieja. They kindly drove us out to Torrevieja where we waded through the puddles of a visiting thunderstorm to have a nice lunch in the towns centre. Kay did lots of reminiscing with them both about people they all once knew.

Kay Vida & Stu in the Marjal bar

Last night we decided to visit the China House on the way out towards Quesada where we went with Nigel & Lyn before, for a nice €10 for all you can eat meal.

This morning it’s a case of sitting in and waiting for the sun to make an appearance at least the F1 is on the TV.

We have a new RV on site and I’m surprised how dealers are releasing machines without proper servicing or safety concerns for the new owners. For anyone thinking of purchasing an American RV please check.

Tyres: 

Don’t be hoodwinked by the fact they look new and have deep tread patterns it’s the age of them that’s important. This link will give all the information you will need on how to check your tyres age. If they’re over five or six years old think about getting new ones. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

Habitation Checks and Damp / leak tests: 

Have these done independently as soon as you can after purchase as the dealers will only want to quickly part with the machine for your cash. I have seen several where the gas input on an Atwood water heater has been so badly corroded that it would be impossible to move the venturi to adjust the gas flame, so I would seriously doubt its had a good service done.

Make a note of the refrigerators make model and serial number and ask the dealer about recalls and have they been done. Even then go on the manufacturer’s web site to check yourself for any recalls as some of these units have gone up in flames be safe not a victim.

Headlights: 

American RV’s are renowned for poor headlights have them checked, they may need upgrading.

Seatbelts: 

New legislation is coming in about them; we had our lap belts changed for the standard three point European ones to prepare for this.

If going to Spain:

Remember to get Spanish adapters for the LPG refill and to check what you need to comply with Spanish traffic laws like spare driving glasses (if you need glasses to drive) two red warning Triangles, Two fluorescent jackets, GB stickers, spare bulbs and headlight adjustment stickers.

Travel Insurance: 

Get it before you depart, as getting it retrospectively can be expensive.

More Anon

Kilometres Clogs’ & Currywurst’s

OK I know you’re trying to figure that one out but it sums up all that’s happened to us since my last post.

Kilometre’s: last Tuesday I joined the Dutch cycling group again, as I’d promised the previous Saturday to keep up my fitness regime, well trying to exercise more than eating and drinking that is. 

Off we went at ten o’clock (their daily starting time) and cycled past the urbanisation of Marina Oasis (the Urban) through Dolores and on to Catral. 

There we stopped for a coffee in a pretty little square just outside the local church, then we returned via Almoradi, Daya Nuvea, Daya Vieja and Sant Fulgenci back to Marjal, a round trip of 49 Kilometres or 31 miles. 

Cafe in Catral

Part of the Dutch group

Now for the Dutch who cycle at least three times a week it was plain sailing but for yours truly who cycles about three times a year, I ended up with severe numb bum syndrome.

Clog’s: Last Saturday we attended a Dutch evening organised by Kase (a Dutch chap on the site) it was a great success, with good food, good music and a chance to meet new people. 

No, we didn’t have to dance in clogs, though we have been informed that they do an afternoon session presenting Dutch music so you never know.

Currywurst’s: On Sunday we visited Lemon Tree Market, why they call it that I’ve no idea apart from the fact that the road leading to it is full of Lemon trees. 

We did have difficulty finding it as the directions given to us by our friend Nigel where a bit confusing. It is a massive market and we initially went looking for (would you believe this) a Staffordshire oatcake man. I kid you not!!!!

He cooks traditional Staffordshire Oatcakes on a flat bake top. I have trouble getting those things in Stoke let alone on the Costa Blanca. 

Sadly he was not there as he visits several markets and it’s a case of being at the right one at the right time. Still we found a German café selling the best Curywursts we’ve tasted since we lived in Germany thirty two years ago although nearly all the staff where English (“Allo want a cuppa char love”).

On Monday we went to Quessada to locate a cycle shop, as from last Tuesday’s experience I needed better padding on my derriere if I was going to continue cycling. 

Things are very expensive here but needs must and we managed to get a good pair of cycling pants and mittens. 

So this morning (Tuesday) I was well equipped and ready to go, well after applying copious amounts of cold crème to ease the saddle sore syndrome.

Off we went, this time all the way up to the west of Catral just four Kilometres short of our new camp site, the one we will be moving to soon, and stopped for a coffee. 

Then we returned through the countryside to Marjal this time we’d cycled another 49 Kilometres, but we did stop for a second time in Rojales at a nice Dutch café & bakery.

So here I sit (painfully) at the lap top hoping that this coming Saturday my rear end will be tough enough to sustain yet another 49 to 50 Kilometres of cycling.

We have had two unusual visitors who delighted in residing on our front windscreen both very large and hungry looking, I wonder if its Kay's cooking or me they're intrested in?

A Grasshopper

 and a Praying Mantis

More Anon

The Rain in Spain…

Fell on us this morning…

We shouldn’t be complaining should we, after all from the time we arrived here (nearly a month ago) there’s not been enough rain to fill a thimble. The ominous signs where the thunder and lightning that disturbed our sleep last night as a huge storm made its way in from the Med to give us a good soaking.

Last week we’ve been busy getting involved with the local community here on the camp at Marjal. 

We have visited the market at the Marina Urbanisation or Urb as the locals call it and have now got our old phone unlocked and purchased a Spanish sim card. 

Phone call charges to and from the UK are a real rip off with these ridiculous roaming charges they make you pay.

I attended an art group to do some watercolours, we also tried the bingo two nights ago, which sadly failed to materialise and we ended up drinking with people from the site in the bar, yet again.

Yesterday Bob and Angie (two residents on the site) put on a street party complete with live music and dancing. 

Bob is a talented guitarist and singer and Angie who is not only the resident hair stylist, and line dance teacher, but is also a talented vocalist and comedienne. 

By the end of the day we had eaten and drank far too much again…. but it was great fun to watch all the different nationalities joining in the fun. Though I’ve made a name for myself with the crowd here as maraca player….say no more.

I managed to get out on the cycle last Tuesday with the resident Dutch cyclists who take it all very seriously. We cycled from or camp here at Guardamar through San Fulgencio to Almoradi a distance of 37 Km there and back using mostly very small country roads, which took us just over two and half hours to complete, allowing a half hour stop for a coffee.

Marjal to Almoradi

They are very well organised group and safety is paramount with them, so I have decided to cycle with this group at least twice a week from now on. 

This will also allow me to get to know the local area better. Sadly one of the German lads Bernie who I had become quite friendly with and who also joined me on the cycle rides has had to return to his home in Frankfurt, I hope he gets the chance to return to us in the New Year.

The rain has meant that I could at least complete some minor repair jobs that where needed on the RV, The RV’s Radio now works and a heater control panel that had become loose on the dash has been secured, though the Camos Dome (Mk4) still refuses to pick up the Astra 2 south satellite so we have to rely on the sites own TV bollard connection which gives us BBC1 & 2 and ITV 1 & 2.

The rain has now stopped and the sun is out drying the roads and a pair of my soaked shoes so hopefully it’s back to wall to wall sunshine.

More Anon.

Siesta! what’s that?

Well you would have thought that by now, that Kay and I would be in the siesta frame of mind as the weather here has been in the constant high 30’s by midday and 28 degrees in the shade. 

Most of the locals and the long term Brits find that from 12 to 2 its time to siesta for a few hours to relax, but not us… oh no.

It’s up at day break, which is 8 o’clock in the morning here just as the sun clears the sky line, a leisurely breakfast and then out on the cycles for a ride down onto the Guardarmar sea front. A short stop for a tea and bagget and then a cycle back just as the sun is getting midway up the skyline.

Notice that apart from the time we get up I've not stated what the time was? That’s because we don’t bother to wear our watches; well we have all day so what’s the point in clock watching.

We’d cycle up the river past the hide tower, down the ford across the river back down the other side of the river past the urbanizations to the marina. There’s a friendly little taverna on the marina as well as a reasonably good restaurant. 

Kay going down the ford

Kay crossing the ford

The Riu Segura landward

The Riu Segura Seaward

The marina is packed with expensive looking yachts and loads of fishermen who line the breakwater and naturally the river itself looking for that catch of the day. 

Then it’s through the dunes on a purpose built footpath and cycle way surrounded by a forest plantation and park of Alfonso the XIII to the Sea front at Guardamar.

There is an interesting story about this plantation it was built to stop the sand dunes invading the village of Guardamar by Francisco Mira Y Botella and the local village folk. It’s a long story but if you set your Google to translate here is the story http://www.alicantevivo.org/2007/10/las-dunas-de-guardamar.html

Guardamar Marina

Boat at the Entrance to the Marina

Cycle / Footpath through the Dunes

Kay on the Path

Each day seems to fly by as we get out and about exploring the area, we are either looking for new places to shop like the Urbanization of La Marina. 

Here the whole hillside is one huge complex of newly built villas and a main shopping street. We complain in Britain if ghettos are formed by immigrants who refuse to integrate with the local community yet here it’s us Brits that are ghettoising the place. 

La Marina could be a sunny estate in the UK there are so many English speakers there.

Kay has attended Line dancing in the resort of La Marina on the coast and I have gone cycling with a group to Rojales a nearby town to see the caves. These are not caves as we think of them but a troglodyte settlement on the edge of Rojales.

Rojales from the Sea Shell House

Troglodyte Bar

The Sea Shell House,
This has taken the owner 12 years to complete

More troglodyte houses

We are trying to keep under control our eating and drinking as it is only too easy to get into a routine of eating out every night or being too involved with the scene and drinking all the time.

The group I cycled to Rojales with
left Bernie from Germany, right is Caroline & John from the UK
and behind is Alex our Spanish Guide 

We have made many new friends of English, German, Swiss and French nationalities it’s a wonder how the poor Spanish manage with so many different languages being spoken to them.

There is a nice young Spanish lad who organises some of the Animations (entertainment and events) here called Alex he must have the patience of a saint to have to deal with so many different peoples.

Kay and I visited the new site of Marjel Costa Blanca with Nigel & Lyn to look at our plot locations. The first plot we were offered was unsuitable due to our American RV having its waste outlet on the left of the vehicle and the sites waste connection was on the right. 

This would have meant the waste pipe running under the RV and out to where our Awning is situated and we would have had the smell of the waste as we ate our food, not a good location at all. The second had a steep slope towards the road and as we need to raise the front of the RV even on flat ground we would have had to have extra blocks under the front of the RV to get level.

The next plot was excellent flat and the waste was on the correct side at first it looked like two pitches but trees had been placed in the wrong location so these we have been informed will be removed. It means we have what is called a Lux pitch in size so we can fit not only the RV but our trailer and car all on the same pitch.

Our meeting with Costas at the new Site

Fountains in the Plaza

The new Plaza

Plots gradually taking shape

Costas the Director of the new site took us on a guided tour all around and the whole area; it is a hive of activity as workmen busy themselves to get the site completed on time. It will be interesting if as Costa has promised that everything will be up and running by the 11^th of November.

More Anon