We left Valencia on Friday to start our journey north homeward. Heading for Zaragoza in the middle of Spain on the A23. Our freind Steve (stent) was there already as he was on his way home. We eventually found the campsite after going round and round to try and find the right turn off, and through the middle of some roundabouts. Parked up and the sun was out. I do apologise for keep using that word sun, but I do like it and as we are heading north now we need as much of it as possible. The night was cold though and we woke to a frost, only -1 but still a frost. There does that make you feel better, see we are suffering also. By 9am frost gone and yes you guessed it that loverly orange ball in the sky was back out and very warm, I did have to put a T shirt on. This site was only a stopover, thankfully as it was not too good.

Out with the maps to plan our route from here to Soustons, a really nice aire we stopped at on the way down. I had looked at the map loads of times and had a route I wanted to go, well two actually. I wanted to go through the Somport tunnel, into France, but apparently there were snow ploughs either side so not a good idea. The othe route was from Zaragoza to Pamplona then onto the 121 and cross the border near Irun which is where we came in. Now the sat nav was not having any of it for some reason. I think it also does not want to go back to the uk. I wanted to avoid the tolls if possible. They don’t cost a lot but the other routes are a bit more scenic. 

So off we go, its sat nav on and map on the navigators lap. We head out on the non toll roads but after a hour end up on the toll one, no major drama as it’s quicker and it’s going to be a long day anyway. We head towards to Pamplona and sat nav takes us off to the left, not to the route I wanted but a different way. Lots of *###**#*#*# words and threat of throwing the sat nav out the window. Once the red mist had settled and my map reader has looked at said no problem it’s just a bit of a loop. Spoke to soon, the next minute we are on the toll A8 no problem there but we are heading the wrong way, the sea is on my right and should be on my left. O be honest it was a really nice route with snow capped mountains to look at and we even had snow on the roadside as we were very high at this point. About 10k later we come off say hello to the lady in the toll booth, go round a roundabout and come to the other ide of the toll booth and say hello to her again. We are now on the right road and sat nav has picked up and we are on track. Yipppeeee.

We get to Soustons at about 2pm after leaving Zaragoza at 9am. Luckily it’s another sunny day. The area is really busy because it’s the weekend and we get the last spot with electric. Chairs out, lunch and chill. We can hear the sea and see the lake from the lounge window, so life’s good. Here for a couple of nights then moving on further north. Proberly back to twin lakes for a couple of nights, then from there a different route. We only have a week left now as next Monday we catch the ferry back. Please make sure it’s sunny. Au revoir.

We left camping Ole on Tuesday after spending a week there. We thought we better leave because if the trees grew much more we would never get off the pitch. Decided to take the smaller road the 332 instead of the motorway as we had plenty of time and it would be more scenic passing through some small towns. We saw some ladies on there chairs, you know the ones. Although one did look well passed her use by date. Further along we saw a guy stood on the edge of the orange fields in just his pants and shirt, a empty chair not far away. I don’t think he was working for Del Monte.

Our next destination was a campsite called Valencia camper park. We chose it because we wanted to go into Valencia but not be in it if that makes sense. We knew we could get the Metro from near the site. Really nice small site, leval and clean with a small restaurant and bar. We parked up, plugged in and chilled in the sun, grabbing every bit of sun because we know when we leave here we start heading north and it will be getting colder. 

Yesterday( Wednesday ) we got our metro tickets from the campsite reception and headed off for the metro station about 300 metres down the road.only a small station and a real dodgy looking area, all graffiti on the walls and broken glass on top the walls to stop peaple getting over them. And then we spotted some peaple waiting on the platform, about five or six. Now if you have ever seen the film the zombies, I know where it was filmed. Nikki grabs my hand at this moment. They stare at us, one is playing loud music on his cassette tape machine the others just staring. I look up the track to see if I can see the train. The one playing the loud music shouts to us Seven minutes. Is that for the train or how long we have to live. Now because it’s only a small station the train will not stop if no one is there so you have to wave it down like a bus. I for got to mention you have to pass your ticket over a scanner on the platform which we never new until one of the Zombies pointed it out, with her tongue hanging out her mouth. All of a sudden she shouts Metro and they all start waving at the train, we are the only ones not waving, does that mean we can’t get on the train. We get aboard and sit down, Nikki very close still gripping my hand and as the train heads for Valencia and stops at more stations and normal peaple get on she slowly releases the grip and the blood starts to flow back into my hand. The train takes about 25 minutes to reach the bright lights big city of Valencia.

Wow what a contrast to where we have been, I don’t really do city’s or big towns but it’s nice to go in knowing you are coming out again.The old part is what we are looking for so head that way. Amongst all the big high buildings are the old ones, churches, cathedrals etc and a lot of old Art Deco buildings. Small little streets go off in every direction. One of the buildings now houses the food market. Not your knickers and slippers in this one. It’s huge and full of every kind of food and so well presented. At one of the fish stalls the guy is getting eels out a tank and cutting it into sections while it is still alive. Can’t say it’s not fresh. Octopus, sea urchins, squid, you name it they have it. The meat stalls have so much choice and the fruit and veg is so colourful. We wandered round in there for a while, with our tongues hanging out, bit like the zombies. 

Out of the market and in search of other old buildings. Not long before we find another and another. Like all big city’s there are lots of tour guides going round and beggars on every corner. A great mix of peaple and there were plenty of police about. Some one told us later a gang had shot someone not far away so they could have been on alert in the city for them. We actually wandered round for almost ten kilometres from end to end side to side. We saw some great buildings, the  main line station, a bull ring, etc.  

 
  
Knackered and hungry we head back to the metro for the trip home. We have to press the button on the train to stop at our station, being only a small one. We get off at the right station, no Zombies about so stroll back to site. We had decided to eat in the restaurant and had ordered a paella for six o’clock, as someone had said they were really good, and Nikki said all through Spain she wanted one. They are cooked the traditional way over a wood fire. You can have meat, fish or vegetarian. We chose to have the fish. Strolled up the bar about five o’clock  for couple of beers and wine. You can watch your food being cooked on the fires and the smell of the wood etc is fantastic. Three beers, three very large glasses of wine, bread with olive oil and garlic butter, and the best paella we have ever had. The bill for all of the about £26. Off to bed. Adios for now. Sweet dreams and watch out for the zombies, there out there.  

Hi everyone, we left our luxurious site camping Marjal yesterday, because we wanted to move on. My feet were itching and it was nothing to do with the soap I was using. Yes I do wash now and then. Our friends Bill and June were fantastic neighbours while we were  there. Before we left we went down the bar for a couple of beers like you do, sat out side in the sun then the sun went in so we went inside also, yes I know that couple of beers turned into one or three. While we were inside some food came out for someone sat opposite, that was it I was dribbling so we ordered food also. Nikki was happy because she didn’t have to cook. The weekend the six nations started, that’s rugby to those who don’t know, a game played with a odd shaped ball and so much better than football. Rugby men are men and football they are actors. That is my opinion of course. It was so strange sat in our camper watching it all them miles from home but still being at home if that makes sence. Good ol England did well. 

We had done some research on a couple of sites and emailed them to see if we would fit and all came back positive so off we went, heading out on the highway. So sure that would make a good song title. LOL. We chose to take the AP7 which is a motorway toll, on it for a good hour and half cost us about a fiver. The scenery was fantastic, up through the mountains with the sea to our left. Awesome.  We past Benidorm from a distance, the best way I think. If I was twenty then it would be OK, but to be honest if I was twenty and in Benidorm I would proberly only see it from a barred window. 

We came off the AP7 for the last twenty minutes or so and passed through a town or two on a A road looking at the sites. Now the sites include the ladies of the night, or in Spain the ladies of the day and night. Yes you got it prostitutes on the roadside and sat on red plastic chairs. I will never be able to keep a straight face next time I see someone sat on a red plastic garden chair. Please don’t tell me you have one. LOL

We get to the first campsite. Rubbish that’s what we thought about it, no pitches big enough for us and it was a tip. Now I am getting hungry, and we all no what that means. There’s a other site ten minutes away so we head for that one. Success we find a pitch we can fit on. Just and I mean just. I think this site was built when campers were the size of matchboxes. But at least we are here. The site is called Ole, it’s near Oliva. The beach is at the end of the site which we like and it’s a big beach. We will proberly be here for a week before we start heading North for our trek home. Hope you have all survived the storms in the UK. 

We are still at camping Marjal, because we are still worth it. We have been lucky in the fact that our neighbours have taken us out 2/3 times in the car. I needed a hair cut, Nikki has allready done it once with the clippers, and it gets to the stage I really need it cut and if I do it with the clippers it is back to the bone and I look like a peanut head so Nikki says. I allways reply with it will grow. There is a hairdressers on site so I thought, let’s go and see if they understand English and can do me a haircut. Hello my name is Mike and I need a haircut do you speak English. A little he says. Ok this could be a interesting haircut. I explain what I want and he shows me the chair, better than showing me the door. Nikki sits down and watches the show. He doesn’t say a word just cuts my hair, trims my ear hair after evicting the sparrows that were nesting in there and even trimmed my eyebrows. A very good cut was done. 

So it’s out in the car with our neighbours, Bill and June to Torrevieja. It’s a big town by the sea. All  High rise and bars and restaurants. A great place to go and stroll along the prom, seeing all the different folks and hear all the languages. We found a really nice restaurant right by the sea with nice comfy sofas and settled down for a beer or two. Watching the world go by on one side and the sea on the other. And as the sun went down it was time to go back to site. 

   

There is a natural park near us called El Fondo so we decided to get off site for a walk and head out there to have a look around. To be honest there was not a lot to look at, I think all the birds must have took flight when they see us coming. It is set out nice with walkways and am sure that in the summer when the birds return would be great. We had a good walk anyhow, about 10kms.

Our friend came out of hospital on the Tuesday with his new stent fitted and was looking very well. We had a catch up and stayed anther day to be with them. Had a small walk from the campsite on the edge of the national park. Really barren landscape, lots of rabbits running around and wild dogs are seen as the spanish have no regard for dogs really. They are just there to protect their property or land and if no good they get dumped and roam free in packs. The polly plastic fields all around the campsite are used to grow, tomatoes, peppers,beans etc and they get about four crops a year from them. Some areas are miles and miles of them supplying the likes of tesco and Sainsburys I expect.  

   
We headed out on the highway on Thursday to the site where we are at now. Marjal Campsite Costa Blanca. A very posh site. Booked in and found our pitch with electric, water,drainage and a TV hook up point and lots of sunshine with the mountains as a backdrop. We had a walk around the campsite to inspect the facilities. WOW who needs a hotel. Even the dogs are catered for here, not the ones that roam around in packs or strays. Your pet pooch has its own shower/ bath room. The dog walks up the ramp into the bath, gets showered then walks to the mirror and hair dryer and walks down the ramp. 

 
I was getting pretty excited walking around because of the amount of RVs and big motorhomes here especially a Man truck   converted by Ketterer. I need a lotto win for that one. Another one I very much liked is the 45 ft RV. Even spoke to the owner and got a look inside that one.  

   
The people next to us are from the uk also and are here for a a month or two so they have a car. Yesterday they invited us to go with them to a market about ten miles away. Another market in another town. We strolled round and had a coffee bought a couple of bits and then went down the beach for a stroll, got us off site for the morning which was nice. Sat outside late afternoon and a huge black cloud of starlings flew over off to their roosting ground. When I say huge there was thousands of them stretching about a mile into the distance, a fantastic sight. Not sure how long we are staying here as the next site we had earmarked is a small one and often gets booked up so we may not get on that one. And time is running out for us, we only have a month left as we have booked our ferry home on the 29th February. Not looking forward to that bit. So that’s us for now, living it up in luxury because we’re worth it. 

After surviving the earthquake, we packed up and said our goodbyes to our new freinds and neighbors and headed for the Capa de gata national park. But first we needed shopping as we were low on everything . Down to my last two pints of Guinness and Nikki down to her last bottle of wine. We new there was a large Carrefour a couple of junctions down the road. We had checked it out on google maps and the parking was going to be a bit hit and miss but there was another one a few more miles further on if we could not park. 30ft of camper is not very supermarket freindy.

Here it is the junction shouts Nikki as we go off and round a roundabout straight into a hospital carpark full of every nationality, man,woman, and child. And we all know what hospital car parks are like in a car at the busiest time of day when everyone wants to go visiting. You try it in a 30ft camper. It’s interesting especially the car owners faces. we turn around and try and find the right turning for the supermarket. 

So parked up in two spaces we go off into the shop. My Favourite pastime. NOT. About an hour later we emerge from the depths of the supermarket with enough shopping including beer and wine of course to last us two weeks.Back on the highway to the campsite.

Now this campsite Los Escullos , we were told about back in December and we really wanted to go there and spoil ourselves for a couple of days. It’s a five star site and a 15 minute stroll to the beach which has good snorkelling, and in a national park. Driving along a car starts to toot us at a junction so we pull over thinking we can’t go up the road were on. And it’s a freind of ours who we were with at the site in Portugal. Her husband is in Hospital ( not the one we drove round) he had chest pains so they called a ambulance and he was taken straight in and has had to have a stent fitted. They are staying on a campsite not far from the one we were going to. So we tell her where we are going and we will pop in and see them in a couple of days on the way back. 

We get to the campsite  and wander in to the reception and are greeted by a loverly young lady. I say hello in Spanish,German, Portugese,French and English. She answers in very good Engish. She shows us on the site plan where we can go and where we can’t because the workmen are moving on site in three days time to start a load of work.so we go looking around the site. Disappointed,that’s what we were. Five star No, pitches to take us No and I did email them before we got there to tell them our size,expensive Yes. We walk back to reception and I tell her how disappointed we are. Sorry she says in her good English voice. By now it’s one o’clock and I am getting hungry, which is not good because if I get hungry or tired I get grumpy and start to growl. We decide to head back to where our friends our camped, only about six miles down the road. We book on for a couple of nights get parked up and within five minutes Nikki has produced a very large roll filled with meat and and salad. I love her.our freind is out of hospital today hopefully so we will stay to see him then off again. 

Woke up this morning about 5.15am to the camper rocking as if someone was outside rocking it. Got up looked outside, was still dark but could not see anyone, so crawled back into bed. Joked to Nikki that it was a earthquake. Dozed of back to sleep and woke about 7am, Nikki is on the Internet and yes it was a earthquake. Measured 6.6 on the scale followed by a 5.8 aftershock and was about 100 miles out to see in the Gibralter straight. How exciting. Just to let you know no Guinness or red wine was spilt LOL

Yes we are still here at Balerma, but we are moving on Monday. Only about a hour down the road. We strolled down the market the other day. Bit disappointed, about thirty stalls but twenty five of them selling the same stuff. Ok if you want big knickers or socks.After leaving the market we diverted to the other side of town to the supermarket to top up with essentials. The range of food is so different to at home and so much cheaper. We only got enough food for 2/3 days because we have to walk back with it about a mile, but we walk along the beach which is nice. We stop for a rest now and then and surprise surprise we manage to get back to the camper with some food. Nikki spotted a bottle of Carva for a change from the red wine and at £1.32 a bottle could not resist. Apparently it was very nice. So nice infact we walked back down to the super market the next day and got another bottle. I hate to think how many we would have bought at that price if we had driven down there. 

A couple on site told us about a castle down the road which has a display of old guns and weapons. It’s not far they said. They do have a car and are in there late 70’s so there idea of not far is a little different. So I checked it out on google maps and thought I am going to walk there. Nikki said it was to far with her back and hip giving her some grief. So of I went yesterday with my camera and water. Took me 3/4 of an hour to get there along the road. As I was nearing it I could not see the road up to it and could not remember where it was on Google maps. I could see the castle but no road so walked on around the next bend, but still no road so decided to do what the enemy would have done and climbed up the hill beside the castle. Luckily there was no one trying to shoot at me. So I get to the top, have a drink of water, catch my breath and walk round to the back of the castle. CLOSED the enemy had locked the gate and were not coming back until 4.30pm. So I wandered round the outside and took some photos and looked back to where I came from and started the hike back. Just over five miles return trip. It’s the weekend now so we plan to move just enough so no one thinks we have died. Next stop on Monday is camping Los Escullos which is in the Cabo de gata national park about a 15 minute walk from the beach. Very posh site so won’t be there too long. 

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside. Sorry to tell you all but it’s a loverly day here again in Balerma. Someone said you had snow and cold frost etc. If you can arrange for it all to be gone by the time we return that would be nice. Or maybe we will just stay away until it has gone.

So yesterday we strolled along the beach in the sun (there’s  that word again) and I spotted this loverly ol house I would love to live in, yes it looks a bit tatty but a lik of paint and it would be sorted. A view to die for and a garage round the back for the hot rod. Now I just need to win the lotto.

  
See what I mean. As we were strolling Nikki was collecting shells and I was taking random pics of the waves. I love the sea. The noise it makes, the smell, the power etc. Every wave is different and makes sun nice photos. I think so anyway. So there’s a couple of photos for you.

  
Tomorrow is market day in Balerma so we will have a stroll down there. There’s a nice little prom to walk along and a little bar/ cafe so we may have to have a rest there on the way back. Maybe we should think about moving on along the coast a bit further, but it’s hard to find the time to plan a route or another site when we are so busy chilling. MANANA

We left El Pino on Monday morning, the weather forecast was for gale force winds and heavy rain, but we had been there a week so had made our minds up it was time to head out on the highway, that would be such a good title for a song. So we left the campsite, no rain but as soon as we got on the mountain roads it was bloody windy, and I mean windy, I had to fight the steering wheel. There where a lot of tunnels through the mountains but as soon as you came out of them whoosh the wind got you as we were high up. Nikki was very quiet. Maybe I should drive more mountain roads. LOL.

We arrived at Balerma, a small town. In fact it’s the most ancient town of campo de Dalias, founded by the fishermen at the beginning of the XVIth century. Bet you never new that. I never until we stopped here and it says so on the brochure from the campsite. It was still blowing a hoolie when we got here but the wind dropped right off today leaving us with a sunny day and temputure of 20 degrees in the shade and a loverly sunset after eating outside and a cold beer or two.  The campsite is quite new and is very nice. A big investment has gone into it. You walk out the entrance and cross the road and you are on the beach, to the side and behind are mountains and in the distant mountains you can see snow on the tops. That’s the white bits on top the mountains in the photo. The campsite is surrounded by poly tunnels which you can not see unless you really look. There is a bar and restaurant on site which we will try tomorrow. We also plan to walk into the small town tomorrow. So that’s us up to date.