We had internet tickets for the Motorhome Show and the Food Fair in Alicante for the weekend of 22/02/2014, so decided that we would make a tour of it and explore the region further after the shows.
Our (my) plan was to go up into the hills and do a spot of walking. Glyn pointed out, quite rightly, that although the coastal night time temperatures were around 10°, if you moved 60km inland and gained altitude, you could be looking at 2° at night.
On the other hand the van has excellent heating, so we are at present unsure about exactly where we are going and for how long - we will decide according to the weather, mood and opportunity and see where we end up.
- Distance travelled 827kms
- Travelling time 16hrs 43mins
- Average fuel consumption 9.81 litres/100 kms (28.8mpg)
- Amount of fuel used 81.71 litres
- Cost of fuel used €108.40
- Nights away 15
- Nights in campsites 3 at a cost of €32
- Nights in paid aires 6 at a cost of €62
- Nights in free aires 3 at no cost
- Nights wildcamping 1 at no cost
- Nights with España Discovery 2 at no cost
- Books read At Home - Bill Bryson, Digital Fortress - Dan Brown, Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Saturday 22/02/2014 Home to Alicante
78kms in 1hr 5mins
We began with a short drive to the Alicante Exhibition Arena to see the Motorhome Show. There were lots of new motorhomes at show prices, but nothing better than Cervantes in terms of layout and value for money. We were hoping to get some chairs and a maybe a table there, but accessories were a bit thin on the ground.
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| Plenty of new vans here |
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| Lots of vans but poor on accessories |
We hoped we could stay overnight in the car park and asked 5 people if it was possible (we had already e-mailed them and had no reply) and of course received 5 different answers!
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| Safely in the car park - but for how long? |
I think the receptionist, ticket collector and booking office didn't know the answer so just said no, but the other 2 were car park security and they independently assured us that parking was valid for 90 hours and we were welcome to stay overnight. The car park charge when we drove in said €2 so it will be interesting (and maybe shocking) to see what we are charged when we leave tomorrow.
See todays full photo gallery here
Sunday 23/02/2014 Alicante to Ibi
71kms in 1hr 10mins
We overnighted with 8 other vans with no problem whatsoever - the police even came round to do a check in the morning to see that everything was OK.
The 2nd day in the IFA was the food show which was held in another hall. We didn't know what to expect really, but it turned out to be an excellent show with 200+ exhibitors all offering free tastings.
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| The result of a cookery demonstration - are those brains? |
We checked once again with the main ticket office and the security guard that we were OK to stay another night, so we could sample the food, wine and beer on offer and not have to drive afterwards.
The ticket office said to ask security, the main booking office said they didn't know, and the security guard we asked yesterday (who said yesterday "no problem - you can stay for 90 hours") said today that the car park was closing to motorhomes tonight!!!
I think the reality was that no-one really knew what the answer was, and instead of saying that, just made up an answer so as not to appear stupid. This seems to be the way here in Spain - ask 2 people who are stood next to each other the same question and you will get 2 polar opposite answers. You just get used to it in the end, ask a lot of people and then take an average (or just ignore all the rules as the Spanish seem to do!)
We decided not to put ourselves in an awkward position and have to argue our way out of it, so unfortunately didn't try all that was on offer (although we still bought it!) and moved on at 3pm.
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| A striking piece of art in the foyer |
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| Great stalls and very well presented |
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| Sweet things |
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| Fish at its best |
Unfortunately it was a little tired with no fresh water (vandalised), no quimico (black water waste) and a desague (grey water waste) which had seen better days.
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| Just us on this very quiet aire |
However, we didn't really need those facilities and the aire was in a nice spot - out of the way, level and above a petanque court popular with the locals.
We are the only ones here on a hardstanding of crushed stone (apart for a flying visit by a VW camper who was looking for fresh water)
We went for a walk to Ibi in the evening - a nice old town with a church at the top of a hill. It looks like it would be a good base for some walking.
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| Beautiful church in Ibi |
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| with striking side chapels |
See todays full photo gallery here
Monday 24/02/2014 Ibi to Valencia
143kms in 1hr 45mins
A peaceful night on our own in the aire (apart from the barking dogs) saw us leaving next morning at 10.00am.
Someone had put a flyer under our windscreen at the motorhome show offering the Valencia CamperPark for €9 per night.
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| Valencia CamperPark - excellent place |
We thought this very reasonable, and as we have always said we will go back to Valencia (after staying there to watch the Americas Cup sailing race in 2007), this seemed the ideal opportunity.
It was very easy to find, with a train station outside the front door and trains direct to Valencia city centre. Reception were supplying bono train tickets which made the fare half price - only €1.50 single for the 30 min train journey to the city centre!
The aire was brilliant with gravel pitches and great free showers and toilets. We paid an extra €3 per day for electric hook-up and €1 to fill up with water. Rocio on reception was very, very helpfull - nothing was too much trouble.
We just chilled out in the sun in the afternoon and broke out the Remoska in the evening as we were now on 230v hook-up.
We met a very nice couple (Steve and Lyssa) from Hertfordshire doing their dream in a 9 metre long 7.2 litre V10 American Condor E450 RV. They had just done Portugal and were now en route to "farm sit" for 2 months near Barcelona. Then back to UK to MOT the van, and next stop Greece. Good luck to them - they are having a whale of a time!
We went to the local town of Betera on the bikes with Steve and Lyssa and had a couple of beers and a good chat
See todays full photo gallery here
Tuesday 25/02/2014
After a good nights sleep (usual dog!) the bread man woke us at 9.30am (not literally - he was outside in his van) so quickly dressed and out to buy bread.
Rocio on reception had kindly gone into Betera for us and got us a bono of 10 tickets for €15 for the train to Valencia, which cut the fare by half. She made nothing out of this and did it purely as a gesture of goodwill and helpfulness - what a nice person to have on reception.
After breakfast we duly got the train to Valencia and first went to the newly renovated church of Santa Lucia, which was up to the usual standard of greatness.
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| Newly renovated to a very high standard |
Next was a visit to the old hospital which is now a library. This building was originally Roman, and the columns have been incorporated into the new structure - a fine piece of architecture. I had to fill in a form at reception giving name, address, NIE number and phone number before I was allowed to take any photos.
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| A perfect blend of old and new |
Next stop was the indoor market - the most extensive we have ever seen. Every conceivable item to do with food could be found here. It was very, very impressive.
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| A thriving, vibrant market with everything you could think of...... |
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| spices |
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| rice |
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| pulses |
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| beer |
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| and very scary dried fish |
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| Very big, very expensive, Gambas Roca |
Lunch was across the road at a restaurant we had used before when we were here last. It was so busy we had to wait for a pavement table - great food though.
Just next door was the Silk Hall with an incredible vaulted stone ceiling and masonry carving to stare open-mouthed at. The gargoyles were something else.
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| All this is carved from stone - incredible |
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| The craftmanship was outstanding |
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| One of the many gargoyles |
Upstairs was a 3D effect floor which really took some getting used to, and the most ornate ceiling.
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| This is a flat floor! |
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| The most ornate ceiling |
Then on to Valencia Cathedral and up 203 steps to the top of the bell tower for an amazing aerial view of Valencia - stunning.
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| The very tall bell tower |
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| Aerial view of Valencia |
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| The cathedral from above |
We then headed back to the trainstop via the town hall, the post office (what an amazing building), the railway station and the bullring.
We bumped into Steve and Lyssa at the train station and travelled back to the CamperPark with them. It's his 55th birthday tommorow, so we are suprising him tonight with a card and a bottle of Cava.
Home to Cervantes at 7pm with sore feet, but having seen and re-visited some amazing buildings.
See todays full photo gallery here
Wednesday 26/02/2014
Steve came round, bless him, at 9.05am with 2 glasses of Cava for us! Now that is a bit early even for us....but seeing as it's his birthday!
Finally, after a catastrophic flood in 1957, the river that flows through Valencia was diverted to a custom made, controllable river valley.
This left the original river valley dry, and Valencia in their wisdom turned it into a green area for the citizens of the city. It is 8km long and full of facilities for football, baseball, tennis, rugby, petanque, running, and most other sports you can think of. Full of trees and shrubs, lakes and fountains, no cars and a dedicated cycle track, it was perfect for us.
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| A fantastic resource for Valencia |
The lovely Rocio told us that folding bikes were allowed on the trains at any time (full size non-folding ones only on Sunday). So this morning we folded them up, put them on the train and cycled the full length up and down the old river bed.
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| Sports facilities to be proud of - all very well used |
It was a fantastic place full of runners, cyclists, dog walkers and workers on lunch breaks. Very chilled, very green, and a credit to Valencia.
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| The port at the end of the valley - now sadly neglected after the Americas Cup was held here in 2007 |
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| So quiet and peaceful - you would not think you were in the middle of a large city |
The green river valley also contains the Science Museum, The Hemispheric (like an Imax cinema) and the Oceanografic (Europes biggest aquarium). These are unique buildings containing unique experiences - that's where we're going tomorrow!
Glyn found some tickets which were discounted by 25% if you bought them online. We don't have a printer with us but, as usual, Rocio stepped up to the plate and printed the tickets out for us. We've only booked for the Oceanografic, which should take us all day - there is so much to see.
See todays full photo gallery here
Thursday 27/02/2014
To Valencia again on the train to see Oceanografic - the biggest aquarium in Europe.
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| The Science Museum through the suspension bridge |
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| The Agora - a multifunctional space |
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| Oceanografic |
It was bright sun when we got there to see the first one of seven different zones of the oceans. However before that there was an extraordinary spherical structure covered in netting which contained exotic birds flying free. They were very used to people and you could stand within 6" of a spoonbill - where else could you say that?
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| Adult Scarlet Ibis |
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| Us and a Spoonbill |
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| Juvenile Scarlet Ibis |
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| Green-backed Heron |
The zones of the sea were spectacular to say the least. From tropical to antarctic and everything in between. Penguins, sea lions, sea horses, thousands of tropical fish and corals, and of course a 70 metre long glass tunnel where sharks, rays, eels and all manner of exotic fish were swimming above and alongside you. Video of the tunnel can be seen here and here
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| 70m of fish |
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| Tired after a hard days swimming |
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| Penguin |
We were however a little disconcerted by the amount of room given to the Beluga Whales - it looked far too small for an animal of that size and they were displaying repetitive behaviour which only underlined the problem.
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| Very bored Beluga Whale |
The finale to the visit was a dolphin show which showed just how versatile these creatures are. They seemed to enjoy everything they did, even practicing jumps on their own with nobody with them. They seemed to have a fantastic interactive bond with their trainers and looked really happy doing what they were doing. The show was stunning and very entertaining.
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| All in the air together |
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| Swimming backwards |
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| Standing with dolphins |
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| This girl was pushed 20 feet into the air by the 2 dolphins |
After six hours in the Oceanographic we had seen everything and were glad to be going home.
It was our last night at Valencia Camperpark, so we had a farewell drink with Steve and Lyssa (who were also on their last night) after a viewing of each others motorhomes. 9 metres is half as long again as Cervantes and it certainly looked it with a massive queen sized bed at the rear.
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| This is one long motorhome! |
They are now off to do some farm sitting near Barcelona. A really nice couple who were good company.
See todays full photo gallery here
Friday 28/02/2014 Valencia to Bodegas Vegalfaro, Requena
84kms in 1hr 35mins
We have joined a scheme called España Discovery whereby participating businesses such as bodegas, restaurants, olive mills, farms, monastries, breweries, craft producers and all things artisan offer free, secure, 24 hour parking. There is no obligation to buy anything - the choice is entirely yours whether or not to do so. It cost us €23 for a years membership of España Discovery, which provides us with a book listing all the participating businesses. There are now 145 businesses in 8 regions of Spain offering free parking, and the number grows each year.
We had identified a bodega and wine producer in Derramador called Bodega Torre Oria (page 82) that we wanted to visit. We regularly buy Torre Oria Cava in our local Mercadona supermarket at home, so this seemed a good fit.
Following a failed attempt at shopping at Mercadona in Betera (nowhere to park) we arrived at Bodega Torre Oria at 11.30am, after driving into gale force winds all the way, which didn't abate until nightfall. There didn't appear to be anyone around, but there was some info on the entrance door. Tours around the Bodega and Cava tastings were held just on Sat and Sun, so because you can only stay for 24 hours we decided to come back tomorrow, when we can do the Bodega tour and wine tasting and then stay the night.
Consulting the book, Bodegas Vegalfaro (page 83) was less than a kilometre down the road and was also in the España Discovery scheme, so we went there to stay the night.
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| Cervantes in Bodega Vegalfaro |
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| All alone |
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| The view from our window |
Of course we bought a couple of bottles of wine from them, and very nice they were too.
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| A fine selection of estate bottled wine |
What a great scheme!
See todays full photo gallery here
Saturday 01/03/2014
Bodega Vegalfaro, where we stayed the night, is so remote (500 metres down a one track road) that when it went dark it was pitch black - just distant pinpoints of light, and absolutely silent - not a dog to be heard.
The owners went off-site at 6.30pm last night and told us that the electric gates would close after them. This effectively locked us in here, but we exchanged phone numbers before they went in case of any dire emergency.
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| Locked in! |
There was no need, phone numbers were not rung, and daylight saw us enjoying the view of grape vines as far as the eye could see with a great sunrise and total silence - wonderful!
It was a great bodega with a mix of old and new buildings. The owners left the toilets open for us all night - it even had electric for Glyn's hairdryer.
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| Vines as far as you can see |
The gates were opened at 10.30am, so we went the 600 metres to Bodega Torre Oria with breakfast in the van before the tour at 12.30pm.
A young architect called Jose took us around all the Cava and wine-making facilities and told us all the history behind them. Most notable of all in a long, troubled past is that one of the 3 present owners is also the owner of the Mercadona supermarket chain, hence the presence of Torre Oria Cava in Mercadona supermarkets.
The tour was fascinating, brought to life by Jose who was very personable and helpful. We were the only people on the tour - I don't know if this made it easier or harder for Jose.
Cava is fermented twice. Once traditionally in tanks and a second fermentation in the bottle (to give it the fizz) The second fermentation leaves a deposit in the bottle which, if left, would make the Cava cloudy. The problem has always been how to remove the sediment from the bottle.
The tour was in 3 parts. The first part was the way they used to make Cava, in the oldest part of the building. The bottles were turned 4 times a day for 28 days, gradually moving the bottles from the horizontal to an angle of 45deg (cork pointing downwards) until the sediment was in the neck of the bottle. The cork was then removed by slicing it off with a knife, the sediment removed, and a cork replaced. This was all done by hand and as you can imagine was very labour intensive.
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| The moorish tower reflecting the origins of Torre Oria |
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| The original ornate tiled frontage of the Bodega |
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| The totally original reception room |
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| The original factory - wine into the hatches to ferment, then into the bottles to be hand turned |
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| The old cellars - the vats (under the hatches) were emptied from down here |
The second part was the modern way of making Cava with machines to turn the bottles, glycol to freeze the neck of the bottle and remove the sediment as an "ice cube", automated washing, corking and wiring machines and pallet trucks to move the thousands of bottles to a storage area to age.
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| This machine now turns and tips the bottles |
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| The bottles are put into here upside down to freeze the necks |
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| Automatic cork, wire and foil machine |
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| Hundreds of thousands of bottles age in this cellar |
The third part of the tour concerned the winemaking which is very high-tec and mostly automated. We looked into the barrel storage room which was full to bursting with old and new barrels. They are only kept for 5 years before being replaced.
Included in the €6 tour was a tasting, so Glyn tried the Cava Brut and the Cava Reserva, and I had Torre Oria Red Reserva and Gran Reserva. Cheese and crackers were supplied, and nothing was too much trouble. Jose the tour guide and Maria the shop and bar and reception keeper were faultless.
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| It's decision time |
At 2.00pm, after buying bottles of Cava and Gran Reserva (and would you believe it, whilst in the shop paying for the wine we'd bought, Jose came over with the half-empty bottle of Gran Reserva we had been tasting and gave it to us as a present - top man!) we decamped to Cervantes. Instead of going to sleep we thought a walk to the local village of El Azagador would be in order. It tuned out to be 5 houses and a shrine, so a return walk in what was now a gale force wind saw us back in Cervantes, and both asleep within 30 minutes.
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| Cervantes in Bodega Torre Oria |
There are no gates on this car park so we are free to go when we want - the question is where to?
See todays full photo gallery here
Sunday 02/03/2014 Bodega Torre Oria to Tollo Pilette, Jarafuel
55kms in 1hr 13mins
After a totally silent night - peace, perfect pece, we made an early start for one of two destinations. The first was the aire at Jalance which was nice, near the town with a hilltop castle, but was a bit near the main road and a petrol station. We decided to check out destination two and then decide. This proved to be more of a challenge. We were looking for Tollo Pilette in Jarafuel but the co-ordinates we had were wrong (the correct ones are in the link above) We stopped at a campsite in Jarafuel and asked the way, and a very friendly and helpful man showed us the way on our Nexus7.
We drove 5km up a single track forest road to a picnic site in the woods with toilets, dish washing sinks, showers and barbeques in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately the water was switched off, but we are self sufficient, so no problem.
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| On our own in the middle of nowhere |
After a 2 hour walk up and down the spectacular river valley we soaked up the sun by Cervantes and watched the wildlife. Only us here so it looks like we're in for another silent night - brilliant.
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| The view from our window |
See todays full photo gallery here
Monday 03/03/2014 Jarafuel to Jalance
33kms in 1hr 2mins
Last night was amazing. We hadn't realised it but there was not one single artificial light in our line of vision. This gave us an unbelievable view of the night sky. I have never seen so many stars in my whole life - an awesome sight. It was absolutely pitch black outside the van, and it took a good 10 minutes to get your night vision. After that it was astounding - words cannot describe. We feel very privileged.
We liked the look of Jalance after we saw it yesterday so decided to give it another chance.
After arriving mid-morning we filled and emptied the water, then went to explore the town. The usual very large stunning church, but this time topped by a ruined castle at the top of a conical hill. A good walk up to it gave us a terrific 360deg view of the surrounding hills, tempered by a gale force wind blowing which nearly had us off our feet.
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| Cervantes in the Jalance aire from the castle |
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| Fantastic 360° views from the top |
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| Where we were last night |
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| Another brilliant castle on a hill in Cofrentes |
We decided to check it out and then decide where to stay. The aire was 2km up a single track road on a river flood plain with many mountain bike, horse riding and walking tracks going in every direction - there was even a coral to tie your horse up in whilst you had some lunch!
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| Tie your horse up here |
It would have been very busy in summer, but in March it was deserted. So having had our fill of solitude we made our way back to Jalance after a cycle ride to the river boat departure point 4km away (again in a gale force wind - it even blew my bike over)
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| Too remote for comfort this time |
Jalance is a lovely town - very old and filled with ornate tiled story boards 10' x 6' depicting the moorish invasion. We saw 6 of these around the town with fabulous detail on them.
We shared the tarmac aire under trees with 4 other vans tonight. The wind is still at gale force - I think the roof of Cervantes is now full of pine cones and twigs!
See todays full photo gallery here
Tuesday 04/03/2014 Jalance to Banos de Fortuna
173kms in 2hrs 54mins
We left Jalance unusually early for us at approx 8.30am Our plan was to go to the España Discovery participant Bodega Culebron (page96) near El Pinoso to stay overnight. We had breakfast on the way at Almansa (coffee, toast, tomato and oil) and were in Culebron for 10.00am. The shop was heaving with locals buying 30+ litres of red wine at a time from the barrels, and tourists being more circumspect and buying bottles and the odd bulk purchase. We spotted some Cava Gran Reserva that was bottled in 1964 and the price was....€15!!!! How ridiculous is that?? (mind you we've not tasted it yet, so the laugh might be on us!)
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| This is only 10 years younger than me! |
Needless to say we had that and various other great offers on really quality wine - I say if the locals are queing up to buy it then it must be good!
At the checkout we paid our €46 total (cash - no cards taken), then showed the cashier the España Discovery book and asked where he wanted us to park for the night. He told us that we couldn't park overnight, and they hadn't been in the scheme for 2 years! I personally think he couldn't be bothered with us, but as he took that stance we nodded, got back in Cervantes and moved on.
We considered going to Bodega Cooperativa Algueña (page 97) further south, but finally decided to do today what we were going to do tomorrow - go to Baños de Fortuna where there is the Campsite La Fuente
We have had our eye on this site since we got Cervantes, and this trip presented a perfect opportunity to visit it.
It has a thermal swimming pool which is heated (although you won't catch me in a swimming pool anytime before May) and because of that is permanently busy.
They said they were full to bursting at reception (and they were) but we charmed them into an outdoor parking space (alongside 6 other vans) albeit with no electric - which is no problem to us. They reduced the charge from €14 per night to €11 which was excellent.
The sun has been shining all day, and as we drove further and further south (along excellent roads with stunning scenery), the temperature has been going up and up until finally, when we got here, the temperature inside Cervantes was 21° - back to normal!
We have booked here for 2 nights, so spent the rest of today warming up in the sunshine and exploring the site and surroundings.
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| In the sun in Baños de Fortuna |
I have worked outside in all weathers 24/7 in UK - minus temperatures with horizontal rain, sleet and snow at 3 in the morning in lane 3 of the highest motorway in England, so was pretty hardened to bad weather. Also cycling up to 100 miles every Sunday for 12 months of the year for 10 years in all weathers acclimatised me to bad weather. However, after 15 months of living in 20°+ weather nearly every day, I think I must have gone soft. The slightest cold wind or grey sky has me reaching for a warm base layer and a fleece and complaining about how cold it is!! We used to marvel at the Spanish locals wearing thick woolies when the sun was shining, but now realise that maybe they are just acclimatised to the sun and really feel the cold - are we now joining them?
Never mind - the plus points of living here far outweigh any minuses we could ever think of.
See todays full photo gallery here
Wednesday 05/03/2014
Day 2 in Baños de Fortuna and after a quiet night we walked to the town of Fortuna 4km away.
Because it is a tourist attraction due to the thermal springs and baths we thought it would be a smart, thriving, go-ahead, switched-on place. However first impressions were of a scruffy town with litter, graffiti and dog mess everywhere, with cars randomly parked on any available free space. It seems as though the local council has lost the plot on this one, with no thought to what impression they are giving to first time visitors. Shame really because the town has potential to be much more than it is - just needs the right leadership.
A plus point was that we discovered a camping shop in Fortuna which had some suitable chairs for us, so we will collect them tomorrow on our way through. We also spotted a halogen heater, variable between 400w and 800w for €12 in the local ferreteria, so shall be buying that also.
Back at Cervantes at 1.00pm we had the entertainment of a set of double wire fence gates being erected and concreted into place at the end of the road - great fun, and they got there in the end.
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| I can tell you these took some getting up! |
We had a fantastic aerial display by 3 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets yesterday, and today they were back again - very impressive and loud - the speed of these things is astonishing. I thought at first they were Eurofighter Typhoons which have delta wings, but after zooming into the photo I took, you can clearly see the tailplane of a Hornet. They fly much higher than a passenger jet, yet cover the sky from horizon to horizon in what seems no time at all, and the turns they do are unbelievable - the G-force must be tremendous. There is an airbase for them in Torrejon near Madrid, but the 3 today could just as easily come from Gando airbase on Gran Canaria - it would take minutes to get here! The noise is like thunder coming out of the clouds - very disconcerting if you don't know what it is.
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| Contrails left by the Hornets |
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| So, so fast |
We went out for a meal tonight to the campsite restaurant. There were already 30+ people in the restaurant in various stages of service, so we expected a wait which was no problem. The waitress looked to be dressed as a chef, and on questioning her she said that the waitress had not turned up for work, so she had to come out of the kitchen to serve. This left just one chef in the kitchen cooking meals to order for 30+ people. Under the circumstances the service was excellent. The chef/waitress was happy and smiling and never got flustered. The food (garlic soup, grilled tuna and swordfish for us) was first class - cooked on time to perfection. The coffee and oruja were on the house as an apology (although none was needed). We went into the kitchen afterwards to shake hands with the chef to show his efforts were appreciated, and the same with the waitress/chef. All this for the princely sum of €30 (which included a bottle of very fine wine!)
See todays full photo gallery here
Thursday 06/03/2014
We had intended to move on today, but when we got up the sky was blue, the wind had dropped and the sun was shining, so we decided to get some sun and stay another day.
We have the best views in the campsite where we are through a chainlink fence. If you are in the campsite proper there is a brick wall or the side of another van to look at.
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| A great view and the Eurofighters airshow for free |
I decided to cycle to Fortuna to pick up the chairs we had seen yesterday, and make use of them today. I took some straps with me with the intention of tying them onto the carrier on my bike and bringing them back. However, at the checkout, the owner of the camping shop said he would deliver them to the campsite if I wanted. I readily agreed (I wanted to also buy a heater from a ferreteria down the road, so this allowed me to do that) and they were duly delivered at midday to Cervantes at the campsite.Now that's what I call service!!
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| Giving the new chairs a work-out |
The chairs are supremely comfortable, very robust, well made and hard-wearing and only €35 each - bargain!
See todays full photo gallery here
Friday 07/03/2014 Baños de Fortuna to Totana
81kms in 1hr 25mins
We packed away last night and tried to get away early this morning, but reception was not open to take our money before 9.30am (our fault for not checking), so a leisurely breakfast in the cafe was called for - no great hardship.
We stopped off at Ikea in Murcia to stock up on some things only available there. If you have a motorhome you really should give Ikea a try - their storage solutions are second to none. After some lunch (Meatballs!) our destination was Camperstop Sierra Espuña in Totana.
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| An aire with a view |
We have been here before and enjoyed every minute of it. The views are stupendous - 360deg of high mountains - you could almost be in Switzerland. At €7 per night and €3 for electric hook-up if you need it (we didn't) it is a proper bargain. WiFi is included in the price and is super quick.
The sun today is better than yesterday. 24° outside with a gentle breeze, and sitting on the edge of a valley with views of distant mountains - perfection.
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| Nearly too hot for elephants |
We are here for 2 nights, so tommorow plan to cycle along the canal towards Lorca and see what we stumble across.
The wooly dog (Lara) from our last visit is still here, along with Leo, a very friendly, long-haired, ginger cat.
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| Leo the super friendly cat |
Since our last visit in June 2013 the owner has built a reception room and shower and a place for washing dishes. The panoramic viewing platform is still at the end of the tree-lined walkway. Very simply done but very, very effective.
We are one of 8 vans here tonight (mostly German) so all power to Camperstop Sierra Espuña - long may they continue and prosper.
See todays full photo gallery here
Saturday 08/03/2014
After a night of the return of the dogs (and the earplugs) we awoke cold so turned on the blown air heating and..........disaster - it's not working. I surmise it's because the gas bottle is nearly empty and there is not enough pressure to kickstart the heater. The fridge, gas hob and hot water heater are all working, so I hope I'm right!
Luckily the sun will be shining soon, so sitting outside in it is the answer. We will change the gas bottle when we can and if it runs out before, then so be it - it's not a problem.
We set off at 10.00am on the bikes to cycle along the canal to Lorca. In total we did 30km in 3.5 hours in glorious sun all the way there and back.
You would think the canal road would be flat wouldn't you? - as did we. However, in the middle the canal was culverted under a hill, whilst we hairpined our way to the top then down the other side.
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| Hills on a canal road? |
Near to Lorca the canal had to cross a wide valley, so a bridge had been built with the canal on the lower section of the bridge, and the road sitting on top of the canal. This was approx 800 metres long and must have been quite an expense.
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| The canal is quite high up so you get great views over the valley |
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| A canal and road all in one |
Glyn coped exceedingly well and is becoming an accomplished cyclist - very well done.
The ride was topped off with a welcome beer in the restaurant just up the road from the Camperstop.
Another 25° day in the sun, and the inside of cervantes was at 35° when we got back - hello summer?
See todays full photo gallery here
Sunday 09/03/2014 Totana to Home
83kms in 1hr 21mins
A late breakfast, pack up Cervantes and a quiet motorway drive back home, stopping at the local shopping centre to stock up with supplies for the house.
Fill up with fuel to calculate the mpg, change the gas bottle and a quick hose down for cervantes (the water and dirt just bead off since I polished him) and that's another tour finished.
We have seen some great sights - some are on the list to visit again, others not, stayed at some excellent places and met some really nice people.
It is wonderful to travel, but it is also very nice to come home!
Another excellent report! I am so glad you are having a good time.I recommend Bryson's "One Summer"
ReplyDeleteas a very good read. I read it whilst on holiday. I think I have read all his books now. If you like an unusual read thentry Malcolm Pryce's Aberystwyth series....a meld of Python and league of gentleman...
Thank you Keith, glad you're enjoying it. The first Bryson book I read was A Walk In The Woods, which stayed with me for a long time and got me hooked. I think that I also must have read them all by now.
DeleteI will certainly try Aberystwyth - sounds like my sort of book.
We have the 2 month epic tour to see the Tour de France coming up in June so watch this space for further updates.
Cheers for now
Brian & Glynis