23. Feb, 2017

23. Feb, 2017

WEDNESDAY 22-2-17

We were up earlier this morning thanks to the intervention of the alarm clock.

Once scrubbed up and fed we made our first visit to the petanque pitches. We had bought our own balls with us, a box of six, and my, they weight quite a lot. I had often wondered how the players can tell their balls apart from other players as most balls are silver. I came up with the idea of painting red and blue stripes in the grooves of mine, whilst The Chef banned such art work on hers preferring to rely on my engraving skills on the balls.

There are four pitches or whatever they call them, and we had the whole area to ourselves for about an hour before those who take it seriously arrived. They were pleasant enough, but not our kind of people. They were probably all members of Rotary or Tennis Clubs back home. We stayed up there for well over an hour in total and it gave us a chance to have a throw about in peace. I did manage to find the rules of Petanque online before we left home and printed them off. We didn't take them up there with us though, as it would have spoilt the fun. I think we will have to start reading up on them in the near future though as we have a good chance to try and understand this game of adult marbles whilst we're here.

After we returned we sat outside having a read before changing for the cookery demonstration just outside the restaurant. Not the best location given that the workman were ripping up the kiddies pool area, so we had the noise of the dumper truck and pneumatic drill to contend with, and when they were quiet a noisy Welshman who now lives in Bordeaux, but winters here he tells us all, was talking loudly, which encouraged others to be just as rude. The poor girls conducting the demonstration were struggling a bit to keep control. As I recall it was chorizo sausage, black pudding and lardons tossed in to a saucepan with spinach, onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes and more. I wasn't sorry there wasn't enough to go round at the end for a taster.

Then it was over the road to the supermarket for a baguette for lunch. Having dined we went along to a little presentation by a member of staff about Sagunto, which is south of here. It just so happens that they are doing a coach trip there in a couple of weeks. After it was finished we popped in to Reception to book two tours, the 'Sagunto and Caves' together with one to Fanzara wherever that is. Still it will get us off the campsite for a couple of days.

Walking back to our pitch I noticed a line of motorhomes parked across the front of their pitches. We noticed this practise creeping in a couple of years ago, though it was only caravanners who did it then, now motorhomers are getting just as bad. The problem with parking in such a way is that is takes away the fire break safety gap between each pitch. If one unit were to catch fire then it can very quickly and easily spread to other units as each one is full of combustible materials and gas cylinders. Last year we pulled in to a campsite having just left St Tropez only to find that the units together with their awnings and general junk were packed in so tightly that we were not prepared to risk staying there and promptly drove out again.

We didn't stay outside for too long again this evening as it soon gets very cool after 17:00. I have been trying to read 'Coalition', the story of the LibDem & Conservative coalition government. It has proved so boring that I have decided to give up on it and donate it to the campsite library.

'Herman wif der Husky' across the way is, we think, a bit artistic, as he always wears a jumper and a scarf worn like a cravat. He is currently using grey self adhesive plastic to make a mosaic on the front and side white areas of his motorhome. I have taken a picture of his progress so far and will share with you the finished article should he get to complete it before he or we leave.

Our evening's entertainment was a 'Only Fools & Horses' DVD.

21. Feb, 2017

21. Feb, 2017

21. Feb, 2017