18. Oct, 2021

MONDAY 18-10-21

Oooh I was stuffed after last night's meal across at the marina. I had to have a lie down shortly after we got back, never mind it was a very nice treat.

This morning we were up in good time, to go over to the bathroom block to again have it all to ourselves. I'd put everything away last night before we went out and so it didn't take us long to get the vehicle ready for the road.

Today was to be a busy day at the office as we were making our way to Benidorm just for a layover for two nights before heading further north.

I was expecting the satnav to drag us along the E15/AP7 coastal road but instead it took us on the A92 which took us past Granada, Lorca, Murcia and Alicante, and having now measured it, 348 miles it was in fact the shortest route, and by far the nicest. I can't recommend this route highly enough to anybody planning to come this way. The scenery was both beautiful and dramatic, and an absolute pleasure to drive through. I'm afraid we didn't take any pictures as we don't usually do the scenery justice when we do try.

Despite the roads being very good the journey still took us nearly six hours, why it should do so I have no idea because we were doing at least 70mph the whole way. The Chef decided that a bit of music would help things along and so she had a play with the MP3 player. It's the same player with the same music, plus a few new albums, which we took to America with us in 2008. Still good music never dies, and yes, 'Chas & Dave' are in there somewhere.

We had a problem when we got to Benidorm because I had foolishly put the wrong GPS co-ordinates on the Travelscript (now corrected) and we found ourselves arriving at a campsite about a mile away from where we should have been. That's when I had to pull over, put the hazards on and wind the laptop up to go in to Google Maps to find the correct co-ordinates. But eventually we did arrive here at Camping Villasol (GPS: N38.544798° W0.106742°) at about 17:00, just in time to see a couple of lazy lardies leaving on their mobility scooters.

The Chef went to the Reception desk window to book us in for a couple of nights. I told her if they were full I wasn't prepared to go to another site, we'd just leave and move on. This one isn't too big but some of them, I swear, are big enough to be seen from space, and they're further out of town.

She came back having paid for two nights armed with the usual campsite map showing all the pitches and on this occasion, those which were available. So under The Chef's directions up the hill we went ready to make a right turn at the top. The only trouble was it was a cul-de-sac of cabins as I recall. A young lass out with her husband a child in a pushchair kindly came over to offer assistance. We told her the problem "Ah" she said, "you've got the map upside down". So instead of being on a pitch right at the top of the campsite we're in one very close to the main road at the bottom. But never mind, we're here and it's only for a couple of nights.

Tomorrow we'll take a wander in to town and maybe eat out. As I remember we did have a nice Chinese meal down near the seafront last time, and survived it, so maybe we'll do that again.

17. Oct, 2021

17. Oct, 2021

17. Oct, 2021

SUNDAY 17-10-21

Thank The Lord for DVD's. We watched a couple last night which helped to drown out the noise of the Spanish campers. I have got The Chef in to two programmes 'This Country', a very clever mocumentary of life in a rural community and 'Episodes' starring Matt Le Blanc and others.

The cloth-eared Neanderthal across the way was not seen all day and I'm guessing he was asked to leave the campsite due to his disruptive behaviour. Nobody in their right minds (and was he?) books just one night in a chalet and then spend it sat outside in the afternoon playing loud music, go out for a meal and then stay up half the night talking outside in the veranda. What would he have got out of that? Plus I can't see the campsite accepting a booking for just one night at a weekend when they could have let it for the whole period.

The Chef and I went to bed at about 23:00 with noise still ringing in our ears. I just said to her "Look on the bright side - most of them should be gone tomorrow".

The weather this morning wasn't too special with a lot of cloud, though the temperature has remained very comfortable all day.

It has been a nothing day, as we've watched a few Spanish families leave, including the young family behind us who made sure they were ready to go by getting up and start packing at 07:30.

This evening we walked down to 'Alberts' restaurant at the marina for our Sunday roast. I had three courses and The Chef had two, and as a consequence I feel thoroughly stuffed.

When we got back 'home' we had new neighbours on one side and across the road the young Spanish family in the chalet were packing up to leave.

I shed a tear as I waved them goodbye.

16. Oct, 2021