Rudds in Spain on the Road to Morocco 2013

Continued from: In France on the Road to Spain 2013

Continued at: On the Road in Morocco 2013 

Brian and Patricia Rudd
January 2014 

Introduction 

Brian and Patricia left England in June 2013 for what became a 105-day motorhome journey. They travelled through France and Spain to Morocco. Following a 30-day tour of Morocco, they returned to England, again through Spain and Spain. They  give detailed information on their journey, including co-ordinates, on all the places they spent a night, specialising in finding informal places to camp.

You can find equally detailed accounts of three other motorhome journeys they have made in the Fellow Travellers feature on this website.

For more information, you can contact the Rudds at:

Day 38  Thursday 1st August 2013   SOD Temp 76 Deg F

Le Boulou - Near Spanish border   N 42 31.633  E 002 50.247

Awake 7 - 00 am, a quiet and peaceful night. The aire seems popular as a stopping place, convenience and just off the main road into Spain, I suppose. Otherwise, nothing else in Loo Beloo, as we have named it. I think it was a Spa town in it's heyday.

Had breakfast, then moved the van over to the cemetery gates, to top up some water. There is a tap behind the wall for cemetery watering. I spotted it yesterday on a stroll around.

Getting on our way we passed through Le Boulou on the D900. Heading to the Spanish border. Here we ran into crawling traffic which was caused by the border town of Le Perthus. which was teaming with people and cars. There must be some attraction here. A tax benefit town maybe ? We didn't stop to find out.

Spanish border crossed, we travelled what was now the E11. A quite boring, hot strip of a road. Welcome to Spain. We stopped at a small village just off the road, Medinya N 42 02.937  E 002 52.170. Parking under some trees we had a walk to find some bread. A little shop up the road did the job. One Pain, 1.40 Euros, lovely soft bread. Had dinner for an hour and then rolled onto the hot strip again.

First job was to check out Girona Airport, for dropping Pauline off tomorrow. Setting Satellite Simon, we found the entry and exit quite ok, so decided to check out our Aire for tonight.

The nearest Aires were over on the coast. Around twenty miles drive brought us to St Feliu de Guixols. A small packed Aire, with Chock and Satellite vans, seemingly set up for weeks, tables, chairs, awnings out taking parking places up. Overall it looked quite a little baking hell hole. A little Dutch guy tried to point out I could get the van in, but, no thanks, we'll look elsewhere.

Onto Platja D'Aro, a few miles down the road. Now for some quite inexplicable reason, the Aire parking has been blocked off and new signs have been put up along an entrance road, to point out motor home parking. Nothing on the Aire at all, just loads of empty hard standing, doing nothing but baking in the sun.

Anyway we got parked up on the road, quite a wide strip at the side of the road. Apart from continual passing traffic, not too bad I suppose.

Hot, hot, hot, so we just brewed, chatted, read and watched the world go by. Also got Paulines bags packed, weighed and ready to go for tomorrow.

Passing traffic kept driving over a grid in the gutter opposite where we were parked. Clang, clang. It needed a solution to quieten it down. An old red plastic chair did the trick, I just placed it on the grid, result, no clang clang.

The evening cooled down a little. We sat watching the world, Grouse birds running around in the park adjacent to us. A couple of live bands in the distant night, obvious by the snap of their snare drums which cut through the night. A fairground humming across the fields in front of us. None of this intrusive though.

The stars peeping out, just noticeable through the street lighting. Got down for a read and bed around 11 - 00 pm.

Day 39  Friday 2nd August 2013   SOD Temp 79 Deg F

Platja D'Aro     Spain      N 41 48.677  E 003 03.436

A reasonable nights sleep, saying we are parked on the side of the road. Someone moved the red plastic chair, it's now outside a van near us. They must be short of chairs. Turned the van around, so that the fridge and door side is in the shade. Well, the main job today, is to get Pauline on the big bird back home.

We also need a better scale map, so we called at a few markets, with no success. I popped into a paper shop, the guy spoke excellent English, no map but I got a Daily Mail, 2.20 Euros. Wrong move really, full of all the crap and tittle tattle, that unfortunately is consumed by most paper purchasers.

Looking at the Spanish magazine shelves, it seems that it is no different over here. Why do the majority of people have an obsession with so called personalities, film stars, television actors. The majority of them would be the most boring people you could meet, having seen some interviewed on tv.

Rant now over.

We decided to go for a ride to pass the day. Wrong move again. There are not many interesting places to visit around here. Wandering around, we got in a narrow street in one village, I had to do my shimmy, shimmy extraction and turn the van around to get out. We ended up having dinner parked by a football stadium, I didn't even get the name of the village.

We finished off parked in a suburb of Girona, alongside of a park. Probably the best spot we had seen all day. I put the chairs out, had a brew and a read of tittle tattle times. Pauline washed her hair.

From here it seemed a simple run to the airport, but Satellite Simon wasn't having any of that. We were all over the place. I'm sure it has lost the plot in Spain. After leading us a not so merry dance, my insistence that it was taking us everywhere but where we should be going, payed off and we finally got onto the road that we had checked out yesterday. What a shambolic short journey. A bit foreboding for our travels in Spain.

We parked in a little space I had spotted previously, just a few hundred metres from the drop off zone. Last minute luggage checks etc. then we dropped Pauline off, with Patricia to help at check in. I went and parked up at another little space nearby, gave them time to check in, then rolled around to pick up Patricia.

Job done, we then set off for Platja D'Aro, Satellite Simon again putting us on the wrong road. I had to insist we got to the right one. I'm getting a bit concerned, it is going skew whiffed, since arriving in Spain.

Back at Platja D'Aro, we entered through the main street where all the action seems to take place. Teaming with people, shops, restaurants etc. we passed the fun fair across the field from the Aire. I spotted a chip stall. Parking up, we walked back to get a cone of chips for supper, 3 - 00 Euros. Back at the van, chips and a beer. We got the chairs out, I had a couple of Bourbon and cokes in the evening cool. Two little girls from the next van were racing up and down on theirs scooters.

We watched for Paulines plane coming over out of Girona at 10 - 05, sure enough over it came heading NW. We watched it's blinking lights until they disappeared into the distant clouds. A quite appropriate end to the day. Locked up the van and got down for a read and sleep.

Day 40  Saturday 3rd August 2013   SOD Temp 77 Deg F

Platja D'Aro   Spain   N 41 48.677   E 003 03.436

A peaceful night, just a little passing traffic and voices. The sun is out again. Well we decided to stay on and have a reasonably lazy day. If you can call cleaning and organising storage etc. a lazy day. We lifted the carpets out. I rearranged and organised the rear garage, sorted and restored food we are carrying. This enabled me to move some things from the garage to the side storage bunkers. Rearranged the underfloor food storage also. We feel quite organised now.

The weather has been overcast most of the day, but still very hot and heavy. Some spots of rain at times, but it didn't break.

A text from Pauline now at home, Lily asking can she come down to see her. When she came down, Pauline showed her my picture with a plaster on my nose at Carcassonne. Lily kissed it and said it would now be better. Marc went football at Barnsley, our first match in the Championship league, we won 4 - 0. Not a bad start.

Spent a little time sat out and people watching, not a bad pastime. A Spanish van pulled in behind us and proceeded to eject seven people, father, mother and five children. In a Hymer van, no bigger than ours. It must get pretty warm in their when everyone is in.

A German family in front of us, have the trailer for bikes, motorbike and kitchen sink etc. A big guy, with his small wife / partner. She only looks like a little girl. They have three children with them. The children scootering up and down all day. The lady always acknowledges me, not a peep from him. We had similar at Duilhac a few days ago, with a French family.

Had lovely cool showers to clean up for tea. A simple pleasure, but lovely to wash away the dust and sweat of a hot day.

Had Steak, Potatoes, Carrots and Peas for tea. Followed by Peaches and Cream, lovely. Sat out for a while with candles burning and watched the evening sky change colour as the sun set. I got a few pictures.

Surprisingly, we don't have a lot of flies or mozzies, even though there is a small lake in front of us and wetland scrub behind us. Had a beer and a Bourbon.

Off to bed for an early night and let the night traffic lull us to sleep.

Day 41  Sunday 4th August 2013   SOD Temp 78 Deg F

Platja D'Aro   Spain  N 41 48.677  E 003 03.436

Awake early with the motor homers pest, the early morning horn honkers. Well as the old saying goes and never a truer word, "small things amuse small minds". There seemed to be quite a lot of traffic for Sunday morning, maybe a market setting up. Anyway, I dozed off again and woke around 9 - 00 am. Clear skies and sunny.

Had breakfast, then lifted the bikes out. I decided to go on a scouting mission to see if I can get a better scale map of Spain. I picked my way through all the beautiful people thronging the main strip.  Restaurants and the usual shops selling all the usual tourist tat. It was a good excercise for my bike handling skills, weaving in and out, reading body language which way will they turn.

I found a couple of shops, but no better scale maps than the one we have. I settled for a Sunday Times, picked up some tomatoes and a Baguette and headed back. Nice to be out rambling around on the bike.

Had some dinner and a read of the Sport section. Wigan Athletic are top of their league after the first match, it looks good anyway.

The gas ran out while we were having dinner, so that was the first job after dinner. The gas cylinder bunker was on the shady side of the van, so that helped, the heat was rising. I tried fitting the French 13 Kg bottle alongside the full English 13 Kg bottle, the French bottle is slightly smaller in diameter than the English one. The van specification says it takes two 13 Kg bottles, but it doesn't with English bottles. I decided to take it out again. It did go in, no trouble, but the gas pipes were touching the valve, which is not good. With movement of the van, we can get wear on them. So out it came and I put back the empty 6Kg bottle.

Got Patricia on the bike around the park just in front of us. She needs to build up confidence, breaking her arm, but not on the bike, hasn't done her any good at all. Anyway, she enjoyed being out on the bike again.

Had a Salmon salad for tea. Got washed up and decided to go for a walk among the beautiful people. We were still looking for a map, but no success, as per this morning. I bought 6 cans of San Miguel, I had run out of beer last night. We cut through from the busy street down to the beach, which was more our quiet kind of area and a lot nicer for a stroll. Maybe there are two types of stroller, one who wants to see and be seen, they go in the main street with all the bright lights and packed cafes and restaurants,  strutting around in their finery. Then there are those, who just want a quiet cool evening walk, no bright lights. We are in the second lot. The beach side was a nice atmosphere. A few musicians earning their crust. Toy sellers, selling the latest LED type toys, with bright lights, illuminated helicopter gyro toys, multi dot lazer type toys also. But it was not packed, lots of space for strolling and for the children to play. Quite a nice laid back atmosphere.

Getting back to the van, we sat out for a while with van windows open to cool it down a little. I had a beer and a Bourbon. It was around midnight when we got off to bed, just then, the van behind us decided to start up the engine. We also had a firework display from somewhere banging off for a while. And so the hot day ended. We are moving on tomorrow.

Day 42  Monday 5th August 2013   SOD Temp 72 Deg F

Platja D'Aro   Spain  N 41 48.677  E 003 03.436

A quiet and peaceful night. A little cooler this morning. Amazingly this morning there has been hardly any early morning traffic. Yesterday, Sunday, we had it, along with horn honkers from really early morning. We are moving on today, before we take root. We still need to find a better scale map, so that's a job also.

Had breakfast, then sorted toilet and water. Called at the local Lidl and stocked up. Then on our way.

C35 around Llagostera, to pick up the N11 and head south to get around Barcelona. The N11 is what I call a normal road, not closed in all along with steel, there are actually pull in places along the way. The names of places all sound very attractive, probably seen in holiday brochures, Pineda de Mar, Calella, Canet de Mar, Aremys de Mar, etc, etc.  All looking similar, tourist developments, not very attractive to be truthful. Well not to our eyes.

We stopped for dinner at Malgrat de Mar, on a small picnic pull in area. There was an R reg Herald motor home parked up. Had dinner, then I had a walk to chat with the Herald owner, who was sat on a picnic table in the shade reading. This turned out to be Dave and his " Spanish " dog Rita. Rescued from a dog rescue place. Dave was staying there for the night, on his way to his winter camp further south. He said he goes there every year. A bit early for winter I thought. He seemed to welcome the chat, quite talkative. He said he had travelled since he was forty, didn't believe in working etc. etc. I left, a little bit sceptical on his tale. Could be true, but I think embroidered a lot. I like to chat and maybe pick up travel snippets, places to stop, overnight etc. but I left with nothing of use. Good luck to Dave and his 500 DVD's.

Travelling on we passed around Barcelona, it wasn't raining, it absolutely poured last time we were there.

We thought to overnight on the coast South of Barcelona, but parking was at a premium everywhere. Mile after mile of tourist cars parked up for the beaches, burning bodies everywhere.

We hit a part of the coast where the road winds around the hills and hugs the sea, so leaving the tourists behind, but not the cars, a very busy road.

Another tourist mecca Sitges passed, not impressed. At Cubelles we decided to get in somewhere for the night. I spotted a Lidl and Carrefour, picking Carrefour, we tucked along a wall and settled down for the night. Pasta for tea, excellent, with peppers, olives, pesto. Just what was needed. A hot uninspiring day, trawling through the tourist jungles that have developed along this coast.

After tea studying the maps and sat nav, I noticed that the coast and beaches were just behind the place we were parked. So we went to explore if there was a nicer place to park. Bingo, we dropped onto a place overlooking the beach, there was another van already parked up. Tucked in, we had a stroll along the lovely palm tree lined front. The holiday apartments along the front were all low rise. From all we have seen today, it seems to be one of the better places. People still on the beach in the dark, people on the balconies dining. An excellent little place to find and end the day at. Peace descended.

Day 43 Tuesday 6th August 2013   SOD Temp 76 Deg F

Clot De Basso   Spain  ( near Cubelles ) Catalonia  N 41 11.826  E 001 39.521

A beautiful morning. I opened the van door and there was the beach and sea. People going onto the beach already, 8 - 00 am. The knackered knee brigade are out in force ( runners ), they seem to be coming past every minute. There must be a hell of a lot of people convinced that running is the thing to do, cheaper than a bike I suppose.

Well we thought of staying for a day, but decided to move on. Heading for the N340, we set off through the concrete jungle that is the Costa Brava. Around Torredembarra we came across a camp we had stayed at back in 1999, when we sailed to Spain, Santander and drove across country. We pulled in just to take a quick look, 30 Euros per night for the van alone, I didn't even register the price for us. Needless to say, we moved on. Through Tarragona, where we briefly saw the Amphitheatre that we had explored on a memorable baking hot day back in 1999. The roads around there looking very familiar.

At L'Hospital de L'Infant we pulled off to have some dinner. Parking in a new urbanisation, all the roads laid out and new small trees planted. Just a few houses had been built. We got a little shade from one small tree. There was a deep vibration and noise which was coming from somewhere, it turned out to be vibrator compacter on a building site just down the road. Luckily they knocked off for dinner and we had a nice quiet dinner.

Back onto the N340, which was busier with more trucks heading north, than we had seen since arriving in Spain. We arrived around the Ebro Delta. Pulling off at L'Ampola, we had a brief look at the landscape. Lots of flooded fields with what I presume was Rice growing. Irrigation channels, sluices and pumping stations. All on a very flat landscape. I believe it is interesting for bird watchers, we saw some beautiful pure white Herons, they seemed to be Herons. Also one wading bird, beautiful in flight, greenish tinge to feathers when stood, long legs and beak, I didn't recognize at all.

We soon decided that the area was too much like the Camargue, so turned around and headed back to the N340.

Sat Nav set for the Aire we were heading for, we eventually found it among fields and fields of orange groves. Quite a large commercial Aire, 8 Euros per night.

We soon parked up and were in brief conversation with Jim and Maureen. Geordies who had lived in Worksop, sold up shop and home and were now travelling.

Soon after another Brit couple rolled up Steve and Allison from South Wales. More Brits than we'd seen for days.

I tried out the Wi fi cleared mail etc. and saved some old pictures of my street in Wigan where I was born and lived until I was 24. Our Marc had mailed the links for me to look at. They brought back many memories.

Steak, sauteed potatoes, peas, followed by blue cheese and crackers for tea. We had looked at the menu on offer in the restaurant, but decided not to bother. If you eat in the restaurant you don't have to pay the 8 Euros fee. Our other Brits ate in there. I just had a walk in to check out Skype for tomorrow. I had to set a new password.

Had a beer and a couple of Bourbons sat out in the cool air. Steve and Allison had a brief chat on their way back from the bar. Steve a coach driver, they have a Burstner 747 / 748 not sure which, a bonny big double rear wheel van. We watched the old guy from the Aire closing the gate for the night. Watched the bats flying around.  Brief read of book and then down to sleep

Day 44 Wednesday 7th August 2013   SOD Temp 77 Deg F

Sant Jordi (from sat nav location ) Between San Raefeal Del Riu  and Alcanar on the  CV 11 road ( from Aires book )

N 40 34.505 E 000 23.587

Awake quite early with the cars on the road flying by, some at a fair old speed. Sky really cloudy and overcast this morning, unusual at the moment. We have a loud intrusive machine droning noise from somewhere. Hope it's not there all day. Nicky called for info to pay some bills. The noise has just stopped.

Patricia is having a wash day today. 5 Euros for the washing machine, so one load and the rest by hand. No washing lines to be put up, you have to use the one near the wash room. No problem, so I laid ours away, just after putting it up. It is still quite warm even though it is cloudy and overcast.

Steve and Allison from S Wales, left this morning heading for France, a brief chat, they said goodbyes to Jim and Maureen who they had spent quite some time with, then they were off.

Steve had noticed a tree branch scuff on the awning casing, I hadn't noticed it at all. Jim had some small ladders which I borrowed to clean it off, no damage done.

I used Wi fi to check out the goals scored by my team, Wigan Athletic, at weekend. They are on the Sky Sports website.

We got Skype up and running later in the afternoon. Chatted with Nicky for a while. He has now completed his HND and feels that is as far as he wants to go with studying and working. I can understand that.

Helena and Lily rushed back from Haigh Hall, where they had been having a good time on National Play Day. Lots of initiatives on, promoted by the Council locally. Lovely to see Lily, who was made up seeing us. She had been painting one of the models you can buy and was showing us her work. She now has a little "Pig Tail" in her hair. Hopefully we will be meeting up with them in a few weeks time, if they can arrange things.

Jim demonstrated the Snooper Sat Nav to me, a seven inch screen, low quality images, but quite a lot of extra information, like camp sites and Aires are on it. We had a sudden downpour of rain, which caused me to move quicker than I've moved for weeks, whipping all the table, chairs and mat away, just managed it before it hammered down.

Patricia did prawn stir fry, with noodles and spring rolls for tea. Excellent. The rain soon stopped. I went out to use the Wi fi to check out some camps for Helena. Chatted with the young Romanian girl who works on the Aire, she has been in Spain seven years, one year on this site. Her partner has no job she said, it's difficult to find work. An economic migrant. I always can sympathise with them, but there is always a question for me, of a displacement of local people who need jobs also. We have an enormous problem in the UK with the same thing.

 Chatted with Jim on the way, who was showing me another piece of software he has with Aires, stopovers, camping etc. He put it on a small USB hard drive and let me have a copy. I stored it on my laptop, returned his hard drive and gave him a bottle of Bordeaux Red for his kindness. Patricia had got back to doing some knitting now it was cooler. The heat has deterred her for a while, the mix of wooly cardigans and high temperatures not motivating.

Had a beer and a Bourbon and Coke, a read to end the night off.

Day 45 Thursday 8th August 2013   SOD Temp 68 Deg F

Sant Jordi Aire  N 40 34.522  E 000 23.590

Awake 7 - 40 am. Sun is peeping through, whispy clouds drifting over, but blue sky is peeping through. The thunder storm in the night must have cleared things up a little, it put some rain down and made some noise. Luckily it blew over and we could get back to sleep.

Today is moving on day. Jim and Maureen came around for a goodbye chat, they are heading up to the French border, eventually to            Brittany for a reunion with some friends. A good natter, got their e mail address and then they were off.

The Aire was now empty, except for ourselves and a German van, who had the herding syndrome and parked alongside us, when there was space everywhere. Got toilet, water sorted, all battened down and then off. A good stop off place, where we met some decent UK people, overall a good atmosphere at the place. Only negative was the traffic on the road passing it, they tend to speed past, creating quite a racket. But that's the only moan. Good spot for a few days rest.

Onto the CV 11 heading for Traiguera, where we tried driving in to look for bread. A quick decision and a change of plan when we hit narrow streets. Oh, oh, not getting into this, quick reverse, turn around and out.

On to the C232 road, marked on the map as a scenic route. Which it proved to be, but not much for me, the driver, as we climbed and twisted and turned our way to around 3,500 feet, stopping at the top, alongside a goat herder, with all his goats that had tinkling bells on. Quite a contrast to the concrete strips and lifestyle we had seen along the coast. A couple of miles further on we reached Morella, chosen from the brief write up in the Aires book. Quite a distinctive looking hill town. Just as we rolled in, there was a new Spar shop, lovely, just what was needed. Got bread, also some fish to try later. We never cook fish in the van to minimise smells. But we thought to try it on the barbecue.

We found the Aire quite easily, just off the main road through. Parked up, had dinner and decided to have a quiet afternoon reading and watching the world go by. We would go into Morella tomorrow.

The Aires book says it's a seven minute walk into Morella. Now I have a theory, that these times are estimated by people, who operate on amphetamines and rocket fuel. I now take absolutely no notice at all of them. It's a decent walk and with time to stop and smell the flowers a lot more than seven minutes.

A lazy afternoon, a read, a gentle stroll around the Aire surroundings, passed the afternoon.

Had showers to clean up. Set up the barbie and did the fish, which we were not sure of the type, but it wasn't the best, rather jelly like in consistency. Not a success, but we will try other types.

The wind started picking up to be quite gusty, it had been blowing all afternoon. I decided to pop the stabilizers out. These have not been used for years, so needed a clean also, a little bit more stable after.

A couple of Brit vans came in and spent half an hour deciding where they were going to park up, the satellite shuffle without satellite dishes. The village was lit up later across the fields on the hill. An early night and off to bed.

Day 46 Friday 9th August 2013   SOD Temp 59 Deg F

Morella   N 40 37.432  W 000 05.464

A beautiful blue sky, sunny but rather cool at 59 Deg F, we are at 3,140 ft., a little higher than on the coast. Not a good nights sleep, went to sleep, woke up and that was it for the rest of the night. Quite cool, maybe that was why.

Brit vans moved off, seems two were travelling together. No contact at all, just a brief wave from one of the ladies this morning, unsociable obviously.

Had breakfast and then had a drive to see if we could park the van a little closer to town. We parked it on the road just down the hill from the main gate. Had a walk in through the main gate, popped into the tourist office. We came away with a map of the town done in English. Had a brief walk along the main street, but it was getting near dinner time, so we bought a loaf, also a small cake to try for dinner. Quite a few shops were selling similar shaped small cakes, they seem to be a local delicacy. Moved the van and parked underneath the aquaduct, which we had passed on the way in.

While having dinner, two young lads came and parked behind us, then proceeded to do some work with brushes, on a corrugated shed on wheels, that was parked near us. Ten minutes, then they were off. The shed looks like a rough serving stall for a market, all made from corrugated sheet steel.

Finished dinner then walked back up the hill into town. Walked up to the church, which has quite an ornate front door. Walking in the small door at the side, we were met with a charging kiosk. A charge to see the church, tied in with other things, museum, castle, I think. Well we were not visiting the museum or castle so declined the offer and came out. I do feel that quite a few people would be pressurised into paying, with the situation where the kiosk was. Sorry, but not us.

Walked down to look around Jew Street, a quarter with narrow streets. Maybe named from old times, when it probably was a Jewish quarter.

A few shops along the street aiming at the tourist trade, but I didn't feel it was too much. Some nice deli type shops. We generally don't buy much from places we visit. Just came away with a white necklace of flat beads, 3 Euros. A birthday present.

We had a party of people commenting about us as we walked up the main street. Heads suddenly turning to look at us, so something was obviously said. So I gave them all the royal wave, which seemed to embarrass them. Job done, we walked on.

A nice couple of hours rambling around and taking some photographs of a place which seemed a million miles away from the concrete costas.

Back to the van, drove back to the Aire, only one old Spanish van on. Got tea on, Steak, onions, mushrooms, peas, carrots, potatoes, Patricia does some awful meals !!!! Ah ah. Lovely, just what was needed.  A couple of vans rolled in later.

Tricia had a read, I had a beer and a Bourbon and coke and watched the night descend over Morella. I got a couple of silhouette photographs of the trees on the Aire. The lights switched on at 9 - 45 pm. We decided to get off to bed early, I was ready for sleep after not having much last night.

Day 47 Saturday 10th August 2013   SOD Temp 68 Deg F

Morella   N 40 37.432  W 000 05.464

Awake 8 - 00 am, sunny again. A good nights sleep, it was needed after the previous nights bad sleep. After reading an article by Andy Stothert in the MMM magazine, I decided to have a ride and look at Albarracin.

We had breakfast. I then sorted the toilet while being invaded by small ants, pouring all over the service point.

Getting on the C232, we headed off over the Puerto Torre Miro, peaking at 1250 metres. Stopped at Monroyo for diesel, Patricia also popped into a small shop, through the living room, into the shop, where several local old ladies were nattering away, to buy some tomatoes for dinner.

The region now became Arragon, famous for Katherine of Henry the eighth fame. We saw a sign for a Sanctuary, which looked like a church, so pulled off the road to take a look. A lovely old building which had fallen into neglect. Some restoration seemed to have been done. The fields around it had been cut for hay. A small picnic area, with large barbecue huts was at the same stop. A project on hold it seems, along with the road building on the way, which was also on hold. All along the way there was excavations, concrete bridges ready for roads, all abandoned, not a truck or digger anywhere. A good sign of what the EU does for a country.

Heading towards Alcaniz, we then turned off onto the C211 heading for Alcorisa where we pulled over at a small restaurant, petrol station, truck stop place. The sun blazing down on a dusty, hot, windblown setting. The hard standing was a dazzling white dusty place, painful to the eyes without sunglasses.

I washed and sterilised the tomatoes for dinner, who knows what life form had been roaming on them. An excercise we do with all fruit and veg. Several cars pulled up at the restaurant, we could smell cooking fish.

Had some dinner and set off again. Gargallo, Montalbin, Vivel del Rio Martin, Banon, all passed under our wheels, along with lots of other small, hot sleepy, no humans in site places.

The scenery we were driving through offered everything, desert, rolling hills, cultivation, scrub, trees, deserted Fincas, deserted churches, rocks of all hues, pink, cream, gold, red, incredible layered hills showing off millions of years of erosion. All baking under the relentless hot sun. Not many humans to be seen, we saw four in all actually working in the fields.

The deserted Fincas and churches are probably demonstrating the changing face of Spain.

Near Caminreal we turned onto the A23, a very good road heading south towards Teruel. Pulling off this at Santa Eulalia and getting onto the C234.

We pulled into a small deserted village, where I got some photographs, then onto Cella, then into the hills along a lovely tree covered valley, alongside a stream, to Albarracin.

We went to have a look at the local  campsite, 15.5 Euros per night for a pitch, where I would have been struggling to get the van in. It looked a pretty dismal crowded place, sorry Andy Stothert, not our type of camp site. We decided to get out and see what the local area offered for free camping. Just down the road we spotted a new urbanisation development, roads laid out, with only three houses on it. Parking on a large island, we settled for a brew. I got out the laptop and installed the software Geordie Jim had given me. Ah well, we had noticed a guy at his new house eyeing us up, soon enough a policeman came with a young lady who spoke English, explaining we couldn't  park there, but there was parking across the field that we could use. No problem, let's keep the locals happy. It turned out to be nice and quiet, with lots of space and a fossil museum adjacent to us. There are rocks on stands outside, explaining the different ages of local rock, lots with fossils in them.

We got parked up, had pasta for tea, all settled. A couple of cars came to a football pitch just around the corner, but otherwise all quiet. We sat on a bench across the road and watched the moon and venus in the western sky over the hills.  Back to the van for a read and hopefully a quiet night.

Day 48 Sunday 11th August 2013   SOD Temp 60 Deg F

Albarracin   N 40 24.529  W 001 25.620    elevation 3,786 feet

Awake with the alarm, not a good nights sleep again. Dogs, dogs and more dogs. Albarracin, the valley of the dogs. Barking all night long, what a cacaphony. Result, an awful nights sleep. It's the first time on this trip that we've noticed any number of dogs. But Albarracin certainly made up for it.

Quite chilly this morning, before the sun appears over the near hills. Had breakfast, then I got the bike out and went hunting around the village. The area I went around seems to be " new " Albarracin. We found that the most interesting part is the old part of the town.

Cycling around, I found the large parking area near the centre of town. We had looked at this, but the entrance made the area look rather tight. But I found that it was a large area, lots of parking, so we moved the van up to there for the day. Lots of cars arriving with families obviously visiting for the day. The car park is free, but signs against motor homes parking between 10 -00 pm and 8 - 00 am were up, so our thought of staying there for the night were soon knocked on the head. There are also limitations on Wednesday, obviously market day.

We had a little stroll around the new part of town. Called into the Supermercado, a local corner shop. We bought some tomatoes, yoghurts and nectarines. We also popped into a shop across the street that sold bread, but the bread was all open to flies and any other life form that wants to dump on it, so we didn't bother buying. Strolling around the little streets, we came across two older ladies with a little girl, about ten months old. They were obviously minding the child for the mother. The little girl had pierced ear rings in each ear. We had a little chat and got a photograph with Patricia.

Back to the van for dinner, the left over cold pasta from last nights tea, delicious cold.

We then decided to let the old sun cool a little before heading for the old town, which is just around a corner and up the hill. Patricia had a read sat in the shade, while I wandered around the car park area. The area has had European funding spent on it, the usual obligatory signs were up. But again, it seems that it is not finished. A walk near the car park has wooden signs along the way with the names of the plants there, in Spanish and the Latin classification name. All a good idea, but not finished and now rather neglected. The river runs alongside the walk, just over a small wall, alongside the local allotments.

Feeling that the sun had passed its hottest, we headed for the old town. Out of the car park entrance, across the road and up the hill. Well what a revelation. The old town is a beautiful place to walk around. Narrow medieval type cobbled streets, little alleyways, steps up to another street which revealed more delights.

Walking into the old town, there is a steep cobbled hill to ascend, before getting into the streets where there is some shade. First thing we noticed was a blue fronted building that Andy Stothert had photographed and used in his MMM article. Onwards and upwards. I was interested to see were Andy had taken his overall view of the town, an excellent photograph. We found the viewing point, up near the moorish battlements which run up the hill. A group of young Spanish hikers were all resting in the shade. Not the easiest country for hiking with rucksacks, I would think.

Wandering around is the thing to do. There is a lovely small piazza, with arches and balconies and an arched viewing point. The Cathedral was closed, renovation being done, what a shame. Apparently, the village name is Moorish, according to the lady in the tourist information shop. The fortifications are Moorish style.

I do feel that Andy Stothert hit the nail on the head, it really is a quite lovely place to visit. There seems to have been quite a lot of renovation of the local building done. All seemed to be newly rendered with pinkish red mortar. Some were still really dilapidated though. It did sniff of a European development project, on a preservation of cultural and tourist areas. But a parting word is that it really is a place to visit.

Back to the van and drive to our over night spot at the dinosaur museum. Reading and letting the evening cool down. Beef Stir fry for tea, with spring rolls, excellent. It cools a lot when the sun dips over the hill, a welcome relief after the heat of the day. All quiet when the traffic for the dinosaur museum has gone, it closed around 8 - 00 pm. Quite a popular place it seems with young ones.

A nice hour reading and cooling sat outside the van, until the fading light made it difficult to read and said it's time to head indoors.

What an excellent day in an excellent small town, not too touristy at the moment. What a contrast to the trash developments along the coast. New moon shining crystal clear over the hill again, accompanying Venus.

Day 49  Monday 12th August 2013   SOD Temp 68 Deg F

Albarracin   N 40 24.529  W 001 25.620   elevation 3,786 feet

Awake with the 7 - 00 am alarm. A decent nights sleep, but the dogs were at it again. There must be a dog kennel, or some eccentric with a hundred dogs locally, just over the hill it all comes from. It would be an ideal overnight stop except for the dogs.

Had breakfast as the sun rose over the nearby hill, it soon starts warming up. Decided to head for Cuenca this morning, it is marked on the map as a world heritage site, so let's have a look.

Now the map book we are using, I have mentioned that we are looking for a better one, proved today why we need a better one.

Picking the route out, Frias de Albarracin, Villar del Cobo, Guadalaviar, Huelamo, La Toba etc.  All went well, we travelled out to Frias de Albarracin along a beautiful road that followed a river which remained unseen, then over Monte Casa Verde 5,100 ft.  Lovely scenery to Villar del Cobo, then over El Portillo 1790 Metres, around 6,000 ft,  this seemed to have three names at the top, depending on which way you were travelling. El Portillo seemed the newest sign. This got us to Guardalaviar, where we seemed to run out of any road signs and satellite Simon didn't offer much help. Making a decision we headed through the village, oh, oh, narrow street, probably the narrowest I have ever had to get the van through, opened up into a little square. A local lad sat there surveying the scene, seemed to indicate going back the way we came. Getting out of the square, again an exercise in van control, we got onto a good road at the other side of the village. I was tempted to head along this newly laid out road, but stopped again for a Sat nav check, which was telling us to head back over the mountain. Biting the bullet, that's what we did. Discovering when we got over the mountain that the road map puts Guardalaviar nowhere near where it actually is. Not on the route to Cuenca, but over a mountain and miles away. Philosophically we accepted it as a learner. We stopped on a good pull in place and had dinner.

This place was busy with grasshoppers or crickets, not sure which, but they were jumping everywhere as you walked through the grass. They did look like small crickets.

Heading onwards, we had seen signs for Cuidad Encantada, some rock formations to view, signed from more than 30 km away. I had thought of having a look, so we headed for there.

Pulling in I popped over to the entry sign, thinking someone is charging here, sure enough 3 Euros each. Making the decision, did we want to pay 3 Euros to walk around some rock formation, when we have seen some quite spectacular scenery on the drive for free, the decision was, we'll not bother. Driving out of the dustbowl parking area we headed back 6 km along  the newly laid tourist road, to the main road to Cuenca.

Just as we hit the junction, there was a car stopped and in trouble, we pulled over. They needed water, so out came a bottle, filled it up from the tank and they topped up the radiator which was red hot. Problem was, it was leaking onto the road. A major problem for them, a family of five. I asked if they lived local, we could have run them home, but they lived around 100 km away, a little too far to detour. We left them to call a garage.

Down the road we stopped at Ventane del Diablo, the Devils Window, a beautiful viewing spot, a brief look and onwards. Stopping at a garage, to fill up with what we found later to be very cloudy water.

In Cuenca, we called at Aldi for a big shop, also popped into another one close by.

We had hoped to maybe overnight, but big steel gates indicated that wasn't on. Luckily rolling up the road about 500 metres, we discovered a beautiful flat development with outdoor swimming pool and large parking places all empty. Just what we needed.

Having tea, we decided to check out possible parking near the old town ready for morning. A successful trip found it, just near the old city.

Back to our overnight spot, we watched an incredible lightning display in the distance, a little rain came but not much. All was quiet, reading and then off to bed, then all hell broke loose. Always timed as your just dozing off. All the local children came walking past the van, laughing, shouting, not sure where they were going, there are only fields up the hill. They all came back after about ten minutes, slowly dispersed and all was quiet. Ah well, we'll try for sleep again

Day 50 Tuesday 13th August 2013   SOD Temp 72 Deg F

Cuenca   Spain  N 40 04.864  W 002 09.063

A quiet nights sleep, after the local children had all gone home. Weather quite cloudy this morning. Had breakfast and then set off for the parking place we had visited last night. The run in last night made it easier to negotiate the city traffic, which wasn't too busy. Arriving at the car park, I went down the steps to the underground part where I had seen a ticket machine last night. There was now a young guy in the adjacent office selling tickets. Just over 9 Euros for five hours parking, time enough for us to have a good look around the old city.

We parked up and sorted out and then set off to walk into the old part of the city. I joked that this trip is going to be called the trip of the big brews. Not the drinking brews, but the big hill brews. Here was another one.

Slowly ascending the road up, the views of the situation of the old city became more spectacular. A beautiful location and an amazing place to build a town.

The road we walked in, entered the town by a very low squared off archway. This opened up immediately into a large square dominated by the Cathedral. Up the steps and into the Cathedral, 3 Euros for me, the old guy, 3.8 Euros for Patricia, the young lady. We also received joy stick like playback devices, enter your location number and it comments in English, excellent.

I tend not to use these at every point, I feel that they give information overload, there is no way it can all be retained. So I just pop it on occasionally, for a little information when I come across something interesting. The point is, on this occasion the most interesting thing I came across was a three dimensional large scale representation of Jesus and his 12 disciples, possible last supper representation. No information on it at all. I have visited lots of churches but never seen anything like this. It was mounted on a platform which raised it above eye level, a pity really because it was excellent and intriguing. All the disciples faces looking kind and normal, but one, with his back to Jesus, his face looking hard with a bit of evil in it. Judas maybe ?

Strolling around the town, I did feel a little disappointed. The location of the town is interesting, but the streets and ambience of the place did nothing for me. Not a lot of people around, so it wasn't tourist overkill. I think Albarracin had raised my levels of expectation. Cuenca didn't meet it I'm afraid. Although Patricia gave it a better score than me 7.5 out of 10, I gave it 5 out of 10. Compare to Albarracin scoring 9.5 out of 10 from us both. Ah well if you don't go, you don't know.

Charlie called us for a brief chat on the telephone. Back to the van, we had over an hour for dinner.

We decided to move on from Cuenca, we had originally decided to stay over night. But we now decided to head for Jalance, where there is an Aire. Getting on the N320, we had the road practically to ourselves. Near El Peral switching onto the A3 a good two lane motorway, heading towards Valencia.

What is amazing is the infrastructure that you see when travelling Spain, all new and having cost billions of Euros. Practically Parallel with the motorway is the railway, all shiny and new, steelwork gleaming, rail support hardcore clean and new, bridges and viaducts all new concrete, it all looked like it had just been unboxed. The motorway also, maybe that is why they needed bailing out by the EU.

Leaving the A3 near Requena, we got onto the N330 heading south to Jalance. Again, nothing on the road but us. We started getting into stunning scenery again, finally on a long "Gusdown" i.e. downhill run, there was a Power Station in the distance, which turned out to be again, a brand spanking new place, with excellent roads and flyovers, built on the run in to it. All new, because the road didn't even register on the sat nav, we were flying in thin air.  Just two miles down the road we found our Aire at Jalance, alongside a restaurant with a swimmimg pool. O.k. for us for a layup and chill for a while. I dumped the water we had picked up yesterday, it was very cloudy. Sterilised the bottles and refilled. I will empty the tank tomorrow. Dumped the remainder of the fish we had bought at Morella, it wasn't very nice.

Garlic fried chicken, with rice and salad for tea. I had a beer and a Bourbon and Coke later. A quiet evening reading, just what was needed.

Day 51 Wednesday 14th August 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Jalance  Spain   N 39 11.251  W 001 04.573

A good nights sleep after the restaurant noise died down. Road noise also died down on the main road passing the Aire. While writing the diary, the Spanish van parked alongside us has come to life, we didn't see any life yesterday. They have a disabled young guy around forty, strapped in the front seat in the sun, they are all jabbering away in the back. He looks uncomfortable.

Nothing much on the agenda today, just a lazy day. I got one of the bikes out and went for a ride around the village. Called into the Panadir for bread. A crispy on the outside, very light and fluffy on the inside kind of baguette. Very different in texture to a French baguette.

While in the village, it was obvious that some celebration was going to take place. Flags out, tables in the street, paintings on the roads and on the pavements. A fiesta tonight. I asked a young guy what it was about, he said the band will march down the main street at ten o clock tonight. Not sure what it celebrates but we'll have a look later. Tricia had a chair outside in the shade for a read.

One job to do was empty and replace the tank water we had picked up on the way to Ceuta. The water we had stored in bottles looked like  "Duggy Water " a local river in Wigan, which to be fair is quite clean now, but was notoriously polluted regularly by a local dye works years ago. Hence the description. It really was cloudy and muddy. But we hadn't noticed it at all when filling. So I  pumped the tank out, added some water treatment and refilled. The local water looks quite clear.

 I popped on the bike again to have a look up the road, where we had seen several young ladies walking last night, with costumes in their bags. There was not much up there, a new petrol station not yet opened, graveyard, rubbish tip, some industrial units, a very picturesque ride. So it was still a mystery what they were doing.

Had showers late afternoon, lovely and cooling. I cut my thumb taking the drain fitting out for cleaning, lovely contrast red on white shower, a bit of Psycho.

Had omelletes for tea, a nice simple enjoyable meal. We hadn't had for a while. We walked up to the village to check out the fiesta. The street was decked out with lights, people sat out eating and drinking. We walked the length of the street, it was blocked off at the other end. At one corner of the street there is a Gaudi type tiled seating area, with music inlaid in the small tiles, a little fountain running in the corner. A lovely little seating area, where we got chatting to a group of people, especially an older lady called Maria Piera, with her family. She was explaining in quite good English, that they have chosen the new, most beautiful young teenage girl in the village, also a girl child, they were being newly crowned tonight.

The band made it's entrance and everyone marched up and down the street, the crowd getting bigger at each turn at the end of the street. Quite a bit of fun and nice to see. I got some video recording on my Samsung phone.

Walking back to the van, all was quiet and peaceful, what a contrast. I had a couple of beers and a Bourbon and coke to end the night, which was still very warm. Getting off to bed for an expected quiet nights sleep, some of the locals decided to now congregate at the restaurant nearby, PA system blasting. That was it until 8-00 o clock the following morning. No sleep at all.

Day 52  15th August 2013   SOD Temp 76 Deg F   My birthday

Jalance  Spain N 39 11.251  W 001 04.573

Well a night without sleep, what a start to a birthday.The locals have been celebrating the local Fiesta. Boy do they make a night of it, the last stragglers leaving around eight o clock. I must protest here that Spanish music has undergone a terrible change. We have been blasted with the most moronic, repetitive, shed building, bang bang all night. No melody at all.

Pauline just called to wish me a happy birthday. Explaining what happened with Aunt Sally dying. Marc, Helena and Lily called, lovely to hear them all.

Well we've got the usual leaving jobs done, toilet, water, brush out etc. We hadn't moved from our place for more than two minutes, when a locals car had parked there. Despite large notices explaining that it is an Aire, they still block any motor homes getting in, we were lucky I think.

 Jalance gave us a couple of reasonably quiet days, excepting last night. The village is quite nice, we didn't go up to the castle.

Getting back on the N339 we headed South. I had been looking at Geordie Jims software showing Aires, parking and camps. I headed for a spot called Camper Parking Portichuel. Just mainly to check out, if it gave decent sat nav locations, also to maybe find a new off the beaten track place.

Jarafuel, Teresa de Cofrentes, Ayora, Almansa all passed under our wheels on a very good road. From Almansa we headed down the CV3220 then CV426 to Yecla. I pulled over to take a call from Nicky, all well, he was wishing me a happy birthday.

 Again an excellent road, with only us on it. An occasional car passed going each way, but driving for miles without seeing any vehicles at all.

Pulling into Yecla, we decided it was dinner time, so I found a little shade under some pine trees near the local school. Here I diverge into imaginary stuff. If you needed a town to use as a model for a Sci Fi, remote, deserted, wiped out and now populated by a few aliens, then Yecla fits the bill. Wide newly built streets, no cars parked on them, security gates, intercoms. A weird place. Patricia remarked “there's no way I would like to stop here for a night”. Setting the sat nav for a Repsol petrol station to fill with diesel, the sat nav was heading us to a station, when we passed one on the way, so I pulled into that. The guy who filled up also looked rather alien, quite a nice guy, he had me puzzled with his Spanish, but ok. Got filled up and left a weird empty town.

Not far rout of Yecla about, seven miles, we found the Portichuel location, just off the main CV426. I parked up and walked in to survey the situation, the sun blazing hot. It didn't seem too far walking out, but a long way walking back. Is this Alien thing getting to me ?

Anyway, it was a small farm located down a dusty road, when I got within viewing distance it seemed deserted again, no life indications, no car parked. I thought, no we're not staying here, too remote. I thought about Monseiur Marchant in France and his place. ( a long story in our other diaries ) and decided to head on down the road.

Patricia was well prepared for my decision when I got back, she had an Aire already spotted in the book. Off to Ibi.

When we get back to the UK, we will now be able to explain why Spain needed a bailout from the EU. All the money has been spent on roads. We have been on lots of absolutely new roads and infrastructure going nowhere, that you could argue was of national importance. Here again, we were on immaculate new roads, all alone no other traffic. Ok the siesta plays it's part, but I'm sure it doesn't wipe everything off the roads.

I just wish some of the people in England who remark to us that they could never drive on the wrong side of the road, could get on these roads. They would see what a nightmare the UK really is for driving.

Arriving at Ibi the Aire is rather spartan, white dusty chippings, surrounded by conifers. The tap is broken and the emptying point looks bunged up, but it's home for tonight.

The path down the side of the Aire is used as a dog toilet, quite disgusting. I've never seen so much accumulated dog crap. It doesn't reflect well on the locals I'm afraid, if they can't see how disgusting it is.

Parked up, seats out, cooled off in the shade. Another van pulled in and left. Had my birthday tea, a beer, a read in the now cool evening, then off to bed for some catch up sleep.

Day 53 Friday 16th August 2013   SOD Temp 68 Deg F

Ibi  Spain  North of Alicante  N 38 37.317  W 000 33.995   Aire

Awake fully 8 - 30 am, local dogs cracked off early, but I managed to doze off again. The sun is shining again. Well just what was needed after the previous night, a lovely quiet and peaceful night. Patricia hasn't slept well for four nights, so she welcomed it even more.

The local dog walkers streamed past while we were having breakfast, hence all the dog crap nearby. No one else on the Aire, which has an unused and dilapidated feel about it, shame really.

Had breakfast and then left to find the Lidl, but decided to give it a miss and get on our way. We did notice the outdoor exercise area mentioned in the Aires book. But it was just a stopover place, so we didn't see much of the town, which didn't look too inviting.

Onto the A7 past Castalla, all the way down to Alicante, a built up big resort. The good thing about big towns is they are usually well equipped with Supermarkets. Lidl and Mercadillo side by side, so we pulled in, stocked up and onwards. Onto the N332 heading in the direction of Santa Pola.

We saw a large accumulation of motor homes on the beach just south of Alicante, it looked a disorganised sun trap. We headed on.

We pulled into an urbanisation to have some dinner, walled villas all around with security notices on the gates. It was quiet and we got some lovely shade under a large tree hanging over from one villa, which seemed all locked up. I presume they are empty most of the time, there certainly was hardly any traffic or movement while we were there. You could see the aeroplanes taking off at the airport from here, so it was nice and near for the commuter holidaymaker.

Seven miles down the road we found our Aire. A commercial site run by a guy called David. He wasn't Welsh, but Argentinian. The enemy he joked. He has been renting the land for two years and runs the Aire business, a nice living he says.

The place is a nice neat and tidy commercial Aire, a few vans in residency, but nowhere near full.

An English couple who turned out to be Phil and Lynn when I got speaking to them later, were parked just across from us. They are here for six weeks, beach and sun are their delights. Beach 15 minutes on the bike they said, although a bumpy path.

We got settled in, only 5 amp electric, so no kettle, too big the wattage. Set up the small electric ring outside, also the slow cooker, to utilise the hook up, also the fan to give Patricia some breeze. We have wi fi also, so I cleared mail, checked Facebook and Twitter for updates on friends etc.

Got Skype set up and chatted with Marc, Helena and Lily. Hopefully they will be out here in two weeks.

I did Pork chops and mushrooms outside while browsing the local English paper that Phil had given me. Patricia did sautee potatoes and salad inside on the gas.

Tried a few local English speaking radio stations that Phil had mentioned, but settled for Radio two and Talk Sport on wi fi, much better. Radio two played Pretty Little Polly Perkins, by the Cliff Adam singers who used to do Sing Something Simple on Sundays in England. It brought back memories of when I first met Patricia, visiting her grandma, mother Farrimond, they always had it on the radio on Sunday.

Washed up,  lit some mozzie candles, then sat outside and let the evening fall. Had a couple of beers and a Bourbon and Coke. Impressed with how the site was quiet, we thought everyone had gone to bed, but when I looked, people were still sat out, also washing up, eleven o-clock by this time. No mozzies we could determine.

Day 54 Saturday 17th August 2013   SOD Temp 79 Deg F

Camper Park San Fulgencio  S of Alicante  N 38 07.226  W 000 39.578

This is in the Aires book for Spain as La Marina 1

Well a lovely peaceful nights sleep. We were told there is a market close by this morning, but we didn't hear much. Had breakfast and then had a walk to the market, which was only about 100 yards away. Clothes, shoes, sunglasses, mobile phone fittings, were popular items on sale. Fruit and vegetables were a good price. The thing about the market was, that we heard more English people than anywhere we had been in Spain. Stall holders also were English. We bought, tomatoes 50 cents per Kg, 3 melons 1 Euro, Strawberries half a Kg 3 Euros. Patricia bought a big thick doorstopper book for 2 Euros. An English guy had the stall, selling all English books. I bought a 3 Euro pendant, mainly for the thong part, which I wanted for my health dog tags. These have medical information written on them. We always wear them when travelling.

We had a look at electric kettles and clothes irons, looking for low wattage ones. We need to reduce the wattage of the ones we have, not much use on 5 amp hookups, which are what we have at the moment. But it is a problem we have had before, so it needs addressing. We bought a rotisserie chicken on the way back, 7 Euros.

Walking back, we popped into a large import warehouse, to see if they stocked the Spanish Butane bottle fitting. Again, these were English people. They in fact told us if they had to rely on Spanish custom, they would close down. Anyway, no luck with the fitting, visit a Fereteria they advised.

Had some dinner then sorted washing stuff out for Patricia, we were looking to get some washing done while resident here. Patricia all equipped and sorted, I then went to explore on the bike. Mainly for a bank and a Fereteria. I headed for what we have now been told is called " The Urb ". This is an urbanisation built 500 Metres down the road from the camp. It is your typical Spanish villa development, all the signs and advertisements were in English. I asked a couple walking by, for a bank or cash point, they directed me to their bank. They were Irish, over here for a month. I found the Fereteria, who was closed. I then found the bank, it was also closed and even better, it had no cash point.

Riding around this little square at the bank, all the shops, cafes, restaurants, dental practice were signed in English.

It does seem like we have hit expat country. Move to another country, but take England with you. Quite amazing really.

Patricia had got into the washing when I got back, using the machines and also hand washing. I put up a line across the rear of the van, out of site, on the camp site hedge, also the small maiden to dry some.

I also noticed that David, the site owner, had eight Propane bottles in a line all fitted with the gas fitting that I was looking for. Maybe he sells them, I'll see.

Had football scores on a local English station, Wigan lost at Bournemouth 1 - 0. Sent some piccies by Whatsapp to Pauline, also a little update. Chatted with Phil and Lynn from Bournemouth, his team had won at football. He delighted in telling us gossip about the camp. Who had been on and gone. Horror stories to deter anyone from travelling. Making Spain seem like an awful place to travel. They book the site for long stays, this time for two months they said. But they will be using another site down the road next time, they feel it will be better for them

Had half of the chicken for tea. We then utilised the immaculate showers to take a long cooling shower to round off the day.

There is a large Dethleffs van nearby, that is shrouded all over the front, it looks weird. It seems they sit inside all day with the air conditioning running, rarely venturing out. What's the point ?

Day 55 Sunday 18th August 2013   SOD Temp 78 Deg F

Camper Park San Fulgencio  S of Alicante  N 38 07.226  W 000  39.578

Awake 8-30 am, a decent nights sleep, except for being awakened by our Spanish neighbours, who were still out talking loudly at 3-50 am, they went inside around 4-00 am. Don't you just love considerate people. Why do they think that everyone wants to hear what they are babbling about. One good thing about motor homing is you can leave them behind eventually.

Breakfast and a lazy start to the day. We even had Brian Mathews with Sound of the Sixties on my Samsung phone with the wi fi.

Patricia was keen on getting some more washing done today, so that was the focus. That sorted and underway, Patricia used the special clothes washing sinks on the rear of the toilet and shower building. The washing lines are hung around there also.

 I had a chat with David the camp owner about Spanish gas cylinders and connections, he does get confused, but it was a worthwhile chat. His gas was 50 Euros for 11kg of Propane, a bit steep I thought so I left it at that. He also has an old cylinder he wants to cut in half for a barbecue. The problem is taking the top off before cutting it. He said it's a three man job, two to hold the cylinder from turning and one to unscrew the top. So I advised him how to use a steel bar, which he had and the door frame to stop rotation, then he could unscrew the top. It seemed like a revelation to him, he was quite pleased, don't think I'll get any discount though.

I used some time to send out update mails on our mailing list. Also I got notifications of Facebook entries of family and friends, so I had a browse through those also.

I had another chat with Phil and Lynne, who had also been kept awake with our French neighbor. They had been out on their bikes. They have spent quite some time around here so know the ins and outs of local places and stopovers. Got some snippets of info for further south.

Chicken, chips and salad for tea. Oven chips a success from the frying pan, with minimum spray oil.

I've named the air conditioned Dethleffs, "The Tardis". It has been shut up all day, the air conditioning chugging away. I think David will be on a loser at 3 Euros a day with them, it runs night and day 24 hours. A real weird way of motor homing.

Had showers again in the evening cool, lovely. I was just coming out of the showers and stood enjoying the quiet cool of the evening, surveying the scene. When The Tardis openened and the guy came out. I said "hello", he gave an indistinguishable grunt and walked by. Maybe the Aliens are with us and passing off as humans, one of my long running theories. We have some at home in England, quite a few are Politicians. Totally from another planet, I would suggest.

Had a couple of beers, while Patricia showered. We sat out for a while in the cool evening, the sunset hadn't been as spectacular as last nights though. Off to bed with a Bourbon and Kindle. I am reading an old book about two American students in the late 1800's, who cycled across Asia to China, quite an amazing story. They are presently scaling Mount Ararat in Turkey.

Myself and Patricia have concluded, that we would lose the plot altogether, if we stayed on any of these sites for a couple of months. We need to move tomorrow.

Day 56 Monday 19th August 2013  SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Camper Park San Fulgencio   S of Alicante  N 38 07.226   W 000 39.578

Alarm on for 7-00 am, peaceful night, no noise from our French neighbor. Apparently, Lynn from Bournemouth said, that he had visitors the night before when we had all the noise.

Had breakfast and sorted the van for leaving, toilet, water, sweep the carpets etc. I went to pay David for the weekend. Now why did I expect a difference in his calculation to mine for the cost. I'm not clairvoyant, but I could see it coming. He wanted to charge 14 Euros per day, when his paper that he gave us, clearly states 12 Euros per day. A printers mistake he says. I reminded him that I had helped him yesterday and also advised him of a little illegal electric dodge that he didn't know about. He eventually agreed to my calculation using 12 Euros, plus 3 per night for hook up, 45 Euros in all.

I have now become wary of jovial little men who don't want to attend to details like prices, "Oh, all ok, you relax, find a place to park, have a beer, we sort the money later".  ( See our adventures in Turkey with Dennis the Greek, parking at his restaurant. ) It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, when business can all be done fair and square and everyone leaves with a good mind. But not too bad this time.

Phil and Lynne were going out on the bikes, but there was trouble with Phils tyre, a little bit cracked and worn, so he was sorting it as we left.

Rolling out and around the corner, we were at Lidl, Patricia popped in for Bread, Fetta and Nectarines. Next job a cash point. Guardamar, Satellite Simon guided us to a cash point that didn't exist again, so we hunted one down. Patricia jumped out, while I parked on a bus stop while she got the cash. Job done, we were off.

Again we were driving in the concrete jungle of package holiday destinations. Torrevieja, Pilar de la Horada, San Pedro del Pinatar, past the Airport near Santiago de la Ribera. We decided to stop for some dinner and parked in front of a couple of nice little villas at Los Alcazares, just off the main road N332  and under some trees for a little shade.

The road we followed basically hugs the AP7 motorway. El Algar, La Union, around Cartagena, where the road signs were not at their best.  Road now became RM332. Mazarron, then RM11 to Aguilas.

This drive gave us some lovely low mountain views, empty areas, deserted farms, dried up river beds and the amazing view of acres and acres of covered growing tents. Not poly tunnels, but a net type material. Lots of them were empty, lots had tomatoes in them. It really has destroyed any aesthetic view of the area, a shame really, but nothing stands in the way of making money ! But we really did get away from the overkill of the tourist areas. Puerto de Mazzaron was a low level development, not over the top. I got out here and found a little harbour behind some houses but unfortunately I would have been impinging on a parking circle if we had stayed. A lovely spot, but we moved on.

In Aguilas, we spotted a good area to park up for the night, but I had a sat nav location for an Aire, taken from Geordie Jims software, so I wanted to check it out, 2 miles down the road. It turned out to be a packed out beach parking spot, so back to town. An excellent spot just off the exit road going South of Aguilas. Two vans were there when we arrived, I did a little shuffling around as cars moved and we eventually had an excellent position with the door opening straight onto the beach.

Pasta for tea, as we viewed the beach which became quiet as the evening wore on. Four French vans arrived in convoy, they parked just away from the beach and all proceeded to make a dash for the sand with chairs and towels etc.

The evening was lovely as the sun set. A lot of walkers and joggers passing us. We had a stroll along the beach as far as a beach bar, where a few people were sat having beers etc. Strolling back we explored around the entrance to the marina. There is a floodlit rooftop tennis court, people were playing, 10 - 00  pm at night. There were people setting up for some night fishing on the shore also.

Some late night images, lights from the tennis courts shimmering on the sea, red and green harbour entrance lights winking their message to the boats for entering, illuminous fishing rod tips wavering in the dark, childrens laughter as they run around with lamps that are there for the fishermen, dads playing hide and seek around our van, with loud exclamations when the children find them, families sat around tables eating drinking and chatting. We sat on the step and small stool for a while just enjoying the scene and remarking that it very rarely happens in England at 11 - 00 pm at night. It's a different world to England that's for sure. We eventually shut up the van and got down for a read, with not much noise outside we drifted off to sleep.

Day 57 Tuesday 20th August 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Aguilas   N 37 23.746  W 001 36.126

Alarm on for 7 - 00 am. Awake with the alarm, but lying and enjoying the lovely sound of gentle waves rolling in on the beach. I put my bedroom window screen down and there is the beach, not a soul on it, just seagulls strutting around. But guess what, there are two motor homes parked behind us, late arrivals, because we didn't hear them at all. A slow start, doing the diary, the tractor is combing the beach in front of us, well dragging a strip of material behind it, that doesn't seem to do anything but raise dust. He seems rather haphazard, driving over the same strips again and again. I think someone's given him a tractor and told him to go and play on the beach.

I had a little play with the golf umbrella, a chair and Gaffa tape, to make Patricia a comfortable reading chair, nice little job too. I decided to also wind out the awning, worst case is the Police tell us to wind it in. We also tried a towel over the roof light at the front. This roof light looks very nice, but is again a designers folly. In fact it's a pain, creating a greenhouse effect in the van to help the temperature rise. The towel seemed to help keep the temperature down, temperature in van at 1 - 00 pm 86 Deg F, maintained this all day, so it was comfortable in the van.

Had dinner then I got the bike out and went for a mooch around. Mercadona supermarket wasn't far away, we will call before leaving. There is a marina near us with diving equipment shops, swimming pool and a cafe. All targeted at the sailing fraternity.

I had another spin on the bike right to the other side of the bay, right up to the rocky promontory, where the fortification is placed overlooking Aguilas. The walkway, cycle path, extends all the way around to this point. I photographed a beautiful flower covered pergola, like a small band stand, absolutely smothered in pink flowers.

Aguilas seems to be embracing the tourist money, but is still not absolutely ruined. There is a little charm left in the place. The South beach that we are on, is not invaded in the day, just a few people maybe 40 or 50, no more.

Arriving back from my ride, the police had been, advised us to put the chair away and awning in. Ah well, ok for all the chairs and umbrellas on the sand, but for us 10 yards from them, not ok. It seems a contradiction, but I suppose we are something to worry about, the beach people are not. We leave only tyre tracks, I wish I could say that about all motor homers.

Pasta for tea with Tuna, lovely. Sun getting cooler now. A good time to be on the beach. We went for a stroll along the walkway, along the bay and past the marina. Busy all along with people running, cycling and fitness walking, which seems to be very popular. Lots of people doing up tempo walking, more sensible than running I feel, we kept on strolling. Sat on a bench and watched the comings and goings for a while. No English voices at all around this area, although I did hear three having an argument in Mercadona this afternoon, I kept my distance from them. Walking back to the van, there didn't seem to be many people on the beach tonight, no one fishing. Not as many cars parked !

We sat on the step and stool and watched the lights shimmering on the sea, with the full moon lighting all the night. These are the endless nights written about in songs, as Mario Lanza sang, " let this night god live for ever, for ever and ever more ", in Serenade, from Student Prince.

But unfortunately nights have to come to an end, we shut up shop. Celebrated with a few crisp and a glass of coke watered down, before getting off to bed for a read. Nice to hear the waves and drift off to sleep.

Day 58 Wednesday 21st August 2013   SOD Temp 77 Deg F

Aguilas   N 37 23.746  W 001 36.126

Awake with the bin men, clang, clang at 5 to 7, the alarm set for 7 - 00 am. A grey misty dawn, with a lovely golden misty moon in the lower western sky. The soporific sound of the eternal waves rolling in, trying to induce us back to sleep. Today we move on. Aguilas has been a nice two day restful stopover, but we need to move on to fresh pastures. Marc , Helena and our beautiful Lily, will be flying into Malaga on the 30th, so we need to be there to pick them up. A bungalow is booked for the week. We have a few places to visit before then.

We gave Pauline a rough itinerary for September, 5 weeks needed for us to do the plan for Morocco. Fly into Malaga just after Marc, Helena and Lily leave and a flight home from Seville, which is on our North bound route home. We hope it all comes together.

Left Aguilas on the RM 333, through Calarreona, A332, Costa Tranquila, AL 7107, El Pozo Del Esparto, El Portichuelo, Villaricos, Puerto Rey, Las Marinas de Vera, into Garucha, where we hit the one way streets and what I call "don't give a sh*t parking". Getting out the other side of Garucha the road opened up and there was lots of space along the road and sea shore for parking up, so we did and had some dinner.

The sea shore here was lined with a concrete type of rock, every pebble you wanted to pick up was stuck into this aglomeration of rock. All in large chunks, not seemingly man made, but quite unusual. One guy fishing near us. One guy all in black running past, we saw him again miles down the road.  Now if anyone tells me that running miles in temperatures of over 100 Deg F is good for you, then, I think they're crazy. All in black also, the best for soaking up all the spectrum of the sun. I do wish someone would let them know about the properties of white.

AL 5105 through El Palmeral, Vista Los Angeles, El Flamingo, El Pueblo Indalo, Las Ventanicas, to Carboneras. Where we stopped at a shop to look at the silver covered beech mats, as sun reflectors for the screen, but couldn't get one. Then Agua Amarga, where I picked one up and where we had to travel back to the N341, then A7 to go onto  Campohermoso, Fernan Perez and finally Las Negras.

Now travelling this coast cannot be done without seeing the mass Tomato production that goes on. Here at Fernan Perez we passed through a town totally consumed by the ramshackle covering, that extends for acres and acres.  A seemingly dilapidated town, with a gypsy type of people on wasteland, with washing hung out, sat around resigned to being baked by the sun. I will never ever eat tomatoes without thinking of these views. Quite incredible and a demonstration of what man will undertake when economics is the key driver in mind.

The area has also its own desert type beauty, which man has left his mark on over hundreds of years, walls and terracing climbing up the hills, which I suppose was also driven by economics. But is eminently more easy on the eye.

Arriving at Las Negras we pulled into the municipal parking area which appears immediately as you drive in, quite handy. Here we were hailed by a Brit van," know any good Aires "? A couple from Northampton in a whiz bang. We had a chat with them for a few minutes before they left looking for somewhere with electric. Their fridge doesn't work on gas.

I had a hunt around the area and decided to try a place I could see on the hill overlooking the beach. A little patience waiting for the beach people to return to their cars and we were positioned for the night.

Steak, Potatoes and Peas, followed by peaches and cream for tea. Watching the sun worshippers slowly packing up and leaving the beach.

I walked over to the other side of the bay to look at a spot I could see. But it wasn't better than what we had. When I got back, we both had a stroll through the village. It has a slight bohemian, hippy type of feel, which I quite liked. All the people obviously visitors, but still quite quiet and laid back. The restaurants seemed to be quite empty and we wondered if it was coming to the end of the season. I got some photographs, some with a reddish moon, which kept changing shape due to the cloud formations floating by.

Back to the van, Patricia had a read, I watched the waves roll in and thought about the immense period of time they had been doing that. Long before man walked the earth.

Patricia had coped with the heat admirably, she had been feeling unwell all day, stomach ache etc. I also had a little stomach upset. Maybe we had something to upset us. But we take great precautions with food and water, so a little mystery. We managed to get off to sleep quite quickly lulled by the waves. But were awakened later, by a gang of young people, screaming and running around in the sea. They eventually ran out of energy and the night was peaceful.

Day 59 Thursday 22nd August 2013   SOD Temp 76 Deg F

Las Negras  SE Spain   N 36 52.635  W 002 00.296    A free camp position.

Awake 7 - 00 am with the alarm. Got a couple of photographs of the deserted beach in the dawn light. Not the best nights sleep. I went to sleep soon after getting down last night, but was awakened by shouts and screams from the beach, then we had car doors slamming close by, engines starting etc. This went on until after 3 - 00 am, when I must have finally dozed off. It's one of the pitfalls of travelling. Not everyone wants to sleep when you want to sleep. I pulled the van closer to the road so that no one would block us in. Had breakfast watching the early morning beach people. Walking down with bags of the required beach stuff, towels, chairs etc.

We had a drive to San Jose, not a lot to see really. I called into a Fereteria for connection and gas cylinder, but they had only small table top cylinders. Picked up a small loaf from the small supermarket around the corner. Then away we went.

Back through El Pozo de los Frailes to pick up the AIP 202, AL 3201 to Ruescas,  Pujaire, then down to El Cabo de Gata. Again not a lot to see. I was attracted by some shambolic built huts, or houses by the beach and old tower.  Lots of old small fishing boats also. I got some photographs of these, there were people living in the huts, with tv ariels. A young girl sat dejectedly outside of one, under a makeshift sunshade, quite amazing. Tourists were walking past down to a beach bar. A rather dusty and sun baked place to live.

Across the road were newly built small tourist villas. Driving along the coast road which had hundreds of beach peoples cars parked all along, we passed through a small place called La Almadraba de Monteleva, where there was a conglomeration of the sun seeking motor homers, again a sun baked, dusty place, but a quite large parking place on the ball courts. We passed on and went out to the light house, the road has a little interesting narrow challenge to get past. Interesting on the way back also, with Spanish car drivers, with no patience. Too put it simply, it's bloody narrow at one 100 metre section. All good fun, especially hearing the irate voices of the in a hurry car drivers. Always in a hurry.

We had some dinner on the rocky parking place just below the lighthouse. While there we decided to head on out of the area and make our way past Almeria.

AL 3115 past Retamar, N344 through El Alquian, past the Airport, past Costacabana and onto the AL 3202. What an amazing little road, a lovely palm tree lined sea shore, with sidewalk and cycle track on our left. With the Tomato, pepper and Aubergine tents an absolute eyesore on our right, mile after mile. The contrast is indicative of Spain as we see it.

Driving straight through Almeria we decided to check out a little camp that I had seen when chatting to Geordie Jim. He had a photograph on his laptop of the little camp by the beach, it looked small and appealing from his photograph. Photographs do lie, it was alongside the main coast road, with a large fly over above it, graffiti alongside the rocks, we took one look and scarpered. He had done well disguising all that in his photograph.

Through Castell Del Rey another unappetizing place, onto the A7 to ride past miles and miles of the tomato tents. Past Aguadulce and several other towns that all seemed consumed in these acres and acres of tomato tents. It really is quite unbelievable how an environment can be dominated by such a visually intrusive industry.

We had decided to try the Aire at Almerimar, what a lovely surpise as we rolled into town. The tents disappeared and we had palm tree lined boulevards all the way down to the marina, where the Aire is.

We also had the chance to say "do you know any good Aires"? The couple we had met in Las Negras were parked up, the only van in the Aire, which was amazing in itself. It really is an excellent Aire.

Checking in, was the longest time we have ever spent checking in anywhere. All the formal port situation, they were also doing the sailors who entered the port.

All sorted and settled in, we could then discover who our neighbors are. They turned out to be a lovely couple, Chris and Jackie, with Pip the dog. They had sold up to live a little. After some friends had died recently, this had changed their view on working etc. Nothing new and an idea we see more people doing. All respect to them.

We used the showers, which were quite a walk around the marina, but were welcome to feel fresh and cool. Had tea then spent the rest of the night having a beer and chin wagging with our newly discovered neighbors. As usual we solved all Englands problems, amazingly UKIP tendencies and ideas were supported by Chris and Jackie, although with some reservations. UKIP seems to be gathering a lot of people in line with their ideas.

The night flew over, it was 12 - 15 am when we realised the time. Wrapping up, I had a Bourbon and coke with a quick read. Fell to sleep with the sound of music and chatter from the marina bars. Not too intrusive fortunately.

Day 60 Friday  23rd August 2013   SOD Temp 80 Deg F

Almerimar  N 36 41.830 W 002 47.634

Awake 8 - 40 am. Late up this morning after a late night last night. Surprise, it's sunny again. Patricia did bacon, egg, beans, toast and coffee for breakfast, lovely. Chris called in to see if we needed anything, he was walking to the shops. Just a paper thank you. No rush for anything this morning, I sterilised some fruit we picked up on Wednesday at Aguilas. Chris dropped off the paper, The Telegraph 3.5 Euros. The only intelligent one he could get, he said.

We went for a stroll around the marina. Lots of boats bobbing around, paying lots of mooring fees, it's a big money industry. Looking at the prices of some boats that were advertised in the agents window, prices were surprisingly manageable and in line with motor home prices. But I suspect that the ongoing costs push up a little. Not for us anyway. One sea is like any other sea as far as we are concerned.

There was a yacht in from Istanbul, which I pointed out to Patricia, the lady sat on it must have understood me, she gave a big smile and a wave. It was a green colour, aesthetically more pleasing and attractive to me than all the white ones. More difficult to see at sea I suspect.

Lots of large fish swimming in the marina, competing with some ducks for bread that was being thrown in the water. I started thinking, maybe I will catch some fish here. Back at the van, Patricia was set on doing a little ironing of some clothes, so out came the ironing board and iron.

I lifted out some fishing tackle that I had bought at Lidl in Wigan some time ago. Bought with the intention of doing some fishing somewhere along the line. Chris also was intent on getting his rod out.

Just then the guy in the next van, a Brit, decided he wanted all the Aire to hear his music. A lovely peaceful afternoon invaded by his loud and unthoughtful intrusion. So I asked him nicely if he could turn it down a little. Fair enough he did without complaint at all. Just a little thought is all it needs sometimes, but some people don't seem to think much. I chatted briefly with the guy through the day, but unfortunately I didn't warm to him at all. He was playing around with a spear gun he said he had found in a skip and repaired. Difficult to say what I didn't like about him, but I was uncomfortable with him.

After reducing his volume, I spent a few hours setting up the rod for spinning, with a spinner that Chris had loaned to me. The rod is a little too long, but I'm only learning. I have a shorter one at home, so will have to change it over. I lost the spinner on the rocks. Never mind, I will try some bread and a float. The rod was set for left hand winding, I suspected it could be switched over to right hand, Chris confirmed this and I switched it over.

After sorting out tangled line, hooks, bread etc. I was ready to go again. This didn't last long, I was hooked on the rocks again. I decided that I had learned quite a lot from Chris, but enough was enough for today. I was also desperate for a drink. I should note here, Chris had not caught anything also, but he was a bit more experienced than me, it showed in his spinning action. But a nice little session in the hot sun, sat amongst all the ants.

I set up the electric ring on the table outside the van, Cooked Chicken, while Patricia prepared salad and Couscous. We saw Chris, Jackie and Pip going off for a walk. Spent the rest of the evening reading. I had a couple of beers sat outside watching the lights of the marina. Chris, Jackie and Pip returned from their walk. Lots of vans had come on the Aire, it is weekend, so we expected this. Jackie thought we had moved, but it was other vans squeezing in that separated us more. The evening brought the bars to life and they stayed active all night. Not for us though. We're moving on tomorrow, so got off to bed early. I drifted off to the sound of voices and music from the bars.

Day 61 Saturday 24th August 2013  SOD Temp 79 Deg F

Almerimar   N 36 41.830  W 002 47.634

Alarm on for 7 - 00 am, but we were awake before that, with a loud bang. Not sure what it was. Just coming dawn. Had breakfast and started packing up to leave. It's getting warm again. All nearly ready for off, when Jackie popped in to see us, she was going to Mercadona. So we ended having quite a chat again.

They still haven't got the solar panel and new leisure battery installed. It was promised for yesterday. Jackie left her e-mail address and facebook name to enable us to keep in touch. We had a quick word with Chris, he was chatting to the noisy music guy, his name was Paul. There is still something about Paul I didn't like. He had an arrogant, sneering way of talking. Anyway, he did me no harm, just my perceptions of the guy.

Next job was returning the shower keys and electric adaptor. The adaptor is a style I haven't seen before. You plug that in, then plug the conventional Euro socket extension in. It stops any possible use of their electric for free. Called at the Mercadona, but there is nowhere to park a van, so we left town.

Gaurdias Viejas on the AL 4151, Balerma, Balanegra, onto the N340A, Las Cuatro Higueras, El Canal, Puente del Rio, to Adra, where we pulled into a Lidl for a few things. Just on the exit road from Adra we stopped for some dinner overlooking a beach that was covered with tomato tents. The heat was now quite intense. A leisurely dinner overlooking the sea, luckily the tents below us were just out of view, unfortunately the rubbish e.g. disposable nappies, was not. Following the N3040A, we came to a little confusing junction onto the A345, it loops under the A7 motorway. At La Rabita we turned to head inland, stopping to fill up with diesel at a Repsol station, the A345 heads up to Albunol, then onto the A4131, then A348 heading to Orgiva.

Now this is possibly the most wriggly worm road I have ever been on, twisting and turning endlessly as we slowly climbed up into the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, called Los Alpujaros around this area. Some incredible views and scenery and even better, away from tomato country, although you could see the blight in the distance and down the mountain on some views.

I had chosen to head for Orgiva because of a book I had read some time ago, describing a life in a lovely mountain village. It came over as a lovely artistic, craft based, escapist, hippy type of community.  Sadly when we arrived, it just seemed like another concrete block Spanish town, with nothing visually appealing about it at all. What a long wiggly drive, I was disappointed to say the least. 

We called into a camp on the entrance to town, 19 Euros, so we hopped off out. A tight entrance and claustrophobic pitches. So we parked up and I went for a walk around in town. I found a lovely open space just off the road, that will do us for tonight.

We had just parked up and had a drink, when a young boy with a straw hat on, came past herding four goats that looked ripe for milking. His grandad, hobbling along with his stick just behind them. The young boy then came out to water all the plants in a little allotment where they lived.

Pork, Potatoes and peas for tea. I studied the maps and Aires etc. Patricia had a read after we had washed up. Just a few cars arrived to park up near us as the night fell, but all quiet, except for the village dogs, who all like to have a sing song as the sun sets. They had been quiet up to that time, although quite a few wandering around. My dog dazer was used a few times to persuade them not to hang around. A very useful tool, it just emits a high frequency burst of sound. Which we cannot hear.

The lights of houses right up on the mountains was showing how remote some houses were.

Day 62 Sunday 25th August 2013   SOD Temp 75Deg F

Orgiva  N 36 53.795  W 003 25.236

Awake around 6 - 00 am with a couple of early morning cars and the cocks crowing, but drifted off again until the alarm at 7 - 00 am. A quiet nights sleep, after the local dogs had got down for the night.

Had breakfast and then I walked into the centre to explore and see if there was more to see. Patricia stayed at the van sorting out for us to leave. I walked up to the small square at the top of the cobbled street, the church is at the bottom of the street. People sat at cafes, a paper seller who had a pile of Sunday Times, which to me said , there are a lot of English people around. But nothing to see that would make Orgiva that little bit special.

Back to the van Patricia was ready to leave, so we were off. We just stopped for Patricia to pick up a Sunday Times, 5 Euros. The dearest we have paid for a paper.

A348 through Lanjaron, which looked a lot more interesting than Orgiva, it looked nice passing through. Although the sat nav pointed us through the narrow centre, which I had to manipulate us out of. We had seen signs for Granada entering the village pointing at another road, but followed the sat nav, silly move.

 A348 a nice little drive to meet up with the A44 heading to Granada. Along the road were fig trees, Olive trees, Orange trees, grape vines, cultivation on the top of some of the nearby mountains, quite green along the roadside.

A44 is a motorway, this whisked us up to Granada, coming off at the A395 signed for Sierra Nevada and Alhambra. An excellent road that climbs all the way to the ski stations, leaving us at an altitude of 8236 ft when we finally pulled in to the location for the Aire.

There were around six vans parked on some spare land near the location, but it didn't look like an Aire, they were free camping along the road. So we parked up in front of a deserted building overlooking the area and went for a walk around. Walking up what was the obvious entry to the Aire, everywhere was deserted, except for two vans parked on each side of the Aire. Question was, how did they get in, because there is a locked and barred entrance.

Approaching one of the vans, a quite old model, the guy was just climbing out with some grapes in his hand. This turned out to be Rafael, who spoke excellent English and proceed to give us a full history of the Aire and why it was closed. He used to be a journalist in London and was obviously well educated. He has lived up here for nine years off and on, with interludes in Morocco and elsewhere. He gave me some information on ferries to Morocco also. He would have talked all day, but dinner called. He said there was free wi fi locally, gave me his e-mail and face book info. Unfortunately the wi fi is free, but connecting was problematic, so I gave up.

Back at the van we met George, Hugo, Cecilia and Suly, who were parked near us. I was initially attracted by his chimney like barbecue. George spoke excellent English.

Dinner over, we had a short walk down the hill to explore what seemed like a deserted town. Not a soul around, except for some people way down in a square we could see further down the mountain.

It was so deserted that we came across a deer like creature with two large horns, grazing alongside one of the deserted buildings. It seemed to me there was a lot of wasting assets. So many buildings all standing empty waiting for the snow. We met Cecilia and Suly on the way back, both wrapped in blankets against the cold. It was still quite warm then. We had a long chat again. Cecilia was best with English.

Walking back there was a guy barbecuing and a sign on his van saying Eire, this was Dennis, with his wife Maria, from Tipperary, slowly making their way back to Ireland, again we ended up chatting for a while.

I set up the barbie for tea, Cecilia brought us some barbecue sauce she had done, Chimmy Chourie, she called it. Not sure of the spelling. George and Cecilia moved from Argentina to Malaga twenty years ago, Hugo and Suly were just visiting from Argentina. Lovely friendly people.

The sun was now setting and getting a little chilly. We could see all the lights down in the valley and the stars gleaming after the sun went down, with Venus again dominating the western Sky.

It was time to get down for sleep. Later I had to get up and put more warm clothes on, it was freezing.

Day 63  Monday August 26th   SOD Temp 57 Deg F

Sierra Nevada  Ski Station  N 37 05.906  W 003 23.656

Awake 7 - 50 am, after an unusual night. I had to get up at 2 - 00 am, to dig out my duvet, I couldn't get warm. We had stashed mine weeks ago.  Being so high had certainly brought back the cold. I slowly warmed up and dozed off. What a quiet night, not a sound from anywhere. Someone came into the deserted building alongside us around 11 - 30 pm, possibly security, a couple of rooms were lit up.

The wi fi that Rafael had told us about, was not letting me log into it, so I am unable to let Chris and Jackie know that the Aire is closed.

Before we left we had a chat with George and his party and got some photographs.

We are heading for a lake area he recommended. It was lovely to meet such nice people. There is one way down and it is around 17 miles down, so off we went. Dennis and Maria must have had an early start, they were gone when we passed where they had been parked.

The pressure difference plays funny little tricks on the ears and bottles in the van. Also on the suction cup of the sat nav when ascending, less pressure when we arrived at the top, it had dropped off.

Armilla, Churriana de la Vega, where we ran out of road signage, eventually getting out to Colina Santa Isabel and onto the A338 to Las Gabias, La Malaha, A338 to Ventas De Huelma, A338 to Agron, A338 past Embalse De Los Bermejales ( Lake ) where we stopped for dinner at a little pull in place, just before the dam that creates the lake. The road runs along the dam top. Here I had a look over the wall into the lake and lots of big fish were basking in the shallows.  So I thought I would try a piece of bread on a line while Patricia prepared dinner. Sure enough, the first one was hooked so easy. I could have caught lots more, but I wasn't sure what the fish was. About 10 inches to 12 inches long, with quite large scales, there were lots of them basking together and surface browsing at bubbles etc. Packed off and in a bag, I thought to sort it out later, to see if we could barbie it.

After dinner, we both had a walk with some bread to look at the fish, they were fighting each other for the pieces of bread we dropped into the water. It was a nice quiet pull in place. We then passed along the top of the dam that creates the lake and headed on to the A402 to Alhama De Granada,  A402 to Ventas de Zafarray then to our destination of Vinuela and the lake. George had described it as nice, lots of trees in a beautiful setting.

The road here had again been quite winding, like a wriggly worm on the sat nav. So concentration is needed all the time, only one section where it straightened out, through quite a lot of market garden fields before Ventas De Zaffaray. Interestingly growing tomatoes in the open fields, no tents, a lot more easy on the eye, even though there was miles and miles of them.

We were both quite tired by the time we reached Vinuela, no proper sleep last night, a really hot day again, now we were lower down and the long winding road here all contributed. We parked up in some shade and just chilled out for a while in the quiet of the place, just a little distant road noise in the background.

The aspirations for the area were clear, to make a nice picnic and leisure place on the lake. The reality was a little different, dusty rubbish strewn areas, lots of barbecue points and picnic places, also a little crazy golf area that looked totally neglected. Lots of trees planted that gave some shade, but the rubbish was just everywhere. One token rubbish bin on the site as we entered it, that was all.

Patricia did Pasta and Olives for tea. Just a few cars came and went as the evening cooled down. I pulled the van a little nearer to the exit from the park area and we settled for the night, both ready for some sleep, it was 9 - 40 pm. The fish was still in the garage, I was too tired to bother with it. Quite a long tiring day driving to a place recommended as being nice, but we didn't know what to expect until we got there. Maybe Georges perceptions are vastly different than ours, the rubbish spoiled what could have been a lovely area. Thanks anyway George, a lovely man.

I will never understand the imbeciles who want to go to beautiful places in the mountains, on the lakes, beside the sea and then leave their rubbish behind. What perverted cretin brained logic can even conceive of that type of behavior ? Can anyone explain it to me ? Some people of the human race are not fit to walk the earth. I'm ranting here and no wonder. I always say that 90% of the human race, who walk through this world, walk through with blinkers on their eyes.

Day 64 Tuesday August 27th 2013   SOD Temp 76 Deg F

Vinuela   on Embalse De Vinuela  ( Lake at Vinuela )  N 36 51.878   W 004 09.417

A quiet night, just as George had predicted. Alarm on for 7 - 00 am. We decided to get off down to Malaga and find the Motor home dealers and storage place that is near the Airport. The plan is to use the Aire at the dealers. as a base for pick ups and departures from the airport.

We had a little walk around the park before leaving, there is a small crazy golf area, which looks totally neglected and never used. European money has been spent on another leisure project with good intentions, but it seems all interest in it is now gone. Rubbish left strewn around and damage to the Barbecue points etc.

A356 down to Velez Malaga, where there was a convenient Lidl on a roundabout, so in we popped for a few things. Someone had left a pile of old tittle tattle magazines in the car park. It's amazing the things that people dump in the most unlikely places.

Shopping done we were off again. A7 around Malaga, which looked enormously built up. Down past the airport and into the location for the Motor home dealer. We found it easy enough, the trouble was, they had moved. But there was a sat nav location for where they had gone to. Simple enough, get the location into our Garmin and away we go. It just needed converting to the Garmin format, done quite easy. Off we go. This guided us into an industrial park, no dealer at all. Lets have some dinner. I called the telephone number for the dealer, no answer. A minute later, a call from them. A confirmation text was sent with the sat nav location which calculated exactly the same figures. There was also mention of being near a Lidl.

So we hunted the Lidl down, quite easy with sat nav, they are all on there. We went up and down the road looking for the description of the place near the Lidl. Still no dealer.

Parking up outside a bar, a guy came out and seemed to be indicating to some other men outside the bar, that his car had been stolen.

We still needed the dealer. Another text out and one back, Lidl is not the store, but the distribution centre. We had passed it earlier in the day before dinner, so we headed there and finally found the dealer. They are hidden away off road, down a very uninviting road behind the Lidl distribution centre.

Antonio the owner ( I got his name later ) showed us where to park, under the garage and in the shade. The van was 92 Deg F inside when we looked, a little warm.

Setting up with electric, we got sorted and settled down. Quite a lot of old vans and caravans in store. Some English plated vans also, one an Autotrail with a car in tow.

Sara the text sender arrived later and spoke excellent English. She sorted out a Spanish Butane bottle and the Spanish gas valve for the top of it. Gas 38 Euros for 11kg, the valve was 16 Euros. A lovely lady, I actually thought she was English when on the telephone, but no, she was Spanish. She had spent time in London and Cambridge. She was married to Antonio the owner, who didn't speak any English. Which seemed unusual, when she was so fluent. She said he tells her off for not teaching him !

Pasta for tea. Showers and relaxing later. I had a beer and a Bourbon. We then got off to bed in the most unusual place we have stayed, a motor home storage place surrounded by motor homes and caravans. A total first for us. But if it does the intended job, then it's ok. So far the gas is sorted, so a it's good start.

Day 65 Wednesday 28th August 2013   SOD Temp 78 Deg F

Malaga Motors  ( Motor home dealer near Malaga )  N 36 42.450  W 004 31.442

Awake 7 - 0 am with the alarm. The dog on site was barking earlier. Otherwise a reasonable nights sleep. No scenery or local life to survey this morning, just dusty, sun bleached caravans and motor homes.

We are going up to Ronda today. Get breakfast, organise the van, drop grey water. The facility for toilet and grey water is just outside the security gate.

I had decided to leave the 11kg Spanish gas bottle behind and pick it up when we return. So when I went to pay the bill, Antonio did not have a credit card machine. He said pay when we return. So we stored the gas bottle in a locker, to pick up later. Very trusting of him, 10 Euros for camp, 14 Euros for the gas valve, he had the gas, so no loss there. He had also reduced the gas valve price from 16 to 14 Euros, he had made a mistake he said.

Onto the A7 to take us around all the fly them in,  booze them, burn them and fly them out resorts, Torremelinos, Benalmedina, Fuengirola, etc. We stopped in at Camping Cabopino to check out things for Marc, Helena and Lily for Friday. Seems a decent camp, but we may have extra cost in parking the motor home, they said. 26 Euros per night for the van. We have a bungalow booked, the van is just parked. We will see !

Heading on we passed through the famous Marbella, the butt of many jokes, i.e. Costa Crime etc. I always remember it as being the base for Allie Frazer, the character in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, the TV series. To be fair, we have passed through some awful Spanish seaside tourist places, but Marbella, with its enormous arch on entering, is quite a decent and greened place. With no intention of stopping, we passed through, towards Puerto Banus and Estepona, again sun and money destinations.

Turning off to the A397 to Ronda. Then the C339 into Ronda. This road out and away from Marbella climbs up into the hills overlooking the town. Lots of gated communities are built on the hillside as we climbed higher and higher. A good road climbing up and up. We stopped for dinner around 14 miles from Ronda, a good viewing point, with the usual abrupt drop, to get off the road, which always causes some scraping of the chassis on the road.

Reaching Ronda, we had fun and games trying to find parking. Eventually parking outside and walking into the old town centre, where the main bridge attraction is. Quite a view worth seeing. The town itself around this part is also quite nice and well worth a walk through. We made our way down a walkway to view the bridge from below and get some of our own photographs of quite an iconic place and structure. As usual, long gus downs, mean long gus ups, very warm also, so nice and slow was the mantra.

Time was passing on and we had planned an Aire at Olvera north of Ronda, so we didn't stay too long. It deserved more time really.

A 374 out of Ronda, MA 7402, MA 8405, CA 9113, CA 9109 to Olvera, superb roads got us there in around 35 minutes. That's when the fun and games started. Sat nav coordinates for the Aires are usually pretty good. These led us to a narrow road, where we could see the Aire around 100 yds down the hill. But Spanish abrupt run offs on  roads meant I had go down the hill and approach it from the other direction.

Turning around we came up the hill, the run off road, difficult to see, we passed it, so I had to reverse back around fifty yards down the hill. Eventually coaxing the van into this narrow road, we thought we had done it. Oh no, we ran into a private house at the bottom no through road. The Aire was around thirty yards behind the house ,oh great, now to extract ourselves from here. The house owner moved his car further in, with him and Patricia directing operations, we eventually got us turned around. Up the hill onto the road, with the usual chassis scraping. We climbed up into the village and found the proper road in. No marks for Satellite Simon this time.

A quite spacious and decent Aire, quiet, only us on it. Another with EU money spent on it, but seemingly not completed. A few Spanish locals walking dogs the only life around. Settled in, we had tea and watched the dark descend. It seems quite early, maybe my calender clock and time of sunset is chaotic.

Day 66  Thursday 29th August 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Olvera  ( N of Ronda )  N 36 56.487  W 005 15.061

Alarm on for 7-00 am, but the local dogs beat it as usual. Don't you just love them. I've come to the conclusion, that they are the motor home travellers worst enemy. The numbers of hours lost sleep, due to these stupid dogs is incredible.

The Aire and its surrounding buildings are very quiet, being away from the town. It has been created at an old railway station, that has been redeveloped with EU redevelopment funding ( ERDF ). But again the project seems to have run out of steam, not being finished. It's a common theme unfortunately on every EU funded project we have seen. Maybe it's all mixed up with the EU bailout that Spain needed. With this project from my experience with ERDF funding, the project seems too big for the town and is also on the outskirts of the town away from any heavy footfall.

Pauline called on the telephone with Lily. She was looking after her for Helena. Lovely talking to Lily, she was all excited about coming out to Spain, she is going to run to her Nan first, then grandad, ah well, I suppose second is not bad in this case. Can't wait to see her and hold her in my arms. It will be nice to see Marc and Helena also, can't leave them out.

Having breakfast we decided to explore Olvera, we had actually only come here to use the Aire overnight. Looking at the town roads on the sat nav, I chose a road to aim at, that clearly went through town. Also being aware that there are always narrow streets.This time we were lucky and came past the football stadium, where there was a nice large car park. Just the job.

Parked up, we set off for the church and castle on the top of the village, quite prominent over everything. This was obviously the old part of town. Up, up and up, the streets sloping up towards the castle and church. Slowly, slowly keeping in the shade, we made our way up. Quite a few shops on one street, which seemed to be the centre of the commerce area. A few banks also.

Living in this area built on a steep hill, every time you step outside your door, you are faced with an uphill walk. Either out or back. Some ladies were carrying bags of shopping and making their way up hill, one section quite steep.

Anyway reaching the level where the church was, I spotted a square innocuous looking doorway, with a sign on it saying cemetery. Walking through, we came into the town cemetery which was beautiful and peaceful, also it overlooked all the hills behind the town. We got chatting with a lady named Caroline, who spoke quite good English. I told her there was an English song called " Caroline ". I also sang the first few bars for her. The song by The Fortunes called "Caroline". There are others with Caroline in the title, to be pedantic. She probably thought I was nuts, singing a song to her in a Spanish cemetery.

There were some beautiful little buildings for housing the deceased people, I assume most are for storing ashes after cremation.

From here we strolled to the church, guess what it was closed. Now in Spain we have found so far, that churches have been closed, or they charge you to enter. The charging is questionable I feel, because Patricia likes to use the church for what it was built for. The spiritual aspect of churches should be available without cost. Here I go on a rant.

In France we have rarely visited churches that have been closed, even in the smallest villages. Maybe there is a problem in Spain with church security ! We have also only paid once at a Cathedral. We also paid once in England, at York Cathedral.

We decided to give the castle a miss, you can get castled out in Spain. Walking back down the hill we called in for some bread. Also, we got some money from the cash machine. Back at the van, the usual idiot had parked in front of us, making it difficult to get out. People with blinkers on, again comes to mind. Had dinner then slowly exited the car park.

There are quite a few roads around the town not well signed, so getting on the wrong one was easily possible. A young lady stopped in her car to ask if we needed a camp site, we were actually establishing that we were on the right road. It was nice of her, anyway.

We stopped for diesel on the outskirts of Ronda, then onto the coast, Marbella etc.

The A7 runs along the coast, a quite busy road with lots of roads leading on to it, making for excellent accident opportunities.

Satellite Simon lead us back to Malaga Motor homes, where we had left the gas and an unpaid bill. Antonio, the owner,  didn't have a credit card machine.

Wandering around the site, there are some UK vans that seem to have been there a long time, no tax discs, covered in hard baked dust and grime.

Steak, potatoes and peas for tea. Picked up all the rubbish e-mails and deleted them. Looking for news, sport etc was difficult, the wi fi is pretty dire, if it was mine at home, I think the big hammer might come out and a new supplier be called in. I gave up eventually.

The evening was spent reading, having a few beers before getting down for sleep.

Day 67 Friday 30th August 2013   SOD Temp 78 Deg F

Malaga Motorhomes   N 36 42.450  W 004 31.442

Awake 7 - 40 am, no alarm this morning, no dog barking for a change, just the droning sound of the large distribution centre behind us. It's enormous and drones night and day.

Had breakfast and then sorted out the van to leave. We are picking up Marc, Helena and Lily at Malaga Airport today. The plan is to do a big shop, survey the Airport for driving in, park up somewhere for the afternoon and then pick up tonight. Simple really.

First job, set the Sat nav for Mercadona, after driving there we found it was like a corner shop, no parking and cars parked everywhere all trying to shop there. Total chaos, so that was out.

Try Lidl next. Approaching Lidl, that also looked difficult to access and park, so I parked on some dusty graffiti painted wasteland across the road and had a walk in. This revealed that I could drive in and park at the bottom end of a large covered parking area. But just out of the shade and in the sun.

Shopping done in Lidl, Patricia popped into the nearby Mercadona for a few things also.

From here we went to survey the Airport. Driving around several times, parking up and walking in, I still  couldn't assess where public vehicles could drive in, for picking up arrivals. Standing and watching vehicles arriving, there seemed to be lots of confusion. The only plan was, pick them up at departures, which was up a ramp on the second floor. I would be interested in finding out how to drive in and access the arrivals area. Big signs and a ramp up for Salidas ( departures ) not a sign anywhere for Llegadas ( arrivals ), except small aircraft icons showing landing and takeoff. But no entry signs around making it impossible for public vehicles to access. Taxis and coaches were ok. Maybe that's the plan, stitched up for commercial exploitation. Am I cynical ? Yes. I admit it, totally.

Parking up in a small parking place not far away, we had dinner, 4 - 00 pm by this time, what a frustrating day so far.

Sorted the seat for Lily, set up seat belts in the rear and used the opportunity to relax, wash some vegetables, also to wash our feet which were covered in dust. then wait until time to park nearer and do the pick up.

Luckily all this went to plan. I dropped Patricia off near the hire car entrance, to walk into arrivals, meet Marc, Helena and Lily, take them up to departures, give me a call and I would drive up and pick them up at departures. Crazy, but all went ok. A big hug, kiss and squeeze from Lily, luggage in and we were off. Sat nav taking us to the A7, then out to Cabopino. Driving in the dark for the first time in Spain, all went ok.  Checking in, all went ok, a young lady speaking fluent English sorting us out. When we went up to the bungalow, we could park the van in front, which was a bonus. I had expected to park away. First job, a plug, then I passed the electric hook up lead through the bathroom window and we were sorted.

Well we are at our new home for a week. Lily was tucked up in the bottom bunk and off to sleep, tired out. Sorted out a few things, then relaxed and had a welcome couple of beers before bed at nearly 1 - 00 am.

Day 68 Saturday 31st August 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Camping Cabo Pino

Well 1st night in a strange bed, after two months in the van. Slept reasonably well, awake a couple of times. No travelling today, just relax and pass the day away.

Marc, Helena and Lily went down to the pool, Marc came back to see if we had an umbrella for sunshade, so I went down with the golfing brolly we carry around. I had a stroll around the camp. Quite a lot of permanent long term caravans and motor homes.  A large American van and a fifth wheeler near us look permanently set up.

Marc borrowed one of the bikes and went exploring, he found the local Lidl around two miles away. Helena and Lily returned from the pool.

I got out the Acrylic paints I had bought for Lily, we had a painting session on the balcony.

Al Fresco dinner on the balcony, then a walk down to the beach. A short walk across the A7 and quite nice, a really busy beach. Intending just a walk, we stayed on the beach for two hours. Buying bucket and spade and a sun parasol. I enjoyed making sandcastles with Lily, but she wouldn't have a paddle in the sea. There are always sights to behold on a beach, bodies of all shapes and sizes. Some have been waiting all year just to strut up along the water line and show themselves off.

We ended the afternoon in a small bar with tv and wi fi, having coffees and drinks and catching up on our teams football score. We beat Nottingham Forrest 2 - 1, a superb win, to round off the afternoon. Marc bought Lily a Frisby on the way back to camp. Carrying her on his shoulders, as he often has done. It's a lovely sight to see them strolling along, Lily surveying everything, from her elevated viewing point.

Back at camp, I set up our small electric cooker ring on the balcony and slowly cooked all the chicken for tea. Patricia and Helena read Lily off to sleep and we had a late tea, a few drinks and chatted the evening away.

Myself and Patricia had decided to sleep in the van tonight, quieter, but it also made a little more bed space in the bungalow. We are also used to the bunks, so will sleep better.

Day 69 Sunday 1st September 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Camping Cabo Pino

Awake 8 - 00 am, totally peaceful and quiet, we had decided to sleep in the van to make the bed available for Marc and Helena.  Patricia still asleep, so doing a diary catch up, I didn't write it up yesterday, the first day missed on the journey. Patricia awake 9 - 10 am.

We decided to have scrambled egg and toast for breakfast. There were six eggs in the bungalow fridge which we thought we could use along with our dozen. But it's a bit hard scrambling them, they are hard  boiled eggs. Someone had bought them thinking they were normal eggs and obviously left them.

Marc went on the bike with the battery fitted for some papers. He got Mail and Mirror. Sunday papers and scrambled egg, toast and tea. Not bad for a lovely relaxing breakfast, thanks to Patricia.

Marc, Helena and Lily went down to the beach. We followed later with food. Picking up rolls and water on the way from the shops. Chatted to a couple from Norfolk in a Rapido, they had driven down to the camp this week.

Helena was alone when we got to the beach, Marc had gone for a walk around with Lily. We had a nice picnic on the beach. They returned soon after, they had been watching a guy catch fish.

Marc and Helena went for a walk to a bar, while Lily stayed with us. Just lazing around watching all the beach action. Lots of black guys, wandering around with big piles of stuff to sell. An English group of people behind us were accosted all afternoon with them. Two of the women reminded me of characters from Benidorm. Oiling all afternoon, rolling bikini top down to see how brown they were going.

Patricia had prepared tea before leaving, used the slow cooker for the sliced beef we had in the freezer. Pasta and salad for tea with the beef sauce

I strolled back while everyone was stopped at a shop, so I was the first to arrive back.

It was around 9 - 00 pm when we had tea, after Lily was settled down for the night. Patricia and  Helena then sorted some material out. Marc and I listened to and chatted about music and bands, while having a beer.  A lovely end to the day. Very quiet on site, lots of people have gone home, looks like the end of the peak season.

Day 70  Monday 2nd September 2013  SOD Temp 76 Deg F

Camping Cabopino

Awake 9 - 15 am, Helena sent a text to say they were up. The site is so quiet we are sleeping like logs. No problem, nice to have a little bit of catch up.

After breakfast I set up the laptop and downloaded all the camera and telephone photographs. Patricia, Marc , Helena and Lily all went down to the pool for an hour. Patricia came back with sun burnt shoulders, even though they had been covered up. I rubbed some rescue cream into them.

I also tried to Bluetooth some Poco music tracks to Marc, then tried to load directly to his I pad, all unsucessful. Apple equipment is a pain to use as far as I am concerned. Every time you need to do anything, you have to go through their website. Not being able to Bluetooth a photograph is ridiculous, they control everything you do.

We had a drive out to Lidl to stock up with food, around two miles away, just off the A7. Marc finally got his new telephone to pick up his e-mails etc.  Marc and Helena went out for a meal later, we stayed with Lily. Tricia got Lily off to sleep, while I cooked pork chops, a couple of small sausage and a bratwurst on the small electric ring out on the balcony.

Had a read of Marcs Wigan Athletic fanzine "The Mudhutter ". Some quite funny stuff in there. Had tea and listened to music while the light died. The camp is really quiet now we have hit September. There is a large American motor home parked on the next tier down the slope, alongside a large fifth wheeler. Both seem to be permanently parked. The fifth wheeler has some lights that come on when it goes dark, they are certainly bright.

We have a couple of lizards that keep turning up on the roof of the balcony, I had to shoo them away before Helena returned. She does not like them. They got back around 12 - 30 am, delayed with Marc picking up all the football  transfer information on Skys ports news.

Day 71  Tuesday 3rd September 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Camping Cabo Pino

Awake 8 - 45 am, another quiet and peaceful night. Helena has a tummy bug this morning, so not feeling too bright. The routine while we are on camp is totally different than when we are on the road. Today I don't seem to have done much. Patricia as usual organizes the catering side of things. The key thing is everyone is relaxing. I went with Lily on a little adventure, she calls it. A little walk to the playground. Didn't stay long, she needed the toilet, so back to base.

Everyone went down to the pool, while I stayed and had a quiet read of the paper. Patricia went in the pool with Lily. I set the bike battery up for charging, also my telephone. I did a little washing, shorts etc. Helena came back with a strained muscle in her leg, not a good day for her at all. The camp is so peaceful and quiet, the season must be over for a lot of people.

Evening routine, Lily to bed, meal on the balcony, drinks, music chat as the night falls. Watch the bats circling, no lizards tonight.

Day 72 Wednesday 4th September 2013   SOD Temp 73 Deg F

Camping Cabo Pino

A quiet night again, awake 8 - 45 am. Well the time seems to fly, Wednesday already, a week's not a long time when your on holiday from work. Marc and Helena will soon be back to the grind at home. Lily starts nursery next week also.

Had breakfast and then spent time with Lily, painting with the Acrylic paints I had bought for her. We started off painting plastic water bottles, then a plastic box, onto stones from around the bungalow, then kitchen roll tubes. We ended up with quite a multicolored array of things laid out on the table.

Helena was still sorting out her problem with a rip off phone recycling company, who give a valuation, then change their valuation when you send the phone, £110 down to £67. I call them lethargy companies, they rely on people not being on the ball and getting their phones back.

After painting, I then went for a walk around the camp, mainly to check on the laundry facility for Patricia. It is near reception, 3.5 Euro tokens are needed from reception. I was strolling back looking at the motor homes that were on site, when I spotted a UK plated whizz bang. Not giving any more thought about it, I strolled on. Then I hear my name being called, I turned around to look who was calling from the whizz bang. Then it slowly dawned on me who it was. Chris, Jackie and Pip the dog, who we had camped near at Almerimar. What a lovely surprise. I didn't expect to see them again on this trip anyway. Patricia will be surprised. They have rolled in for two nights, we need a catch up on where they have been, they have been down to Algeciras, where we are headed after leaving Cabo Pino and Malaga area.

Dinner time rolled around, a communal dip in of cold meats, cheese and salads. Marc, Helena and Lily headed down to the beach for a while.

I decided to take the opportunity to refresh the toilet in the van, using our little two wheeled buggy, I walked down to the motor home servicing area. Not the best service area I have used, it has to be said. Everything is on the floor, drain access, water tap, all at ground level. It should be noted here that the dog washing facility in the corner of the service area, had a nice waist level tap and shower head. On mentioning this to Patricia, her remark was quite succinct and to the point. "Oh, so you can wash your dog there, but not your motor home."  No motor home washing was the rule.

We got a text from Helena they would be coming back to the pool, so we gave them an hour then walked down to the shop to pick up water and ice creams to take to the pool. A quick call to speak to Chris and Jackie. Jackie was getting some ironing done. When we got to the pool, Marc, Helena and Lily weren't there. Back to the bungalow to put the ices in the freezer. Then another text when we got back, they had been delayed at the beach, Lily had found some friends and was playing. Good, no problem, ice creams now in the freezer.

Marc and Helena decided to pop out for a curry, we would have tea after Lily had gone to bed. That was the plan, but little girls don't always follow the plan, not tired yet, so we decided to have tea before she went to bed. We had just put tea out, potatoes, steak, peas and sweet corn, when she decided she was now tired and it was bedtime. So I ate alone, while Patricia told her stories until she dozed off. Patricia had her meal later. A couple of beers, play some music, Patricia knitting, a pretty hectic night all in all.

Marc and Helena returned, they had been to an Indian Restaurant, which they said was quite good. They had also got three DVD's they had bought from one of the wandering salesmen, who seem like a swarm of flies around the beach area. Three for 10 Euros, they seemed decent quality when Marc put them in Lilies small portable DVD player. Two were Smurf DVD's for Lily to watch on the way home.

Had a bourbon and a read before getting down for sleep.

Day 73 Thursday 5th September 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Camping Cabo Pino

Awake 8 - 20 am, again a quiet and peaceful night. Breakfast on the balcony. Oh that we could do this at home every morning. Sadly not in England. Although it has been the best summer since 2006 from reports in the news.

Painting with Lily, she seems to love the Acrylics. She just likes painting things, used the proper brush grip today. Marc and Helena call it " pinchy pen ". She has been using a fist grip a lot.

Helena popped down to the pool. Tricia went down to the laundry with some washing. Lily wanted to go down to Patricia and then sulked at me, because I said she couldn't walk down alone. I went down with Patricia to pick up the laundry and get some bread for dinner.

We noticed that Chris and Jackie had left this morning. From memory, they said they were stopping for two nights. So they must have decided to move on. Unfortunately, we didn't get to pop down last night for a chat.  Lily being awake late disrupted the plan.

Marc popped for a paper on the bike.

Communal dinner on the balcony. Marc, Helena and Lily, then went down to the beach, we will follow later. I had a brief read of the paper.

The beach is really quiet now, the season must be slowing down a lot. Lots of fish in the Marina, quite large ones too. I had a walk over the rocks towards a small lighthouse, lots of hardy sand dune type plants growing there. Not many people walk around there, so the plants can thrive. Marc went to find some wi fi to clear his inbox on e-mail, it is getting full up. The usual hot walk back up the hills to camp. Memo, when we do this again, ensure that the area is flat. The camp is on a hill, so every time you walk down to the shop, bar, reception, laundry, etc., you have to walk back up hill.

We went down to the small bar at the bottom of the hill for tea, I had chicken and Garlic, with chips, nice and tasty. Patricia walked back to get Lily in bed. I had a beer and a chat with Marc and Helena before we walked back. Reasonably early tonight, all to be sorted tomorrow for leaving. A week isn't long enough. That's the world of the working person I have had for fifty years until retirement. We just had a half an hour on the balcony. Helena did some packing. An early night for us all.

Day 74 Friday 6th September 2013   SOD Temp 71 Deg F

Camping Cabo Pino

Awake 8 - 45 am, quiet night again. A little cooler this morning, maybe the season is cooling in general. Today is leaving day for Marc, Helena and Lily, so lots to do. The morning is spent moving all the kit back into the van. I did all the garage putting the bike back. Marc had used it a few times to explore and go for a paper. We also did two lots of laundry and drying.  Helena and Lily went to the pool for a while. All kit out of the bungalow by 12 - 00 pm. Unplugged the van and put the fridge on gas.

We had dinner in the small cafe bar, where we had eaten last night. I had a cheese and ham toasty with a few chips. Marc, Helena and Lily went to the pool to have a last few hours before leaving.

I decided to book two nights with the ACSI card, 16 Euros per night, so we would return here after drop off at the airport. I saved a few of Lilies small painted stones to take home for her. The rest of the collection, bottles, boxes and stones, unfortunately we had to leave behind. She is a small painting factory.

All in the van and off. Marc wanted to video us leaving, so met us near reception.

A good run to the airport, straight in. Dropped them off, with hugs and a few tears we left. A lovely week was over. It seems to have passed quicker than previous weeks, it's an unusual phenomenon.

On our own again, we set off back. A journey we have now made a few times. But we seem to keep finding new roads. We ended somehow on the toll road without seeing any signs to inform us. 4.55 Euros to get off it. I had just mentioned to Patricia that it was away from the coast and not many vehicles on it. Toll road, that's why.

Back at camp, we arrived just in time to stop a Spanish family setting up their caravan on the pitch we had booked. Why this happened is stupid. The camp system is all computerized and we had chosen that pitch for some shade that it had. Unless the family were trying their luck, because it was empty for a while. Anyway he was o.k. about it and moved to a place across from us without any shade. We had some childrens yoghurts left in the fridge, which we gave them later. He spent around two hours setting up his caravan with gazebo and kit. It seems to be a major epic when they settle in. The Spanish guy with a small caravan on the pitch alongside of us, asked me to move the van back further on the pitch, so he could see down the camp road. Didn't want me obstructing his view. It's all a little reminder of why we like to free camp when we can.

All set up, we settled down to have some food and a beer and watch the night traffic to the showers and bars etc. There was an English tenor singing at the nearby bar, quite good too, he sang a real selection of tried and tested tenor songs, from the last 60 years of popular music. He was probably trained in the clubs "Up North " as they say. A training ground that is sadly in decline due to changing social habits. People don't want a "turn" and then bingo with their beer, fags, pies and peas. I worked in many of them over a period of many years, oh the stories I could tell. Colin Crompton the comedians gave his version of the clubs, but they were not all like that. Some were very professionally run organizations, doing big business.

We wound the night down with this excellent tenor in the background. Got off to bed around 10 - 30 pm, an early night for us, after some late ones this week.

Day 75 Saturday 7th September 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Camping Cabo Pino     Near Malaga Spain  ( No location taken here )

Rain in the night had us awake early. I got up to wind down some of the roof "lids". Some thunder also, but it quietened down after a while. Well Marc, Helena and Lily just timed it right glorious sun everyday for them.

Pauline just sent a text, problem with Tricias NEXT account. Had breakfast and then went for a walk to the paper shop. Not a lot of choice of paper, The Mirror or The Mail. The Mail at least has words of more than two syllables, even if it is loaded with trivial tittle tattle, so I bought that. I had a look for a camping shop that Marc had seen while out on the bike, but I couldn't find it. It must have been further away from the camp. Two English guys in a car asked me for directions to a house, they were installing an internet facility. I wasn't much help to them.

Patricia had a good session of cleaning around the beds while I was out. I had a read of the paper when I returned, Patricia was still cleaning. Had dinner and set the electric iron up for Patricia to do some ironing. Meanwhile, I got out the maps and books for Morocco, to do a little refreshing of places to visit etc.

I got local English Radio tuned in to provide a little background music. A guy was on playing a selection of oldies. He talked about Liverpool, Mathew Street and the Cavern, so I assume he was a Scouser. His presentation sounded like he was reading from a written script, quite factual information, but not a lot of expression in his voice, rather monotonic. Well that's my review of the radio for today folks. Patricia had finally finished ironing, she then did Pasta with Pesto for tea, very tasty too.

I went for a shower in the camp showers after tea. Well what I was expecting to be a quiet relaxing shower, turned out to be the noisiest shower I have ever had. It was absolute bedlam. There was a child, presumably in the ladies, who was screaming and crying. I have never heard a child so upset. Not only that, but lots of loud Spanish voices also. Whether they were aimed at the child, I couldn't say. But the overall effect was deafening and to be truthful quite disturbing. I can only assume hopefully, that it was a shower session the little one wasn't too keen on. On a humorous note, I'm glad they don't live next door to us. But it sounded rather traumatic for the child, whatever was going on. Patricia then went and had a nice quiet shower.

Had a read and listen to the radio, then off to bed. Alarm on for 7 - 00 am. Patricia needs to do some more cleaning, with my help of course.

Day 76 Sunday 8th September 2013   SOD Temp 72 Deg F

Camping Cabo Pino   Near Malaga Spain  ( No location taken here )

Alarm went off 7 - 00 am.  A good nights sleep for me, but Patricia awake a lot through the night. She said it was quite noisy late last night, I didn't hear it. Had breakfast and then helped Patricia cleaning the front part of the van. Also some towels to wash before leaving. The sun is back this morning, it doesn't go away for long. Lifted the carpets out and went under the floor for Paulines things, ready for her arriving tonight.

I went down to put the washing in the dryer. While there I checked what time we had to leave. 12 - 00 pm they said. I asked for 1 - 00 pm and they said o.k. so we had an extra hour to get off site. To be truthful, we had both forgot about the leaving time. Anyway, all packed, toilet done, we were off  by 12 - 30 pm.

Went down to Lidl to do a shop. Parked up in the corner and decided to have some dinner also. I went for a walk around to see if I could see the camping shop Marc had seen. I found a shop filled with all sorts of stuff, which I think was the same shop. Went back for Patricia and we had a rummage round. We ended up buying a small travel iron 800 watts. An oven tray, two small book reading LED lights, a small LED torch, 5 red plastic plates, rubber none slip mat, two batteries, a leather money belt. It was like Alladins cave.

We had a drink on returning to the van and basically the afternoon was over. We had no agenda for the day really, just to get sorted and  pick Pauline up at the airport.

We headed down to the airport early and parked up in the little space we had used before. Had some tea and settled down for a read and wait for the flight.

Tricia walked in to arrivals, again taking Pauline through to departures where we could pick her up. All sorted, flight on time, we picked up and got away. Headed for Malaga Motor homes, where we had stayed previously. Not picturesque, but convenient for a nearby sleepover. Honking the horn, the gate was opened, straight in and hooked up in the same place we had been before.

I had a beer and bourbon and a read before settling down. Pauline now back with us for a while.

Day 77 Monday 9th September 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Malaga Motorhomes   N 36 42.450  W 004 31.442

Up  8 - 00 am, I had been awake for a while, dogs barking, two aeroplanes flying low, the usual stuff.

Well we now need to get back into our on the road mode. Stashed Paulines things and washed and sterilised the fruit and salad stuff we bought yesterday. Toilet done, topped up with water, I paid Antonio 10 Euros. He said he had seen us parked near the Airport yesterday. He is not a man of many words. Off we went away from Malaga. A7 all the way to Algeciras. We stopped off at a service station on the way out of Estepona for dinner. Quite warm again today. The scenery had changed a little on the road, not quite as tightly built up as areas near Malaga. I was glad to be away from Malaga to be truthful, not my type of place. Although it was lovely to see Marc, Helena and Lily.

On the way into Algeciras we stopped at a ticket agent. I popped in to get a price for the ferry, 252 Euros he quoted. This gave me a guideline for a price. We moved on to Lidl in Palmones, where I knew we could park and there was the famous Carlos ticket agency.

A good place to park, lots of open space, Mcdonalds across the road with wi fi. After a brew Pauline stopped in the van and Patricia and I had a walk to find the ticket agency. I had checked out where it was previously, so it was quite easy to find. Here we got a price of 260 Euros, Ceuta or Tangier, both the same price. They will do the import documentation for the van also, so we will pop back in the morning with cash. There is a hole in the wall across the road, so all sorted for tomorrow.

McDonalds for tea and to use the wi fi. There was a deal on 4 items for 3.99 Euros, so we had a McD meal.

We spent two hours altogether, the longest we have been in a McD. Mail sorted, news updated etc, the wonders of wi fi, we returned to the van for scones and tea. Pauline had made some scones and brought them out with her, excellent idea.

On the way back to the van we couldn't help but notice the McDonalds takeaway litter all over the Lidl car park. We watched as one car ditched all its rubbish out of the window. What a great mentality they must have. Proud of their country do you think ? I think they are mindless imbecilic morons. We have litter louts in the UK, but I do feel it is worse in Spain. Maybe they are Aliens, sent here to destroy the earth slowly.

Pauline is crocheting some little angels, she has done 5 today. Patricia knitting, me reading. So we spent the rest of the evening. Quite a lot of people coming and going around the van. We are the only motorhome on the Lidl car park tonight.

Day 78 Tuesday 10th  September 2013   SOD Temp 74 Deg F

Lidl Car Park   Palmones  near Algeciras    N 36 10.919   W 005 26.381

Alarm on for 7 - 00 am. A decent nights sleep after a noisy start last night. We are parked in quite a busy area. Patricia didn't sleep to well. Breakfast and then first job is down to the ticket agency for the ferry tickets.

 The agency is quite well known amongst the motor home fraternity. Carlos, mentioned in lots of blogs about visiting Morocco. The deal is in cash, so the hole in the wall across the road was the first port of call. 200 Euros withdrawn. The ATM area stunk like a neglected mens urinal, it really was bad. It must get used as a urinal for some reason. We parked just across from the office. The young lady in the office spoke sufficient English with a heavy Spanish accent to sort things for us. Open tickets to sail when we want on the highlighted ferries due to the van height and return when we want. 260 Euros, also van docs done for us. A small photo of the lanes for entering the port is in the information given to us as well. To round off she presented us with a bottle of sparkling wine and a chocolate cake.

Next job was Lidl. Patricia and Pauline sorted that out, while I filled in the paperwork for the ferry. We will target the 13 - 30 pm, Algeciras to Ceuta. All sorted and some dinner, then we decided to have a ride to Tarifa. On the way we spotted the signage for the port that was pictured in the info from Carlos.

A short drive around 18miles to Tarifa. Lots of the useless and brainless wind generators that we are often told are going to save the planet. What a joke to anyone who understands energy generation supply and demand. I'll not get onto that subject here. It was very windy. We circled Tarifa a few times but nowhere to park the van. We ended up on the outskirts just off the Cadiz road, parking up near the beach and getting blown around with a really strong wind. There had been some fair or circus in town, lots of work going on taking everything down. It looked a big affair.  Tarifa had some interesting looking old fortifications around, but we decided to give it a miss and just head back towards Algeciras and our Lidl home.

We parked away from Lidl and McDonalds for tea. then moved over when it got quieter around 10 - 00 pm. Six other vans already parked up. A couple of vans with tables out having a drink. We weren't long before getting down to sleep. The roads had gone quiet by then.

Day 79 Wednesday 11th September 2013   SOD Temp 76 Deg F

Lidl Car Park  Palmones   near Algeciras   N 36 10.919   W 005 26.381

A quiet nights sleep in good old Lidl parking facility. Six other vans parked up with us. The morning noise slowly builds up when the road gets busier. The cleaner is already out clearing up all the rubbish from our McDonald rubbish makers. It looks cloudy today. A small German whizz bang has just released its grey water to run over the car park. Obviously working on trying to get motor home parking stopped. Bloody idiot.

We were the last van away, no rush. Pauline popped into Lidl for coffee and cornflakes. Dropped off our rubbish at large bins across the road near the Carrefour supermarket. We had info for the road into the port, so we slowly slipped in to ensure no wrong turns. Parked up and asked the police if we were ok where we had stopped. No problem. He wanted to talk about Scotland and William Wallace, very strange. Maybe because my beard and hair reminded him of Wallace.

Having a look at the ferry lanes, which were quiet really, I had expected them to be manic. There was Ballearia, FRS and Acciona the companies running ferries. We were Ballearia. The gate opened for loading exactly on time 13 - 30 pm. All vehicles were loaded in around ten minutes, It's not a big ferry. Away we went on our way to Africa.

Many times I had read blogs and diaries of Morocco trips and now,  here we were. A beautiful day, very windy on the top deck. I got pictures and some video of leaving Algeciras and approaching Ceuta. A young guy asked me to take some pictures while he posed on a sun bed. It takes all sorts.

Docking in Ceuta I had planned to try and park up for a while, but there was no opportunity, we were out in the streets in no time. We pulled into a gate for the marina, while I looked at the fees for parking. Luckily one of the lads who worked there was just starting work. He phoned through to someone who came out to open the big gates for easier access, 15 Euros for 24 hours, just the job in a lovely setting also.

Some yachts tied up directly in front of us, from a sailing school in Gibralter. The police have a base about 40 yards along the marina from our parking spot.

Parked up we set about other jobs. Me with satnav,  no recognition of  Morocco. Patricia to find a post box to send cards back home. also to see what the band was playing for. A band was marching through the streets across the other side of the marina.

I tried a small cafe near us for wi fi, but decided to go to McDonalds to get Garmin web site and buy Morocco software. What a convoluted system Garmin run. I was so long on the web site, the battery on the lappy depleted, so I couldn't then risk a download and gave up. Try again tomorrow. Absolutely like bedlam again in McD. Earplugs next time.

Chicken and pasta with salad for tea. I went for a walk with Patricia to post cards and have a short walk around. Ceut,  around that area seemed quite nice. All the prominent buildings are lit up at night.

We watched the yachties as they got more lubricated and louder. Just what you need for a good nights sleep. An eventful day so we were ready for bed. The yachties parted on.

Day 80 Thursday 12th September 2013   SOD Temp 77 Deg F

Ceuta   Spanish enclave in Morocco  On the marina  N 35 53.430  W 005 18.831

Awake before the alarm, 5 - 45 am. The yacht party went on for some time, yachties enjoying themselves.

We put the alarm on early to have showers, download the sat nav software and get off into Morocco. Well the best laid plans etc. Had breakfast and moved the van to the opposite side of the marina near to the showers. Well the shower went ok, apart from some idiot ripping the shower door open.  I got free wi fi on the marina, it was about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. I finally gave up and tried McDonalds, again, Patricia came with me while Pauline stayed in the van for a catnap. She didn't get much sleep last night. After nearly five hours of trying, I finally got the Morocco software loaded and running. What a frustrating and annoying day. So we decided to relax and stay another night.

I moved the van back and got an electric socket from a Dutch boat, they are leaving tomorrow. Most sockets are the big marine type, but this socket fitted our plug. So now hooked up for the night.

Tricia and Pauline went for a walk for fruit and veg.  I trimmed my beard. We had Pork, sauteed potatoes and salad for tea. Yachts tying up in front of us. One with a gang of blokes on it. Oh, oh, not good. We had one lot last night, mindless bunch of idiots, drinking and shouting until the early hours. Boys at play, away from home !

Day 81 Friday 13th September 2013   SOD Temp 75 Deg F

Ceuta   N 35 53.430   W 005 18.831

Alarm on for 7 - 00 am. Broken sleep again with the  English imbeciles on a nearby yacht. I have a long standing theory, slowly as per the laws of Physics becoming a rule. That 90% of the human race go through this world with blinkers on. This lot are part of the 90%. No consideration for anyone, balling and shouting and playing loud music in the middle of the night. Disturbing not only us, but all the other people asleep in their yachts and catamarans. Ah well, get on with the morning.

Had breakfast and got van sorted for leaving. The border is only three miles away, noticeable,  by a lot more ladies with head scarves along the way.

Slowly easing through the Spanish section stopping to ensure we are ok to drive through. The van wouldn't start. There is a security system over riding the ignition. This would not let it start. Oh bloody great,  just what you need going through border controls. I got the manual out, inserted my code, it still wouldn't start. A Spanish policeman strolled over to see what the problem was. I let him know and he realised immediately what the problem was. Electronic jamming for potential bombs. He went and switched it off and the van started. What a relief. Through the Spanish section no problems, English ?  Yes ! Just drive through.

The Moroccan border control was fun, two guys in long shirts ran towards us. Official helpers ?  One of them seemed official, with a security card hung around his neck.  The other was a hanger on, insisting we hire him to go to Tetouan. Anyway, with Pauline helping and Patricia staying in the van, we made our way through the paperwork, Police for registering us, then docs for the van, then customs. Then our official helper asking for 20 Euros for 10 minutes time and Tetouan Teddy still smiling and insisting we go with him. I gave the official some remaining Euros around 6 Euros, what I considered fair. Tetouan Teddy got some odd Dirhams for his smile.

The border was reasonably quiet, not manic as some seem to indicate. Two other vans behind us. The long shirted official was a bit in a rush, repeating over and over what he wanted us to do. But doing it all at my pace and controlling things especially passports and papers, we got through easy.

Parking up inside Morocco, we had our first young boy tapping on the window. I went with Patricia to an ATM across the road  and got 2000 Dirhams. Back at the van the boy was still hanging around. I tried to communicate a little but his eyes looked dead and he had a totally defeated look on his face. A difficult dilemma, do you give or ignore. We will have to learn as we go along. We gave him a packet of crisp, which he strolled off with.

Our first destination was Assilah. Setting off over the hills the  clouds were down so it was like driving in fog. We came down past Tangier Med port, a large brand new facility still being extended. Here we unintentionally picked up the motorway, which was quite good though. A service station came up, time for diesel and dinner. Diesel was 8.34 D per litre, our first fill. 74.43 Litres cost 620 D in total, around 48 pounds. Not bad, wish it was that price in England.

The service station had squat toilets, a three tap foot washing basin and a small mosque with carpets laid out. Coming off the motorway onto the N1 along the coast, it was dry, dusty and had a certain decayed and neglected air about it. We stopped and I popped out to buy a melon, 12 D, it was like an enormous rugby ball for less than £1.

We called in to look at a beach stop, to do the toilet, the location is in the Morocco camping book. Again, wind blown,  deserted, rubbish strewn, air of decay. The toilet doors were tied up, a chair and money bucket nearby, so someone hangs around there. Pretty dirty and run down, sand piling up everywhere. Rickety stick sun shelters being blown around in the wind. An ideal film set building up to some spooky happening. No problem., we turned around and got back onto the main road south.

Arriving in Asilah around 5 miles down the road we soon had the attendants vying to pull us in. I wanted to get near the Medina, so we had two Mohammeds helping us, Mohammed 1 and Mohammed 2, Mohammed 1 spoke  reasonable English and showed me where to empty the toilet. Toilet emptied we parked up, 50 D for the night, not bad. We now got the salesmen coming around. I gave Mohammed 1the  bottle of sparkling wine from the ticket agency. He slipped it in his pocket, covered it with his shirt to hide it from  Mohammed 2, his mate.. We are all brothers he told us. Glad he's not mine. It was a good  show of his character to me.

We had a  walk through the Medina and into the streets, where everyone was selling something. It was a lovely chaotic scene, people sitting, lying, standing, selling all kinds of things. The Fish was covered with flies, not appealing. We bought 2kg of tomatoes 8 D, 1 kg of Nectarines 12 D, in a small utterly dirty and chaotic market. The amazing thing was the closed stalls were just covered up and left, in a town where lots of people seem to have very little.

My ladies, who decided to be sensible and keep covered shoulders, enjoyed the unusual experience. They never felt intimidated and felt that most salesmen took no for an answer. The Medina had murals painted on some buildings, quite colourful.

When we got back to the van  I went for a stroll while Patricia and Pauline prepared tea. Stalls selling bowls of either snails or small molluscs, I couldn't tell. Also selling bowls of what seemed like chickpeas. Colourful  horse drawn carriages were trotting around.

Back at the van we had tea and decided to sit out, I had a beer and enjoyed the comings and goings of  the night. This unfortunately was cut short by a thunder storm, it put a bit of rain down, so we got down for the night. An intriguing and interesting first day in Morocco. It certainly has a different vibe than Europe.

Continued at: On the Road in Morocco 2013