Monday 30th January

We are enjoying the weather still here in La Manga.

Although it did turn a bit cooler here today (Monday) it still managed 15 degrees and we were able to sit outside for our Spanish lesson as usual. Boules was very well supported today also with nearly 50 people wanting to play. On six boules pitches it was a challenge but I think all got a game. Whist again this evening before what is forecast to be another cold night. I'm not sure but I think I heard someone scrapping a windscreen this morning but I may have been wrong. Clear skies at night though let the temperature drop quickly but then we seem to have lovely clear blue skies during the day as well. Better than grey skies we normally have at home.

Just one more week here then we are moving on to Moncofa, just South of Valencia for a few weeks.

Thursday 26th January

Last night we enjoyed a Caribbean themed evening arranged by the Rally Stewards. It had coincided with our Wedding Anniversary so we had to go. Although we were rubbish in the quiz that took place we still thoroughly enjoyed it, even if I had to wear some daft  flowers round my neck.

Celebrating our wedding Anniversary with fellow campers at La Manga

Today we enjoyed tapas again overlooking the Mar Menor before enjoying a boules match in the sunshine. Rain forecast tomorrow, what is rain?

25th January -Wedding Anniversary

It's our 37th Wedding Anniversary today and we went in to Cartagena on the bus to have a wander and to try and get a cycle helmet for me as here on the site they insist on the wearing of a helmet if you go on one osf their cycle rides which I want to do on Friday. I felt I could not keep borrowing one.

Regional Assembly building at Cartagena

Cartagena is a lovely city and we wandered around eventually ending up on the waterfront of the harbour. We had lunch there then caught a bus back to La Manga. It has clouded over a little this afternoon so we are not sure if rain is coming or not. Never mind we have a Caribbean Night to go to tonight so rain will probably not be on our minds for a while.

Wedding Anniversary cake for Sue

Sunday morning

It's Sunday morning and I have a little time to add a couple of recent images. First is a dusk image looking across the lagoon to La Manga strip, it was a still night. My second one is Sue later on that evening singing along to Rod Stewart and Sailing. We were at a music quiz which we didn't win but we didn't come last either.

Looking across the Mar Menor to La Manga strip at dusk

Sue helping with the singing at the Music Quiz (Rod Stewart, Sailing)

Off to the coffee morning now.

Friday 20th January

I have had a reprimand from our daughter over the lack of photos on the Blog recently so I am trying to make up somewhat on this post.

Here we are, it's now Friday and I do not know where the time is going. Rallies organised by The Camping and Caravan Club seem very good as they allow you to participate in as many activities or as little as you want.

As an example, listed below are the activities we have taken part in and done independently so far:-

Sunday              Coffee morning

                          Street BBQ

Monday             Our first Spanish lesson

                          Line dancing (Sue), Boules (Dave)

                          Whist drive

Tuesday             Cycle ride to the local village (Los Belomes)  and Bodega visit

                          PM Sue and I walked to La Manga strip (about six miles)

                          Quiz night

Wednesday        8 mile walk over the hills to the Mediterranean coast opposite site

 'The Lions Head' part way along the walk

 Lunch on the beach during the walk, after a windy night!

Thursday            Spanish lesson

                           Boules (Sue and Dave)

                           Cycle ride of about 6 miles

                           Crib evening

Friday                 13.5 mile cycle ride to Cabo de Palos

                           Boules

                           Evening dinner and Pointless themed quiz

If it carries on like this we will be exhausted soon !

Tapas with a view from the Beach Bar on site

Some people take their TV viewing very seriously !

'More Time' on her berth, or should that be pitch

Now at La Manga

We arrived here early afternoon on Saturday after a 265 mile drive from Aranjuez. Again we started off in freezing fog but visibility was about 100 yds or so and the roads were virtually empty. A very easy route via Albercete and Murcia brought us to Cartagena then La Manga, our destination. We have found so far on this trip that stopping every hundred miles for a coffee and something to eat works well for us leaving whatever the odd distance is left at the end of the day. This ensures we are a bit fresher when looking for our destination. I have to say though that with using our Tom Tom and entering the latitude and Longitude of the site entrance has worked perfectly.

We chose our pitch from a few on offer when we arrived and set up the MH, cleaning the road dirt off before anything else. Very friendly neighbours around us and by five pm we were in an adjoining caravan enjoying a glass of wine with Elizabeth and Gordon from Northern Ireland.

Sunday, we woke to clear blue skies and sunshine with a breakfast temperature of about 14^oC. This is what we have come to Spain for, by lunchtime it had picked up to 22^o.

Following a coffee morning with other Rallyers we went back to the MH and erected our awning. This has only been attempted once before properly so it took some time but we are fairly happy with the end result. It had a good test last night after the wind got up and heavy rain followed. By this morning it was all over and the sun came out again, just how it should be.

Monday has been a full day with a mid morning Spanish lesson and then Sue went off to some Line Dancing while I went for a game of Boules, we lost. Tonight it is off to the local club for a Whist Drive.

It's all go here.

Aranjuez (12th & 13th January)

We are currently at Aranjuez where we are stopping for two nights.

Yesterday we arrived about two thirty having left Bilbao at about eight, right in the middle of the rush hour. Our TomTom worked perfectly, safely navigating us around Madrid and directing us right to the Campsite gates. What surprised us was the weather en route. As we left Bilbao we had a clear sky but as we climbed the hills behind the town it became frosty with thickening cloud. By the time we went through the first pass (750m) e were in thick fog and heavy frost. This remained with us for a good distance before we dropped down south of Burgos and the sun suddenly came out again. A couple of breaks on the way and we arrived in time for a relaxing coffee by the banks of the Rio Tajo where we pitched about thirty yards from it's bank.

Royal Palace at Aranjuez

Today we have explored Aranjuez with it's Royal Palace and lovely gardens although you have to imagine what they would be like in Summer as everything is currently quite bare. Lots of squirrels though. Some lovely buildings are around the town which give it quite a special feel. Back on site now for an afternoon glass of Rioja. On to L Manga tomorrow.

Red squirrel in Jardin de Principe, Aranjuez

Ferry to Bilbao (10th& 11th January)

Well, we arrived in Bilbao right on time.

After a crossing of the Bay of Biscay that can only be described as like being on a river cruise we disembarked from the ferry and drove to just by the Terminal building where we are camped for the night, along with about a dozen other motorhomes.

Loading at Portsmouth took forever it seemed. We arrived at about 14.30 in plenty of time for a 16.30 departure. At this time however we were still on the quay waiting to be loaded. Eventually we got on after wondering if they were running out of space (someone kept coming round counting how many vehicles were still due to board). There were only five after us and by 17.15 we had cast off.

The Cap Finistere ferry that we were on is about 32000 tons and can do 28knots so we made up the time easily especially in the calm conditions seeing very little other shipping on the way. Lunch on deck made a very civilised start to our trip while about five hours out from Bilbao.

More news when able to update.

Off at last !!

Well, that’s it. Off to Spain tomorrow (10^th January)

We are getting the afternoon ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao in Northern Spain. After spending a night at the ferryport we are then heading to a town just South of Madrid called Aranjuez which is the site of some spectacular Royal Gardens and a Royal Palace apparently. It sounds delightful. We plan to spend two nights here before heading on to Mar Menor, La Manga where we will be stopping for almost four weeks.

We then head North to just outside Valencia to another site where we are staying about three weeks before heading back to Bilbao via Zaragoza. We should arrive home in early March.

I will try and update here from time to time to let you know how we are getting on with our travels.

Adios