Proud.

We're still at the campsite on the beach, and this damn illness that has affected the girls, is still lingering on in Skye's guts, though only just. The latest victim is poor old Tom. He's got things coming out of both ends on an infrequent basis, though still the little fellow is suffering a bit.

I must say though that though they have all been feeling quite awful, they have been stoic in their suffering.

Which for some reason makes me feel very proud.

I am fortunate so far in so much as I haven't been touched by the poo virus. Other than whilst wiping bottoms (Ann's excluded of course).

I am not good at being ill, though so far I have found, drinking a bottle of Rioja a day, during Ann's absence from imbibing, may have warded of all but an occasional heavy head in the morning.

Chilly and unwell in the Sierras.

We're near Granada today, Guejar Sierra to be precise and it's bloody cold (realtively speaking of course).

Ann's parents met up with us the day before yesterday. Good to see them too. We're currently in convoy.

Yet as I write Ann and Skye are Ill and have been since yesterday, feeling sick, fluey etc.....

Hopefully they'll feel better tomorrow.

(Two days later)

They're just about better now after spending most of two days being rather ill.



Tom, Elliott, Mary and I went to the Alhambra yesterday in Granada, and as was expected on a Saturday, it was busy, busy, busy. Neverthless it was a great place.

A few photos below....











Raining hard this morning so we abandoned the Sierras for the coast again. Hopefully we'll re visit Granada again when everyone is well and the weather is better.

Camping at Castillo de Banos this evening, beach not 5 yds from the campsite.

Pretty things.

We left the campsite near Fortuna and headed for Aguilas via an extended shopping trip in Murcia, DVD's needed you see. On parting with Rich, Helen and kiddies, we'd arranged that should we find a nice site we'd get in touch and rendezvous. Anyway, we arrived at the campsite early evening, and left early next morning. Nothing wrong with the site, just not a keeper, they even gave us a bottle of wine as we left (nice gesture, crap wine though).

Along the coast we went looking for another place to stay. Some areas of big development down here,though some really pretty parts too. We parked up for lunch at a pretty spot backing onto the beach, and were approached by an English chap who gave us a card for his nearby campsite. He gave us verbal directions on how to get there, though of course these were immediately forgotten, at least in part anyway. Oh, but did I mention a super cheap price per night.

While enroute there we discovered another site which looked great, and I mean great compared to some of the other places we'd stayed. Though we'd have to wait nearly 3 hours for the place to re-open to get in as their reception was closed, and the other fella seemed nice, so we resumed our search for the other place, which we eventually found.

We pulled in through the half open rusty double gates, and were about to turn round and head of again, not a camper/caravan or tent to be seen, just a large expanse of gravel and a couple of hedges, when he came to personally greet us.

Bothe he and his lady were very personable, and of course we stayed there. Facilities were basic, though for about half the price of most sites I suppose good value ? 2 days were spent there. We had email from Rich and Helen that they were at site/place called Le Manga which was sh1te.

On the second day we had a family bike ride to the nearby Pueblo Mojacar. A Gorgeous old village, with white painted houses built into/onto the steep hillside, and as it turned out too steep in places for Tom's trailer which attempted on a couple of occasions to jackknife Ann's bike.

Our kids needed a playground, and we needed a bar. So we relocated to the nice campsite we'd seen previously. Small site with spacious pitches, playground, views of the sea, and only 20 mins walk from a pretty hill village with restaurants and shops. Nice. No, really nice.

Shortly after our arrival a camper pulls by ours, Rich sticks his head out the window and says hello. Skye is elated."her friends are here".

A funny coincidence.



Back up to Mojacar today with all the kids and Helen, to have another look round, and to find a post offIce, and our second BBQ in two nights.

Happy Birthday to Mum and Elliott.

Hungover

Since my last post we've moved campsite, but only by about 3 miles. We've met Richard and Helen, who also have a young family at the last campsite. It's great, our kids have been playing with each other, and we've had other adults to talk too. They're doing a similar trip to ours, so it has been good comparing notes on motorhome life, they've even got an Elnagh Marlin like ours.

Last night however we had supper together with a couple of bottles of wine, followed by a few beers at the campsite bar, followed by another couple of bottles of wine. Why is it we never learn ?

Today has been a day of very little activity as a consequence, though Ann must get special mention, as she walked into the town and back to obtain provisions.

Time for supper now, and then back to bed.

No booze though.

Happy Birthday

Altogether now "Happy birthday to you...."

As you might have guessed it is my Birthday today, and where better to spend it than in the sunshine. We´re staying at a gaudy little spa town called Baños de Fortuna not far from Murcia, think Harrogate or Buxton on acid ?

Since my last entry some time ago we first went to Sitges, just south of Barcelona which was a good deal more pleasant than the Costa Brava that we had previously visited. We spent a couple of days there, did a bit of cycling, and a bit of sightseeing.



Then on to a rather nice campsite for a week at Villagordo del Cabriel (near Utiel). The campsite should have been idyllic, a reconstructed hamlet made up the facility buildings, set alone in some small hills and near a large lake. The detraction was that less than 500 metres away was being constructed the new high speed railway from , so week time there was loads of construction traffic passing by. Certainly not complaining though, as it´s situation was good with plenty of places to visit nearby. Load of beautiful castles, and limestone cliffs. Google for Alarcón, Alcala del jucar etc.



Worthy of mention also is the fact that most Spanish villages that we´ve visited have absolutely no warning signs that the wide enough streets suddenly turn into very narrow streets. These are either very difficult to drive a campervan down, think low overhanging balconies, sticky out bits etc. or just impassable, necessitating reversing all the way back out you came. I´ve already managed to add a couple of minor war scars to our van. Oh well.

Yesterday we briefly visited Cuenca, a hilltop town which we´d intended to return to today, though the nearby campsite was closed for the winter, so plan B was to drive south, to our current destination.

The kids are well. Though Ann by mistake put some "sour apple juice" in the kids bottles half way through last night. Skye complained vociferously this morning. Turns out the juice was the carton of house white that was left out on the side after cooking supper.

Spain

Haven´t been able to find an internet connection for nearly a week.

Been travelling round the pyrennees, even spent a couple of days in the duty free haven that is Andorra.

Now in Spain, the Costa Brava to be precise.