Week 9 Marjal, then back up through Spain to end of Week 12

Week 9

http://www.marjalcostablanca.com/en/alojamientos/plots/

27/02/13 
Jean left after finding battery wouldn't start van. Man came out through Safeguard Insurance. Went for a swim at 1.00pm nice and quiet. David came down for the evening.

28/02/13 
Swam, went to village to shop, got home just before it rained, kept that way for rest of day.

N33.63453 W1.05851 David gave me LPG garage down near Mazzaron, just in case I did go there. Buenos Aires, RM332

01/03/13 
Swam, read, relaxed.

02/03/13 
Did washing, didn't realise that I had to get a token from reception before I could actually do washing. Still there were not a lot of people waiting. Always rode bike up to reception or swimming pool, it was quite a long way. Easier than walking. My tenant texted to say that roof leaking was still a problem, and I found because site had free wifi that the cheques for the caravan storage had not been paid in, so I phoned Bedford and left a msg. The owners had gone on holiday and would be back Thursday. David walked I rode bike to Nature Reserve, may have seen Harrier, lots of ducks, but not a lot else. It was very windy there. My ankle still wasn't good. It was very muddy after all the rain.

05/03/13 
Sometime around now we all woke up to our vans being covered in Red Dust presumably from the Sahara! Everyone out washing their vans etc. I decided to wait because the rain started and I hoped it would wash most of it off, no, it left streaks all down the van!

Red sand on roof slowly dripping down!

Week 10

06/03/13  
David got me two GPS sites . 1st one La Marina N38.15113 W0.63242 and another at Canada de Gallego N37.53512 W1.37335.  Both free camping.

I looked up El Cantal de Mojacar N37-07-34 W1-49-57 http://www.guiacampingfecc.com/almeria/el.cantal.de.mojacar/ where Tony was just in case I decided to go down there  which was 208 km from Marjal return. I also looked up Kerkenhof Gardens and the site at Koningshof (N52-12-0 E4-27-22) It was 1281 miles (2061 km.) Quite a long way. No Tolls.

08/03/13 Topped up Orange phone £10. Banged head whilst doing backstroke in swimming pool. Gave myself a bad headache again. Phoned Caravan storage in Bedford. Got an awful shock again, Richard had been caught in a bad current and had been drowned. Christine had to leave the body there and fly back. She was more concerned that I accepted that she would pay in the cheques and that she would carry on with the storage of caravans. Richard had been fighting cancer for at least 5 years if not longer; a shock for me, but what about Christine. Must make sure I visit when I get back. Mary T and Wendy S arrived at site for the Country and Western weekend. We went to a concert in the evening but my head couldn't stand the acoustics so I left about 11pm. €10

09/03/13 Didn't go to the Country and Western, although it was outside, my head still not good. €10

10/03/13 
C & W still on today but didn't go. Really not my thing. http://www.marjalcostablanca.com/en/deals/costa-blanca-country-music-linedance-festival-costa-fiesta-8/

11/03/13 
David took me to Lidl in Almoradi. He was very good and went at my pace; we went the back way which he knew, I didn't, and then a cycle path back through Delores where apparently a NC had a house, but I didn't know where. It was 14 miles, did a little detour through the nature reserve and back home. A good ride.

12/03/13 
David decided to go for long bike ride, so I felt it was time I went off on my own to Almoradi again, but I wasn't going the back way, would probably get lost! So I did it, the main road from Delores to Lidl was a bit hairy so I rode on the pavement. Also went in Aldi whilst I was there just to have a look, I do prefer Lidl. Gave swimming a miss today. 

Week 11 

13/03/13 

Swam.

14/03/13 

Swam, everyone came in my van for the evening. We were all leaving the next day, that didn't happen, just David left, we all stayed till Monday.

15/03/13 

David left very early didn't see him go. However, he texted in evening to say he had made it to Bairritz and had only just go on the aire, it was full. Whilst I was there I connected to TomTom Home which I hadn't done for a long time because I thought as I hadn't paid subscription then I wasn't entitled to log on! No. Anyway I downloaded loads of POI's and also all the Aires I had on my computer and didn't know how to put them there. Mary gave me a file which helped a great deal. Now I have them all on TomTom, what a relief.

16/03/13 

With ACSI at Marjal you had 4KW electricity a day and I found I had enough to do some scanning of my old photos. I also found that I had to crop most of them to get rid of the edges. Worked out quite well.

17/03/13 

Skyped Sophia my granddaughter who was 9 years old today; we had a good time whilst Mummy was there and then they started fighting each other! Rosanna told me she was angry because I wasn't there.

18/03/13 

Marjal to Lidl (48348;7;1609) Left today, paid bill, wasn't too bad; still had bad headache, wish it would go away. I went to Lidl first thing and bought a new cycle helmet, tool bag and also new cyclometer, which I haven't put on yet. 

Travelled to Elche to get gas only to find that the place wasn't open although it was only 12 midday. So decided to go back up scenic route toL'Hort De Soriano at Carcaixent, lovely site, didn't do a lot just rested. I was the only one there until late in the afternoon; suddenly realised I must have left my Camperstop book in 2B's van.A few texts and yes, they had got it. campsite free

19/03/13 Horo De Soriano via Elche 48477 129 1738 Must have been a fiesta today, the gates were shut (not just one open, if open). Lots of fireworks in the evening. free

Week 12

20/03/13 

Villareal Benicassim Morella 48550:48566:48674:197:1935 

Left site quite early, bought 2 lots of diesel. At the second station where the attendant made me repeat the Spanish for €100 (can't remember now) we had a laugh. He then came out and gave me a necklace of wooden beads, reminiscent of the guys in Turkey who gave me dusters and cleaners for my van. Lovely thought. Went to Benicassim and did some food shopping. Decided to go to Morella and stay there, still wasn't feeling too good. (€50 Diesel +€15 Gas + €100 diesel. free aire

21/03/13 

Morella (48674) Stayed on aire just lovely to have some peace and quiet. A few English people arrived on site, but kept themselves to themselves. The first couple of nights the castle wasn't lit up, but it was on the last night.

Lone UK camper till I came along!

Castle at night, only at weekends!

22/03/13 

Read the notice, you were allowed 72 hours. There were some processional caterpillar cocoons in the trees. Slept well, rested.

23/03/13 Blanes 48786: Quart 48943:269:2204 

Whilst at Morella I washed windscreen and found that wiper blades had split, where was I going to find new wipers today, so I went back to coast, but most of the garages being Saturday were not open. Hoped it wouldn’t rain. Went up the coast to Blanes and bit further up, no good sites, landed up in Quart a good free site just south of Gerona. A lady who contacted NC's told us about it, however I didn't contact her as I felt it was a bit of an imposition.

Going west to Berga, Pyrennes in distance

25/03/13 Quart 48943: Fiat 48949: Diesel 48997: Berga 49026: Roses 49143:200:2404 Found out from the Municipal offices where a Fiat garage was and the very kind young lady went on the internet and printed me off a map. I left around 10am, found the garage, they had wipers, but the continental blades were not the same as UK because of the right hand drive. They took out the plastic wiper blades fitted them to the old ones and charged me €49 for the privilege. Still what could I do, I needed them. It still hadn't rained, thank goodness for that. I decided to go to Berga where apparently there were some Easter ceremonies. Wrong, I got to the camp site where another very helpful young lady assured me that the fiesta's were not there as my guide book stated, but in June. Also there were some in another town, but that again was last week. There were some a bit further south, but there were no camp sites there. So I didn't get to see any Easter ceremonies.

Roses - usefull piece of parking

I went to Roses, determined to see Cadaques that Kate, my daughter-in-law had told me about. I found a marina/natural parking space at Roses where there were other vans and stayed the night there. free

26/03/13 Roses 49143 N42-16-15 E3-08-00 Good night. Left earlyish to find the aire in Cadaques. Lovely drive up there, when I turned left to follow TomTom I was a bit unsure, but there was a campsite which I understood was open. No,it was not. There was a large parking space opposite where motorhomes could park. I started to walk down the hill and heard some Australian voices in front of me. Very handy I hadn't picked up that Salvador Dali's house was at the bottom of the hill. I walked down with them, and realised it was good because I had no idea of the town's relevance. The house was amazing it was €11 to get in and you were only in there for about 40 minutes. I took loads of photos and was quite impressed with the artistic design and ambiance of the house itself. Funny little quirks like there was a mirror placed so that Dali could see the sun rising whilst sitting in a small room below his bedroom. Whilst in bed he had the bed nearest the window and could see the sun rise again. He may have been a bit weird with his artwork, but he was certainly very much in love with his wife. She collected a lot of tiny chairs; they had no children. I must research his life when I get home. The weather changed and it was quite late in the afternoon. I found the other parking space, but it was €21.75 to park there, so I said I would come back in the morning. free(can't get rid of underlining)

Av de Salvador Dali N42.291794 E3.283709

This is parking for Dali's house at top of hill. Don't go down to village, too narrow, no parking spaces, too small. Free. Camp site opposite but was closed. free

Riera de Sant Vancarc N42.28934 E3.27278 This was aire for €21.75

Roses (49170;27;2431) Left here, plan was to go to Oppidium d'Enserune but couldn't find it, so went on to Millau and then up Gorges Du Tarne. free

 Dali's House and gardens