Lisboa e Figueira da Foz

Hi all, packed up the happy bus and drove to the capital city of Lisbon for our first city-based site and the promise of people, culture and sights to be seen. Ok my ability to enjoy heights is compromised at the best of times but I found myself trying to control my breathing and leaning away from the huge drop into the watery abyss as we crossed the bridge over the River Tagus into Lisbon. I fully understand how the passenger seat is affectionately known as the suicide seat by some fellow RV'rs. Mr H enjoys the panoramic views and changing landscapes on our travels while I try to ignore the paper thin barriers or road edge between me and the depths. Serves me right for encouraging others on many occassions to feel the fear and do it anyway! 

http://www.lisboacamping.com/index-uk.html  
Great site for a short city break; plenty of trees, good access, hardstanding and services but lots of showers (of the rainy variety).  

We were determined to explore Lisbon so we donned winter gear, grabbed the camera and set off anyway. Caught the bus outside the camp gates into city centre. In parts the journey was so bumpy we were lifted out of our seats more than once. Mr H and I took a firm grip of the seats in front of us and enjoyed the white-knuckle ride without the extortionate ticket price!  So armed with a 48 hour pass that covered us for tours around the city as well as public transport our explorations began. 

Plenty to see, around every corner a suprise, sculptures, stunning old and new buildings, palaces, fountains and even imaginative  graffiti.

Of the 260 photos we took I have selected just a few to give a flavour of this vibrant city.  

As we sat undercover in a pavement cafe the umbrella man paced up and down the entrance to the metro. He showed little regard for anyone who may trip over his wares or the white stick he prodded every surface with. At one point he walked out onto the road and straight into a stationary bus, with a shrug he negotiated his way around this obstacle to begin selling his umbrellas dangerously close to a fellow umbrella salesman at the next metro entrance.

Now this greying mutt stole my heart instantly, it was the way she sat quietly on the pavement among the throng of commuters, tourists and locals. Her protruding teeth just added to her appeal, Mr H said she reminded him of Spit the dog...

Really nice to get a proper shopping fix, didn't dare go in the mega-posh designer shops so just admired the window displays from the safety of the top deck of our tourist bus. Best purchase of my mad city jaunt?  Tea lights from Ikea! Oh how I have missed my scented candles. I have learned a girl can go without many things during our adventures but I refuse to travel without scented candles, Molton Brown products, Clinique cosmetics, hair colour and crystals (other products are available I'm told).  High maintenance? Not me!   

We then travelled North to the Orbitur Gala site near Figueira da Foz for 2 nights http://www.orbitur.com/.

Nice tidy site, near the beach but Mr H spent most of the first night helping to dig a French motorhome out of a sandy pitch and it rained for most of the next day with more rain forecast. Same weather picture further North so we've decided to head East back to Spain! 

Welcome from the Ant Hill Mob....

Well it felt like wacky races driving through Seville on the way to Portugal, cars and lorries coming at us from all angles and Mr H practicing his best Spanish phrases through gritted teeth. I provided him with numerous forms of sweets and cranked up some carefully selected singalong tunes; Northern Soul and The Sensational Alex Harvey band for his entertainment! MR H's TRAVEL TIP No1 ASSUME NOTHING AND GIVE WAY TO EVERYTHING!!Apart from this bit the rest of the journey was a doddle with a scenic drive over a bridge into Portugal.

So this week we've been mainly parked on an ant's nest sharing our outside chairs with the local cats near Albufeira on the Algarve; http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/portugal/algarve/campsite-albufeira-106401/

Initially, weather a bit dull and wi-fi variable but scorching now and wi-fi seems to have settled down. Nice quiet site, unmarked pitches so it's every camper for themselves!! We explored the town and coast by bike mostly but visited a local Indian restaurant by taxi for a curry and a Cobra, highly recommended. We were invited into a local bar (as is everyone that passes by!) and in the cool evening air we sat under canvas watching the footie on a big screen. Mr H caved in after 10 mins and allowed me to wrap him up in a complementary fleece while he had a beer and nuts. The very nice waiter said he was taking my fleece home because it smelled of my Chanel perfume, a very nice boy.  

OK I'll own up, we'd been here a week before we realised our clocks were still an hour in front :) The funny thing is it didn't make a jot of difference! Lisbon next.....

Andalucia and beyond...

On the road again, we have travelled from La Manga via Cartagena and Mazarron today to try and fill the LPG tank (very hard to find in Spain). Found the garage we had tracked down via the internet quite easily, manouvered into the bay ok but didn't have the right connector (every country uses different connectors), bugger! A caravan rolled up and even his connector didn't fit! We were informed that they had just left Portugal as the good weather was about to change, just great but it was an 'interesting' drive through mountains, in between episodes of not being able to look down and some controlled breathing techniqes the views were stunning. As usuall I had my travelling essentials with me and emergency home-made egg mayo sandwiches at the ready.

We have found that you never know what awaits you around the corner and these goats were in no hurry to move, Mr H called it avoiding the kids on the road.

We joined the motorway after Mazarron and headed for a campsite at Roquetas de Mar; http://www.campings.net/roquetas/index.html
Tight access, tricky water connection (never did manage it even after a trip to the ferreteria) and a dark spooky supermarket, no lights on and rows of empty shelves! On the positive side; flat pitch, good quality loo roll and wonderful showers. 100 yards to the empty beach and a great cycle route along the sea front and promenade to Roquetas for beer and tapas.

Stayed 2 nights then packed up in record time and travelled along the coast road with spectaclear scenery all the way. We have given up on trying to find a radio station we can bear so we played the i-pod and sang loudly and badly most of the way.

Our next stop was near Malaga http://www.malagamonteparc.com/
This lovely site is high in the hills with glorious sweeping views and mountains in the distance.

The staff and residents were very welcoming and we shared a few tales over refreshments, excellent coffee and draught beer! Our terraced pitch was level and had decking, electricity, city water, waste disposal and internet!

However, surrounded by mountains so the cycle ride to Alhaurin de la Torre and back is more challenging than we're used to. Cycling tourettes time again for me but so glad we made it there and back on Palm Sunday.  In the old village we witnessed the beginning of the spectacular Easter celebrations. We parked ourselves outdoors at a cafe near to the television camera tower thinking this was where it was at!  We grabbed two seats smartly and enjoyed the sun and atmosphere. All were dressed  in their Sunday best and many people carried olive branches. As the procession neared I found a spot at the roadside to see what was happening and admire the elaborate costumes. I watched as a booming military brass band passed with soldiers performing complicated acrobatics with rifles to the applause of the growing crowds. Next came hundreds of children waving olive branches and carrying large straw arrangements in time to the solemn but moving music. The paraded shrine's arrival was announced by a single trumpet player as it was carried into view on the shoulders of many men. A carpet of fresh red flowers surrounded a model of a donkey with Jesus upon it and the Madonna stood behind him, so intricate and very beautiful . I watched as this heavy float rocked from side to side as they carried it and was amazed to see it lifted up to full arm height at regular intervals, very impressive. So pleased to have witnessed this special day and the celebrations enjoyed by the villagers.

Portugal next, hasta pronto!!

And they're off again ..... well almost !!!

Well, it had to happen. Mr H has started composing music with his spoon on the bottom of a yoghurt pot and I'm washing everything that's not nailed down. Beautiful sunsets but time to move on!!

Before we set off have been visiting a few more local places; gardens,

seaside,

and mountains :).

The car has been returned and we set off on Monday for a leisurely journey back to the UK via Portugal, Spain and France.

So there we are on the day of departure after 5 months of chilling. Wearing matching blue disposable gloves we happily scrubbed the waste pipes whilst air-kissing numerous fellow campers goodbye and what happens? When Mr H presses the magic button to raise the levelling jacks the bus starts to bleed !!! Oh yes, I'm stood outside the happy bus when I notice red liquid dripping from underneath. I thought some animal had been mashed in the process but no such luxury. On investigation we found the hydraulic thingy had sprung a leak from a knackered joint. The system only controls the jacks which were thankfully up so decided to risk heading down to Swan Autos http://www.swanautos.com/index.html hoping they could fit us in.
Survived the 12 km to La Marina spraying fluid all over the road and RV then spent 3 hours camped out on the pavement waiting to be seen, eating anything that didn't need cooking and playing I Spy. The lads were great when they eventually surveyed the damage, totally unflustered, one guy had a fag hanging from the corner of his mouth throughout the whole process, respect! Jointly they tutted, scratched their heads, drilled, tapped, unscrewed and taped the bugger. Cleaned her up but they didn't have enough fluid to fill the reservoir again. So we stayed on Marjal's sister site in Guardamar overnight. http://www.campingmarjal.com/en/ Returned to Swan the next day, filled the reservoir and no leaks Hurrah!! Great job and very reasonable, thanks to Will and the team we're on our way.

Travelled down to La Manga campsite for a couple of nights.
http://www.campings.com/camping-caravaninglamanga-La-Manga-del-Mar-Menor/
Whilst there we decided to cycle along the La Manga del Mar Menor strip as it looked impressive on the local maps. It is a long strip of land between the Mediterranean and a sea water lagoon. We were not disappointed, the Med was all shades of blue and green as we cycled along the beach (another first for us)

 and the lagoon is a calm oasis sheltered from the coastal winds

and fed by a river of sea water flowing under a bridge.

We took two stops on the strip, one for a cafe con leche and one for a fresh-made pizza and garlic bread lunch with beer and views of both sides of the strip.

Aseos newsflash!!! Just before we sign off I'm sure you'd appreciate an update on the toilet situation. After months of brand new, underfloor-heated, state-of-the-art glamping at the new Marjal site I suppose other campsites don't stand a chance in impressing one! My experience so far since leaving Marjal (a whole 2 days) has been eventful. I have encountered louvre doors, very unnerving seeing others walk about while you are on the loo. The cubicles were so small that the toilet roll dispensers were on the wall of the main washroom! So I had to guess how much I would be needing, got that wrong and had to sneak out for more when the coast was clear. The force of flush on one toilet was so good it doubled as a bidet if positioned correctly or if you put the lid down it pressure washed it for you. Equipped with this information and armfuls of loo roll Mr H still had a near miss though, he reported that while pulling the chain to flush the lavvy it came off and nearly took his eye out! He recovered enough to replace it before returning to the RV still a bit shakey. Light-timer switches are popular in cafe toilets in Spain. Ok, I get that electricity should not be wasted but they are tempramental. While using such a facility in the depths of a cafe building the light went out and it was pitch black. I didn't know where the door was let alone the lock or light switch. Good job I was a Brownie cos my training kicked in and I used my lighter to find the lock and door. Wearing your sunglasses in dark places is also not to be recommended.

Well, that was the Murcia region, on to Andalucia next, will update when I can, bye for now.

Adios Posh, Hola Becks!

Firstly, I have to report the sad news of the demise of Posh (our adopted praying mantis). She was not on her usual perch with a good view of Mr H so the mystery began. For two days I repeatedly searched her favourite tree and others in the vicinity to no avail. I found her eventually dead on the ground beneath her favourite branch. So all the time I was looking up all I needed to do was look down! and as the world mourned at the funeral of the late great Whitney Houston I buried Posh in the blazing sunshine with silent dignity, no choir or motor cavalcade just a minutes silence. Lets hope its the only funeral I will ever have to dig the grave with a spoon while wearing swimwear, flip flops and a co-ordinating sun hat. The following day we discovered this rather strange creature;

what is the attraction of our blue see-through windbreak to local wildlife?  Following minimal research, the jury is still out on whether it is a male mantis or a brown grasshopper. I named him Becks anyway. He loitered for two days, stretching his legs occassionally then as we were out in the sun he suddenly took flight circling us and the RV before disappearing, bloody show-off.

Apart from this it has been a slow-news month and we have been less motivated to blog recently as Mr H has been laid low by a serious attack of Spanish man flu which is obviously worse than ordinary man flu whilst I've apparently only had a common cold. We implemented voluntary quarantine procedures to protect our fellow campers from infection, stopping short of marking the bus with a large cross. Many a day and night has been spent designing and crafting our very effective non-patented nasal tampax (other products are available). While I nursed Mr H back to full health (poor lamb) Rosie Whizz supplied much needed medication and sweeties! We thank you, you're a gem. 

As part of Mr H's phased reintegration into campsite activities Big Nige organised a fishing trip. The fishing has not improved and Mr H puts it down to the relative cold spell although he did manage to 'catch' Big Nige wrestling with a chair on the bank on one of the few occassions he was awake.

The annual medieval market in Orihuela provided some diversion, the whole town is transformed and many people visit to enjoy the sights, smells and medieval costumed market traders. The  craft, spice and food stalls were plenty and varied, although the straw lined streets was abandoned this year as it was too windy!  Mr H, Big Nige, Rose and myself enjoyed fresh ground coffee and cooked-to-order doughnuts, how clever those medieval folk were.  

The weather has really brightened up over the past few weeks so we're back in the swing of things now; sun-bathing, cycling, swimming, quizzing and basically pratting about. Activity on the campsite has raised a notch or two recently with lots of departures and new arrivals but Mr H's monitoring strategy has developed into a leisurely cycle around the site on a daily basis to note events in a half-arsed fashion. 

The latest fishing expedition resulted in another small carp for Mr H and he enjoyed a long tussle with a large barble before losing it at the net! At least they have found somewhere with more fish than plastic bags :)

The case of the missing mantis

Here it is folks, evidence of our weekly multi-national cycling jaunts into uncharted territory. We join fellow campers in unco-ordinated, fluorescent cycling gear to explore local villages and places of interest. At the last count it was thirty plus like-minded campers and Molly (a perky Yorkshire Terrier) who is expert at avoiding the wheels of our bikes and the many guard dogs along the way. Our weekly expedition is advertised in the site activity sheet as "I biki bike" (will never understand that one) and the group is led by the un-fazed Mr S. He is an ex-army chappie so each outing is along well-researched, cycle-friendly routes and includes a toilet and cafe stop.  We utilise a system of hazard-warnings through the medium of mime, whistle blasts and manic hand signals. We salute you Mr S and your designated rear guard / sweeper :) 

On one jaunt Mr H snapped this town square in the small town of Cox. Only in rural Spain can you enjoy the January sunshine through perfectly manicured trees while listening to a tinkling fountain and the local church bells whilst sipping strong coffee with a gang of non-english speaking mates, bliss :))

We feel that the locals are mildly entertained by our invasions and very tolerant of our badly-parked bikes and cafe orders of twenty-something cafe con leche although we could be wrong. 

A crisis developed during the week! When drawing back the blinds one sunny morning I noticed that Posh was not in her usual observation post. Posh had taken to sitting in the tree with a view directly opposite Mr H's computing chair, she gazes at him adoringly for hours as he goes about his business. A quick search of the tree confirmed she was missing, only time and a possible ransom note would solve this mystery. We coped with our loss that day in true British style by keeping busy. To avert a potential major locker sorting episode I bravely suggested a radical rearrangement of our windbreaks and external sun lounge. Following a sharp intake of breath, extensive head scratching, random tool selection and planning with a pencil behind his ear, Mr H began the task by removing the wind break posts which by now had become welded in position. That's when he found Posh sunning herself upon a post. 

She posed happily for the camera and I'm sure she smiled when Mr H scooped her up (without safety gear) and placed her back on her favorite tree branch.

Despite the cold winds this week, Mr H has managed to land a fish at last, a small but perfectly formed common carp from a local irrigation channel, whoop whoop!  

He and big Nige refuse to give up on their endeavour to catch the big one or indeed anything that lives in water with a pulse!