Month: December 2016

Today it was back on the bike again after a couple of “rest days” to allow our bodies time to adapt to the increased exercise and improve cycling fitness. Well that’s the theory anyway. We had intended only one rest day, Wednesday, as cloud was forecast, and planned to use the day to take the train to Alicante.

However after the 40 minute brisk walk uphill to the station, a jaunt around the sights of Alicante, a steady march uphill to Castillo de Santa Barbara, a  steady march back downhill  again, AND a further 40 brisk walk downhill from the station in Benidorm to Villasol, we decided we needed to make Thursday a rest day too.

Alicante is an attractive city with loads of decent bars and restaurants and comparatively few shops. I would have thought ideal city for that long weekend with the wife lads. It is very pleasant to walk around and the highlights are the Esplanada de Espana, a palm lined promenade along the water front, the Castillo de Santa Barbara which dominates Alicante from the north, and MACA, the Museum of Contemporary Art.

As Thursday was now a rest day Christine decided to Spring Clean the motorhome and wash anything that didn’t move. We even had to put up a washing line. I felt that I had to join in and wash the motorhome for the first time since we left Insch. Well the back of it anyway. People in the campsite were actually surprised it was silver! Late afternoon we went for a walk towards the old town and back along the promenade. We wont give you any more “lots of people in the sun walking along the promenade pictures” but here’s one for Oor Robert, lots people in the sun, on the promenade, drinking in the Tiki Bar. Not that you can actually see the Bar. It was only 4pm and it was wild. So much for rest days.

So today we got on the bikes and headed towards Castell de Guadalest a pretty little mountain village with a stunning castle and belfry perched precariously above it. The village is only 21 miles from Benidorm but unfortunately a lot of this is uphill, the last 6 miles being the real challenge, all uphill with an  average gradiant of 8%. The plan was to have a look at the hill, to get a feel for the challenge as getting to Castell de Guadalest and the hills beyond is one of our objectives whilst we are here.

The picture shows the Castle and Belfry in the distance with about another 4 miles of climbing to go! At this point we turned and headed for home. Total mileage today 35 miles, 2100ft of climbing at 12.5 mph.

Finally before we sign off, in response to a request from Margaret C, I give you the Silver Machine with Christmas lights! Bit challenging to get the shot right but you get the idea.

So as the end of the year approaches we both hope that you all have a great time at the bells and a happy and healthy 2017. See you next year!

……well it is now! Yep, we have officially declared Christmas over and are trying to get back to semblance of order (whatever that is out here) before the onslaught of New Year. Christine and I hope that you all had a really good Christmas.

It was a great Christmas for us and like most things here, didn’t work out as expected. Normally when you stay at a campsite, people don’t know each other. At Camping Villasol not only have many of the folks been coming back each winter for at least 10 years, they stay on the same pitch with the same neighbours. Camping Villasol is a collection of communities as much as a campsite. We were really fortunate where we chose to park as we have been welcomed into one such community which extends not just across this site but into other sites in the area. People are very friendly, genuinely interested in getting to know and would help with anything. Walking to the shop or the showers is a social experience and as a result can take twice as long as it should.

Pete and Trish, who live directly across from us organised a street party for the afternoon of Christmas Eve. There were over 20 people there and we had a great time. You can tell by the photos that it was a bit like the Corrigan’s in the sun!

It was as much as anything a great opportunity for us to put names to people we had said hello to in the passing, although having said that we have forgotten most of them already. There are some real characters who are part of this group and it was a great way to begin the Christmas festivities .

We have done a fair bit of cycling since we arrived in Benidorm and probably about 70 miles since Christmas Eve. We had started the day with an easy bike run to Altea. The old town is lovely with long narrow, pebbled streets hemmed in by white houses. Unfortunately it sits at the top of a steep climb! The road opens out suddenly into the Plaza de la Iglesia, a beautiful square bordered  on one side by a Church, fantastic views on another, with cafes filling in the bits in between. It made the effort to get there well worth it, especially as it was an opportunity to have the obligatory coffee stop.

We really enjoyed the company at Christmas Eve, but planned a much quieter Christmas Day. We started off with a bike run, the most ambitious so far, a loop via La Nucia and Polop, 25 miles with 1500ft of climbing.

It was great to get out of Benidorm and into the hills. Polop comes spectacularly into view as you leave La Nucia behind.

We didn’t stop in Polop but it will be well worth exploring at  a later date. After Polop it is a long climb into Callosa, but after that it is pretty much down hill to Altea on the coast and a beautiful hill it is too.

After we got home we thought we would finish the day with a walk along the promenade. It really is difficult to feel it is Christmas Day, in your short sleeves, sunglasses on walking with crowds of other people dressed in similar attire.

As the sun set on our first Christmas in Benidorm, we reflected on how  much we had enjoyed it. We planned another couple of beers and then home. Our big mistake was to go to Beers Friends for that last one that we probably didn’t need anyway,

met Pete and Trish and a bunch of others from the Campsite. As ever one thing led to another in the guise of ending up in the Tropical with a Neil Diamond impersonator!

Did we follow the gang to see Elvis at 11 o clock in the Rock and Roll House? No we did not! An unexpected outbreak of commonsense took over and we went home at 10.30. Good decision, especially after seeing Pete the next day!

……..yes we are. We were both feeling a little groggy this morning after staying out a bit later than intended. I blame Elvis. Originally programmed to come on at 10.30pm he didn’t come on until 11.00pm and didn’t finish until past midnight. He was brilliant and well worth waiting for.

We started the night at the oddly named Beer’s Friends Sports Bar. At 1.50E for a pint of Amstel I guess it can call itself what it likes. The Rock and Roll House was packed out when we arrived at 9.30pm so we just stood at the bar which is never a good thing. Met a guy from Aberdeen who started working for Woolies when he left school and worked for them all over the UK.

Today the weather was beautiful with the temperature hitting 20 degrees. Going out on the bike was a great way to clear the cobwebs. We managed 22 miles towards Callosa which is just a bit further than we managed on Tuesday. On the way back we had the obligatory pit stop in Albir. The presentation of the ham, cheese and fried egg was interesting.

We finished the day with a walk along the sea front. It was still hot and it seems that at least half of Benidorm had the same idea. It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves in the sun. We stumbled across a Christmas Market….Benidorm style!

Well the sun came out yesterday and its forecast to be great weather for at least the next week. It meant that we could get the awning up, for the first time ever, and begin to feel a bit more at home, or at least at home for the next 4 weeks before we begin our travels again.

Its been non stop really for the last two days. Today by the time we had tidied up, washed clothes for the first time, topped up with fresh water and got rid of some grey we were just getting ready to chill a bit when a neighbour told us it the Benidorm Market that morning.

So off we went to market. It is big, the Spanish seem to use it and does seem to have stuff you would want to buy. You have to haggle though. Christine fancied a leather handbag which started at 25E but ended up at 13E ……Bargain!

We decided to walk up to La Cruz in the afternoon, the large white cross on the hill which dominates the northern end of Levante Beach. The 2.5km trip to the top was great exercise, and well worth it for the views of Benidorm, the coastline beyond and the Island of Benidorm sitting in the middle of the bay.

Yesterday we got the bikes out for the first time. We did an easy 20 miles though Albir, Altea and then some. I was looking for a route I knew through a small nature reserve but unfortunately a small bridge was closed as a result of Monday’s torrential rain and we had to turn back. The sun was really warm and it felt really good.

The waves were as big as we have seem in the Mediterranean and we had to swerve smartish when they decided to break over the road. The couple on bikes just in front of us were not so lucky.

We had a quiet night last night. We had a walk around the bars just to see how things are building up for Christmas. Even our own campsite has joined in the celebrations. There are holidaymakers arriving in busloads now and you can feel the air of anticipation building each day. We have put our own decorations up now but we will save them for another post.

Anyway tonight we are off to see Elvis in the Rock and Roll Bar. Huh! Huh! Huh! Yes we are! I personally have been getting worked up about this since we discovered he was coming to Benidorm on Monday. Unfortunately he doesn’t come on stage until 10.30 so we are not entirely confident we will make it out that late. All will be revealed tomorrow.

………falls exceptionally heavily at the moment and living in Benidorn hasn’t been at all what we expected.

We arrived in Benidorm last Saturday and we are booked into Camping Vilasol until the 17th January 2017. It is a big site, with 450 pitches but it has all the facilities needed to cope with so many people including restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools and shop. Its all about location really. It is an easy 15 minute walk to the beach passing many bars and clubs on the way. The Silver Machine is parked on a sizable pitch with a great views of Benidorm sprawling out in front.

The rain has been exceptional. The umbrella had been the most useful fashion accessory  so far but this morning a boat would have been more helpful.

We’ve really been forced to chill over the last couple of days which is probably a good thing. We have read a lot, we almost completed the big crossword in the Costa Blanca News, snoozed and managed to get out to explore the town.

Obviously we have always managed to get out for a few beers at night. Highlights were all on Saturday night. O’Mara’s, a small Irish Bar which we have frequented previously, didn’t let us down with a great meal and the Western Bar was a great end to the evening with country music as background and live entertainment. The night we were there Pueblo Bloom was the singer, a Spanish eccentric on speed by the looks of it. He has very entertaining though.

Last night because it was raining, very few people were on the go and large bars with only a few people in them are not great. We went into the Rovers Return to watch the Man. City V Arsenal game. The similarities with Coronation Street end with the name, and we will not be Returning to it. We did meet a really interesting guy called Jim who had a flat in Benidorm where he and his wife stayed for 6 months of the year. They had retired early, sold their house, built a 45ft Catamaran and toured the Mediterranean and the Caribbean for 8 years. When he did eventually sell it he had to deliver it to the new owner……..in Hawaii. Uncle Peds is another bar to miss if you are ever in Benidorm.

Anyway those eagle eyed of you will have noticed that we haven’t even got the new awning up yet. That’s a job for tomorrow when the sun comes out. We might even get out cycling.

Well we are stopping in Segorbe tonight, 267 miles along the road from Logrono, leaving only about 2 hours drive to Bennidorm tomorrow. Whoooooo! We drove a bit further than intended today as it was 7 degrees, foggy and pouring with rain most of the way.

The Silver Machine is parked up on the Escalera de la Estacion. It is a recognised aire but it is basically on the street parking on albeit slightly larger spaces. We have been really luck y since we arrived as the rain has stopped and the temperature is an almost mild 10 degrees which we will settle for.

Segorbe, pop. 9,267 turns out to be a really interesting place although not somewhere you would normally plan to visit. I say normally as once a year in June, 200,000 people descend on the town to witness the Segorbe Running of the Bulls.

Segorbe has a mass of old narrow streets, winding around a steep hill with the ruins of a once mighty castle on top. Fortifications associated with the castle have been incorporated into subsequent ancient building programmes and appear randomly as you wander the narrow streets. It seems to have more chapels and churches than you would guess for a village this size, particularly impressive apparently is the Cathedral of Segorbe consecrated in 1534 and extended in 1795. Unfortunately we failed to find it!

On returning to the motorhome we started chatting to a lady from the only other motorhome parked in the aire. Not only did she originate from Banchory, she stays in Portsmouth now, but she said she had relatives in Insch…….did we know any Milnes in Insch. Would you believe it, another small world story.

Anyway, another quiet night tonight then tomorrow we take Benidorm……and as you know anything can happen in Benidorm!

The Silver Machine has landed in a small Aire on the Av. de la Sonsierra, Logrono after travelling the 85 miles from the Ferry Terminal in Bilbao. The Aire is situated in the corner of a huge carpark, has spaces for 3 motorhomes, and an area to take on board water and dump grey waste. When the Aire gets busy, motorhomes just spread across the car park.

Logrono, the Capital of the Rioja, is 1260ft above sea level and partly explains the 7 degrees C temperature when we arrived after a much more pleasant 16 degrees C in Bilbao. This is not what we came to Spain for! Well maybe the Rioja!

The trip to the ferry terminal in Portsmouth was well signposted. We were taken aside by customs for a fairly superficial search of the inside of the van. I think they wanted to see the inside more than anything else. Amazingly there seemed to be more Motorhomes boarding than cars!

The ferry sailing itself was good. The weather was kind to us, the sea was fairly flat We did all the usual things to pass the time: eat, drink, listened to the entertainment and assisted the magician with part of his act.

We only had a couple of hours to explore the Logrono town centre, about 1 km away along a pleasant enough riverside walk, so no way did we do it any justice. The highlight was the Calle Portalles, a lovely old street, now pedestrianised and full of cafes, restuarants and tapas bars. We don’t know if Logrono shuts down on a Thursday afternoon but the centre was almost deserted. Having said that you could easily see how it could be a great place to be on a weekend night touring the tapas bars.

Anyway, no idea where we will be stopping tomorrow night, but Benidorm beckons on Saturday. Whooooooo!

At last! Finally we are off on our travels. The Silver Machine has landed at Sunnydale Farm, just outside Southampton and handily placed for a 20 minute drive to the ferry at Portsmouth tomorrow.

We set off on Saturday 10th December and stayed at Blackwood with Tom and Margaret, stopped at Park Farm Stafford on Sunday and the Caravan and Camping Club site at Oxford last night.

The weather has been grey, there is no other word to describe it.

Stafford seems to be a lovely place. Seems as, by the time we got the Silver Machine parked up and walked the 2 miles into town, it was dark. The Christmas lights, the beers in the Market Vaults and the food in the amazing Old Picture House more than made up for it.

Oxford, by the time we got the very handy Redbridge Park and Ride (5 mins from Campsite) into the town centre, again was dark. Recurring theme here! It was also unfortunately raining. Shopping abandoned we went to the Kings Arms, White Horse, Lamb and Flag and the Eagle and Child for a mini pub crawl of some of the oldest pubs in Oxford. Even J.R.R Tolken and C.S. Lewis amongst others thought the Eagle and Child worth a few beers whilst comparing notes on their latest writings.

Just so that we could actually see something of the world in daylight, we detoured slightly to spent a couple of hours in Winchester over lunchtime. King Alfred’s one time capitol of his kingdom is well worth exploring, with enough to keep the  visitor interested over a long week end. We had a look around the centre, went to the cathedral just to sing the song, or at least try to, and explored the Christmas Market which had grown up around it.

Anyway here endeth our first ever post. Bear with us it can only get better.

Sandy and Christine

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