Tuesday 18th January 2011, Roquetas de Mar and the “mild” winter is setting in.

Yep, it's here, I saw my first fur lined Crocs this morning so the cooler weather is settling in. Still gets up to around 17°C during the day with a light wind and drops to around 10°C at night. Tricia has still got a virus or whatever and I'm sure mine is still lingering on. I say that because as of today it's three days since I have had any kind of alcoholic drink and this morning when I woke up I felt terrible. The thing about not drinking is that if you feel bad in the morning, it's as good as you are going to be all day. Whereas with a hangover, you know you will feel better later on.

It's almost sacrilegious not to drink over here with the price of beer and wine. Work this out; a litre of “good” wine, i.e. you can't quite pickle onions in it, 60 cents (when buying in bulk, mind), a litre of bottled water, 75 cents! Now where's the incentive in that?

Thing is though, I'm sure I'm losing some weight, the other day my shorts fell down! Pity I was in the grocery section of Carrefour at the time and Tricia is still not talking to me. There were a few shrieks from the old ladies there and a appreciative whistle from one of the more effeminate male shelf stacker's but I just pulled them up and got on with choosing the best plum tomatoes.

The German clarinet player at the end of our Calle is quite good, although he does lean a lot in the direction of Aka Bilk, trouble is all he ever plays is “Stranger on the shore”, which can become wearisome after about the tenth chorus.

Bill next down finally got ITV to work after getting his Sky card sent to the site, so his wife Sally is a happy bunny as she is now catching up with all that has been happening in “Cory”, bless.

Washing day again so it's the usual drill, fill and carry and empty, etc.

Yesterday we went up to Brickamart, a hardware wholesalers to look for a ladder so I/we can clean the MS from top to bottom as SWMBO thinks necessary, it was closed so it was in to Decatholon, a Sports ware chain and a small black rucksack for SWMBO (?)

Almeria shopping

As I type, there is the lingering aroma of Carne and Tomatoes, cooking in the slow cooker, put it on at 10 am this morning and it will be ready at 8pm for dinner, can't wait.

We ran out of gas this morning, there was a pinking noise which I thought was my watch, then maybe outside and then we figured it was the fridge/freezer, yep “no flo”, in best American. I thought we had only had the new bottle a week but it turns out more like ten days, but still, seems a trifle early? I then worked it out that as we have been a bit ill lately I've been putting the furnace on a couple of hours in the morning so that SWMBO will eventually haul her sorry arse out of bed, also sometimes an hour in the evening.

Now here comes the semi technical part.

A 13.5 kg bottle of propane gas holds about 25 litres of gas, which is, very approximately, 5 gallons. We now step back to imperial measurements. 1 gallon of propane will last an hour in a 100,000 BTU furnace, our furnace is 31,500 BTU, the fridge is 1,500 BTU (not on all the time, say 30%), therefore lets say 3 hours of heating a day plus fridge, plus water heater twice a week so just over a gallon of propane a day, or €3/day. Now this is in cold weather, when warm the bottle lasts over a month instead of, at present a week or so. Electric is working out about €3/day for only lights, TV/DVD, computers and of course the bloody inefficiency of the 240v/110v transformer. So €6/week for all our energy supplies, in winter is kinda OK, isn't it?

I foolishly tried to explain this to SWMBO, BIG mistake number 1.

Her, “OK, what's a BTU then”, me; “A British thermal unit”, “Which is, silly?”.

“A unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at one atmosphere”.

Big mistake number 2!

“What's the weather got to do with it?” “Er, pressure effects the boiling point of water, you know when climbers are up mountains and make their tea it tastes different because the water boils at a lower temperature”. “No, I don't know, I've never been up a mountain and why British, I thought the MS was American?” “It is, but they use BTU's instead of Watts”. “You mean the people who got to the Moon, used British thingy's, you'll be telling me next they use miles for measurement!”

“Anyway what's Watts?” (Heaven help me, I've been here before!)

“Well if it's energy we are talking about it should be Calories and 1 BTU is about 250 Calories and 250 Calories is about a third of a Watt (under breath, “watt hour”).

Thankfully by this time her eyes had gone all glazed and she was reaching for her liquorice pieces.

Just been for a quite fast 5 mile walk, Aguadulce and back via the beach and the town, well 4.5 mile to be accurate, which was 4.5 miles more than I've done for a while and I'm cream crackered. Looking forward to dominoes, pizza and The Likely Lads and then bed and no booze again, roll on Friday night.

Wednesday 19^th January 2011.

It's 9:50 pm, she's still in bed, it's coldish (probably the reason) because to avoid massive condensation ( a helpful hint from Zaskar, a MHF member and Calder 5er owner) we leave the vents open all night. From the recent gas usage I've not switched the heating on and to be honest (why do people say that, is it because they normally lie to you?) 15°C, ambient is OK for me.

Just watching a few neighbouring motorhomes, and a caravan, depart the site; they are off to Morocco for a couple of months, warmer climes I'll bet. Have thought about it as well but recently the company that you could go with, needed for the first time I think because of the hassle and paperwork (and bribes?), has stopped taking 5er's because they cannot guarantee a rescue/repair if they break down!

The band

By the cringe! They are being given a clarinet, trumpet and accordion, send off by the Germans, don't recognise the tune, thoughbut, no, no I stand corrected, there goes “Wooden heart”, followed by “I'll see you again, Marlene”.

I'm probably going to get it in the neck as SWMBO wanted to get up early, whatever that means in her universe, to go to Carrefour in Almeria as it's a lot bigger that the one here. I think it's only for birthday cards mind and as it's a dull day, why not?

Turns out it's not a Carrefour at Almeria, it was an Alcampo (owned by Auchan, French, so similar), almost as good but not as expensive. Mind you after looking and finally finding, photo paper, photo frames and a new wheely carry on bag for the trip home, we put them all back and settled for a coffee and croissant. Back to do the real shopping at Mercadona and then return to the MS for a cup of tea and a lie down.

Then out again for a 7 mile cycle ride into Roquetas and back down the beach front, just typing this all out is tiring so that's all for today folks.

Thursday 20^th January 2011.



New scarf



Market day and change the sheets on the bed, it's all getting too exciting. It was supposed to be dull and cool, no siree, Sun and blue skies again so it was off for a 5 mile walk to the Roquetas market for, well for nothing actually. I didn't want anything in particular but I knew that SWMBO would not be replete unless something was bought, turned out to be ersatz Moroccan scarves.

Churros eating

Busy eh!

Still busy

Ah....birdies

Nice walk

Walk back, visited by Heely and Hennie, a Dutch couple who were our neighbours last year, for coffee and cake; and also a Spanish lesson from Heely, an ex ships captain and a speaker of many languages.

Salad lunch and all of a sudden it's 6pm!

Also bumped into another Dutch couple from last year, Peter and Ine, who were cycling back from the market. Tricia mentioned that I was off the booze and Peter remarked that he's not drinking any more, “Mind you”, he said, “I'm not drinking any less either!” Not a bad joke for a foreigner.

Speaking of which, it's Friday tomorrow, that means Friday day becomes Friday evening and I'm lining them up already, probably start with a G&T and work on from there.