Friday 20th May 2011, BP and no washing.

Went for a walk into Benicassim and had a couple of pasties the filling of which was black but other than that I don't know what it was, some sort of vegetable, but it tasted OK.  Cup of coffee and a beer and then wandered back to do a bit of shopping.  Lay in the sun on the next pitch which turned out lucky I guess.  Dutch guy, who lives in Tenerife, turned up with a 13 m Cayman RV and spent a while getting the thing onto the pitch just up from us, thank God he was not next to us as all our sun would be gone.  He's only staying four days, so I guess it would not have been so bad.

Boules, went down again 2 – 0 and then trying to snatch back a bit of dignity tried a game of ludo, got beaten but (and I know this is hard to believe) it was very exciting!  Fish fingers and chips for dinner and very nice it was to.

Getting desperate and watched  “Mama Mia”, the film musical, definitely a girlie film.  Bed and planning on practising my boules when she goes to the shower.

Saturday 21st May 2011, BP and woke up aching so much I think I may have got the flu.

I do remember some guy sneezing all over the place when we were at the market on Thursday, that might be it.
Sitting typing this at noon'ish time and I'm watching three very perplexed Spanish guys who obviously have not seen a 5th wheel rig before.  It got to the point that if I didn't show them they would be under the truck!  I did and they were very appreciative after they figured it all out, must be engineers.
Can't sit here feeling sorry for myself and SWMBO has ordered a few miles trek along the beach, well 25°C, the Med,  blue skies and the beach covered in scantily clad young women must serve as some kind of pick me up?  It did!

The planets have finally arrived back in their correct obits as I won 2 – 0 at boules and also the cribbage game was mine.  Fish, peas and chips followed by “Terms of Endearment”, if I watch another girlie film I'm sure I'll turn into a lesbian, and then bed.

Sunday 22nd May 2011, BP and normal Sunday morning ritual CE&T, accompanied by marmalade on toast, 22°C so far and the day is young.

Plan is a cycle ride to Oropesa and a quick ride around the town.  So that was a quick twelve and a half miles with me losing the resulting boules match because I thought I had won 13 – 11 and threw my remaining two boules away, on checking I was not closer and she won 13 – 12, followed by 3 – 1 at doms, BTW, I not reporting these results anymore.

Dinner of liver and onions etc. almost made up for the “black dog” I was feeling.  The film “Iron man” helped a bit I guess but way too far fetched; a four inch deep recess in the middle of your chest with a magnet and eight LEDs instead of your heart and enough “fuel” to fly around the world at super sonic speeds?, give me a break.  I'm obviously becoming more cynical in my old age as, as a boy (notice that “as as” bit?  You often get a “had had” but not many “as as's” ) I read just about every Marvel comic I could lay my hands on.  I even changed my paper route as I found out that some kid on my council estate had a Dad who was a TRADESMAN and had a CAR and then could obviously afford to get his son's Marvel comics delivered, mind they were a bit dog eared when I finally popped them through his letter box.

Blackpool, Birmingham and West Ham lost their premier league status and Sunderland won 2 – 0 at West Ham to finish above Newcastle!  So the news is not all that bad but I did go to bed with mixed feelings (prefer the wife but she wasn't around).

Earlier in the day we talked to a guy in a wheelchair, Eddy, who had been all around Europe in his motorhome, impressed with his whole attitude to life.

Monday 23rd May 2011, BP a wash day, clothes and the car.

6:15 am, didn't sleep all that great last night, mixed feelings probably kept me awake?
Because we are parked where we are, under a couple of trees, we are getting covered with bird crap, I really don't want to see the roof of the MS and the solar panels mounted there are down to about 6 milliamps.  It will have to wait until we get back to the UK, the car, on the other hand can be and is washed in the car wash bay not 100 m from our pitch, and for FREE!

Tomorrow we plan to get the train into Valencia and hopefully take in the science park, if you include the giant aquarium it's €32/head!  So just to do that via train and tour bus is over €100! for the two of us.

Boule, me 2 – 1 and 13 – 12 in the last end, how exciting!  Loser gets to pick the “indoor game”, no, no mate, don't even think about it, all games are restricted to being able to be played on our “kitchen” table, mind you................................?

So it was bloody Ludo again which I lost.  Last of “Master and Commander, The other side of the World” which was OK but definitely needed a sequel which apparently never happened?  Bed.

Tuesday 24th May 2011, BP and up at the crack of 7:30 am.

Well I got up quite a bit earlier, still not sleeping that good, dunno?  SWMBO hauled herself out of bed and went for a shower and by 8:45 am we had had (see, had had) breakfast and were off for the 9:14 am train from Benicassim to Valencia.  I had packed a picnic of three medium baguettes and was betting to myself that that (that that!) number would be somewhat reduced by the time we actually got there as SWMBO was already pawing and sniffing the bag.  Always been the same, we travel, she eats, usually my steak and kidney pies.

Waited 15 minutes past the time it was supposed to turn up and then back to the camp site with her mumbling all the way “Bloody 7:30 in the morning!” and “Can we go for a picnic then?”
So off on a 21 miler cycle ride to Castellon and a picnic in the park, right next to El Corte Inglés, well I was doomed wasn't I?  She wanted (nay needed) some Lancome stuff, well apparently a very small jar of something.  So she goes in and then comes out again, “How much cash money have you got?”  “Er.....about €60?”  “That's not enough, give me your credit card!”  What!  So she comes out with tiny 15 ml jar (jar!) of “Renergie Morpholift Yeux, RARE tm” which cost the equivalent of  €300/litre, worse than the last one, I could buy Kryptonite cheaper!

Cycled back, can't remember much as I was still in shock.

It was so hot, 27°C in the MS and over 30°C outside that we, for the first time in two years, put the A/C on and it felt great, don't care if the electric is expensive, we needed it and even put it on again just before we went to bed.  Tomorrow it's going to be hotter!

Wednesday 25th May 2011, BP and it is going to be rather warm.

Started off at 24°C in the early morning and will top 30+°C, later on (and it did!)
Our gas bottle ran out already!  Normally get minimum of four weeks and now this is only two and we have not used the gas much, no BBQ connected as yet?  Then read on the web that someone's RV with the same make of fridge/freezer as ours, had caught fire and was completely gutted.

Checked and with the help of Paul AKA Zaskar in the UK, who has the same 5er as us, that according to our serial number we are OK.  Then Paul tells me that he took his cooker apart because he had been getting the same problem as us, i.e. the oven going out, and he finds a crack in a joint causing a gas leak which the gas detector did not detect, what's the use of that then?  So now I guess I'll need to have a look at ours.  Been under the MS and with the help of some washing up liquid and a small brush have checked all the gas joints I can see, only leaves getting the oven out.  I wish I had bought one of those hand held gas detectors that I looked at but did not get when we started all this.

Walked into Benicassim and bought, my first pair of Crocs, a Frisbee, a small beach ball, a fruit basket and small multi dish for Heather, or and a lettuce, never meant to buy anything, who knows?
On the way back stopped for a coffee, two thin pasties, one with Anchovy and the other pate and a thin oval cake like thing with nuts on.

Plan now is to hit the beach with our new toys.

So we did, the Frisbee always rolls to the right and anyway she can't throw it, the small beach ball is a bit too light and anyway she can't throw it, throws like a pansy.  Swam around a bit, lay down a bit and then went back. 

BBQ of chicken, Spanish sausages, home made beefburger and salad, yummmmmmy.  Bit of red wine, cider and beer and just as it's getting dark we decide to play boules, I think she won 13 – 12, but can't really remember, or much of the film if it comes to that.  Read and bed.

Thursday 26th May 2011, BP and where are some clouds.

Up early and hot.
Breakfast and then the Thursday market for our veggies and oranges.  Then we went looking, by car, for the supposed local Leroy Merlin, nope, it does not exist.  SWMBO wants some special fencing stuff for Heather's veranda and I want a hand held gas detector.  Came back and eventually found it via Google maps, go there tomorrow I think as the temperature is due to fall below boiling point.  Guess what tonight?  BBQ, what else?

Lying by the pool the other day and I can't help overhearing three Brit couples in their conversation. 
“Well coming down the N23 I was getting 22.3 mpg but as soon as I hit the coast road it shot up to 22.9 mpg, mind that was running on Repsol stuff, if I can get Shell it tops 23 mpg!”  “That's because you've not had it chipped, got mine done for £500 back in the UK and I'm over 25 mpg!”

Falls asleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  One hour later; “Yes, but if you pull in your mirror extensions, even a couple of inches, you get and extra 0.4 mpg, read it in MMM, provided you keep all the windows closed and don't use the A/C”.  “Yeah you're right, that A/C's a killer, even though it is over 30 outside I'd rather put up with the heat than lose about 1.5 mpg”.  Then they began discussing the “Big rigs” on the site, as there are only two, they are probably including our 5er.  “Bet they get less than 18 mpg on them and the train weight must be over 6 tons in all, and they are AMERICAN!”

Now these guys have 22'-24 foot motor homes, no A/C, sleep over the cab in basically a coffin and you have to squeeze past each other all the time, if you are whizzing around Europe, getting to see all the off the road bits and small villages etc. they are perfect, but these people have been here for THREE months.  Give me my island, pocket sprung Queen bed, A/C, large AMERICAN fridge freezer, massive slide out, microwave etc, any day of the week.

Of course the ladies in the group are going on about Corry and Emerdale and I'm wondering where the hell I am anyway, am I not in Spain?
Perhaps I'll return tomorrow and find out if after the accident, Tyrone got arrested for Kevin's attempted murder and would my mpg go up if I overinflated my rear tyres?

Tonight we will be trying to watch the remainder of “Jeremiah Johnson” after another chicken based BBQ.
Boules, me 2 – 0 and 3 – 0 at Doms.

Benicassim 2009, bit busier now

Cycling in 30+ degrees

Airport on the beach

The "fire brigade" airplanes

 

The train that never comes?

SWMBO doing her thing

Ditto

And now a swim in the Med

Or perhaps not?

The train that never comes?

Saturday 14th May 2011, BP and an early start.

(pics at end as usual)
Tricia went to bed early dispirited, disconsolate and depressed at being drubbed at both boules and cribbage and her constant sobbing fair nearly put me off reading my book.

On the way back from the cycle ride yesterday, I told her that I was popping into the supermarket to get some wine and she asked if I was going to drink a whole bottle again!  “No” I replied, minutes later clutching a €2 plastic 2.5 litre bottle of Mercadona's best vino, “I'll only drink half”.  Sampling such I tried watching a DVD, when she had gone to bed, now get this, it's called “The men who stare at goats”, no, no, a true title and what's more it's full of movie stars, see picture.

SWMBO as declared a new fitness scheme, 8 lengths of the pool every day, it lasted about the same as every single scheme she has started, one day!

Well slept kinda properly last night, but up at 6'ish and did my PC stuff, then about 8 am made the tragic mistake of SSS.  At that time the shower block is quite busy.  So I start with the usual and I'm sitting there, not in my normal stall but the one on the end.  I hear a “pssst?”, eh! what!  For one, who the hell is saying that and two, I'm not anyway, too bloody early.  Then again, “pssst?”, is it someone trying to sell me things, you know “dubious things” while I'm ensconced on the toilet?  Turns out they have fitted, either a anti mossie thing or air freshener injector thing that goes “pssst” whenever it makes up it's little electronic mind, to try and change the smell in the toilet, if one was fitted back in Roquetas when the big Germans were about it would be “psssting” non stop!

So do teeth with one of my three toothbrushes which I happen to find in my bag first, if it's the electric one I feel as if I've had my first treat of the day but I must take care not to mix up the preparation H, tube with my toothpaste tube, again.  Then into the shower.  Now because it's so busy it's just pointless trying to set the temperature and stand there, freezing or getting scolded.  You just have to keep nipping in and out and hope you catch it at a benign oscillation in it's temperature transients.  Since I had already decided to bring my cycling shorts with me to give the gusset a good rub through, I was in there longer than normal and anyone listening must have thought I was rehearsing for the camp's Morris dancing troupe. 

I was emptying the wastehog the other day at the motorhome “dump” at the top of the site, it was full of washing machine water as SWMBO had just been doing her thing.  So I'm next to the boules courts and the lot from the CC are there and one of the guys come over and pointedly stares at what I'm dumping, as if it might be “black” water, cheeky and nosey bastid that he is.  I must admit it took me all my strength not to tell him to “go forth and multiply”, but I held back the urge.
Washing the whites she is so I'm filling and dumping again, love it!

Well it's 12:30 pm and the FA Cup between Chelsea and Stoke starts over here at 4pm, hope it's on in reception or perhaps at some coffee shop in the town, been invited to a few Brit caravans to watch it there, but not for me I'm afraid.

So we are arguing, well talking louder than we should, about a cycle ride or a walk and I, not like me at all, am favouring the walk.  “So we can do some shopping on the way back, good!”  We only really need bananas and milk but when we'd finished there were 15 items on the list and we would need our bikes after all, or walk back down again with my rucksack.

David and Elaine are coming up from Roquetas today and will be stopping here for one night on their way up through France and on to the UK, so we have been practising our boules like mad and intend to give them a good seeing to, helps that the boules pitches here are nothing like the ones at Roquetas. 
Did not get to see the game, nobody had it on in reception or in any of the bars in town. 
Sunderland got beat by Wolves 3 - 1, funny thing was it was the first time their manager, Mick McCarthy, had won at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland's home pitch, and he was manager there for three years!  Manchester United won the Premiership again but it's going to be a rare old scrap for who goes down.

D&E arrived at about 4 pm and parked their caravan about three pitches away from us, they are off first thing tomorrow to France.  On arrival, I fixed his GPS, re-wired his power cable hook up, Tricia made them tea and biscuits and when we went shopping bought them some bread. Can't afford for them to arrive every day!  Pity it's peeing down as we will have to give the boules match a miss.
Rain stopped long enough for them to beat us 2 – 0. damn!

Some chicken and peppers, doms, me 3 – 0 and then what was left of  “Blazing Saddles”, then bed.

Sunday 15th May 2011, made scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, tea and toast with marmalade for us both. 

Nice start to the day, plan a walk along the beach and back through the town after another cup of coffee and the washing up.  Beach was crowded and so is the camp site, I think there's some sort of Spanish holiday as there are a lot of kids and young people around.

Walk was about three miles including a stop for a coffee and then back to the MS to lie in the sun and read.  Quick game of boules, her 2 – 1, blast! Tonight it's chicken curry and chips, real English food and then another one of Mel Brooks' films, either “The Producers” or “To be or not to be”, both great and very funny.

Monday 16th May 2011, BP and a bit of a cycle ride.

Decided to head to Castellon and see how far we could manage, 4 bottles of water, two coffees and 26 miles later we got back, knackered, the planned trip to Valencia tomorrow is definitely off and I am presently kneeling down on all fours with my cojones resting and recovering in tepid olive oil, in a bowl we normally use to keep the pickled onions in.
No boules and we bareley managed to move the doms around at all, BTW, her 3 – 2.  Then the last Mel Brooks' film and glorious bed.

Tuesday 17th May 2011, BP and also our wedding anniversary (36 years, sounds more like a sentence!)

Messages from home:-
Adam had reported that the Porsche had developed yet another fault, the exhaust down pipe had sheared, so that was another £220 on top of the starter motor £330 fix, we should have kept the Yaris as it would have only cost £450 for a new gearbox, ho hum.  Heather is off to Gozo (Malta) for a few days visiting some old friends, then off to Wentworth with the PGA types.  Richard has moved out into his new place his Dad bought him, in Crawley.  Ash is still there and we could do with another lodger to replace Richard.

With the Valencia thing postponed, the next best thing (for her) is a walk along the beach to Oropesa and a picnic, it was OK and tonight it's to be a pizza on the beach at sunset accompanied with a cold bottle of fizz, can't wait it's so romantic. 

The place where we chose to have our picnic of egg and tomato baguettes and tea tasting of the new vacuum flask was OK and was close, but not close enough to see any detail of an all male nudist beach.

The romantic pizza and fizz thing didn't happen because after a couple of hours in the sun when we got back, she didn't want to do anything and anyway it was “too cold” (19°C at 9 pm as a matter of fact).  So we went to the camp restaurant and had a great three course meal, liver, bacon and onions, (no that's not the three courses, silly) including a bottle of vino for €19.80!  Got back around 10 pm, no doms, no cribbage, no film, just a bee line for her to bed.  I'm going to watch the rest of “The men who stare at goats”.

Wednesday 18th May 2011, BP, a bit of washing and then back on the bikes.

Planning a run to Carrefour to get some odd items that only they sell around here, should be about a 20 miler.  Just got back, 20.003 miles exactly and I can't feel my bum anymore, I mean it's a numb bum, I can still actually reach it, just not feel it if you know what I mean, I'm stopping this now.
Boules, me 2 – 0, doms me 3 -1, her, pissed off and not talking anymore.  Chicken stir fry and then two episodes of Murphy's Law that were actually very good, looks like the writers have finally got it together and the actors know their stuff.

Finished off a Patricia Cornwell novel, female forensic doctor on murder hunts, not my style and will never read another, give me a proper SAS type thriller every time.  Then bed.
Thursday 19th May 2011, BP and oh the pain!

Both awoke in mutual agony this morning, nearly 50 miles cycling in three days is, I guess at our age, just too much too soon, must try to make the next one a little shorter.  Well we may have woken up but I was the only one to actually get up, I mean it was only 7 am and there is no way in hell she's going to get up then.  So it's 9:30 am and I start frying some lovely Spanish bacon to go into a fresh half baguette and she magically appears at my elbow before it dawns on her that her “new” diet begins today.  After calling me some names even I won't repeat she remains stony faced for the rest of the morning for “getting me up so early with that bloody smell”, and only brightens up when she realises that it's market day today.

Unfortunately one thing that isn't bright today is the weather, overcast with the threat of some rain, mind you the temperature is 20°C and I don't particularly mind warm rain.  So after the market it will probably be a stay in and “dee things” kind of day.  Looking at the size of some of the satellite dishes around the site, I might have a go with my “Roadpro”, small but thinking big, dish.  As it's the last MoTD this week end I might be able to catch it on Sunday morning.  Need to trail my 50 m of hose to one of the adjoining pitches to top up the fresh water tank as we are pretty low. 

SWMBO is planning on some really interesting ironing and a few people have asked for a quick tour of the MS.  This probably because of our position on the site, right at the top on the corner plot which is apparently part of the evening “walk round the camp” many people do in the, well the evening I guess.  It's funny really because as we have tinted double glazed windows they cannot see if we are in but out of curiosity still walk right up to the MS for a close inspection, practically gurning in the windows while we are laughing our socks off inside.

Yesterday I had washed the car to get most of the bird shit off which usually guarantees it will rain and your already ahead of me, it rained just enough this morning to bring back a hint of the “brown stain”, damn!

Up to the market and bought all the fruit and vegetables for the next week including two huge lettuce which would have cost about £1.50 each back in Sainsburys in the UK.  Also included 6 Kg of fresh oranges, some of which were converted into 1 litre of FSOJ when I got back.

Keep on dropping the internet and you have to wait an hour each time to get back in, doing my head in it is, as is the bloody row the CC members are making on the boules pitch, one woman actually cackles like an old witch.   SWMBO is constantly preventing me from shouting over “STFU!” to get them to tone it down a bit, like a bunch of 5 year olds.

Say ahhhhhhh

Say ahhhhh, again

Can you see any dangling things?

The picnic

Picnic in Oropesa

Benicassim beach

Back to the port for coffee

Castellion 26 miler but this was an avenue of trees last year!

Castellion 26 miler

Castellion 26 miler

Castellion 26 miler

The one and only 8 lengths

Benicassim villas

Saturday 7th May 2011, BP and it's a storm coming, the weather that is, not our daughter Heather.

(pictures at end as usual)
Saying that, who knows, depends on her mood when she gets here?

Yep, thunder, lightening and rain is due for the day and into the evening, then hopefully, if the forecast is correct, four days of glorious sunshine.

Last night it was boules, me 13 – 7, doms, her 3 – 1 , damn!  Chicken and veg and some mini pizzas and then half of “Gladiator” before she fell asleep.  Conversation went like this; “Tricia, you're asleep!”  Snore, snore, snore, “Eh?, what?, hic, no I'm not”, snore, snore, snore.  “Yes you are!”  “No I'm.......mmmmmmmmmt.”  Snooooooooooooooooooooore".

We have not put any “green” down so you have to wear flip flops and try to prevent bringing loads of gravel into the MS, when I come to think of it we only started using green when we were at Marjal, not BP.

Changed the gas bottle, 5 weeks, not bad.  They wanted €16.50 to change it on site at reception, a BP (not B Park, Brit Petrol) is only one mile away and it's €14 there, so no brainer.

SWMBO had said she would wash the car this morning and after I'd picked myself up I told her where the car shampoo was, she's now called it off as it is going to rain “that bloody brown stuff”.
When they get lightening it often starts a fire in the adjoining mountains and they use helicopters and flying boats to drop water on the fires.  Both aircraft use the sea to fill up, for the helicopter some sort of bag, and the plane appears to semi land (sea?) and scoop water straight into it's hold, would really like to see that.

Back to BP.  One of it's foibles as I now remember is the showers, depending on the one you choose and what is going on around you, the shower temperature fluctuates sometime quiet alarmingly.  For instance, you are in there with the water temperature set to high'ish and someone flushes the toilet, if you are in shower #1, 0.1 seconds will elapse before you are scalded appallingly, shower #5 (the end one), 1.2 seconds and plenty of time to step out of the water stream momentarily.  Of course if the cleaning lady comes in you are better off turning the setting to cool as she obviously take a devious joy in filling her bucket from the various spigots around the block and can be heard chuckling merrily as she listens to the screams of pain and anguish from the shower stalls.

Of course when ever I think of anything bad about BP I am immediately cheered up at the thought that there is a Mercadona and a Lidl (may God bless and keep it) within a couple of minutes walking distance.  I have been known, apparently, in moments of melancholy, to go and just lean against a Lidl (may God bless and keep it), just to cheer myself up, one day I'm going to work there, think of the discounts!

Today is going to be a little walk into town to get some, sink plugs, BBQ lighter and two catapults (don't ask) and then on way back get some other stuff from Mercadona.  One of the things we were also going to get is a very small notepad for our shopping lists as the one we used is now full.  Brainstorm!  Use the back of the previous receipt!  Why didn't I think of that before?  Brilliant!
One of the jobs I had set myself when I retired over two years ago now, was to name all the MP3 music files I had converted from vinyl and CD for about 20 years or so, over 4,000 of the buggers.
Well as of yesterday, I've finally finished and also replaced the tracks on my portable MP3 so now instead of listening to track EJ #7.mp3 I can listen to “Come down in time”, by Elton John, one less thing.

SWMBO is changing the sheets for Heather coming and I'm going to suffer the agonies of the “rock n roll” bed with a sleeping bag, four nights only, thank the Lord.

Unfortunately caught myself reading the Telegraph online and all the TV coverage, about the recent AV business, a quote from Edward Murrow comes to mind;  "When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus, it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and that TV has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained."  such is life I suppose.
If there were any spelling or grammar mistakes in the last epistle it's my fault as SWMBO did not get to proof read it (as she always does BTW) as I posted it in a hurry, normally try to complete it weekly (very) on Thursdays.

Popped out to the town and picked up a paella gas BBQ and 50 cm pan, can't wait!  Also got a set of six boules for €13, about €25 in Carrefour, how do they do it?

Just been out to wash the car as second born is arriving soon and SWMBO is in “tidy” mode.  It's raining while I do this but I'm not as off my trolley as the six Brits playing boules next to me.  The car was covered in bird crap so it took some doing.  SWMBO is vacuuming as if her life depended upon it and the whole MS is getting a spruce up all round, is royalty coming?

Much more important, Sunderland are playing Bolton Wanderers today and need a win, will not know until I we get back from the airport so will be on tenterhooks until then.  Her flight arrives at 7:55 pm at Valencia so if she is on time we should be back at the MS around 10 pm at the latest, they will have been constantly yacking all the way and will obviously continue so I will have time to get on the internet and check.

Just checking the pitch rent and if we stay an extra two days we pay €35 less because the tariff drops over 61 days, as the cost of changing our ferry back will be at worst €10, why not?  Except, “I've got a hairdressers appointment on the 24th!”  So that's that then. 

I'm sure they are profiteering here, just found out it's €4.20/hour for the tennis, RDM had two courts and they were free!

Hell's teeth!  Just had an almighty clap of thunder and it's getting very dark at 5 pm here, so probably in for it as forecast.  "Fiery the angels rose, and as they rose deep thunder roll'd around their shores: indignant burning with the fires of Orc."  For the uneducated it's from William Blake's America; a prophesy, and not from Blade Runner, that's a miss quote.  Comes from being force fed English literature for two hours every Thursday morning, instead of one, because some stupid git had burned down the Woodwork block, back in the 60's, at Farringdon Secondary in Sunderland.

Sunday 8th May 2011, BP and the Sun (and daughter) are here for a few days.

Picked Heather up at 8pm last night, she had landed early and we did not even park, straight out of arrivals into the back of the Truckasarus and away.  It was raining and stormy when we left but had cleared up when we got back at 9 pm. This morning it's hot and sunny and I've had to prepare TWO chucky egg and soldiers.
Last night we just talked, after a dinner of delicious home made chicken curry and rice followed by a few red wines.  I had previously relented at SWMBO's behest and bought bottles of wine instead of the usual gallon as we had to appear at our best for second born.  Four very nice bottles of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007, from Lidl (may God bless and keep it) at €2.49 each, what a rip off!  We only drank two.

Heather brought Tricia's anniversary present with her, a Panasonic HM-TA1, or in other words a HD video/8 Mp stills camera about the size of a Nokia mobile phone, I've......er sorry, she has always wanted one, and it fits on her utility handlebars a treat!  I will probably need another 1TB external disc drive to store the videos judging from her history with her present stills camera, remember the 500 pictures in four days in Granada?  Anyway she is very happy with it and as soon as she's mastered it I may be posting some small videos, who knows?

No cards, boules or doms, last night, just bed.

After a late breakfast it was a walk down and along the beach, coffee and then back to the MS.  Then down to the swimming pool to sunbathe and after 50 minutes Heather's bored and wants to go on a cycle ride.  So she's got my bike and they're off along the cycle path to Oropesa, the same trip as we did the other day, I'm left to prepare dinner, roast Moroccan chicken with veggies.

Game of boules and after a lucky start from Heather, plays like she's taking no prisoners and fairly hurls the boules down the pitch, Tricia came out the winner, second Heather and my sorry arse trailed in a very bad last.  Dinner as prepared and then “Deja Vu”, STARRING Denzel Washington, I think I'd seen that before actually.  More fizz and wine and then bed.

Monday 9th May 2011, BP and a bit quieter this morning.

Got told to make less noise when I get up on the morning as I'm making their breakfasts, apparently  I “woke” them up on Sunday about 8:30 am, I'd been up since 7!  So this morning, quiet as a mouse and then they finally hove to around the 10:30 am mark.

Then they were off to the shops after emptying my wallet of any cash, returning just in time for chicken wraps for lunch and then back down the beach, after going through my pockets for any extra coins, I stayed in and “did” things, cooking and mending etc.  I'm fairly sure they will make an appearance around 6'ish just in time for a quick shower and then sit down to steak and all the trimmings, for dinner.

Quite a lot of transients on the site, a couple of vans parked next to us last night about 10 pm and were gone again when I got up this morning, poor buggers probably on their way back to the UK.
Fixed the rear bike alarm, filled up with water, did a bit of shopping and generally cleared up a bit.
Yep, 6:35 pm and I'm getting the dinner ready and here they come on cue.  I'm doing fillet steaks  with garlic potatoes for them, I'm having a pizza (BTW there were only two steaks in a pack, go figure).  The steaks here are not cheap but taste absolutely great so it was not a surprise when they both started eating everything went quiet, they had actually stopped talking!

A Knights Tale with the late Heath Ledger, no he's dead already, and then bed, no boules or domino results today.

Tuesday 10th May 2011, BP and a tad cloudy?

It's 9:45 am, not a sound from the bedroom, they're still both in bye bye land, won't wake them and trying to type this as quietly as possible.  Don't know yet, as I have not been told, as to what the plan is and what we are going to do with the day. 

Internet is down again, sometimes it drops out and you have to wait an hour or so until this system clears down because you can't log in as it thinks you already are logged in and there can't be duplicate ID's on the system.  To log out you have to go to their log out screen only to fully terminate from the system, so if it drops out the above happens.

Just dropped them off in Castellon after she found my “secret” € stash, well not exactly “found” but after threatening me with her catapult armed, with 1.5 cm ball bearing (where did she get them?) I kinda buckled and told her where it was, in the bag where I keep my wastehog spares, somewhere she would normally never look.  I'm to go back and pick them up about 6'ish, yep, when the shops have opened again after siesta.

By the cringe!  Just checked the stats on the blog and I've had over 2,000 hits on this one alone, there are four, but get this, from 10 countries, two guys are in Russia!  What's that all about then?
Have mentioned the CC rally here and OK each to his own, but I am basically an anti social bastid, SWMBO is a little right wing of that, we like our own company.  So about 50 of them came and took over the boules courts next to us, again OK, that's what they are there for.  Then the leader chap starts up (never a chapess BTW), you can always tell them apart, sandals and socks, shorts that are a guess at short longs or long shorts, hat or knotted handkerchief and a voice that sounds like his cojones are permanently tightly clasped in a small vice, and usually loud.

“The first activity is as follows; Henry is playing with Hillary, George is playing with Pippa, Gary is playing with Mildred and Patrick is playing with Herbet”.  Up until the last one I thought “aye aye should get the video out, might make some money on the porn channel”.  Then again it takes all kinds.  Mind when I found out that Patrick's surname was Fitzherbert and Herbert's, Fitzpatrick,  well some things not right are they?  Says so in the scriptures.

But then they went and marked out a boules pitch on the pitch next to us, on one guy's backswing he very nearly spilt my OJ as I was having late breakfast by the MS.

Back to the spending duo.  On the way to picking them up and had a call “Can you come a little later?”  They had been there for 6 hours already!  They were both carrying bags from Zara!  Back and then the parade at what they had bought and I had paid for.  SWMBO; “We need more hangers in the wardrobe and do you really need all these clothes?” 

Heather wanted a lie down so we went off to plays boules and I lost 2 games to 1.
No dinner as they had had “a rather large lunch”, so it was just snacks as we watched “Field of Dreams” with Kevin Kostner, got quite crowded in the MS.

Bed and I was told to sleep “quieter” because I had woke them up last night when I turned over in the rock and roll bed.

Got up quietly and SSS then made breakfast, washing up and doing a bit of catching up on the blog.
They walked down to the beach, I don't like lying on the beach, and after about 2 hours I cycled down with their lunch of FSOJ and some chicken salad wraps, hard life for some.

Took them back to Castellon at 5pm, just in time for the shops to open, both wearing what they had just bought yesterday so there was no way they were taking anything back.  I was told to get them at 7:30 pm unless I received any other instructions.

Tonight is anyone's guess as we want to stay in, go out, play Ludo, have a game of Boules, eat out, eat in, yep it's a two women story and I can't keep up anymore, it was bad enough with just one.  Roll on tomorrow and we get the younger one on the plane, unless she decides to stay!

How mad is this, look at this receipt (see picture), beer IS cheaper than soft drinks, no wonder I'm driven to it, or in the case of BP, walk or cycle.

Decision was I cook another steak dinner with chips, I get a beefburger, ludo and then tried to watch Amazing Grace but didn't like it so it was bed for all.

Thursday 12th May 2011, BP and she's gone back, blood pressure returning to normal.

No, it's been a delight having second born with us for a few days, her and SWMBO spent a lot of needed, quality time together.  So it was up at 9 am for all, crispy bacon sandwiches for the girls, coffee for me, and then the 55 mile trip to Valencia airport.  No mishaps and we got her there in good time.  We planned to take in a campsite near Valencia, about 15 miles along the coast, it was pretty dismal and we will be giving it a miss.  Then back through the town and on to the A7 north until, just after a junction, a motorway fire, all stop for over an hour.

Back to MS eventually and then down to Mercadona to replace the half of the fridge that second born had eaten, mind she's still rather slim for it.

On the way back a couple of Spanish kids had a display of sea shells, SWMBO got the idea, they were for free and took one, by the look on the young lad's face I didn't think they actually were gratis.  Having told her this she felt she had to give them some sweets in recompense so when I got back to the MS I handed her a packet of miniature chocolate Easter eggs Heather had not found, “I'm not going to give them them all, give me a few out!”

Motorhome and attached trailer turned up and parked in the pitch next to us, taking all the afternoon sun, still they are only here for one night, phew!

Dinner was a mixture of chips, eggs, fish fingers and peas although not necessary in that order, boules me, 2-1, doms, her 3-1 and then half of “Blazing Saddles” BY Mel Brooks, one of my all time favourites, but she fell asleep.

Earthquake in Lorca, a place we had passed on the A7 coming up here, 10 dead, in Spain?  Where's this God then, kids and pregnant women?

Typing again at 1 am, can't sleep, mind buzzing in circles for I reason I do not know, Friday the 13th problem I suppose, probably start on the chillies and pickled onions in a minute.  Still TGIF today tomorrow/today, no work, what am I saying, there is no work anymore.  Also blog host is not working, down for maintenance, so I don't know when I will be posting this.

Tomorrow is going to be a big wash day including sheets so up with the new washing lines and the general emptying and filling of the tanks.  Will be using, if possible the on site washing machines and as it's kinda full and there only three of them, may have to queue a bit.

Some great quotes from Blazing Saddles:-
"Hedley Lamarr:My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
(me tonight, can't sleep)
Taggart:God darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore."
"Hedley Lamarr:My mind is aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapour of invention.
(me tonight again)
Taggart:Ditto.
Hedley Lamarr:"Ditto?" "Ditto," you provincial putz?"
And the best:-
"Taggart:What do you want me to do, sir?
Hedley Lamarr:I want you to round up every vicious criminal and gunslinger in the west. Take this down.
[Taggart looks for a pen and paper while Hedley talks]
Hedley Lamarr:I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.
Taggart:[finding pen and paper] Could you repeat that, sir?"
And there's more!

Friday 13th May 2011, BP, a small wash day all that.

Couldn't post because the blogger website is still down for maintenance!

Managed to get to sleep at about 4am and up again at 9 am.  Breakfast was the Spanish version of rice crispies, as I had used up my boxes from Morrison's in Gibraltar, OK'ish.  Washing same as, same as.  Then a 10 mile cycle along the beach and back through the town, boules, me 2 – 1, cribbage, me, after a rather hot chilli and rice.  SWMBO reading then bed before 10 pm.

A7 fire

Quite a wait

Another new outfit being shown in Castellon

Drive you to drink!

I hate you, Zara.

A load of bull

A breather from the shops

Is that a credit card you've got in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?

Is the camera leaning or me?

CC at all the boules pitches

And an extra one!

The Oropesa ride, AKA SWMBO

Does our bums look big in this?

Happy days

THEM!

Wednesday 27th April 2011, yes still Wednesday.

Almerimar was a lot different, better that is, than the last time we visited, for one it wasn't chucking it down, sunny and hot.  It appears to be a haven for sailors as it has 3 marinas housing hundred's of boats.  It also has a stronger Brit contingent than here as a few of the are Brit owned and English appears to be the preferred language, over German, next to Spanish.  So a quick tour and a coffee then drive back via the motorway as the single carriageway there is in a terrible state.
Lunch was three, yes three, wraps of chicken, peppers and onions for SWMBO and I had a cup of tea.
Then it was more sun and reading, dinner, more chicken and vegetables, mine curried.
Doms, er again!  Last bit of Matrix II and then bed.

Thursday 28th April 2011, RDM and the market.

Well the visit to the market went very well, we walked, accept it was closed or rather just not there as it is always not there on the last Thursday of each month.  Funny thing is we did this last month, same result, will we never learn?
Then it was washing again.  As the weather is hot, mid 20's, with a very light breeze and not a cloud in sight, why not and we need at least one wash before we move she says. (why?)
She has gone back to her original soup recipe which is just hoy water with vegetables in it, bloody awful, for lunch.  Dinner will be fried potato with me, burger, her, an unpronounceable fish.
Last Matrix, tonight.

Friday 29th April 2011, RDM and “The” Wedding day.

Took Tricia, Elaine and David down to the Spinnaker to watch the William and Kate wedding on about four TVs, lots of bunting and Union Jacks about and apparently it filled up nicely.
Me, went off for a tour of Alcampo in Almeria commercial Mall, various hardware shops, bought nothing.  Finally bought some more cigarettes as the thousand I'd bought in Gibraltar, for €1.5/20, had run out, works out about 6/day, so not too bad.  Here in Spain there are €3.15/20, twice the Gibraltar price but still half the UK price, still, must cut down even more.

Returned to pub around 2:30 pm for the final balcony kiss and a fly past by a Lancaster bomber and Spitfires, and it looked like everybody had had a good time.  Apparently full English breakfasts followed by  Fish & Chips was the order of the day for David and Tricia, burp!  Weird thing was it was clear and sunny in the UK, here persistently chucking it down.

Then back to our MS and after a couple of coffees and snacks, and five hours later, two bottles of Fizz, and the equivalent of three bottles of red wine, some beer and a G&T were consumed, good day all round.  We tried to watch “Silence of the Lambs”, pointless really as we were both falling asleep most of the time, bed.

Saturday 30th April 2011, RDM and I guess the green comes up today.

Forecast is dry today and then the odd shower until we leave so up it comes, people might think we are Germans, packing so early.  That's what we did, got things done.  Bit of a walk then dinner, now done, cribbage, her, dinner them bed.

Sunday 1st May 2011, RDM and final packing.

Basically all packed and cleaned ready to go, a day early as it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow.
All that's left is a final empty of the tanks and stow the waste hog and sewer pipe, which incidentally is leaking like a sieve all over the place, new one needed for next season I think.
SWMBO is stowing all the food and indoor items that ma break.
Couple of drinks round at David & Elaine's place and then cribbage, beef casserole, “The Bucket List”, then bed.


Monday 2nd May 2011 RDM.

All's well at home, Adam's car is now OK due to me paying £320 to the garage for replacing the starter motor, Heather's got her new pussy cat, Archimedes, a “British Blue” kitten, hope the older female cat does not kill it.
Finishing off the final points on the 55 point list and will hook up and park in the calle later this afternoon.  Probably eat in the café on site for our evening meal and then an early start tomorrow.
Did that and a very nice meal it was although at €10 for a bottle of pre opened Rioja was a bit OTT.
Back to MS and watched a John Grisham movie about, you guessed, lawyers, OK though.  Tricia was a little bit tipsy and said what ever time I got up in the morning would be OK with her.
Fast forward a bit.

Tuesday 3rd May 2011, RDM and 6 am.

“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!, I'm not awake yet!  Bugger off and let me sleep!”
Time line 8:15 am and we are off, goodbye Roquetas De Mar for another year.
It was a 350 mile, eight hour, drive to Benicassim and arrived about 4:30 pm, fairly uneventful journey but about all I want to drive in one day.  Main route was the A7, none toll, road with a bit of the A31/35 shoved in rather than follow the coast as we usually do.  Averaged 20 mpg!  Mainly because the wind was from the south west and was helping a bit.  Got the usual stares from passing motorist with a few of the Spanish equivalent of “WTFIT”!  Even had some guy taking pictures of us from all sides.  Some real heavy weather on the way up with lightening and the lot although the temperature got up to 29 °C.

Had our first run in with the Spanish police.  On the A35 just south of Villena, we were just about to stop for more diesel and a cup of coffee when two motorcycle policemen began weaving to and fro in front of us and made it quite clear that they wanted us to stop at the services.  After a cursory look at my driving licence it turned out that they were more interested in what the hell a fifth wheel was, asked us if we were on holiday and after I explained that we travelled around Spain for most of the year, they were happy and zoomed off, no problems there then.  We had the coffee and Tricia tried some tapas, pork and tomatoes, it must have been bad because she left.
Arrived at Benicassim and it is, as it was, clean, well run, a bit busy but expensive.  We are on a non serviced pitch, electric only, half the size as the one in RDM and €4/day more than we were paying, plus electric.  Mind it is an up market site and probably worth it if you use all the facilities including their very modern gym. 

As we were setting up, in a light rain, a English couple began talking to us and I was mentioning RDM and the differences in prices he asked me if there was many English there, I said no, and that's the way we like it, not too pleased about it.  But it is summed up in a CC&C rally that is on site, apparently they, about 100 people, regularly commandeer some of the facilities, all day, for themselves, like the boules courts etc.  Also on the Royal Wedding day they took over the main reception and were charging €12 to get in to watch the TV!

Went for a little shop at the local Mercadona and then had the three course “meal of the day” at the restaurant for €9.90 inc. a beer because we just couldn't be bothered to cook anything, and it was very good value, mind the pudding was dreadful.
Bottle of fizz and some BAW.
Watched “Next” with Nicholas Cage, no he was in it silly, OK'ish and then bed at 11'ish.

Wednesday 4th May 2011, Benicassim until 20th June!

Woke up about 6'ish feeling as if I had been through a wringer with all that driving yesterday, everything aches and I just had to get up.
The new cycle path runs behind the site from Benicassim to Oropesa, a small village, about 2 miles along the coast, will try it tomorrow.
Went for a walk through the town and back via the beach and the problems we both have of mixed memories of all the similar place we've stayed at causes us to something, like a plaza, is just round the corner and it isn't.  Weather is beautiful, sunny and warm with a nice breeze.
SWMBO is now officially and definitely back on her “nothing nice”, diet, i.e. watery soup, no alcohol, no sweets, bread, milk, coffee, well you get the picture.  Mind she has eaten all the licorice and sweets we had so that's a help.

Game of boules, me 13-7, pitches are right next to us.  Dinner, sausage, eggs and fried garlic potatoes, me, fish fingers and cabbage (ugh!), her.
Doms, me, followed by John Grishom's “The Firm”, STARRING Tom Cruise, bed.

Thursday 5th May 2011, Benicassim, Bonterra Park, warm.

Weather still very good so will do that cycle run today.
BP was our first real campsite and we stayed on it for 9 weeks, starting 12th April 2009, at the time I thought it was a brilliant site and I guess it still is.  It's very clean and the location is great wrt the beach and the town and shops etc. I now feel, on returning, that it is more like, as a few people we have met on ours tours have mentioned, it is a bit crowded when full so you're eating etc. just next to your neighbours, a bit on top of each other, a bit too ordered and regimented, and frankly, a bit too British.   I've never seen so many copies of the Sun and the Mirror outside of the UK and there seems to be an awful lot of TVs in awnings with British soaps running all the time, “English breakfast €6.50”, here and there, not what I want to see or hear really.  I mean what's wrong with sauerkraut and sausage?  No copies of Die Welt to be found and hardly anyone says a friendly gutten morgen anymore...........................Mien Got!  I've become German!

On a serious note however, there are about 50 CC members here on a rally, come every year about this time apparently, and they have a regular plan for each day, all seem to eat together and we were told that they often commandeer all the boules courts for hours on end.  Also, on the Royal Wedding day they took over reception and it's TVs and were charging €12 for anyone who wanted to watch it!  Thing is if a bunch of Germans or French or Dutch or whatever get together and start shouting, I can't understand it most of the time, it's just a noise.  When a large gathering of English do it, usually in a Dudley accent, I can, and I don't want to listen to it, especially when it's about where you can get Watney's red barrel and where the best fish and chips is, stay home!

This is true so help me God.  An Irish guy is parked next to us and I noticed he was messing about with the rear light cluster of his motorhome, “What's the problem?”  “My indicators keep going on and off”.  “Er...........isn't it what there are supposed to do?”

So today we will have a walk up to the Thursday market in town and check out the local produce which if I remember from last time was one of the best markets we have ever been to, especially wrt fruit and vegetables.

After some frantic e-mails from Heather about her not having any confirmation from Easyjet, it's been sorted and she is arriving on Saturday, SWMBO has calmed down now as she has many plans for the both of them when she gets here.

One of the things about staying at a resort or campsite that is on the coast is that because there are always mountains right next door, you can only walk or cycle in two directions.  Unfortunately when we were first here in Benicassim you could only go in one direction, towards Castellon, about 10 miles away.  Now they have finished a route to Oropesa which cuts out all the very severe hills and as you can see from the pictures, is rather pleasant.  So we did the market, good, bought vegetables and two hats, don't ask, cycled there and back to Oropesa and walked to Lidl (may God bless and keep it) and Mercadona and are now truly knackered.

Doms, her, “Changing Lanes”, chicken stir fry with fresh red and green chillies (1kg for €1 at the market, couldn't believe the price and bought 1 kg (a lot) and boy are they hot!) and then bed. 
Typing this at 11:38 pm and my mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives. It  is aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapour of invention.  Or in other words I've had a few, goodnight!

Friday 6th May 2011, BP and what's the plan today?

Hidden keys,  We have a spare hold key secreted somewhere outside the MS, OK you guess; inside the hold is my large heavy locked and bolted down tool box, secreted in that is a large password protected padlock, inside that is a spare set of keys for the Truckasarus and MS.  So if we loose our keys we know where we can get a spare set.  Except when we travel I put the tool box in one of the lockable tin boxes in the back of the Truckasarus and if I don't transfer it back before I put the locked metal rear top cover back on they are as much use they as chocolate kettle.    I often don't.  This time I remembered before I managed to loose the keys, later found. (Lots of “locked” terms in there, which I like.)
Weather is going to be hot, hot, hot for the foreseeable future, so no worries there then?

Doms to the death!

Our new pitch Bonterra Park benicasim

Bit crowded?

Coffee time?

On the way to BP

Bit of thunder and rain

The long road

Bike ride to Oropesa, new cycle track

Oropesa

Crap views?

Ditto