Following the Sun Diary: Tues7 Dec – Thurs16 Dec

We have been at Los Gallardos for just over a week now, it is much better than La Manga. The weather has been changeable, though sky has been vivid blue and cloudless the temperature is unpredictable. Some days I have been sitting outside in just shorts tanning my body while on others we keep inside the ‘van with the fan heater on. Last night I was so cold I looked out my sleeping bag to snuggle up in, with the duvet on top to keep warm. Moira braved it with just the duvet but if this winter snap continues she will be in hers quick enough.

This morning we played bowls, not the continental type but the proper lawn variety. They have two greens at the campsite with a very English bowling club which has the usual funny rules of etiquette. We had to buy white trousers and shirts which Moira got cheap at the local market, as for flat shoes that don’t damage the green the club have plenty of them to lend out. Also we were able to borrow bowls from the club; they had a big selection of different sizes to choose from. The greens are not in very good condition, very patchy which results in the bowls not tracking as well as they should, it’s probably due to the lack of rain in the area. The first games we played were trips, three players each side playing three bowls each. We had good games considering we hadn’t played since April when we were in South Africa, both of us on winning teams.

There is excellent walking around the campsite with hills all around. The paths are very good, wide and not too rough. One route in particular is the track of an old railway that runs high up and along the contours of the mountain side. It meanders through cuttings carved among the hills and over viaducts that bridge dried up river beds. We have been out on various different routes over the hills and I have done a couple of cross country runs which is keeping me fit.

As usual the site organises a number of activities for the campers and the permanent residents who live in the mobile homes next to the camping area (much better laid out and organised that at La Manga). They have whist, darts, pool, quiz nights and dances each week at the restaurant. We have played whist twice and I was successful on the first occasion when I won a prize of E10. There was supposed to be a quiz last Monday but it was cancelled because lots of people have gone back to the UK to be with family for Christmas.

The TV that is available from cable to each camping pitch is worth the E25 we pay for a month. We are getting all the main UK stations to watch our favourites plus a couple of sports channels from Sky. I saw the Spurs v Chelsea match on Sunday that was very good, lots of attacking football for a change. Now, if we waken early enough in the morning we can watch the third Ashes test from Perth, though realistically probably only the last hour or two.

All the people we have met during our stay have been very friendly and encouraged us to join in at the whist and bowls. A woman Moira met is going to drive her to the supermarket tomorrow to save us packing up and taking out the campervan. Most of the people come here for five or six months, and have been doing this for a number of years. It is a very popular spot but you would think you were somewhere in England rather than Spain. 

Following the Sun Diary : Mon 29 Nov - Tues 7 Dec

We had intended staying at La Manga until after Christmas and New Year but decided to leave after eight days. The main problem was that it wasn’t a very nice campsite; it was huge with over one thousand pitches plus lots of permanent residents. The permanent’s section was like a shanty town or one of the squatter camps that we were familiar with in South Africa. The mobile homes, caravans with tents and lean-tos were cramped together with no space between them. If a fire was to start it would spread through the camp very quickly. The holiday section wasn’t as bad but the space was small and each pitch was hemmed in by large hedges.

Another problem was satellite TV reception, I could get very little even with the big dish and what I did get kept cutting out every few minutes. We paid for a month’s Wi-Fi, it kept cutting out as well, and as for downloading programmes from BBC iplayer like I was able to do at Benicassim, no chance. There were plenty of activities going on, supposedly managed by the Camping and Caravan Club of GB who were running a rally on this site. But as we had found on previous occasions with rallies the wardens were useless, they didn’t seem to know what was going on. One evening we wanted to play cribbage that was listed on the activities notice board; we spent about half an hour searching in the dark for the venue only to be told the next morning that it had been cancelled.

A Mediterranean bay

It wasn’t all bad; the area was beautiful being situated beside a lake or lagoon that was enclosed by a long narrowing peninsula that looped round into the Mediterranean only leaving a small channel between its end and the mainland. The lagoon, Mar Menor, was then a large sheltered stretch of water with yachting and windsurfing very popular, the coastline was a multitude of glorious beaches which must get crowded in the summer. Inland the area was enclosed by a range of hills where we had an enjoyable walk with some people from the site one day rewarding us with magnificent views of the lagoon, peninsula and the Mediterranean coast.

Other activities, which we joined in, were the quiz night and a whist drive. We were in the team that came second in the quiz; it must be due to watching so much ‘Eggheads’ on TV. At whist Moira had a great game winning the woman’s prize of E18. Even with these enjoyable times we still wanted to go, heading out on Tuesday.

La Manga

We continued our way further south for another 200 kilometres to the town of Los Gallardos, and a nice little campsite in the mountains. This was another area full of Brits who had moved to Spain to avoid the harsh winters that are now becoming a common occurrence in the UK. There were plenty of activities happening here as well, quiz nights, whist, bridge, darts, dominoes, aerobics, and many more. When we were selecting a pitch we looked for the direction to set up the satellite dish but no other ‘van appeared to have a dish in view. Later we found that they had TV from the UK piped to each pitch. It cost E25 for a month so we now have 17 channels to choose from. It seems like we made the right decision to move here, and the weather is much better as well, it was cold at La Manga.      

Following the Sun Diary : Tues 23 - Mon 29 Nov

Oliva Playa the beach area of Oliva where the campsite is situated is dead this time of year. Nearly everything is closed and the beautiful beaches are deserted. A couple of women we spoke said that the site was a bit of a rip off with the price they charge while offering no entertainment or activities. They had pre-booked for two months so were more or less stuck there, we planned on just one week before heading further south.

Anyway we weren’t too concerned about organised events, and had a pleasant week walking and cycling. One day I cycled all the way to Denia, about 25 kilometres. It was easy going on the way out but when I turned I found that a strong wind had been assisting me. It was a big effort to get back. We both cycled one day, and found the campsite, Eurocamp, where we had stayed many years ago when we backpacked down the coast from Barcelona. Another day we walked along the beach, and reached Eurocamp that way, retuning by the country lanes through orange groves. We were refreshed on the walk with windfall oranges that we picked up from the road, they were delicious and juicy.

Orange grove near Oliva

I had a couple of runs though the weather hasn’t been very warm. On one occasion I had to wear a long sleeved sweat shirt instead of my usual thin t-shirt. I ran 9 kilometres in my best time for ages that day; I must have been in a hurry to get back, and out of the cold

As I have mentioned the weather hasn’t been great, we even had one day of rain. Mostly it has been cold, probably the tail of the ice and snow that is hitting the UK at the moment. We have been getting into bed early, and under the duvet to keep warm while watching TV. In the morning Moira screams when I tough her with my ice cold hands, and quickly turns on the fan heater. So we are heading further south, to La Manga, a site that we have had good reports about and is recommended. Hopefully we will find the sun again, and it will be warmer.