Climate Change !!!!!!!!!!!

Brrrrrrrrrrr. I am cold. It is about 20 degrees colder in the Exmouth. ....................... but I did sleep more restfully ......... once I got warm.

Reflections on the holiday including new things which we tried:

1. Although having a car means you can go further afield, it certainly didn't spoil the holiday in any way.
2. We went to La Manga on the ferry which meant we saw Los A from the water for the first time.
3. We went on the bus twice. I have used the bus to go to Murcia city with Sylvia but for Ian it was the first time.
4. We cycled to Lo Pagan which is the longest bike ride that we have ever done.
5. We were stopped by the police for riding our bikes where we shouldn't.
6. We now know that if we forget to bring the keys we can still get into the apartment and Ian can break into our locked cupboards!
7. I know that I can survive for 2 weeks without an MP3 player on which I hold all my audio books. My MP3 went phut on the first day. I could have bought another one at the Media Markt in Cartagena but we couldn't get there cos we didn't have a car! So I had time to do the blog.

I logged the majority of walks which we did and the bike rides. Altogether we covered 105 miles by cycling and walking which I believe is a long way !! Really pleased with that. It earned me a lot of extra calories on my diet. In fact it is farther than going from Exmouth to Bristol airport.

We had a good trip home. Sandra picked us up at 09:00 and took us to the airport where they have worked really hard over the last few months and greatly improved the look of the car park area and front of arrivals. The plane took off about 10 minutes early and made up a further 10 minutes en route so we arrived 20 minutes early in Bristol.

Sunday, today, is Chad's birthday. He is five years old now. He started school last Thursday. We didn't see him today as he is riding BMX in the Regional races in Bath along with Leah and Zak.

I went to Exeter to buy some baby clothes and to replace my MP3 player. Very successful. Then I had to buy some fish reviver as my little black telescopic eyed fish has a white fungus. Good job it wasn't black, we would never have been able to see it.

In the afternoon we went over to Bicton Park to buy Chad's birthday present. He had seen a motorbike in the shop there some time ago and wanted it so we kept it in mind for his birthday. He had a Nintendo DS as his main present from his Dad and Mum and brother and sister so we will buy him a game for it next time he comes to see us. I have learned by experience that if they are not with me, I never get the right thing !!

Ian has been working in the garden; grass cutting and clearing out the excess weed from the pond. Also picking runner beans and tomatoes and cucumbers.

Back to work tomorrow for Ian and I will be getting into cleaning and tidying mode. Now that the children are back at school, I hope to see more of Jenny and help her as she prepares for the new arrival. I have my things ready in case I am called in the night. I will drive like the wind up to Exeter to look after the children while Chris gets Jenny to the hospital.

Friday 4th Sept is 'Boo Hoo' Day

Well it had to come............... all good things come to an end. Today has been housework, cleaning, bed changing, mopping floors, dusting, cleaning the bathroom and packing away our clothes and toiletries.

There was one break in the middle of the day to do some shopping for items to leave in the apartment ready for the next visit. It was so hot. All our English friends who have been out here throughtout July and August are eagerly awaiting a change in the weather .... longing for cooler days and, dare I say it, rain. They reckon they will be out dancing in the rain as soon as it arrives.

We rewarded ourselves this evening with a meal out .... cooking every day on holiday can be tiresome but I must add that I have enjoyed eating the meals I have cooked and so I am not complaining. On the way back we called into say goodbye to Sandra who lives in the apartment below us and enjoyed sharing a glass of wine with her on her balcony and meeting her grandchildren.

We leave tomorrow on the 10am flight to Bristol and will reflect on the holiday when we are back in Exmouth. We have had a lovely time.

Thursday turns into 'Blazing Saddles' Day!

Knowing that the forecast was for even hotter weather today, we decided to stay in Los A and start the preparations for leaving. Boo hoo.

Photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/virginposter/3rdSept2009LosA?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrNi4eiuKO-ew&feat=directlink

However, at the first mention of seafront, bar and coffee, the bikes were wheeled out and we were on our way. It was hot; very, very hot.

We sat in the shade for an hour so at Bar Alaska, chatting and gazing out to sea ........ feeling as if we were sat in an oven like a Christmas turkey. (Which memory jogs me to mention that in Cartagena yesterday an accordion player gave us a rendition of Jingle Bells'!).

Sorry, I digress. The beach was quite busy unlike most of the cafes now. There was a group of disabled adults swimming and canoeing; school children having canoeing lessons; and what Ian calls the 'one o'clock club' and sometimes 'the eleven clock club' who are pensioners who seem to stand in the water chatting for hours on end in the middle of the day.

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Eventually, we had to summon up the energy to cycle back to the apartment. Ian unlocked the bikes and it was then ............. when we started to get on the bikes .................... that we realised just how hot the saddles had become while parked in the sun ................ ouch. And we could also smell the rubber of the tyres.

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Then we started to cycle back to the apartment but made a stop at one of my favourite shops for me to buy a beach dress ........ well, it was reduced by 50% in the sale and so simply could not be ignored; then we stopped at a cafe/bar where Lesley works to take on water ! and lastly a quick whizz around the air conditioned supermarket for more water.

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Lunch on the balcony was the usual salad with queso de Burgos for me ..... I love it. When we heard some builders in the street below we asked them to give us a quote for putting a double glazed window in the galeria to replace the grille that is there now which they were happy to do. We've had one quote already which was horrendous so hope they will be more reasonable. We will see.

After our evening meal it was back on the bikes for a final evening ride along the seafront (yes, we stopped for a bevvy and took some photos). Tomorrow evening we will go out for a meal at a nearby restaurant and bike riding will not be on the menu !!

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I have taken some photos of the bargains that I found in the shops and the market. Isn't it amazing how quickly all these purchases add up? Really, I had no idea that there was so much. I can't begin to tell you how pleased Ian is for me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is Cartagena day

More photos click here: http://picasaweb.google.com/virginposter/2ndSept2009Cartagena?authkey=Gv1sRgCOuUnoL7iaqK5QE&feat=directlink

Cartagena is one of our favourite towns locally. We visit most times that we are over here. We like the port area and have always frequented a specific cafe until it changed hands at the start of 2009.

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So today we took the bus from Los A to Cartagena. We feel we are old hands at public transport here now (having braved the bus station at Torrevieja!) We waited at the bus stop near the consum supermarket .... it was very hot, the hottest day so far and the Petrulla Aguila kept us entertained as they were practising again over the Mar Menor.

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No problems with the bus today .... we arrived at the bus station in Cartagena half an hour later..................... and a very nice bus station it is too. Modern and clean and very well organised.

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We walked down to the port passing by the newly opened Museum of Subaquatic archeology (going to visit when we are over in the winter) and the first submarine designed by Isaac Peral. Then onto a cafe for coffee and gaze across the port at the leisure craft and the naval vessels.

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Next we had a walk around the town. It was fun seeing the huge statue of the naked man for the first time .... I checked it out ........... it's definitely a man!! Also part of the town where we used to drive is in the process of being pedestrianised. I suggested that Ian stop and take a look at how they were doing it in order to pick up some tips for laying the paths in the garden. He didn't seem to be keen at all !!!!!!!!!!

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It doesn't sound like an exciting day but it was most enjoyable. We didn't see anything funny or unique. We did see the local fire brigade in action putting out a fire that had totally consumed an old boat. And we met a lovely couple of ladies from Liverpool at the bus station and had a chat with them.

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Oh, and I did manage to get off the bus without falling over ........... yeah.

Tuesday is farmacia day .... oh dear

Shopping is a good way to chill ............. well maybe chill is not a good descriptive word to choose for anything in this heat!! You can't chill, you just sit quietly and melt.

We went to the street market 'mercadillo' eventhough we didn't need anything. Isn't life wonderful? I came back with 5 skirts and 2 pairs of trousers. Such pretty colours; they all fit really well; and were absolute bargains so it would have been very silly not to have bought them wouldn't it? I would have regretted it for ages.

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Our only other purchase was 2kilos of dark skinned plums .............. oh yum .... how sweet can a plum be? Am I always talking food?

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A visit to the farmacia was called for on our return trip .......... for me of course. As Ian always says ' she knows all the farmacias in Los A and has used them all !' If only I could deny it ! Well, this time it turns out I have 'allergic conjuctivitis'. Some drops sold to me by the very charming lady have nearly sorted the problem and at least I now know the reason for my blurred vision and can stop cleaning my glasses and looking for scratches.

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A good night's sleep will see me 100% in the morning, I am sure. Last night was a bit of a nuisance and unusual for the apartment which is normally very quiet. Sleeping with the window open is not always a good choice. Had just fallen asleep when I was awoken by a couple of youngsters jogging along the road; he was a little way in front of her and she was shouting to him (in spanish). OK; tolerance rules, they are trying to keep fit and they can't run in the heat; go back to sleep. At this point I didn't know that they would jog round 'the block' for the next hour or so with each circuit taking about 15 minutes ................. just long enough to drift off to sleep to be woken up again. On the second circuit she was whistling to attract his attention; on the next circuit he was obviously a bit bored and was kicking an empty water bottle which was clattering along in front of him; and on the final circuit that I heard they were joined by another youth and they were all singing something with no tune !

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Tolerance rules ................. get back to sleep as quickly as possible. Oh goodness me, just drifted off again when I heard the most terrible 'screaming' ..................... out of bed I jump yet again and look out of the window to see the very small dog from the finca opposite chasing a cat at great speed across the field and over the road. I have never seen animals move so fast in all my life; it was the cat screaming for sure and I think maybe a moment or so before the dog had actually caught up with him.

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Finally, the night-time torments finished as the dustcart arrived, driven at its usual mad speed and screeching of brakes, to lift and empty the large roadside wheelie bins with as much noise as possible (it seemed). Hey Ho!! I'm sure things will be back to normal tonight.

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Following a much needed siesta this afternoon, we set off on our bikes for a ride along the seafront to the nature reserve in the direction of the airport. Now that so many families have returned home it is possible to cycle on the paseo again. We met Sandra and Leslie on the way back and stopped to catch up on the news about what everyone is doing. Three people on the complex are returning to the UK, two because of lack of work out here. I notice that they will all go October/November time after they have enjoyed the hot weather.
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We had an evening in tonight watching the US Open tennis and enjoying a bottle of wine.

Monday is 'Our Wedding Anniversary' Day

41 years married today. Enough said !!

We decided to make the boat trip across the Mar Menor from Los A to La Manga today and have a meal in La Manga before returning. La Manga is not our favourite place, however the idea of crossing the Mar Menor was very appealing to us both. We took the boat 12:00 and the cossing took about 45 minutes.

More photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/virginposter/Aug31LaManga?authkey=Gv1sRgCP7KgeOug8_0mgE&feat=directlink

We were the only passengers on the boat until about a minute before we left when we were joined by a young spanish couple and their toddler. It was a superb trip; very calm and we watched the Patrulla Aguila Display Team (Spanish Red Arrows) practicing over the sea. Apparently it was a fly past just for me !! Yeah, right!

Having arrived at La Manga we went for a walk along the Mediterranean coast which was stunning. Then it was time for our meal which we both enjoyed very much, sitting in the shade and looking out over the Mar Menor.

The return trip was equally as enjoyable and on the way back to the apartment we bought a large piece of rump steak which went down very nicely, thank you, for our evening meal. Our usual walk along the seafront with a drink at Bar Alaska completed a wonderful day.

Sunday is beach day

Last Sunday was 'Lazy Day' and this one was very similar. We did get down to the Post Room to complete our new mobile phone sim purchase and got that up and running. We then went to a small, local supermarket for breakfast cereal. That didn't take long ......................... it was queuing to pay for it that took the time ! No matter.

Ian completed a few jobs around the apartment while I did a salad lunch. He mended the blind in the bathroom (too far to call out Elite Blinds and Tracks from Thorverton !!) and took down some of the light fittings to be washed.

At about 5 o'clock we gathered together our beach chairs and parasol and walked down to the beach. It was lovely at the water's edge where there was a slight breeze. The water was lovely and warm ............................... so we lazed on the beach and enjoyed watching everything going on around us. We didn't hear or see any other English people; everyone else was Spanish .... just the way we like it.

Saturday 'Too darned hot to do a lot' day

We walked to the market today along the side roads with the intention of returning along the seafront paseo which takes a little longer. By the time we reached the market we were so hot; we walked round for about half an hour; and then returned the same way along the side roads, stopping at a kiosko for cold drinks. Looking at the weather forecast for the coming week it seems to be more of the same with slightly higher temperatures on Thursday and Friday. Phewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Back at the apartment it was put all your clothes in for wash and take a cold shower time. So apart from a quick trip to the supermarket for more water and some meat; a few minutes in the hairdressers next door to make an appointment for a Monday morning trim and blowdry; and sorting out our spanish mobile top up in the Post Room; the rest of the afternoon and early evening was siesta.

It is much less busy in Los A now. Many of the properties here are owned by people from Madrid who stay here for the whole of August and I think they are preparing to leave this weekend or have already gone. Then people flying back to the UK left before the fares rocketed for Bank Holiday. And maybe other nationalities had to be back for the start of their new school year. Whatever the reasons, the seafront bars and cafes were very quiet this evening and there were fewer people strolling about.

Friday is 'bus day'

Today we took the bus from Los A to Torrevieja. Nothing is ever straight forward with public transport in Spain! We had asked for a timetable at the Tourist Information office and been given a booklet which stated the time the bus left Los A but not from where nor where it would pass through or stop. We worked out which bus stop to use and checked with an old Spanish guy who was at the stop.

Eventually, and somewhat late, the bus arrived and we all got on. A quick question and answer session with the driver informed us that they don't do return tickets.

It was a good trip apart from the moment the driver failed to slow down for one of the speed humps and my back nearly fell to bits !! My hip ached for the rest of the day. We noted down all the stops near to where we may wish to visit next week which was the purpose of the trip. When we arrived in Torrevieja we were relieved to see the bus station as up to that time we knew we were heading in the opposite direction to where we wanted to be. All's well that ends well.

There was a lovely English family on the bus by us; 6 children some with, and this is pure conjecture, their foster parents and some with mum and dad. They were beautifully behaved and had some interesting conversations with Mum (short hair, ash blonde, down to earth, south east accent; and dad ....... er ........ looked like a Millwall supporter ! studs, shaved head but very well spoken and polite). One of the girls couldn't remember the name of the place they were visiting and when told couldn't pronounce Torrevieja, so just substituted the nearest sounding place she could think of ........................ so kept asking how much longer it was going to take to get to Tokyo !!

We spent a couple of hours in the resort and had some lunch; walked along the raised paseo. Some parts of the area we like; some we don't. The newer part of the town is typical 1960/70s with high rise blocks of apartments; that aspect we don't like but the older part of the town with its narrow streets is much more stylish (but a nightmare to drive around). The beach area looking out over the Med is very pretty and they have placed interesting sculptures along the beach. It's great to look at but gets really busy and is very British.

After our walk we returned to the bus station to catch the bus back. Nothing is ever clear at these places.

• Nowhere had we seen a number for the bus route we needed
  
  
• 2 bays were marked Cartagena (final destination for the bus we needed) but the buses for Madrid were parked in there
  
  
• Then the Madrid bus left and another bus came into the Cartagena bay but it had Alicante on it which is in the opposite direction
  
  
• There was a drunk beggar making a nuisance of himself
  
  
• We were joined by a german lady who wanted to practise her English and tell us her life story while asking us which bus she needed



• The bus marked Alicante, we finally discovered, was leaving at the time our bus was due to leave and was going in the direction which we wanted but in reply to my question the driver said that it was not our bus and we had to wait for the next bus
  
  
• The next bus came in and along with several others we lined up to get on it but the lady driver said it was not our bus !
  
  
• We waited a further 10 minutes and another bus arrived; it did not park in the Cartagena bay but it was the Cartagena bus and we were allowed on it at last as it was going to Los A. So we did eventually get back safe and sound.

Each way cost about £2 each and took about an hour and a half .... so good value.

We managed to get off the bus at a stop a little nearer to our apartment than the one we had used this morning. The bus was air conditioned (great as it has been 40 degrees today), curtains which could be drawn across the windows if the sun was too strong and had reclining seats. I guess I got too comfortable and in an awkward position. When I got off the bus my hip felt odd, I tripped on the high pavement, stumbled and fell over on my knees .... how embarrassing and I only had a coffee at lunch time; honest. So now I have two bruised, sore knees and an aching hip and all for a few quid!

We are getting into the habit of taking a late evening stroll down to Bar Alaska. We will miss it when we return to Exmouth. It's a great atmosphere as spanish families set up their bbqs and tables ready for the family gathering across the generations....... sometimes at least 30 people all gathering round, beach chairs all over the place, babies in prams and pushchairs, grandma or grandad in a wheelchair, youngsters taking a quick dip in the Mar menor, dads doing a bit of quiet fishing and 3 or 4 women all prattling away and laying out the food. Music plays from various sound systems with electric cables passing over the walkway into various seafront properties. We love it.

Thursday is 'Fletan Day' and I discover the grill - knew it was there somewhere

Nothing special planned for today. We thought maybe to take the ferry across the Mar Menor to La Manga but then decided to do that next Monday. Then we thought we might take the bus to Torrevieja to see which areas it passes through on the way but then decided to maybe do that tomorrow.

So after breakfast we went to our bank to try and sort the direct debit out for our Town Hall rates. We went through the same procedure as last year and have been told that it is now all set up. We have to pay the rates for 2008 by the end of September so thought we would do this at the same time..............but we can't pay the Town Hall rates at our bank ..... we have to use one of half a dozen listed by the Town Hall. This we eventually did after a wait in a bank where the staff were all casually dressed and a commercial radio station was playing in the background.

Then we walked down to the seafront and a partook of a well deserved coffee while discussing local fashions on the beach. So not an exciting day!! But thought I would reflect on the positives so far this holiday;

1. We've saved a couple of hundred £ by not hiring a car and it's not been a problem.
2. We've had lots of exercise.
3. We've had wonderful weather (must never complain about the heat).
4. Although we haven't had a meal out, apart from a snack the day we arrived, we have had some very tasty food cooked in the apartment.
5. The area of the complex in which our apartment is sited has been really quiet.
6. I picked up a couple of good bargains at the market.
7. There are new barrels in the locks on the complex gates and our key that we had cut works well.
8. The eagles have come down from the mountain twice to fly over the field.
9. The donkey at finca sounds well.
10. The geese at the finca haven't been eaten yet.
11. I've finally got a basket for my bike.
12. We did our bike ride to Lo Pagan and survived and the police did not give us an on-the-spot fine.
13. We have found some new cycle paths; tried some new foods; cooked fresh sardines for lunch; and I had a blanco y negro for the first time.
14. We have been sleeping well and have not needed to use the air con as leaving the windows open has keept us cool.
15. Ian's head has almost healed.
16. Although I have 4 huge fly/mozzie bites they are subsiding, have stopped itching and there are no new ones.
17. Ian also has a fly/mozzie bite (which is unusual) so feel they are not just picking on me !

Yeah ............. a good week.

Today turned out to be 'fletan day'. Fletan, I believe, is mock halibut. It is my favourite fish - so light and tasty. Usually I bake it, but this evening I found my instruction book for the oven and worked out how to use the grill. I shall be grilling fletan from now on. It was de-lic-ious........................ as were the sardines I had for lunch. A very fishy day.

Wednesday is 'on your bike' day and we get 'pulled over'

Lo Pagan is well-known for the therapeutic mud that has been laid down in this part of the Mar Menor. Map here. It is supposed to be very good for many skin conditions as well as detoxing joints suffering from all forms of arthritis. It's fun too but it does honk as it contains high levels of sulphur in particular.

We planned to ride to Lo Pagan back when we first decided not to have a car; but it is quite a way ..... 15km each way. So we set off full of confidence (not) that we would reach our destination.

We cycled towards the site of the Saturday market, where we spotted a roundabout with a static steam train displayed on it, and then on towards the airport. From the airport roundabout we took the new cycle track to Santiago de la Ribera. It is a superb track; wide and clearly marked with lanes going both ways.

In Santiago we joined the paseo which links with Lo Pagan. Now ...... it is the norm here to ignore signs that say no cycling. They are all along the paseo in Los A but nobody takes any notice .................... so we were quite taken aback when the police pulled us over. I put on my best surprised voice because I was surprised and said we didn't know because we didn't! There were lots of Spanish cyclists as well some of whom were stopped as well. We had to push our bikes the last hundred or so yards til we rejoined the road.

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By this time it looked like it might rain. I had visions of us riding back soaked and miserable but kept quiet (for once). We found a cafe kiosko where we stopped for a cafe con leche. By the time we had finished drinking the sun was blazing and the worry had changed from being soaking wet to being too hot to pedal.

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We saw a lovely little idea while we were having coffee. A dear old Spanish couple came up off the beach; he was carrying a green plastic carrier bag. When they got to the pavement he carefully put it down but held on to the handles. She then put one of sandy feet into the bag which was a quarter full of sea water and he proceeded to jiggle the bag about to get the sand off her foot. She then put her clean foot into her shoe. After she had cleaned both her feet she helped him to clean his and then he tipped the water over the wall onto the beach.

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After our coffee we rode on further to the walkway where you can apply mud to yourself or just watch others. As my fingers are often painful I decided to cover them with mud and then go for a swim to wash it off when I could no longer stand the smell of it. The water was soooooooooooooo warm and I learned that the areas marked for swimming by a line of yellow buoys are in fact netted under the water to keep the jellyfish out. The down side of this is that in areas of the Mar Menor there is a lot of algae as the jellyfish are not there to eat it. It was a lovely swim and I was joined by about a hundred little fishes which was unusual. They must have sensed how fond I am of fish ... the pond and tank variety as well as for eating!!

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We sat on the beach and ate our peaches, 'peach on the beach', and had a drink and just enjoyed being there. All the time it was getting hotter and hotter! The trip back didn't seem as long as that going and we didn't get pulled over either. We had a couple of stops to take on water and collapsed back at the apartment for a cold shower followed by lunch at 4pm. ....................... feeling rather pleased with ourselves having cycled 30km.

The photo above shows some people who were having the mud plastered all over them this morning. More photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/virginposter/Wed26Aug1?feat=directlink

Tuesday is shopping day

Like Saturday, Tuesday is market day but on Tuesdays it is held in the streets in the town, a little closer to the apartment and within walking distance. The weather is cloudy today; I hate to say it, but quite nice to have a break from the continuous hot sun. What you don't get a break from is the heat and the clouds act like a duvet and trap the heat which is a little oppressive.

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So we had a walk round the market and picked up a couple of bargains; the green dress in the photo and a couple of skirts. The rest of the bargains were fruit and veggies. Tried to buy 2 huge melons for a 1 Euro but the stallholder insisted on giving us 3 which weighed 20lb altogether and nearly broke my arm carrying them back. Also got a carrier bag full of peaches. Yum yum.

Had a lovely, healthy lunch then went for a walk and picked up some provisions from the Supermarket. Then an evening meal on the balcony and a walk to our favourite bar.

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What a lovely evening. the sky cleared and out came the sun, although there was still no breeze. Tonight I tried a 'blanco y negro' for the first time. Served in a tall glass, it is a black coffee with icecream on the top. Very nice for a one off but wouldn't want to drink it all the time. Ian went for his favourite which is a 'belmonte'. This is served in a tiny glass and has condensed milk in the bottom with black coffee and brandy mixed together on top of it. Too sweet for me.

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We strolled back along the beach .... another lovely day.

You live and you learn !

After our totally chilled out Sunday we decided to make a much earlier start and cylce to San Javier for an appointment with our spanish solicitors. We needed to sort out payment of our municipal charges.
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San Javier is about 7km away, reached in the blink of an eye in a car ! A bit harder work on a bike in 35 degrees of hot sun but we got there using the cycle tracks where they were available and weaving in and out of the traffic where not. Don't like the roundabouts at all but otherwise it's ok.

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We were soon sorted at the solicitors who occupy a brand new building, the exact opposite of our solicitors in Budleigh who are in a converted property which seems to be all stairs and corridors. This new build is all glass and metal. The glass walls are quite confusing; you have to concentrate not to walk into them. And the metal seats are so cold ................ very welcome after a long bike ride ! The clients' files are housed in another ultra modern metal construction which whizz open using handles ressembling steering wheels.
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As we were fairly close to Dos Mares, a large shopping mall, we cycled on another km to look round. Waste of effort really as they didn't have what I was looking for. So we set off on our return trip stopping off at the Hispania Centre for coffee at our favourite pasteleria (cake shop). Oh no !!!!!!!!!!!!! It has closed. The beautiful cakes in its display cabinet are no more. Thank goodness Sylvia and I ate as many as we did while we could !! So we settled for a coffee at another cafe.
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At this point we decided to buy some prawns for lunch. There were only 2 people in the queue at the fish stall when I joined it. Well, what I don't know now about preparing fish isn't worth knowing ................. I had to wait a good 10-15 minutes to be served as the 2 women in front of me bought so much fish, all of which they both wanted cleaning, descaling, heads and tails off, filleting and cutting into smaller pieces. Fascinating to watch. The girls who serve are so brilliant at doing all this. They use the most lethal looking double sided knife with a long point which they use for flipping out the bones. My little order of a half kilo of prawns seemed very meagre !
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It wasn't until I had prepared the salad that I realised that although they were deep pink in colour, the prawns were in fact still raw. You live and you learn!! I always thought if they were pink then they were cooked. So having arrived back at the apartment at just gone 2pm, it took until nearly 3.45pm for my knees to recover, for me to devour a bottle of water, have a shower, cook the prawns and to serve the lunch.

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Siesta for Ian was followed by us walking to the beach for a swim in the Mar Menor. Wow; wow; wow. I have never known the water to be sooooooooo warm. Absolutely gorgeous. Just like a bath about 10 minutes before you think you should get out. Thoroughly enjoyed by both of us and sitting on the beach afterwards watching the world go by was very relaxing.

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We ended the evening with a sweet and sour prawns meal on the balcony. What a lovely day; 18km cycling; 4km walking; and half and hour in the sea.

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And just for the record, eventhough we have been sleeping with windows open to drive a breeze through the apartment, this is the first day that I have seen the dreaded mozzie bites on me (all three are now about the size of a 10p piece ............. Ian, of course, doesn't have any!!).

Sunday is Lazy Day - does the water filter need changing?

We had no big plans for today. Then the magic words "Does the water filter need changing" followed by a discussion on whether we changed it last last time. So I went to look in the kitchen for replacements.

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What I found was my wheat-filled lavender bag in one of the wall cupboards ................. full of ants!! So that was were the spider was getting his supply from!

So we cleared out the cupboard; disposed of the lavender bag; and washed it all out. But maybe some had got behind the fridge freezer !! So we pulled out the firidge freezer and cleaned the back of it, the floor and the tiles. Well, the microwave sits on top of the fridge freezer so thought we might as well clean that out too. And if you have wiped down some of the kitchen tiles you should do all the others too. Never did find the replacement filters for the water jug !!

Other than that burst of madness we have done little. Ian watched the Grand Prix from Valencia and I have pottered, doing a little light housework !

We thought we may go for a walk but it was still so hot at half past eight that we opened a bottle of wine instead and watched the sun set.

Saturday is Market Day

more photos click the following link:

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A leisurely start to this brilliantly, hot, sunny day......... breakfast and a fresh coffee. then off on the bikes to the Market held at the far end of Los Alcazares.

When we planned to have a holiday here without a car it was going to be in September and not in the heat of mid August !! The apartment is really cool with a through flow of air when all the windows are open. It's like stepping into an oven as you exit by the front door of the complex so by the time we had cycled the 3km to the market we were already very hot.

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Ian looked after the bikes while I went to find the best prices for fruit and veggies. Sounds boring but he found plenty to entertain him ........ mostly the motoring skills of Spanish drivers who are very adept at gently shunting any cars out of their way when trying to reverse park. 'Smack' into the car infront of them; 'smack' into the car behind; 'smack' again into the car in front; and then the space is just the right size for them. Then the driver of the front car returns and goes through it all again in order to get out of his parking space which had been plenty big enough when he actually parked his car !!

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And then for added entertainment there is the choice of parking space; the more bizarre the better. Corners and road junctions are near the top of the list but right at the top must be any space that actually blocks traffic around the busy market.hen

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The shopping was successful. I bought a carrier bag full to the brim with peppers for 1 Euro and 2 large piel de sapo melons, also for 1 Euro. The peaches and nectarines are massive and range from 1 Euro to about 1.80 Euros for a kilo. There are loads of plums in season which start at 1.20 Euros a kilo.

Riding back with the weight of melons and potatoes in the basket was not always easy but I got there in the end. Chucked all our clothes straight into the wash (very whiffy !!) and started to enjoy the things we had bought starting with a fresh fruit salad for lunch. The white of the melon, the red of the plums both contrasting with the deep yellow of the peaches and nectarines. Not much of that left over !

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Like the Spanish we believe in taking a siesta in the afternoon when it is so hot which is when I write up this blog. Then after our evening meal we promenade on the seafront paseo. We love this dusky part of the day; and we love to be in the Spanish part of the town at this time. As we walk down to the sea front we pass through the Balneario commercial centre where all the restaurants attract the tourists. There is just a narrow walkway for pedestrians through the hundreds of tables set for evening meals. Most of the customers are speaking English.

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But when you arrive at the seafront it is most definitely Spanish. We love the bars and cafes, some working from wooden kiosks. There is such a buzz of excited Spanish noise and on the beach Spanish families are setting up bbqs and the children are playing on the sand and swimming in the Mar Menor. It is very family orientated; such a pleasure to feel a part of it.

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I would have described today as one when we didn't do much ..... but realise now just how much we packed in. We cycled for about 15km altogether and walked about 6km (3km each way along the seafront). I spoke to several of the market traders and stood my ground when one of them was trying to sell me much more than I wanted; we spoke to an old guy on the seafront who had greeted us with a cheery "buenas"(no noches or tardes!); we had found out details of a drink served in the bar in the evening "Blanco y negro" which is a black coffee with icecream on the top. We'd done some shopping at the local supermercado and tried several shops to buy some food covers with no success. We'd worn 3 sets of clothes each, 2 lots of which have been washed, dried and put away.

And do miss having a car? Well, yes in someways we do and I have rechecked the hire prices. Still a no,no though.

A basket for my bike !

My bike complete with new basket

After 9 hours restful sleep we feel human again. Today is allocated to setting up the bikes ready to go to the market tomorrow and bring the veggies and fruit back home.

So after breakfast out came the bikes from their storage on the galleria off the kitchen ............... my bike had two completely flat tyres so it was a walk to the garage to re-inflate them. Then off along the back streets to the cycle shop to buy a basket.

The cycle tracks here are excellent and as the law says that all motorists must allow a full metre clearance or there's a fine, you do get a little respect. The track we used has been laid down by the side of a tree-lined 'paseo' and the shadows of the trees fall across the path in the morning so it was a very pleasant ride. The water sprinklers that were spraying the grass areas were very refreshing when the slight breeze blew them in the right direction towards us.

The owner of the cycle shop spoke no English but it was easy enough to buy a basket and all the fittings. We gathered that the mechanic who would have fitted it for us was at lunch already but could do it later in the day. We settled for a large bag to carry the basket in and Ian would fit it himself. Of course, when we got to the apartment none of his spanners are the correct size, so another trip needed to the ferreteria !

We love having coffee at one of the seafront bars so that is what we did before returning to the apartment for a light lunch. Mmmmmmmmmmm serrano ham ......... mm mm mm.

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As the sun set this evening we went for another bike ride ...... to buy the spanner. Ian has also fitted my "free from Kelloggs" cyclometer to my bike to tell me how far I have cycled and at what speeds. (All part of my diet ... won't bore you with that).

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We had a lovely meal on our balcony watching the sun finally set behind the mountain and the sky turn all shades of red, orange and purple.

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So we are ready for the market tomorrow.................................

First day of our August holiday

Jenny a few weeks ago with Zak.

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.Getting up at 2:30 am to travel to Bristol Airport is not my idea of a good start to a holiday ....... but needs must to take advantage of the cheaper flights. Originally we planned to take a break at the end of September but Jenny's baby is due then so we changed it to August.

It was a good flight. We were over the Pyrenees when Ian suddenly remembered that he hadn't packed the keys !! The look on his face was a picture .... but I didn't have a camera to hand !! Not a total disaster as our keyholder has a spare .... but she doesn't have a spare for the cupboards where all our clothes and bathroom stuff are stored. So after arriving at the complex, we first of all had to contact Lesley who told us to go to her apartment and wake up her husband who was sleeping in following a good night out, and he would let us have our key. That was embarrassing! Then Ian 'broke into' the cupboards to retrieve our belongings. So all's well that ends well ! I will put it down to the bump on the head. He is usually quite fanatical about keys!!!!

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You never know quite what may greet you when you return to the apartment after 6 or 8 weeks. Once it was a pile of sparrowhawk poo on the balcony because the bird had been perching on our balcony light. Another time the liquid washing detergent had leaked everywhere. This time it was heaps of black 'bits' on the kitchen floor. No idea what it was at first but gather after asking around that we have a little spider that catches insects and then discards the 'body husks'. We must have had ants in the kitchen and he has seen them all off. Well done Mr Spider. We will have to show him where we keep the dustpan and brush before we leave !!

It really is very hot here in August. It's not our favourite month and of course it is an expensive time to fly and hire cars. So for this visit, because we had to pay £100 to change our flights, we have decided not to hire a car which would have been in the region of £500. So in all this heat we have to get to the supermarket and then carry all the shopping back to the apartment. So, having been up since 2:30, we treated ourselves to a light salad lunch at a little cafe in the shpping precinct (OK; it was at the Pasty Shack .... not very Spanish but good value and convenient) before tackling the supermarket. Why we decided to have wine in the middle of the day I will never know (not a wise decision).

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Back at the apartment finally with the shopping, the next 3 hours are lost in deep slumber!!

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After a meal at the apartment, we went for a walk as the cool evening breeze arrived and had coffee at Bar Alaska and watched the sun setting. La Manga became a line of lights reflected in the still waters of the Mar Menor. The tower of the little church in Los Alcazares was filled with lights and looked so pretty. We walked along the seafront paseo and all the little spanish owned seafront dwellings, really only occupied at this time of year, looked so beautiful when you slyly peeped through their open shutters and front doors. Spanish families gathered outside their homes, eating, playing dominoes or just talking. Even when it was quite dark, there were hoards of children and adults enjoying the beach in the coolness of the evening that followed the blistering hot day.

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Yeah ! It's good to be back here .

Leah has two sleepovers

It was Leah's turn to come and stay this week so I picked her up on Monday afternoon after my last morning at work. Yes, finally after 5 years with the Devon Conservation Forum, I have retired.

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Leah and I went to the garden centre to buy some fish food on our way back to Exmouth and after returning home walked into Exmouth to do some banking and buy some Euros.
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On Tuesday she asked to go swimming at Exmouth Pool which we did. Great fun. She swims well and confidently in deep water. Afterwards we went to a local cafe for a jacket potato and salad. She loves doing that. Then we went shopping for a new pair of shoes for her.
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In the evening after tea, when it was dark, we went outside and walked in the new part of our garden. She was very excited because grandad had lit a small fire in the incinerator. What with being out in the dark, a bonfire AND a wobbly tooth, her life seemed so good !!
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On Wednesday Ian had an appointment at the hospital in Exeter and Leah came along too. In order to avoid the misery of trying to park at the hospital we went in on the bus which she enjoyed. Leah was so good at the hospital waiting very patiently. It hasn't been a good week for Ian. On Monday he managed to get hit on the head with a heavy piece of wood and needed hospital treatment to superglue the wound back together.

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After taking Leah home, it was time to get ready to go to our apartment in Spain. All a bit manic and not very organised but managed to leave the house comparatively tidy and clean. As we only take hand luggage, packing doesn't take very long either. An early night ready for an early start.

Sunday 16th August - BMX Regional Races at Tiverton

We knew that we would be busy for the whole of Sunday with Jenny, Chris and the children at Tiverton. What we didn't realise was how busy!! Such a manic day at Regional races with clubs taking part from Bristol and all places south and west.

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First of all, we had to find the place and then find somewhere to park. We arrived about an hour and a half after everyone else so ended up parking on the road and walking in, complete with large cool box and food for the day.

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With three children all competing in different groups it is quite a job organising them all so that they are in the right place at the right time wearing the correct gear. Jenny is an old hand at this now. All it takes apparently is a pen!! As soon as the race details are posted, she finds out when each of the children will be riding and writes it on her arm. Then she writes each of the children's race details on their own arms. With upwards of 300 children taking part; all of them riding in 5 or 6 races; you have to be on the ball and line up correctly in the allocated areas. It all worked like a dream with little delay between each race.

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Zak has been riding in the Nationals as well as the Regionals and has been quite successful. This was the first time that we had seen the children racing and he was out to impress. He came second in his first three races and then, with the help of some advice from a more experienced adult rider, suddenly it all came together and he won his fourth race. Then came the final which is where the points are won towards the overall placings. We were thrilled to see him come home again in first place and several yards ahead of the boy who had been beating him at the start of the season.

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Leah and Chad also rode well. Chad stopped in his final to check that his friend who had fallen off his bike was OK. What a gentleman !

Saturday in the garden

Kevin and Carolyn came round this afternoon with Maisy and the new baby Amy. We sat in the garden but it was grey and overcast. The peacefulness of the day was ruined by horrid, loud, thumping music coming from Phear Park. Had no idea what was going on there but Jenny said it was probably a 'skateboarding jam'. Well, best I can say is that at least we believe there was no trouble, so no whinging from us!

We have been picking the hazel nuts before the squirrel pays a visit and nabs them all. They are delicious. Maisy loved them and has taken some home, together with some apples for a crumble for their tea.

We have picked most of the plums and damsons and I have made several jars of jam. My favourite is damson, plum and apple with cinnamon....... not that I eat much jam.

So it's been a lovely relaxing day. Tomorrow we will be at the BMX track in Tiverton for the regional races.

Ian's Birthday

Happy Birthday Ian........ no special prezzies this year. He already has the bus pass and the fuel allowance! Chad was staying overnight so Ian awoke to a chorus of Happy Birthday and an excited little Chad. I gave Ian a laptop cushion which Chad remarked looked like a booster seat !

Ian was working today so I went with Chad and my friend Pauline to the Donkey Sanctuary at Sidmouth where we spent an enjoyable couple of hours. What a great place it is and free to visit. The work they do with the donkeys to restore them to good health is truly amazing.

Back to Exmouth at lunchtime and then onwards to take Chad home.

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Have a new mobile phone which is brilliant to use and is on the Orange network so I can get a good signal everywhere in the house. My old Vodafone just wasn't up to the job.

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Pauline came round in the evening and brought Ian a present of a garden thermometer which is beautiful and has mini tools like a saw and drill on it. Ian has mounted it on the garden fence.

Bliss. An evening to ourselves.