"A Year in Spain" My "last gasp" attempt at posting (informative info). (1 Viewer)

[Flightlevel55]

We (jumar and myself) live in Spain. We now have a "bolthole" apartment, twixt the mountains of Sierra Espuña and the med coast of Puerto Mazarron.

But ... we still have many motorhoming trips away. Local(ish) in autumn/winter/spring, and in the summer months, further afield.

In the summer I often start a thread, but, I soon give up, due to lack of inerest, maybe? to people being away on their own summer trips, and not needing info of places to go. Any other reasons, please say!

So ... I'm happy, and willing to post, a "Year in Spain" (with maybe a dip over the borders into France and Portugal).

Any interest, starting from now onwards??

Yes please

 

[Gingernuts]

Hi yes love reading the travel threads but also didn’t comment, but I have now
Will be doing the same, emigrating to Lisbon next year with our Possl 2win and venturing out from our apartment in Paco de Arcos (between Lisbon and Cascais) to explore.
Waiting for my Irish foreign birth registration so I can apply for an Irish passport. SWMBO is Portuguese!

 

[jumartoo]

Hi yes love reading the travel threads but also didn’t comment, but I have now
Will be doing the same, emigrating to Lisbon next year with our Possl 2win and venturing out from our apartment in Paco de Arcos (between Lisbon and Cascais) to explore.
Waiting for my Irish foreign birth registration so I can apply for an Irish passport. SWMBO is Portuguese!

With a Portuguese other half you're good to go anyway, but even better with an Irish passport

Enjoy your travels.

 

[dryad]

interesting all the various comments about commenting or not, every emoticon given is a comment, albeit short and sweet..

.

 

[Gingernuts]

With a Portuguese other half you're good to go anyway, but even better with an Irish passport

Enjoy your travels.

Thank you, yes but only if we travel together. If for whatever reason my wife doesn’t travel with me I’m subject to the uk after breckshit rules

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[jumartoo]

So today, contrary to the wet weather forecast, the day dawned dry and sunny (again). Martin fettled the running gear on my bike for me, and then went to help a neighbour with a car with a flat battery, whilst I swanned off to meet Kay to go for a ride.

We did a local route, with a stop for a coffee at a very old, traditional, bar next to an Ermita (the sisters that run the bar allegedly threatened to sit on the roof of the Ermita when it was threatened with demolition when the dual carriageway (autovia) was being built. The ermita still stands! The bar is .... different , but its right along the via verde from/to Mazarron and, either Totana or Cartagena.

Dry farmland

And Kay pointing to the pair of Short Toed Eagles I'd just pointed out to her

The Ermita, now on an island between the old road and the "new" autovia., the old bar, and our coffee spot under the old tree. (We could hear, but not see, Golden Orioles. Very elusive birds).

 

[jumartoo]

I should add that the bar looks closed. You have to knock on a side door. One of the sisters will answer and sometimes you have to follow her down the "black hole" corridor to the bar area (very dark for someone heading in from the bright sunshine).

Think shades of an old horror movie

 

[jumartoo]

This morning we decided to drive down to the coast to have an easy ride.

We parked at the Erosions of Bolnuevo. We offloaded Martin's bike, but ... the pedals of my bike attacked Martin's leg. Two flaps of skin and a lot of blood ... later ...

So. Bikes back on and the nearest health centre was Googled. Once parked, Martin went through the doors (after coming back for a face mask. Still needed here in anywhere medical, including pharmacies) and he was back to the car within 20 minutes, wound suitably cleaned and sent on his way with "no riding". With instructions to see our own nurse "Mabela" in a few days time.

So, we came home and I went riding alone. I had two aims. One to find a bit of free brocolli to have with smoked salmon pasta for lunch (failed that one) but did find the lovely pink vegetation that flowers at this time of year. So, instead we had chicken fajitas .

I just managed to miss being obliterated by a shepherd and his, looong, line of sheep.

He saw me coming and stopped them.

In Spain, sheep are controlled from the front, as opposed to the UK where they are controlled, by dogs, from behind.

Martin now had time to go to get the oil for the motorhome's forthcoming oil change and, whilst he was there, purchased a battery for a neighbour whose car battery had died.

It was a bit of a problem to change it for her, but eventually it was in place and he got his lunchtime beer an hour late

 

[bobandjanie]

Been there done that, and according to Janie I've got old man skin, bruised easy and a scratch creating gallons of blood.
Yes ....... I know what your thinking, an old man before my time.

You had a better day than us, been walking round IKEA getting a few bits, with the very stressful time watching our dog everytime she sniffed anything, our daughter said you can take the dog in IKEA Yes but unfortunately not in the restaurant so missed out on our free coffee's. Bob.

 

[jumartoo]

Been there done that, and according to Janie I've got old man skin, bruised easy and a scratch creating gallons of blood.
Yes ....... I know what your thinking, an old man before my time.

You had a better day than us, been walking round IKEA getting a few bits, with the very stressful time watching our dog everytime she sniffed anything, our daughter said you can take the dog in IKEA Yes but unfortunately not in the restaurant so missed out on our free coffee's. Bob.

Some old skin is thinner than the skin of others. Mine is still well tough!

Martin has been on steroid sprays for asthma for many, many, years so that may be a contributing factor.

Whatever, it looked pretty gruesome

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[jumartoo]

And bobandjanie IKEA isn't bad, for someone to whom it's still a novelty

 

[Just smiffy]

Had my trike out again today along the canal, however it appears I took the difficult route to where I went and the normal easy route back…

13 miles in total but it felt like more going there then on the way back…

 

[Norfolk Nige]

This morning we decided to drive down to the coast to have an easy ride.

We parked at the Erosions of Bolnuevo. We offloaded Martin's bike, but ... the pedals of my bike attacked Martin's leg. Two flaps of skin and a lot of blood ... later ...

So. Bikes back on and the nearest health centre was Googled. Once parked, Martin went through the doors (after coming back for a face mask. Still needed here in anywhere medical, including pharmacies) and he was back to the car within 20 minutes, wound suitably cleaned and sent on his way with "no riding". With instructions to see our own nurse "Mabela" in a few days time.

So, we came home and I went riding alone. I had two aims. One to find a bit of free brocolli to have with smoked salmon pasta for lunch (failed that one) but did find the lovely pink vegetation that flowers at this time of year. So, instead we had chicken fajitas .

View attachment 749863View attachment 749865

I just managed to miss being obliterated by a shepherd and his, looong, line of sheep.

View attachment 749864

He saw me coming and stopped them.

In Spain, sheep are controlled from the front, as opposed to the UK where they are controlled, by dogs, from behind.

Martin now had time to go to get the oil for the motorhome's forthcoming oil change and, whilst he was there, purchased a battery for a neighbour whose car battery had died.

It was a bit of a problem to change it for her, but eventually it was in place and he got his lunchtime beer an hour late

That’s a lot of sheep

 

[jumartoo]

Had my trike out again today along the canal, however it appears I took the difficult route to where I went and the normal easy route back…

13 miles in total but it felt like more going there then on the way back…

That's all good training. With a headwind it can feel so difficult.

That’s a lot of sheep

It was a lot, and I was so lucky that the shepherd saw me approaching and held them back until I'd crossed the rambla and climbed up the other side.

 

[jumartoo]

We've been home for about a week and had some "normal" life things to do.

We went to ride from Bolnuevo along the coast, but, when lifting my bike from the back of the car, my pedal attacked Martin's leg so all riding was aborted and instead we had a trip to the medical centre. No riding for him for a while.

I've been out alone, and with friends, but nothing much to post about. Except for a photo of a Short Toed Eagle seen nearby.

We're waiting for two new sofas to be delivered, and we've had a bit of a battle with the delivery company. We're still sitting on outdoor furniture indoors and the sofas are arriving tomorrow (with quite a substantial amount of compensation to be used in the local shop of the suppliers, which we use quite often anyway )

Our life is much the same as anywhere else, when travelling is curtailed.

So, it looks like we're Murcia bound until we can leave for the summer trip, hopefully at the beginning of June.

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[gus-lopez]

That bar, El Saladillo, run by the five sisters used to be heaving during the day & evening. It was still busy even after the dual carriageway was first opened.

Lardin was the sisters name, just remembered. That also used to have 'communal' toliet for men & women. One lady thought we could share when i was in there one night

 

[jumartoo]

That bar, El Saladillo, run by the five sisters used to be heaving during the day & evening. It was still busy even after the dual carriageway was first opened.

Lardin was the sisters name, just remembered. That also used to have 'communal' toliet for men & women. One lady thought we could share when i was in there one night

As far as I know there are two sisters now and I've not seen it open for the last few years, except for the side door and the dark passageway.

Their coffee is OK, the toast was rubbish, sliced white bread!

 

[jumartoo]

Well, Martin is still having daily dressing changes of his calf wound at the health centre (we're doing them ourselves over the weekend). He had an infection, but that seems to be improving now as well.

Eventually, the sofas arrived. We got €300 compensation (a €250 voucher to spend at their shop and the €50 we paid for delivery repaid) for the delay in us receiving the sofas. They are very comfortable btw, and we're happy with them.

I've been riding with female friends, or as Billy no Mates. We've had some rain, and even more again this afternoon, so all the drying out tracks will now again be muddy.

The next few weeks will now be featured around preparing the van for the summer and closing down the apartment. Our, loose, plans (I think I've already said, but ...) are heading north east, to the Pyrenees (Spain and France) then west, along the northern coast (with some exploration inland) to arrive in Galicia for the hottest time. Then, it would be nice to head down through Portugal and into Extremadura and Andalucia on the way home for the end of September(ish).

That's the plan, anyway.

A few photos taken over the last few days.

Name the tree?

View from our side window

and looking north west

Clouds, after the first storm we had

Friend Lynda on a local ride

Peter's Place (Swiss guy) parking for 3 motorhomes (November to March) for a donation. It's on the ride I did today

And more from today, note the total lack of any flowers.

Track to Peter's Place

 

[CAB96]

Trevor!

Looks like you have a fabulous location, thanks for the pictures.

Feeling warm just looking at that sky, which is a good job as it is cold and rainy outside the van on our way up the M61

 

[Tigertom]

Edwood !

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[jumartoo]

Now, I can't say I understand any of the last two posts.

But, apart from that, we've had a week or more here, of health centre visits, bad weather, and food shopping. Normal life!

Hopefully, we'll be getting away within the next week or so. Our, very loose, plan is to head into France for a month or so, before coming back into Spain and across to the cooler Galician region. Then, weather permitting, heading south through Portugal (we have many PT friends we haven't seen for some years, who it would be great to meet up with again) before heading back here via Extramadura and Andalucia.

That's our plan, anyway

 

[CAB96]

Now, I can't say I understand any of the last two posts.

But, apart from that, we've had a week or more here, of health centre visits, bad weather, and food shopping. Normal life!

Hopefully, we'll be getting away within the next week or so. Our, very loose, plan is to head into France for a month or so, before coming back into Spain and across to the cooler Galician region. Then, weather permitting, heading south through Portugal (we have many PT friends we haven't seen for some years, who it would be great to meet up with again) before heading back here via Extramadura and Andalucia.

That's our plan, anyway

"Name that tree......"

 

[paddymcc]

I think the tree might be a cercis? We used to have one but it didn't survive after a few years. To exposed to wind I think

 

[jumartoo]

I think the tree might be a cercis? We used to have one but it didn't survive after a few years. To exposed to wind I think

Thank you. I asked some Brit gardeners, and fellow (ex?) FUNsters and they didn't know.

For me, it's always going to be a "Flame Tree"

 

[jumartoo]

I have a plant based quiz, later.

Need to get my photos off my camera.

And ... no cheating

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[jumartoo]

Right ... so, no cheating, no using Plant Apps and no-one with prior Spanish Tree knowledge, please.

Both these are trees. So not green beans!

My hand is there for scale, nothing else!

Firstly ...

And then

And a close up.

No prizes for getting them right. You just know you're special

 

[scousebird]

Haven't got a clue

 

[ChrisMac]

So, in case of some interest, a bit of our background. Condensing it will be a challenge.

We've always been outdoor, camping, people. In early 1994, in Font Romeu, camping in a tent, for a running competition, we happened to be invited to look inside a campervan of a fellow competitor. The seeds were sown then, and on our return to the UK we set about the purchase of a transit van (exchanged against our Escort car) to be transformed I to a campervan by a Manchester company, beginning with the letter L.

A lot of the worlds top athletes train at Font, was it the same back then?

 

[Bolti]

I like nibbling the ones which look like green beans.

 

[jumartoo]

A lot of the worlds top athletes train at Font, was it the same back then?

A lot of top athletes go for altitude training.

It's a nice place to visit, as well.

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