La Buganvila, Marbella

Sunday 23rd February 2014 

It being Sunday, we are off to Marbella on the bus, and Kathleen goes to church, followed by a pleasant lunch overlooking the beach.

Waiting at the bus stop, on our way back to the campsite, Kathleen gets chatting to another woman, waiting for the bus. It turns out she too originates from Jarrow. It is almost like a normal family Sunday as a list of potential mutual friends and/or relations  are named, to no avail of course. I tell a lie, there is one "hit" an aunt of the fellow passenger worked as Matron at South Tyneside Hospital, and was known to Kathleen from her nursing days.. 

Monday 24th February 2014 

Rain overnight, but by morning, we are back to blue skies.

We are running out of food, and, more importantly, we are running out of wine, so, a trip to the supermarket is needed.

Kathleen has hurt her back, she claims, it is through washing clothes, I think it is through lying on the ground sunbathing.

While Kathleen takes it easy, I am free to ride about on the motor scooter, a bit of gentle cruising around Puerta Banus.

Tuesday 25th February - Thursday 27th February 2014.

I feel I have been a bit tame with my blog writing, not sure what it is. Kathleen says I am spending too much time reading the newspaper, perhaps she is right, she usually is, so she tells me.

We leave La Buganvilla on Thursday, and head for Almeria, which is about 200 miles along the coast, more or less North.

The old N340 has been dramatically improved, now, a lot of it has been replaced or upgraded to be the A7, mostly dual carriageway. 

It is a little disconcerting however, to every so often come across a section which the satnav thinks is finished, but, which in fact has come to a grinding halt due to Spain's financial woes. The satnav keeps telling us to "join the motorway", when all that is there is a stretch of unfinished carriageway, and a few abandoned earth moving machines.

There are still some pretty impressive sections or road, curving along the coast, with almost sheer drops into the sea, But, you could not really call the area north of Malaga "scenic". The hills which border the coast are composed of some kind of rock, which looks just like a "pit heap".   

Not only that, but sadly much of the countryside is marred by miles and miles of Polythene "greenhouses". No doubt they are very profitable, but, they do not look very attractive.

We arrive at Roquetas de Mar (N36 47'51" W2 35'28"), another ACSI site. A bit bigger than we would normally choose, but, it seems to be well cared for.

One bonus, it well off the A7, and, there appear to be lots of smaller and (hopefully) quieter roads, which may allow me to coax Kathleen onto the back of the scooter.

Went out for a scout around this evening (by myself) on the scooter, discovered the small quiet roads are almost totally lacking in sign posts, I thought I was going to run out of petrol before I found my way back to the campsite!

La Buganvilla, Marbella Contd

Monday 17th February and Tuesday 18th February 2014

Well, it cannot be fun all of the time, or, so Kathleen tells me.

There are chores to be done.

Kathleen initially amuses herself cutting my hair.  I notice, no scissors are used, only the elctric shears, hopefully, with the correct number attachment! 

I note the hairdresser is not wearing her glasses, which is not very reassuring.

It turns out fine, but, a bit short, well, very short. But, as people do, when it is not their hair which has been shorn, Kathleen assures me "it will soon grow". 

After the haircut, cleaning the outside of the van, I have to admit, it is very dirty after our long journey.

Wednesday 19th February - Friday 21st February 2014 

I still cannot convince Kathleen she is safe on the back of the scooter, on the A7/N340, but, I settle into a little routine of riding about to explore, and, of course go shopping for essentials (wine, bread, beer...etc).

I learn a valuable lesson on my second outing, it is hot, so, I am tempted into riding along with my visor open. Disaster, a wasp smacks into my face. The next thing I observe, out of the corner of my eye, is the wasp walking along the edge of my helmet. I have to wait until I get to the supermarket,  wondering all of the way, if it is about to sting!, before I can take my helmet off and get rid of the damned thing. I will not be making that mistake again, visor firmly shut at all times from now on!

The weather continues to be kind, cool in the morning, but, by 10:30 a warm and sunny 20C.

We become regulars using the bus into Marbella, so we can walk the promenade along to Puerta Banus, with drinks and snacks enroute of course.

The bus service appears to be good, but, the timetable appears meaningless, buses just come when they come with no apparent relation to the timetable.

No matter where you go, the fare appears to be 1.18Euro each.

First impressions of this site were that it was somewhat restricted because of the busy main road, but, once you find your way about, there are several walking possibilities, each with scenic views, and of course pleasant bars to partake of necessary refreshment in the heat.

Quarteira, Rain, Spain, Marbella

Sunday 9^th February 2014

 A day of rain and high winds. I do not even venture out!

 Kathleen being a good Catholic, walks to church in the rain.

 Monday 10^th February 2014

The rain has stopped, the sun is out. We decide to ride out on the scooter, perhaps as far as Fusceta, and visit Gordon and Kath (if they have not given up on the weather and left). We make it as far a Faro (about 15 miles), when Kathleen decides she has had enough. I must admit, it is very windy, I do not think I have been on a motorcycle in such high winds. We turn around and return to Quateira.

Something tells me the scooter is not going to be a success.

Once back, we get into conversation with an elderly (79) English woman, who, it emerges, hails from South Shields, although she has not lived there for some 40 years.

She recommends a restaurant (Tirimasu) for lunch. We walk the two miles to the restaurant, only to find, it is closed on Mondays! Fortunately, there is another restaurant open a short distance along the road, so, all is not lost.

Tuesday 11^th February – Thursday 13^th February 2014

You may have detected a common thread here, it is RAIN!.

I will dispense with the details, we have been here ten days on Thursday, it has rained for eight of them. Enough is enough, we are off to Spain, Marbella on the Mediterranean Coast, to see if the weather is better.

Friday 14^th February 2014

Marbella, La Buganvilla (N36 30’ 11” W4 48’ 12”), an ACSI site. This was not the most recommended of sites from the comments on the internet. But it seems to be perfectly OK to us!

The site is surprisingly busy, given that it is "out of season". 

We get a reasonable spot, but, then find the English couple parked near by (with a better spot) are due to leave in a couple of days, so, we arrange to move into their spot, as soon as they vacate it!

We even have a view of the sea!

Amazing, we wake to blue skies.

Time to explore, the site is fine, but, is separated from the sea by the coast road (A7-N340), but, there is a pedestrian footbridge, so, no need to risk life and limb. 

Not cycling country, but, I get out on the scooter, and check out the other potential site at Cabopina, only to decide we should stay where we are. 

Kathleen will not venture on the back of the scooter on the A7-N340, (well not yet anyway). 

Saturday 15^th February 2014

A trip into Marbella, on the bus, to check out the eating possibilities, and of course the church!

Other vital requirements (ie finding an Orange Shop, to renew my Spanish SIM card, internet time), are a dismal failure, we find two Orange shops, both of which appear to be closed down!

The good news is, unlike Portugal TMN, Orange-Spain have not closed down my SIM card for lack of use, and, have even retained the little credit I had left from last year.

Sunday 16^th February 2014

We are up early, our English neighbours are due to leave at 8:00, but, it is actually nearer 9:00 when they go, and we quickly move onto their vacated pitch.

Excitement of the move over, we head off to Marbella on the bus.

Kathleen goes to mass, whilst I look after more earthly things, like exploring the "old town" and finding a restaurant for lunch!

I must say, I am pleasantly surprised at Marbella, it is the ultimate "Costa del Sol designer tourist haven". 

Sure enough, there is a massive sprawl of modern high rise accomadation and "designer" shops, but, the "old town" is surprisingly quaint and well preserved.

In the middle of it all, there is even the remains of a Moorish fort, reputedly built in the 10th century. 

We enjoy an excellent lunch overlooking the sea, and even get to meet the waiter's newborn boy child, when his wife (?) turns up, to show off the new arrival.

On our return to the site, we find we have a new neighbour.

Quite an amazing character (if the story is true!). 

In 30 minutes and a bottle of Mexican Corona, (shared between myself and Kathleen), we get a story worthy of Harrison Ford.

This guy (Pierre) is (I may have forgotten some details):

• a French Canadian, living in Frankfurt, Germany
• was given a hand out of £250,000 from his father at age 30.
• after  heart attack, retired at 40, with an even bigger fortune.
• invested the fortune in gold, which has now increased 1000%
• having retired, he invented various equipment to help the third world
• everything he touches appears to turn into even more money
• plays five musical instruments (when pressed by Kathleen, none were actually named)
• married for the first time at 61
• has three "boats" dotted around the world, all of which, he has built himself
• when he is not sailing, he roams Europe (with his dog) in a campervan
• has been attacked by wild dogs in Romania, once saving his wife and once his dog
• ambushed and shot three times by bandits in Guatemala
• his wife, jets around the world, earning a fortune, as a banker, and helping the needy

I think that is it, makes you feel quite inadequate!.

You may have guessed from the volume of information imparted, it was not so much a conversation as a monologue.