As anyone reading this is probably aware, our British banks make a nice little earner, by charging a "handling fee" if you use your credit card or debit card to purchase goods or draw cash from an ATM outside of the UK.
Quite by chance, while visiting Almeria, some days ago, I discovered, if you use a UK Santander debit card, to draw cash from a Santander Spain ATM, they do not apply the handling fee. This means that, at the time of writing 200Euro costs you £164, instead of £168, a saving of £4.00.
Kathleen, needs to draw more Euro's, she has eventually spent those she obtained the year before last. Being prudent (well, she may read this), and knowing of my discovery, she decides, she must find a Santander ATM.
Technology to the rescue, the UK Santander mobile phone App is smart enough to locate the nearest Santander ATM, in Spain, for us. It is in Aguadulce, about two miles away.
So, in the interests of exercise, and, saving £4, we walk to Aguadulce.
The saving is then spent (plus a bit), and the exercise undone, on two very large gin and tonics.
Saturday 15th March 2014
Kathleen has decided she needs her hair trimmed, I decline the pleasure of risking her wrath by making a mess of it, so, we go in search of a hairdresser. In El Parador, finding a hair dresser is not too much of a problem, there seems to be dozens of them, in one street alone, we find three! But, we must find a hair dresser, who can do the job, right now, and, who understands enough English to follow Kathleen's instructions.
Eventually, we find a young lady, willing to take the risk, for 15Euro, 45 minutes later, the job is done.
It is a beautiful day, after the Hair Dressing saga, we have lunch and cycle south along the coast for about six miles, past the Castillo Santa Anna, to an area which we have been led to believe is a "holiday village".
It is not that we come to the end of the promenade after six miles, we just feel we need some liquid refreshment.
For a mere 3.60Euro, we have two beers, and, unexpectedly, we are given two tapas, and fresh bread.
Don't know what the tapas were called, but, they are small pieces of pork, in a spicy sauce, with a few chips (or patatas fritas, I suppose I should say).
Sunday 16th March 2014
I was about to begin this entry with "Another lazy day...", but, then, I realised, EVERY day is a lazy day, so, I suppose, Sundays are Lazy Days Squared!
Spend the morning reading my book, inbetween numerous attempts to get through to Gary, Susana, Gabriel, on Skype, all with no luck.
Midday, take Kathleen to church, she risks riding on the back of the scooter again.
After church, it is off to the "Cabana Belge" in Aguadulce Marina.
We first of all drop the scooter off at the campsite, since we just may have a drink, with lunch.
Another superb lunch, with copious drinks, which lasts from 13:30 to 16:30, I really would recommend this place. As if, having an excellent meal was not enough, when the bill comes, Kathleen pays it, out of HER purse.
I am shocked into silence.
Monday 17th March 2014
We spend the day washing clothes, washing the outside of the van, loading the scooter and bicycles onto the trailer, because, we will be leaving here tomorrow to head a couple of hundred miles north, just beyond Alicante.
In the course of washing the outside of the van, we get talking to an English couple, because, I borrow their ladders, so can climb on the van roof, to clean the skylights.
Like many people we have met, whilst travelling around in the campervan, they are an amazing pair. She is visibly in poor health, and can hardly walk, he, is 80 years old, and they are still driving around Europe in a campervan. I like their spirit.
Your pictures look amazing and you seem to be having a great time. We are with our friends at the moment in Florida but we are with you in spirit in Spain. Keep enjoying, we will catch up when we are both home
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