We're at Bolnuevo for Christmas

We're at Bolnuevo for Christmas

16th and 17th December 2015

These last 2 days have mostly been driving ones with a bit of shopping thrown in for good measure.  We'd received an e-mail from the couple we'd met in Morella telling us that the camp site that we were heading for over Christmas was filling up fast, and that if we wanted to join them we should maybe book a pitch. With this in mind I rang the campsite and was reassured that they had plenty of space, but as we really wanted to stay there we decided to push on South and not dally about visiting other places on the way.   So, on the 16th we drove about 300 kilometres and stopped for the night at an Aire John had identified from our trusty book - at Lorqui.

We met this chap on the way!

When we got there all looked good.  The Aire was next to a park area that had orange trees growing within it, along with pleasant paths and benches, and additionally, there were several other vans already settled.  We brewed our cuppa and then went for a wonder around the town,  but it was a bit bleak and all closed, so we were soon back in the Tardis to put our feet up - and then all was fine until about 8pm.  Then we heard a very odd sound - I asked John 'was that a bugle', then came a noise like a big base drum, and then a trumpet.  By now it was pitch dark, but with all that racket going on we couldn't resist peeping out of our windows - it seemed to be a local band practice night!  Well, they practised for the next two and a half hours, and boy did they need it!  There really was little that resembled music - it sounded more like 😹😻😼s fighting, and maybe that was why they'd been banished to the outskirts of town - to protect the locals!

We breathed a huge sigh of relief when the noise finally stopped just before half past ten, but then the 4 dogs who lived across the road took up where the band had left off - and they either howled or woofed for several more hours - John slept fairly well, but between the racket outside and him snoring I didn't stand much chance!

The next morning we were up and off quite early - heading for a supermarket for food and other shops for one or two bits we felt we needed for our longer stop - wine glasses and something to put in them being high on our list!  Shopping accomplished, we headed on towards our campsite at Bolnuevo, and when we got there they did still have some pitches available, but only 12 out of 450!  However, we only wanted one so we were fine.

Bolnuevo Erosions - Formed over many millennia 

We quickly set up camp and then went for just a little wander to see where we'd landed and if we thought we would be happy here for the next couple of weeks.  And while we were wandering we popped into the local Spar - a small supermarket that seemed to provide for the needs of the whole camp site - it had everything.  Fresh meat and vegetables, milk, bread, and then low and behold, we found the English section! They had our favourite Heinz tomato soup, gravy granules, paxo stuffing and many more things that we haven't seen since we left England - I think we might be stocking up before we leave!


Friday 18th December 2015

Well, we've decided we do like it here so we're stopping until after the new year.  We've had quite a gentle day today - we wandered over to tell our friends form Morella that we'd arrived - and ended up staying with them for quite a while.  They had visited Norway earlier this year, and following them giving us loads of valuable info and showing us their holiday pics, I think it's now very firmly on our agenda for next summer.   They also invited us out for Christmas lunch - at the local Chinese - so it will be a very different meal to usual for us!

Later, we  walked along the beach front towards Puerto de Mazarron, it really is a very beautiful area, there was the crystal clear Med on one side, and the majestic hills rising all around providing a protective basin in which the micro climate for this area exists. (hot and sunny)


















 



Saturday 19th December 2015

Today was not going to be so gentle - we decided we needed some exercise so cycling it would be.  We left the campsite and  went to have a look at Bolnuevo Erosions first.

 

Then we headed along a track that hugs the coast for about 10 kilometres, and we were soon on a rough, hilly and sandy dirt track. Now,  if someone had told me 5 years ago that I would be riding a bike over tracks like today's I would have told them to wake up and stop dreaming, I only started cycling 4 years ago, and usually, if the terrain becomes difficult I get off and walk, but today I managed most of the way - maybe because I was so distracted by the views!





















We paused for coffee on the beach, sitting in the baking sun and with the sea lapping about a metre away from our feet.  We were very hot and the cool water looked very tempting and inviting, but as we hadn't brought our cozzies it would have had to have been skinny dipping, so in the end we chickened out and decided to settle for a cold beer back at the T4rdis instead!

As we rode along we saw several vans 'wild camping' - they looked 'very well installed' with several solar panels, wind turbines and trailers full of water!  If they are staying put  for Christmas I hope Santa can find them!



I think from now on our days may be quite lazy and with not much to write about, so it might be a few days before I put fingers to keyboard and write another episode.  Having said that, there are some huge hills around here and John's planning a few more outings for us! (maybe I'll be needing my great granny ring again sooner than I thought!)

Anyway, If I don't blog again before Christmas I'd like to wish anyone who's reading this a very happy and wonderful Christmas and I hope Santa brings you your hearts desire.

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