Saturday 31st December 2016

After saying goodbye to Mr and Mrs M we left Totana and made a quick journey west along the Autovia to the town of Velez Rubio in Andalucia. We passed some strange arid landscape along the way.

After doing a brief supermarket shop we parked at the town's aire.

This small dog seemed to want to make friends with us.

There were quite a few of these unfamiliar red tailed small birds around. Any idea which species these are anyone?

We took a walk into town. There were some good views to the sierras. Note the snow covered peak on the left.

The town is attractive with some nice narrow streets.

There is an impressive church.

On the way back to our van we saw this marvelous mural on the wall of a bar. It speaks for itself. I think it is absolutely brilliant.

Just behind where we are parked there was a Petanka (or whatever they call it around here) match going on. 

I forgot to mention that Ann did the clothes washing yet again earlier today. Giz a job! I could do that!

Anyone who has traveled in continental Europe at this time of year will know that they don't let off fireworks on 5th November - they let them off on 31st December/1st January. Anyway we are hoping for a quiet night.

Today we traveled 51 miles (82 kilometres). We are at N37.65234 W2.07376

Friday 30th December 2016

This morning we went towards the City of Murcia and topped up our LPG cylinders. Next to the LPG garage was a supermarket which sold everything we wanted except bread. We moved on west and stopped along the way at a local shop. When I went in there was nothing on display so I asked for bread, The woman in the shop asked how many I would like and I said just one. This is what I got!

We stopped for the day at a commercial aire near to the town of Totana. It costs 7 euros a night to stay here but you do get free wifi.

To our absolute amazement there were not only a lot of vans staying here, which is unusual in the interior of Spain away from tourist traps, but also the majority of them seem to be British.

We got to talk to a British couple from Norwich. Mr M seemed quite photogenic,

However Mrs M was quite the opposite! They did however accept some bread - there is no way we are going to eat all that loaf before it goes stale.

We took a walk uphill from the aire and crossed this (irrigation?) canal.

Further on uphill are lemon groves.

Citrus fruit growing appears to be the major industry in these parts.

As the sun got low there was a really nice light on the sierra.

The weather is really nice and settled around these parts at present - lets hope it stays that way.

Today we traveled 42 miles (68 kilometres). We are at N37.79264 W1.50952

Thursday 29th December 2016

Things were altogether much better today. We had a nice journey south west through some interesting country on a beautiful warm sunny day

This part of south east Spain is quite arid,

 

It might form a suitable backdrop for a wild west movie.

Shortly after mid day we arrived at the town of Ceuti and parked at the aire. As well as us there are two German vans here who appear to be staying for the duration - they have their tables, chairs, bikes etc out and solar panel rigged!

We took a short walk into town - we soon came upon this rather scary stature,

Just next to the statue was this mural.

The church is close by too.

We moved on to the main square where there is this unusual clock.

In the main square we also stopped off at a bar and had prawns, mushrooms and beer which were very nice. 

On the way back to our van we saw another mural.

We also saw this woman on a bike.

There are some impressive chimneys in Ceuti,

Today we traveled 74 miles (119 klometres).  We are at N38.08107 W1.26663

Wednesday 28th December 2016

We had really quite a poor day today. Left Cullera as it was all a bit too much! We moved on in a generally south west direction stopping at 3 aires which were either closed, unspeakably horrible or not what they said they were in our guide books. In the end we spent most of the day driving from place to place which was very annoying and frustrating. Eventually stopped at the "aire" in Ibi, Valenciana. It's just us and an enormous German van here.

For your information the term aire (from the french aire de camping cars) implies a parking place where camper vans can stay overnight and has three basic facilities - fresh water, waste water disposal and sewage disposal. The local authority in Ibi has for whatever reason retained the fresh water supply (pictured here) but removed the waste water and sewage disposal points! As you can imagine disgruntled vanners have been dumping their sewage down the bank behind the fresh water tap. It's hard to know whether to side with the sewage dumpers or the local authority in this instance!

Today we traveled far too far - 106 miles (171 kilometres). We are at N38.62215 W0.56646

Tuesday 27th December 2016

This morning we went into the centre of Castellon and filled our LPG tanks as well as doing yet more clothes washing at the handy launderette at the same filling station were we got the LPG. We traveled south going high up into the sierra following our sat nav's route avoiding the centre of Valencia.

Having cleared Valencia we went through an interesting wetland area to the south of the city.

We stopped at Cullera on the coast south of Valencia. Here's a view looking towards the town from our parking place.

There must be at least 100 vans here.

They are absolutely everywhere.

The place has recently been flooded and there are still lots of pools of water and muddy patches.

There was a marvelous sunset here this evening.

I took a walk into town. High rise heaven or hell?

My walk took me way beyond the street lights. Here's looking back at the town.

Back at our parking place we have lots of near neighbours. Earlier we talked to an English couple from Skipton in Yorkshire who are parked next to us. Is this campervan heaven or campervan hell?

Today we travelled 92 miles (148 kilometres). We are at N39.15637 W0.24211

Monday 26th December 2016

It was very cold in the night at Valderrobres. In the morning Ann did some more clothes washing. We serviced the van and set off south, heading for the Mediterranean. By chance our sat nav took us past Morella - one of our favourate places - so we stopped briefly in the aire there for a cup of tea.

 

In due course we got to the coast and parked next to this palm fringed beach near to Castellon in Valenciana.

Here's the view from our van. You can just see the Med. There were lots of people around enjoying themselves in the hot sunshine and numerous motorhomes and campervans, mainly from the Netherlands parked all around - apparently for the duration!

We had a walk on the beach and later took a ride along the seafront on our bikes. I should have tried to keep my shadow out of this pic.

The main attraction here was this little plane which went up and down all afternoon taking skydivers up to altitude, letting them jump out and then returning to the little airstrip to pick up some more and get them up to jumping height.

Today we traveled 106 miles (171 kilometres). Our position is N39.98363 E0.02304

Sunday 25th December 2016

It was wet and misty in Sarinena this morning. We had showers and serviced the van. We set off south crossing vast expanses of semi desert often shrouded in mist.

We moved on into more hilly country characterised by very poor rocky soil.

We stopped for the day at the town of Valderrobres in Aragon. Here's the view from our parking place.

There is a nice old bridge.

The bridge leads through a magnificent old gateway into the old town. High above is the Castle and the Church.

We walked up through narrow streets, alleys and staircases.

Eventually we arrived at the Castle (closed today because it's Christmas).

Next door to the Castle is the Church. It was locked - certainly no welcome here on Christmas day!

The (locked) church door is quite magnificent,

These fine effigies are on the right hand side of the door.

There are some Modern? gargoyles adorning the church.

There are lots of fish in the river here. We photographed this one while going back over the bridge from the old town to our van. I'm not sure what species it is - clearly not a trout or salmon as it has no adipose fin.

Back at our van we had the by now traditional Richards/Haworth family Christmas dinner of Beans on toast.

This year we washed the beans down with a very nice bottle of Cotes du Rhone Villages given to us by Steve and Margaret our neighbours in Widecombe - many thanks.

As the sun went down we saw a really nice light on the castle and the church.

Today we traveled 91 miles (147 kilometres). We are at N40.87390 E0.15573