27th April – 30th April 2013

27^th April – 30^th April 2013

Well we’ve now had about 5 days of poor weather, Sunday was really cold with temperatures down to 10c. Today Tuesday started quite promising with clear skies and sunshine although it clouded over around 1pm.We were only warmed up on Sunday when we watched the Lpool v Newcastle game in the Lancashire bar, an excellent 6 – 0 victory away from home. We are almost like locals now, soon as we park our bikes there are two pints of lager on the bar. Most customers were watching the rugby but the manager set another two tv’s to the footy.

 We met some English ex pats one of whom was from Liverpool. We were sorry to have missed the bull run in Javea although we did watch a bit of the cycle race. Apparently the bull run may have been cancelled due to the poor weather. Apparently these brits told us that the summer bull run is best where they chase the bulls off the pier and then celebrate when the bulls go into the sea. Things change when the bulls get into difficulty, then the locals all dive in to help the bulls only for the bulls to turn on them again!

 These English also told us that most of Javea is built on a flood plain including the campsite and that 5 years ago there were really bad floods in the town. When I researched this I also found that in 1957 an incredible 3ft of rain fell in one day which resulted in catastrophic floods. No wonder the old town is built on the hillside. We are watching the river levels carefully.

 As you can see from the photies the waves are really high and powerful and even though we must be about a mile from the sea we can hear

the waves thrashing onto the beach at night.
On Monday we took Pickles to the vets in Javea, his blood sugar level was raised again so we are having to increase his daily insulin injections and we ordered more needles, syringes and insulin. We have decided to get another test next Monday so it looks like we’ll be here for another week. With the promise of better weather, more good football matches to watch along with the excellent restaurants that’s not a bad option. Last night we had yet another excellent meal down at the harbour/ marina we also like sitting at one of the cafes down here during the day where we meet some interesting people

22nd - 27th April 2013

After arriving at Camping Javea on Sunday we enjoyed a few sunny but windy days, I even got to swim in the site pool on Tuesday. We had a great meal at the Ca Maria restaurant on the Marina near the harbour. We also got to watch both champions league semi finals at the nearby Lancashire pub. The site is less than 10% full and has had some of the toilet blocks modernised since we were last here two years ago...an excellent site with good wifi. However on thursday we were hit by strong winds and over 24 hours of rain. The town was put on amber alert, never know what that means but I believe the next level, red, could lead to evacuation. Things didn't seem that bad though and we did manage to get out, going down to the marina for a coffee where we watched a handful of surfers take advantage of the 8ft waves. This was forecast to continue for another 4-5 days although Friday turned out to be nice and sunny in the afternoon. Quite a few people left the site looking for better weather we decided not to chase the sun and enjoyed an afternoon stroll along the entire waterfront.
Today, Saturday feels quite chilly but things are expected to change on Tuesday. So we intend to watch the Lpool v Newcastle match later and then head to the marina for another nice meal.

Wednesday17th – 21st April 2013

Wednesday17th – 21st April 2013

The four nights we spent at Camping Rio Mar were total relaxation. On Thursday we biked it to Denia. It was an easy ride along a wide flat boulevard with a cycle track on each side. On the way we passed another campsite and a Odissea camper area. Denia was a large working town with a decent waterfront dominated by a number of ferries parked up, presumably these go to Ibiza. We went a bit further to Les Rotes and on return to the site we’d clocked up 24 miles.

The remaining days were spent relaxing and reading although another trip out on the bikes led to the discovery of a nearby Lidl at El Verger, a distance of 3 miles.

We would recommend this site although I doubt if there’s enough to do for more than a weeks stay. Today (Sunday) we plan to move to Javea, a town we particularly like for its variety of bars and restaurants. We also plan to watch the Liverpool v Chelsea match at 4pm.

16th - 18th April

Tuesday 16^th April 2013

We left Cullera and decided to slowly make our way south east and take in one or two more ACSI sites. We arrived at Camping L’Alqueria in Gandia, about 13 miles from Cullera.. This was positioned on a busy main road where there was some road works being undertaken. Positives were the really warm indoor swimming pool, large pitches, good facilities. Negatives were the distance from the really nice seafront, most pitches didn’t have shade. We stayed one night but couldn’t be convinced that this was the site for us.

Wednesday 17^th April 2013

We left Gandia early and drove about 14 miles to a site that had been recommended by a couple from Devon who were staying at Cullera. This was Camping Rio Mar between Oliva and Denia. A remote site right on the beach with free internet and an attractive beach bar/restaurant.



Camping Rio Mar, A good chill out place with clean basic facilities.



10th - 15th April 2013

Wednesday 10^th April

We packed up and left Ribamar to go to the vets, hopefully for the last time. After taking a blood sample it was confirmed that Pickles blood sugar levels were now within the normal range. We purchased enough insulin and syringes to last for about 24 days and headed off 450 euros lighter after paying the vet fees. Benicassim was our next destination..

 It was only about 20 miles to Bonterra park at Benicassim where we were offered a short term pitch, if we wanted to stay more than 7 days we could take one of the permanent pitches but would have to pay for 7 days up front. This is a popular site and highly regarded by the brits who occupy about 70% of the pitches. The Camping and Caravan Club have a rally here. It was not really for us. The vast majority of the campers were polite and friendly but we noticed one or two ‘rowdy’ elderly groups in the bar at night. If you like a British feel to your sites then you might like this, but we’re not really attracted to ‘happy hours’ and bingo. We did enjoy the cycle track that takes you 6 miles into Oropesa. We even went another further 3 miles to a brand new resort which I think is called Marina D’Or. It was here that we found a carefully designed water front, new unoccupied apartments and for the first time quite a few Russian voices.

After two nights at Camping Bonterra Park it was time to move on to somewhere more Spanish.

Friday 12^th April 2013

We drove about 90 miles to Camping Santa Marta in Cullera. The site offered ACSI rates of 14 euros a night but stays of more than one night dropped this to 12 euros a night, stays more than 7 nights brought it down to 10 a night. The site is positioned on a hill with good terraces, the main parts were well shaded but there were small sections in the sun for those here out of season. Although parts of the site were a little untidy the facilities were excellent. This is a typical Spanish campsite in a resort that seems to cater more for Spanish people. There were no English bars competing for the cheapest pint or ‘all day English Breakfasts’. Despite the numerous large apartment blocks we found this to be an attractive resort with a lovely pedestrian waterfront that stretched for about 3 miles. Its what Benidorm could have been like if it had not gone down the Blackpool Golden Mile approach to tourism.

The day we arrived it was the beginning of a weekend long religious festival. The reception staff warned us of the bull run that would be taking place on the Saturday and suggested we go to those parts of the town that were focussing on music and dance. On the Saturday we were curious to find the bull run area but when cycling through the town we were hypnotized by the sound of a brass band playing in a nearby bar. This was some bar, it was 11:30 in the morning and men didn’t have pints on the table but bottles of brandy and vodka, it was full of men fighting to be served. We were half expecting bodies to come flying through the windows. It had a great atmosphere so we hitched Pickles up and sat and had a drink whilst listening to the Tijuana style music.

The 4 nights we spent here were most enjoyable, we could feel the weather getting warmer and managed to have a few hours on the beach. The waterfront was great for cycling and if you went over the bridge, crossing the river, heading south there were cycle paths taking you to other villages with some excellent restaurants and bars.

The beach at Cullera and below our Pitch at Santa Marta which wasn't the best of pitches but we could have chosen a better one.

Another shot of the beach at Cullera

Monday 8th April 2013

A warm cloudy day with sunny intervals. We walked into Alcossebre pushing Pickles along the way. He enjoys the attention of the children and their parents who find him quite amusing as he sits proudly observing his 'kingdom'. Its a 45 minute walk into town so we had a relaxing coffee at one of the bars and returned to site mid afternoon. Later we road back into town for a Pizza and a few beers.

Alcossebre beach from the Vistabella bar.

Cycle buggy converted to pushchair

Sunday 7th April 2013

We were kept awake for most of the night by some really strong winds that rocked the van a bit. Buckets and plastic containers could be heard blowing around most of the pitches. However around 5am it died off and we were left with another pleasant day. We left the site around 11am on our bikes with Pickles in the attached buggy. We rode through Alcossebre and followed the coastal road to Torrenostra, a pleasant enough resort which shows signs of great ambition with its numerous developments most of which remain unfinished and on hold. We returned to Alcossebre and stopped at our favourite bar Vistabella on the front where we sipped our favourite spanish beverage...draught San Miguel Selecta, a strong brownish beer that has a distinct taste. On our way back to camp a large ferocious looking dog came tearing towards Pickles buggy, I immediately slipped into sprint mode and only lost it after 300 metres that would have seen me overtake both Cavendish and Wiggins! Unfortunately just as we lost it we hit one of the many potholes on the road and the buggy overturned and spilled Pickles out into the road. He's not having the best of times at the moment but looked unhurt by it all.

6th April 2013

After the rain of yesterday we weren't really expecting much weather wise. However it turned out to be a nice sunny day but quite windy. We went on a walk to Font de la Parra. This is a walk to a so called fountain that follows a narrow gorge up into the mountains. It wasn't quite Cheddar but was still quite spectacular in parts with a wide range of fauna and vegetation along the route. The actual 'fountain' was a bit of a disappointment, a trought carved out of the rock where water seeped into it. But still the 2 hour walk was enjoyable.

4 - 5th April

Well Wednesdays trip to the vets was a bit of a disappointment, Pickles blood sugar level was still a bit above the norm so the vet has increased his insulin slightly. We have to go back for a further test in a weeks time. So its another week in Alcossebre. This wont be too bad as we really like it here although the sites position outside of town makes it difficult to visit the bars and restaurants at night. I think we'll move down 20 miles to Benicasim after next weeks visit to the vet. If things are still not quite right we can always drive back up to the vets.
 After the trip to the vets it was so hot that I went for a swim in the pool, it wasn't heated but felt quite comfortable. The Yorkshire woman who has been here since November has been using the pool and swimming in the sea all winter. She seemed to put my 'bravery' in its true perspective. I've been led to believe that she and her husband are occupying one of the very nice chalets for £350 a month even though they have a VW camper. This probably works out a lot cheaper than the camping pitches.
The dutch couple with the 13 year old alsation have now gone along with two other vans in our 7 van alley so we really are Billy and Barbara no mates.
Yesterday (thursday) we pushed Pickles along the coastal path and sat on the beach for a while.
Today (Friday) is a lot cooler around 13c with light showers so we cycled into town and stocked up with a few supplies from the supermarket. The forecast for Sat. and Sun is cloud and temps around 15c with a return to hot sunshine on monday. Last night we caught up with all of the Corry episodes via Youtube and we've now got BBC1 and ITV on the internet for free. Barbara is presently reading the 'shades of grey' trilogy which she describes as "rubbish" and "just full of sex", however she's now raced to the midway point of the 3rd volume!
Will include some pictures soon and I must try and get out more so that this blog will be more interesting.

2 - 3rd April 2013

The site is now only a quarter full. Its a lot quieter now since the Spanish families returned home, really relaxing. We've mainly spent our time walking along the coastal paths with Pickles in his buggy. We have been told of a good 5 hour walk into the mountains that takes you past several fountains so we may have a go at that in the next few days. We have to take  Pickles to the vets today and we expect her to discharge him. He continues to look better every day although we intend to stay here at Ribamar another week just so that we have easy access to an understanding vet if we need her, he seems to be responding well to the daily insulin injections.
The weather has been excellent and we woke today to clear skies and bright sunshine. Not really a lot to say today!

Monday 1st April 2013

Another warm sunny morning. We expect the site to empty out today as most of the Spanish return home after the easter break. There were 20 adults on the next pitch last night all partying. They had draught beer on tap and a Karaoke machine. Surprisingly it was all good fun and not too noisy so as they all had kids (god knows where they where during the party) they all went to bed around 10:30. We've really been enjoying the relaxation of it all and since our options are a bit limited (dont want to leave Pickles alone too much, sea and pool too cool) we've enjoyed mainly staying on the site and reading. Although we went for a meal on the site last night, food generally looks good but the waitress talked us into trying cuttlefish....a bit rubbery. We'll probably walk into town today. Pickles is still stable and showing more interest in any bitches that come his way.