Winter Camping at Marjal-A great cold remedy!

I'm surprised you didn't hear me shouting 'I don't believe it!" All winter everyone around me has had repeated stinking colds and I have managed to survive until yesterday. No I can't have a cold my daughter and granddaughter are coming out today I can't be ill-not now! I felt terrible. I immediately dosed myself up on Beecham's flu capsules and head over steaming water with Olbus Oil....oh no still feeling crap......I heard a long time ago that an old Chinese remedy is to inhale the smells from an onion! The cold germs are supposed to be absorbed by the onion.Poor old Dave. I cut an onion in two and placed it on the shelf above my bed and hey presto! I woke  this morning with a little sniffle but able to breathe throughout the night and this morning! I tell you its a bloody miracle. I felt so poorly last night I thought I was in for the full blown flu! I couldn't face my jog,the shower or any of my normal evening routine..maybe its jogging that's bad for you?!
So here I am a very happy little bunny and very excited. This is going to be the longest morning ever. My eccentric neighbours have gone ( says the woman who sleeps with an onion!) Another yapper less. The site is slowly returning to the oasis of calm that we love and the sun is shining.
The Unfriendly Club are slowly leaving. I think if they come here again next year with their dogs I shall be wandering more. I don't look out of my window at home and look at dogs pooing and listening to them yap so why should I come here and pay for the privelage?! Maybe we can have the quiz night back. Its all so one sided. The quiz was set up by a friend of mine and I helped her even though its not my thing. The Unfriendly Club have just taken it over and worse still they have set up their own and don't invited anyone else! Of course they also have the exclusive use of the bloody kids train making the rest of us feel like second rate citizens or second rate campers. Grrrr We need to form our own club?! Nooooooo! I could think of some very suitable names for it!
Well I'm off now for another snort of my onion! I tell you onions all the way for me from now on! Have a good day folks!

Winter Camping at Marjal-Im surrounded by them!

OK so this weekend was the line dancing festival. I don't have a problem with that-I actually like line dancing but only for fun. Very close to us was an empty pitch and along came some campers complete with obligatory happy dog. I couldn't get a pic the first morning that they were here but I did describe the unbelievable sight of them dressed up.
Yesterday morning I performed better I am pleased to report'

Isn't it going too far to have an outfit that matches your dog?! It gets even worse. I am reliably informed that in the afternoon she came back and changed into a long red dress with hoop under it! Now that must have been fun packing the motorhome! My hubby should never complain about my clothes again! 

Can you see the size of their pack up?! Admittedly there were chairs there but were they really going out west?! O dear o dear. This was done in all seriousness with military precision. I would love to have known what was in her bloody sandwiches?!

Today my amusement is over as they have gone. Its fascinating watching people. I really learn a lot and realise that maybe I have the wrong essential camping equipment!

Its been a lovely sunny day here again but the blooming breeze has got up now and just decided to spoil it slightly-hey ho its only march.

I have my granddaughter and daughter coming out tomorrow and this sad old tart is solo excited. I spent a fortune in Carrefour this morning. I hope the restaurant is good again as I certainly don't intend cooking the little time that I have with them.

Well I had better go and sort a friends awning out and do something with the day...now where is my bonnet?!

Winter Camping at Marjal Costa Blanca

Morning world. Why do these keys make so much noise when you press them?! Ooo what a night again! Or rather what a day. Thank goodness its nearly the end of the season as it will give me time to dry out!
Yesterday started well. It was a cold night but by heck it soon got warm. I was sitting in my awning and gutted that I couldn't get to my camera in time. Out of the motorhome almost behind me came a male and female with the obligatory yapper ( well its a pure requisite to camp anywhere near me!) No it was not the dog. It was 9.30 in the morning and the female was dressed as though she had just walked out of a western movie. Full long dress, big hat etc. He was all dressed up, stetson etc-what a pair they looked. Yep I will dress up and have fun but these two actually thought they looked gorgeous?! Hellooo hot day...middle of Spain! Oh I missed his gun out! Each to their own just gutted I missed the pic! My wardrobe is pretty full but is this the new essential camping gear?!
I went to the market and the lady at the Marks and Spencer stall kindly relieved me of another 65 euros. Kind of her really?! In the afternoon we had a lovely barbecue with friends to celebrate their 25 the wedding anniversary.It was there that the next plan was hatched. The guys were not into the Country music bit and there was entertainment on in the restaurant and the bar. Simple solution,ditch the blokes and girlies night out. We knew that we couldn't get a ticket for in the restaurant as the Unfriendly Club had block booked again along with their own transport ( the kids train!) so we would make do with the bar. The DJ well actually I felt sorry for him. When we first got there they had football on the big screen. There was no dance floor so we just sat and talked mainly. About 9.30 someone came along and cleared the table and chairs but it was too late-the magician came on! Yes a magician! There were a handful of kids but they have all those lovely play rooms so us ( who had been spending money) just thought at 10 o clock 'there's nothing for us,let's go home'. Angie saw the predicament and allowed us in the restaurant area to see the final acts which were fab. The place was alive. The dance floor was full. I think most of us staggered home and as I say typing the keypad hurts my head!
The Magician apparently was very good but it was a good way to empty the bar! It must be a very difficult balance though in fairness as the Spanish culture is so different from the other Europeans. I remember on New Years Eve the kids club was still open and full at 11.30 pm! Yes 11.30 pm! We are in Spain and I actually love kids as long as they are well behaved! As the weather has got warmer the Spanish are starting to camp again. This place changes yet again. The other Europeans will mainly disappear and the Spanish come. Somehow the nationalities don't mix well together but we are in their Country!
So today, the festival is still on but then again so are the best markets..decisions,decisions. I feel zocco coming on and then either a walk/bop at the festival or a lie down and die in the sun...now where is my gun and stetson?!

My lovely neighbour Chris giving Val some flowers when we discovered it was her 25 the wedding anniversary. Congratulations Val and Jim and thanks for a great afternoon!

Winter Camping Marjal Costa Blanca

Well I was a good girl last night and I didn't have any alcohol. I went running and early to bed. The trouble with all this healthy stuff is that I'm wide awake at silly o clock and full of bloody beans! The trouble is if Dave was left to his own devices I wouldn't see him until lunchtime. Its very tempting to grab the car keys and go to the market early. Oh yes. I have found my favourite M and S shop and she is temporarily doing the markets until she relocates. The big problem is that she seems to stock all the clothes that I like. The last time I saw her ( Thursday) I managed to spend over 100 euros and the caravan is only 20 odd feet long!
This weekend is also the Country Festival. I believe its tickets only in the restaurant tonight but there's also entertainment on in the bar..well it would be rude not to! There's also music etc on throughout each day. This afternoon I am at a friends barbecue..oh hell its fitting it all in!
I was so bloody good yesterday I even put a new panel in my kitchen tent. I bought it second hand about five years ago but it was the biggest yuck job going and after five years of Saharan sand it was thikthy and I finished up the same colour!
Its countdown for me now until Tuesday when my daughter and granddaughter get out here and then a few more days before I slowly head northwards to start the Highlights oof Spain Tour for the Caravan Club. I did this one last year and its a really great. There is so much to Spain. The tour doesn't just show the lovely cities but also a green side to Spain that makes the lake district look flat and boring!

If any of you are thinking of going back to old Blighty via Portugal there is another super Tour going on. I know the people who are hosting it and they are great fun. I have stashed on all the sites and they are beautiful. At Bella Vista its possible to do trips out to Gibraltar and Morocco. Although it initially looks expensive you have to deduct the expensive Spanish ferry crossings if you are already over here! It maybe of interest if some of you are heading back and it would certainly be a Tour I would recommend and I'm not on cvomission from the Caravan Club ( though I ought to be!)

There is so much to see and do in this area but now its time to dash market here I come!

Winter Camping at Marjal Costa Blanca end of Season

Well I will have to change my headings as this season is nearly over. So much so that a paella night was organised and the winners of the competitions were to be presented with trophies etc. The weather was definitely in our favour but then Things got worse........firstly not enough tables and chairs outside. OK no big deal we will sit inside..yes it is a big deal said the bar manager-you can only eat outside! They knew how many tickets they had sold and yet there was only seating for half the people! Fortunately it didn't bother me at all as I don't like paella but apparently it was yuk! There wasn't even enough cutlery to eat with! I made the wiser choice of a pizza in the bar and that was fine. It got cooler and people came inside ...not enough seating! Thank goodness we already had a table. I could only describe the singer in one word...dire! Far too loud with equipment that didn't work and worse still it was all ummpah music in dutch! Now I have nothing at all against the dutch but we already have dutch days rammed down our throats every month, dutch evenings, dutch food...heloooooo We are not all dutch and the majority of people here don't understand it! This is not Holland! Its not england either but most people speak bloody english! The worst bit is the beat is all the same. You can't do any dance to it! What a noise. Queues at the bar...well you couldn't even see the bloody thing but worse was to come.....The Marjal Choir?! Yes they are probably very talented but by this time we were all well untruly umpahed/Dutched out and maybe not the right venue. We were all seriously considering giving up on the cheap drinks and the presentations but Roger came to the rescue with his tongue in cheek British choir. We dressed to represent the area of the UK that we were from and the music fitted the theme. Here is our bandmaster

So you can imagine what the choir was like?!

Thanks David for allowing me to copy these pics of Facebook! Didn't we do our County proud?! I'm really convinced that the person in the shower cap dressed as Yorkshire pudding is not my mother and that there must have been a mix up at birth!

You see there were some winners and a serious side but the silliness did take over and certainly made the disastrous night bareable! Today the Country festival starts. This lasts the whole weekend...hmmm wonder if they will line dance in Dutch?! 

Winter Camping at Mddarjal-Blown Away!

Well what a night last night. My caravan was certainly rocking! ( don't be silly we are married!) I think that was one of the wildest nights that I have known here. The wind was truly scarey. The gusts were just so powerful that I think half the campsite was up and if they weren't I want some of the wine that they were on!
I gingerly opened the caravan door this morning and somehow the entire lot is still standing! Phew. A friend of mine then kindly dropped me a free newspaper round-the first that I've seen since the "unfriendly club' arrived and guess what the headline was 'Red Alert for high winds!" No shit sherlock a bit late now! So that's what it was! Gusts expected of 100 km pH. I now consider myself something of an expert on winds and I can confirm that they reached 100 kmph if not more!
It seems to have quietened down a bit now and its lovely and sunny. Last line dancing class at 11.30 this morning as its the Country festival this weekend here. Now that's an education. I actually quite enjoy it but as with everything in life some people just go way too far. Fully grown men having shoot out competitions like in the movies. Only problem is they have toy guns! Some go to great extremes to dress up. I certainly won't be getting that carried away..but each to their own.
The other scarey thing happening tonight is a choir rehearsal! Have you heard me sing?! No its not serious. There already is a Marjal choir ( keep me away from the knife drawer type!) and knowing Roger who is organising it.this will be totally the opposite. A bit tongue in cheek and certainly fun-or I'm off!
Well I guess its time to get dressed and on with the day..now where did I put my cowboy boots?!

Winter Camping at Marjal..Get me away from the mad world!

I haven't blogged for a while but there is a reason. Having lost one pair of expensive glasses in a Chinese shop in Torrievieja I made do with my other pair. I have been jogging recently so I went into Elche to buy some jog bottoms. I went out running. I hadn't got more than 100 yards when the things were around my knees. It wasn't until I got in some good light that I realised I had bought a size 18 instead of a size 10! Hmm not much difference! At least if anyone saw me I could fib and tell them how much weight I had lost through jogging!
OK so the draw string thing was then pulled megga tight and off I went. In my bad mood over buying the wrong bottoms I then sat on the bloody glasses! I am typing this looking like Same Edna with some bright green 12 euro glasses on but at least I can see but then again having seen Facebook this morning I don't believe my eyes!

Maybe I should have paid more for my glasses?! I just don't get it! Just because we do well in the Olympics we should now be independent?! Yes we have a national anthem but not many people even know all the words..these things would really impress and help us survive?! Bloody stupid if you ask me. Now I always thought it was " Yorkshire born. Yorkshire bred. Strong in arm and good in bed' but I've come to the conclusion its ' Yorkshire born. Yorkshire Bred. Strong in arm and bloody thick in head'( says she who had the problems with her eyesight and glasses!)

Rant over

Now it looks as though its going to be another sunny day even though rain is forecast but its blooming windy..grrrr! Things are quitening down here a lot and people are taking their yappers with them but some kind person has left behind a howling cat! Yep I joke not. Several nights it has been under our caravan but I darent do anything about it,like report it to Marjal because the Spanish generally treat animals differently and I would hate to be responsible for signing its death warrant! Now I could sign the death warrant for the thing next door. Responsible dog owners ( and I know there are some!) please be careful. To my knowledge the evil little yapper next to us has injured at least two other dogs.and that's just what I know of! It can get over the silly fence and the owners are either busy in their caravan or simply don't care?! Not nice. I am petrified when kids go by with those cart things that it also growls at and kids with balls ( don't be dirty!). Why keep the thing?! 

Oh no I wasnt going to rant about dogs anymore! So its March! Nice weather around the corner. Well the other night I thought that I had set the central heating wrong. It was 20 degrees in the caravan! No I hadn't. The night time low was 15 degrees! The extra 5 degrees in the van maybe came from Dave snoring! Now don't get me ranting about Dave-you haven't got all day! 

Well I hope this wind drops but my first job of the day..Specsavers here I come! Have a good day folks!