Winter Camping in Spain A massive Catch up!

Hi Guys
Well Ive received complaints that I havent blogged for a while and seen as I have been so busy I have started this now but it probably wont get brought up to date until..?! Well  at least Im trying and that has been said before!
We are back at Marjal Costa Blanca yet again. We took off at the beginning of december to inspect sites for the Caravan Club. We have 28 sites in Spain and Portugal to inspect so we thought we would get the northern ones done first before the weather turned too bad. Oh the great theory..those bloody yanks sending their artic blasts to northern Spain! Each time I venture out somewhere new or different in Spain I just fall in love all over again with this amazing fabulous country. So a week last wednesday we left Marjal where it was a very pleasant 20 degrees and sunny and we went for a 5 hour drive to Madrid Camping El Escorial. Wet and damp but not too bad. The net day we thought we would visit another site nearby called Monte Holiday. No point in taking the van..ooo what a wise decision! It was raining.." no maybe its just low cloud as it is a bit mountainous" a little further. " Im sure that there is snow mixed in with this rain. The temperature guage must be worong. It says 0 degrees!" We keep on driving. within 10 miles we are met with snow ploughs and the road is white over! OMG I couldnt see a thing. Had it not been snowing I think it would have been beautiful! Thank god for the best driving course that I did in my last job. I certainly needed all my advanced driving skills to get us down but we did it!
I love Monte Holiday even though the mountains were white and it was cold but we were given a very warm welcome. They have just installed some super deluxe pitches there and they had views to die for that I hate to say it made Scotland and the Moors etc look flat!We found one lonely British Unit up there

The views would have been great! 

Camping El Escorial

Depressing or what?! It reminded me of camping in england! On to El Astral

We were the only unit on there! There must have been 400 empty pitches and you guessed it.... a motorhomer parked right on top of us! They did the usual trick of revving engines, getting on and off bloody blocks  and banging about at 7.30 am! Did he think we were wild camping?! It is a secure campsite! I certainly felt safe unrtil mr french motorhomer came on top of me ooh l las I should be so lucky! 

On to camping Haro. Theres somethig about this site that I do like. Well I like all of them that I saw but Carlos s welcome on the bar really does help! " You are not going into the Pyranees? Are you really mad?!" Well it needs inspecting so off we went / The sat nav said something like 5 hours to do 200 miles or so....stupid sat nav. No stupid us! Off we went up mountain sides. There was a terrible gusty wind and great care had to be taken. The bends got worse and I was having to sound my horn on this single track up a mountainside. We eventually found the campsite Pena Montesena. I can only say that the welcome couldnt have been warmer-but I couldnt say that about the weather. We were the only people on site but the swimming pool, the shop,the bar and restaurant were all open! Boy did we get good service-they even lit a log fire for us so that we could eat our pizza in the restaurant

Thwe food and the wine were delicious. We then went and snuggled up in the caravan and were really grateful for the central heating. We got up in the morning and I couldnt work out what was the matter with the front window...

It was frozen solid! It had been minus 6! Look at that snow on the mountains!

The views were well worth the rough journey up there.

When people tell me that they have seen Spain as they have spent a week in Benidorm or wherever I get mad! Spain is green! Spain is amazingly beautiful. All in all I would really recomment this site but dont go in winter unless you want to visit Andora or go skiing! or there again like us and have suicidal tendancies! 

We stopped one night at the lovely Vilanova Park and then made it down to camping Javea and Kiko Park... How different can campsites get>?/

Yes it was all change again with the weather about 20 degrees again! Oh I did re visit an old favourite of mine. I still love Javea and they have spent lots of money on the new toilet blocks

The wonderful little bar.restaurant was providing menu del dia that was porkstew and potatoes for 4 euros! Well it would have been rude not to and vino 1 euro a glass! Oh Im not supposed to be checking out the vino.its the campsites! Well we visited 17 in total. Hard,hard work but great fun and really interesting. I can honestly say that there was not a bad campsite. I dont have a favourite as they are all so different/ One thing that is important to me and I can say of them all is that they were spotlessly clean. This was in half of Spain we still have the other half to do and its different again! How I love the different faces of Spain. Its like several worlds merged into one country.

So here we are back at Marjal Costa Blanca where its been quite busy. I dont know whats going on or more to the point whats not going on. Roger and I have been busy planning the New Years Eve bash again by the pool. Without putting a poster up I already have 90 tickets reserved so if you want to come....come to pitch C03! We are aslo planning a British weekend , the last weekend in January..come on lets show the Dutch that we can do markets and party too! Im not saying thatait got too much for Roger but..

its a good job this wasnt a video with sound! 

Judy and John couldnt believe how quick we got our big awning up and didnt trust us so thought it was a good ideato keep the cycling helmets on to be on the safe side! Thanks Pals but who looks the pudding?! 

Ahh well Im nearly up to date. Its a good  job that it does rain sometimes in Spain or I would never get this done!Weve been some great places and met great people. This retirement game is well untruly alright..oh just a minute I was working!  I hope you have fun too! http://www.campingelescorial.com/en/

http://camping.monteholiday.com/en/http://camping.monteholiday.com/en/

www.campingdeharo.com

en.camping.info/spain/aragon/camping-pe%c3%b1a-monta%c3%b1esa-21117

www.vilanovapark.com/?lang=EN

http://www.campingjavea.es/

http://www.marjalcostablanca.com/

Last day of people watching! camping vilanova Park Spain

The campsite has been having difficulty with its wi fi and my leg is getting better thanks to -Mac Cains frozen chips so I have limited time for people watching.
All was revealed with the Dutch guy who didn't unhook his caravan ( though I still swear he's insane.) He never did pout a leg down on the caravan or anything. Yesterday morning I heard a car that was having its b***s revved off it. I looked over and saw the Dutchman trying to do a million turn manoeuvre with the Caravan on the back?! Why? Just unhook the blooming thing?! Eventually he was off but it was thanks to Archie's dad. I couldn't help am. why they hadn't unhooked. 'The caravans knackered. It won't come away from the car!" Hello! You've pulled it all the way from Holland and now you are going to Southern Spain.should that thing really be on the roads?! I know I sound a snob but unfortunately people like that give all caravanners a bad name.
Archives dad left this morning and its lively and quiet but I have totally changed my mind about the Dutch people opposite who I thought were nearly normal. They have been here for two weeks. They leave tomorrow and they started cleaning and packing down on Tuesday! I know that generally the Dutch are clean but if they spent as long setting up as they did putting it away -they have probably had five days holiday! Lol
We went to Sitges yesterday with Dave Watson and Anne Marie.We had all been before but what a superb place. I had broken the handle off my old trogg and needed to replace it. Dave bless him hadn't heard of one before and thought I as looking for a troll! Lol He was so impressed when I found one in rthe Chinese shop that he bought one too-all of two euros. Mind you the guys did look a bit iffy walking together along Sites seafront with their handbags! Lol
Tomorrow we have an early start to pluck Lynne and Nigel up from their cruise and it's Oeniscola here we come!

People watching part 3 camping vilanova park spain

I dont normally blog at this time of the day but things have already amused me. Here I am sitting outside my caravan in my skimpy dressing gown with a packet of Mc Cains frozen chips over my knee! Here I am calling other people?! Would I sit outside my house in the main street in my dressing gown? No! Yet for some strange reason its acceptable camping!
As I was sitting with my frozen chips on my knee Archie's mum and dad yang out the washing. They are obviously not very experienced as the novelty of handwashing hasn't worn off yet and they do it on a daily basis. A major incident occurred. The washing line broke. I was guilt of laughing out aloud. I think he thinks that he is a David Attenborough/survival type but he's even failed at that.
Late last night saw a very old little caravan pull on with Dutch plates. A guy on his own. Within minutes he was sitting outside. I was impressed at the speed in which he set up. It was only then that I realised that he had left the caravan hitched up and hadn't even bothered to put the legs down. He went inside and went to shten my dull existence! rsonally could never sleep like that.vAt least by winding a leg down I would hear someone about to abduct me in the back of the caravan,..but then again who would want to abduct me?! Lol
Now the world has gone mad. Including my husband. He has just got upvand put loud blue checked shorts on with a red striped t shirt 'novdear they dont look good together. You look like a clown!" ( normal yorkshire tact and diplomacy) 'Wheres my white t shirt then?"  Err'the airing cupboard' any experienced caravanner knows that haI meant the car! He then promptly tried to put my white Marks and Spencers size 12 t shirt on!
All this has happened before10 o'clock. The world has gone mad-now where are my frozen chips?!

People watching. Camping Vilanova Park Spain cont

I tell you people watching is great fun..as long as no one is blogging about me! You will all be pleased to know that Archibald -the butters cat is behavingbtoday. It was great fun yesterday when he was naughty and tried catching a magpie in the tree. I think poor old Archibald is as useless and clumsy at catching birds as his owner is at walking! 'No Archie. That's a naughty boy Archie!! 'Hello Muppet. You are talking to a cat!" The Swedish bloke continues to entertain us. Yes I can see that there are merits to motorhomes over caravans sometimes but this guy...(well he is pitched next to Archibald's dad) He arrived on his own with a small sized motorhome. Behind it he pulled a trailer. In the trailer was a full size motor bike and an electric bike?! It took him in excess of an hour to unhook/unpack everything! Am I missing something here? The guy is on his own. The motorhome is small enough to be used as car, the motorbike is a motorbike and then an electric bike and a trailer for a man camping on his own?! 'Hello you can only drive one thing at once!" This to me has to be the worst combination ever-why bother?! The Spanish came on to the campsite last night.They too amaze me. They arrived late in the afternoon and spent hours setting up only to leave today at lunchtime! I'm not talking about one or two caravans-lots if them for one night! I'm getting a bit concerned though as my leg is slowly getting better -something went 'click' and it seems a lot better but I have no new arrivals to watch at the moment-lets hope Archibald misbehaves! Lol

Camping Vilanova Park Spain

Well we are finally chilling and doing our other favourite pastime-people watching! I haven't been able to do much else as we had to put the caravan on ramps here to get it something like level. We only had a basic step that came with the new caravan and guess who has twisted the ligaments at the side of her knee cap?! Megga ouch! Needless to say we have clisosed the stable door after the horse has bolted and gone and bought a new double step. What a Muppet?! Lol Anyhow all was quiet when my entertainment arrived and worse still they have to be British! A white Mercedes van pulled up opposite. It had at some point been changed into a motorhome.Out get Mr and Mrs Muppet. They are both late 60 s and excitable or what? Pushbikes were instantly got out the van and a quick cycle round the park. He had obviously been sent by the ministry of silly hat brigade ( big floppy brims) They insisted on letting everyone know they were here disturbingveveryone saying 'hello!" I was good I wanted to say "bog off let me have my siesta' but I managed a very faint smile at him in that hat. When he got off the bike I was proved wrong.He hadn't been sent from the Ministry of silly hats at all-it was the ministry of silky walks! John Cleese eat your heart out.'ahhh well thinks me back to siesta time' if only.... He is then screeching across the campsite "Archibald come here darling!" Archibald? I was expecting to find a poor child....oh no it was his cat he talks to and takes for walks! They are totally crackers. Its the walk that gets me. He must have springs in his shoes. She isn't much better. Tits out and the huge bum will follow!I know I'm a butch but really...some people!Does he really have to put GB on his numberplate?! There must be exceptions for being such an embarrassment?! What am I going to do today whilst I am nursing my poorly leg in the sunshine? People watch...the Swedish man on his own is looking like a potential candidate...more tomorrow! Lol

Caravan Club Transylvanian Tour- the end!

Well after 43 days and a total of eleven countries we a re finally on our own! Exhausted.com but what an experience! The final night of the Tour was spent at a lovely site Le Quatre Vents just outside Paris. The Club surprised us all yet again and provided us all with a bottle of champagne and a surprise meal in a typical French restaurant. The weather was chilly and there was a lovely log fire burning. The atmosphere was great. I did an end of tour little poem that was very well received and we all had a great night. The following day people started leaving early. We saw most of them off and headed for Clemont Ferrand. We stayed one night there and moved the following day to LA Nautique at Narbonne. Its a handy little campsite just off the motorway. Its quirky in as much as each pitch has its own toilet block. Unfortunately we didn't have a good nights sleep there as a person in the next caravan decided to drop dead! Poor soul. There for the grace of god..and all that! Tuesday saw us arriving at good old Vilanova Park near Barcelona. There's something about this site that I really love. We met up with Dave Watson and his lovely wife Anne Marie. Initially they offered me tea but then we thought the better of it....oh dear wine all the way! Lol We have been allocated a lovely pitch. Through the trees as I was looking at the Med in the distance. The sun continues to shine..,ahh bliuss until the Dutch came along! I think that there is a competition going on between the Spanish and the Dutch as to who can be the most inconsiderate campers! Her sh*t happens! Lol We also were joined by some Brits opposite and they are causing us great amusement-if they are plum I want to be a sugar plumb fairy! More tomorrow -sun bathing time with the laundry!lol

Vilanova Park Barcelona to France?!

We have had a wonderful couple of days doing not a lot. Really relaxing, which is hard to believe as its so busy. Thee is a great orderly feeling on this site with everything running like clockwork without rules and regulations everywhere. The animation team clearly do a very good job. In the morning you will see gangs of hound boys wearing their football strips going to play football. Yesterday morning on the central stage teenagers were having some competition that involved Spanish v French kids. So many different Europeans here but with a lovely atmosphere. During the evening the bars and restaurants were full. The music was not too loud. It was good old fashioned fun English music the macorina'(if that's how you spell it!) Etc with everyone of all nationalities joining in. At midnight it went silent-fantastic! As I write this I have just been disturbed! Yes my peace shattered....only by two red squirrels running down the tree besides me, Typically no camera to hand! I have always hated camping in Spain in high season as generally the sites become noisey and dirty but here I have found an exception. Oh the staff are all wonderful and the reception staff are extremely helpful. I shall be sorry to go but France is calling. The weather is slightly cooler in the twenties and it feels fresher. Well guys this really is adios as I get the old man out of bed and let's get on the road again.