Bonterra Park 27th May 2009

Went for another bike ride to Castellon yesterday (Tuesday, 2 weeks and 3 days already!) to a shopping centre called Alcamp, on the west side of town. Thought it would be a camping place, (or a place for homosexuals, who knows). Turned out to be a set of outlets like they have in America.

When we got to the town it was actually open as we had had the foresight to go before siesta i.e. not between 1pm and 4pm. Had a coffee and found a fish/vegetable market. Unfortunately as Tricia had her bike with her she could not actually shop, which was a pity.

Pushed on to Alcamp, locked up the bikes and went wondering around with Tricia in serious shopping mode as she had spotted, among other things, a Nike outlet and she had been NEEDING another pair of shoes/trainers.

We had lunch in an American dinner type of thing and it was pretty dreadful.

In a DIY store we bought a piece of pipe that would be perfect to connect to our waste hose when cleaning out the tanks, interesting isn’t it?
In almost no time, well perhaps an hour Tricia had chosen her new trainers and I had bought them. In a sports goods shop I was trying to get her to get a pair of shorts and a top more suitable for bike riding, instead I ended up with a bike top and lycra cycling shorts (with a chamois crutch). I tried to get Tricia to buy some as well but she declined saying that anyone over the age of 25 shouldn’t even be in the same room as an item of clothing made from Lycra.
Cycled back and noticed this had been our longest ride, 26 miles!
On our rides this is Tricia’s most visited place, about once every 20 minutes.
When back Tricia insisted that I get my stuff on and then proceeded to fall about laughing which really hurt!

Her comments reminded me of when I used to do pantomime during my time as an apprentice at Thorns Valves and Tubes, Sunderland. In one part in Cinderella and her seven dwarfs, don’t ask, all the men, there were 6 of us and 2 women, had to dress up in black women’s tights. The audience was made up from Factories A, B, C and D, approximately 500-600 but mainly women. As we came dancing out, the canteen women, who usually sat in the first row, all shouted “Oh look, packed lunches”.
Ever since then, when ever I put on a pair of tights I think back to then, err I think I better stop there.
The lycra shorts were of similar value to Tricia it appears. What made it worse was that when I took them off she said, “Where did you get these from then” and proceeded to point to a little tag on the inside which stated “Women’s / large”.
I thought the crutch was a little roomy.
Had you ever wondered why middle aged men, especially British middle aged men almost always wear socks when wearing sandals? I think I now know why.

Meanwhile after the ride we were cream crackered, and after the obligatory game of cribbage, which I won again, so it’s now 6-5, to her, in the series. It has got so bad, as I have won the last 4 in a row, that at one stage, when she thought she would end up in SS (ask any Swinhoe), she just stopped playing. The secret of course is Gin and tonic. I bought some and Tricia found them and the result is I win more often.

The satellite dish has ceased to be. There are a few ways of rigging it, via a G clamp, that does not fit to anything, bolting it to a (wall?) or using a suction thingy and sticking it, high up, on the side of the Mothership. So I’m sitting there reading and “clang!” and it is now on the ground. Connected it up again and zip. Mind you, we were only getting some foreign channel from “Turksat” or something. So it looks like I might be investing in a bigger one.

Today we are mostly just sitting around recovering from yesterday. I’m planning a bike ride in my new gear but I think I will wait until after dark.

Bonterra Park 24/25th May 2009

Last couple of days it has been cloudy but still mid 20’s, so warm enough.
Spent the day going for a cycle ride into Castello, round trip about 24 miles, Tricia’s getting pretty OK at the cycling bit now.

Also decided to wash the car, which was a new experience for Tricia. It was so warm that it was drying in streaks as soon as we washed it.

Last rain it actually rained. Trouble was it rained brown rain and the car is dirtier now than it’s even been in its life. Tricia had also spent ages was the Mothership, well up to the point she could reach, So it looked as if it had a tide mark round it. (note to self, buy a ladder). She did the BBQ, the tables and chairs, same story, there’re all the same brown colour now. As there is going to be a storm tonight I don’t think I try and rectify the situation, although everybody else is lining up at the car wash station.

Tricia managed 12 hours sleep last night; I honestly think she just waits until I do her some breakfast. This morning it was egg and toast.

Going to be a desperate day waiting for the football results. It’s gone to the predicted last gasp for Sunderland. Between, us, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Hull. Trouble is, I don’t want any of them to go down, I like them all but I hope its M&H and not us.

Main job today is to try and get the Satellite dish up and running, from all accounts my “tiny” dish does not stand a chance, I’m surrounded by things 1.5m and upwards. Also the trees and metal posts don’t help any.

We went round to the “washing up” area, basically provides a number of sinks with hot (very) & cold water for washing dishes, cloths etc. plus electric points to plug in our portable twin tub. As Tricia began to wash up I decided to pop next door to have a pee.
Now the ladies & gents toilets and showers run parallel to each other and as I was “walking the dog” one of the loudest, frightening, explosive farts erupted from one of the woman’s cubicles. If I had done it I would have checked if my arse had fallen off!
So I come out to help with the drying and of course all I get is “JOHN! Do you have to do that! I explained, she did not believe me, what did I expect? A old’ish small round French woman appeared, I pointed, Tricia fell about laughing.

I this missive for a while and now its Sunday 7pm and Sunderland are staying up.
YIPPPPEEEEE!
Unfortunately Newcastle and Middleboro are going down. Swany gave me the news, now that he has figured out how to call me on my new Spanish mobile.
“Er, bad news John, they all lost”, “That means Sunderland stay up Al, what’s bad about that?” Unfortunately Alan is worships Alan Shearer and United, shame.

So wash car again, empty waste tanks and finally put the bloody satellite TV up.

Bonterra Park 22nd May 2009.

Holy of holys, no sun, still 25ish though.

Decided to move the Mothership a few feet across the plot; a). Because it would be straight, not straight due to tosser of a German (see earlier post), b). So that we will be able to “liberate the awning” and c). So that we may be able to do something to ameliorate the slope of the ground.

So we waited until no one was looking (see why further on) and began the magical process of “hitching up”.

The idea is to reverse the pickup to the 5th wheel hitch receiver (the bit with the slot/hole attached to the back of the pickup, locates into the “hitch” on the front of the 5er otherwise known as “The Mothership”.
Now the hitch slot is about 4” wide and the hitch is cylindrical piece of metal 3” in diameter, 4” long with a 1/4” collar at the bottom, hanging from the front of the Mothership on a very stout arm.

Not a lot of room for error there. Also the Navara pickup is an auto, so no nice slipping the clutch either. Another “also” is that the height is critical; it is adjusted by raising or lowering the Mothership via two electrically driven “landing legs” at the front. Too high, no engagement, too low you biff the Mothership back a bit. So it has to be set so as to lift as it couples.

Well if you are on a downward slope and you get it wrong, wave goodbye to your 5th wheel.

Check list before hitching

1 Disconnect mains cable
2 Remove slideout supports
3 Clear inside (anything that can fall and break WILL fall and break) and retract slideout
4 Place bricks behind rear wheels on 5er (if on a downward slope)
5 Lift in steps
6 Detach any clothes lines, bikes/people leaning against etc
7 Remove lock and slide out looking pin on 5er hitch receiver
8 Drop tail gate
9 Connect electric cables and breakaway cable to pickup.
10 Go back for car keys, in the drawer “covered up “ by the now “in” slideout
11 Slideout out, get keys, slideout in
12 Fall out of door because you forgot you did not get the steps out.
13 Begin the process by extending the “legs” and guessing the right height (can take the odd minute or so)
14 Start car and open all windows so that the yelling can start

Then hitch up, yeah right!
Uneven ground does not help. So you are reversing a 2 ton pickup into a 3.5 ton 5th wheel aiming a 3” piece of metal at a 4” slot approximately 42” off the ground and you can’t see all of it out of the rear window (which is heavily tinted).
The whole shooting mass costs more than £50k.

Piece of piss really. By the way, reversing cameras are a no go as they are usually wide angle and like it says on some side mirrors (i.e. Jurassic Park) “objects may appear slightly bigger than they are”, so no help there then.

Left, left, no, no your other left, left, left, RIGHT! RIGHT! STOP!
Go back stupid! I MEAN FORWARD! FORWARD!
Right slow, slow, left, er I mean right, TOO FAST! STOPPPPPPPPP!

All the time the good wife has been standing at side of the pickup, holding the locking pin as far out as possible to give “maximum slot width” (don’t ask)

GO FORWARD YOU BRAINLESS NIT WIT, now back, back, MY TOES! MY BLOODY TOESSSSS…..!! FORWARD!!!!!!

“You’re bloody useless you are, you know”, “do you want a go? Umm I somehow thought so, right then let’s try again”

By the way, Tricia has never driven on “the wrong side”, as she puts it, ever in her life. Opps sorry, once in Portugal. In a Fiat rental, on a country road. Within seconds of taking the wheel she very nearly drove straight into front of an oncoming HGV “on the wrong side of the road!” I was pretty OK but the kids had counselling for months afterward.

So the very thought of “her indoors” driving a 17’ pickup with a 30’ 5th wheel hanging on the back, weighing 5 tons or so, on the “other” side of the road barely bears thinking about.

You also get someone, who has never even seen a pickup, trailer combination, turn up and start “left hand down man, left hand down!”
What the hell is that suppose to mean? Left hand down my what? My trousers, My socks….? Is he some kind of Caravan Club pervert?

So on and on until, usually by sheer luck and 30 minutes later, “click”.

That particular noise, no it’s not a “noise”, it’s an anthem, a call, a “hello” from an old friend, a climax a……wait a minute lets not get carried away,

Anyway this is why we would rather hitch up without an audience.

Of course reversing this monster is also a pop if you have finally figured out that to go left you go right, right, you go left, NEVER EVER use full lock and try not to let the Mothership bump into the pickup cabin on a turn.

By this time I had forgotten why we had started this.

Reversed into the plot, more or less first time, and into the correct position so at least straight (well ‘ish)
Except, awning still not fully open as a metal post is mysteriously in the way and the slope is as bad as ever.

All in all a very good waste of a day.

Bonterra Park 21st May 2009

Uneventful few days, keep planning to cycle to Orpesa, a small town 6 miles north of us. As there is a hill in the way (150 m high) Tricia usually finds some reason why we should put it off till tomorrow? Tricia took her first swim yesterday, no, not in the Med, she tried that last week and the shock from her cold little pinkies, very nearly caused her to drop her ice lolly! Separating my wife from food, especially when it is actually in her possession is an act off idiocy. I tried it once and have still got the fork wounds to prove it.

So the Mediterranean is off her guest list for the time being. So it was the pool, choice of three, kiddies, outdoor or indoor. As the “indoor” is basically a pool in a greenhouse, at 30 degrees in the shade it makes it like a sauna. So into the “big” pool and six lengths later (that will do Mr Swan, no snickering at the back thank you) “I will improve on that each day”.

It’s market day today and I’m off to get a new wallet (or purse, as Tricia calls it) because my old one has worn out, through over usage. Mind it did take 18 years to do so, so I’m getting an extra strong, extra thick leather one this time.

As I type, I can see Tricia still in bed “I’ll get up early tomorrow”, its 9:10am and not a stirring. Looking out of the window it looks like another hot, cloudless day, another one! Dam.

We are thinking about moving to a different plot as, 1. This one slopes a bit, 2. It’s not going to be easy to get out off and exit when the site gets full, 3. There are some railings above us, to support overhead coverings in the winter, that prevents good reception of Astra 19.2 and all those “German channels” (we know what we are talking about here Phil TG) and 4. As we are parked now we can’t fully extend the awning.

I’ve more or less come down from the euphoria of finding a Lidl so close to the Park; I’ve cut back to 3 visits a day now. So now the task is to find the cheapest of everything! Potatoes are, when purchased via a wheel barrow, otherwise not. Meat is expensive and until we get a better handle on the language, we still don’t know if we are buying a fillet or dried badger. Luckily the real essentials beer and wine, oh all right, bread as well, are cheap if you are prepared to drink local/Spanish stuff. Saying that, the “local” stuff is called “Steinburg” (did the Germans actually LOSE the war?) only it is brewed in Valencia (pronounced Balethia) and is actually Spanish. At 4.8% and costing 60c a litre, I cannot get enough of it; well I would if SWMBO let me. I mean a fridge works much better when it’s full, it’s a known fact.
I finally found gold dust wine wise, 5 litres (a gallon!) for €3.29. It’s red and probably, to a more delicate palate as mine, a bit rough, but after the first few glasses becomes almost drinkable.

We are running out of DVD’s to watch, remember no TV as yet, so after the whole series of “Darling buds of May” (David Jason is just Del Boy but says “perfik” all the time instead of “luvly jubly”). We got past “The Notebook” as presented to us for our wedding anniversary by our son Adam. Does he really think I’m a woman? I thought it was a manual on computers and it turns out to some kind of sick romance thingy, thank God for the wine and I missed most of it but Tricia insisted we watch it AGAIN because I had fell asleep the first time. Then I got “Erin Be-something-ich” from the on site “Rally” library, made up of Camping Club and Caravan Club members, don’t ask, which was OK.
So now we are on to “Black Adder” the series, after that’s gone I’m going to have to talk to the wife.
Speaking of such it’s now 9:45, no movement as such, except “Stop the bloody coughing!”

After dinner we usually have a “friendly” game of cribbage. We stick mainly to the rules but have few “Swinhoe” additions which we think makes the game fairer. i.e. if you play off more than one card in a play, you get a point for each card and not just “one for my last”. We were once introduced to the “Swan” rules in the lobby of a hotel in Heidelberg, which revolved, very loosely about, “If Swans are losing, turn round and going the other way and then claiming they were going the correct way. Cheating b******ds.
Well it looks like Tricia has invented another rule or gambit. After winning the first 3 nights, yes 3 up in the series, I nearly spilled some beer. Anyway, justice and the very core of nature returned to it’s rightful place and I won the next 2 games, but here is the new rule: - If I (me, no one else, mind) win and Tricia, after I have actually won, can “peg in” with what’s in her remaining hand/box etc. then it’s a draw. So basically there are only 2 outcomes from any game, she wins or it’s a draw. I think I’ll try chess; she doesn’t play chess “it’s just draughts with knobs on”. After a game I remind of the Italian saying “after the game the pawn and king go in the same bed/box” “in your dreams sunshine, in your dreams”.

By the way she has just got up “Why didn’t you wake me up at 9 o’clock?” It’s all my fault.

Bonterra Park 20th May 2009

So what is it like hear, I hear you ask? Either that or it’s Tricia’s tummy rumbling again.
Well, good’s and not so good’s.
Goods
Living in the Mothership; Everything is close at hand, when you are cooking, fridge, freezer, grill, oven, microwave and even the kitchen sink are all within arms reach. Cleaning; quick sweep with the brush. Sleeping; the bed is permanent, so it’s up three steps in zzzzzz. Eating and drinking; mostly outside, BBQ etc. Lots of salads. Wine and beer are probably the only things that are actually cheap here, food is about on par with the UK.
Communications; well she shouts at me a lot, no I mean coms with the rest of the world. We have bought a couple of Sims for our phones which come with a designated country call package i.e. 18 cents/minute to the UK, free phone to phone. Broadband (WiFi) is €2.4/minute which is not cheap and it’s fairly unreliable. So we are going for a “stick”, a USB dongle that costs €59 to buy and includes 150MB of data transfer. After that it depends which service you need i.e. unlimited for a month/s or limited (your choice on how much) for three months.

What to do; Well BP is very tidy and well equipped. The showers are great, powerful, hot as you like and unlimited. The toilets etc. are cleaned regularly by a posse of friendly Spanish ladies. We can use our washing machine for free in the wash up area (electric supplied as well as hot & cold water) or pay €4 to use the on site machines. Irons and ironing boards are provided in their own room and are again free.

The population of BP is generally summed up as “old”. Most of the people here, those that are passing through or those who stay here most of the year have been retired for a number of years. Tricia and I feel like youngsters again! I think I probably have the most and less grey hair on site, whilst Tricia has already been described by an elderly lady I was talking to the other day as “stunning”.(she had a dog & a stick mind).

What’s about; well joy of joys, there is a Lidl a short walk away and the town is about 10 minutes away, with lots of shops and cafes. The glorious 8 mile long beech is 300 yards away and is usually deserted.

Temperature at the moment tops at about 85º most days with a very slight breeze.
We have been here 11 days and have had a couple of brief showers and spotted a few clouds now and then.

As we were sitting watching “Erin Brockovich”, drinking some Champs after eating our BBQed steaks, reading the weather forecast for the next week (scorchio!) and thinking, “it could be worse”.

Not so goods; none.

Bonterra Park 17th May 20

Well anniversary day dawned and I’d forgot the card and of course SWMBO hadn’t.
Also got cards from Heather & Adam, plus a DVD called “The Notebook”, as we both have one already I just don’t the point of another, perhaps it’s a computer manual?

Got up at 6:30 ‘ish, she still comatose after the gruelling 20 mile bike ride yesterday. Mind you it was great biking along 8 miles of beach, 87º F was another thing. Watched some “Black Adder II” then off to bed. The slight slope we are on seems to be getting worse; God knows how as we are on hard standing and I keep slipping out of the bottom of the bed. As I go past she thinks I’m getting frisky, no chance there mate, ho hum those were the days.

Made her breakfast in bed, porridge with sultanas and water, it’s more like a prison diet. Then off for the “place” with a good book. Before I left I made an effort to go to the book market in Grinstead to get some “throw away” books. Basically I went for anything that was as least 2“ thick, more a matter of longevity over substance, so some of the stuff is pretty crap.
Whilst having a shower it is a bit unnerving when you are washing your vitals and two Spanish women are chatting out side while they clean the floors?
Anyroadup, notice on the map that there was a “walk” which looked about 6 miles and included a “couple” of hills. “What about this one then?”, “OK, it’s not too hard is it?” (never heard a woman EVER say that, mind). “No, no pet, be a doddle”
See that MOUNTAIN in the far distance, that’s the one! Round trip of 9 miles, I think!
Also 1,200 ft in old money. Full of cyclist belting down at a hell of a lick. Tricia as usual had a “blond” moment. “John, look down there, there’s another road coming up the mountain!” “Er, pet, that’s the road we have just come up”.
Returned to barracks, knackered. Tonight were going to go out for a celebration dinner, staying in with BBQ steak and salad.

It is now a week!

Yep, it's a week today we arrived at Bonterra Park (BP) and it's been getting hotter every day, today 31 dgs C! Of course we chose to do a bike ride to Castellela de la Plana, 20 mile trip all on cycle paths along the coast road. Tricia is as of now "lying down" as the furthest she has ever biked is 12 miles along the Worth way. Bonterra Park is great, very clean and quiet, 300 yards from the beautiful beaches, 10 minute walk into Bennicasim town, showers superb and we don't use hardly any water / electric as we use the on site services for washing up, using our washing m/c and ironing, for free.

The water in the Med is still a little cool tho but, that's as far as Tricia would go in!

The beach is about 8 miles long of unbroken sand, no fish & chips, no English beer pubs, in fact no English, mostly Dutch, German and Spanish. the whole place is full of cycle/skating lanes (Adam, if you come you MUST bring your skates & a spare pair for me).

That's it for now will update more as it happens.

John & Tricia

The reality the dream

We were supposed to go on the 5th, but due to the “quiet” party and millions of other things we forgot, we postponed it to the 6th, cost £10 but well worth it.
Set off about 9’ish and after a couple of reverses got going. Saw Mark posting on Freshfield and he wished us well.
Arrived at Dover and parked awaiting the 1:55 pm sailing.
Terrified at getting on, but it was OK, and getting off the same. Headed for Disney park outside of Paris and got there about 9:30 pm but the “Esso” station parking was way too small so parked outside the main gates, after driving around cos GPS was confused and I ran a red light! Worried a bit for parking outside gate and expecting the Police to show up and send us on our way, until about 7 other motor homes, and 2 cars, turned up for the same reason! Bottle of suds (Champs) and a couple beers and a great nights sleep.


Up first thing, drove the wrong way to get out and following GPS drove through the bloody centre of Paris! Tricia said “head for the E10”, I said “its says Paris centre!”
Crossed the Seine a couple of times and finally on to the E10 “saff”.
On to the A10 and 250 miles later made our first stop at and official “aire” stayed in a field next to a hotel called Scorpion, oops forgot about bloody GPS leading us down a very minor road and having to do our first 3 point turn! Getting into the place was not straight forward so Tricia gets out and stops all the traffic so I can get in.
Had dinner in “hotel”, 45 bloody €’s, off season my arse! Getting out was a bit fraught but made it OK, getting out with 5+ tons digging in to the grass field was different!
Long drive and crossed Milau Bridge (€28.40), what a sight though but.
Next stop was an aire/Motorhome dealership in a secure field with electric etc in Massiac, about 40 miles south of Clarmont-Farrand on the N9. €10/ night inc. waste disposal which was a first! Three times I emptied the bloody “hog” with piss and shit all over the place, where does it all come from?


The GPS decided to get the final 2 miles was via a VERY minor road. Stopped just off slightly minor road and Tricia walked it to see if it was “navigable”, came back and I set out to walk a bit further and it looked OK except for one right hander that looked tight and it was!
Found a local super market and had moulles and fish salad washed down with suds, again!
Leaving the site was fun, the GPS first took us through a village where I really thought we would get stuck in, and then up a dead end road which lead to a 6 point turn.
Next was a 280 mile run to Bonterra Park, where I’m writing this. Motorways are OK but small roads a real pain, but made it OK, this is what it’s all about anyway.
Pulled into BP and after choosing our site took a “little time” to get in there, mainly due to lots of trees and a Teutonic twat of a German not moving his car so I could get in OK and then pointing out my crap parking “it stinks”. Later on, while scowling at our rig, he and this missus were in a small tent, he fell over on the gravel, how I laughed! Karma baby, karma.
Sunday, spent most of day “tidying”, empting the bloody waste hog, where does it all come from?
Went for a walk along the glorious beach, 25ºC and light breeze. Tricia’s toe started to rub in her new plimsolls, I said we should go back,”no it’s too nice!”. She walked back in the sand sans plimsolls. Suds then bed, after watching our 4th “Darling buds of May”.
Monday 11th May, finally figured out what was wrong with the electrics. Apparently the batteries are not being charged on the mains hook up. As I had brought along a spare battery charger (who would have?) wired it in with hook up and voila!
Went into and got lost in Castellon de la Plana, the local town (as big as Newcastle!) Bought table and lounges at supermarket and found a LIDL!