Bonterra Park 28th June 2009

We are now off the broadband local WiFi and are using a Vodafone “stick” so you will not see many more pictures and your reading skills need to improve because I am typing much faster.
More people leaving, including Martin and Cathy, our back door neighbours for the past week or so. They are both planning to retire in the next 2 years and from my point of view they don’t look bloody old enough to do it! Martin looks after some Rover garages and Cathy looks after most of the NHS.
They have a 26’ Freelander caravan which miraculously becomes 22’ when booking on the ferry (‘cos it costs a lot less). Apparently he’s been getting away with it for years.

Whilst here I introduced him to the cheap local beer, I would not like to say that he’s an alcoholic but he certainly liked it a lot! On the day he left, he single handedly cleared out the local Mercadona supermarket of it and was heard muttering “If I left her here I could get another few crates in”. Man after my own heart.

The UFO’s (ask Alan Swan) are slowly being replaced by younger versions, including families with babies, I forgot what it’s like being kept up to the early hours and being woken first thing in the morning to incessant screaming. When they are yours it’s kind of OK but when it’s someone else’s, and screaming in Spanish, it’s too much.
I’m not so keen on babies.

There is a particular old UFO couple who have brought a small scooter with them and when they both get on it I can not believe it can actually move, if it was an animal I would feel sorry for it. I will try and get a picture next time, if I can fit my extra wide angle lens quickly enough.

We have kind of planned the trip back but are not going to actually book any sites as I’m sure (Tricia isn’t) that it will be a lot more fun that way. Main direction; Zaragosa, St Sebastian, then west coast of France, taking about 10 days, getting back 6’ish on Monday 13th July. We will leave the Mothership at the end of the drive at home and give it good spring clean. Plan then is to stay home until Adams 30th (yes he is 30!), on 18th October, and then back here for the winter. Apparently the temperature drops to 15° C during December/January; I think we can put up with that.

Finally went to Valencia yesterday (Saturday) via train. Forgot phrase book, forgot that ticket office was not open, all of which I was to blame. So just get on the train and hope we can pay on it. It was to be. €11 each, return for a 55 mile 1 hour journey on an air conditioned train, come on British Rail, catch up!

Valencia is beautiful; there is no other word to describe it. We took the “A Historical” tourist bus from the centre of the city. Tricia had been talking about going to the famous Bio Park, basically a zoo. I hate zoos, animals trapped in concrete etc.
No siree! First, although it is not as hot as Africa it was about 35° C, clear blue sky etc. so it felt a bit like it to me.
The actual Africa bit was huge savannah like open space with a lot of the animals co-existing. Obviously the areas for the lions and other predators had ravines keeping them apart. You will have to see the pictures/videos to really appreciate it. I actually agreed that SWMBO was in fact completely right this time and I was very definitely wrong. Great day! Tricia had always wanted to go on a safari in Africa, well this is about as close as she will get.

Then back to city centre and guess what, all the shops were shut, what a pity, hard lines Trishy baby, too bad, how sad. She did manage to find some that were just closing down but by then her spirit was broken and for almost 3 seconds I felt sorry for her.
At this point Pat Swan is imagining plunging red hot needles in my eyes, don’t worry Pat she will make up for it at Castellon de Plana market next week.

Tricia drove us back from the train station to Bonterra Park, her second and more
“Confident” drive on the “wrong” side of the road. We shouted a bit. (Anyone who has heard Bob Newhart’s “The Driving Instructor” will understand)

Tricia had her first real crash on her bike the other day, she ran into the back of me!
Usual trip to Castellon and coming back into a bit of a head wind, she with her head down, me stopping for a drink of water, BASH. Of course it was my fault. Anyway no bones or bike bits broken.

As I have mentioned, we are now completely won over to “The West Wing”. Last night in the middle of a very exciting episode the electricity supply cut off! Tricia was apoplectic, “Well what’s going to happen next!, will it come back on?” Etc. etc.
“Don’t think so Pet but as it’s still early why don’t we have an early night eh, nudge, nudge?”

“What, with all these kids screaming?”

I hate babies.