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!

In storage

This us in Livingston camp site.

it is now at a storage site in Sussex and yesterday I had to move to the farm next door to fix the mangled steps. Went OK, had to do a 3 point turn and it's getting better!

left there for a few days and then back to the storage park.

Just got an e-mail from Bonterra Park saying that we could not fit on their site (they thought we were 13m long) now understand that the mothership is 8.5m and is OK. So alfer spending a couple of days wondering where to stay (again) BP is back on.

Route is going to take about 3-4 days to get there, about 1,000 miles, so need to check out our stops (Aires probably) on the way. Roll on 5th May!

Got it!

Went to Calder Leisure on Wednesday and picked up the Kountrylite 26 rear kitchen.They put your on a campsite about 1m from their place, very clean etc. while they "do" the Navara. Mine had already been chipped (58 plate) and I was geeting 30+ mpg no towing. This is now about 19 mpg with the Mothership on the back.The guys who do the mods were really friendly bunch of guys and did a great job.Tip* make sure you have your lockable wheel nut remover with you, I thought I had left mine and just before they were about to gride them off, I found it.CL lend you a car and we stayed in the area, windy/cold/rain etc. until Saturday morning. The unit was very impressive, warm, stable and better than we expected all round. On Friday you get to test drive your NEW navara and 5er, reversing etc.Tip* if you have not done it before practice hitching/unhitching, we did'nt, just watched it a couple of times and lost a lot of time(and embasresment on the camp site)There were a few "snags" but CL just fixed/adjusted there and then, really good people to do business with. On friday night Alex and Marguerite came round far a final chat and check if we were OK with everything, not many sales people do that.We had to drive it back here, Sussex, and managed OK until 500 yards from the storage area, coming round a mis-judged bend, rigs rhs wheels fell into stream. Ripped the steps off, they just bounced out (in future fix a lock to them). So looked like a major "large vechicle mover job" moment.I noticed I still had 6 feet or so in a straight lin before I hit the other side of the hedge so I put the truck in low 4wd, hit the gas and the bloody thing just pulled it out!! Amazing power!Good news, apart from the steps, which are been welded back into shape today, no other damage just some minor scratches to the skirt.Now parked up safe and sound. Off to Spain in May.