BILBAO/PORTSMOUTH/COLWYN BAY

Mon/Thurs.9th/19th July.
We dropped down to Bilbao on Sunday afternoon ,which is a long and fast Autovia
through the pine forest and into Bilbao then following the signs to the ferry port 10kms to the south where we parked overnight on the quay to wait for the boat on
Monday morning".The Pride of Bibao"is the P/ O ferry that was built in Bilbao to
go back and forth to Portsmouth.We had a super cabin on the 8th deck with free
soft drinks.fresh fruit and a glass of champagne on arrival!The crossing takes 30/36
hours depending on the wind,so we had a snack lunch and booked a table in Langans Brassiere for dinner.The ship has live entertainment and a casino as well as the shopping mall,so we stocked up the wine and champagne as well as some
essentials,Dinner was very good,Brenda had Calves Liver and I had the Rib-Eye steak with Bearnaise Sauce.The trip was not rough and we arrived in Portsmouth
at 6-30pm on Tuesday evening.We then shot up the A34 to Oxford and parked in
a layby overnight.On Wednesday morning we checked into Dudleys of Witney to
leave the Winnebago for its service,MOT and repairs.As we arrived another couple
who were upgrading their Winnebago,Barrie and Sandra from Lincoln had their Smart car and trailer unhooked,and after a short chat we made them an offer and are now the proud owners of a Top of the range,left hand drive,silver Smart car and
trailer. Brenda's first comment was that it would not even be able to fit in her hairdryer! so we have named it "The Hairdryer"!! We also met another couple,
Stuart and Christine Reed from Coventry who were picking up their new 3-slide out
top of the range Winnebago Itasca so we had a couple of bottles of champagne to
christen the Smart car and the Winnebago! On Thursday we booked into the local
hotel and sorted our selves out and went for a swim on Friday morning ,then the full
English breakfast before we set off to North Wales in The "Hairdryer" which was fully
loaded but still made over 70mph on the motorways! Over the weekend we settled
into our best friends house,Tim and Thea are going on holiday to Greece on Friday
so we are here for over two weeks.On Sunday we went out to a country pub for a traditional roast lunch .and have caught up with all our friends Brenda has also been
shopping at the summer sales in between the showers.!Watch out for the pictures of
the "Hairdryer" and North Wales.

MADRID / BURGOS

Sat/Sun 30th June/8th July.
Over our last weekend in Estepona which was very hot we packed away the non-
essentials then on Sunday we went on the bus to the marina for a tapas lunch ,the
beach was very busy but in the afternoon it went quiet as it was too hot.On Monday
evening we went to Music bar on the beach as Vidals and Gissy's guests and had
our last night out with them at one of his gigs-one problem! I had 300 euro's stolen
out of my wallet which was in my back pocket -but they put the wallet back! Tuesday
was the hottest day yet as we went out for lunch with Vidal and Gisela to Caseras on the 10 euro del dia, then called into the hypermarket to stock up with goods for the trip to Bilbao.Videl also helped us prepare the Winnebago for our departure next
morning.We will miss our very good and dear friends who over the last six months
we have become very close with and look forward to meeting up with them later in
the year.Wednesday morning we set off on the Autovia towards Malaga and then up
into the mountains past Granada and Jaen towards Madrid.As I was not showing any ill effects we carried on- with only one stop to find out what the scraping was
under the Winnebago! It was a support bar for a waste tank but after a quick repair
and a call to Oxford we carried on and 8hours later and 335miles we stopped over
night at a lorry stop near Toledo and contacted our friend Rafael in Madrid to ask
him if he could meet us and take us to the LPG gas station and put us on the road
to Burgos.Thusday morning we set off to Madrid which was 90 miles away and
met Rafael about 16 kms before at the town of Gatafe.He insisted we go home
with him to see Gill and the family again,so we left the Winnebago at a large car
park on a petrol station and set off across Madrid.He then took us for a late lunch
in Las Rosas,then back to the Winnebago.We then followed him into the centre
off Madrid at 6-00pm to the gas station and then onto the Autovia to Burgos! We
will look forward to seeing Rafael and Gill again in the future.All the time we have
been using the sat-nav and it has performed very well along with the co-driver and
navigator,Brenda!.As we left Madrid the Autovia climbs up to the high-sierra over
a pass and through a tunnel which is in total over 17kms long,the Winnebago was
in the low gear and pulled us over the top! We then stopped at Boceguillas which
is a small village with a lot of lorry stops and restaurants for the night,then down to Burgos on Friday morning to a site that we had been recommended to by some
people on the site in Estepona-we then got lost in the city of Burgos and with the help of a friendly taxi driver who took us to the site on the river 3kms outside Burgos we arranged to stay till Sunday.As we hooked up to only 6amps! we went to the
generator which is LPG only to find that the gas adaptor had broken again on the road from Madrid,the same as last time on our way to Cordoba befor xmas! The
handyman on the site was very helpfull and called in a gas plumber who over night
fixed the broken adaptor and checked out the LPG gas tank in the morning of Saturday and gave us the OK! We went into Burgos in the early evening and found
out that Burgos is a beautiful city with lots of history and a "Helluva" cathedral as well
as a very busy Tapas bar area and we had supper in a restaurant in the old part of the city and then had coffee and brandy in the oldest Tapas bar which has a tree growing in the centre of it! On our back we also had a dance in a bar with a wedding
party we had seen earlier! Watch out for the pictures which we will blog later of the cityof Burgos which is going to be the European City of Culture in 2012.
On Sunday afternoon we are planning to drop down to Bilbao to catch the ferry on
Monday lunchtime to Portsmouth !!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL - GIBRALTAR

Mon25th/Fri29th June.
Well this has been one "Helluva" week in all sorts of way. Over last weekend I was
able to lay on the bed for the first time and sleep.so this has helped with the legs-
the physiotherapist has been giving me the treatment on Mon/Wed/Fri and I am
now back to normal but the ribs ars still sore and will take a few more weeks to
get right.On Tuesday we had a surprise when Mano and Anna called in at lunch
time with Sally Ann and her two children who had come over on holiday from
Tenerife.We had last seen them in Wales just as we left on our travels so we
caught up with all the news and after a dip in the pool we had a nice lunch which
Brenda had prepared.In the evening we had just started to get dinner ready when
Vidal ans Gisela called in with a large salmon fillet that they had just bought so we
put every thing together and had a "Helluva" late supper and caught up with all the
news of their weekend gigs including Saturday nights" St Juan" beach party which
is one of the special Saint days that is held here every year and goes on all night
long and has fireworks and very loud music! On Thursday we had planned to go
to Gibraltar with Vidal and Gisela as on the last occasion that we planned to go
we had the accident on the scooter the day before! We shot down to Gibraltar
and showed them the sites as they had not been before and it was also a good
chance to check on the legs as it calls for a lot of walking! We went down to the
marina to our favourite restaurant and had a very nice lunch in the hot sun then
we decided to go up to the top of the Rock on the cable car. It gives you spectaclur
views over Gibraltar,The Straits.Spain.Africa and the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Also the famous "Apes" one of which took the bag of sweet cakes that Vidal had
just picked up and proceeded to eat -see the first picture! The other pictures shows
The Point.Airport and the gang at the top.We then after some shopping for spirits
and other goods set off back but we then called in for a "pit stop"one of many on
a very hot and sunny day at Sotogrande Marina which we had not seen before.
We then set off up into the hills to show Vidal and Gisela the village of Casares
but as we passed through Manilva we phoned Mano and found him and Carlos.
so we joined them for a few drinks in the main street in one of our favourite bars.
Later in the evening we moved on to a tapas bar with spectacular views over the
valley and sea and had tapas and a meal of Steak.peppers.chorizo.fried eggs
and frits!! We followed Mano back to his house and joined Anna and Sally Ann
for a few more drinks and to discuss life and the world! The legs where ok but
the ribs are a bir sore.Friday was a day to make the arrangments for the trip
next week and Vidal is going to help us with the move and un-hooking on Tuesday.
We have also some messages to pass on to various people;
Nigelnews-we will call to see you.
Al/Jan-we need a phone number so we can call and see you.
Penny-we have the tapas dishes and Hazelnut Liqueur.
All our familay and friends-watch out.we are coming!
also to Tony and Kay Turner.Michael and Annie Vankleef,who contacted us on our
new E-mail address-Thanks! and John Nicholls from Alicante who called us on
the Skype phone !
Watch out for the travel reports as we cross Spain to Bilbao for the ferry on Monday
9th July.

GIBRALTAR

GIBRALTAR

GIBRALTAR

GIBRALTAR

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Mon 11th/Mon 25th June
Well we are still in Estepona! It is sunny and hot every day ( 32o ) and the forecast
is hotter. For the last two weeks I have concentrated on getting back to normal as
the ribs are still hurting and I am still not able to lay down on the bed,so I am still
sleeping on the sun bed with cushions and my feet raised on more cushions ! My
legs are now responding to treatment and the swelling is going down slowly from
my ankles upwards thanks to the physiotherapist who is calling in three times a week,Barbara is a gem and this week as she was away on a course her colleague
Bettina who is also German looked after me.I am also now able to get in the pool
and exercise my legs and ankles and have just been able to swim a few strokes
with the help of a children's float borrowed from the swimming instructor!! The pool
is great and I even use the jets to massage my ribs. In the evening we go for a walk
around the site as the sun goes down.Brenda has been to the hypermarket on the
bus and coming back in a taxi or our friends Vidal and Gisela have picked her up
or brought things in when they are shopping,but as they have a lot of gigs on now
we have not seen them as much.The site has changed a lot in the past two weeks
as all the long stay residents have left for the summer as it gets to hot and the prices
have trebled for the summer season.even Vidal and Gisela have moved out to the
grounds of a friends villa behind the site.We do not see many people now as they
are passing thru to other places, but our Gibralta friends were here last weekend and this week an English couple,Angie and Mike Powley from Great Yarmouth were
very friendly and Mike who is PC literate was very helpfull and spent some time with
me and got me on to all sorts of sites including opening a new E-mail address at
malcolm.sexton@googlemail.com ! The" hotmail" site is still ok but the new one has
more space for photo's etc.Also during this week we had quite a social week,on
Wednesday we asked Vidal and Gisela round for a drink and we ended up having
a Chinese Take away ,then on Thursday Angie and Mike joined us for a drink and
saw in Brenda's Birthday! On Friday we were going out for the first time in four
weeks for dinner with Vidal and Gisela but they then suggested that we go up to
the grounds of the villa and we had a BBQ on the terrace overlooking the pool and
across to Gibralta and Africa,which was rather special.Brenda had a "Helluva"
birthday and received cards and singing E-mails from all her family and our
friends and even from old customers ! I bought Brenda a Hammock on a stand as
she loved swinging on Vidals and they found one in a local store.We have booked
to come back to England on the ferry from Bilbao to Portsmouth on the 9th July,
which gives me more time to recouperate and also cuts the driving back by more
than half,so we will be in England for a month or more during July and August. You
will not recognise Brenda with her short hair and suntan and I have lost half a stone
and have acquired a ponytail!!

NEWSFLASH- UPDATE

Sun/Sun/3rd/10th June.
Well we are still in very sunny and hot Estepona (30*) and will not be heading
home before the 27th June. After the the first two weeks since the fall from the
scooter it is taking longer than expected to get better.The problem is that as I
am not able to sleep on the bed still-because of the pain from the 4/5 broken
ribs, my swollen legs and feet,together with a very bad rash had not improved
and are causing concern.We had a appointment on Tuesday at the hospital
next door for a x-ray and check up with the consultant,at which he confirmed
that everything was ok and gave me ointment for the rash. By Thursday nothing
had improved ,so we called the Doctor back and he went through all the reports
from the hospital and gave them a 98% all right! The scans and tests have shown
a couple of none accident thing to watch,all to do with the Adrenal Glands and
Ferritin levels-both not serious but we will have them checked when we get home.
The Doctor who is German speaks very good English and after seeing the x-rays
he confirmed that the breaks were very nasty and there could even be more! and
that the swollen legs are caused by compression of the Lymphatic Duct by the
bleeding inside the Thorax and not helped by my sleeping position.He advised us
to get help with a physiotherapist who would give me Lymphatic Drainage,so he
called her and we arranged for her to come on Friday.Barbara who is also German
has worked down here for 7 yrs in private practise and started laying on the hands
from the neck to my toes as soon as she arrived !! We have arranged a course of
further treatments this week and over the weekend I was able to lay flat on Brenda's
sun lounger for the first time for a while and also start to walk a little around the site-
as advised by her and the Doctor.Next week on Monday 18th we will see how I am
and will carry on with the treatment if required .We are now looking at the idea of
crossing Spain to Bilbao and catching the ferry to Portsmouth-watch this space for
our weekly update !

NEWSFLASH

Wed/Sat 23rd/2nd May/June.
Today is the first time that I have been able to sit down at the table
and update our blog since the accident on Tuesday 22nd May.The
only place that I have had to sit and sleep in has been the armchair
with the foot rest because of the pain ! By Friday of last week some
problems had set in,my legs started to swell and the pain had got no
better so we had to call the ambulance, they decided that they could
not move me so gave me some shots and prescriptions to help.Over
the weekend it was not so bad and I was able to eat and move a little
with the help of the nurse,Brenda! who has had to also give me armchair
baths as time went on!! Things then went from bad to worse on Thursday
when my legs became very swollen over night,so we called in a doctor
from Estepona and he immediately advised me to go and have a scan
Asap as he suspected a problem with my Lungs and rib cage! We could
have called a ambulance but as it happens we have right next to us the most
up to date and private hospital in Southern Spain ! so we went in a taxi-100
metrs.next door! instead off going 30kms to the Main hospital were I had
been to after the fall.After the consultation and the scan they immediately
checked me in for 24hrs and arranged for a heart scan as they wanted to
check for damage and blood clots! which was a bit of a shock!!So I found
myself hooked up and on drips and being given injections over night to
help.On Thursday morning I was taken down to the heart consultant and
had a scan and ultra sound check as well as blood tests,At the same time
I was given liver and kidney tests.The out come was that there was no
damage to my heart-in fact he said the the exact opposite-everything was
in excellent condition and i was taken back upstairs to the room to await
further results.I had rung Brenda and told her the news before she returned
later in the morning so as we waited for the consultants results.We then had
another shock when a new doctor came in and introduced himself as the
intensive care consultant!!-but he immediately said it was good news not
bad! He had given a second opinion to all the results-my heart,liver and
kidneys are all ok! but the problem was that I had broken four or more ribs,
which had not shown up the first x-ray and had blood clots on the lung and
rib cage ! The bad news was that I would have to have an operation to re-
move the blood if it had increased after another x-ray.The good news was
that after a 2hr wait it would not be necessary to operate -it will go better
over time ,Our first consultant then arranged some new prescriptions and
also for another x-ray next week to check that everything is ok So we are
back at the Winnebago after a very traumatic 24hrs.It also means that we
will have to postpone our plans to leave by another week,ie,17th June to
give the ribs a chance to heal.

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Tues 22nd May.
Well we had a "Helluva" day but not one we want to repeat !! As the weather
picked up we went out on the scooter in the afternoon down to the Marina
for a coffee and orange juice then went to the hypermarket at about 4.00pm
as it is the quiet time there; As we went across the car park and around a
left and right bend which we have done hundreds of time,the scooter's wheels
shot from underneath us and we hit the car park floor with a" thud" !!! The result
being a very painful broken rib for me, with bumps and scratches for both of
us. We were very lucky as if it had happened on the main road it would have
been a lot worse.People outside picked us up and i realized straight away
that i had something wrong by the pain! Luckily we were not going fast and
we think we hit a grease patch, so no damage to the scooter only to our
pride.The hypermarket staff were very good and attended to our wounds
and offered to call an ambulance but i said no.We called our friend Vidal and
he shot down to us,by then Brenda told me i had lost my suntan and was white
and the pain was bad so with great difficulty a got into the car and went to
the hospital in Estepona,only to be sent to the main hospital in Marbella about
22kms away.They were very good and quick in the Emergencies Department
and gave me the once over and X-ray and Brenda heard the screams as they
put me on the table! The result is that i am out of action for a couple of weeks
and will have to sleep up-right on the chair for the time being ! Brenda seems
to think that i broke her fall and i think i agree!! So we are stuck on the site and
and will have to rely on our friends for the shopping etc. as well as using the
bus and taxi's.Vidal also arranged for the scooter to be brought back to the
site later in the evening by somebody we don't even know,which is very kind.
This also means that we might have to re-plan our date's etc. about our return
to England,watch this space !!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Mon 21st May.
We had an at home day as the forecast was not to good,so we caught up
with jobs and just popped out to pick up the papers.In the evening we had
the thunder storm of all thunder storms ! The whole area rocked with the
thunder and the lightening was spectacular. We had planned to go to
Gibraltar on Tuesday with Vidal and Gisela but one of Gisela's friends
who lives just behind the Camp was taken very ill so Gisela went to look
after her as she has no family down here and stayed with her untill the
Air Ambulance took her home to Austria on Wednesday morning.

MARBELLA

Sat/Sun 19th/20th May.
We had a late start so we had brunch then went out later to the "Happy Hour" at
The Mai Tai bar at Luguna Beach as Vidal was playing a set there as his brother
is away in Trinidad-after he finished we started on the" Caipirinha's" and carried
on down to Marbella Marina.Gisela had on her new hat and shawl and looked
terrific as we visited the bars that Vidal plays in. We then went for a late Fish
supper in a Restaurant on the front in Marbella-but for the first time we had an
terrible meal,every thing was wrong and even unedible- we left quickly but it
did not spoil a good day with our good friends!! On Sunday after we had serviced
the Winnebago we went down to Estepona Marina for some Tapas but we had
to jump back onto the scooter as it started raining without notice and we arrived
back at the site wet!!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Thurs/ Fri. 17th/18th May.
After our usual start we went out for lunch in the Flower Square in Estepona
and afterwards we caught up with the shopping. When we returned to the site
we were talking to the two couples next to us,one with a small motor home and
the other with a caravan.The motor home couple were English but lived in New
Zealand and the caravan couple were Dutch but lived in Belgium !! Both were
very helpfull and gave us lots of information for the future.On Friday after our swim
we called into the butchers and also bought a Orange sun hat and shawl for Gisela
as a thank you for cutting Brenda's hair.We went out for dinner to the" Pink"bar
across the road and had a lovely supper sat out side overlooking the sea across
to Africa; just before we went out a large American Motorhome pulled in and we
spoke to the owner-who was from South Wales and has been everywhere and so
he was very helpfull and even showed us how to fix our on-going problem with our
LPG gas-its all to do with Adaptors and Regulators! So we will try again on Monday
to solve the problem once and for all!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Wed 16th May.
Well it started off as a usual day and ended up at 2.00am the next day! We went
into Estepona to the dentists to make an appointment and got one for 4-30 pm
in the afternoon.As we came out of the pool in the morning Gisala called in and
offered to cut,style and colour Brenda's hair later in the day.As we got back in
the early evening the Winnebago was turned into a" Hair Salon" with me acting
as the assistant,ie folding the Tin Foil etc.During the session we both had face
masks applied,made with Avocado,Olive Oil and Lemon Juice! On the TV the
UEFA cup final was on so i asked Vidal around for a drink-he turned up at 11-
00pm with his electric Wok and his famous Spicey Fish ,so we had a late supper
with our cold Spit Roasted Chicken ,Gisela's salad and fried Plantin all washed
down with bottles of the local Rosado and more drinks.The football was very
exciting, i rung Mano who is in North Wales with Anna as his team Espanyol
were playing and whilst i was talking to him they scored ! The picture below
shows Brenda at 2.00am with the new hair cut and colour !!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Sun/Mon/Tues/13th/14th/15th May.
As the weather is so nice we are taking full advantage of our last month here
to top up Brenda's tan! and to keep my tanned spots up to date !! We went
for our swim and went down to the marina to the market and had a light Tapas
lunch.the marina was busy as it always is on a Sunday.We then came back to
the site and watched a film on Spanish TV in the evening-our Spanish is getting
better by watching the news and sport all the time - we even follow "Who Wants
To Be A Millionaire" and some times get the answer's correct! On Monday after
we serviced the Winnebago and went for our swim, we then went into Estepona
to make an appointment at the dentists for Brenda and had a glass of fresh
orange juice in the local bar,then we came back along the front in the hot sun
shine to the hypermarket to pick up some essentials.For supper we had Lamb
Chops and Potatoes" Bravas" Today,Tuesday Vidal came round in his" Handy-
Man" role and fixed all the little jobs on the Winnebago. We were going around
to Vidal's and Gisela for supper tonight but he has picked up a Gig at the last
moment so its a "Sun-Check " !!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Sat.12th May.
The temperature today reached 31c so our swim at lunchtime was very welcome
after we had gone out to the English Butchers before he closed. In the afternoon
we went to Laguna Beach to see Felix and Martine,Vidals brother who were
playing at the Mai Tai Bar; as the happy hour started Vidal and Gisela joined
us after their gig in "Heaven" so we went onto the cocktails-Caipirinha's being
my favourite! We then came back to the Winnebago and had a "Eurovision"
party-with a Chinese take out delivered to us and Rosado to wash it down,
then onto Brenda's famous G/Ts and B/Cs- we ended up feeling no pain and
staggered to bed !

ESTEPONA

Thurs/Fri 10th/11th May.
After our morning dip we went into Estepona and found a market hall in the
old town which we had not seen before so we bought some fresh farm veg.
and home killed pork chops; the tapas bar next to the market was a real
locals haunt and we had a Fresh Prawn mini brochette for 1euro! We had
lunch in the square at our regular bar and as usual had a wonderful meal,
with Tinto de Verano.We then went for spin along the coast road on the
scooter as the weather is very hot and sunny as forecast.On Friday we
serviced the Winnebago and had our swim ,then we went on the scooter
to the hypermarket for the weekly shopping and spotted in the household
department a collapsable table which we had been looking for;we then
came back on the scooter with it tucked under Brenda's arm and my elbow
to the site!! We then went back and did the shopping that we had gone for
in the first place.! In the evening i made a Tortilla for supper,which proved
a great hit with the local Spanish Receptionist,we gave him a piece to try
and also Vidal and Gisela who called in after a gig for a chat.

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Tues/Wed,8th/9th May
As forecast the weather is very hot,with a high of 31c so we are taking things
easy. After our swim we went out on the scooter to the English Butchers and
to the English supermarket to top up with essentials then we went to the hype-
market in Estepona.In the afternoon Brenda sat out for a while and i started
to check the paper work and make some phone calls on the Skype Phone
to England; it looks like we will have to be back by the 11th July for the MOT
and then spend about four week's on the grand tour as the Winnebago is
repaired and serviced ! Wednesday is even hotter so Brenda has used the
new sun lounger to help with her tan as we have an at home day on the site.

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Sun/Mon,6th/7th May.
The forecast for the next seven days is hot and sunny with a high of 25o so we
have got the summer gear on including my 3/4 shorts! Our swim first thing in
the morning is going very well-we do 20 lengths and find it very relaxing and
therapeutic,On Sunday we went out on the scooter down to the marina and
on the way back called in to the" Sonora" Beach Bar for a Tinto de Verano.
In the evening we watched a film on Spanish TV after catching up with the
sports news and watching the late match between Real Madrid and Sevilla.
The football on TV does not start until 9-00pm.Monday was a service day
and also a good day for the washing-so Brenda is outside,oiled up and
watching the washing dry!! and i have tried the Air-Con for the first time
whilst i am Blogging and we are cooking Chicken and Beef Brochette's
for supper from the left-over's.Tomorrow we are starting to plan our trip
to Oxford and will arrange on the Skype Phone our renewals for the
insurance,breakdown etc.and book the Winnebago in for the repairs.
service and MOT.We are going to leave it in Oxford and hire a car and
do the grand tour of family and friends-you have been warned !!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Sat 5th May.
A day of surprise's in different ways after our usual swim on a day of hot sunshine
to start.We went out for some shopping on the scooter as the Winnebago fridge/
freezer has gone again-it started up as soon as we bought the small fridge! When
we came back we had planned to go to Laguna Beach as Felix,Vidal's brother was
playing there in the afternoon.but just before we set off we had a cloud burst over
the site with thunder,lightening,rain and hailstones ! Lucky for us as we would have
been caught in it on the scooter in our shirt sleaves ! As we sat in the Winnebago
a couple who had arrived late on Friday in the spot next to us and had set up a
small tent,came back and were getting drowned-so we asked them in to shelter
from the storm.It turned out that they where on their way to Germany,Mohamed is
German and his wife Badia is from Morroco. They live in Agadir which is on the
west coast below Casablanca and past Marrakech on the Atantic side. After a
few drinks we found out all about the life/weather ect. in Agadir and all the details
about the sites in the area.The day before on Morrocan TV we had seen the open-
ing of a new motorway from Tanger to Marrakech by the King and Mohamed told
us about the journey times and distance,it's about 950kms. He also has the right
contacts to arrange a longer stay as the normal time is only 90 day's,so after we
had exchanged telephone number's and his address,he told us that he is coming
back to the site in a couple of weeks on his way back to Morroco,so we are
thinking of going back with them in a car as they have a guest room in their house
and they offered to put us up! We took them over some of the Beef Curry that we
had made and they gave us some oranges from his garden that had been picked
on Thursday.!! Mohamed also offerd to arrange things for us if we went down later
in the year after we come back over in September in the Winnebago.

ESTEPONA

Thurs/Fri 3rd/4th May.
The weather has been hot and sunny for the last two days and the weekend
forcast is also the same so we are out on the scooter every day dropping
down to Estepona and the marina to our local haunts.Our swimming is
getting better by the day and we do 15/20 lengths with no problems every
morning.On Thursday we caught up with the shopping,Brenda on the back
of the scooter with a bag on either shoulder doing her balancing act as usual.
We bought a spit roasted chicken from the hypermarket for dinner with
some of Brenda's famous salad,also Gisela dropped off some Spicey fried
fish which is Vidal's receipe! We went to the marina on Friday and had a
couple of Tapas for Lunch,then servised the Winnebago before the weekend.

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Wed 2nd May.
The day after the night before started with rain; the forcast for the next couple
of days is not good so we are stuck in the Winnebago but this gives us a chance
to catch up with chores and also our plans for leaving for England in two months
time.We had a "Helluva"night out with Vidal and Gisela at " Playa Bella" with
some lovely food-John Dory on Spinach glazed with Cheese Sauce and Beef
Strogonoff being the highlights; all washed down with Faustino VII Rosado and
of cause the local shots of chilled firewater on the house! The pictures below
taken by Gisela with the new camera shows the pony tail is still growing and
also Brenda's new cut; the picture of us together is before Brenda put on her
new top!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Tues.1st May!
As it is the bank holiday here the site is busy with Spanish campers so we have
been for our swim after they have all left-I managed 20 lengths of the pool and
Brenda kept up with me but she did a couple of lengths of crawl !! The weather
is very hot and sunny so Brenda is out-side with the oil on - whilst i am on the
Blog.We have asked Vidal and Gisela out to dinner tonight so we are going
across the road to the "Playa Bella" and we are going to crack a bottle of
Champagne before we go out.As it is the 1st May we have started our
countdown to leaving for England-we are checking all the paper work and
will start to arrange the route and stops as we make our way back to Oxford
at the end of June.

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Mon 30th April.
It is a normal day in Spain as they have the bank holiday on the day,ie 1st May
tomorrow so after our swim we set off on the scooter along the front of Estepona
to the marina and had a drink and read the papers( They are printed on the same
day now) and watched the world go by; we then picked up some shopping and
had a quiet night in watching the Spanish version of Strictly Come Dancing which
is not as good as ours! One of the comments on the blog page suggested that we
should write a book about our life in the hotel business over the past 40 years, and
friends have also said the same thing- so watch out in the not to distant future for
the full story! You could get a mention !!

ESTEPONA

Sat/Sun.28th/29th April.
The bank holiday weekend here in Spain is forcast to be hot and sunny so
after our morning swim we shot out on the scooter for some shopping but
not before we had called Dudleys about the fridge.The news was not good,
it is very near impossible to repair Amonia Fridges,so we will have to have
a new one fitted (under warranty) when we are back in Oxford for the MOT,
Repairs and service at the end of July.Our first stop on the scooter was at
a large Household shop where we bought a Thermoelectric Mini Fridge,
and Vidal came and picked it up and brought it back to the site! This also
means that we are doing a little something for the protection of the ozono-
sphere !! We have gone "Green" !!! We then had a quiet Saturday in and
watched the football on Spanish TV.On Sunday we went off on the scooter
in our shirt sleaves, which is very exhilarating,down to the market on the
marina and had a Tinto de Verano in one of our regular bars,then we went
for lunch in the square in Estepona were we had Fried Monkfish and Chicken
with fresh Batas Fritas ! We then went a little way down the coast ,past the
site to a beach bar called "Heaven" where Vidal was playing -what a spot,
it was full of the" Marbella Crowd " and also the beach was full of Kite-Surfers
as the wind conditions were perfect for them.You can leave comments on the
Blog page as Nigelnews did from Llandudno-and yes we will try the Italian
next to the Marbella Club Nigel! and we met Sheena Hedges in the hyper-
market the other day and passed on your regards !!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Wed/Thurs/Fri 25th/26th/27th April.
The hire car was picked up in the morning so we are back to the scooter for
the next couple of weeks,but the weather forcast is good for this week.On
Wednesday Brenda caught up with the washing after our busy social week
whilst i went all technical;We took a couple of pictures with the new camera
and so i had to read up on the instruction's and was able to Blog the pictures,
i also managed to save an E-Mail photograph and then Blog it also! At the
same time i got the Garmin Sat-Nav out and connected it to the small Laptop
and installed the programme to up-grade and put more up to date information
on it so as to be able to use the GPS in the future.Then i downloaded the pictures
from the camcorder onto both Laptops and also the Video's to the large one.I
managed to get the pictures to slide show and i was also able to enlarge them!
The Video's are proving to be a bit harder to play-watch this space. On Thursday
we started with our normal routine,i am now up to twelve lenghs off the pool and
Brenda is keeping up with the breastroke and crawl ! We also serviced the
Winnebago ready for the bank holiday weekend and i made a chicken curry for
dinner. We have one problem with the fridge - its not working! After doing all the
checks and reading up on the manual we asked our resident handyman-Vidal!
to have a look and he confirmed that we have a gas problem,so we contacted
the refrigeration people and they are coming "Manana" Vidal is also looking at
our LPG adapator and seeing if he can help us,as it as has never worked and
is the cause off our gas problems.Friday was warm and sunny as we waited
for the refrigeration man to arrive -he did at five o'clock! but was unable to fix
it as it is amonia gas which is very hard to find !! We are working on the fridge
problem as i Blog.The good news is that as we were waiting i have managed
to play the Video's for the first time,so we been looking at them and all the good
memories that they bring back.

BENALMADENA COSTA

BENALMADENA COSTA

Tues24th April.
We had a lie in after our afternoon and evening in Manilva on Monday,then went
for a swim and went down the coast to Benalmadena Coasta for lunch with Penny
and her friends.We met them on the front in the busy marina for a coffee and brandy
and then found a very nice Tapas bar just around the corner to introduce the ladies
to a traditional Tapas lunch of cold,then hot Tapas washed down with the local beer
and Vino Blanco.We had fifeteen different Tapas from the large display and a great
time was had by all! We then walked around the marina in the hot sun and again
introduced the ladies to" Tinto de Verano"-local red wine with ice and topped up with
lemonade to choice! We then went back into Marbella to arrange the time share
swop to a new management agency.The picture above shows from left to right,
Margaret,Dorota,Penny and Veronica in the Tapas bar;

GIBRALTAR

GIBRALTAR

Mon 23rd April.
We set off early to Gibraltar to beat the queues but with out Vidal and Gisela as
they had to go into Marbella for an important meeting at short notice; The weather
was hot and sunny and we had no problems getting in to the car park.The reason
we had gone to Gibraltar was for shopping-for me! so we headed for M/S to look
for a new black shirt and ended up with two shirts,two sweat shirts,a light sweater
and a pair of summer slacks,Brenda got a pair of trousers!! We then topped up
with the allowance of spirts and cigarettes and after a drink in the square headed
back down Main Street ,but then spotted in one of the camera shops some offers
on Digital Camera's and ended up with a Sony Cyber-Shot! The owner of the shop
set up the camera and then advised us to put it in Brenda's bag,along with the various connections and papers etc; not in the sales box for when we went through
the customs! We then set off to cross the border and as we reached the Spanish
side we were pulled over!!The Spanish Police were on one of their "Funny" days
and searched the car and boot thoroughly but not Brenda's bag!!On our way back
we stopped for a light lunch in a Venta overlooking the Mediterranean-see picture,
As we headed back past Manilva we called Mano and he was in one of the bars
with Anna and Carlos for a late lunch so we joined them for a drink and nine hours
later after going back to Carlos's appartment we set off back for home,slowly !!

ESTEPONA

Sun 22nd April
We started on Sunday with the three " S;s"- Service the Winnebago,Swim and
Shower!.We had spotted that there was an "International Fiesta" at the conference
centre in Estepona so we went to have a look and find out what was going on. We
got quite a surprise,it was in the large main hall and had over a hundred stalls from
different countries,serving food and drink relevent to them and on the stage they
had Music,Singing and Dancing to match! This went on for eight hours and as the
day went on it got more and more lively-we also met Vidal and Gisela and had
a unexpected day as the various acts from Russia to the South American countries
performed,including Cossack Dancers, Samba Girls and Belly Dancers !! We have
also arranged to take Vidal and Gisela to Gibraltar on Monday and show them around.

ESTEPONA/MARBELLA

Sat 21st April.
After our day out on Friday we had a lie in on Saturday morning,then popped out
to the shops to stock up for weekend in between the showers ! As we had the hire
car we decided to have a night out and it turned into a "Helluva"night.We started
at the Mai Tai Bar just before the happy hour finished; then we had booked a table
at "Toni Dalli's" restaurant in Marbella as we passed it on Friday,but as we still had
time to spare we treated ourselves to Kir Royal at the finest five star hotel in Spain
Las Dunas Beach Hotel and Spar,which just happens to be over the road on the
way to Marbella! We were directed into the Brassiere Bar and started to nose -around untill a Manager took us on the guest show round,he showed us the Spar
and hairdressing salon and then outside onto the terrace over looking the tropical
gardens and pool,then down to the main restaurant"The Lido" and introduced us
to the restaurant manager who then gave us the Royal treatment.We spoke to the
Sommalier and went through the wine list with him.As we were shown the wine
cellar by the kitchens,he asked us if we would like to meet the chef,so we found
ourselves talking to a Michelin Starred Chef de Cuisine,who then gave us a taste
of a new Scallop Consomme that he had just made!! We left totally impressed!!
We arrived a bit late at"Toni Dalli's and were shown to the table we had reserved,
over looking the pool and the sea,the restaurant is Italian so we had Veal Milanaise
and Calves Liver with Bacon and Sage with a bottle of local seco to wash it down!!
The reason that people have been going to"Toni's" for the past 26years is for the
atmosphere-with the live music and Toni's singing along with other Spanish
musicians playing up to the customers as the evening goes on.We were sat next
to three Irish golfers-say no more!! We then shot back to the marina in Estepona
for a Brandy and Coffee were Brenda ended up dancing with the locals !!

"BABY FLASH "

"BABY FLASH"

Fri 20th April.
Early on Saturday morning we recieved some great news from Switzerland; Dave
sent us an E-Mail to announce the Birth of a healthy baby girl-"Jasmine Isabella"
mother Yolande and baby both very well !! It also had a picture attached of baby
Jasmine at one hour old !! We would like to send our Congratulations and Love
to Dave and Yola and also to all the families and especially Carol,our very dear
friend who is a first time Grandmother!

CASARES/GAUCIN/SABINILLAS

Fri 20th April.
We set off to Benalmadena Costa early as it takes nearly an hour on the A340 as
it goes through Fuengirola all along the coast.We picked up Penny and Margret
and set off back to our neck of the woods as Brenda had spotted that there was a
market in Sabrinillas. The weather was warm and sunny with some clouds over
the mountains after the girls had done some buying-Brenda a black top and Penny
and Margret shoes! we set off up to Casares for lunch at our favourite" Venta"
overlooking the village.The" Day- Delia" menu has 4/5 choices-we all had Paella
to start,with fried Grouper and Chicken to follow,all washed down with the local
Vino Blanco.We then set off to the mountain village of Gaucin over the mountains
and down through the wooded valley's and up again! We had coffee and" buckets"
of Brandy in the local bar along with all the old men of the village after which we set
off back down to the coast,on our way passing through Manilva where Mano and
Anna live. As it was now the" Happy Hour " at the Mai Tai bar in Laguna Village
we called in for cocktails and then stopped at the Winnebago to show them around
and have some nibbles and Brenda's famous G/T's!! before dropping them off in
Benalmadena to end a perfect day.

GAUCIN

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Thurs19th April.
On Thursday we had one of our catch up days,including shopping at the
hypermarket and in Estepona,then a visit to the english butcher befor we
cleaned the Winnebago inside and out ! We had arrranged to take Penny
and Margret out on Friday so we made some plans as to where to go. As
usual we had started the morning with our swim-Malcolm is now up to ten
lengths of the pool and Brenda just keeps going around in large circles!

BENALMADENA COSTA

Tues/Wed.17th/18th. April.
Tuesday was a housekeeping day, so we caught up with all the chores and made
a beef curry for dinner.We made contact with Penny our friend from Bridgnorth
and arranged to meet her on Wednesday in Benalmadena Costa after the hire
car is dropped off.Wedesday started with a surprise! On Tuesday evening two
motorcaravans pulled into the spots next to us with Spanish plates and we did
not see anybody untill Wednesday morning when much to our surprise we
discovered that they were English but lived in Spain near Almeria!John and
Mary Nicholls got chatting to us and introduced us to their friendsJim and
Annabel Gray who had lived in North Wales and Parkgate in the Wirral ! so
we caught up with all the old haunts and people from the past, whilst Mary gave
us all the details about the sites around Almeria and exchanged E-mail address's
and phone numbers for when we make our way up the coast later in the year,which was very nice of them.We then shot off to Benalmadena Marina were we had
arranged to meet Penny and her friend Margret for lunch.After a slight detour we
found them in a bar on the front and walked around to a fish restaurant and had a
lovely lunch and caught up with all the news;The weather was grey and damp but
there was some spectacular" breakers "on the beach infront of us and the local
surfers were out !!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Mon.16th April.
The day started off sunny then went cloudy and then sunny again in the late afternoon
so we went for our morning dip and Brenda did some washing and i caught up with
the blog-as Brenda wrote in her diary which she keeps; We are waiting for a phone
call from an old friend Penny who is coming on holiday with some girlfriends over the next two weeks and is staying in Benalmadena, so we will hire a car and go and
catch up with her and look round the coast down there. Over the weekend we have
had people calling in at reception and asking about the Winnebago,a German
couple and then a English couple-it happens all the time,so we give them the show-
round and chat,then give them the E-mail details for Dudleys of Oxford! Commission claim to follow!!

ESTEPONA/MARBELLA

Fri/Sat/Sun.13th/14th/15th April.
As the weather has picked up-warm and sunny,we have after our morning dip
been out on the scooter to the marina and beach on Friday and Saturday along
with some supermarket shopping; The weather on Saturday was hot enough for
us to go out on the scooter in our shirt sleeves,we had lunch in the Flower Square
in Estepona at our favourite restaurant were we had Fried Monkfish and Fried
Chicken Breast with Fresh Frits! On Sunday Vidal and Gisela called in and asked
us to be their guests at the Beach Bar in Marbella in the late afternoon,so we jumped on the bus and went to the Tapas Bar by the beach and then joined them
in Ray's Tropical Bar-see the picture below of Vidal performing in his exotic out-
fit! After his spot his brother Felix and his German girlfriend Martina, who perform
all over the coast and also travel all over Europe as "Adam and Eve"!-they play all
types of music with backing tapes and Felix on Guitar and along with Martina sing-
ing as well as Felix, they are also very professional and get the audience joining
in with them;that is untill the local Police called in and stopped the show even though
the bar owner had the right license !! We had the bars Rum Punch all night and the
owner Ray who is also the cook gave us for supper his special "Jerk "Chicken Legs
and Pork Ribs along with savoury Fried Rice!! We came home in Vidal's car as per
normal,feeling no pain!

MARBELLA

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Sun/Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs-8th./9th/10th/11th/12th April.
After a Easter treat-cooked breakfast off Smoked Bacon and Pork and Leek
sausages we went for a drive around our haunts in Estepona and Sabinillas,then
when we arrived back we discovered our problems with the blog page when we
went on line to blog!On Monday which is not a bankholiday here we had planned
to go out but as the weather was not good we decided to cook our Leg of Lamb
for dinner .As we started we saw Vidal and Gisela ordering a take out,so we
asked them to join us for an Easter dinner with all the trimmings-Roast potatoes,
Leeks in Cheese sauce,Carrots,Braised Onions,Cauliflower and Broccoli all served
with Mint sauce and Gravy !When they arrived we opened a bottle of Champagne
and the party started-Vidal had brought his Drums and Bongo's and he showed me
how to play the Bongo's,Gisela also brought a starter of Smoked Salmon and
Pasta which we had with the local Rose wine,then we progressed onto Brenda's
Bacardi and Coke's!! Later on in the early hours of the morning Gisela who is a
Hairdresser ended up cutting and styling Malcolm's hair,including shaving the top
of his head and Brenda's hair is as short as it has ever been and is feathered
around her face-it's like being with a new woman!! The party broke up around
4-00am in the morning,but we don't have far to go.On Tuesday after a late start
we went into Marbella to pay for the car and then went to see our timeshare on
the other side of Marbella and did a deal with the local agent to join the local
timeshare club with no fee's and use of it for the next 15 years! Wednesday and
Thursday was spent on the site catching up with the chores but with one problem,
the microwave door broke.After an initial panic we asked Vidal for help as he is
very hands on!! He came and took the door apart and found that the door catch
and spring had broken off,so he then proceeded to repair the parts and glued and
with his soldering iron re-built the catch-"Hey-Presto" it worked !! He has now been
appointed our official "Handyman" !!!

" NEWS FLASH"

Sun.8th April.
ATTENTION ALL OUR BLOG READERS !!
We have an apology to make; over this weekend our blog page site was updated
by Google much to our surprise and with the help of our" IT" expert in Colwyn Bay,
Scott we went into the new system and much to our surprise we found that you had
been posting comments on our blog page system !! We did not have on the old
system any settings to show us this and did not realize that you could do this- we
are" new" to all this technology!!! So we have been back thru all our blogs and have picked up as follows;
Sept 3rd 2006-Yola from Switzerland, with a" Helluva" message!
Jan 4th 22007-Al and Jan from Rhos on Sea -thanks for your comments and your
blog page details,can we have your E-mail address?
Jan 31st 2007-Annette from Melbourne in Australia with all the family news for
Brenda -some E-mail address for Jeff etc.would be very good!!
Feb 9th 2007 Nigel "News" from Llandudno-thanks for your good wishes and yes
we did bump into Sheena Hedges in Estepona marina and asked after George!!
Sorry if we have missed anybody and we will catch up as and when!!!

MIJAS

MIJAS

MIJAS

Sat 7th April.
After our morning cup of tea as the weather forcast was cloudy with some sunny
intervals we set off in the car towards Marbella along the coast road which after leaving Marbella hugs the sea and is quiet spectacular untill you reach Fuengirola,
we then headed up in to the hills to Mijas.We were last in Mijas over 20yrs.ago with
some old friends,so it has grown quite a bit! We walked into the old part of the town
and spotted the Restaurant that we went too when we were last there.It has a open
patio overlooking the town and down the valley towards the sea and has an open
chargrill on which they cook the steaks that you have chosen- i had a 30oz.T-Bone,
med/rare and it was beautifull !!The owner on the way out gave us the local house
firewater to set us on our way.Back on the coast road we passed on the sea-side
our timeshare at Calahaunda,which over looks the sea and has views to the hills
as well.When we arrived back at the site we bumped into a couple who have been
on the site for quiet a while and are heading back to England on Sunday so we
asked them in for a drink-Bon-Voyage to Keith and Brenda! The picture above
shows part of the village of Mijas.

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Fri 6th April.
After the late night we got up late and as the forcast was not to good we stayed
on the site and caught up with the chores.In the afternoon we had "hot cross buns"
and tea which we passed around to our friends In the evening we had a late supper
and watched the local TV which we follow all the time for the news,sport and
weather forcasts as well as picking up on our Spanish!

ESTEPONA

Thurs 5th April.
After our swim first thing in the morning we had spotted in a local paper an advert
for a English butcher so we went in the car and found the shop and an English
Supermarket and we bought a Leg of Lamb and some other goodies for Easter.
We then went for a coffee in the marina port and on the way back called into the
Mai-Tai bar for the "Happy Hour" where we discovered that there was later in the
evening a large celeb-party around the Laguna Beach ! So after an early dinner
of some beautifull Lamb Chops from the butchers we set off on the scooter for
the first time at night to check out the Semana Santa celebrations in town but on
the way we called into the Laguna Beach Bar,but did not manage to get into the
party as we did not have a invite!! We then parked in Estepona and found out
that the main" procesion" de Semana Santa did not reach the main square till
after one o'clock so we went to our local bar to warm up with coffee and brandy.
We managed to get seats at the front by the local VIP'S and waited for things
to start.The atmosphere is very intense and is also filled with" incense" !! As the
main part of the procession arrives it is followed by a brass band and is led by
the local brotherhood in their robes and hoods-please see the pictures below.
The Throne is carried by the men ,who are under neath and who are controlled by
calls and bells as they slow walk to the music, The parade is also accompanied
by the women in black shawls and mantillas,some of whom are bear-foot and
the whole parade is silient and is directed by the beating of the drums and the
main master of the brotherhood stamping his ceremonial rod.The Throne has
to stop every 30/40 yards so as the carriers can rest as they support it on their
necks and shoulders-they are also tightly bound around the waist by long
coloured bands to support their backs.See the pictures below ;

SEMANA SANTA

SEMANA SANTA

SEMANA SANTA

SEMANA SANTA

SEMANA SANTA

GIBRALTAR

Mon/Tues/Wed.2nd/3rd/4th April.
Well on Monday at long last the scooter was picked up and taken to Estepona
by our friendly garage repair man who does't speak a word of English but we
get on like a house on fire!Fingers crossed!! We went for our regular swim and
the water was very warm-then we popped out for some shopping.On Tuesday
we went to Gibralta and got caught in the bank holiday traffic,so when we got
into the town center the car park was full-we drove around the one-way system and
when we arrived back at the car park we drove straight in! We stocked up with
the duty-free and went and had some lunch on the waterfront,Pan fried Calves
Liver with onions and mash!! When we returned we found out that the garage
repair man had called in with the scooter on a test run!,so on Wednesday we
went and picked it up,the problem was that the wrong spark-plug had been
fitted when we first broke down in Manilva.Its now going like a bomb again!!
This week is called Semana Santa in Spain and is the time when all the local
brotherhood parade thru the streets carrying on their shoulders the elaborate
sculptured thrones and dressed in Tunics,Hoods,and Capes in different
colours,with bands playing the very slow music as they work their way around
the narrow streets during the day and in the late evening - watch out for the
pictures after we go down on Good Friday !! The site is filling up with holiday
business inc.lots of children,mainly Spanish for the bank holiday festivities,
and we have kept the hire car for another week and we will get out and about
as the weather is forcast sunny over the weekend

GAUCIN

Sun 1st April.
After our swim in the morning in the warm and covered pool,despite the
rain we went to the market at the marina in Estepona as Brenda wanted
to change her new costume,which the stall holder did with no problem.We
then went for a drive up into the mountains as the weather looked better
up over the hills,We went thru old Manilva and headed past the wind farms
and Casares and over a spectacular road to the mountain village of Gaucin.
It sits on the edge of a mountain and is reached by just the one road and
when you enter the town you can only drive thru it one way as the streets
are very narrow,we discovered later that during the Fiesta they have a
bull run when the locals can prove their manhood by running with the bull,
but with no where to escape except up the barred windows!!

ESTEPONA

Sat.31st March.
The forcast for the next few days is not so good so today we decided not
to across to Africa but to stay around Estepona.Brenda caught up with the
washing and ironing and some local shopping at the Hypermarket.In the
morning we servised the Winnebago and turned over the engine as normal
but with a little problem,it would not start! After a phone call to Oxford and
a talk with them we checked all the procedures and found that the engine
immobilizer had cut in! So i had to re-set the system and every thing was
fine.

PUERTO BANUS

Fri 30th March
Today we went down the coast to Marbella to see the hire car people,then back
into Puerto Banus to do some shopping in" El Corte Ingles",which is like Harrods
but they are all over Spain and they also have a food hall called "Hipercor". We
had been in on our last time in Puerto Banus and this time we looked around
the upper floors as well. WOW!! We then walked down to the marina front and
had lunch in "Salsa Marinera" watching the world go past, black is the in colour
for the cars ie. Bentley,Ferrari,Porche,Aston Martin,Maserati,to just name a few!!
We had the three course menu of the day,with Cappaccio of salmon for Brenda,
followed by a Seafood Frito Misto and i had a Cappaccio of Roast Pork and
Entrecote with Bearnaise Sauce and sweets to follow with coffee.When we
got back to Estepona we found that the scooter had still not been collected,
its' the" manana" problem!! In the evening we watched" Casino Royale" the
new James Bond film which we had managed to get a English copy of in El
Corte Ingles earlier in the day- its' terrific!!

ESTEPONA

Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs/26th/27th/28th/29th March.
Well it's another sunny week here as we service the Winnebago and do the
weekly chores on Monday but still no news on the scooter repair as of yet.
On Tuesday as they have still not collected the scooter we have arranged
a hire car for a week from Wednesday.We caught up with the shopping
and Brenda had a check up at the dentists as soon as the hire car arrived.
Thursday was hot and sunny so we went to Tarifa for lunch after Brenda's
hair appointment in Sabinillas.Tarifa is round the coast from Gibraltar on
the Atlantic side and is one of the main ports for Africa and is also the
local surfers paradise!We had called in,earlier in the year but not on a
very good day,so it was a great surprise to see how close it is to the
African coast and we had spectacular views across to Morocco and
Tanger and Ceuta where we are planning to go to for a couple days in
the next few weeks to check out the sites for a possible visit next winter.
On the way back we dropped down into the port of Algeciras to check
on the fast ferries to Ceuta,the Spanish enclave,which is on the Med.
side of the coast and has been recommended to us.

MARBELLA

Sun 25th March.
Another beautifull day as we went for our dip in the pool was to turn out as one
"Helluva" day later! We had been asked by Vidal to go and see him in one of
his gigs in the afternoon,just past Puerto de Banus on the beach by "Victors"
bar.We caught the bus across the road towards Marbella but the driver did
not stop at the right spot so we ended up in Marbella-so we decided to have
lunch in town then go back to the beach later as the gig was from 3-00pm to
6-00pm.We found the best Tapas bar "La Venencia" which we have been to
with our friend Joyce-Brenda had Broad Beans with Ham and Deep Fried
Hake and i had also the house special Patas Bravas and Roast Pork in a
picquant sauce.The bar is always very busy and is loud and hot! We then
went to find a taxi on the front by the Marina and to our great surprise we
bumped into Vidal and Gisela-the gig on the beach had been called off as
the wind had got up! Vidal was all ready in his gear.he is a one-man Steel
Band and music system in this type of gig,he also performs in a trio and
also in a Ten piece big band with Brazilian dancers and fire-eaters!.They
specialize in Company Launches and Private Parties ie; Porche and
Michael Jackson for example! He has a 30 watt music system around his
waist,with a mixer and sound hi-fi speakers on his hips-then he has a steel
drum or saxophone which he plays along to the backing tapes which he has
produced in his mobile studio-he plays over 12 instruments.He started on
the promenade and he immediately attracts a large crowd but he moved
down onto the beach front bars on the side by the sea as the local police
moved him on-at one time Brenda was on spotting duty as by now we had
joined in with the gig as Dancers,Roadies !! By now Gisela was taking
bookings,inc.a party of Dutch people for later in the evening at their hotel.
So we squeezed into his BMW with all his equipment-inc.his Bongodrums
on our knees!!Only one problem,we could not find the "Atalaya Park" in
the Spanish road system and arrived for our first gig as "Honorable-
Roadies" late! After the party was over we had free drinks and Toasted
Chicken sandwiches in the bar,then arrived back to the site-late!! No
pictures but check out the web-site;
www,GTM-MUSIC.de

ESTEPONA

Fri/Sat/23rd/24th March.
On friday we went to Estepona Marina for a Tapas lunch and afterwards we
did the weekend shopping at the Hypermarket.We are not happy with the
scooter as it is not performing as it should so it is going back to the garage
at the start of next week, when i open her up on the Autovia she does'nt go
as fast as before! Saturday was the hottest day so far,as we set off to the
opening of the beach bar that we were invited to a couple of week ago.
The Sonora Beach Bar on the beach just below us is rather special and
has been finished off by the new owners with the right touches.The local
"In-crowd" all attended and along with the free drink and a very nice light
buffet,along with the beach music and atmosphere, a very good time was
had by all the local celebrities-see the pictures below(inc.for the first time)
the new "Antonio Bandoris" pony-tail!

ESTEPONA

ESTEPONA

Wed/Thurs/21st/22nd March.
Wednesday was washing day as the sun was out and a little breeze was blowing,
so Brenda caught up with all the sheets and bed covers as i got up to date with
the blog and E-mails.On Thursday the weather was as forcast so after our dip in
the pool we shot off to Estepona for a spot of lunch in the square,on the way along
the coast road we could see for the first time the coast of Africa very clearly!
Brenda has just been for a walk up the hill by the side of the site,which leads to
the safari park which has just re-opened.We can't use our bikes here as the roads
are very steep and also busy and dangerous with cars and lorries all the time.

ESTEPONA

Mon/Tues/ 19th/20th March.
The weather at the moment is forcast hot and sunny for all week in our
corner of Spain but in the rest of Spain it is cold and windy with snow,
just like back in the UK. We are going for our morning dip and our
swimming is improving all the time.Today we met a Norwegian couple
on the site who are on their way home after spending three months in
Portugal,so they gave us some details of the sites in the Algarve which
look and sound very nice.We are starting to think about next winter and
will make our minds up between Portugal and Morocco after our visit to
Tanger in the next couple of weeks.Watch this space!

ESTEPONA

Sat/Sun 17th/18th March.
We started the day with our morning dip.then did the chores and cleaned the
Winnebago then popped out for a spin on the scooter and picked up some
shopping for the weekend.Sunday was hot and sunny so we went down to
the market on the Marina and found some new "Cosies " for the morning
dip! We then had lunch on the marina port at a new restaurant "El Cenachreo"
which was very busy,the owner was running around with two young girls and
the food and service was excellent ,we finished with a couple of shots on
the house and headed for home in the late afternoon sun As we arrived back
we bumped into Vidal and Gisela,who had been very helpfull earlier in the
week, so we asked them to join us for a bottle of champagne and christened
our new glasses that we bought on our wedding anniversary.The night ended
up with us staggering to bed after more champagne and drinks,with the two
music systems going full blast! - but we don't have far to stagger!! The picture
below shows our "Private Pool" which is just behind the Winnebago.!!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Thurs/Fri 15th/16th March.
The weather has remained fine and sunny for the week so we have missed out
untill today .I managed to go for the scooter today,so we are now mobile again
and caught up with the shopping and jobs and enjoyed the ride on the scooter
with the wind in our hair(under the helmets!) although we had to go a little slower
this time untill the engine is run in. We had a nice surprise when we returned to
the site - the pool is open ! We dived into our " cosies" and we were the first to
christen it.! We can't remember when we last went for a swim,so we really en-
joyed our time in the pool which is covered with tropical trees all around it and
is warm and dry,all the time.We plan to go for a dip-daily from now on!!

ESTEPONA

Mon/Wed 12th/14th March.
On site, grounded for a few days, Malcolm has been suffering with a bad back and
spent Mon. and most of yesterday in bed, a lot better today but still not right.
Vidal and Gisela a couple on the site have been very kind and bought some gel from
the chemist.(He is Jamacian and she is German) here to learn Spanish, he is a music composer/ producer in Germany a really nice couple.
We heard from the garage that the scooter is ready to pick up but not sure when
we will be able to yet, hopefully in the next day or so.

ESTEPONA

Sun 11th March.
After our walk down to the local beach which is quiet a way under the main road
and around past a hotel complex on Saturday we found the beach bar was closed
but the owners were getting it ready for opening in two weeks time,they have new
furniture and stock and invited us to the opening! Sunday started as a normal day
and ended with a surprise.We went down to Estepona for lunch to a restaurant
that we had been recommended to us by the F/B manager of one of the five star
hotels in town-we had met him when we had been looking around the hotels in
Estepona one day- he is in partnership with "Rafael " the name of the restaurant.
We had a lovely meal,Brenda had a starter of warm prawns.pineapple and rice,
followed by Calves Liver and i had a Shrimp cocktail and breaded Escalope of
Veal.washed down with a local Vino Blanco-"Senorio de Sobral " from the
Albarino region, we finished on shots of the local "Firewater" with the complements
of Rafael ! As we left our late lunch we noticed the local English bar was showing th
England/France match, so we watched the second half with a lively crowd.When
we first arrived in town before lunch we called into one of our local bars in the
square and had noticed that the town was busy and that all the children ,inc. babies
in push chairs had fancy dress costumes on- so when we returned to the main
street in the centre of town after lunch we suddenly realized that it was "Carnival"
What a great surprise ! The main road was closed and the floats were just
starting to pass thru- with bands,dancers,large floats and every body in fantastic
costumes. By now it was very lively and noisey and we where covered in confetti
and streamers and the road was a foot deep in it-untill the street cleaners army
that followed on -cleaned it up! A very special experience and sadly not caught
on video or pictures as we did not have the camcorder with us!! Sorry.

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

Mon/Sat-5th/10th March.
After our weekend in Sevilla it was back to our routine on Monday.We
servised the Winnebago and caught up with the chores,the Blog page
took all day with the pictures and what we had to report about our stay
in Sevilla.The forcast for the week was blue skies,hot sun and a storm
on Wednesday-which hit the rest of Spain but not us! The scooter was
ready on Thursday so we jumped on the bus to Estepona and picked
it up from the repaire shop,only to brake down again on the way back
on the Autovia!! They had not told us to go over 50kms per hour for the
first 100kms!,so as we came onto the Autovia and i opened her up to
match the traffic on the very busy road.We think the problem is the same
again-Piston Broke !! so we will have to wait for the part to be sent from
Malaga.On Friday we went on the bus to the marina for a tapas lunch,
then walked back along the front with some stops for refreshment on
the way as it is over 2 miles and it was very hot. Today, Saturday it is
very hot so we are going down to the local beach this afternoon-what
a life!! The picture shows the Winnebago all clean and happy ,like us!

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

CAMPING PARQUE TROPICAL

SEVILLA

Sun 4th March.
In the morning after breakfast we packed and left our bags at the hotel,then we
went by taxi to the other side of the river over the Puenta de Isabel11 to the
neighbourhood of "Triana" which has narrow streets and houses with balconies
full of plant pots and is also the center of the tile makers houses-see the first
pictures.We arrived early and lost our selfs in the area as we strolled around
and went down to the Calle Betis which is the road with only one pavement by
the river ,since the 18th century when the piers and docks along the river side
took over,its view of Sevilla has no rival. We then discoverd the various old
churches,all with there own history,the picture is of the church of the Macarena
Triana is full of atmosphere and is the home of the "workers" of Sevilla inc,
potters,artists,bullfighters and flamenco .We had a tapas lunch in the "Casa
Cuesta" which is the oldest and best tapas bar in Sevilla,the home of Tapas!
The picture does not show the atmosphere of the bar which is open fron 12.30
to 12.30 every day.We had tapas of,kidneys in sherry,cured ham,veal stew,
spinach with chick peas,savoury cold potatoe salad,the house special croquettes
and baby fried plaice!! over a long and leisurely lunch !! We then set off home with
the promise to return.

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

Sat 3rd March.
After a Spanish breakfast of ham and cheese we set off to visit the three main
attractions:
The Alcazar is a Group of palaces dating back over a thousand years from its
Arabic period to its Gothic take over in the 14th century,The first pictures show
the inner courtyard,a room decorated with the largest tapastries and the exotic
gardens but we can not give you the whole feeling of its full history from the
Mudejar style.
The Holy Cathedral of Sevilla shown in the picture with the Giralda in the back
ground was built over the Almohad mosque in the 9th century and is the largest
Gothic church in the world.When you enter,your breath is taken away in every
sence and it is too much to take in,in one visit.The High Altarpiece in the picture
is 18-metre high and one of the largest in all Christianity.In one of the five naves
the mortal remains of Christopher Columbus are laid in a mausoleum.
The Giralda was built as a minaret in the 11th century and the top added in the
15th century.once again as the Christians took over.To get to the top we walked
up the 35 brick ramps,not steps,the reason was so that the muezzin in charge of
calling the faithfull to prayer could climb to the top on his horse! The view from
the bell tower over Sevilla is rather special and also shows are new apartment
with pool! in the picture.
When we came down to the ground the temprature was 29',so the narrow streets
are a godsend,we had a beer in the Plaza del Salvador which is the heart of the
old town and was packed and full of Sevilla's in crowd,then after visiting the local
market and also buying a rug for the Winnebago we caught a horse carriage to the
other side of the old town for lunch of Argentian Steak and Tinto de Virano ( red
wine with ice and lemonade) In the evening we went out for a late dinner in the
old town,where Brenda had Baby Broad Beans and Ham in oil,followed by Monk
fish in Saffron and i had fish platter.We then went around to our local to watch the
match between Sevilla and Barcelona,which we had tried to get tickets for and
whilst inside we missed the lunar Eclipse as we did not know that it was happening!! When we returned to the hotel we had a spectacular view of the
traffic and noise from the victorious Sevilla supporters !!

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

SEVILLA

Fri 2nd March.
We set off early to Sevilla via the pay Autovia to Jerez past Gibraltar and then
picked up the Autovia from Cadiz towards Sevilla.We followed the signs into
the center of Sevilla and hit the old part by all the main attractions.We had not
been able to book a room on the internet so Brenda jumped out on the main
Avda.Menendez Pelayo at the first Hotel we saw! Luck was with us-" Hotel
Alcazar" had a room with balcony over looking Sevilla and an underground
car park ! After checking in we then hit Sevilla,we went on the Tour por Sevilla
open top bus from just around the corner and got our first view of Sevilla in
the very hot sunshine-25* The pictures below shows the Plaza de Espana
fountains and the Golden Tower ,built in the 13th century to show the sailors
the way home.We then got off the bus and had our first tapas and beer in a
local bar on the edge of a park.In the evening we walked out of the hotel
and found the restaurant area in the very narrow oldest part of town was
just opposite us! In the "El 3 de Oro" Brenda had Olives and Capers on
branch, then crispy fillets of Sea Bass,and i had a Seafood Cocktail with
Veal Cutlet washed down with the local Vino Blanco.On the way back we
stopped at a corner bar that was to become our local! The pictures also
show the view from the balcony during the day and at night on our return
( ie a slight lean to the right!!) of the Giralda,the 11th century minaret.

SEVILLA