Spain 2019/20, trials & tribulations of 2 travellers & a mutt.

As we sit here in Cobh aire tonight (Sunday 24th November) beginning to type up this years blog of our travels I’m left sort of expecting a dear Jon type of message...
“We regret to inform you because of bad weather your sailing is blah blah blah” because the weather tonight is brutal, very wet and very windy indeed, but as yet we haven’t received said message and we await our sailing late tomorrow evening. We’re already about a month late leaving this year because of issues beyond our control and indeed our sailing was then cancelled 10 days ago and we should be in Spain already chasing the big yellow glow in the sky .
But it is what it is and hopefully we get away this time. So what are the plans? Well getting on the damn ferry will be a bonus and we’ve decided to head straight down to the Costa Blanca first. Our initial plans (almost a month ago) was to travel via Madrid, saunter our way around that area for a couple of weeks and arrive out on the coast somewhere south of Murcia and take in the less visited bits of the coast south of Murcia and all the way around to Cadiz. But that’s thwarted on the grounds of us flying home for Christmas on the 19th December from Alicante (one of the reasons of our late departure is Jackies Dad isn’t so well and we need to travel back then) but we resume our trip again when we fly back out on the 3rd of January accompanied by our daughter and another friend of ours. On those grounds and of time constraints we head straight down and stay maybe near Guardamar or Santa Palo or Grand Alicante ..... somewhere in that region anyhow. Our dog sitter is in Guardamar and I’ve the motorhome booked with vip parking in Alicante for the days we are home, good secure parking with 24 hour security.
So, we left home yesterday morning about 11am and a leisurely drive in sunshine all the way with the intention of using an overnight stop from the app at Kinvarra, south of Galway on the coast and that’s exactly what we did arriving there after 3pm with mandatory coffee break on the way. Lovely peaceful overnight stop with one motorhome present with us. Great wee town, couple big supermarkets for necessary supplies, lots of places to eat, filling station and lots of nice pubs. Can reccomend the pier restaurant and bar where we headed off for some ‘moules & frites’... it’s right beside the stop and ideal for anyone with reduced mobility. We headed off with Orla our Jack Russell for a good walk and we both commented on the empty feeling we are both experiencing on this trip on count of loosing our other dog and missing her, particularly when she went everywhere with us in the van.... but such is life. We awoke early and after coffee we took a stroll around town before breakfast and left Kinvarra around 11am heading south via Gort and then the motorway.



Approaching Limerick the weather took a turn for the worse, light rain turned to a persistent fall leading to a very wet and miserable drive for the final 70km to Cobh, and that is how it’s stayed since, so bad in fact that letting the dog out to the toilet results in a drenching in a very short time.

So we’re here !, we shall see what the morning brings and whatever it is we’ll deal with it and hopefully our next report will be from Spain.

Perfect Nick, our paths will cross no doubt..... we’re sort of free mid Jan to tootle about where we like when family fly home.
We’re hoping to stay to April or so.

Well, the call did come !.... cancelled.
Sailing tomorrow night.... I’ll not hold my breath 🤨
A well, right Cork.... let’s be having you. We’re off into town on the train

**EDITED**

Feck it lads, it’s just another day.
We are Enjoying Cork today and Cobh is just lovely. We’re not bothered if we’re honest .... no point, doesn’t change things and we’re fortunate that we’re not tied to dates.... would concern us if we were tied to specific time off.
I’m off to wetherspoons for a couple pints of proper beer.

Well, We sailed on the Tuesday, all good however the crossing was 'Choppy'... quite a swell in fact. This crossing entailed a 2 night stay on board and since it was a late sailing (23:00) we went straight to the cabin and all was OK until about 03:00 when the swell increased to about 2 or 3 meters and made the crossing uncomfortable to say the least. The sailing remained choppy and quite rough right through the Wednesday and the following night too. The MV Kerry is OK as ferries go, clean and comfortable but it is a no frills service and our sailing was virtually deserted, I believe this to be the reason Brittany ferries are cancelling sailings..... to consolidate traffic/numbers and they're not concerned about inconveniencing passengers. We will debate the merits of using them again, on one hand we hated the cancellations etc and on the other hand the convenience of arriving in Spain directly.

We were glad to dock at 07:00 Irish time and made our way about an hour towards Bilbao in heavy traffic and a grey cold morning. Stopping an hour later in a motorway aire south of Bilbao for breakfast and a break for the dog. Weather remained changeable, wet and quite cold and we arrived at an aire we know quite well at Teruel, it was dry here albeit cold and we took the dog and ourselves for a good long walk and settled into bed early. Next morning (Friday 29th) we did a shop at the supermarket right beside our stop, had breakfast & went for a brisk walk and pulled out heading south towards the Med coast about 11am. Traffic heavy around Valencia and we were on the AP7 toll to get around it quickly and decided to stay on the toll road until Benidorm, costing €13.20 total. We had not intended being in Benidorm until later in our trip but delays, parking, pet sitter and so on made the decision for us. We fly home from Alicante on the 19th December for Christmas and return on the 3rd January and our Daughter and friend comes out for a few days. We had intended to travel more south and leave the motorhome at a parking place near Alicante airport but we paid the 30+ day rate here on Raco and will leave the motorhome on the pitch when we are away. Our dog sitter is in Albir, only 10 minutes up the road so that suits us well.
The place is really busy, much busier than last year and we've met many people that we have grown to know over the past couple of seasons we've been here. We arrived at Raco, drove round to our pitch and stopped at a junction.... only to be greeted by a well known 'Craicer' !!.. small world, eh?
First day the weather was OK'ish, but by heck did it settle down to lash cats & dogs for the following 3-4 days. We put up our awning and sides and glad of it to shelter the weather. Picture below of our first night (on way to pub!!). Following days weren't so nice.



So, here we are, here for another 2 weeks.. Today, Thursday the weather took a change, hit 25 deg C today in beautiful sunshine, welcome indeed and forecast good for the foreseeable future. Scooter off and a few trips planned around the area and visit the local eateries and taverns !!. Heading out tomorrow evening to a good U2 tribute act and a meal beforehand.
Posted a few MotorhomeCraic Club membership packs today, (let us know folks when you get them) and the postage from Spain to ROI or NI is cheaper than posting them at home...... figure that out !!
So, all is good with the world, glad to be finally here and looking forward to another good trip.

What ????? My goodness, that’s as quick as posting from Donegal..... 🤬
Suppose Donegal is in the backend of all anyway

Over a month since we last did an update of the blog, been busy and enjoying the weather, the food and wine as well as some super stopovers with great scenery. We pulled out of Benidorm towards the end of last month and travelled southwards with the intention of meeting up with a friend of ours who has a place near Torrevieja. We decided on a site called camping Marjal (Campercontact 20432). A massive 5 star site, multiple pools, sports grounds, restaurants, bars, shops, gym…. etc, etc….. €20/night on ACSI and we spent a couple of nights there, but it’s a soulless place, more like a massive car park with little to offer. Good facilities but it’s a place to go and spend all your time in their facilities at additional cost, plus it has no walking routes to offer us dog lovers.





We move on down south once again and decide on stopping on an aire with good reviews, to the west of Cartagena (Campercontact 73968) called Finca Alegria and it didn’t disappoint. Now the access road is narrow, but no problems if we take our time, it’s in the middle of the citrus groves and almond orchards, no shops nearby at all but local town easily reached by scooter or indeed by bicycle for supplies, the aire owners also sell organic veg, wine, beers and eggs. It’s one of the nicest places we’ve been to, peaceful, quiet and views over the coast and Cartagena. Lovely site, 20 or so pitches, EHU & water on each stand, swimming pool and full facilities. 3 full bathrooms with linen and all toiletries supplied, they haven’t got the grey/black disposal fully sorted yet but working at it and using a crocodile disposal for grey water and a makeshift manhole for cassettes…. they even have a couple of cars for hire for less than a tenner for half a day, we availed of it and went up to La-Manga for the day, nice place with great beaches. Had a good chat with the owner and now all MHCC members can stay for €10 a night inc electric on production of our membership card. I’ve to send him on the details and all will be in place by April. We spent a week there, great walks and a great area with fantastic welcoming owners.





We moved on again south of Mazzeron to an aire called Parking Tortugamona (Campercontact 74324), lovely location right on the coast with all facilities and at €7 a night is good value. We stay for 3 nights enjoying the local area, the scooter is fantastic for getting around.



There comes a time on every trip when the mind must turn towards thinking about a return trip home !.... we’re in no real rush and a gentle meander north is on the cards so this is as far as we are going south this trip and we turn and head north once again, but not too far. We travel up to south of Alicante city , in fact we were just east of Alicante airport, right on the coast to an aire called Parking Urbanova (campercontact 76732), free but no facilities. We were one of about 30 vans there, we met a group of English vans on a tour and they were heading for Morocco, all from Yorkshire. Nice area, good walks but a little bit noisy from the immediate road traffic and the planes taking off from the airport.



Only one night there and off once again, up past our old haunt of Benidorm to south of Valencia to a small campsite called Xeraco Campers (Campercontact 74145). Tight parking spots, pretty new site but not well set-up. Grey waste and cassette emptying outside the entrance, 3 sinks for washing up for 100+ pitches and no shops even close. The town is a tourist town that is deserted off season and we both found it resembling a 1960’s Moscow communist tenement town !..... not for us at all but we stayed a second night.



Up the Coast again to an aire in Benicarlo, (Campingcontact 58245), 7 places and all services except EHU and all free. Nice town, laundry close by, Lidl and other supermarkets close and a good supermarket right beside it. 50 metres to the beach with nice walks. Lovely place and the Benimar motorhome factory is just up the road, 100’s of motorhomes in their compound. We stay for one night.



Next day we take a short trip and we arrive at Camping Ferrer, (Campercontact 88478) a small campsite with extremely tight access and at 7.5m it was a tight squeeze to get in. an old site, ancient services and amenities but clean, good restaurant and the site is in a great location close to town with supermarkets/restaurants/pubs and the town of Peniscola is a gem. ACSI rate of €18 per night with 7 nights for the price of 6. The old town is superb, well worth a full day exploring; it’s the scene of many films inc game of thrones and El-Cid. The town has a nice harbour, superb walks and the path through the swamp area over a boardwalk and grit lanes is lovely, the dog is really enjoying it. We like it so much that we will be here a week soon !









So that is where we are at now, watching this Coronavirus scenario play out and are a little concerned that border controls could be implemented if it reaches a pandemic classification and we will cross the border into France over the weekend and slowly meander north with the intention of catching a ferry in mid March, just in time for the MHCC meet at the brewery.
Will try and do a report from the French leg of the trip before we sail home, going to miss this wonderful weather.