La Manga to Castillo de Banos

An evening meal in our van

Janet & Shirley doing the Dosy Dee - or something like that! I stuck with my glass of wine

No picures - i'm a star!!

What more pictures!!

Not sure what Shirley was thinking?

Ron & I

A meal with Vicki & Phil

Our final days stay at La Manga included meeting up with our friends Vicki & Phil who live on Mar Menor Golf Resort. We also went to look at our old house & saw how the development & area has grown. It was sad to see how many places are up for sale due to the current economic climate.

On our last night @ la Manga we went down to the beach bar restaurant with our new friends Ron & Shirley for a drink & a dance,

Our next stage is on to Castillo de Banos for a week. We decided to stop here for two reasons, one being it was to far to travel down to Marbella in one day & the other is that we want to visit the Alhambra Palace in Granada & it is only 60 miles away from the site.

Sunday BBQ @ Castillo de Banos

The site is much smaller & has more of a 'country' feel. We have settled in & joining others in some of the activities. I should explain that we have booked most of our sites through 'Carefree' which is the overseas travel arm of the Camping & Caravaning Club & as such has winter rallies on some of the sites we have booked onto.

A couple on the pitch next to us have also kindly offered to look after George on Tuesday when we go to the Alhambra Palace in Granada.

Today (Sunday) we went to the rally BBQ. Janet is now sleeping it off.

The Windmill @ Lo Pagan

The beach at Los Narejos




Coffee on the beach

The promenade @ Los Narejos

The Windmill @ Lo Pagan

Five litres of a good red wine from the Jumilla region - bargain!

Our Home on Wheels

This is our home for the next few months.

Bedroom



Bathroom

Kitchen Area

Lounge

TV area

Lounge

Map of the Mar Menor. We are staying at the bottom next to Playa Honda (shown by a tent).

Please feel free to add a comment on our blog whenever you want to, but for it to appear you will have to register with Google as a 'Follower'. It would be nice to hear from you.

For those who may be interested, our home during our travels is a 2010 Swift Challenger 570 caravan.

Like most modern caravans it is very comfortable & has all mod cons including lounge area, a fixed rear double bed, rear washroom with large shower, heated towel rail & electric flush loo, blown air heating (electric or gas), full oven, 4 ring hob (1 electric), built in microwave, fridge with freezer compartment, radio/CD/iPod, & drop down 16" DVD/TV combo. We also have a roof mounted automatic Sky satellite dish (fine for the UK & Northern Europe, but not large enough for southern Spain!)

Tuesday 18th

Janet's lunch yesterday

Mar de Cristal

On our way to Cartagena yesterday I decided on the great idea of 'popping in' to a local caravan dealer to get some bits & bobs we needed. Generally Tamara Tom Tom is very good at this, but on this occassion the farmers at the end of the dirt track we went down were very amused at our antics in trying a three point turn in their field. To be fair to Tamara I had not updated our European maps before leaving. But with the latitude & longtitude details added we got there in the end. Janet also managed to pick a lemon for her G&T later! However the Sorento now needs a good clean.

I had also posted a wanted add for a Spanish gas cylinder in the Camping & Caravan Club rally tent earlier in the week & a chap came to a caravan later in the afternoon as he had one for sale. So, 20 Euros later I now had a (empty) light weight cylinder & a new regulator - what a happy chap I am now as you have to sign a contract for them (not locally) & buy the first cylinder as well as the gas.

Had a drink in our awning with the couple we met earlier in the week & then a light supper.

This morning I went over to the Upper Mercardo on the site exchanged the gas cylinder & replaced one of our UK cylinders with it. Then I went down to a local garage & jet washed the car. Janet took some washing down to the machine & then walked George.

It has been very overcast today with the weather forecast predicting more of the same over the next few days.

Also emailed the DVLA to organise a relacement driving licence for Janet.

Janet now back from a line dancing lesson so now for a cup of tea & a walk down to the beach with George...

A Bit More about our site & Cartagena

Situated between the the main road & the Mar Menor lagoon, Caravanning La Manga is a big site with around a 1,000 pitches all with shrub borders, electric hook ups, individual fresh water taps & waste facilities. many have statics on which have been modified & added to over the years in typical Spanish fashion!

The Mar Menor (little sea or small sea) is a salty lagoon in the south-east of Murcia separated from the Mediterranean by the La Manga (Sleeve) strip, a sandbar 22km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m. Very developed with high rise buildings & some say it looks like Manhattan from this side of the Mar Menor.

Cartagena is a very historical town & always worth a visit. This maritime enclave was already known to the Carthaginians and Romans, and its name today comes from the Latin name, Cartago Nova. Cartagena was under Arab domination until Ferdinand III the Saint reconquered it and incorporated it into the kingdom of Castile. Its port played a key role in the War of Succession and the Peninsular Wars.

The rich Carthaginian heritage extends as far as the shores of its marina. The Sea Wall, built by Charles III in the 18th century, delimits the old quarter. Overlooking the Mediterranean there are two elements which are clearly connected with the sea: the prototype of the submarine by the inventor Isaac Peral, a native of Cartagena, and the National Museum of Maritime Archaeology. This museum on the Navidad dock is also home to the National Centre of Underwater Archaeological Research. The findings on display reveal aspects of naval construction, trade and navigation from ancient times.

The entrance to the city centre is dominated by the Town Hall, a gem of modernist architecture dating from the early 20th century. The Old Cathedral is located on the Camino del Parque Torres (behind the Muralla del Mar wall). This is the oldest place of worship in CartagenaCartagena (13th century), and it stands on the remains of a Roman Theatre discovered in 1987. This construction dates from the first century A.D., and together with the theatre in Mérida, is one of the most important in Spain. The items found on this site can be seen in the Museum of the Roman Theatre.

Other examples of Roman splendour to be seen in the city are the remains of the amphitheatre (in the bull ring), the archaeological site of El Molinete, the Morería Baja colonnade and the Byzantine Wall, which despite its name is also Roman. Particularly worth mentioning are the Augusteum and the Decumanus. The first contains the remains of the old forum, whose importance as a public building can be seen from the luxurious marble floors on display at the site. The second contains the foundations of a porticoed area with a Roman road which links the port with the forum, and with an area of thermal baths. The Casa Fortuna, built in the first century B.C. and belonging to a wealthy family, shows what daily life was like at the time of the Roman Empire.

The Torres park is the site of the Concepción castle. Raised on a hill, it served as a fortress for Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and Castilians. Indeed the city has always had numerous defensive military buildings. A good example is the Navidad Fortress, built in the mid-19th century and today the Visitor Centre for the Defensive Architecture of Cartagena and the Mediterranean. Also worth visiting is the Refuge – Civil War museum, a series of galleries which were used as protection from aerial attack throughout the conflict.

The best way to discover the Modernist architecture of Cartagena is to take a walk along the Calle Mayor, which leads off the Plaza del Ayuntamiento square, and the surrounding area. Here visitors will find the houses of Cervantes and Llagostera, by the Cartagena architect Victor Beltrí, with their characteristic glassed-in balconies, worked in iron with bronze reliefs of allegorical figures. Other representative buildings of this artistic movement include the Casino, the Gran Hotel, the railway station, and the houses of Maestre and Dorda, all elegant monuments to the bourgeoisie which remain as evidence of the area’s economic development, based on mining and industry, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Aristocratic buildings included the palaces of Aguirre and Pedreño, the first in the Modernist style and the second in the neoclassical style.

The Punic Wall stands on Monte Aletes, one of the five hills surrounding Cartagena. This is the location of the Visitor Centre for this site, dating from the third century B.C.

Adjoining the historic walled centre is the Military Arsenal, whose construction was concluded during the reign of Charles III. The walls here have the only entrance gateway which still stands in the city. Also related with the history of Cartagena is the Naval Museum, on the outskirts of the modern city, containing an exhibition of old ship’s navigation instruments, maps and navigation charts, as well as models of ships of all kinds. The fishing quarter of Santa Lucía is also well worth visiting.

Cartagena also has a variety of key cultural events each year such as the world music festival known as the “La Mar de Músicas” (Sea of Music).

Monday 17th...

George woke us up this morning at 06:00 as he wasn’t feeling well & wanted to ‘go outside’.

As the morning was very misty & damp I decided that tea & toast was relevant on our return. Janet was still in bed of course!

We needed to get some photos taken for our replacement passports, so we decided to go into Cartagena as we knew that there was a photo booth outside the Guardia Civil building. (We had used this before when we needed photos for our Spanish residency application in 2005). Unfortunately as we now have a roof box on our car parking was a bit of a problem as most car parks are underground & I didn’t want to lose the top box!! Luckily I found a spot close to the photo booth.

By this time the mist had been burnt off & the day was very nice.

We got our photos done & then made our way down the main street of Cartagena,(Calle Mayor), to the port for lunch. Menu del Dia @ 11 Euro each was good for a starter, main course, pudding, & two drinks!

We ate opposite the old town hall which was being restored when we were here in 2005 do it was really nice to see the finished job. Cartagena is in many ways a miniature version of Murcia City which is also a place which should be visited.

When we got back we had drinks with some friends we have made & then a light dinner.

A hard life but someone has to do it!

A Few More Pictures

Saturday.. Lazy morning then went into Cabo de Palos for a stroll & Morning coffee. Decided a cake was also needed!! Then did some shopping at the local 'Upper' surmarket. Trying to see how I can get a Spanish gas cylinder for the van!Hi All

We are now at Caravanning La Manga on the Mar Menor. The Mar Menor (little sea or small sea) is a salty lagoon in the south-east of Murcia separated from the Mediterranean by La Manga (Sleeve), a sandbar 22km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m. The La manga strip is very developed with high rise buildings along most of its length & some say it looks like Manhattan from this side of the Mar Menor. Also well known in the area is La Manga Club, an up market golf resort. Very nice if you can afford their prices for a round of golf!

This is the area we lived in for a year in 2005 so it is nice to see how it has changed (not much) over the last 6 years. The last couple of days have been cloudy, but still ‘shorts’ weather for most of the day. We are also looking forward to visiting some of our favourite restaurants. Last night we went down to the site bar/restaurant for a drink & dance!!! Then staggered back to our van.

We are here till the 27th & then we move down to Marbella, but as it is a long drive we will be staying at another site for a week on the way down to break it up.

Tomorrow we have to go into Cartagena to try & get some photo’s done for our replacement passports.

Whilst we have a full size cooker in the van, it is better to cook smelly dishes in the awning. This particular night Janet did prawns in garlic as a starter.. YUMMY!!!

Thursday 13th - To La Manga

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Left Spa Natura @ 09:15 & had a steady drive down to La Manga arriving@ 15:15. Got onto pitch & then took George down to the beach for a walk. Great views across to the La Manga strip over the Mar Menor. Strange to be back where we lived for a year! Will put up awning tomorrow & do some shopping etc. Temperature rose steadily on the way down to 20C!!!

Monday 10th. Some Pictures of Morella

About an hours drive inland from Spa Natura is the hillside town of Morello. Very quiet at this time of year 7 aqs we got higher the temerature dropped about 5 degrees!!

Sunday in Peniscola & Benicarlo

Lazy day today, drove the short distance into Peniscola for a walk along the front & coffee etc. Had lunch then drove into the port of Benicarlo for a look around.

Saturday 08 January - Settled In

Sunday 2ndLeft home around 11:30 arriving at the Caravan Club Black Horse Farm Site in Folkstone at 4:00. Had an early night.

Monday 3rd
Got up at 05:45 to walk George & have breakfast before catching the 08:20 Eurotunnel train. Very impressive! 35 Minutes later we started travelling down the E15 on the east side of France & got to our first overnight stop close to Troyes (about 27 miles south east of Paris), at around 4:00. Bit of a drive from the motorway, but at least we are seeing some French towns. Getting progressively colder as we travel south & quite misty. We are very impressed with the French road system (although paid for by tolls!) & the large number of service & stopping/picnic areas (Aires) along the motorways.

Tuesday 4th
Away from site around 10:00. Not impressed with the temperature which is still dropping & around -4C! Arrived at Dardilly, Lyon around four & now -5C!! Quite a nice site though (for an overnight stop) as the facilities were good & showers very hot. Waste pipe on the van froze up in the morning though. Ordered a baguette for breakfast/lunch. The car & caravan are now very dirty & we have to stop at more Aires just to clean the mirrors.

Weds 5thWe do not seem to be able to leave our sites before 10! Another five hours of motorway travel plus a couple of breaks. Arrived at our last French overnight stop, (again at four). This one was Le Bacares at Perpignan, just north of the Spanish border. Our pitch had a small ‘shed’ with loo, shower & waste facilities. We are now getting quite efficient at arriving & setting up quickly so I decided to wash the caravan whilst Janet walked George & did her bits!

George is now into the routine and as usual taking all in his stride.

Thurs 6thDecided to wash the car before leaving & some how we were away by 09:15. Don’t know we did it, must have forgotten something. Temperature has now risen to 4 degrees which was welcome.

As we got into Spain the temperature starting rising steadily & within another five hours of travelling was at the dizzy height of 16 degrees.

Now the bad bit…

Just passed Barcelona we heard a loud bang and a silver BMW car passed and waved at the car rear. I STUPIDLY stopped & got out of the car to investigate the problem together with a man from the BMW car, Janet was looking out of the door when a second man opened the driver’s door of our car and snatched her handbag which was by her feet. Both men ran off back to the BMW and drove off before we could do anything. (It is a very common occurrence on the AP7 around Barcelona!). Janet called Sentinel & cancelled all her cards etc, but our passports & her mobile phone were also in the bag, plus loads of other items including about 150 Euros. There is also a dent on the rear car door where they threw a rock or whatever to make the noise we heard.

Anyway we are OK & it is only an inconvenience when you look positively at the incident. We have been to the Guardia Civil in Peniscola for an incident number & may have to go to the consulate in Malaga re our stolen passports.

We arrived at our first Spanish site Spa Natura in Peniscola at 15:15, surprised at the good time we had made considering everything. We checked in, found out where the Guardia Civil building is & then had a restful early evening sitting with a drink outside in the sunshine, (16 degrees) which made up for a lot!!

Booked in here till the 13th when we move down to La Manga for two weeks.

Friday 7th

As usual up around seven to walk George. Very pleasant as we are surrounded by olive groves and orange trees. Had breakfast & put up our new ‘full’ awning for the first time before going to report yesterday’s incident, & do some shopping at the local Euroski super Mercado. By lunchtime it was very sunny & around 19 degrees when we were at the super Mercado. From our first look at Peniscola town it is very nice with a pleasant beach.

Saturday 8th

Very lazy day, apart from giving the van a good cleaning inside & doing some washing. Finished finer parts awning erection & had an enjoyable lunch prepared by Janet in very warm weather. Now wearing my shorts!!!

All for now. More in a couple of days. Still getting to know how to create this blog.. Site WiFi very good & not too expensive.