Friday, 26 February 2010
La Manga
Hello every one! An update to say that we are currently close to Cartagena where we have spent a lovely few days in the sun. Today we move on to La Manga booked on to a Camping and Caravan Club rally site. This means that Camping and Caravan Club have pre-booked sites that members can get at a preferential rate. There is an indoor pool and tennis court at the site that we hope to be able to use. Not sure about internet opportunities but if we can't access the net onsite we will find WI-FI in a cafe. Thanks for all the emails we have been receiving. We will be getting back to you ASAP xxxx
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Tennis in Torre del Mar
Team LeClerc.
With Krista no longer content to sit and watch she today joined Team LeClerc. Papa and Krista in the Baby Bjorn beat Mama 6-3. 'We are the Champions!'
Mama was just about gracious enough to pose with one of the winners ...
Monday, 15 February 2010
The rain in Spain
Are we in the plain?
No? Well in Spain it also rains by the sea. We are just entering into our third day of torrential wind and rain in Torre del Mar. Let's be brutally honest camping is just no fun when the weather is bad! This is particularly true of wet. The caravan heats up quick so cold is not so bad. But wet you spend your entire time feeling damp and everything revolves around trying not to tramp more mud and moisture into the caravan.
When living with others within the limits of a small space it is also important to go out regularly. In addition Krista is the kind of girl who likes to move when she is sleeping. So yesterday to compound it all we got a puncture in the pushchair walking (in the rain) back from Annie's Spanish lesson ... No walk yesterday afternoon, no sleep for the person who in that state get's to be known as 'The Gringe'.
We haven't slept well for the past few nights. Not only does the pitter, patter (bang, crash) of the rain keep us awake but also the concern for the awning in the storms ... (see earlier entry). In fact we have opted more recently for the smaller awning which despite collecting rain seems to be holding up reasonably well.
Not complaining, we just want to be truthful about the experience we are having. Great when the sunshines when it doesn't its more character building ...
We have made friends with our neighbours some lovely people from Folkstone - Pat and Brian. They have been caravanning and motor-homing for a few years and are more refreshingly honest than most about all the pluses and minuses. (Although Graham has begun to develop a condition known as 'Hymer-envy', they reckon our caravan is more spacious than their van). Anyway once the comparisons were over, we had a few laughs during a truthful session of Rummikub on Sunday. It not only brightened everyone's mood but also brought the sun out.
I feel sorry for the two couples in tents and on motorbikes, they MUST be mad!
No? Well in Spain it also rains by the sea. We are just entering into our third day of torrential wind and rain in Torre del Mar. Let's be brutally honest camping is just no fun when the weather is bad! This is particularly true of wet. The caravan heats up quick so cold is not so bad. But wet you spend your entire time feeling damp and everything revolves around trying not to tramp more mud and moisture into the caravan.
When living with others within the limits of a small space it is also important to go out regularly. In addition Krista is the kind of girl who likes to move when she is sleeping. So yesterday to compound it all we got a puncture in the pushchair walking (in the rain) back from Annie's Spanish lesson ... No walk yesterday afternoon, no sleep for the person who in that state get's to be known as 'The Gringe'.
We haven't slept well for the past few nights. Not only does the pitter, patter (bang, crash) of the rain keep us awake but also the concern for the awning in the storms ... (see earlier entry). In fact we have opted more recently for the smaller awning which despite collecting rain seems to be holding up reasonably well.
Not complaining, we just want to be truthful about the experience we are having. Great when the sunshines when it doesn't its more character building ...
We have made friends with our neighbours some lovely people from Folkstone - Pat and Brian. They have been caravanning and motor-homing for a few years and are more refreshingly honest than most about all the pluses and minuses. (Although Graham has begun to develop a condition known as 'Hymer-envy', they reckon our caravan is more spacious than their van). Anyway once the comparisons were over, we had a few laughs during a truthful session of Rummikub on Sunday. It not only brightened everyone's mood but also brought the sun out.
I feel sorry for the two couples in tents and on motorbikes, they MUST be mad!
Friday, 5 February 2010
More on our time in Torre del Mar
Well what have we been up to since our last update?
We are still in Torre del Mar, a medium sized coastal resort along the coast from Malaga. We intend to stay here until around 16th February. At first we were very unsure about the campsite but since moving to a sunnier pitch feel much happier and we have been making friends with many of the other residents.
I have now been attending Spanish lessons at a local language school for two weeks. It’s been quite intensive as out of season there are only two of us in the class. Torre, a Norwegian guy and I have just about the same level and the same drive to move fast. My teacher Fatima is excellent and won’t let us speak any English. I have been going to ‘school’ every other day for two hours in the morning then spending my afternoons practising what I have learnt whenever the opportunity arises. It’s great to be able to do this and highlights how much easier it is to learn a foreign language in situ. Graham and Krista go for a long run while I’m at school and as Krista sleeps when running, I don’t think she even realizes that her mummy isn’t there.
We haven’t moved far from Torre del Mar and have only got into the car on a couple of occasions since being here. Out of curiosity we took a day-trip to Marbella last Sunday where we had a nice lunch. It was full of English and we spotted a few ‘trout-pouts’. However we were more struck with how many apartments were up for sale or rent and how many hotels looked deserted. It is clear from a similar situation in Torre del Mar, in addition to empty shops and half built housing developments, that areas like this have been sorely hit by the recession. It is evident from how prices are being slashed (by €100,000 +) that anyone with money looking for an apartment or house down here could do very well right now.
On the days that I don’t go to school we’ve been playing tennis on the public courts on the seafront. I beat Graham for the first time in about a year the other day. This gave me great cause for celebration and relief from always having to be the gracious loser. However Graham will be giving no quarter on his service when we play again tomorrow.
Unsure of when Shrove Tuesday fell we had a pancake day last Tuesday. We have since found out that it is on 16th so will count that one as a trial run and have another. It left the caravan smelling a little buttery but all in all was a great success – lemon and sugar are the best.
Though she didn’t join in with the pancakes, Krista is progressing well with her solids. While puréed carrot and puréed carrot and potato were a little too much for her taste buds, some mushed banana went down very well tonight. However Baby-rice and her mummy’s milk remain at the top of her menu of favourites.
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