Bye Bye El Berro. Hello seaside - again!

"C'mon Steve. Out of that comfy seat and get the washing up done" says one half of me. 

My other half counters with; "Yes,yes. In a minute. I just need to stay a while and figure out why I am so dog tired tonight that I can hardly move".

As I reflect on the day it soon becomes clear just why I am so tired.

We were up early for Tanya's morning walk on this our final morning at El Berro campsite. There was a stiff north wind blowing and when you are 600m up in the 'Sierra de Espuna', even though the sun is just about to show itself in the clear blue sky, I can assure you it is cold, bitterly cold.

Shower next in the very welcoming heated shower block with piping hot showers. Breakfast is then followed by the various chores required to get Sadie all packed away and ready to roll. The shiny new, non suspension front forks on our bike look rather good as I lift and secure/lock it into position on the carrying rack.

The bike, fully repaired had been returned the day before and we had taken the opportunity to go on one of our 'bike-walk expoditions'. Espuna is a seriously mountainous area and there is no way I could cycle up some of those hills. Walking and pushing the bike is equally enjoyable though and Tanya loves the mix of walking, sniffing and then zooming down hills in her green doggy carrier. We got all the way up to 'La Perdis' recreation area where the day before we had parked Sadie and climbed, nay scrambled some of the way up the 1444m high peak that dominates the area. I knew I would not be able to make the peak for that is a serious day long climb. However; an hour and a quarter of steady steep climbing was enough to give amazing views and a place to enjoy our lunch in the warm mountain sunshine. Plus it also left me with enough stamina to come back down. Always the tricky bit requiring full concentration when so steep and treacherously gravel-slippy underfoot. All went well I am pleased to report and here we were again the next day only this time on bike We were able to cycle on and get a good view of where we had walked the day before. OK so it was a long way off the peak but I was impressed all the same when I saw just how far up this brute of a mountain we had struggled.

OK; back to today. Bike on the rack. Water tank topped up. Electric cable disconnected and stowed. Chair, table, awning and floor sheet all packed away. Cupboards closed, seats turned around and Tanyas travel bed prepared and last of all, with Tanya shut inside (!! No more running over thank you very much!) Sadie is rolled back off the levelling ramps and they are collected and stored.

Phew! That only leaves a walk round to say cheerio to all the good friends I've made during the week and of course the painful bit, pay the bill.

Finally we were off and as always sadness at leaving is soon replaced by excitement as Sadie effortlessly starts to negotiate her way up hair raising hairpin stairways on this the long and scenic route through, up and over and then down and out of 'Sierra de Espuna'. A slow but thrilling drive especially built by the Spaniards for this foolhardy, nay stupid old bearded Inglesia pensioner who, without a risk averse wife to temper his madness, flings his motorhome with gay abandon around sky high and crumbly edged hairpins atop a downward oblivion of nothing but stubby pines and mountain goats. Ahhhhh bliss!!

'Totana' was the first small town we arrived at which conveniently had supermarket and fuel stop. In fact the supermarket had an under cover car park big enough to fit Sadie in which was very convenient. Onwards we went now fully stocked and ready for a few days wild camping down by the coast and hopefully where it is a bit warmer. Around 'Lorca' we speed and eventually end up here at a beautiful spot right by the sea just north of 'Aguillas' and if I look out of Sadies side window I can see the village of 'Calabardina' across the bay.

There are lots of other motorhomes here which is how I found the place. You have a job to hide a motorhome away and these were clearly visible from the nearby coastal road. The Somerset couple parked just in front tell me the coastline south of here is littered with beautiful wild camping spots like this one. We are the only two UK motorhomers here the rest, about 30, being mainly Dutch and German.

So all in all a busy busy bee day. No wonder I am tired. But tired or not I think to myself;

"I got a feeling the blow up canoe may be coming out tomorrow!"

-  -  -

2 days on.

Still here .... stopped, walking, biking, canoeing, & lazing in the sun.