Robbery & 'El Berro' campsite.

Y'know; God likes a good laugh, and, God's good laughs usually involve our misfortune in some way or other. I chuckled as I reached this conclusion amid the pouring rain as Tanya and I trudged our soggy way back to the 'El Berro' campsite here in the beautiful mountains of 'Parque natural Sierra de Espuna'.

Tanya had awoken me at 0830 and, as we often do, I had flung on a few clothes and headed straight out for an early morning Tanya constitutional walk. It was windy and definitely cooler than the previous two days of unbroken and windless hot sun. There were clouds about but also some early morning warming sunshine. As we trudged our way up the well marked GR 252 footpath deep between steep pine covered hillsides my befuddled and not yet fully awakened brain started to register a darkening accompanied by an increase in wind noise through the pine trees. This was not a big walk at all but even so we had walked for about half an hour with Tanya fully into her sniff and mark territory mode. Me? Well I was in another world and musing on whatever it is a half awakened and befuddled early morning mind muses upon.

It was time to turn back. Only then. Only at that furthest and highest point did I notice the first raindrop and how cleverly God in his/her humour had kept my eyes down watching where I walked while he/she sneaked the dark storm clouds over the mountains to a position where for Tanya and I there was no escape. We were rapidly soaked to the skin as we trudged back. By the time we returned to Sadie my totally innappropriate light hoody top and tracksuit bottoms were fully in the heavy rinse cycle. I'm afraid it was on with central heating while we dried out and changed clothes.

Now it is 1100hrs. We have had a lazy breakfast, the sun is once again shining, although it is quite windy, and I have been watching the campsite slowly come to life. Mind you. God did'nt have it all his/her own way. Last night I did, after viewing the weather forecast, gather in all my lovely sun dried washing. I also safely stowed Sadies 4.5m wind trap of an awning too.

So God, sorry but I figured that one out. Admittedly that scenario would have been a better laugh. Half naked and bleary eyed Steve struggling in the middle of a very cold and windy night to get washing in and stow unwieldy awning. However; catching me out with rain early in the morning. Hmmmph! That's a pretty good laugh too and I fell for that one hook line and sinker!

We are at the El Berrow campsite due to a number of circumstances. One is I was running out of clean clothes and needing a laundry stop. Another is this part of the coastal strip is not doing it for me whereas the beauty of the mountains is. That fact has been both my downfall and my uplift.

We were on our way to El Berro, on the cart tracks as usual, when we came across the stunning 'Embalse de Algeciras'. A man made lake high above the fertile Murcia to Lorca valley. There are lots of these created lakes in this fertile but hot and arid area. Algeciras is, on the map, a small one but it still took my breath away as we arrived at a level viewpoint right above it and alongside a fast flowing canal presumably taking water to the many irrigation channels and smaller storage containers which were dotted everywhere you looked.

'Well' thought I, 'let's delay El Berro for a day and stay here in this beautiful spot.' Which indeed we did. In fact we found a brilliant walk up the ridge which just kept getting higher and higher and presenting ever more stunning views of the valleys and hills near and far all the way down to the Med coast. We were in high spirits and pleased at this unexpected bonus.

So you can imagine my surprise, annoyance and disappointment on our return to Sadie when I noticed we had been robbed. One bike wheel was at a strange angle and only hanging on the bike rack courtesy of the still locked and secure chain. The one thing the locking chain had not been wrapped round were the bikes front suspension forks. The bit the front wheel fits into. It seems, or at least I presume, some opportunistic mountain biker happened by and thought; 'Mmmmm! Got my wee tool kit with me, 2 minute job, methinks I'll just help myself to those!' And he/she did. The upside is there was no other damage to either the bike or to Sadie. A huge relief I can tell you. All in all an annoying happening but one where, on hindsight, I see I had parked and left Sadie in a very exposed viewpoint with a steady stream of traffic passing by be they walkers, bikers or car drivers. A lesson and a warning for the future as I head even further South. Do'nt wild park in full view at regularly used public spots.

We arrived at El Berro the following day and once booked in I queried availability of a bike shop and explained best I could the problem. Well! Mr campsite booking in man became quite upset and was on the phone speaking agitatedly and loudly to, as it turned out, the site owner who appeared a few minutes later. Understanding was soon reached with bike being loaded into his car to be taken to Alhama for repair. Seems it is going to cost me .... 'Total absolute senyor .... €30'. Unfortunately it is going to take a few days but I have booked into the campsite for a week so .... 'iss OK, no problemo mi amigo! '. 

Hmmmmm! Have faith and just trust Steve. It will come back and all will be well ..... I hope!!

Saturday today. A 6 mile walk and just the best motorhome cooked sausage casserole ever. Courtesy of the small El Berro shop and a long length of locally made goat sausage. Different but yummy yummy!

2 piccy's. One of bike minus forks. 2nd of Sadie on El Berro site.