Onward & inland

"That, if I may say so, was very nice and it hit the spot well!"

 This said to myself as I pushed away the empty plate, licked my lips and relaxed in my favourite chair, Sadie's turned around passenger seat. Chicken breast, stuffed with Chorizo plus onions and mushrooms cooked for 35 min in a wrap of cooking foil. As reccomended by friend Jurate  back in 'Burriana' where we've been for the last few days.

Our time in 'Burriana', home to Jurate and her family, was relaxing and fruitful. Relaxing as I treated us all to a scrumptious meal out at a local buffet type restaurant. The place was huge and so were we by the time we left. You just have to try everything at a buffet don't you. The stomach may be saying 'no more pleeeease.....' but the eyes ...... well the eyes just see gorgeous and 'must have' food everywhere they look ....so back you go just one more time! The following evening was more sensible. We all enjoyed a meal cooked by Sergio, Jurate's husband. We were then entertained by children Emily and Alexandro's dancing. The stay was fruitful because with Jurate's translation skills I got the puncture in my rear tyre repaired. At a very reasonable price too.

The 'hit the spot' hot meal felt even more delicious as where I am now in 'Alcala del Juca'  is very cold and wet. A pity as this is a stunning location. Fetch it up on Google and you will see what I mean. On our walk round earlier it was winter coat, brolly and avoiding the middle of the steep cliff paths winding up to the castle as they were running with water. The castle was still worth the trek though and I marvelled at how people live very much on top of each other in these Troglydite houses where the back half is dug out of the cliff face. We are parked on a level patch by some flats right under the cliff face and its dug in houses on the opposite bank of the 'river Juca'. No piccy's though. Too dark and wet.

I mused to myself as we drove up here into the 'La Mancha' high plains area that, as usual, I decide to head inland for a while and right on cue the weather turns decidedly Scottish. Ah well! I guess it is still February. Sadie however; is beautifully snug and warm. The specialised small diesel heater I had fitted in the UK by Steve, the Mikuni agent in Southampton has been worth its weight in gold. It quite happily burbles away blowing hot air into Sadie with virtually no drain on the batteries and negligble use of diesel. No more worry about running out of gas trying to keep warm which was previously the only way to heat Sadie. Now I can keep snugly warm on cold dark nights and oven cook a lovely chicken supper. Can't be bad eh?
- - - -
What a stunning drive we've had today. In sunshine too. 'Alcala del Juca' to 'Valdeganga' following the river Juca and it's deep gash of a ravine all the way. Doing such a road in a 3m high and a tad under 7m long motorhome was Ok but I would not have wanted to be any bigger. The road was properly surfaced but narrow in places with huge rock overhangs coming uncomfortably close. What fun though. All the way along more Troglydite houses with quite a few sporting well weathered for sale signs. They would not be my choice of home but as I explored one old and derelict example I could see the advantage of having half your house consisting of cool rock during the fierce heat of a Spanish Summer. The abandoned one I explored was very old and tumbledown with a rush and timber roof and one end for the animals. The two bedrooms were dug deep into the cliff face with blue painted walls/cliff. Fascinating.

A late lunch and a quick walk round the busy and cosmopolitan (read; same as any other city centre) city of 'Albacete' saw us soon being led once again by Mrs Sat nav toward 'Elche de la sierra'. Only we did'nt make it. 'Penas de san Pedro' (yes I know, & I expect Pedro is sick to death of the never ending jokes & innuendos!) hove into view with it's mouth watering rock pinnacle complete with zig zag track to the walled fortifications at the top. Fraid Sadie was promply parked at foot of said rock pinnacle on a very conveniant empty roadway. It was not long before Tanya and I were at the top espying with the Bonnacles  'Albacete' all those miles back across the dry undulating agricultural plains.

OH! And I have not seen another Motorhome since I turned inland from the favoured narrow coastal strip.