Barbara & La Manga

Picture it in your mind. A two week holiday in the sun. Away from all the stress of everyday life and plenty of time to relax, enjoy and slow down. I needed all the first week to do that 'slowing down' which then gave a few days of true relaxation and rejuvination. But then ...... day twelve dawned and the realisation there were only two days left before the inevitable return to stress, rush and pressure of everyday life. I remember such holidays well and don't get me wrong, they carry many fond memories of loved ones and good times. Always though, that 'far too soon' return to stress, pressure and for me, Migraines with their own particular and very specialized line in lowness, despair and gloom.

With such a background you can maybe sympathetically understand my present bliss. I am very near the tip of the 'La Manga' peninsular. It is a narrow 19 kilometre stretch of built up sandbank with Mediterranian on one side and the shallow inland sea, 'Mar Menor' on the other. As you travel up its length leaving the mainland behind it progressively becomes less 'commercially touristy' built up. Right here where I am, at the 18 kilometre mark there are empty buiding plots and posh villas galore. Most are closed up either for the winter or are for sale or rent. Sadie is perched right behind one such villa sporting a faded 'Si Vende' (For Sale) sign. Very posh it is too but completely shuttered up and like it for several years as the very smart, and I imagine, expensive, monogrammed spiky cast iron railings are literally falling away in great lumps of rust.

The beach is right outside Sadies door and gives out to a shallow sea where you can walk out to clusters of rocks where numerous Flamingos do their stuff as I  binocularise them. Sunshine for the last few days has been wall to wall albeit with a cool northerly  breeze. The whole beach is empty, just the odd couple now and again walking by.

Bliss comes in as I sit quietly and peacefully taking all this in knowing there is no twelth day. No looming fixed return or 'move on' day. No rising dread starting to infect and cloud the mind. I can stay. Stay right here where I am by this beautiful beach until 'Universe' decides in her own good time to move this Nomads life on one more notch. 'Universe', I think will prompt me in a day or so and is probably going to be either laundry or food shop.
Haaa .... life is never THAT perfect eh!
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I came South, to 'La Manga' after dropping Barbara off at Alicante airport for her flight back to Scotland. We thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks of togetherness and fun with a sunshiny mix of town, countryside, mountain and beach. We travelled between and around Barcelona and 'La Marina', a lovely wild beach side stop where there were other motorhomes and a good beachside cafe/restaurant. Very conveniant as a last stop too being just South of Alicante.
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Universe has now 'sort of' spoken. I have today moved but returned again to my private little beachside haven. I've had a day of hunting. Not in the conventional sense more a hunting/searching for. Laundry was number one and fairly easy as just down the road are two big posh Marinas. There are always laundries around Marinas here being no exception. I decided on the 'get it done collect tomorrow' option rather than self service. More expensive but easily countered by the fact I am not paying campsite fees.

While close to the Marina Tanya and I walked across to the 'Puerto office' to enquire as to the chance of buying a top up of water for Sadie. Got a definite down the nose look there with a curt reply. "Ees not posseeeble without you ave Nautica club membership." It was the reply I expected but if you don't ask you don't get which, as it turned out got me a full tank of water later on. We had stopped further down the peninsular and happened to spot a gardener/maintenance guy washing down a deserted shopping/eating Mall. "Well" I thought. "There's an opportunity too good to miss". Sure enough, five minutes, five Euros, the right question and hey presto a full tank of water.

Feeling very pleased with myself I resumed the hunt and headed across the street to what is always the shiniest shop on the street, the 'Farmacia'. Since my 2005 Angioplast (Heart attack and one stent) I take a pill called 'Ramipril' of which I am getting short of having at this point in my travels gone well past my two months UK prescription allowance. Armed with empty pill carton and UK repeat prescription form I head in to do battle.

Hmmmmph! No battle. White coated lady pharmacist merely looks at box, taps computer keys, disappear out back and promply returns with a 28 day supply. "That will be €2.50 please and is that enough or do you require more"? Ridiculousy simple and so so cheap. Where medication/drugs are concerned I am afraid I have to agree with the 'Rip Off' Britain school of succint revelatory education.
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Still here at La Manga. Beachside and Sadie slowly taking root. Helped Irish Mark haul his boat up the beach yesterday and like most Irishmen he then talked... and talked .... and talked. But fascinating hearing his story and so nice to hear a success story of a wealthy couple of entrepreneurs who, through hard work and a bit of luck are now happy posh Spanish villa owners and about to start building another one.

I have other company too. Russ is, like me another solo motorhomer and on his first few weeks of trying wildcamping. He is an x Paramedic and now 'living the dream'. He is good company.

Well it's no good. Time to upload this blog. I mean I have a lot to do. Move my chair for a start as it is just starting to become shaded. Can't have that now can we.