Day 5 – Saturday 24 Feb

Our first non driving day so it’s a lie in without any alarm or any need to get up for anything, except ourselves.  I raise my window blind hesitantly and slowly, as I cant remember if we’re overlooked or not, and my view is direct to the Med with the sun rising in a blue sky. I look at my BBC weather App and see that the temperature today is likely to be around 15 degrees (12 at the mo). With our current pitch directly in the sun I pack my woolly jumper and jeans and don a pair of shorts and t shirt.  I know, totally optimistic, but we’re in Spain, the sun is shining and I’m wearing shorts, because I can.

I can’t believe our food store has done so well without any shopping since we left, except for last night’s bottle of wine.  it’s a lazy breakfast starting with fresh coffee from the mini Nespresso we purchased for the trip.

Ok, the shorts didn’t last long!

This campsite is truly comfortable.  Usually, hot water taps which operate showers, washing up areas and sinks, are on a timed push buttons.  It’s OK for Steve in the showers because being over 6 foot tall he just leans back on the push button, which doesn’t work for 5’2” me.  But today it’s luxury as you would find in a five star hotel.  The difference for those who don’t camp is akin to the hotels that trust you with a real hair dryer, and the ones who treat you like a child with an excuse of a hairdryer attached to the shortest lead in the bathroom which is totally inefficient.   The Wash Block updated a couple of years ago, all water taps are normal as you would have in your home.  Yeay!  They trust me not to leave them on!  The showers are modern, spotless, equipped with huge shower heads and loads of hooks and shelves for all my bits and bobs.  Leaving the shower block I chat to a couple of peeps making my way back to our pitch.  The general consensus is that there are lovely camp sites in Benidorm but you wouldn’t want to stay in Benidorm.  How lucky we were yesterday not to get into Benidorm and find Playa Paraiso. 

When I say lucky, the campsite had just one pitch available.  The smallest one, and we have the largest caravan.  We just about squished it in, which couldn’t have been achieved without a motor mover and an amused small international audience.  Having had a word with reception we’ll be moving to a larger one tomorrow – if we’re quick enough. 

Steve’s only remit today was to set up the wifi to watch the England v Scotland Rugby tonight.  Well, that didn’t take him long, especially as he’s hooked into British tv stations, so it’s off to the bar for a cerveza or two for him and a Bacardi and coke for me.  2pm and the restaurant is rammed with local Spanish.  They seem to be celebrating someone’s birthday.  I’m watching the food come out of the kitchen thinking it all looks totally delicious and wondering if Steve and I will have time to go through the menu.   Ordering a plate of calamari to share, we settle in at the bar to watch the world go by.  My unlimited Bacardi and coke is served in a goldfish bowl and gives me my only challenge of the day – not to fall off the bar stool. The calamari was lush.  Freshly cooked with batter to die for.  The menu is very Spanish without any compromise so as far as I’m concerned, heaven.    I think Steve is in for a culture shock when we visit Benidorm tomorrow.

Watching the sun set, listening to the lapping waves, it’s over and out for today.

Written, edited and posted by Blanche

STOP PRESSS

Someone we spoke to this morning, spoke to someone else who knows someone else in a HUGE pitch moving Monday and it’s ours.  It’s double the size of the one we were to move in tomorrow so it’ll be worth an extra day’s wait.  Apparently ‘us British’ stick together and look out for each other.