Tuesday 22 January – Bigastro to Vera

Bigastro to Vera - 119 miles

'Twas a bit cool when Jamie first asked to go out, but the bed was still nice and cosy.............

Anyway the sun came up and we breakfasted and serviced the van. Now I'm usually pretty careful about reversing but there was plenty of room............ except for a handrail on a set of steps going nowhere. It was only a little crunch but it bent the handrail support and broke the numberplate holder on the rear rack. The handrail straightened up okay and a few tie-wraps re-attached the holder until I can get a new one – I've done it before and they're not cheap. Stupid!

Decided to head for the A7 motorway as we needed to get around Murcia and it looked by far the easiest way. TomTom said turn left, but the road was a dead end with nowhere to turn so a long reverse downhill, fortunately no traffic and managing not to hit anything! Headed back the way we had come in and took a turn as suggested by Nellie......... suffice it to say it took us half an hour to get clear of what is really only a small town, with TomTom going nuts. There has been extensive development with new roads, not all of them complete, replacing old plus narrow streets and one-way systems – a veritable nightmare! We eventually managed to get to the edge of town and pick up signs – today was not turning out very well!

We stayed on the A7 for quite a while, well past Murcia before breaking off onto the N332 coast road which was very “scenic” - our euphemism for hilly and bendy! - but at least we found a nice quiet place to stop for lunch before continuing the pretty way. The motorways are much more attractive than the UK and are fine if you want/need to make progress and the autovias (e.g A7) are all free. We've heard that the autopistas (e.g. AP7) are being taken over by the government as they are all making losses, and most will be free within 12 months in an attempt to get better use – a welcome reversal in motoring policies!

Mid-afternoon, with the weather definitely grey and cool, we paused to select our night stopover. Bearing in mind our previous experiences although there were a few aires and campsites along the coast we elected to head for a place we'd stayed at a couple of times before, the tennis club site just outside Vera. Once again TomTom tried to take us along unsuitable minor roads, causing a significant backtrack (see the map above) so we reverted to the good old map, supported by the netbook. Eventually we recognised where we were and then easily found the campsite – to be fair it is a bit awkward to get to as the motorway has cut off a more direct route.

Plenty of room and we found a sheltered pitch as a cold wind had got up a bit. A walk round showed the site owners had carried out extensive improvements, although one large open area was in the process of being developed into something else, chalet/bungalows maybe? Although it's a commercial aire at those prices, it is really all but a fully fledged campsite, the only downside being a paucity of facilities although those few were very respectable. The only drawback is the distance to the town, which is really too far to walk.

A quiet evening attempting to sort out TomTom and listening tio Radio 2 via t'internet.

Monday 21 January – Villajoyosa to Bigastro

Villajoyosa to Bigastro - 70 miles

The sunshine had returned and after breakfast and the usual chores we said our goodbyes. Quite pleased with the bill as the electricity was metered but we'd only used 45c worth, however in these circumstances we use gas for heating as it is always cheaper and the fridge wasn't working on electric anyway.

We had no real target today, just gently bumble on south staying off the motorway with a stop for fuel and the usual bit of shopping, which was taken care of at an Al Campo, which is the Spanish arm of Auchon, and where we also had our lunch. A pleasant drive along the mostly coastal N340 had us heading for La Marina where we knew of a couple of motorhome stopovers that more friends would be heading for when they flew back in to Spain, having left their van at Alicante over Christmas and New Year.

Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, they were all full and the local police were in evidence most likely to discourage wild-camping, which we had heard was quite common around the area. It was apparent that anywhere on the coast was going to be difficult but we have learned that going just a few miles inland was much easier. Checking our information we spotted a couple of aires about half an hour away so headed that way, but then spotted a large advertising hoarding for a campsite we'd also noted. As it offered all year round opening thought we'd have a look.

Camping Le Pedrera at Bigastro turned out to be a small terraced site with quite a few spaces available. It also turned out to be ACSI registered although, due to some difficulties, it had been missed out of the current site book. All the regular facilities, perhaps a little more basic than we've seen, nevertheless were modern and spotless. Even the free wifi worked well, probably because there were not many folk in residence – it seemed eerily quiet. The on site bar/restaurant is closed on Monday otherwise we might have tried it, but of course no matter as we are fully self-sufficient.

We passed a quiet and comfortable evening, watching some more TV.

Villajoyosa - 18th to 21st January

Our sole purpose for booking here at Imperium Alicante, which is in fact closer to Benidorm than Alicante, was to meet up with our friends Colin & Tina who we haven't seen for ages and who were enjoying a month here in their caravan as part of their winter break. It turned out that we were extremely lucky to get a pitch for the days we wanted as otherwise the site was fully booked and was also hosting a Camping and Caravanning Club Winter Rally.

A medium size one year old site on the edge of the town, it had nice size fully serviced pitches, most in plenty of sun, unless you happened be pitched next to a huge American RV.............! (Not us). Swimming pool, small restaurant and tiny shop (well it was really just a few shelves but hey ho!) the town with a good supermarket was only a nice stroll away. Alicante and Benidorm are only a short drive away or there is regular public transport from the town. It also turned out to be ACSI registered but there was hardly any price difference on the deal we got. You sometimes have to watch for this as on several occasions, especially for longer stays, the campsites have been able to offer a better deal.

Friday evening we enjoyed an excellent and surprisingly cheap meal in the restaurant, despite not having booked. Saturday was warm and sunny and Colin drove us into Benidorm to visit the well stocked Caravanning Shop to see if we could get the fridge part (no luck) and also some hose for him. We had a little drive round the very busy resort before calling at an Ex-Pat Cash & Carry where we managed to pick up a few items we'd forgotten and/or needed. At a premium of course!

Sunday was a bit grey and cool after overnight showers but it didn't stop us from enjoying our Sunday Breakfast or our get-together. We did ask if we could extend our stay but although they did try there was simply no available pitches. So a lazy day just chewing the fat and catching up. Later in the year they plan to tour to Scotland and we'll arrange to meet again then, perhaps joining them.

Friday 18th January – Valencia to Villajoyosa

(Map to follow - technical issue!)

Standard start so breakfast, service the van, pay the man and away, still not particularly early but we don't have very far to go, although there were a few calls to make. Priority was gas, then shopping and then try to locate a Thetford dealer, so we programmed a known gas station into TomTom and set off.

Our list of Thetford dealers showed one just down the road but we didn't see it. Similarly a couple of others were on our route but noticeable by their absence – perhaps we hadn't got the locations quite right. We found a Carrefour quite quickly to top up the groceries then pushed on, rejoining the N332 through various towns and villages. The gas station was easy to find and the attendant did everything for us, as well as provide directions to a Thetford place, which again we didn't find but that may have been a misunderstanding, she spoke no Engliush and our Spanish is, well, poco poco!

Never mind, carried on now looking for a place to pause for lunch with the weather slowly deteriorating until it started to rain. We followed a very scenic route through the coastal mountains but there were few opportunities to stop, but eventually we slotted into a kerbside space in one of the towns for a very late lunch. A walk with Jamie led to a bank which this time gave us some cash before carrying on into heavy rain as we passed Benidorm.

TomTom took us easily to Imperium Alicante camping, which is nowhere near Alicante of course but on the edge of Villajoyosa between Benidorm and Alicante. A very smart modern site, we were expected at reception and got booked in okay with a very nice pitch in full sun (it had reappeared) all day and close to the “facilities” so settled in before going to find Colin and Tina for a welcome reunion. It turned out that we had been very lucky to get our reservation as the site was full.

The site has a restaurant so we decided to have a joint meal there later – we should have booked but even though it isn't very big they accomodated us. A good choice on the menu and we all enjoyed our selections which were surprisingly reasonably priced – it was one of two fixed-price menus which included three generous courses and a drink; recommended.

And so ended a most pleasant day – it's so nice to catch up with old friends.

WE STAYED AT: Imperium Alicante Camping at Villajoyosa. Almost new medium size site with adequate size pitches and excellent facilities including washing machines and a dog shower! Swimming pool, restaurant, very small shop, free wifi. Reasonable walk into town and public transport.

We paid €18.50 a night plus metered electric but there are numerous deals depending on size of pitch and length of stay. Fully booked, we were unable to extend our visit. There was a Camping and Caravaning Club Rally on siteat the time of our visit.

Valencia - 14th to 18th January

We stayed here at Devesa Gardens last year for a week and enjoyed it, which was sort of our reason for picking it out this time. Again it is much quieter than we would have expected but as far as we are concerned that's okay. Germans are still the highest percentage but there are also a few Brits, some Dutch, couple of Spanish and a Norwegian!

Already mentioned the new sunshade frames and the new chalets, apparently only now being readied for occupation. They have been set out as a small village with (artificial) lawns around the pathways and the whole thing is quite attractive. To make room they have reduced the size of the animal zoo but it is still here although not as many species as we remember.

Unfortunately we discovered the fridge wasn't working properly, eventually failing whilst on mains electricity. The fault code confirmed the problem, a failed part similar to a fault with another component we had late last year and which we replaced. We've looked into getting the part delivered to our friends before they fly out but it doesn't look possible although they're still trying. A check on the internet has identified several dealers, both near to us now and also on our route south, so we'll endeavour to call in to see if they can help. Meanwhile the fridge is working fine on gas so for the moment we don't have a real problem, although we are going to have to allow for a higher gas useage.

The first three days were bright and sunny and we were able to sit out in the sun all day, apart from an hour or so mid-afternoon when a tree got in the way. However Thursday dawned dull and grey with a suspicion of rain in the air although it never actually materialised. Without the sun, however, it wasn't as warm and we stayed in the van, just venturing out to walk Jamie and also get bread from the on-site supermarket.

We also decided to try the restaurant out on our last night. It looks to have been totally refurbished and is very nice indeed – but they had next to no menu, just a three-course Camper Menu for during the day and a Night Tapas menu. Unfortunately tapas are not Brenda's thing so we had to give it a miss; but we've got plenty of stuff in the van so we just ate quite late is all. Shame really.

But we're on the move again tomorrow so therre'll be plenty more opportunities.

Monday 14 January – Peniscola to Valencia

Peniscola to Valencia - 115 miles driven

Another bright and sunny day, feeling a bit warmer so we finished packing things away and servicing the van having decided to move on today. We're in no rush however so first call, once we'd managed to navigate ourselves free of the complicated road network in the town, was to the Mercadonna supermarket to replenish supplies. That done we headed for the coastal N340 road and turned south.

Generally the coastal plain is somewhat featureless with the odd outcrop of rocky hills, the main “views” being of the mountains to the west. The N340 generally follows the toll AP7 motorway, becoming the A7 occasionally before joining the AP7 approaching Valencia. In an effort to find the so-called coastal route we turned off, thinking we were headed for Benicassim but had left the road 100m early and wound through the countryside only to come up against a dead-end. Well it wasn't quite a dead end but strictly non-accessible to us so we backtracked then tried the proper road and meandered into Benicassim, another holiday resort.

Like Peniscola, Benicassim is a tourist destination, although somewhat larger and definitely busier. We ambled through the town before getting slightly lost trying to find our way out, but Nellie, our trusty notebook, showed us a way and we were soon back on the N340. Later, looking for somewhere nice to have lunch, we took a turn with signs for the beach which led us through lots of narrow streets to a large empty carpark on the edge of the beach at Almenara Plage.

In season we surmised al the small houses we could see lining the beach would be full of holidaymakers but for now it was totally deserted, although actually quite attractive in the sunshine. Jamie had a nice plodge in the sea (too cold for us!) before we had a lazy lunch, checking out the guides to decide where next. We could easily envisage a night "wild camping" here.

We would usually have chosen an aire but they were few and far between, mostly of the commercial variety and quite probably full as we have experienced before. At costs varying from €8 to €15 per night we thought for a few euros more we could enjoy a proper campsite so decided on Devesa Gardens south of Valancia, an ACSI site we stayed on for a week or so last year. So with TomTom providing guidance we worked our way back to the, now, A7 and headed into Valencia.

Although we are aware there is an old quarter, Valencia is a very modern city with some stunning architecture that the camera couldn't quite capture as we drove past on the excellent roads serving it. We would have liked to pause but the traffic gave us little opportunity – perhaps we'll return by bus. Almost before we knew it we were out the other side and following the coastal road, past a large coastal lake nature reserve from which our intended destination takes it's name.

As last year, we were surprised to find the site only half full and we selected a pitch in full sun. There had been some work done with the trees being thinned out and large metal frames erected, ready to take the sunshading which is quite common in Spain at the height of summer. But for now they were just bare frames, easy to forget about unless your van was quite high – we watched a very large “A” class motorhome reverse onto a closeby pitch, his TV aerial and air-con unit clearing the frame by less than an inch! A goodly number of attractive holiday chalets have also been added.

We've booked in for 4 nights, which will take us nicely up to our “meet” with friends near Alicante at the end of the week.

WE STAYED AT Devesa Gardens, on the coast south of Valencia. The usual full excellent facilities include a restaurant, swimming pool (closed out of season) a small supermarket and free Wifi. ACSI at €18 per night. Buses into Valencia stop outside the gate and the beach is around a 20 min stroll through woodland.

Peniscola – 9 to 14 January

Peniscola was once just a tiny coastal village at the base of perhaps the most stunning fortified castle in Spain, situated on a promontory overlooking what is now a total holiday town. The long northern seafront is a never ending line of apartments and hotels lining a narrow sandy beach, deserted of course at this time of year. To the south of the castle, adjoining the port, is a smaller sandy bay which is somewhat more attractive than the high-rises.

Looking south from the castle

One day we walked along the promenade for 20 minutes into the town with Jamie and found it mostly closed up, just the odd shop optimistically hoping for some trade plus a few cafes – and a bank whose machine refused to accept any card we offered it! There is a small fishing port, which was servicing a couple of boats, but the main attraction is the castle.

 

 

We wandered up the narrow streets and around the seaward walls, basking in glorious winter sunshine and imagining what it would be like in the holiday season! The castle was open for viewing but did not accept dogs so we thought €5 a head was not worth what we could access. There is a lot made of the fact that Pope Benedict XIII, known as Papa Luna, lived here for 6 years after being deposed from the papacy in the 15^th century. There is an attractive small public garden which we passed on the way down, returning to the campsite.

Looking north

Behind the site there is a large coastal marsh area with footpaths winding through it, making for good strolling and taking the dog for walks. Being out of season the swimming pool was closed (well it was empty) as was the restaurant, although the terrace bar appeared to be open but poorly patronised. There are two camping areas, the south being the original and somewhat more shaded than our preferred north area. Both were almost full and we noted the huge majority were long stay German units, both motorhomes and caravans, just two or three of other nationalities.

We had to position the van diagonally across our pitch to get it to fit in between the hedges and trees. However this meant we got full sunshine for most of the day and we spent most of the daytime hours enjoying it, when not catching up on the usual chores or walking Jamie. However, as to be expected in January, once the sun disappeared behind a hill the temperature dropped quickly and everyone retreated to their satellite TVs!

Originally planning to stay 5 nights we extended for another as we would have left on a Sunday and we needed to do some shopping – the Mercadonna seemed to be the only place open and was too far to walk and carry shopping bags!

If you're after total peace and quiet we can thoroughly recommend Peniscola at this time of year.

"Papa Luna"