Spain 22 (Week Nine)

The week ends with an impromptu Sunday tapas lunch at Tal Cual in the Port after a gentle sunny stroll. Thoroughly enjoyed dining with the locals, as is the traditional Sunday pastime, we were made welcome and equally enjoyed our choices of Huevo Rotos, jamon, papas fritas y trufas (ham, egg and chips with black truffle!) plus crunchy prawns and stuffed jalapeños. All lovely, and as we lay in the sun dozing I feel comfortably and unapologetically smug and looking forward to Monday to see what this week brings. A far cry from a work life Sunday evening, putting off going to bed.

Our ninth week has been one of variable weather with a few very

wet days, but ending on a spell of unusually high temperatures, sunshine and clear blue skies. Tuesday and Wednesday were particularly wet, with some prolonged heavy rain and flooding. It’s interesting to get an extended insight into real life here outside of holiday season; a first for us. The soggy days were spent lounging around in the van, shopping or taking long circular walks taking in the contrasts of “old town”, port and Arenal with one afternoon notably spent in a bar with the staff sweeping back the water pouring in as promised by the black skies which had persuaded us to take refuge just in time. We hadn’t realised that Daisy was sat with her arse in the floodwater as we kept telling her to sit down, poor thing. As Wednesday continued wet we decided to take the van out to stock up on provisions, cleared everything away to move and then realised all the shops are shut due to Hispanic Day; just took a drive out to Moraira for coffee at an old favourite cafe albeit in the rain.

Friday was back to business as usual, a bright, hot sunny day as we whizzed down the steep descent onto Platja Barraca (Portixol) a pretty, stony bay with glass clear water, understandably popular for snorkelling. We had lunch of “Fish & Chips” at Cala Clémence del Portitxol which is a restaurant full of beautiful people (they put us on a table out of the way!) and with equally beautiful views overlooking the bay, which is in turn overlooked by very expensive looking villas. The cycle back up was not whizzy. In the evening we decided to go into the Old Town of Javea for wine, still full from lunch neither of us bothered about eating. Bumped into John and Anne, a friendly couple from Blyth in a nearby van we’d often spoken with and whom Daisy keeps occupied with stone throwing, and we joined them for drinks. Una Copa Rjoca turned into several before a bizarre Tapas meal much later, where we under ordered and basically ate the sliders poor Anne we realised next morning she wanted for herself. We’d chosen an incredibly salty pork dish and an unappealing plate of iberico ham croquettes, slightly worse for wear. An unsettled night followed for me with stomach churning , luckily we were close to the toilet block which I visited hourly as late dining does not suit me, justice I guess. That said the old town is lovely and atmospheric on an evening and we enjoyed talking to this interesting, well travelled couple. John being a keen Blythe Spartans fan, and at one time on their board of Directors.

Anne and John are set to leave on the Monday so we’re left isolated and vulnerable to the invite for drinks from “Fil” & Terri as one of the last standing Brits on the block. Nothing particularly against them, she’s just a little “inquisitive” watching our every move and he waddles about like an Emporer penguin. Turns out they live in lovely Mudeford and he knows our friend the “one shirt” millionaire Robert from Milford on Sea. Small world. Elsewhere on the site we

now get daily visits from Anita who lives Jersey, a Dutch couple who speak no English but oddly he lies on the floor and throws stones for Daisy on a daily basis. There’s an annoying Scottish chap nearby who is shortly going to get his guitar smashed over his head if he continues his Morrisey like wailing as he “sings” outside his van and disgusting spitting as he walks around. Finally and bizarrely on a nearby river bank there’s a tramp with a pet goose; lives in a bin near SuperCor apparently.