Ups and Downs in Mojacar.

 I have been back in Mojacar for six days. There were no problems with the villa and the little Citroen fired up straight away.  

As people have told me plus what I have read its very much a roller coaster of a ride at the moment. Its now been over five weeks since Elaine died, I naively thought that I would start to feel a bit better by now, but in reality I feel worse, I think its due to the fact that it has really sunk in that I will never see her again.

In saying that I am eating and sleeping OK, I have been going out but not staying out too long, just a couple of drinks with some good friends than home up the hill to the villa. I have also been visiting the local pub, which always makes me and the doggies welcome.

I have been slowly but surely sorting out all of Elaine's stuff and I can tell you there is a lot of it.

Then I look out of the windows at the view and life doesn't feel too bad.

I have been in the water a few times and it is absolutely lovely, I have also visited Samoa surf beach bar which is owned by some friends, the bar sits right on the beach. They are only allowed to be there from June through to the beginning of October then its all dismantled and put away until next summer.

Martin and Anika have been running the bar since 1981, when Mojacar was a very different place.

I can see their place from the villa, I had to zoom in a bit!!

I also went to visit the little chihuahuas, they have found the most perfect home and are both extremely happy. Elaine's  biggest worry was what would happen to her little doggies but thankfully they found a lovely forever home before she died, it made her so happy. 

Talking of dogs, I snapped this one a couple of days ago on my morning stroll.

I think it is a Spanish Galgo. 

So all in all I am in a good place, this is the beach today, its just gorgeous at the moment. 

However I was off to the pub to watch the footy,  Bombo enjoys the cold tiles, plus the pub has fantastic air conditioning so it's a good place to be. 

Sammie however isn't so good, I took him to the vets again to try and find out why is walking like a drunk and can no longer jump around like he used to.

She gave him a thorough examination and when she manipulated his spine he tried to bite her, so she thinks he has damaged his back somehow, he is on drugs for a few weeks and if that doesn't fix him it will be a x-ray and possible operation. 

Home!!

I left Ile De Re Saturday morning, I decided that I really should get back to Spain and stop faffing around. I have been away from the villa for getting close to four months, I have been living in the van for the whole time apart from a couple of weeks at The East Cheshire Hospice.  I thought it was time to get back there and get myself sorted out!

Saturday night I stopped over at Gan which is still in France in the Pyrenees foothills.  

The parking spot was a winery carpark....I didn't even go for a tasting!

Sunday I took the windy narrow road over the Pyrenees mountains, I really enjoyed it. 

Lovely views up there, this was a ski resort on the Spanish side of the mountains. 

Its a magical spot, the temp at the top was 5 degrees! 

Once down on the flat in Spain the sun was shining and the temp was increasing. 

I puled up for the night at a little beach just outside of Tarragona. 

There was a doggie spa on the site so I gave both the boys a tub. 

This morning I took the doggies for a walk on the beach then hit the road for the long trek down to Mojacar. 

I went on the motorways as I really wanted to do the trip in one day. 

This is Sammies new spot, on the floor in the passenger footwell!! 

I arrived in Mojacar at about six, I partially unloaded the van and parked it up.

 The little Citroen needed a jumpstart to get going it was then straight down the pub for a beer.

I was dreading going back into the villa as we literally abandoned it and ran away back to the UK, but it felt really good, it felt like home!

Many thanks to Wendy and Barry who have been walking up the hill every few days and checking the villa out. 

Tomorrow I will start on emptying out the van and sorting out the house and Elaine's belongings.

I just went across to the van and grabbed a bottle of red out of it, I felt quite sad that it will sit there empty tonight, it really is a lovely comfortable mobile home, and once again she didn't miss a beat all the way to the UK and back to Spain, its a fantastic motorhome.  

I was going to do a really long detailed blog on the road trip over the last couple of days, but Im so tired, so that's it I'm afraid.

Rare Rastafarian Donkeys!

It poured with rain all night and most of the morning, so I spent half of the day, catching up on emails, banking and hand washing all my clothes.

By about 13.30 the sun came out so me and Bombo went walkies.

This is the Aire its long and narrow.

A pic nicked off the net shows St Martin De Re fortifications that completely surround the town, they were built to keep out the pesky English.

They are very impressive, the walls are probably 30ft high and if you are up on the top of them there is nothing to stop you going over the edge. 

Bombo enjoyed the solo walk, we left Sammie back at the mothership resting. 

We walked halfway around the town reinforcements, before spotting some beasts, I thought they were cows at first until we got close up....

Then I realised they were the very rare Rastafarian donkeys! 

We entered back into the town through one of the gates. 

Then just ambled about the streets.

Before ending up back down the harbour where I had a couple of beers.

I will head off tomorrow, but I still haven't decided where yet!

A Top Spot..

It was a bit drizzly when I woke today, it didn't last long though.

As soon as it stopped I took the boys for a walk along the river bank.

I headed towards the coast towards Ile De Re, which is a small island off the west coast of France very close to La Rochelle.

We visited her a couple of years ago, and we both said it was our favourite place in Europe.

Some people have a problem visting places which bring back memories of someone who has departed, but I only have good memories with Elaine so I dont find it a big problem. Its  sad but it wouldn't stop me visiting.

The drive was pretty straightforward, I have been keeping a closer eye on the speedo, I dont think I would be so lucky if I get pulled over again.

I moored up at Saint Martin De Ray which is a settlement on the island, the place is just stunning, it is a walled town, the fortifications are mega, I will take some pics of those tomorrow, today I headed off down to the harbour. 

It is as every bit as good as I can remember it, it is just stunning. 

This boat had an Australian registration and is from Neutral Bay on Sydney harbour. The owner was onboard, he brought it out on a ship as he didn't fancy the long ocean stretches, he has been exploring the med and is heading up to the UK.

Its like the South of France without the poseurs. 

I was looking for some grub but couldn't get my head around cucumber milk!!!

I settled for a couple of pints of lager and some frites in a bar! 

There are loads of shops to look around but I gave them a wide berth. 

More pics cos its so lovely. 

The Aire is a 5 minute walk from the harbour, it is incredibly popular but only takes 17 motorhomes, they are all squeezed in but that's fine, there is a 10 euro charge a night but when I got here the boom gate was up so I just parked up, I'm not sure how you are supposed to pay. 

I left little Sammie at home when I went on the big walk, there is something wrong with him, I think he has hurt his back, he normally jumps all over the place but now he cant, plus he walks all hunched up and his back legs dont seem to follow his front, Its as if he has had a drink or two, I have started giving him ant inflammatorys and am only going to take him on little walks until he gets better. 

I still haven't got used to travelling on my own, I think its going to take a long time, normally its not a problem because I would be thinking I will be seeing Elaine soon and be looking forward to it. Then it sinks in that I wont be seeing her again  and it gets a tad harder. So far on my travels I haven't met another motorhomer on their own, it really is a couples thing.  Not whinging.....much, its still 100% better than sitting inside a house and feeling sorry for myself.

In saying that I will soon be sitting in a bloody great house in Spain, but I really do need to sit and reflect what I'm going to do with my life post Elaine. 

A Bit Further South.

I was so tempted to stay and watch the ships for another couple of days, but I really must make a bit of an effort to get closer to Spain.

I have an appointment to get my NIE number of 30th September so I want to get back before then.

It was a pretty easy drive, but I did have to go on a toll road as the other way was just too far.

I decided to stop for the night at Segre, for non other reason than I wanted to stop quite early so I could go for a stroll around the town.

The last bit was a bit hairy as I went down a little cobbled street, it was a real tight squeeze past a parked up van, unfortunately I have no co-pilot to guide me through so I got out and folded his mirror in, then it was fag paper stuff but we made it.

As usual in France the place was amazing.

Gawjuss. 

This poor old bridge, the bloody poms partially destroyed it in 1422, then the Germans blew it up as they were retreating on the 5th August 1944!

There are three of us here now, its a two minute walk into the centre, once again its a free Aire with the usual facilities....love it. 

Watching All The Ships Go By

Its been a lovely day here at Mailleray Sur Seine the temp got up to 34 degrees so I have had a lovely day watching the ships go by.

The aire here is superb, there is water, waste water disposal  and an elsan to dump the nasties, the cost per night.....zero!

 The French welcome motorhomes.

The aire is on the banks of the river Seine, and is about 60ks to Le Havre and 60ks to Rouen.

I prefer these sites so much more than the proper caravan club type sites. 

So to the ships......We had barges. 

Pusher barges 

A car ferry. 

River cruise ships 

Dredgers 

And bulk carriers. 

Not a narrowboat to be seen!

Who Said The French Hate The English!

I left Milton Keynes yesterday after having a walk along the towpath.

My destination for the day was to Elaines sisters place in Maidstone.

I set the sat nav to avoid all motorways as the M1 was completely blocked because they were demolishing two bridges. It was a lovely drive going through lots of towns and villages, then through the centre of London.

I stayed the night at the caravan club site in Bearsted, they are nice sites but I find them far too proper, I prefer a bit of rough and ready.

I had a lovely day at Julia and Paul house, we were joined for dinner by Elaine's niece Leyna, her other half Bill and little ones Connie Evie and William. Of course it felt a bit strange without Elaine but we had a good day in the sunshine.

I was up early and headed of to Calais, I was so early they put me on a earlier ferry, which was virtually empty.

Goodbye lovely England, I will see you again sometime.

No problems at Calais, I set the sat nav for an Aire near Rouen, I set it  to avoid toll roads.  

This is what I love about driving in France, virtually no traffic.

And here we are all moored up safely watching the big ships going up the Seine to Rouen.

On the last leg, I was pulled over by the Gendarmerie apparently they clocked me on radar doing 78ks in a 50k limit, after looking at the dash cam footage it was a fair cop, they caught me going down the hill off the bridge.

Amazingly he just said be careful and off you go, who said the French dont like the English.

If you watch the video I'm sure you will be so impressed at my command of the  French language!