Summer in Spain (again)

[jumar]

And I've been busy too...
Motorhome jobs...inverter out for gus-lopez and preparing the installation of a new inverter and additional Roamer Lithium...and, and, and got car ready for tomorrow to have it's ITV...too hot outside now....inside now....airfrying lunch...

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Looks a great place x

 

[Peavy]

Nice terrace, and a beautiful pink gecko

 

[jumar]

Nice terrace, and a beautiful pink gecko

We bought this apartment for the view, we have the Golf course right in front....and views into nearby hills and extending into Almeria where snow covered Sierra Maria can be seen in the winter....

 

[Barriesimpson]

View attachment 946193

I have one of those Leroy Merlin tables

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[royandsharont]

Hi Martin & Judith, just caught up with all your posts after we left home ourselves on 29/8 heading ultimately for Cornwall. Unfortunately we had really heavy rains in Dorset with very poor forecast so after 2 days sat in the rain we headed for drier forecast and ended up in Peterborough after a 6 hour appalling drive last Friday . A good decision but sat in a shower now reading this after a day out. I’ve enjoyed the thread, well done. Some truly beautiful sites you’ve seen. I’d have sought out grilled peppers in Padron Sharon’s knee is holding up but she’s getting very tired with it, take care. Sharon & Roy

 

[jumar]

Homelife is busy life... slowly getting camper sorted in anticipation of the Roamer 230ah arriving....had to make a few changes to the original plan...but on track now..
When new battery is installed I will join together in holy matrimony...an arranged marriage I suppose, neither party has met before...but I'm sure they will get on fine..
Honeymoon...well I think that's down to us...hope they like motorhoming..

 

[Barriesimpson]

It's forecast to be a grey day here today, with a chance of some dampness, but it's started off nicely

View attachment 895670

It's getting lighter now and we have a bike ride planned for later this morning

Red sky in the morning, shepherds warning. Red sky at night, shepherds delight. As my dad always said.

 

[Helen Ariel]

Thanks for taking the time to post & update the thread so regularly. It’s given us some great ideas for places to visit, particularly when we get back to Galicia.

Paul

 

[jumartoo]

I've not been out on my bike for a ride for about a week. I have, though, been riding my gravel bike, without its battery, to go to feed two of the other community cats. I walked there on Monday morning, and it took over an hour to walk both ways and spend some feeding and bowl cleaning time. So, bike it now is.

This morning I came back the "long way round" and managed the small hill unassisted .

The bee-eaters are still around, I heard them calling this morning, but the swallows have all left.

We had a nice sunset a few nights ago, but nothing really stunning yet.

I might go out for a proper ride tomorrow whilst Martin is still in electrician mode.

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[Langtoftlad]

Ta Muchly

 

[jumar]

Wheels will be turning again this morning, we have been static for 10th days or so...
Lithium seat base battery installation completed yesterday thanks to the expertise and endurance of gus-lopez ....will be connecting the other lithium when the seat base is fully charged...at this time, my project should have been achieved...which enables greater flexibility during off grid travels...
Bought locally, Premium grade Diesel at 1.09€ per litre and LPG top up at 0.95€ per litre..
Unsettled weather is with us over the next few days....careful planning is required...

 

[scousebird]

Looking forward to your next trip.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Looking forward to your next trip.

Good that you are on the road again, I would avoid northern Portugal for a while if I were you.

 

[jumar]

I'm sure jumartoo will be keeping you all updated.... Autumnal travels...less crowded... changeable weather..

ps... Northern Portugal is too far for us for an autumn trip...there is so much of Spain between here and there...
I do feel for our friends and colleagues during this testing times for them..

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[Peavy]

I do feel for our friends and colleagues during this testing times for them.

Aid has been sent from Spain to Portugal (UME soldiers).
Very difficult times for our neighbours.

 

[jumar]

All's well on the Lithium front. Number 2 battery charged to 100% and connected to Battery Number 1.....
A gourmet meal cooked... thank you Lidl...
Very little drain on the batteries using a 1300w Airfryer......going to be useful this winter no doubt..Now relaxing on Camperstop in Chinchilla near Albacete together with 10 other vans....
Market day here on part of the Camperstop tomorrow morning...many signs displaying the restrictions not to park there...suppose the Police will be around later to read the wording on the signs out loud to everyone.....

 

[Nigel Crompton]

"but the swallows have all left."

We've still got all the hirundines, but no bee-eaters for a week ...
€1.09, where was that ?

 

[jumar]

"but the swallows have all left."

We've still got all the hirundines, but no bee-eaters for a week ...
€1.09, where was that ?

Lorca Nigel...there are three outlets selling at the same price per litre....the very same company Ballenoil but in Molina de Segura were selling at 1.29 per litre..

 

[jumartoo]

"but the swallows have all left."

We've still got all the hirundines, but no bee-eaters for a week ...
€1.09, where was that ?

Lots of Bee-eaters yesterday flying over the golf course and our complex.

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[jumartoo]

So, we're away again, a little later than planned and we almost didn't come away today because the forecast isn't too good. Today's rain hasn't yet arrived, so I'm so glad we decided to risk it.

We're here. At the official motorhome area of Chinchilla de Monteragón, near Albacete.

We came here for the first (and last) time when it first opened. There are some changes nearby, one of them is a new apartment block in construction. There are about 12 of us here now, the majority parked in the market area

We're just having a cuppa before we go to look at the Castle, the caves and the village.

 

[jumartoo]

We've just got back in from a walk around Chinchilla. Some of the cave houses are lovely. Google lied to us when it said the castle was open until 2100. It wasn't.

For the first time we felt like guiries (foreign tourists) because we're still wearing shorts. All the locals were bundled up in long trousers and jackets. We're not used to these temperatures. Just a couple of hours inland from home and, today at least, its turned cool. Tomorrow rain is forecast (again).

Sorry about the photo overload.

Martin managed to find one to stroke!

Definitely closed.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Chinchilla is one of the places we would like to visit when we are next in that part of Spain.

 

[jumartoo]

Rain was forecast again but it was dry for our visit around d the market which took us all of about 8 minutes. There were only 8 stalls, four for fruit and veg, one selling olives and other marinated veggies, two with clothes and one with shoes. We didn't buy anything.

But, we then drove to Decathlon at Albacete and purchased a jacket for me.

We're now at San Clemente. A hardstanding area. We had some steady rain during the afternoon, but it cleared and we went to look at the town. It's not as nice as Chinchilla overall, but it has a nice square. It's on the Don Quixote trail and it also has a lesser walked Camino to Santiago (the Levante).

(A tip. Don't try to find Charter supermarket using Google. It's nowhere near where it says it is).

Two bad marks for Google in two days

 

[jumartoo]

Now at the town of Motilla del Palancar at the motorhome area, with stunning mural. We'd waited around this morning hoping for the sun to break through the clouds and the drizzle to stop so we could go for a ride, but by 11.00 it was still grey, so we shopped at a Mercadona and then drove here to better weather. We decided to go for a ride and it doesn't appear that there's been any rain here recently. The tracks were dust dry.

We saw some fields of trees that were never seen before. They had very hard fruits/nuts??? Anyone know what they are? Edit. They are probably pistachios.

The grapes are ready for picking. Looks like a good harvest.

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[jumartoo]

Well, it's raining. Today is the last forecasted bad day, so we're sticking it out here so we can drive across to Alarcón tomorrow. That starts my planned itinerary .

We're going to try to grab a dry window to have a wander up to the main square here, although this town doesn't seem to have as much of interest to see as other places. I think Alarcón got the good stuff but we'll find that out soon enough.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Number 2 battery charged to 100% and connected to Battery Number 1.....

Is this the 'new' one with the damaged case?

 

[jumar]

Is this the 'new' one with the damaged case?

Yes it is...it had a temporary repair pending decisions from the manufacturer..
I've asked for a replacement battery....they have offered a partial refund...
They say it's cosmetic. I've said it's damaged.
We needed extra battery for this trip.... unfortunately they let us down...

 

[Wanders from Glos]

Raining in Tavira too but should be nice by the afternoon and then back to better weather.

 

[jumartoo]

We had some heavy rain so I did some cleaning (nooks and crannies that get ignored sometimes) and Martin did a turkey, veg and tomato meal in the airfryer.

The sun came out so did we. We went to the local park, passing more murals and "climbed" up the "hill" to the three crosses of the calvary. We then went into the town square and the church. Our main highlight was taking some cash from Banco Santander .

On the way back to the van we decided to move to Alarcón and we're so glad we did, it's stunning, but I think we may still be in for a storm.

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