Getting back to full health
Saturday, January 19
Camping Las Torres Along with Gordon and Sue, and Dan and Gloria, we’ve also palled up with the boules-loving Phil and Carol who live in one of the nicer casitas on the edge of the site, with views of the mountains to the north and its own private little orange grove. On Saturday night, we joined Gordon and Sue for a games night at Phil and Carol’s. Some years ago, they swapped a house near La Tremblade, close to the Ile d’Oleron, for the casita and they’ve now become part of the scenery, and very good hosts. The six of us had a little retro fun with a game of Trivial Pursuits, before they unveiled Dobble, a cross between snap and Kim’s game which is actually a lot better than it sounds. We weren’t drinking to excess (especially Jane, who’s still coaxing her blood pressure back to normality) but by the end of the night we were all laughing like drains. A great night. A bad back, thanks to our rejigging the awning on Sunday, meant I couldn’t play tennis on Monday but on Tuesday, after a BP check, we drove to Los Alcazares, close to the old Murcia airport, to meet G&S and D&G at the weekly market where we picked up some clothes, slippers, and a pair of cheap sunglasses before having a lovely menu del dia at a rustic meson about a mile from the market site. In the evening, we checked out a weekly quiz at a popular English bar in the Port, just for something to do really. Our weeks are starting to drift along aimlessly – not really a bad thing. There’s always something to do – washing, cleaning, tidying and shopping etc – and when you factor in a coffee here and there, a bit of tennis, maybe a swim and two or three visits a week to the health centre for blood tests and BP checks before you know what has happened Friday has come around and, while we’re lucky enough to enjoy a seven-day weekend, that ferry is a week closer. We’ve tried our best to cram a walk into our days and on Thursday we strode off across the moor to the beach at Isla Plana then turned south along the cliff tops towards the Port, pausing for a mint tea at the Buena Vista social club (as nice as it sounds) before heading for home. Then, on Friday, after another long walk along the front at the nearby coastal village of La Azohia, we felt that we ought to support Steve Tucker, who organises the campsite quizzes. So, we took up his invitation to try the one he runs every week at either Sully’s or the neighbouring Bar Med at the La Alamillo urbanisation between here and the Port. At Sully’s it turned out to be a Burns Night-themed quiz, complete with a fantastic Scottish buffet which we would have enjoyed more if we knew it was included. Having already had the last of the Christmas turkey curry earlier in the evening, we weren’t quite as hungry as we should have been. Nevertheless, the haggis wrapped in bacon hors d’oeuvres and the kedgeree appetisers slipped down very nicely, again and again. The quiz itself was very good and, like the one we visited on Tuesday night, provided us with plenty of inspiration for the Barry Quiz league questions we’re setting every week. On Saturday, it was time to make another readjustment of the awning before, in the evening, we joined friends at the meson on the campsite for a night of song courtesy of Beny Costa, a classic club singer whose spot at the bar was advertised by the cheesiest poster we’ve ever seen. |
Pictured, from top, the coastline near Isla Plana, caught during one of our walks; sunset over the campsite – always a highlight at about 6pm; at Isla Plana looking out over towards Puerto de Mazarron; breakfast , a new initiative at our local bar, and the poster advertising Ben Costa
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