Motorhome News from Europe 12

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Motorhome News from Europe 12.

Spain December 2004
Almeria, Cabo de Gata



The town of Almeria is just ten miles to the west of our campsite on the coast at El Cabo de Gata, where we are keeping company with many others doing much the same; not a lot, enjoying the sunshine, taking a drive out into the countryside, or walking along the coast and generally taking it fairly easy. We have been here for eleven days now, that’s the longest we have ever been in one place, but there is plenty to do and it’s convenient for the airport on Wednesday. Our site is about a mile from the Mediterranean, smooth as a huge lake and reminiscent of our first view of Lake Huron on a hot summer’s day, and close by a nature reserve with a long fresh-water lagoon, home to hundreds of wonderful birds: Flamingoes, Blue throats, White headed ducks, Marsh harriers, Black necked Grebes, Egret……., the list is endless. We’re loving every minute. It’s like having Minsmere (the best of RSPB reserves), on your doorstep.

We are in good company here in Cabo de Gata. It takes all sorts to break the mould, and this particular one, travelling light in caravans and motorhomes, seems to attract the Germans and Brits in particular. The washroom here is like the railway station in Berlin at 08.00, when they all line up in front of the mirrors with their shaving gear in posh leather zip-ups - wrapped neatly in a towel.
‘Morgen, Wolfgang’.
‘Morgen, Fritz’.
‘Morgen, Kurt’.

There is a point at which we must consider whether we might be better off learning German, rather than Spanish. Germans here seem to outnumber us by about 2-1. Where are all the French and Dutch?



Pete and Jackie, just across from us, have been living in their motorhome for twelve and a half years; more than two of that in the USA. They have a house at Watton, just 20 minutes from us back home would you believe, and Jackie was born in Old Buckenham where we lived until 1993. When they return to the UK as they do from time-to-time, they live on a campsite near Kings Lynn. They are here on this site for a month or so before heading north for skiing in Andorra.

Rodney and Julie are recently retired too. They are from Worthing and come out here each year for six months in the winter and travel about a bit in their caravan. They left on Sunday morning to go home for Christmas. They were swimming in the sea nearby on Friday whilst we were up in the hills along the coast just north of here.

John and Jenny have recently given up work and travel in their motorhome for long periods each year. They are keen ‘birders’ like us and can’t tell one end of a little brown job from the other - also a bit like us. But we have shared news of some of the best spots to visit, from the tip of Spain to the far side of Croatia, Bulgaria, Sardinia and Greece. They are off for three weeks in Morocco next week. They are fascinating travellers, with the sparkle of excitement in every word they say. They hail from Derbyshire.

I have wondered for some time why people migrate here with the birds from the UK as autumn passes. It is surely the warm sun and the daylight; it’s light here by 07.30am and not dark until 6.30pm. We are not yet sure what they all do to amuse themselves each day. The Spanish arrive on Friday night from their apartments in the cities, swelling the population and chatting at high volume into the night. They vanish just as quickly just before sundown on Sunday.



This southern tip of Spain is a fascinating area, with a wild and rugged coastline, high arid hills and intensive horticulture. There was a red sky when we opened the windows on Sunday morning which was a bit ominous; we have not seen a cloud for more than two weeks, but the sun came up once again to give us bright blue skies for the days’ walking. The salt pans nearby gave us some good views of more new birds before we headed up to the lighthouse, set high on the steep rocky point of Cabo de Gata overlooking the placid Mediterranean. Viewed across tiny sandy coves from the pink sandstone cliffs further north at San Jose, the sea appeared as a silver horizon on a carpet of sparkling stardust, the sun high and bright in the early afternoon. San Jose, (yes, we do know our way to it), is a tidy little town, neatly painted, in white, cream, pale pink, and pastel blue, with shallow buildings set behind a broad curved beach. There is little sign of commerce here yet; a few restaurants and bars, though it is out of season of course. At a guess, I’d say it’s about a million miles from Great Yarmouth! There is a little round windmill at the top of the hill above the town, and over the ridge the landscape changes dramatically to a broad open desert plain sweeping down to the sandy deserted shore and backed by sombre mountains.



Here, the plain is planted with prickly pear and agave (they make tequila from it), a strange crop and quite unexpected. The cool breeze of a winter’s day was most welcome, sweeping in across the bay from the east and we shared it with four or five other people and a small flock Kentish Plover in the balmy sunshine.



Beyond San Jose at Las Negras, we walked to San Pedro along a high and rugged pass. San Pedro can only be reached on foot, or by sea, and hippies (yes, they still exist here) are the only inhabitants. It’s about an hours walk up the rugged hillside to the ruined 12th Century castle where washing hangs on a line from the turrets and there are a couple of chairs outside the 16th Century tower. By the beach a small cluster of Robinson Crusoe shanty shacks bear similar scars; and the soft grey sandy beach is a dream. What more does one want in life?

It’s only a short drive north into the hills of the Sierra de Alhamilla to the north-east of Almeria, through an ocean of black plastic greenhouses like Bedouin tents against the sand coloured background of the mountains. They grow all kinds of things here: tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, cucumbers, squashes etc., seemingly supporting quite large communities. The narrow, poorly surfaced road took us northwards through sparse hillsides with outcrops of rock, cream, grey, a hundred shades of brown and raspberry red, to Sorbas, a cluster of flat roofed houses perched precariously on a plateau with steep cliffs of sandstone dropping away on all sides into the valley below. To the west, to Tabernas and beyond, it’s ‘wild west’ country, the home of spaghetti westerns. There are touristy film sets here with live shoot-outs; if that’s what turns you on! The scenery here is quite unique to Europe, more reminiscent of Nevada and Texas, and we will surely look more closely at the scenery when next watching A Fistfull of Dollars, The Magnificent Seven or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which were all made here.

In a day or so, we’ll be home; left with just memories of thirteen weeks on the road through France, Spain and Portugal. We have a fondness for France, its language and culture. We will be back in Spain in January to continue our quest, and for the moment we leave with memories of sunshine and short-sleeved shirts, plump olives, snow-capped mountains, Flamingos, seas of black plastic, soggy chips, loud voices, shiny chestnuts fresh from the tree, soaring Vultures, wide sandy beaches, the sound of gulls over the cliffs, hillsides alive with the smell of rosemary and thyme, discarded plastic bottles, lush green hillsides and desert landscapes.

We’ll be back in the UK for Christmas and look forward to seeing family and friends alike.





David and Janice
The Grey Haired Nomads

For those with an ornithological bent, we’re including a list of some of this week’s birds:
White headed duck, Black Wheatear, Red-crested Pochard, Blue-throat, Black necked Grebe, Great grey Shrike, Siberian warbler, Avocet, Rose-ringed Parakeet - and bird of the week, the Serin, which I have known from my first book of birds when I was perhaps 12 years old and which I have waited all these years to see.

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Photos

....blue skies to dream for - in December
Agave in flower

Janice - and Todd
on the beach at San Jose

The walk over the hills
....from San Jose

Cowboy country - spaghetti style
A Fistful of Dollars, The Magnificent Seven and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly were all filmed here.

San Pedro
This beautiful bay can only be reached on foot or by sea.

Greenhouses in Almeria
from the air. Bringing fruit and salads to UK shores.

Todd
Sunning himself on the beach - again!