Week 4

---

Geo: 42.0534, 3.19767

23/4/11 Warm and overcast 19 oC am Hot & Sunny pm 23 oC

We had torrential rain and were buffeted by extremely strong winds most of the night; and couldn't help but hope it would change in time for the kid's arrival tomorrow. Anyway the day started far better than expected everything was intact and my potted herb garden was now swimming in 50ml of water, I said it was torrential didn't !

We've named our women neighbours in the camper (Mona & Lisa) Just before lunch Mona appeared and started to wash things up whilst Lisa disconnected the mains lead to the camper, they're off we thought feeling better already. After an hour they climbed aboard and tried to start the engine, after 20 mins of continually trying to start the thing the air was awash with petrol fumes. I'm now sat there trying to have my lunch whilst grappling with the horns of a dilemma, do I ignore them and continue with my lunch of chicken salad al la gasoline and then have to endure the possibility they might not get away so we'd be stuck with them, or do what I would have normally done by now, and go and offer my assistance.

I knew I'd have to go so off I trotted and explained that they would need to let the battery rest and let the flooded engine clear, Lisa it turned out was Spanish and spoke a little English whilst Mona was English and spoke Spanish. After lifting the bonnet the engine bay was a disaster even the spare tyre was full of water, as suspected by the fact that in all the time they were turning the engine over it never coughed once, everything was soaked. Being a prat I asked have you got any WD40 or something similar? We have a box of emergency bits and pieces she said and promptly passed me a bottle of anti-freeze, this could be long and torturous I thought, after bottles of oil, and odd spanners I decide to give up and get mine (I know what you're thinking, the reason I didn't do it in the first place was I keep my car covered up and its phaff having to uncover it and the cover it up again, especially if they've got some to hand)

So after stripping the coil down, cleaning all the leads and connections to the distributor, and spraying everything with WD 40 we tried to restart the engine nothing no event an attempt, it was then than Mona said "I think we'll have to get the motoring insurance to get someone out" words fail me. To be honest I was surprised they had breakdown insurance as the camper had seen better days in the 1990's so with that I left them to it and went back to my lunch.

After a hour the girls locked the camper up and trotted off, strange I thought if the breakdown service is coming. By the time we turned in neither the breakdown had appeared or the girls returned !

Our Dutch neighbours are going home today, returning at the end of May, we've said we'd mind the caravan and belongings in their absence.

24/4/11 Overcast but warm 19oC

Up early to pick up Stephen and the family from Girona airport, oh dear only 20 minutes out and it's raining heavily and the sky looks ominous, their flight was on time and it was great to see them again it certainly felt like more than as month. Once again it rained on the way back, they must be really peeved having left the UK basking in glorious sunshine and temperatures of >20 oC. At last after 30 minutes the skies cleared and the rain stopped, and the site was bright & sunny when we arrived, so it's a quick lunch, we plastered the kids in sun cream and took off to the beach.

The camper was still in situ and we had no idea whether the girls were there or not, however they once again materialised early evening time and didn't return by the time we called it a day.

I suppose it was to be expected but I've now picked up Linda's cough.

25/4/11 Hot and Sunny 23oC

After my usual cycle ride around the town and harbour I picked up breakfast and had a leisurely ride back with warm pastries tucked under my arm.

Suprise, suprise the girls are up early I had a brief chat with Mona who informed me that they were leaving the camper on site and that their boyfriends in Barcelona would be calling to collect the camper on Friday, obviously the comment about breakdown insurance was a lie, if the boyfriends only lived an hour and a half away didn't they ring them in the first place? Stranger, and stranger.

A quick trip to the Easter Market in Torroella and then back to the site with the remainder of the day being spent on the beach playing with the grandkids. When we arrived back the girls were clearing things away and popped over with 3 carrier bags full of fruit and veg they no longer needed which was really good of them. Despite all my protests they refused point blank to accept anything for them.

I was in the middle of reading a book when I noticed the girls struggling with 2 suitcases, numerous carrier bags, and handbags big enough to fit the kitchen sink in, as I watched it was obvious they were preparing to leave but didn't seem to have anything organised.

After 10 minutes I popped across to enquire if they were indeed leaving which they confirmed they were but when I asked where they were going to they said to Girona by bus and then train to Barcelona. Looking at them I knew something wasn't right so I casually asked if they had booked a taxi to which they replied they were going to walk into town in the hope of catching a bus! I couldn't leave them like that so offered to run them into Torroella which has a main route direct to Girona to see if there was indeed a bus, I had already decided that if there wasn't I would run them to the train station in Girona but didn't tell them this.

They were really happy and said they would settle up their site fees first and then come back so I told them to pop over when they were ready. An hour went by then 2 hrs, then 3 so I went looking for Paco the manager only to discover he wasn't on site and the girls were nowhere to be seen!

26/4/11 Overcast but very warm 21oC

Most of the day spent going around the harbour and playing with the kids on the beach, its ideal weather for them as they're both fair so burn quite easily.

A stroll into town in the evening where we had dinner at a local restaurant.

27/4/11 Hot and Sunny 22oC

A leisurely day on the site in the morning, the afternoon spent on the beach with the kids who are thoroughly enjoying themselves. In the early evening we took a gentle stroll to the night market and harbour.

28/4/11 A cold and miserable start with a few showers am Sun and Showers pm 20oC

What is it about Estartit's market day the weather's been crap nearly every Thursday morning. After a quick trip around the market which we managed without getting wet we returned to the site to find a young lad just about to enter the abandoned camper so watching discretely it soon became apparent that he was the boyfriend and after 30 minutes of cranking the engine with not so much as a cough, despite never having lifted the bonnet he made a series of phone calls and retired into the van., chocolate fireguard immediately came to mind.

After lunch the weather improved so most of the afternoon was spent on the beach upon or return the breakdown lorry arrived, spent 30 minutes but still couldn't get it started so he left, presumably because the lorry wasn't large enough to get the camper on the flatbed. An hour and a half later a larger lorry appeared, connected a steel tow rope to the camper to pull him out into a position where he could then winch the camper on the flatbed. What none of us knew was that when the girls had moved the camper opposite us in the middle of the night that actually managed to wedge it under a low hang branch of a tree and now the branch was coming along with the van, after an almighty rendering of wood and metal the two parted company and the camper was finally winched aboard the lorry, and there end an intriguing saga.

Oh I forgot to mention previously that I said I'd keep an eye on the van for them, and when I did so found the UK tax disc expired in September 2010 both the drivers and passengers door handles had been snapped off and there were wires hanging from under what remained of the dash board, whilst not being prejudgemental I would add they did have keys which at one time obviously stared the vehicle.

Later that evening we took a stroll into Estartit and had an enjoyable meal at a harbour side restaurant.

29/4/11 Bright and Sunny 21oC

Another early start to the day as we take Stephen and family back to Girona airport for their flight home. By the time we'd got back, aired, dismantled their tent, packed it away washed all the bedding and generally tided up it was time to sit down for a drink and just chill for the rest of the day, santé.

---