Heading south down Spain

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So lets spend a little time talking about our travel companion Poppy, now 9 years of age and still going strong. She is about at our pace now on walks can go the distance but needs a sleep at the end of it, just like her guardian's!!! I really would like to know what it is to be a travelling dog, we secure her away in her travel crate and voila transport her to a different location every few days. Her little face when she gets to peer out the door for the first time is a picture, car park not happy, beachside parking very happy!

So it is with this in mind and with a gradual rise in temperatures we head to the coast. Peniscola is a lovely little town, Brits are here, we know as we spend a couple of convivial hours talking to Pat and Pam. Salt of the earth “I’ve got all I need right here why would I go back to the UK” , and as we sat enjoying the menu del dia and bay view I don’t think I could disagree.

But back to Poppy the beach here has the inevitable NO DOGS sign but we like the locals think its fine, as do the police for our four legged friends to have a chance and she relishes it, she does a funny prance through the shallows showing us her delight.

Our final stop prior to Valencia is another seaside car park Aire at Castello De La Plana, one we were going to avoid like the plague as it’s reviews were very mixed but a drive by changes that and we park up in one of the last few places. It is one that you are only supposed to stay for a maximum 48hrs but it is clear many are not! But for us it will be. Poppy enjoys the beach heaven before we transfer to a city centre apartment for Christmas unsure of the dog walking opportunities.

The apartment is very comfortable and Harvey is parked in close proximity so all is good, The Carrefour is not far away so we decide to spend the rest of the day stocking up for Christmas. If we were looking for an easy option (An M&S pre-prepared anything!!) we are out if luck!, the Spanish cook and oh my they are buying all sorts of unimaginables, which I am sure will be lovely but not for the faint hearted. We opt for Sushi and Sea Bream for Christmas Day and a lovely duo of restaurants in central Valencia for Graemes' Birthday on Christmas Eve, which is when most Spanish celebrate with family or friends, so everything shuts down by 5pm.

Our Christmas is spent quietly walking in the sunny parks close to us or enjoying some Netflix films. We are joined by Fi and Doug for three nights and we venture further afield with a visit to the Science Park and all its amazing architecture. We take a locals tasting and city walk which starts in The Central Market, and another fascinating appreciation of what the Spanish diet includes! Apart from its variety our guide Mimoza tells us, after I ask how you know which vendor to use? “Easy! you use the same one as your mother, and she uses the one her mother used!” And the vendors themselves well they continue to pass down the business through the family. Amazing really and everyone visits the market daily. Here you will see groups of people chatting, community is alive and kicking here in Valencia, “and how good is that for mental well being” Mimoza beams! Another idea, which is believed by all Valencians is that it is the city that calls you, your choice to come here is not of your own doing, but that you need a bit of Valencia Healing. So it is a calm, beautiful, crime free city that from the time we visited on a cruise last year I knew was going to be our Christmas getaway this year, it must have been a calling!?!

Our visit is soon over and we jump South to a campsite at Xabia for New Years and spend nearly all night placating Poppy with the hundreds of fireworks that are set off. We make further large jumps South to pick up some warmer weather, which is a bit hit and miss, so the winter clothes are definitely staying put!

On a good day shorts can be worn so the next two beachside car parks at Lorca and Anguilas offer more Poppy Heaven and views of the Mediterranean sea. Harvey has been behaving well, we’ve had a couple of issues and my ever so resourceful Husband has fixed both, an engine warning light with advice from a Facebook forum and a bit of WD40, the other what he thought was diesel leak, parts purchased from a scrap yard !?!? turned out to be a loose diesel filter. But now a whining note leads Graeme to belief one of our wheel bearings is in trouble and so a search for a) a mechanic and b) the part starts in earnest.

We turn inland at Almeria, the tented city of Spain, Poly tunnels of all sorts with in the landscape for miles and miles. At least I now know where my Spanish tomatoes come from!! We are heading to The Caminito Del Rey but first one of my bucket list destinations The Alhambra in Granada. Having made the bad decision to go into the city and end up in a bus and taxi lane (just waiting for the ticket to arrive in the post!?!?) we at the palaces car Park our sleep spot for the evening. Our timed entrance into the Nazaries palace is for 9.30, we join the queue, in peak times there can be up to 6000 visitors a day. So our early entry means we are there before the bus tours arrive and although still busy it doesn’t stop the enjoyment of this beautiful palace and after 3 hours we feel we have given it justice and make our way back to Poppy.

We find another extraordinary walking opportunity near Antequera the ‘El Torcal national park ‘ a hill top area of the most amazing limestone towers of all sizes and shapes, it is apparently Europe’s most impressive karst landscape ( part of an old marine corridor )and is a good walk to warm us up for the next days adventure.

A popular destination for this part of Spain is the Caminito Del Rey, once dubbed the most dangerous path, and it was. Originally a workman pathway for the water board and the dam with a hydro system at the bottom of the deep gorge fell into disrepair. This however did not stop the thrill seekers arriving to climb and walk the crumbling walkway, after several deaths it was closed for over a decade and after four years of extensive repairs and renovations it reopened in 2015. It is despite having to wear a hard hat for falling rocks an enjoyable but long, in total a 12km walk giving a fascinating insight into the bravery of those workers, oh and I forget the views aren’t too bad either.

The area behind Malaga and this part of Andalusia has been lovely, hilly, green and whitewashed hill top villages, two highlights for us were Ronda and Casares with its Griffin vultures in numbers circling. We have enjoyed our inland tour but it’s now back to the coast, campsite to wait it out till the mechanic and part for Harvey align, and just to say we have 10 days here, (7 raining!) awaiting our Tuesday appointment but we have planned, recharged and after we leave, well be making our last stock up and heading to the Port for the sailing to Morrocco, well see you there!

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