14 Dec 2009 9:00 AM

Yes, the cold and the rain defeated me!  Reaching my destination Oropesa del Mar I booked into a bungalow on a camp site for a nice hot shower. 

Although open all year this particular camp site has closed its restaurant and bar for a few days and yes, its the four nights that I wanted.  Too tired to argue after negotiating a very good discount I was given the keys and gaily moved into a very nice little bungalow with two bedrooms, sitting/dining room, small kitchen and CONSTANT hot water.  I love it!

Dined out that first night and rose early the following morning to start my rounds of government departments but wasn't feeling too good.  I managed however, to get what I wanted, in fact, more than I expected before having to rush back and I haven't moved since.    I have not had the energy to write very much, in fact I haven't done much other than lie in bed and moan.  The rain has been lashing the paper thin walls of this little haven (obviously built to be used only in summertime when its 40 degrees) and because I'm on mobile internet, I haven't even been able to watch films as the connection is too weak.  I have however, had plenty of time to organise my thoughts and I am feeling pretty good about life again.  The children rang and they are all well, same same.... italian Nona sent a message from the two spaghetinos - shes such a lovely lady - then I turned the phone off, I'll check who still loves me tomorrow.

On the road again tomorrow, heading back down the coast to Castellon to visit a  lawyer and depending on what he says, I will either drive up North or back home.  This time, I'm on the N340 around the coast, don't fancy doing that horrendous drive again. 

This getting old is a real pain, I dislike the cold intensely and unless its a matter of life or death I hope not to be travelling anywhere thats cold again.

Love, light and warmth to all.....

The Granny.

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11 Dec 2009 7:22 AM

Thursday.

Retiring to my boudoir meant that I climbed into the back of the Rocket and snuggled down amongst the pillows and duvets to go to sleep.  Just over 5 foot tall, I don't have much trouble with space in the back of a car, front seats forward, back seats down, make the bed up and hey presto, 5 star boudoir smelling of home. 

I used to travel in a VW Combi but since living in Spain and buying the Rocket  I have to make do unless I decide to book into a Hotel.  Normally I prefer the car, I guess its a throwback to my travelling days as a Hippie in the 60s.  When the children were little I always had a station wagon and we all fitted perfectly when we travelled during weekends and holidays. My daughter has recently returned to the UK from her last jaunt - she has been travelling on and off for 18 years.  Its in the blood. May I continue into my dotage although this trip isnt for pleasure but pleasurable non the less.

Unfortunately, Albacete was freezing and the car soon became very cold inside.  I tossed and turned for ages and then eventually fell asleep in the early hours only to have the weirest dreams about my father who died 23 years ago and is the reason for the trip.  He's is obviously dominating my subconscious mind.

I set off at 08.00 a.m., and the fog was very heavy for the first 100 kilometres and then cleared.  It was really quite amazing, I saw a big round white ball in the foggy sky and thought it couldn't be the sun because it was white and throwing off lots of white light.  Surely not the moon.  All of a sudden the fog cleared and it was a beautiful sunny day - I don't think I'll take that route again, it has been very strange.

Reaching my destination I have decided that I am too tired to have another sleepless night because I have to deal with officialdom tomorrow and I need to be au fait with what I'm talking about so I found a lovely campsite and have booked into a little bungalow which is really sweet but most of all, it has heating although the temperature has been very agreeable and only dropped rapidly at nightfall.  I'm sitting here enjoying a nice cup of tea, listening to Janis (Joplin) and writing my blog.

On that note my friends I will say goodnight but before I go, I would like to explain that the photograph I have finally managed to post is a bubblegum pinball machine designed for children.  There were several of them in a bar at a petrol station with a dining room for families.  I am amazed at this outward encouragement of a machine that ultimately teaches young children to put money into a machine for the enjoyment of watching the bubblegum go up and down each time a flipper is pressed before it falls into your hand.  Will we soon be seeing Gambling Anonymous for Children in Spain? 

Love and light.

The Granny.

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11 Dec 2009 2:58 AM

Wednesday.

Left home about midday and decided that instead of going along the N340 I would go across country so I started off towards Granada.

Journey going well, sun shining brightly, car wonderful (how I love my Pocket Rocket).  Reached Granada and turned North towards Jaen and continued onto Bailen where I turned East towards Ubeda and Albacete where I intended to bed down for the night.  A comfortable 500 kms., or so I thought.

Once heading towards Ubeda and Albacete I joined a long queue of patiently crawling vehicles.  Now this is not a usual thing in Spain where drivers sit on your back bumper flashing and gesticulating to overtake when you are doing the 120 kph., limit. Time passed very slowlyat 20 kph., until eventually I found myself behind a lorry, all the cars ahead of me having overtaken him.  Mr. Lorr Driver was sitting happily behind a tractor!  Next bit of straight road, foot to the floor, turbo kicking in I cruise past them both.  Aha, the open road!  Yes, but ONLY for two kilometres when again, a huge tail-back.  This time I know the coup and even though I didnt lose my temper first time around I AM PREPARED....  creeping along at 20 kph., all the time thinking that actually, I am not in any hurry because as my bed is already made up in the back I can stop anywhere and bed down for the night.

By now I am on autopilot and looking around at the scenery.  Since entering Jaen I have been amazed at cream coloured soil interspered with splashes of rusty red soil with patches of rocks around which there are line upon line of neatly planted Olive Trees.  Jaen is the last Province of Andalucia as you head North and in places the mountains are quite high and rugged.  To my mind, incredibly beautiful - anyway, on most of these mountains the Olive Trees reach the summit.  These acres and there are hundreds possibly thousands of acres are lovingly tended by these same John Deere tractor drivers that are gaily clogging up the road as they drive from field to field munching their chorizo (spanish sausage) and jamon (spanish ham) sandwiches and smoking their cigarettes fully aware of the chaos they are creating on the roads.

As previously mentioned I am sure, spanish drivers are not the most patient in the world (although I have encountered worse in the easern countries) assuming that the extremities on their hands are not their nail, but the car horn it is attached to as they sit comfortably at the wheel of their car.  Today, I witnessed a miracle: TOTAL HORN ABSTINENCE!  "Why?"  I asked myself "are these gentlemen and ladies not playing a cacophony of sound?"  For many more kilometres and not until dusk when I was leaving the Olive Trees behind and I was assaulted by the sudden noise of horns and flashing lights behind me that I realised that Olive Oil is Liquid Gold to the spanish and like cutting off their hands and they cannot speak, so the olive farmer is practically a deity.  Isn't that a turn up for the books?

As dusk fell the N322 became bendier and bendier - for almost 100 kilometres I was going up and down the gears like Alonso (the spanish Formula I racing driver).  The last 70 kilometres were straight but by then, it was pitch black and drivers coming towards me were blinding me with their headlights.  All good fun!

Another thing I noticed on this drive was that the landscape was bereft of population and the many derelict houses I passed had a sad, forlorn look to them.  The odd village that seemed inhabited did not have a single light shining through the windows and there was a definite eerie feeling about the places.

Eventually I reached Albacete and driving around the streets of the town (known to collectors of knives around the world because they make all types here from swords to penknives) I was again bumpered out so eventually I drove to the edge of town parked behind a bar and retired to my budoir.

More later, got to go right now.......

Love and light,

The Granny.

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9 Dec 2009 2:38 AM

This time Im heading east along the N340 road which goes all around the Iberian Peninsula, I will then go north to the  Valencia Region to a small resort called Oropesa del Mar.  I have more documents to source there.

Hopefully, I will be blogging along the route and taking photographs but not being very computer literate, as Ive said before, when computer chips appeared, the only chips I knew about where the ones I fried for the children, I have no idea how to post more than one photograph on Overs. If someone reading this blog knows how to do this, I would very much appreciate if they would let me know how.

I am planning on being away for one week perhaps running into two if I continue further north to Tarragona (province of Catalunia).

My children are not coming over to Spain for Christmas this year and Christmas being a family affair I don´t know where I will be spending the festive season.  Basically, it all depends on whether I can collect all the documentation I need before the country closes down for the holiday.  Youd think that a catholic country would be closed for a couple of weeks which is what happens in London but here there seems to be a holiday every other week so they close for Christmas Day and everything is back to normal on Boxing Day.  I might add that the last two days have been a holiday which means that this is a three day week.

I am starting to write again, my block seems to have moved on thanks to Dawn and her bottle of champagne so if I have a boring time with nothing to relate, Ill write a story.

POOKIE - thank you for your comments, I feed on peoples reactions to my stories so to you, Sweet, Thumper and Deva big hugs.

Love and light.

Granny.

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9 Dec 2009 1:48 AM

Rosario breathed a sigh of relief and pressed the buttons on the door for the two front windows to go down quietly.

The open road ahead looked so good after sitting in the cityâ��s traffic jams for so long.  Turning the music up louder she wriggled comfortably and settled in for the  600 kms., drive. "Isnâ��t it amazing" she thought, the sun is shining and the temperature is 30Ë� yet the breeze wafting in is reasonably cool.

Suddenly a big silver Mercedes glided up by her side and rested parallel seemingly quite happy to just ride alongside her little Seat.  As she looked over to the driver her heart skipped a beat, her breath caught in her throat and an involuntary reaction made her turn the steering wheel towards the vehicle  by her side and she felt a gentle bump  as wing touched wing almost like a fleeting kiss between two lovers.  â��Oh my Godâ�� she thought as she took her foot off the accelerator and coasted into the hard shoulder.

Pulling up she looked into the rear view mirror but there was nothing, just empty road ahead and behind her.  Turning around she couldnâ��t believe her eyes â��Where is itâ�� she said out loud.  No sign.  She unbuckled her safety belt and stepped out onto the tarmac.  Walking around the car she looked up and down the road but there wasnâ��t another car to be seen.  "Where had it gone"? She had seen it, she had bumped it.  Panicking she rushed to the damaged wing but it wasnâ��t damaged. Her head spun and she fell against the car sliding slowly down to the ground in slow motion like one of those dramatic scenes in a cheesy play.

Seconds later she seemed to come-to, shaking her head and struggling to her feet she walked slowly around to the driverâ��s side  climbed in and put the safety belt on.

Cruising at 80 kms., an hour with the sun beating down Rosario realised that there werenâ��t any other cars on the road, she looked across the barrier to the other side and there werenâ��t any on that side either.  "This is surreal" she thought.  "Everything is in slow motion and..."  she felt rather than saw a shadow to her right.  Desperately she fought the urge to look until she couldnâ��t control it any longer and then turned to see him riding along beside her in his big silver Mercedes.

Looking straight into her dead husbandâ��s eyes she knew..... â��Oh Antonioâ�� she said â��I knew you would come back for me but I didnâ��t think it would be this soon!  The children are young, I havenâ��t made provision for them.  I havenâ��t written a will.  I, I....â��

The impact as she hit the lorry head on killed her instantly and in that split second before she died she felt a smile cross her face as she remembered that the twins were strapped into their car chairs on the back seats. They weren�t going to be orphans after all.

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