Boring days in Paradise!!

So, it's now November 11th and we have been here for 12 days. Apart from 1 rainy day the weather has been gorgeous! Temperatures around the 20 mark during the day - much cooler at night - but after all it is winter!
1st November - a walk to the beach and then west towards El Palmar.


2nd November and we walked to the beach then along to Trafalgar.


We saw a beautiful Chameleon on the campsite - he was very patient while I took lots of photos!

It's been nice enough to eat breakfast outside almost every day too!

We've hired a car for a month so we can zoom about a bit! Had a trip to Vejer de la Frontera - lovely as ever!
Last Sunday Maureen was 70 so 10 of us went out for a Chinese at lunchtime - what a great group of friends we have out here!!

October 2010 - the long goodbyes start again!

Monday 4th we woke up to a wonderful blue sky and sunshine - we decided to get the train to Manchester and spend the day photographing anything and everything around the city. We wandered around aimlessly - had a ride on the big wheel and snapped away up there too!
We walked miles around town and ended up walking along the River Irwell to Castlefield and Granada TV Studios. We spent an hour at the studios wtahcing people walking in and out and were rewarded by the sight of two Corrie stars! Took their photos of course!
We had a great day out - not shopping or doing anything we needed to - just enjoying the city!









11th October - we met Stuart and took Alfie to the play park. Crazy boy! He's so funny!
Jake met up with us too after school then he went and got ready to go to ACF
(Army Cadet Force) - he looked great in his new uniform!









The long goodbyes started a week before departure day - Saturday 16th - Jean and Danielle came over and we went out for a meal to the Wren's Nest in Glossop. Sunday 17th - Angela and Bren and the kids came over - we went to The Peels for a meal. Monday 18th we had a rest! Tuesday 19th we took the boys out to the Outside Inn for a meal - chaos!! But great!!




Wednesday we went to The Wheatsheaf in Old Glossop with Janis and Bill - Thursday was the Peels again with Wanda, Phil, Kathie, Brian, Maria and Rose. Lovely to see old friends!




Friday 22nd we left Glossop and drove down to Oxford - Saturday we met Diva and had a lovely day with our gorgeous granddaughter!






Sunday 24th we went to Maidstone to camp at Bow Bridge Marina and see Sue and Steve - had a lovely couple of days there! Monday we went to Whitstable for fish and chips!!

Tuesday we ehaded for Portsmouth - stopping at Winchester services to meet Jan (NannyJan) who was following us to Zahora. Stuart (Capinpugwash) Came to see us in the car park! How nice is that? Jan had a terrible drive from Bishop's Stortford - M25 clogged up as usual!

We went to Portsmouth and had a meal at Port Solent then moved to the port and stayed there for the night. Early next morning we joined the queue for the ferry to Santander. We were soon on the boat and settled in to our cabin. Very smooth crossing - amazing!


We arrived in Santander and quickly exited the port and drove the 20 miles to Santillana del Mar for the night. We had a nice walk to the medieval village in the sunshine!

We set off the following day for Zahora - 1st stop Salamanca - it rained all the way and blew a hoolie! Not a pleasant journey! Stayed at Camping Regio. Jaded tired site but easy to find and behind a hotel doing cheap nice meals!!! Oh and free wi-fi in the foyer too!
Saturday we drove to Caceres - again rain and wind - what a journey!!!

Sunday we set off for the long journey to Zahora - luckily the rain eased off and the wind too - once we reached Sevilla the sun came out and the rest of the journey was great!

Arrived at Camping Pinar San Jose about 4.30 to be greeted by Mary, Derek, Trevor and Elaine who arrived a few weeks ago.

So that was October!

September 2010 - wherever did that month go???

It's been a busy month one way and another - not a lot of photo opportunities though really!

Met up with Mary and Derek at Cheshire Oaks on the 2nd for a day of catching up and retail therapy for Mary and I! Didn't spend much either! Nice to see them both but it made us realise how much we want to get back to the peace and quiet of Zahora! Not forgetting the sunshine of course!

On the 3rd we went to Newark for the Motorhome Show with the Funsters - yet another weekend of mayhem!

The following week was a medical week - consultant at hospital about my shoulder - Mammogram - Dentist for us both - Chiropodist for me - Pre-op assessment - phew! Enough of that!!

Jake started back at school in his newly designed uniform - a backward step into shirts, ties and blazers!

Sept 12th was Padfield Plum Fair and once again the rain kept off!

The following week was visitors and vehicles themed! Van MOT, car service, some electrical work done on the van and in between we had visitors! Fred and Marina on Tuesday - we hadn't seen Fred for 19 years and it was lovely to see him again and meet his lovely new wife!
On Friday Mary and Walt arrived and stayed at the Windy Harbour Hotel overnight. First time we'd seen them this year! We had a lovely meal in The Wheatsheaf, Old Glossop - definitely recommend that place!!
On Saturday we had a day out in Castleton and Edale. They went home Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday Sandie and Tony came for lunch - first time we've seen them this year too!

Sept 23rd was Alfie's 3rd birthday - can't believe how fast he's growing up! He's a smart cookie too!

A couple of days rest and then we were off to Lincoln for the last Motorhome Show of the season.
Not very good weather though so most socialising was done in the entertainment building while being drowned out by the various entertainments! At least they were free!


Funsters doing what funsters do best! Drinking and talking!!






We're house and cat sitting now for a week - Janis and Bill have gone off to Turkey for a week of walking along a coastal footpath.

We're trying to sort the van out now ready for our trip to Spain - don't know when we're going yet as I'm waiting for an operation on my shoulder - best to be ready though!

Let's hope October brings some changes and I get my shoulder done and we head off to the sun!

Summer 2010 - Part Three - August

Well that's August over and done with and I'm actually nearly up to date! Miracles!


A brief stopover in Ambleside at Miller Field with the Funsters on the Friday night then down to West Timperley near Manchester for the August Bank Holiday weekend to visit Angela, Bren, Ciara, James and Malachy.
Afternoon out in Dunham Park brought back many happy memories of when we lived in Stretford and used to take Siobhan and Stuart there!


The Byrnes and the Turners




25th August we were off to Paisley and Anne and Mike. Day in Glasgow - never been there before - really enjoyed the city and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Lovely time with Anne and Mike and Poppy!

Jake trying on a mask in the Museum!



We left Dingwall on 24th August and started the journey south - stopping off at Portnellan near Crianlarich for 1 night with Trevor and Elaine. Rex and Jake went kayaking in the loch and came home very happy but very wet!!!

They're somewhere out there!!







After a night at Boat of Garten we went north up the A9 and across the Kessock Bridge to Dingwall. Here we met up with a Funster friend, Ray, who very kindly took us out to the west coast for the day on the Sunday. Ray is a brilliant tour guide! He knows every blade of grass in the Highlands!!! Applecross is a beautiful place very remote!

Rex, Jake and Ray on a windswept viewpoint on top of the hill going to Applecross!




We had a day trip Thurso by train and a day trip to Kyle of Lochalsh also by train.













We left Edinburgh on 19th August and drove up to Boat of Garten. On the way we stoped at the RSPB reserve at Loch Garten. They had two Osprey chicks within sight waiting for food! Great stuff!












From Consett we went to Edinburgh - C&CC had a Temporary Holiday Site at the Royal Highland Showground near the airport. Only £6 a night too. Bus stop just outside the camp into Edinburgh. We wad a whirlwind 3 days in Edinburgh visiting Our Dynamic Earth, The Castle and The Royal Yacht Britannia. Had a great meal in Hard Rock Cafe too! Brilliant!!












Friday 13th August we set off for Scotland via Consett, Co Durham. We had a brilliant weekend with Helen, Sara, Hannah, Darran, Harrison, Mollie and Freya!
Day out at Shilden Railway Museum was ace!







The Turners and Kitcheners!









11th August it was back to Windy Harbour for a couple of days to prepare for our trip to Scotland with Jake!








6th August we had a brief trip to A S Air Suspension in Warrington to get a niggle fixed by Phil and Kath and then it was off up to Morecambe to camp on Bryan and Suzy's drive for 5 nights.
Bryan, Suzy and I were all feeling poorly for one reason or another so Rex became "the carer"!
We had a very relaxing time and at the end of it were a few hundred quid worse off! Rex and Bryan had spent the whole time on the internet looking for a new camera for Rex! They found a Nikon D5000 and Nikon lens! On the way back to Glossop we ahd to go to Dewsbury to collect it!





Rex and Bryan in typical pose!



On 4th August we went to Thurstaston on the Wirral for a couple of nights. Withernsea is about as far east as we can get from here in Glossop and we left there to go as far west as we can go! Lovely C&CC site by the estuary and long distance footpath.
Had a walk along the beach into West Kirby then back along the footpath.


This is a view of the estuary looking over to Wales.






2nd August 2010

We started the month by going to Withernsea near Hull with Ray and Joan to visit Maureen and Michael.

I've decided to do this month back to front as I'm getting fed up with the way Blogger works and the difficulty in getting photos and text where I want them!! So we'll see what August looks likes! Rant over for now!!!

Summer 2010 - Part Two - June, July

We actually managed to stay put for 18 days in Padfield!
It was great to spend some quality time with Stuart and Jake and Alfie!













We left Padfield on June 24th and spent the weekend at Wrenbury near Nantwich with the Funsters. That was like a 4 night party! Phew!
When we left there we went to a very quiet site on Dartmoor and relaxed for 2 nights before carrying on to Cornwall and 11 nights full on family!!

It was great in Cornwall! Jane and Mike were visiting from Vancouver and Sue and Steve came over from Kent. BBQ at our van for 15 on the Saturday!



And here are some of us in Fowey and Charlestown!


From Cornwall we travelled back up north visiting friends along the way. Maria and John now have a pub near Chepstow - Maria was away but John was holding the fort and we had a very pleasant evening with him - parked on the car park next to their RV!

A night in Monmouth was followed by a visit to Angela and Richard in Martley near Worcester. Richard was away but Angela was there! Are people going away when they realise we're in the country???

Back to Padfield for one night then off to Knutsford for the Northern Motorhome Show with the Funsters! Another party weekend!! How do we do it??

Back at Windy Harbour for a week then over to Tibshelf near Chesterfield to meet up with Ray and Joan and Stephen and Lesley. Nice couple of nights there, great walk over to Hardwick Hall
and back.
Ray and Joan came back to Windy Harbour with us for a few days and we had some great days out! The Trafford Centre, East Lancashire Railway and a ride on a steam train and also an 8½ mile walk around Glossopdale - up and down big hills too!!

This is us on the approach to Doctors Gate.

Summer 2010 - Part One

I can't believe how long it is since I put anything on this blog!

We left Zahora mid April and spent nearly 6 weeks travelling before we got back to Glossop! Could have walked it quicker!

We stopped off to see friends and family along the way of course!
Liz in Seville, John and Zoe on Aguadulce, Patricia and Tom in Sayalonga, Diane and Roy in Sucina and Frankie and Steph in Toulouse.

Marie and Liz in Sevilla. Standing on Liz's balcony in the heart of the city. Sevilla is a fascinating lively city - the real heart of Spain. Flamenco, oranges, wine - great place.







The beautiful Embalse de Negratin near Baza
This is near to the campsite we stay on when we meet up with Vi and Steve in Baza. Beautiful unspoilt area.
Follow this link:- http://www.cavehousecountry.com/






With Steph and Frankie at Chateau de Foix.
We had a great 2 days in Toulouse with them.








A statue of Cyrano de Bergerac in the old town of Bergerac on the Dordogne.










Our van parked in the aire at Montreuil-Bellay. Lovely little town with a pointy roof chateau and a pretty river!








St Valery en Caux - we stopped here for lunch and a look at the view. I managed to trip up (over nothing!) and hurt my shoulder, ribs, knees and elbow! Pathetic or what???
Nice little town - very busy.

Last day in France - tomorrow we're on the train through the tunnel and into England.


13th May - now and England and first stop was Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Narrow Gauge Railway. Never been there before - very interesting!






We spent a week at a CL in Wateringbury near Maidstone.
Lovely site on Bow Bridge Marina.
By the side of the River Medway.
Next to a railway station.

We saw quite a lot of our cousins Sue and Steve which was lovely - had a great day out with them in Whitstable - lovely fish and chips!

We also had a day out in London - by train - doing the tourist bit!


We spent the following weekend at the Motorhome show in Newbury with the MotorhomeFun gang - great fun as usual! We also met up with our gorgeous granddaughter Diva on the Saturday - she got the train over from Reading. It was so lovely to see her - we don't see her anywhere nearly enough!




After that we managed to drive up to Glossop!! Stayed a week on Windy Harbour then picked up Jake and went to the Stratford Motorhome Show for a week!
This is always a great week with the funsters camped on the racecourse, close to the river and the short walk into Stratford-upon-Avon. Jake enjoyed himself playing silly games with all the other kids camped with us! The weather was fantastic all week!

When we left Stratford we returned to Padfield and spent a couple of weeks house and cat sitting for Janis and Bill while they went off and walked the Pennine Way! Basically, they got a bus to Scotland and walked home the hard way across lots of hills!!!
We met up with them one weekend near Appleby and gave them 2 nights of decent sleep in the van and plenty of food!




So that's the end of Summer 2010 - Part One! Part Two will follow very soon!