Where's Bertie? He's in a very large, but largely empty, car park in Águilas. Exact location: 37.40980, -1.57705.
Weather: Mainly overcast with some rain. 10-14 degrees.
Thursday
Still in Xeraco yesterday morning, I got up and breakfasted as if I was going for a run, but listening to the rain on Bertie's roof, I had second thoughts. If I wanted to keep running in the rain, I could have stayed in the UK. Thus, our planned noon departure from the campsite was brought forward and by 0930 Bertie's tanks were emptied and filled, we'd made a final use of the showers, and we were off.
The first fifteen or twenty minutes of the 3.5hr journey were spent (by me; Mick was driving) trying to find a reasonably priced petrol station that wasn't too big a detour from our route south. Eventually we settled on stopping at Murcia, as the petrol station there is next door to Ikea, where we could have a quick lunch before continuing south. Somewhere along the way we drove out from under the rain. We even got sunshine now and then.
Our first meal out of the trip and it's meatballs in Ikea. Oh dear!
I commented on the Aire in the retail park in Murcia when we stayed there in 2020 (people taking root in a retail park, where the max stay is supposed to be 72 hours, and treating it like a campsite). When we popped by in 2022 it had spread into the adjacent car park. It's now gone from motorhome hamlet to village to city, spreading over four car parks. I can only assume the owners of the retail park are allowing the situation to persist because: a) they have an excess of parking; and b) the amount of business it creates for the retailers.
With both us and Bertie refueled (156.9/litre), it was just another hour or so to Águilas where after a trip to Lidl (only height-limited underground parking, so we had to park up the street - not overly convenient as it precludes taking trolley to vehicle), we came the final 1km to this car park. Ten minutes later I headed off one way down the street for a trot along the seafront, whilst Mick went the other for a walk.
First impressions: a nice place that's far more alive than anywhere else we've been so far on this trip. There are people! Restaurants and cafés are open!
View one way along the bay
and t'other way
Friday
After a couple of hours of tapping away on the laptop, going out for café y tostada seemed like a good idea. That led to us exploring more of Águilas than just the seafront, as none of the eateries there appealed.
On the verge of giving up (because we were being picky rather than due to a lack of options), we finally happened upon the type of place we were after: a bakery with tables - the sort of place that caters to locals rather than tourists. Indeed, we managed to place our order entirely in Spanish (we may have guessed the answer to a couple of the many questions we received in return) and were served exactly what we thought we'd asked for. Always a confidence boost when that happens!
Café y tostada
On the way back to Bertie we visited another bakery (without coffee or tables) that we'd espied on our way through town:
Which cake to choose from such a fine display?
Lunch
Another walk out was had this afternoon, trying to find the signage I'd seen yesterday advertising the GR-92 coast path. I thought there had been an entire information board; turns out it was just a sign post (well, there was an adjacent info board, but it was about an inland route). Mick will be sampling the coast path mañana en la mañana.
I think we could happily spend at least a few days here, but we have a date to be elsewhere tomorrow afternoon. We'd certainly come back in the future.
Weather: Mainly overcast with some rain. 10-14 degrees.
Thursday
Still in Xeraco yesterday morning, I got up and breakfasted as if I was going for a run, but listening to the rain on Bertie's roof, I had second thoughts. If I wanted to keep running in the rain, I could have stayed in the UK. Thus, our planned noon departure from the campsite was brought forward and by 0930 Bertie's tanks were emptied and filled, we'd made a final use of the showers, and we were off.
The first fifteen or twenty minutes of the 3.5hr journey were spent (by me; Mick was driving) trying to find a reasonably priced petrol station that wasn't too big a detour from our route south. Eventually we settled on stopping at Murcia, as the petrol station there is next door to Ikea, where we could have a quick lunch before continuing south. Somewhere along the way we drove out from under the rain. We even got sunshine now and then.
I commented on the Aire in the retail park in Murcia when we stayed there in 2020 (people taking root in a retail park, where the max stay is supposed to be 72 hours, and treating it like a campsite). When we popped by in 2022 it had spread into the adjacent car park. It's now gone from motorhome hamlet to village to city, spreading over four car parks. I can only assume the owners of the retail park are allowing the situation to persist because: a) they have an excess of parking; and b) the amount of business it creates for the retailers.
With both us and Bertie refueled (156.9/litre), it was just another hour or so to Águilas where after a trip to Lidl (only height-limited underground parking, so we had to park up the street - not overly convenient as it precludes taking trolley to vehicle), we came the final 1km to this car park. Ten minutes later I headed off one way down the street for a trot along the seafront, whilst Mick went the other for a walk.
First impressions: a nice place that's far more alive than anywhere else we've been so far on this trip. There are people! Restaurants and cafés are open!
Friday
After a couple of hours of tapping away on the laptop, going out for café y tostada seemed like a good idea. That led to us exploring more of Águilas than just the seafront, as none of the eateries there appealed.
On the verge of giving up (because we were being picky rather than due to a lack of options), we finally happened upon the type of place we were after: a bakery with tables - the sort of place that caters to locals rather than tourists. Indeed, we managed to place our order entirely in Spanish (we may have guessed the answer to a couple of the many questions we received in return) and were served exactly what we thought we'd asked for. Always a confidence boost when that happens!
On the way back to Bertie we visited another bakery (without coffee or tables) that we'd espied on our way through town:
Another walk out was had this afternoon, trying to find the signage I'd seen yesterday advertising the GR-92 coast path. I thought there had been an entire information board; turns out it was just a sign post (well, there was an adjacent info board, but it was about an inland route). Mick will be sampling the coast path mañana en la mañana.
I think we could happily spend at least a few days here, but we have a date to be elsewhere tomorrow afternoon. We'd certainly come back in the future.
It's a standing joke in my family that I regard a trip to Ikea as my worst nightmare, and as for those meat balls, my version of Robert Carrier's is far superior. At last some milder weather here. Yesterday I washed the car for the first time in over three months (or more, can't remember) it was ingrained with green mold in the seam lines.
ReplyDeleteA trip to Ikea can be beneficial exercise. I'm sure we must have walked 2km trying to get to the exit from the restaurant.
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