Sunday.
Finally we’re ready for the off! After what seems like weeks of incessant rain we’re flying, well motoring, south like the swallows. We had to finish packing the car as it had been too wet to do so yesterday but we were ready for the off by 11.10. Thankfully the rain had stopped and we had an easy drive to our hotel in Utebo just north of Zaragoza. We have stayed there twice previously and knew that it was easily accessible from the autoroute. We arrived about 4pm and once checked in to our room stayed there for the evening. We knew that the restaurant was closed on a Sunday evening so I had come prepared with supplies. We had olives and crisps for starters and cold chicken with potato salad and green salad next and then a crème caramel to finish off. All accompanied by a bottle of côtes du Rhône! Not a bad way to celebrate the start of our winter sojourn.
Monday 2nd December.
We’d had an early night so we were awake by 7am. After a good breakfast we were ready for the off by 9am. Rain was forecast for the Moraira area so we were keen to get there hopefully before it started. The day was bright and cold and the traffic around Zaragoza was busy, not pleasant. Once we got south of the town and onto the autoroute of Mudéjar the traffic was light and we were able to press on and enjoy the scenery. The autoroute climbs up onto the plain and the surrounding area is pretty desolate. A few scattered townships around in what appears to be a barren landscape. Quote from Wikipedia.
“ On a cold, dry plain in rural eastern Spain, 1,000 meters above sea level, a surreal scene greets drivers speeding along the Mudejar Highway inland from the Mediterranean Sea.
Finally we’re ready for the off! After what seems like weeks of incessant rain we’re flying, well motoring, south like the swallows. We had to finish packing the car as it had been too wet to do so yesterday but we were ready for the off by 11.10. Thankfully the rain had stopped and we had an easy drive to our hotel in Utebo just north of Zaragoza. We have stayed there twice previously and knew that it was easily accessible from the autoroute. We arrived about 4pm and once checked in to our room stayed there for the evening. We knew that the restaurant was closed on a Sunday evening so I had come prepared with supplies. We had olives and crisps for starters and cold chicken with potato salad and green salad next and then a crème caramel to finish off. All accompanied by a bottle of côtes du Rhône! Not a bad way to celebrate the start of our winter sojourn.
Monday 2nd December.
We’d had an early night so we were awake by 7am. After a good breakfast we were ready for the off by 9am. Rain was forecast for the Moraira area so we were keen to get there hopefully before it started. The day was bright and cold and the traffic around Zaragoza was busy, not pleasant. Once we got south of the town and onto the autoroute of Mudéjar the traffic was light and we were able to press on and enjoy the scenery. The autoroute climbs up onto the plain and the surrounding area is pretty desolate. A few scattered townships around in what appears to be a barren landscape. Quote from Wikipedia.
“ On a cold, dry plain in rural eastern Spain, 1,000 meters above sea level, a surreal scene greets drivers speeding along the Mudejar Highway inland from the Mediterranean Sea.
Line after line of enormous jumbo jets appear silhouetted against the horizon. It's not a mirage, but the site of the largest industrial airport in Europe.
Located outside the town of Teruel, the smallest of all Spanish provincial capitals, this is not a typical airport or tourist destination. There are no check-in desks, departure lounges, luggage carousels, coffee shops, taxi stands or shuttle buses.
For the simple fact that there are no commercial flights here -- and there never were.
This airport was built with other purposes in mind. It hosts aircraft from all over the world that have been withdrawn from service, be it temporarily or permanently, and caters to their maintenance needs.
What it's not, however, is an aircraft junkyard.
Some aging airliners may be scrapped here (after being stripped for valuable parts and spares) but plenty of new, perfectly serviceable aircraft are stored in Teruel.
Some are ready to fly but are waiting for financial or legal issues to be sorted out. Some are here because their airlines need to temporarily adjust capacity to cope with fluctuating market conditions.”
Once past Teruel Nigel pulled off the autoroute so we could have a coffee and change drivers. The bar/restaurant where we stopped was pretty rural and there was a table of several locals, all men, with varying drinks, alcoholic mostly, having what we assumed must be their usual morning gathering. As the hour for lunch was approaching we noticed a very interesting display of tapas many of which were unrecognisable. We just settled for a coffee though as we were keen to press on.
Back on the auto route we were nearing Valencia when it started to rain. The autoroute round Valencia was very busy and the rain was very heavy, not pleasant driving. South of Valencia the traffic thinned and by the time we got on the AP7 motorway the rain stopped and made the last part of our journey easier. Leaving the motorway and passing through the town of Teulada we descended the hill towards Moraira, a welcome sight. We had to drive on through the town to pick up the keys for our apartment at the agent’s office before returning to the town and, luckily, finding a parking place opposite what was to be our home for the next 4 months. Some trepidation as we entered the apartment but we were greatly pleased to find it as per the agent’s description and photographs. It took a few trips to ferry all our belongings in to the apartment, 2nd floor but there is a lift, and then I took the car up the road to the big car park where she will spend her holidays!
As I was walking back to the apartment the rain started again and it soon became torrential, not quite the weather we had expected! We unpacked as much as we could and at 6pm braved the weather to walk the short distance to the Chinese restaurant opposite the seafront. We had eaten there many times on our previous visit and were pleased to see the same waiter there. After a couple of glasses of red and a good meal it was another dash through the rain back “home” for an early night after a long day.
Back on the auto route we were nearing Valencia when it started to rain. The autoroute round Valencia was very busy and the rain was very heavy, not pleasant driving. South of Valencia the traffic thinned and by the time we got on the AP7 motorway the rain stopped and made the last part of our journey easier. Leaving the motorway and passing through the town of Teulada we descended the hill towards Moraira, a welcome sight. We had to drive on through the town to pick up the keys for our apartment at the agent’s office before returning to the town and, luckily, finding a parking place opposite what was to be our home for the next 4 months. Some trepidation as we entered the apartment but we were greatly pleased to find it as per the agent’s description and photographs. It took a few trips to ferry all our belongings in to the apartment, 2nd floor but there is a lift, and then I took the car up the road to the big car park where she will spend her holidays!
As I was walking back to the apartment the rain started again and it soon became torrential, not quite the weather we had expected! We unpacked as much as we could and at 6pm braved the weather to walk the short distance to the Chinese restaurant opposite the seafront. We had eaten there many times on our previous visit and were pleased to see the same waiter there. After a couple of glasses of red and a good meal it was another dash through the rain back “home” for an early night after a long day.
Tuesday 3rd December.
It was still raining pretty heavily the next day and it continued for most of the day. I had to go to the letting agent’s office to pay the first months rental and they told me that they had been flooded out the previous morning. We had not been able to connect to the WiFi as couldn’t find which provider to connect to and didn’t have a password either. They said they would send someone out later in the morning. Back home and I then went out to get some supplies, first to Iceland overseas and then to Pepe la Sal both small supermarkets within a five minute walk. N was busy unpacking and I set to to sort out the kitchen.
A beautifully designed kitchen and very well stocked with pots, pans, cutlery and tableware. A pleasant young man arrived shortly to sort out the WiFi and he too was puzzled. He finally had to ring the office who then rang the owners and then rang him back. The necessary details were written on a cardboard box, which had contained the router, hidden in a cupboard! Whilst he was here I asked him for help with the TV set up. There is a large tv on the sitting room wall and it has many channels, all in German! Another large tv on the wall in the main bedroom. We can live without the tv channels but I did want to be able to use my google chromecast to watch Netflix. It’s difficult to plug it in to the back of the tv when it’s on the wall but he managed to do so to the one in the bedroom so I’ll tackle hooking that up when I have more time and feel more in the mood!
By teatime we had got most of our stuff organised and were beginning to feel at home. I must say we are both thrilled with the apartment, it’s certainly a step up from the one we were in last year. It’s spacious and so well situated in the centre of town and a short walk from the seafront and all the facilities of the town.
https://turisol.net/costa-blanca-holiday-rentals/moraira/judith-587/details
There’s a lot of mirrors here!
Wednesday 4th December.
A bit drier today although some showers and still cloudy. N went out, to the hardware shop, to get some spare keys cut for the apartment. Nice being back somewhere where we know everything is!
In the afternoon I went for a walk around town. Not many people about, mainly people giving their dogs a chance to stretch their legs. Sat by the sea and N joined me before we walked back home.
Thursday 5th December.
Rain stopped and sun reappeared! A few jobs to do today. First stop was at the jewellers to have watch battery replaced and to get wedding ring made smaller. Had used them last trip here and found them very helpful and efficient. Then to the computer shop. Very efficient, in fact frighteningly so!, German chap in charge. He was busy so I got the young lad, his son I think, who was pretty clueless but spoke excellent English. I think that I have broken my mobile phone so have left it with them to check. On Monday morning it was flashing and wouldn’t turn off, it was getting quite hot. I thought best thing to go was to take the battery out but it seemed that the battery was a permanent fixture and however we tried we couldn’t get it out. We eventually managed to turn it off but think it may have been turned off permanently. Also I had found several cd’s of photos that they are going to copy onto my memory stick as I no longer have the facility to view them.
Next stop was the Akira, dog charity shop, to get some reading matter. Plenty of books in the shop to keep me going for our stay here.
Then to the Chinese shop to buy a few necessities for the kitchen, strainer, washing up bowl and washing up drainer. I also bought a shopping trolley!!! Useful for shopping in town and for getting shopping from the car to the apartment. “
”At the turn of the millennium a new type of shop began to appear in Spain — the Chinese discount store (or pound shop if you come from Britain or Ireland). These are colloquially known as Chinos and are ubiquitous. Like the Chinese corner shop these too sell everything under the sun (bar foodstuffs) and are also open night and day. Their products are typically of the non-branded, cheap ‘n’ cheerful variety and are of a Chinese, mass-produced provenance. Some of the goods they sell are not quite right, off-the-mark or unintentionally funny (figurines of the three wise men with Asiatic features come to mind), and there are constant rumblings in the press that these stores’ success rests ultimately on sweatshop labour, but their products — and low prices — are immensely popular among Spanish consumers. The Chino is now as much a feature of Spanish life as Semana Santa or Hola magazine.”
In the afternoon we went to visit Anne and Nigel who have bought an apartment about 15 minutes drive away. They lived near us in France before moving back to the U.K. a few years ago. Good to see them again and catch up before going for a walk with them to admire the view from the top of the hill (mountain almost) near their apartment. They live on a development called Cumbre del Sol which is built on the side of a mountain. Spectacular views across the sea from there.
On the way back home we called at the Mercadona supermarket to do a shop and then gave the shopping trolley it’s maiden voyage!
Friday 6th December.
Market day! I met Anne first of all to have a browse around whilst (her) Nigel walked their dog. We were excited to find a stall selling pork scratchings! We had had some on our last trip and they are excellent, much better than any packaged variety. I then came back here and after a while N and I went to the market together. No difference from when we were here before, same stalls and no doubt same vendors. Beautiful fruit and vegetables available. So easy to buy more than one needs so we tried to be restrained. I do question why one can buy locally grown avocados for 4€ a kilo when one pays much more for ones imported from Peru in the U.K. and France. Why are the Spanish ones not available there? It’s the season for citrus fruit and we tasted mandarins at several stalls to find the sweetest where we bought a couple of kilos of them.
In the afternoon we were pleased to find that the apartment gets the afternoon sun. Last visit our apartment didn’t get any sun which may have been an advantage in the summer but not in the winter. We have a good sized balcony so I sat out there enjoying the sunshine and watching the world go by.
Saturday 7th December.
Today I went back to the U3A Spanish conversation group that I joined on our last trip. They have moved their venue to another bar further down the road from our last meeting place.As I approached the bar I was welcomed by John who remembered me from 2 years ago, or as he said, he remembered the face but not the name! Lovely to see them all again and to chat, in English and Spanish, for a couple of hours. We finished at 12 noon and I came back here for a while before leaving to rejoin them at 1pm for their Christmas lunch at El Rincon in Calle Catalayud. We had a good lunch with lots of chat. I was sitting next to Leonardo, an interesting Italian man, who has lived in Oxford for 42 years. He was a guest of one of the ladies in the group. Also chatted with Prue who is high up in the U3A hierarchy! and Julia who teaches Tai Chi. Both lovely ladies who I knew from our last trip.
Back home about 4 pm to spend a relaxing evening with a neglected N!!.
It was still raining pretty heavily the next day and it continued for most of the day. I had to go to the letting agent’s office to pay the first months rental and they told me that they had been flooded out the previous morning. We had not been able to connect to the WiFi as couldn’t find which provider to connect to and didn’t have a password either. They said they would send someone out later in the morning. Back home and I then went out to get some supplies, first to Iceland overseas and then to Pepe la Sal both small supermarkets within a five minute walk. N was busy unpacking and I set to to sort out the kitchen.
A beautifully designed kitchen and very well stocked with pots, pans, cutlery and tableware. A pleasant young man arrived shortly to sort out the WiFi and he too was puzzled. He finally had to ring the office who then rang the owners and then rang him back. The necessary details were written on a cardboard box, which had contained the router, hidden in a cupboard! Whilst he was here I asked him for help with the TV set up. There is a large tv on the sitting room wall and it has many channels, all in German! Another large tv on the wall in the main bedroom. We can live without the tv channels but I did want to be able to use my google chromecast to watch Netflix. It’s difficult to plug it in to the back of the tv when it’s on the wall but he managed to do so to the one in the bedroom so I’ll tackle hooking that up when I have more time and feel more in the mood!
By teatime we had got most of our stuff organised and were beginning to feel at home. I must say we are both thrilled with the apartment, it’s certainly a step up from the one we were in last year. It’s spacious and so well situated in the centre of town and a short walk from the seafront and all the facilities of the town.
https://turisol.net/costa-blanca-holiday-rentals/moraira/judith-587/details
There’s a lot of mirrors here!
A bit drier today although some showers and still cloudy. N went out, to the hardware shop, to get some spare keys cut for the apartment. Nice being back somewhere where we know everything is!
In the afternoon I went for a walk around town. Not many people about, mainly people giving their dogs a chance to stretch their legs. Sat by the sea and N joined me before we walked back home.
Thursday 5th December.
Rain stopped and sun reappeared! A few jobs to do today. First stop was at the jewellers to have watch battery replaced and to get wedding ring made smaller. Had used them last trip here and found them very helpful and efficient. Then to the computer shop. Very efficient, in fact frighteningly so!, German chap in charge. He was busy so I got the young lad, his son I think, who was pretty clueless but spoke excellent English. I think that I have broken my mobile phone so have left it with them to check. On Monday morning it was flashing and wouldn’t turn off, it was getting quite hot. I thought best thing to go was to take the battery out but it seemed that the battery was a permanent fixture and however we tried we couldn’t get it out. We eventually managed to turn it off but think it may have been turned off permanently. Also I had found several cd’s of photos that they are going to copy onto my memory stick as I no longer have the facility to view them.
Next stop was the Akira, dog charity shop, to get some reading matter. Plenty of books in the shop to keep me going for our stay here.
Then to the Chinese shop to buy a few necessities for the kitchen, strainer, washing up bowl and washing up drainer. I also bought a shopping trolley!!! Useful for shopping in town and for getting shopping from the car to the apartment. “
A Chinese discount store in Madrid.
In the afternoon we went to visit Anne and Nigel who have bought an apartment about 15 minutes drive away. They lived near us in France before moving back to the U.K. a few years ago. Good to see them again and catch up before going for a walk with them to admire the view from the top of the hill (mountain almost) near their apartment. They live on a development called Cumbre del Sol which is built on the side of a mountain. Spectacular views across the sea from there.
On the way back home we called at the Mercadona supermarket to do a shop and then gave the shopping trolley it’s maiden voyage!
Friday 6th December.
Market day! I met Anne first of all to have a browse around whilst (her) Nigel walked their dog. We were excited to find a stall selling pork scratchings! We had had some on our last trip and they are excellent, much better than any packaged variety. I then came back here and after a while N and I went to the market together. No difference from when we were here before, same stalls and no doubt same vendors. Beautiful fruit and vegetables available. So easy to buy more than one needs so we tried to be restrained. I do question why one can buy locally grown avocados for 4€ a kilo when one pays much more for ones imported from Peru in the U.K. and France. Why are the Spanish ones not available there? It’s the season for citrus fruit and we tasted mandarins at several stalls to find the sweetest where we bought a couple of kilos of them.
In the afternoon we were pleased to find that the apartment gets the afternoon sun. Last visit our apartment didn’t get any sun which may have been an advantage in the summer but not in the winter. We have a good sized balcony so I sat out there enjoying the sunshine and watching the world go by.
Saturday 7th December.
Today I went back to the U3A Spanish conversation group that I joined on our last trip. They have moved their venue to another bar further down the road from our last meeting place.As I approached the bar I was welcomed by John who remembered me from 2 years ago, or as he said, he remembered the face but not the name! Lovely to see them all again and to chat, in English and Spanish, for a couple of hours. We finished at 12 noon and I came back here for a while before leaving to rejoin them at 1pm for their Christmas lunch at El Rincon in Calle Catalayud. We had a good lunch with lots of chat. I was sitting next to Leonardo, an interesting Italian man, who has lived in Oxford for 42 years. He was a guest of one of the ladies in the group. Also chatted with Prue who is high up in the U3A hierarchy! and Julia who teaches Tai Chi. Both lovely ladies who I knew from our last trip.
Back home about 4 pm to spend a relaxing evening with a neglected N!!.
Comments
Post a Comment