Aguilas

Having survived the prawn meal we take a steady drive further down the coast to just beyond Aguilas

Our next stop is found in our trusted 'Vanners' Bible' the contents of which get studied each morning over tea in bed without fail...

We divert off the Sat Nav route to our intended stopover location and are soon pleased we did!

We spot some vans tucked away right on the beach and decide to go explore their secret

Are we so pleased we did!

In her element

We are rewarded that evening (and the next 3 days) with a beautiful sunset

Surely one of our better choices...

Our 'garden view' this morning

We spend the day dusting off the bikes and riding in to Aguilas

Next day we wander round to the next cove were we find many more vans and these unusual cave dwellings

The next few days are very different to arrival day 

The wind blows very strongly for 3 full days and sleep is restricted to a bare minimum

Sandblasting springs to mind and we are forced to move back from the shoreline a little as its just too windy and the branches (actually leaves) of the date plants we are parked under fall at will around us

The plus side was that the temperature rose to 25 Degs

This view was on the last morning when the wind was at its fullest. I had been hit on the head the previous day by a falling 'leaf' (the length of a hockey stick and twice the size) much to Nina's amusement...

Being 'landlocked' in our home county I have developed an obsession for wave shots when we are away so please bear with me….

Before we left we had the pleasure, and anguish, to meet these fellas

They had been cruelly abandoned on the headland and were causing quite a stir with passers by

We tried to do our best by giving them water and some ground up dog biscuits left over from last year for the strays in Portugal

How we didn't pick up the cute one above with the black face and keep him I'm not sure as Nina was bereft at their fate

We were consoled a little by the fact that some nearby German vanners had made some calls and were hopeful of their rescue. We left feeling quite sad for them as we know the few rescue centres here are always full and its a common problem 

To Wilco..

A few days ago I had a harrowing call from a friend in the UK to inform me of the sudden tragic death of an old work chum of mine, Chris Wilkinson (middle left)

Words cannot properly express Chris how your chums feel right now. You were a friend to me and an inspiration to the rest of the muppets in the photo above (Red Watch Carlton)

All watches experience a short period of 'togetherness' where they feel they are invincible and its just fun, fun, fun…all the way

This was our time….

You will be sorely missed my friend by many more people than you could have imagined..

Morella

The sun is shining and the sea is blue…this is more like it!

Off we head southwards following the coastal road for a while in to Spain. The day is spent just cruising the superb Spanish highways to eventually rest up at a favourite spot on a vineyard we used in spring last year

The view from the van at Avinyonet del Penedès

Our first taste of Rioja this trip, an Aldi special that exceeded our €4.00 expectations..

This guy came a sniffin' next morning and his reward was a length of last night's Toulouse sausage

A couple of days later we make the trip in to the hills to visit Morella

We'd heard they'd had snow here last week and there's still some of the stuff left to remind us of home

All is tranquil with a mild breeze but cold

Off we trundle in to town spotting this geology teacher's dream on the way

I see this as art, probably quite foolishly too..

Dusk arrives and we are treated to a beautiful panorama of the town

Then later the castle lights go on and the scene is complete..

It was after this it all got quite twitchy as the wind really got up, gale force I estimated, and we spent the night rocking and rolling with very little sleep

Next day we head gingerly down to the coast and continue our route southwards

After a night at -3 C its nice to be in the high teens again

The deserted sea front at Gandia

Given that we were short on sleep the other day this tasty treat knocked up by Chefette Nina has us worried that we'll be up again all night tonight

Should prawns smell this much before they are cooked?

Hey Ho, in 12 hours we'll know if they were off!

Collioure

South of Leucate and just north of Port Vendres lies Collioure

A finer French harbour I challenge you to find

The aire a couple km walk up the hill is free for january so that's a bonus

The town is famous for its Anchovies which we duly purchased from the shop below

Chateau Royal de Collioure with Notre Dames des Anges church behind

The sun is out and we are happy...

So nice to visit this place out of season 

The inseparable Duo...

Anti intruder device, beats any alarm..

The snow is here but only on 'them thar hills'

Plane trees in action

A few glasses on Vin Blanc sat in the sun is most agreeable particularly when we are joined by our feathered friends

We stay here two nights as its so nice, avoiding the temptation of the local restaurants and Nina knocks up some fine English cuisine..