Poolside

The last few days are spent lazing in the heatwave almost totally alone with free run of the local beaches

Nina takes pity on this local resident and the tuna is opened for our guest

Word soon gets around!

So after a great two weeks 'chilling' by the sea we head for La Hoya and Casa Rudo

En route past Totana we step out at the services in to 40 degs of oven...

Please let it be cooler at Elche!🙏

We arrive late afternoon and get the washing and shopping done near San Fulgencio. This really nice wine bar provides a welcome relief and a cooling breeze pops up in the late evening

We are here!

The summer months provide our hosts Rudy & Dorine with a nice break from their usual busy routine looking after their B & B and serving the needs of the campers

We have the place, and the pool to ourselves...

That will do nicely!

A knock on the open van door (everything is permanently left wide open here) reveals Rudy asking for a little help routing his lekky cables underground

Its a pig of a job in the heat of the morning but we get the job done!

Girls look away!

We had arranged back in the winter on our last visit that I would return later in October of this year to decorate their poolhouse 

Having had a rethink I set about doing the job now. This will enable us to spend more time after our UK visit to tour Germany & Italy en route to the Med for the winter, or at least thats how the theory goes at this stage

No brainer really as the temp poolside is 38 degs and I'm inside with the air con going full tilt!

This is us shortly before one of Dorine's weekly dinners put on for us. The shirt is the last thing I want to put on for dinner but we're British you know!

(Nina has a dress on BTW)

Dorine's homemade Tiramisu ends a lovely evening of cocktails, wine, fine food and banter

The four of us head off next day for the huge shopping complex at La Zenia, south of Torreveja and I'm hooked on this wondrous contraption

Snorkelling just got really easy!

Its a struggle at tea break though

A ride in to nearby Elche reveals quite a nice atmosphere come the early evening and we stroll the backstreets and discover new areas previously overlooked last year

Mental notes are made for a tapas run one evening soon

Nina's latest creation

If your name starts with an S then get ready!

Max is pressed in to action and we take the winding hill route to Aspe for a lunchtime tapa stop

Its here we buy yet more shoes, this time for Nina as I had that privilege last week

Back at the van Al Fresco cooking is the custom 

Rudy's take on Paradise

Note the smiling Meerkat 

My paradise is easily found with this beauty recommended by our host 

Followed by this one making it easily in to my top ten

Last night's visit to nearby restaurant La Vuelta for the four of us was a big hit!

Excellent food accompanied by

Some very good entertainment from a duo called Bella Luna

Dancing, drinking and folks enjoying the atmos...

You know the drill!