Housesitting

We duly arrive at La Hoya and receive a warm welcome from Rudy & Dorine

A couple of days after arrival we decide to treat the resident camper folk to an afternoon cake and coffee session to celebrate Nina's Birthday

My Hawaian wife

Rudy and Dorine are invited along to her birthday meal out at a local restaurant called The Grill House and we all have a great night

Beat this for a wholesome chunk of beef, a whopping tasty T Bone each for the guys after earlier cocktails and starters

The Subeas are dusted off and we settle down to a month's stay at Casa Rudo where the pool temp reaches a perfect 29 degs

Of course its not all loafing around as we have a lot to do whilst here

Yet again the kitchen sink is removed to replace the feathered rubber seal ready for sale when we get back to the UK

Looking around the van it apparent there's much that shows signs of ageing and we are pleased that the time has come to swap vehicles

I've lost count of the number of times I've rethreaded the door flyscreen!

One saturday night Dorine does my personal favourite, chicken, prawn and sausage paella

We spend some time locally winding down the days until Emilja & Richard arrive

This is nearby Santa Pola beach reached by Max

Fish being offloaded throughout the day harbourside

Looks a cool Ted but it was too hot to sit next to him

Ok the moment arrives..

We are left in charge of Casa Rudo and I practice my best Rottweiler impressions during the week that our hosts are away on holiday

I become well versed in all things pool related, from Ph balances to chlorine tablets to robotic cleaners

The work had to be done early doors as by 9.30am its nudging 30 degs...

They're here!

And we are soon eating more T Bones

and paella...

Just parking the car dear!

(Rudy kindly lent us his B & B hire car for the week)

'Harold' was the inflatable surprise for Emilja

But Richard had other ideas

The diagram stated one small child, defo no adults..

One fed up Harold and slowly dying unfortunately from his abuse

An Arabian Knight?

'Tyred' but looking good

Harold makes a comeback

World Cup dinner

Our last night with our hosts at La Vuelta restaurant capped off a very pleasurable stay this year

Several decisions were made here by both parties (Belgian & English)

Right from breaking the news that our new touring home would be substantially larger than our current arrangement Rudy had his thinking cap on

The first day we arrived he broke out his 20m surveyors tape and had me helping him measure up the road outside, his gated entrance and his front garden/driveway

I kept shaking my head knowing that locating a 39ft RV on the front of his property each year was going to be a non starter. My reservations were about access way down the street from the main road tbh and also the awkward sight of a bus blocking his hacienda view

Rudy wasn't fazed by any of this...

A few days later we are summoned for cocktails and he breaks the news that he's going to demolish some walling, remove a palm or two and erect dismountable green panelling to enable yearly visits by the soon to be Brit RVers....

We are gobsmacked but enter, after much consideration, in to an arrangement where we will stay each year in the month of June and housit to enable these guys to take a well earned annual holiday

This will suit us just fine and we will adapt our travel plans and itinery each year around this commitment. Our intended Greek trip will still go ahead later this year hopefully and we'll pick up Casa Rudo next year after traversing the Med in the spring

Well its a plan anyway....