Friday 11th March – Monday 2nd May
Part 2 : Vilanova Park, near Barcelona to Playa Tropicana, Alcossebre
Saturday 19th March
Departure day …….. we filled up the motorhome with fresh water; emptied the grey waste (washing up/shower water); emptied the loo, cleaned the wing mirrors …….. we are ready for the comparatively short journey to Alcossebre.
We stopped at services on the Spanish autopista for elevenses and a change of driver. Whilst drinking our coffee I noticed around 9 mini-buses arrive one after another with people getting out, stretching their legs etc. As we walked past the mini-buses on the way back to the motorhome we could see they were Portuguese vehicles on a humanitarian mission rescuing people from Ukraine and bringing them to Portugal. People with perhaps just one bag, everything else left behind. An extremely sobering and emotional moment.
Just before Alcossebre is a motorhome service area with the best washing facilities I’ve seen, including a drive-over drain, high, long reaching jet wash and, a platform with steps on either side so you can reach the roof. Great fun and so lovely to be looking smart again after the journey.
We continued through the town to the site, only to find the rain had caused flooding across the road just before the site. There is a longer way around but down narrow, stone wall lined roads, so, through the 6″ of water we drove. Now the motorhome is dirty again!!
They actually closed the road a few days later – the photo below was taken on the 22nd March where you can no longer see the route of the road (it goes from the two white sign posts on the left across to the wheelie bins on the right!).
After my dramatic departure in 2020 due to the start of the pandemnic, it’s so lovely to be back at Camping Playa Tropicana http://www.campingplayatropicana.com. Not quite the same weather to greet us, but still lovely to be here.
We booked in with reception and started to walk into the site to choose a pitch; the first person we met was my next-door neighbour from 2020 – amazing!! Lovely mini catch-up with her.
Below was our first pitch – for one thing, we weren’t entirely level, but for another those attractive palm fronds on the left became the work of the devil during the current wind and rain, brushing the side of the motorhome, so we moved over one pitch the following day.
Although The Camping & Caravanning Club have stopped offering Winter rally events abroad, the old crowd have organised themselves and there were lots of faces about from 2020. No-one was standing in as the ‘Rally Steward’, but several people were sharing various organisational tasks. It was known as ‘It’s Not the Rally, Rally’. This evening they had organised a ‘Paddy’s Night’ in the bar. We went down just for a drink later on – it was riotous – people in green wigs, drinking, music and dancing – very jolly.
Mileage – 125
Sunday 20th March
This morning Husband set off for a long, exploratory walk; I had a loooooong lie in!
After we’d moved over one pitch with a nice, non-scratchy hedge and slightly more level, we moved on to a major laundry operation, the sun came out and the washing dried, mostly. I even had the chair outside for a bit!
Dinner in the site restaurant this evening; much quieter than the previous evening!
Monday 21st March
The morning was rain-free so we cycled into Alcossebre to explore.
We popped in for coffee at my previous favourite haunt – El Palmeral Beach restaurant https://www.facebook.com/elpalmeralbeach/?ref=page_internal
As we sat there enjoying a lovely coffee and a mini treat, the heavens opened (again!).
We had a brief mooch around town, with a visit to the famous ‘Chinese Shop’ – it has a tiny entrance but goes back a long way and is packed to the gunnels with stock – a sort of hardware store that sells everything. We visited the Spar for a few food items and began the ride back. It had actually stopped raining, but we both got absolutely soaked from the puddles on the road.
There were wet clothes hanging all over the motorhome, trousers, socks, shoes, cagoules (or no cagoule depending if you brought yours with you or not!).
Dinner was sausage and mash; I only mention this as there appears to be something wrong with the oven, it simply didn’t cook the sausages so Husband ended up frying them on the hob instead.
Tuesday 22nd March
It was supposed to rain today, but it is sunny so we set out on the bikes to Torreblanca where the market is on. The market was pretty thin but we did meet half the people from the ‘It’s Not the Rally, Rally’ who had arranged a lunch out.
We bought a few bits in Consum supermarket and rode down to Torrenostra where we had a lovely lunch on the sea front in Restaurant Vintage. https://www.facebook.com/vintagemariaplaya/. I smashed my glass of coke towards the end of the meal, the contents and the glass went simply everywhere – they were very nice about it.
Riding back was nice but into the wind somewhat – phew!
Site looking a bit more ‘summery’ – short lived though it was!
Wednesday 23rd March
My morning was spent on laptop admin while Husband walked and then laundered the ‘whites’. A stroll to the site restaurant for lunch (very large portions!) and then a brisk walk back to the motorhome to fetch in the laundry before, yet another, downpour!
I spent the afternoon knitting/podcasting while Husband slept – both of us with wet laundry hanging above our heads.
This evening a blustery walk to the 60’s Quiz Night in the private room above the restaurant – brillIant fun!
Thursday 24th March
Today it rained all day!
We stayed in all day!
There is no photographic evidence of this day!
In the evening there was a music night in the bar. A guy who had obviously done ‘the clubs’ in the UK and is now living out in Spain. Husband did not like his music! However, we met a lovely couple Barbara & Chris which improved things greatly.
We returned to the motorhome and played Jeremy Taylor songs – he was part of our dating years at The Bull Folk Club in Whetstone – random!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Taylor_(singer)
Friday 25th March
Husband slept until 8.44am – unheard of!!
We cycled into Alcossebre for supplies at the large Consum supermarket – the first place I saw someone wearing a mask (and gloves) back in 2020 and when all the meat counters were empty!
Then a Spanish tapas lunch at Agora. Well known to regular ralliers for their good food, music and full English breakfasts!! https://agoracafebar.com
Unbelievably we met Barbara & Chris there from last night, also out on their bikes.
Saturday 26th March
Made a trip to reception to hire a car and also to ask advice about local hairdressers. We left home at comparatively short short notice and I couldn’t get a hair appointment in time. The lovely receptionist suggested a salon, rang and booked an appointment for me and explained they don’t speak English at all and can I go right now!
I cycled through the …….. you’ve guessed it …….. wind and pouring rain and arrived at Peluquería Sonia with extremely wet legs and looking like a drowned rat!
Having a cut and colour abroad when you don’t speak the language is a little nerve-wracking, but with various gesticulation, photographs and Google Translate, Sonia tackled the job. OK my hair is ORANGE!!, but I really liked it.
The rain had stopped when I left and it’s fair to say I cycled the back roads without my helmet so as not to ruin my new Barnet! (Cockney Rhyming Slang: Barnet Fair = Hair).
Husband has been on laundry duty; beans on toast to celebrate.
Sunday 27th March
What is this unknown aberration in a clear sky?
I sat outside in the sunshine knitting/podcasting while Husband walked.
This evening a BBQ for the first time with some fizz, steak, potatoes and twinkly lights. It’s just like being on holiday!
Monday 28th March
Today a long cycle ride to the thing on the other side of Alcossebre that looks like a lighthouse, but I haven’t seen a light on!
The good news is that the flood has receded and the road to town has reappeared and is open again.
After a wrong turn (or two), we arrived at the ‘lighthouse’. The blurb says:-
The Irta Lighthouse is located in the Sierra de Irta Natural Park, in a very little urbanized area, surrounded by Mediterranean scrub of high ecological value, on a slightly steep coast with small coves. Provided for in the 1985/89 Maritime Signals Plan, it was designed by the architect Rita Lorite, being, together with the Nules lighthouse, the only ones in Spain designed entirely by women.
A delicious salad lunch at Cava Isabel restaurant https://m.facebook.com/pages/Bar%20Casa%20Isabel/160496597362811/ on the way back and, later – it’s paella night!
Tuesday 29th March
From today we have a hire car for a few days. It is being delivered to the site at 10.00am. We obviously hadn’t read the instructions as we were supposed to hand over €100 cash as a deposit. We scraped together €80 and they seemed happy with that!
We set off for Peñíscola to visit the castle https://castillodepeniscola.dipcas.es/en/ that I’d been to before in 2020. According to Wikipedia it’s known as the Gibraltar of Valencia as it sticks out into the Mediterranean Sea.
We ate at the same restaurant for lunch as in 2020 – Restaurant La Marinera – this time it was very average. Lovely walk around the old town and a drive along the promenade as we left. The promenade is very long indeed!
Wednesday 30th March
Sometimes it’s better not to go back …. we drove out of the site the back way to go past the ostritches I saw in 2020. Oh dear, they looked very sad indeed, feathers dropping out and in quite a mess.
Today’s mission is to buy a cagoule for Husband; you know him, the guy who has two cagoules at home but decided to come on holiday in the winter without either! The site reception suggested we try Decathlon in Castellón de la Plana. It was an amazing store on 2 floors and we probably spent an hour in there wandering the aisles. Husband bought a green cagoule – we are both very happy about this!
We then moved on to the Salera Shopping Centre https://www.ccsalera.com/en/ also recommended by the site, to buy a small suitcase for my trip to Seville. Unlike the cagoule, I purposely didn’t bring a case due to space constraints!! Alcampo provided a two-wheeled duffle for about £14 which I can donate afterwards – perfect.
Buying shoes is never easy for me, but I needed the right colour walking shoes for my upcoming trip to Seville. One shop, one pair of shoes tried on and bought. A silver pair of Sketchers – amazing.
We moved on to find a suitable place for lunch – we discarded Castellón, got tangled in it’s port, then discarded Bennicasim and finally settled on Oropesa del Mar. The restaurant opposite the beach may have been called ‘Arrocería Marisquería’ (Seafood Rice) or El Torico III as per the bill. Either way, lovely food and nice staff. No obvious website.
Quiz evening again this evening. We joined with Barbara & Chris and a couple of others and came third – yay!
Thursday 31st March
It snowed in England.
Today a trip to Vilafamés once more. A lovely hillside village with a huge hanging rock and a church and fort at the top of the hill. Plus a great contemporary art gallery. Before the climb, a lovely coffee and pastry outside in the square at Rafael Galindino http://www.rafaelgalindo.com
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Villafamés https://www.macvac.es.
A light lunch back at the same coffee place and on to Castillo Alcala de Xivert (also a déjà vu from 2020).
Instead of returning via the main road, we drove a winding narrow road through the orange groves; absolutely stunning.
Friday 1st April
Massively windy again today. We had to upturn the chairs and table just to stop them blowing away!
Today we made use of the car to get in a big shop (basically wine!) at the Carrefour hypermarket at Vinaros.
Onwards into Benecarló for lunch and, weirdly, ate at a Turkish restaurant on the port. Ali Baba https://www.facebook.com/KEBAB.ALIBABA.PUERTO/about. They served some nice looking whitebait (if you like that sort of thing, which I don’t, but Husband does!). It was obviously very popular with the English locals.
Such a large lunch we could only manage cheese and meats for dinner. I like having this sort of ‘bits’ meal.
Saturday 2nd April
The car is being collected this morning. There was some sort of warning about, if it is extremely dirty, we will take some of your deposit for the wash. Hopefully, it will pass muster.
We hadn’t any plans for the rest of the day so when Barbara & Chris called by to ask if we would like to go for lunch with them, we were delighted. A gentle walk along the seafront to The Tunel restaurant, http://tunelterraza.com it looks odd from the outside but with great views from the first floor restaurant and good food, it was a winner. In fact the lunch event was a ‘Best Bit’!
We returned to the site and were invited back to Barbara & Chris’ motorhome to view their layout over a cuppa.
Sunday 3rd April
Our last full day at Camping Playa Tropicana. We spent the morning on 3 loads of laundry, chilled and then packed up late afternoon.
One final dinner in the site restaurant where Barbara & Chris were celebrating with their children and grandchildren who had flown out en masse to Spain for a holiday with them – how lovely! They had just finished as we were leaving so we were able to say our final farewells.
To see a map showing the location of the sites we stayed at and a few words describing each one, click Menu / Maps at the top of the page or click here – https://tiddleyompompomontour.com/tiddleyompompom-motorhome-stops/
Total mileage so far – 1,245 (motorhome hasn’t moved since arriving at Playa Tropicana!)
TiddleyOmPomPom on Tour 