Sunday 6th December, Marjal and the Spanish Invasion

Well, no internet for the last three days or so, I feel cut off from the rest of the world, then again that's one reason we are doing this. The Spanish have filled up every empty space and as it is a four day holiday for them they bring their kids and dogs. I feel I am back home again on a council estate.

Last night was the “Country and Western” evening and we were going to have a look in but Tricia discovered it was the semi final of X factor and demanded to stay in and watch it. It's something I do not like particularly mainly because of that condescending tosser Simon Cowell, but I must admit that last night it was quite entertaining.

It was also the Dutch St Nicholas day so a lot of people managed to get into fancy dress twice in one day.

Looks like the hernia or groin strain or whatever it was, has waved goodbye at last and I can cycle pretty much OK now. So we are slowly building our mileage back, averaging about 14 miles/day so far.

When we were in Benicassim our usual cycle route was Castillion, about twenty miles or so round trip. Our new run appears to be Rojales about 15 miles there and back, via coffee stop. This is a picture of Tricia drinking coffee at 4:30 pm, today, in a café, in Rojales. I would imagine you would have to be more studier dressed if you tried that back home at the present. I understand some people are using ice scrapers in the morning?

Finally got to the “Thieves Market” this morning and it was really weird. Every stall was selling either jelly, custard, sherry, cream or fruit. I pointed this out to Tricia. “Yes”, she said, “I think it's a trifle bazaar”. Sorry, couldn't help that, outrageously stole it from a guy over here.

Anyway, it was a real market and you could get anything from fruit and vegetables, fridges, chain saws, clothes, steering wheels and toilet seats. It was pretty safe and we did not seam threatened at all. It seemed that just about everybody was there and what ever you wanted you could get.

Some stalls even spun up generators to prove that the T.V.'s or washing machines were working OK, but probably not on a full three hour cycle.

Tricia had that determined look on her face of “I'm not leaving this place until I've bought something”, and was even at the point of getting a Japanese sword for Adam but I pointed out that at the last count he had three and one of them masqueraded as a umbrella. Then she saw a “Notting Hill” movie but unfortunately it was VHS, “It would still fit though, wouldn't it John?” “Er...No Pet, leave it be”.

We were actually there to get an empty 13kg LPG tank, we could then swap at a garage for a new full one without all the paperwork/licensing required over here. We found one, and when went back to fight and haggle with the dealer, it had gone. I guess we will be back next week but a lot earlier.

Been having mostly salads for lunch and some nice dinners in the evening, tonight it's on of my favourites, liver and onion and mashed potato, lovely.