Monday 14th June 2010, El Molino and we are Jonny no mates again!

At the crack of 7am Derek & Jeanne were finishing packing and were on their way at half past. I still have my gate opener so I cycled to it and let them out, only to see Tricia running behind and waving frantically, the L's had left their roof vent open, obviously not on their 55 point “leaving camp site” check list, like we have.

Must admit packing away a large caravan awning you need either one, a good memory of how to do it (which the L's don't) or two, a degree in origami. When they left with the caravan stuffed full of bits of awnings and cycles, they looked like a set of gypsies buggering off after vandalising a camp site. The ferry sails at 1:30pm and the drive is 120 miles, so worst case 3 hours as it's all motorway, so Derek & Jeanne will be there about 10:30 am, therefore a 3 hour wait. Derek does like to be on time.

Last night the womenfolk went for a walk and I, with Derek's help, decided I should try a practice hitch up as the ground was very uneven and I was worried that the MS had sunk into the grass and it would be too low for the Navara hitch. Well it wasn't too low but the uneven ground was a bastid, thank God I tried it because it took an age and now it's done I'm leaving it like that and have reversed the MS about 6 meters further back on the site, making the exit easier.

One thing, it may stop is the amount of people who stop and stare at the MS, don't see the hitch on the Navara because the back cover is down and wonder how the whole thing works. Well now they can see it, then again it could get worse and attract them even more.

Problem is that we are now on a slight slope and I'm sliding down the bed at night again and the water only heats up on one side of the kettle.

Last night Tricia did chicken in a pepper and tomato sauce with veggies for all of us and after 4 bottles of wine Jeanne finally won at Rummikub, don't ask, it's too complicated to explain but it is a very close second to Battle Ludo when it comes to causing temper tantrums and physical harm.

It's now 8:30 am, overcast and cool, going to be a long day as we now do not have the use of the car, hope it doesn't rain on our bike ride.

Last night the Spanish all went in a convoy and today they have been replaced with about a million kids, normal plan is they stay for a night and then go, so far they haven't and are still here, they are staying in droves.

Went for a walk with the video camera across the bridge to the other side of the river Arga and took some nice shots of the scenery around Mendigorria, it's really quite pretty but although the sun is still shinning and it's OK but the bloody wind is still very strong.

We leave on Thursday morning and arrive back at number two home in Forest Row about 9'ish on Friday night. SWMBO is hoping that crossing the Bay of Biscay will be smooth. We must have used that ferry about 12 times over the last 12 years, either via motorbike or as now the MS. Every time it has been smooth, so the odds, and it will be the last as P&O are scrapping it in September, are very much against her this time.

Trouble is we leave in 3 days but have got about 5 days worth of food in the fridge and freezer, mainly because for some reason we never had much salad or fish while the L's were here. So SWMBO intents to be imaginative when it comes to preparing our meals. Imagine my surprise when I was presented with such delicacies as fish fingers and baby eels, cabbage and grated cheese, chicken omelette (?) and braised apple in a potato sauce. Oh and two 4 cheeses pizzas which I'm sure cannot come to any harm. Lurking in the fridge is half a beefburger, leftover chilli, three broad beans, seafood salad cream and one asparagus, I dread what she will do with that lot.
The other day she told me we were getting chicken and prawn salad for lunch, both from our nearly empty freezer,which is OK by me.
“These prawns are quite tender and the chicken is a bit tough, aren't they Pet, how long did you cook them for?”
“Cook them?”

Then she asked me how much the house was worth and how much we had in savings and shares.

Later I asked her what we were having for dinner that night, “Chicken and prawn stir fry”. I think she is going to try again.

SWMBO tried to talk me into a walk into La Reina, which is about 12 round trip, why? To get two tomatoes for a “creative” salad this afternoon. Er, no, walked into Mendigorria instead and ended up with bananas, cucumber, green beans and some bread as well. It's going to be chicken and prawn stir fry with baked potato.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, our penultimate day is forecast to be very windy with rain all day, so a good day to tidy everything away and go through our 55 point leaving check list.

Just been down to reception to go on line and were warned that tomorrow, there is going to be a storm with an estimated 2.5” of rain falling, that's a lot of water and it will be still raining when we leave, ho hum.

Then that will be the end of the blog until we wind our weary way back to southern Spain sometime in early 2011 or maybe Greece? This is because Heather is 30 this year and Tricia's aunt Joyce is 80, both around December time, so the plan is to be in the UK until the end of the year. Also with Heather moving into her new flat I guess I will be putting up a few shelves and whatever else she and SWMBO tells me to. May pop to Scotland in September though, who knows.


When we get back we will park it along side our drive, which obviously gets the neighbours backs up while we clean it inside and out, including back flushing all the tanks, then after 3 days put the Mothership to bed in the storage place till the next time.