Where's Frankie?

Swearing the Oath

Wednesday 8th November

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 Our neighbours didn’t come over last night, they must have danced the night away and by the time we woke up next morning they had flown the nest. We were surrounded by hundreds of cars, all carrying mountain bikes, there was some sort of event going on but sweaty men in lycra don’t really have much effect on Lucy and she wasn’t terribly interested. I was interested in the red and white warning squares that you have to have on the back of your bikes though. The lines are meant to point down to your offside which as we all know is different in the UK to nearly everyone else in the whole wide world. In the UK I keep seeing the boards mounted round the wrong way but it looks like you don’t really need to bother.

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As you can see, we have arrived on our pitch in Almafra. We were hoping to bring an awning with us but that died at Porth Beach so wind blockers will have to do for now. 

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Opposite us is the rally tent were all the accumulated knowledge of 100 years of camping here has been sifted and organised into a wealth of information. It’s surprising just how many people visit this tent each day.

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The site is very nicely laid out, swimming pool with bar on the far side. THere’s a gym, small shop, hairdressers and restaurant. Almost straight away we are whisked off to the bar for happy hour (4pm – 6pm) where beer is €1.50 a pint. I think every drink is €1.50 just to make it easy for everyone. After a couple of pints we were off to another bar just outside the site where a musical jamming session was going on. We had a fantastic evening and after hours and hours of listening to live music we eventually retired absolutely exhausted only to find that it was only 7.30pm when we arrived back at Frankie.

We’ve been given a couple of days to acclimatise, which basically means taking a tour of the bars in the vicinity and making a visit to one of the hundreds of Chinese restaurants within walking distance.

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Wednesday, we eventually decided to go on duty. I got my first three questions totally wrong, I now know the answer to every question possible, it’s “go and ask Peter”. Wednesday is a ramble organised by one of the ralliers. Stout shoes and picnic were clues as to how long this little ramble might be, Lucy worked it out straight away and volunteered to shadow Tina. Muggins has walked 21,000 steps today, 15,000 more than usual.

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Picture for mother, this stuff is everywhere.

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Here is our team. By this point we were three quarters of the way there and haven’t lost anyone yet. There are three of us stewarding them.

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We are headed to the lighthouse, it’s on that high sticky up bit at the far end.

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I must say, that the views were fantastic and this must have been one of the hottest days we have had in Spain in the last three years.

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This little chap was guarding his family, it’s a Lesser Spotted Iberian Sparrow*.

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The path was wide and smooth, it was almost a walk in the park, except for the slopey up bits an the sun.

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From the lighthouse we had a good view of the fish pens and Calpe in the distance.

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And then we have to walk all the way home. If only there had been a bar or two by the lighthouse so we could have some refreshments.

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Luckily Peter has been here before and he knows all the bars and all the cafes and all the best places to sit in the sun and check out the peaches sitting on the beaches.

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More stuff for mother. I’ve got high hopes that when I return home my garden will look like a tropical paradise (hint, hint).

We have bus stops not far from the site which will take us to Altea or Benidorm and a tram which goes to other places (too much information to take in at once). There are hundreds of cafes, bars and restaurants and even from the little we have seen so far you could spend every day in a different place. Lots of other things to see and do, I don’t think this is going to be a quiet break for us.

* That might not be a Lesser Spotted Iberian Sparrow. It looks a bit like a Quail but I really haven’t got a clue (as per usual).

7 thoughts on “Swearing the Oath

  1. John and Ann Preston

    Just to let you know, the bird is actually a Red Legged Partridge, a little bigger than a sparrow! but good try!
    We get them here so they may be in Essex ! Had no idea that the red and white boards had to be fixed in any special way, so we’ve learnt something, if we ever need one.
    The pigeons looked as though they had been dyed – years ago we saw some baby chicks dyed all sorts of colours, in a market at Potes, in the north. Maybe it’s something the Spanish like to do with dull birds !
    Say no more …..

    1. Mark Post author

      Thought someone would know, It’s not in our book of European birds. They did look they were on holiday from Essex, they were dancing around a white handbag 🙂

      1. John and Ann Preston

        You never know what these birds get up to, didn’t think they were allowed holidays, must watch out for the handbags here!

        Hope all is going well, John has a new date for the knee, 28th December, so we’re just making sure he does’t cut anything before then.

          1. John and Ann Preston

            No Turkey here, everyone likes the dark meat, not the white, so major fights. We’ll probably have beef. I might get John some of those chain mail gloves the butchers use in case of any risk !

            Been told by eldest son, it’s your turn this year Mum ! ,so a house full and two very active 8 year olds.

            We’ve had snow here already, but it didn’t settle for long. Off to Potters Bar today to deliver presents for the great nieces and nephews.

            How are things in the sun ? Is the build up happening there ? Hope you’re both well, take care.

  2. Fred Chase

    Hi there,
    Glad to see that you have arrived in Almafra OK.
    We spent a month or so there in January/Feb a few years ago. Our only complaint really was the size of our pitch and, with having the two cats, the ongoing close proximity of other units, probably due to our late arrival in the season, we note that you have a fair sized pitch. That apart, the C C and C people were really efficient and our neighbours friendly.
    You may, or may not, know this but we will tell you anyway. In Albir (little Norway) there are a host of good shops, bars etc. we used to get the train to there at night to visit an “eat and drink as much as you want” Chinese restaurant. sit at the rear of the train and the driver never bothered to come and collect the fares!
    Hope you have a good stay.
    Glenys and Fred Chase
    (Seville 2015)

    1. Mark Post author

      Can’t believe how many Chinese restaurants there are in the area, and how many British people are here. Most of the supermarkets have signs up in English as well.
      We’ve got a good pitch and Peter and Tina, the Head Stewards are just over the path from us, they’ve been stewarding here for 6 years and really do know the area.
      You’ve put Seville 2015 at the bottom of your message, I thought we met you in Pamplona 2015. (Or does that mean something else?)

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