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10/21/00 Saturday

It began raining while we slept, a steady downpour that made packing to leave a chore. We departed the campground, heading for San Sebastian, about 15 km away, a popular resort city at the Spanish border, in Basque country. Our original intention had been to spend last night here, obviously we didn't make it, and on arrival, what with the driving rain, we were driven right out of town. Next on the map was Pamplona of bull fighting fame. I think I will brag for a moment here and admit I was at the running of the bulls thirty years ago, but really all I remember was the running and that the Spanish partied REALLY hard for that week. Pamplona is a big city with lots of high rises, and our road drove through a very unappealing area. The tourist books basically speak of the bull running as Pamplona's attraction, and since that wasn't happening and it was still raining cats and dogs and the day was young yet (11-12 am) and too early to stop, we pressed on. We were driving across the northern central part of Spain towards Valencia, eventually to reach the Costa Blanca. It is a sparsely inhabited, high-desert sort of terrain, putting us in mind of Joshua Tree National Park (joshua trees replaced by scrub brush) or driving through the Nevada desert. This area of Spain was a heavy battleground during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s (of Picasso's Guernica fame), and for once I have to say it showed evidence of intelligence in the midst of war's insanity. Evidently neither side wished to destroy their country - they could blow hell out of this region and not harm the Spanish economy or population! We couldn't find much reason to stop and just as well because the storm was still blasting us with downpour. By now it was 4pm and we had reached Zaragoza, which I mention mainly for reference, there we stopped at McDonalds for a couple of Big Macs and fries. We had been craving junk food for a day or two and decided to indulge ourselves. We began thinking of where to spend the night and, consulting our camping books, found we may have a problem. Campings in that region were sparse and nothing was open! And that damn storm is still tracking us with great enthusiasm! I swear, this was the largest storm we had ever seen! Get your map out and take a look: It found us on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, followed us across the tip of a mountain range and then across a whole country right up to the Mediterranean! It darkened the sky from horizon to horizon!! Not only that, but the ceiling was probably only 500 feet at some points, with black clouds laden with moisture just waiting to dump on poor Queenie!!! Yea, we were taking it personally!!! Back on the road, Valencia is 250 some-odd kilometers away and too far to reach that day. We are still in that desolate region with no choice but to plod on. 8:00 PM finds us in Teruel, the next outpost of civilization and in desperation we pull into a supermarket parking lot, which after all, our camping how-to books suggest as a viable alternative. After going into the store to see what the Spaniards like to purchase, we move all our possessions around so we can pull out the bed. Looking out into the parking lot, we see a fine member of the Guardia Civil watching us from his patrol car. Uh-oh. We decide perhaps we should look like we're shopping. So it's back into the packed store, full of happy shoppers preparing to take their purchases HOME. Empty handed we return to Queenie and, whoops! he is still there. In a fit of paranoia Bruce jumps into the driver's seat and I into the back (my seat being packed with displaced possessions) and we drive off, attempting dignity, out of sight where we stop and rearrange stuff so I can get back in front. Now we are getting cranky. It is going on 9 PM, we have been steady driving since 9 AM and we are tired. Oh, and don't forget that incessant rain. I want to pull into one of the picnicking areas provided at intervals along the highway - Bruce won't hear of it - he wants to stay at a truck stop but none are showing up. After two false stops, one in a little village that didn't pan out (Bruce's) and one behind an ambulance station (mine) a gas station appeared on the horizon and we begged permission from the attendant to sleep in the lot. Permission granted we finally, thankfully, set up our bed and crawled in. It wasn't ideal, we had a forced lullaby of speeding truck sounds swooshing by, but it was a place to sleep. Then we both had a Mac-Attack!!! We have only had fast food 2 times in our whole 6 months, the other being a Whopper somewhere in the British Isles, and our stomachs/intestines rebelled over our earlier meal. Gas like you wouldn't believe (and that was the most pleasant effect) - Queenie must have looked like a beating heart - after an exhausting, long day we were to be deprived of sleep too. AAGGHH!!

10/22 Sunday

I woke (I slept??) up at 8 and made a very reluctant Bruce get up too. I somehow got a little more rest than did he, so I decided I was driving. By the way, it was still raining (!!). We were about 150 km from Valencia so we pressed on. Finally, as we got closer and closer to the Mediterranean Sea, we began seeing cultivated land, vineyards, Valencia orange groves, and various vegetables fields. We had our first glimpse of the Mediterranean at Sagunto, an ancient port with a magnificent fortress on the hillside overlooking the present city. We watched our storm press itself down onto the sea, which responded, with choppy whitewater breakers hurling themselves at the shore. I kept thinking of how much history this sea represented and how we couldn't even get an impressive view of it. We arrived in Valencia around 10am and were thankful it was a Sunday because we found ourselves driving through the thick of downtown and didn't have to deal with much traffic. Just south of the city was an open campground and we were seriously entertaining thoughts of a lovely hot shower, a toilet and a nap. Finding the campground, we realized we needed cash and went off in search of a bank. That took us back to Valencia and after we successfully accomplished that task, decided we really were not up to another big city, so we continued our flight down the coast with that persistent storm trailing us closely. Benidorm, where our friends, Allen and Barbara Kilcoyne, were staying for the winter was 120 km away, less than 100 miles, it was 11:30 am, we could reach it in a couple of hours - let's do it! We made it to the north end of the Alicante province, which is defined by a bulge in the coastline, and finally escaped the storm!!! Continuing down the coastline we were treated to sunshine, our first in days, peaking through intermittent clouds and warming us nicely. We had been told this was the best area to spend the winter in but we didn't expect it to prove itself so dramatically and immediately. We made it to Villasol, the campground in Benidorm with no incidents, checked in and tracked down a very surprised (and I think pleased) Barbara and Allen. After much hugging and exclaiming, we went to our pitch to set up.This campground is different from anything we have seen yet. This is only one of several campgrounds in the Benidorm area. There are supposed to be 1500 pitches, and I believe it, they are fairly close together, but well arranged. Everyone is a foreigner; we have Swiss behind us, English across the street from us and Dutch next door. We are on a corner, near the toilet block (something we have learned to want). The facilities are excellent - pitches are flat, toilet block clean and showers with plentiful hot water (included in the price). No dogs are allowed, a strict rule that I am pleased with, in these packed quarters I would not care to listen to barking dogs. The people are very friendly with loads of English speakers, either as a first or second language, and I think we can determine just how involved with them socially we want to get. We are a 15 minute walk to Levante Beach, rated as one of the 10 best beaches in the world (!!!), 15 minutes to the New Town (the tourist end) and 30 minutes to Old Town (the locals' haunt) Benidorm. Sundays and Wednesday are market days. If I can find a cybernet place in town where I can hook up, we'll be set. Meanwhile, the storm is trying to find us but so far has been unsuccessful. The weather was actually HOT as we set up our awning; we had to change into shorts and tanks to complete the job. As the newcomers in the neighborhood, we have attracted far more interest than we deserve, with everyone nearby watching our set-up process and making humorous comment on it. Barbara came down to see how we were progressing and we laid claim to her like baby chicks around mama hen. At least now people knew we had a "Sponsor"! Completing as much as we wanted today, we gathered up some hors d'ouevres and headed for Barbara's house for an extended cocktail "hour." We caught up on the last 3-1/2 months, were invited to dinner and finally made it home around 10 pm ready for a decent night's rest. As we reached our pitch we found our Swiss neighbors were entertaining friends and had reached the sing-along stage, accompanied by an accordion!! That was when we realized exactly how close these pitches are to one another, and how unsound proofed Queenie is!

10/23/00 Monday

Last night the storm found us, and with a vengeance! Thunder and lightening and rivers of rain upped it's ante with this episode and we have been apologizing to everyone we meet! Actually the weather forecast is unsettled till Wednesday, so it isn't our fault (although Barbara has an interesting climatic theory about the magnetic attraction we have created with our magnet collection). Our big task for the day was to finish putting up our windbreak, giving us some privacy and setting our "home boundaries." The rest of the day we spent "futzing" and watching the rain showers fall on and off. It isn't cold, we are dressed in our shorts and that is a great pleasure, but I am afraid to hope we may have found a winter haven of sorts. Because of the rain, we haven't made it to either the town or the beach yet. Whereas we found interesting the French penchant for two hour lunches and store closures from 12-2, the Spanish close down their world from 1-4! Now everyone knows about siesta, but to know this and to experience it are two different animals. We will have to adjust ourselves to the "Spanish way" which will take me a while - I may have to redevelop my habit of a daily nap! It feels very good to "stay put" and relax for a bit. Around 6:30 pm the rain let up and Barbara and Allen took us into town where we found an Internet spot, slow as molasses - so slow we gave up after 15 minutes of just trying to get into our Hotmail Inbox, let’s not try to read any messages. Giving up on that, we spent the next 2 hours walking the town of Benidorm. Benidorm has a "bad" name, catering to a large number of winter tourists. It does have an incredible number of high-rises and more being built, Bruce counted twenty building cranes, but it also has a very interesting town. We strolled along with the Spanish residents who were all dressed up, through the streets of "old town," window-shopping and people watching and then along the promenade on the beach. Off shore were two American supply ships all lit up and looking like an oasis out on the Mediterranean. The beach had a couple of pretty sophisticated sand sculptures, one of the "Jesus of the Sacred Heart" another of a mermaid lounging. Benidorm is situated on a half moon beach with a rocky promontory sticking out of the middle, creating two beaches, Levante is the nearer one to our campground and probably the one we will visit more often. It is a sandy beach with lounges and paddleboats for hire and looks delicious! We will stay here at least a couple of weeks, with a break to go south to find and visit with my aunt and uncle for a day or two, then returning, we will review our winter options.

10/24/00 Tuesday

The rain is continuing, I'm sure it is the same storm, delighted to have found us and now prepared to exact it's revenge on all of Benidorm for harboring us. Allen takes a Spanish class and the instructor says there is flooding and the carnage that brings all along the southern Spanish coast. She also said it was the worst storms since 1971??!!! Of course! We're here! Most of the day we spent inside Queenie napping, reading and listening to a symphony of thunder accompanying the lightening show. At least we didn't have to drive in it. Once again, after siesta, the rain let up and Bruce and I ventured into town, returning to a second Internet place we had found yesterday. They couldn't accommodate floppy disks, but we thought to check the speed and at least read our mail. Well, they were as slow as the first place we went to which at least lets us up/download, so I guess we will be getting used to slow public systems in Benidorm. We will just bring a book and read a page (or 3) waiting for pages to open so we can read or send them. At least the price is only about $2/hour, and a good thing - we could spend all the money we look to be saving here in Spain on Internet hookups!! The system was so slow we each took a computer and, one of us starting at the top of the list and the other at the bottom; we were almost able to get through our inbox before our time ran out. At our next visit we will upload this letter and download the rest.

10/25/00 Wednesday

The storm seems to have finally past and we got our first taste of a "real" Benidorm day. The first thing we did was go to the twice-weekly market, about a 10-minute walk from camp, and browse each aisle. Very much like the flea markets in the states, we have come to the conclusion that there are about 1000 items for sale in these markets. You see your shoes, your jewelry, your watches, your Spanish leather goods, your pants/blouses/underwear/coats/etc., your produce, your plastic toys (we love the new battery operated low crawling, gun shooting army men!) and don't forget this year's hit, the metal hi-tech-looking push scooters, which have been in every country we have been! But I just love these markets, they really do have good deals when you find something you want, I know we will at least be buying up produce and fruit from them. The day was turning warmer and warmer so we returned to our campsite, got into our bathing suits for the first time since our May week at the beach in Holland, and sat out in the sun. Heaven! We are quite literally the only ones in this campground without a tan! According to Brother Bill's instructions, I will begin staying in the sun 1 hour a day so I won't burn. We hope to be playing on the beach in another few days - swimming the Mediterranean in November. Beginning a suntan in November!! I can do this!!! I am sure I am forgetting lots of little details, but I really must get this sent out. TTFN

SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN SENDING THE DIARY ENTRIES, BUT AS A BONUS YOU WILL
RECEIVE 2! This Is the first.

10/28/00 - 6 month anniversary

We are having a quiet time of it here in Villasol, just as we had hoped. The weather is exactly what we have been looking for, sunny and warm with clear skies, and we couldn't be more content. Thursday we walked to town, determined to find a used bookstore we heard about. We packed up our books left over from the failed Paris excursion and toted them into town The bookstore, run by a Dutchman (surprise!!) had some nice inventory and we got a much better trade-in for our books. We found 10 more at the average price of $2.50 each and were "happy campers." Since the store was less than a block from the beach, we strolled up and down it, playing in the water and people watching. After a while, we gave up the beach and headed back to town, stopping frequently to visit all the tacky souvenir shops. We are in awe of the weather, after months of consistently poor weather - remember we only have had 5 weeks of sun in 6 months!! - we are soaking up the warmth and sun and wondering how long our luck will hold.

Saturday 10/27/00

Allen and Barbara took us on an excursion to fill big water containers with fresh spring water, a monthly trip they do to get their drinking water. (They do it for the fun of the outing rather than necessity). We piled into their Isuzu 4x4 and left Benidorm for Polop, a small mountain town about 11 km inland. The Costa Blanca, where we are situated, is surrounded by mountains. There may be a 15 km wide strip of flat land along the coast, then mountains rise and it seems the rest of Spain is on a high plateau (hence the colder winters). The town of Polop sits in the foothills of the mountain range on top of a little hill, with a walled church cemetery at the very top. All around this hill are cultivated farmlands, all terraced to make the best use of the mountainous terrain. Fruit trees, nut trees, avocado trees and vegetable fields make a green carpet through the valleys and terraced land. We drove into the town and parked near a square. Now you have to imagine a large U-shaped square with dozens and dozens of water spouts coming out of a colorful tiled wall surrounding the square. The tiled wall has decorative tile making up the crests of various towns in the area. A trough catches the water overflow, and all the people in the town come here to get their drinking water. It is like stepping back in time by 200 years! Of course we forgot to bring our camera and missed a day full of photo ops! We'll go back though and bring the camera. As it turned out, the water supply was stopped the day we came, because of all the rains they were letting the water settle. Still it was an impressive sight. We drove further up the hill and parked near the church where another fountain was, and there filled the water containers. Then we walked up the path, following the stations of the cross, to the top of the hill where the cemetery stood. Barbara had said the dead had the best view and she was right. A 360 degree panorama of the farmland and the village lay below us and above us were mountains and blue, blue sky. We were captivated. We returned to the car and, since it was still early, drove to a little town further up in the hills, Guadalest, and walked the streets, looking at the ancient remains of town fortifications and the souvenir shops. Guadalest is, for some reason, a big tourist stop, possibly because of it's location at the summit of the hills that afford views to the ocean on a clear day and the higher mountains inland. Afterwards we continued on our mission for the day, returning towards Benidorm and the weekly (for Barbara and Allen) grocery shopping. We went to the biggest yet supermarcado, Carrefour and bought more food and stuff than we really needed. Once again I got caught up in comparing foods and trying to figure out what some food items were. We got home around 7 pm and while Bruce and I were putting our groceries away, Allen came by to say a neighbor of his had prepared an Indonesian dinner for the four of us, and we were to come by. Dale, the Dutch neighbor had gotten swamped by the rains and changed pitch locations. Bruce and Allen had helped him move his tent/cabana to the new location, and his wife, Irene, cooked a dinner to thank us. We had delicious, spicy chicken and noodle and rice dishes and afterward the six of us talked, joked and laughed till we were weak. It was a very enjoyable evening that finished up around 11:45, just in time for the midnight "Be quiet!" curfew.

Saturday 10/28/00

We walked over to the camping supply store, another 15 minute walk away (everything seems about 15 minutes away!) and bought sturdy stakes so we could nail our canopy down. Then we walked into town to get money to pay for our campsite for a month and raided a couple more used bookstores, then spent the rest of the day lazing around the pool, which is under-used in the winter. We finished off our day BBQ-ing chicken and smoking out the neighborhood. We had people funning at us in all different languages, one lady said we owed her a camper wash (we think..), a man said we owed everyone a beer for putting up with it and the rest wanted to call the fire department!! There was much laughing and the chicken turned out great. Monday we drive about 4 hours southwest to the Almeria area to visit with my aunt and uncle, who are staying at a timeshare for a week. They are in their 2nd of a 3 month trip around Europe using the train system, we are anxious to see them and to compare notes with them. We'll visit for a couple of days then go to Granada and then return home by the weekend.

THIS IS THE SECOND ENTRY

Sunday 11/6/00

Well, we have had an eventful week. Monday morning we said our goodbyes to our neighbors, telling them the camp threw us out after the BBQ fiasco, but that we would return in a week to try again (!!) We left our mini-tent, Bob, to guard our pitch while we are gone and the Swedish neighbors behind us promised to park their car there so no one would think it empty and move in. Aunt Helen and Uncle Dean were staying in a timeshare near Garrucha, a small town northeast of Almeria in the Andalusia province. We arrived around 2:30 after a leisurely drive down and were trying to find out from the cleaning lady where they might be, with no success since she spoke only Spanish and we didn't, when Dean and Helen appeared. We spent the afternoon catching up on all doings, both at home and abroad, and then we four jumped in Queenie to find our campground, a clothing optional one - although there were only four other campers, all dressed - checked in, then returned to the timeshare where we had dinner at the on-site restaurant. A darling waitress, Isabel, whom Dean and Helen had gotten to know previously, gave us champagne cocktails and hors d'ouevres on the house. After dinner it was back to the apartment and more gabbing until around 10:30 when we called it a night and returned to our campground. We were lulled to sleep by the sounds of the Mediterranean lapping at the shores of the beach where we camped. Tuesday we awoke to serious overcast and threats of rain. We brought breakfast to Dean and Helen; croissants with Nutella, pan de chocolate and orange juice, and discussed our plans. We had agreed to go to Almeria to see one of those huge supermarkets, and try to find an Internet cafe, then we would visit Mojacar, a snow-white village perched on a hill 2 km inland and 11 km away from Garrucha. Bruce had repacked Queenie for maximum comfort for backseat riders and we drove the 1-1/2 hour trip through rolling terraced hillsides, originated by the Moors, until we reached the sea of plastic that surrounds Almeria. We had been told about this plastic sea, actually acres and acres and acres of hot houses used for massive crop growing, and seeing them was as weird as we anticipated. From a distance they reflected the sun just like water does. Driving through Almeria was as busy and stressful as most foreign city driving tends to be, and after we had our fill of the hypermarket we got out of town quickly only to realize after we left that we had forgotten to look for an internet place. Already committed to the return trip, we continued towards Mojacar, then drove up into the village as far as we could get. Mojacar is one of those villages where the streets and buildings are stacked on each other in a steep maze, a little like Robin Hood's Bay in England but with Spanish/Moorish flair. Flat topped roofs and whitewashed exteriors are the mark of these Andulusian villages and they seem very compact when seen from some distance. As we walked the rest of the distance up to the summit, we found police working traffic control and many people walking with us. We thought perhaps we had come across a festival or parade but soon discovered we were witnessing the funeral of the local Don who had been murdered. A huge turnout was expected since anyone who didn't come to the funeral was on the suspected murder list. The whole town was closed since no one wanted to be a suspect and everyone turned out for the funeral. We saw the beautiful mistress, who came late and sat in the back row, leaving early so as not to offend the grieving wife. Actually, we did come across a funeral procession with a large turnout, but we don't speak the language so we couldn't possibly know what it was about and since they say the mind abhors a vacuum, we made up this story as we walked back to our car, unable to really walk the town without disturbing the funeral. A fun alternative to not understanding a foreign language is to make up stories about situations we have no idea what is really happening. Back in Queenie we negotiated the narrow streets back down the hill and out to the beach, stopping at various points to enjoy some stunning views. The weather had finally cleared itself out, returning to blue skies and sunshine. We drove towards Garrucha in hopes of finding it's internet place (closed) and stopped at the harbor to watch fishing boats unload their daily catch and see it auctioned off to waiting restaurateurs. There were all kinds of fish; tuna, shrimps graded in various sizes from 2 to 6 inches, squid, octopus, swordfish, a snaky-looking fish that Bruce kept far away from, and many others we couldn't identify. We walked across the street to a Chinese restaurant, had dinner and headed home. Wednesday arrived and we four decided we would just drive south along the coast for a ways. This time we drove past the "new" Mojacar, lying on the coast, with newer, costlier whitewashed, flat-roofed homes surrounded by golf courses and shops. Developers are trying to make Mojacar (new) a year-round resort and they will probably succeed in the next few years. The area is very nice, with beautiful beaches and quieter than Benidorm, and it seems to have pretty good weather. We followed the coastal road south, with a jog inland and along some pretty, mountain, areas then back to the coast. We ended up at Carboneras, turned around and headed back. On our return to Garrucha we found a different Internet site and checked our mail - sorry to hear about your computer, Dad, but know you'll love your new one (just in time for your birthday!!) - Dean and Helen checked theirs too. Dean and Helen took us out to dinner at Isabel's restaurant, Dali, where a Flamenco dance troupe was coming to entertain. We had a nice meal and got our first taste of Flamenco dancing. Six young women were in the troupe and performed for an hour or so in beautiful costumes. The brightly colored dresses were close fitted with frilled skirts and long fringed shawls were used in many dance moves. Dean and Helen, who were lucky enough to see some in Seville, say we need to see professional Flamenco dancers, but this was a start for us and we enjoyed it very much. Dean and Helen's timeshare lasted until Saturday, but they decided to leave early and come with us to Granada, a city they otherwise would only pass through on their way to the west of Spain. Thursday morning we boarded Queenie and began our journey to Granada. Driving through Vera, a whole 7 km away, we spied the bullring and stopped to check it out. The doors to the arena were open and the caretaker invited us in to look it over, showed us some moves with the muleta (that red cape) and we took pictures of the guys posing jauntily with the props. Then we stopped at a hardware store, unsuccessfully looking for a BBQ, but that was still fun, we all "do" hardware stores. Continuing our way west across the countryside, we headed towards Tabernas, and the only true desert in Europe where those Spaghetti Westerns of Clint Eastwood fame were filmed. There are several movie sets in that area and we stopped at the first we saw, Texas Hollywood which boasted "A Fist Full of Dollars" as one of its movies. We turned onto a hard packed rolling dirt road and parked in a lot with lots of vehicles. We thought there were a lot of tourists here, noting the RV campers and cars. As soon as we got out of the car, we were asked to "Silencio" and realized they were shooting a film here. What a gas! Soon we were peeking around plaster and chickenwire pueblos, watching actors take their mark as they waited for the "Action" command. Movie making is pretty slow. The actors spend a lot of time waiting to act, then repeating the scene over and over until the director thinks they got it right. The scene we watched didn't even have dialogue, the actors where just walking through a square! Bruce, Helen and I wandered the old Mexican town streets, watching the technicians prepare sets and walk horses for upcoming scenes. We had all separated and didn't think much of it, it was a limited sized area, but we misplaced Dean for a while, finding him at Queenie awaiting us. Our next destination was Guadix, an old town that goes back to prehistoric times, but our interest was in the 2000 caves dug out of soft stone and converted into homes for more than 3000 residents of the town. This is supposed to be the largest cave-dwelling community in Europe. The entrances of the caves were whitewashed and curious white chimneys popped out of the roofs of these homes. The caves dotted the hills that defined the upper reaches of the town. Bruce did some magnificent driving through the narrow, hilly, curved streets of Guadix getting us to the caves. We got a new Spanish skirt and matching shoes for She. Finally finished with our side excursions we drove the last 60 km into Granada. We drove right into Granada during rush hour, intending to drop Dean and Helen off at their hotel but soon were thwarted by the police who insisted on directing traffic away from our destination. Round and round we drove in a great one-way maze trying to get the police to let us through. Rick Steves said if we told them we had reservations at a hotel the police would let us through. Evidently they hadn't heard of Rick and after we had completed the circuit four times, they didn't want to hear from us! Finally in disgust, we stopped at a taxi corner, but they refused the fare saying it was only a few city blocks away. We drove as many of those city blocks as we could, and at a red light on our 5th go-around with Senior Policeman, Dean and Helen were able to get out! As they jumped out, we all promised to meet at the cathedral steps at 10am next morning. Waving goodbye, we drove out of town 11 km to the Sispiro del Moro campground. Boy, Granada plays a really interesting role in Spanish history! Remember that musical we saw in London? La Cava? It was about the successful Moorish invasion of Spain way back in the 700's. Well, Granada played a major role in the true story and was one of the first capitals of Moorish Spain. It was also the last city to fall to Ferdinand and Isabella (of Columbus fame), the Catholic Monarchs, who completed the reconquest of Spain from the Moors in 1492. For something like 780 years Granada was under Moorish (read Arabic) influence. That influence can be seen in the white buildings and colorful tile work that still seems to be the signature of the city and all of Andalusia. A beautiful cathedral lies in the center of the city; one has to negotiate maze-like streets to reach it. The Alhambra, a wonderful fortress turned sultan residence sits on a hill overlooking the city and is famous worldwide. Our major objective in Granada was the Alhambra, but first we went into the cathedral, arriving only two minutes past our 10 am rendezvous; not bad after having to negotiate a bus ride into town and then the streets to the cathedral. An art exhibit that was at the cathedral was fabulous. Of religious nature (duh!), it had paintings and wood carved statues covering a span of about five centuries. The statues, many of them life-size, were carved with such exquisite detail you could see the veins under the "skin". Saints, Jesus and Mary were represented in various ways with many different titles and all were of masterpiece quality. The cathedral, the second largest in Spain, is all light and airy. It was washed with lime during a time of illness to cleanse it, and the people so liked the white result that it has remained. We loved the cathedral, it had beautiful architectural detail and a huge vaulted cupola at the center of the building. We are always in awe of the ornateness and delicacy of the stonework and the time it must have taken to create such beauty. It has been fascinating to see different countries' takes on their churches, and Spain, or at least Granada, seems to love its religion. Our tickets into the Alhambra were for 2:00 but we had to get them two hours earlier so once we were satisfied with our tour of the cathedral we decided to walk the city streets to the Alhambra. But first we needed to make a "pit stop" at D &H's hotel room.I don't know much about Granada (I don't know much about Europe, so please forgive any errors of perspective in this journal), but it seems to be a maze of narrow curving streets working their way around the hills the city lies on. After leaving the cathedral we walked into the cathedral square. Dean said go left, Helen said right (aren't we married couples grand??), and soon we were looping around little pedestrian-only streets lined with souvenir stalls selling Flamenco dresses hanging from the walls, and other wares. We imagined it to be like a bazaar. After making repeated right and left turns we decided we were lost but, who cares? Eventually we got to the square Dean and Helen's hotel faced. Bruce introduced Dean to the street WC's - 25 Pesetas (12-1/2 cents) gets you 15 minutes of "quiet time." Asking Bruce (Mr. Compass, himself) to lead us from there, we negotiated the streets of Granada with minimal pain towards the hill the Alhambra tops. A tourist bus completed our journey depositing us at the ticket gate (and thank heavens we took it, the hill up was long and steep, though in a park-like setting). The Alhambra was originally a fortress begun in the 9th century, later expanded and becoming the home and offices of the ruling sultans. It is the best-preserved bit of Moorish architecture perhaps in all of Spain and is certainly the most famous. The architecture is delicate and ornate with geometric designs in base relief covering the upper walls and beautiful tile work the lower walls. The Moslem religion allows no art depicting the human form (considered idolatry) so all art is either geometric designs or calligraphy. The exquisite design and detail of these rooms are so finely done with such a sense of balance and mathematical precision that instead of looking "too, too," as sometimes can happen, it feels perfect. Water flows everywhere, channeled from the mountains above, through the fountains of the Alhambra and continuing to the city below. Sculptured gardens with brilliantly colored flowers and reflecting pools surround the palace. The walkways in the garden are paved and shaped into geometric and floral designs using small rocks. We were rightfully impressed.We had lunch (pre-tour) at a restaurant on the hill. We have eaten out more in the last 4 days with my aunt and uncle than in our whole six months on the road. It has been good for me, I was getting rusty with my public comfort and for a while actually feared a public-eating experience. Spain has a law that all restaurants must provide one meal a day, be it lunch or dinner, that is cheap and includes a glass of wine and bread. I picked this meal and had gazpacho, roast pork loin with veggies, red wine and bread. It was very good. Helen chose the same except with an excellent looking dinner salad. Dean took the fish choice of the special meal and Bruce had pasta with prawns. I think we all were pleased with our meals, especially since the restaurant almost had us trapped by being the only one close by, and could have served us poorly but didn't. Around 5 pm we finished the Alhambra tour and after taking the bus down the hill again, made our way to the Royal Chapel behind the cathedral, where Ferdinand and Isabel are buried. We Americans (or at least THIS American) are familiar with Ferdinand and Isabel only in the context of their financing Columbus' voyage to discover the New World. In Spain they almost reach the status of demi-gods, having fought and defeated the infidel and uniting Spain as a Christian nation. Granada was the place of their final victory and they chose this city as their final resting place.The Royal Chapel has their sarcophagi in the crypt below, and large ornately carved mausoleums depicting the Catholic Monarchs, aged and at rest. Their daughter, Juana la Loco and her husband Felipe the Fair are entombed with them in the chapel and have their own mausoleum beside the Monarchs. Juana, as her name implies, was wacko and only ruled in her own right for a few short years. Their images show young, handsome faces so we wonder if they both died young. The Sacristy holds Isabel's personal art collection and the crown she wore at that surrender of Granada, as well as Ferdinand's sword. The crown was a simple beaten silver affair with no jewels to enhance it. In fact, on the inside you could see were it had been repaired and I could imagine her throwing it to the floor in a fit of anger, then the royal jeweler having to patch it together!! Or maybe she just wore it a lot. After their victory, Boabdib, the last sultan of Granada, handed the keys of the city over to the Catholic Monarchs and retreated into exile. As he looked back at Granada from the road to Motril, his mother supposedly turned on him, saying, "You weep like a woman for what you could not hold as a man". That spot remains the Moor's Sigh, Suspiro del Moro - right where we were camping! Wish we had known that while we were camping there rather than reading up on it on the road to Motril. Eventually our day wound down and we finished it with a simple meal together at a restaurant in Dean and Helen's square. After a great week together, we kissed our goodbyes and Bruce and I left to find the 8pm bus to the Moor's Sigh and Queenie. We drove home Saturday, a long 8 hour haul that we were delighted to complete. The only highlight of the trip being as we drove near Mojacar, we decided we would like to live there. We worked out that we would open an Internet access/used bookstore business and wait for the hordes of English that the area is being marketed for. All we need is the money to make it happen and to hold us over until those hordes arrive! It is getting kinda funny, but almost every country we enter, after a few days, I decide that is my favorite country. Holland was wonderful, the UK stole my heart, France I thought divine, and now we think we should live in Andalusia! I don't know what will happen when we get to Italy and Greece, two countries I have wonderful memories of.

11/09/00 Thursday – Benidorm

How about that election??? It looks like Gore could have used my vote after all! Having lost our residence, we figured we couldn't legally vote in the Presidential Elections this year, and since we tend to cancel out each other's vote, we didn't pursue the issue, but perhaps I should have! It is interesting to note that most of the Europeanswe have talked with favor Gore. We haven't gotten into the intricacies of why, due to language difficulties,but the consensus is Gore is the favored candidate. As I write this, the election is still up in the air and we are watching with as much interest as if we were at home. Friday morning the British newspaper, The Mail, had asa headline: "What A Mickey Mouse Way To Run A Country"with a sub-headline reading: "U.S. still paralysed by the great President election fiasco." We got a big kick out of that one! Being the only Americans in the campground we have generated a lot of interest in our reactions - what can we say, besides, M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! Who would ever think the vote would get as close as 327? (According to CNN, this hour.)

Last Sunday, I came down with my second REAL cold of the trip - I won't count the Paris sniffles - and was laid up in bed all day Monday feeling miserable. Wehad considerable support from our neighbors, the Brits across from us brought over some excellent Fizzy type of medicine (tasted awful but did the trick) and by Wednesday I felt better, but I am still getting over it. Something is going around and it seems people keep passing it back and forth, a little like Nursery School where if one kid gets sick, so do the rest in short order. Bruce has managed to avoid it so far, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that he continues to. Yesterday, Thursday, Bruce found a notice on the bulletin board listing items for sale that a Dutch couple were unloading in preparation for their return home. We scored two bicycles (!!) a BBQ, outdoor floor covering and two cloth sidewalls to attached to our canopy for privacy. The bikes are matching 15 speed boy/girl with lights and racks and cost us $50 each. The BBQ is gas, stands on cast iron legs, with a lid and was $10, and everything else we had been looking for and the price was great. When we bought Queenie she had a bike rack on the back, we thought we would never use bikes and the rack was heavy enough to keep the back from staying open, so we traded it for another propane gas tank we felt we would use more. About two months into our trip we started thinking we might like to have some bikes, so when we saw these we snatched them up! I haven't ridden a bike in about 12 years and I am a little cautious but Bruce has taken it like a duck to water. The area here is flat so we figure we can get in riding shape with minimal pain! We figure we can sell the bikes when we get ready to leave, or if we get attached to them we'll find a bike rack and bring 'em along! Starting tomorrow Benidorm begins a week of festivals which will include parades, fireworks, dances and who knows what else? We are excited to be here to share in the festivities and will report on them as we can.

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