Stella Maris Santa Pola

So today is our last day and we are both ready to be done with it! We arrived not until noon in Alicante and we had reserved an excursion to see two towns near Alicante. One was Jalon and is famous for Muscatel wine and the other was Aleta famous for nothing except that the tour guide lives there. So this day turned out to be a double holiday in Spain and ...

The day as finally arrived to begin our 6 month break, away from the damp, wet climate of Mid Wales. The plan is to drive from here to Portsmouth to catch the Pride of Bilbao ferry bound for Bilbao, a journey that takes about 36 hours. The only part to worry about is the crossing across the ...

Well would you believe it? I've been working for the last 2 days. A friend of Dave's who I met a couple of weeks ago needed a Brickie to build a couple of pillars. So, I dusted off the old trowel. It's been a long time but you never lose it.

Amanda is back tonight. I'm picking her up at Alicante Airport at about 11.30pm. Lucy and me have really missed her and we are both looking forward to seeing her...Ahhh.

... a receipt.

I gave it half an hour before ringing the electric company at first they couldn't find it but then it appeared on the screen...How long? I ask...Within 24 hours, and its going to cost another 20 euros re-connection fee.

I've had to postpone the fitting of the Telephone and Internet due to the electricity situation until Monday...Manana, Manana, Manana.

Good news...reconnected at 10 to 6....Yippee!

... the air traffic from Alicante or Murcia.

So there I am playing with the remote control of my new toy when everything goes off! What's up? I check out the fuse box but everything is OK. Looking out of the window I can see the man from Iberadola driving off...I've been cut off again..AGHHH!

Phoned the electric company who tell me they have no record of the payment from 2 weeks ago so I need to go to the Bank and get them to re-send it but of course the Bank has just closed ...

... hot for the time of year we've enjoyed the cycling and always reward ourselves for our efforts with a nice cold beer before setting off back.

Amanda is going back to the UK today but she is back soon.

So it's Paddy no mates for the next 13 days!

Ano ther day. Still no sign of the electric being switched back on. Waited for the promised 24 hours and then called Iberadola again...OH NO!..They say they can't find any record of the payment...After a while it turns out that we have been given the wrong reference number to quote on the fax...AGHHH!.. Now that's been established we ask "How long before we're back on?"... "Within 24 hours" came the now ...

Went down to the Bank to sort out the problem with the non-payment of electric Direct Debit.
The Bank faxed the payment through so we might get re-connected soon...Fingers Crossed.

Ah well...at least the weather is hot and sunny...We can sit in the sun while we wait for the electric.

Our friends, Kath and Dave who live at Torrevieja came over this ...

... great and should be there we estimate, between 4 and 5 this afternoon...The weather is very hot for the time of year and we can't wait for the luxury of a nice warm shower...(insert dream sequence)

Reached Villa Martin...a welcome site after all that driving...Switch on the water and electric...OH NO! the electric has been cut off...Call Iberolada to be told the last 2 payments have not been received and to talk to the Bank...How long will it ...

... circles in the fine powder flipping around ideas of where I should go next. Either east or south...I was worrying about it for a while when I realized that these things work out better when I just release them for a while. I drifted off inhaling the ocean air and letting the sun coax my body into bliss. Around 5ish, I decided to get moving again this time taking a different route home. I walked up the main street and then down another busy one that crossed it. I wonder why these ...