0 km today.
142.5 km this trip.
1228 km from start.
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Track Log: .
Travel: Hire car.
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2007-04-13-Road-Ends.kml
Took Margaret to see the sights.
We took Mini in the Hire Car to see the sights in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
We ...
Mini's Mystery Tour
We had to wait for Miguel to bring back our 200 euros deposit before we could set off. When it got to 9.30 I went downstairs and pressed the Consejería bell. By the time I got upstairs, he had brought the 200 euros and disappeared again. He reappeared a few minutes later to tell us to ring and tell the dueño that we had given the keys to him on our departure. I said we wouldn't be ringing the dueño because it was very expensive for us and that I would send an email when we got home. I said I wouldn't mention the keys. He wanted me to say we had had handed them over to him personally but I'm not prepared to say that when I didn't. I am highly unlikely to have mentioned that kind of detail in the email any way so Miguel needn't worry. He then said if we wanted to come again he had lots of apartments he could let us have. I don' t really have confidence in Miguel and wouldn't put it past him to let them out without always telling the owners or perhaps saying it was only one week when it was two.
Still we've got our deposit back and we can leave when we like tomorrow leaving the place as we found it as Fernando requested. Neil and I tidied our rooms up for march-out inspection but Miguel didn't look round at all.
Now we could set off on our tour.
First we went to Retamar to top up with petrol. We have to go again tomorrow to give the car back with a full tank but didn't have enough for our tour. The tank is very small compared to what we are used to.
First we went right to the point of the Cape of the Pussy which Mini had wanted to see badly. Then we went right to the far end at Agua Amarga and looked for a place to have an ice-cream. We failed in this and had a drink and snack of our own in the car instead. While we doing this a helados van drew up outside the cafe in front of us to make his delivery.
Spring is coming. It's a lovely day today. Sunny and bright with a fresh breeze. Then we worked our way back through Hortichuelas where we failed to recognise which had been our house although there were a couple of possibles, then Rodalquilar for Mini to confirm that the Pizzeria El Pato was the restaurante.
Next we reached Las Negras to se how it had changed. Finally we went to San Jose to the Turismo information centre and shop which is really very nice. We got Ian a big mug and spent some time looking at the maps, artefact and books. Then we wandered down to the sea and looked at the restaurantes. We chose Miguel's on the way down and didn't see any others to make us change our minds. We had sucking pig, chicken Estroganov and a mixed salad. Then we mixed and matched.
To drink we had water. Afterwards, we felt quite tired. I had always attributed that feeling to wine but apparently food on its own can have just the same effect. After that we came home by the direct route and I am going to have a happle and some strawberries for tea.
I have failed so far to mention that, on one occasion when Neil was removing Teddy grasses from his socks, I noticed he had hammer toes. This is surprising as he never wears shoes. He said he does wear shoes for job interviews.
Neil says laying out a towel to sit on almost every time he sits down is his concession to his German ancestry.
Rohan trousers are self cleaning.Add honeymoon story at some point.
Add microwave blows fuse, cooker explodes, toilet leaks.
Paradox of being in the hottest driest part of Spain and having the coolest dampest weather. Even so, we were wet only three times.
Ramon is very hairy.
14th April - Aguadulce to Stansted
Glossary of Worms
Avtokinito Greek for car.
To wind me up Neil pluralises it to avtokiniti - (It should be avtokinita)
buck buck baa chicken (Mini says puck puck)
candelabra camera (Family)
caramelo caramel (Spanish)
cement factory cement factory or cemetery (from cimenterío –Spanish)
Centauro Spanish car hire firm
chiringito Beach café/restaurant (Spanish)
Consejería concierge’s office
Chest breast (From a menu in Madeira which offered stuffed chest of chicken)
Dansk Dane; Danish (Danish)
Delphine dolphin (Spanish)
Dueño boss owner
Evilkneevil Daring motorbike rider (how do you spell it?)
Eroski Spanish supermarket
Escolar School bus (Spain)
Estroganov Stroganov (Spain)
Ferret item sold in a ferretería
Ferret shop irong-monger’s (from ferretería – Spanish)
Festivo holiday (Spanish
Finsk Finn; Finnish (Swedish)
Flamenco flamingo (Spanish)
Foc fire (Catalan)
gaseosa fizzy lemonade (from Spanish brand name)
glarseade glissade done on backside (Family)
guapo/a handsome/pretty (Spanish)
Happle apple (from Winnie the Pooh)
healthy bar Geobar – not healthy at all, made from oats, rice and dried fruit)
helados ice-creams (Spanish)
herringbole very; extremely (Family)
Hola Hello (Spanish)
Restaurante restaurant (Spanish)
Lenguado sole (fish)(Spanish)
Lixo rubbish (Portuguese)
lynce lynx (Spanish)
mañana tomorrow (Spanish)
mantigula butter (from Manteiga – Portuguese and Mantequilla – Spanish)
massage message (Family)
Mercadona Spanish supermarket
Mini Family name for our Mother coined by John, her youngest son) mirador place from which there is a lovely view (Spanish)
Moron pepper type of sweet red pepper in tins (Spain)
mouflon any wild animal of the ovine or caprine type)
mustang rucksack from maker’s name of previous rucksacks
navegador GPS (Spanish)
Norsk Norwegian (Norwegian)
Opencor Spanish supermarket open all hours
Parper paper (Family)
Pecuaria secondary road or track running alongside a main road for agricultural use
Pensionista pensioner
Pneemonia (Neil spells this kneemonia ) pain in the knee from honeymoon story – see below)
Puta prostitute; +? I can’t find my big Spanish dictionary
Plastico plastic greenhouse (Spanish)
pollo asado grilled chicken
pummock small hill (from a film seen 50 odd years ago where the hero improves his memory by using rhyming words)
Rambla walk; place to walk (Spanish)
rejuviated rejuvenated (used by tour guide on Benidorm blanket trip to Polop)
salida exit (Spanish)
salina salting (Spanish)
seeskweem ice-cream (by anaogy with mice/meece Family)
Sendero path; track (Spanish)
seniores pensioners (on side of buses for third age outings Spain)
splurge euphorbia or similar type of plant (from spurge – Family)
splif cannabis cigarette
Svensk Swede; Swedish (Swedish)
Teddy grass grass which attaches itself and works its way into you (Teddy, our dog, finds these even where there aren’t any)
Tilley brand name of our hats (Canada)
tourismo tourist office (Spain)
tureen ravine (Family)
verdigris vertigo (Family)
vlak railway; train (Czech)
wild bridge dangerous footbridge (from Lanscapes of Madeira)
Where are you
going now? Said by boy with learning difficulties in ‘Carrie’s War’.
Worms words (from The Two Ronnies)
zona recreativa recreation area often with gym equipment for adults
Anne sees a very distant bird or kite and asks "Is it a kite". Neil says "What colour is it?" Anne says "red". Neil unhelpfully but with perfect comedic timing says "It's a red kite".
Website problems: Please mail Neil.
© C N Bauers: 2003 to 2024