Lubrin Adios

Lubrin

A well timed departure from the UK as they seem to be continually waterlogged over the summer and all developing webbed feet. Lubrin turned out to be a magical spot - a rural town steeped with old fashioned ethics, a real slice of Spanish culture that hasn't changed for years. Still relient on the local agriculture, and even with an economy at rock bottom they seem to carry on with life as they have for generations.  

Nina and Nick

Ready for a walk

Nick and the team

Nina's house and two goregous dogs Lola and Charlie were delightful characters.

Dave's cave not Nina's

View towards the coast

The rambla's(old dried up river beds) behind the town were dotted with old ruins.  While the terraced hills were covered in either Almonds or Olives and as the sun went down and we were returning from our walks you would hear the tinkling of the bells as the goat herder took his charges home for the night.

Fiesta imminent

Young Flamenco dancers

Lola and Lydia

Fiesta week was hot and fun with lots happening and the town buzzing with many families, which had to go away to find jobs, coming back to visit. The flamenco dancing, the children magic shows, the different bands playing at different bars, the huge Paella made to fed the whole town and many long nights socialising. Even the children are still up at one or two am but everybody delightfully relaxed and happy.

Take your pick

Novel BBQ idea

We soon discovered that the local band performing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night in the Plaza was contracted to play till dawn!!   The entertainment was loud and clear in our bedroom till the sun came up.

Lubrin oil

Lots of new mechanised planting

View from the front door one evening (dead pig)

With all the olives what better result -delicious.  Fancy some fresh pork or goat -  Slaughtering done just outside our house on the street.

Life saver

For 1 Euro we could wallow in the local pool regularly - the perfect spot at 44oC

Beckham

Men hanging around

Local characters like Beckham spent most of his time in the middle of the street. Then there were the men who always seem to be sitting around , not looking at each and probably not listening to each but certainly talking!! Sometimes see them playing dominoes or cards and then they get a bit more animated!!  But its the women who seem to get things done!

Helen, Janet, David, Francis and Steve

Many great evenings spent enjoying the warm balmy evenings with friends.

Packed up and on the road again northward bound.

Carboneras, Garrucha, Vera, Mojacar Peublo and Aguilas

Carboneras, Garrucha, Vera, Mojacar Peublo and Aguilas

All gorgeous coastal towns, with stunning beaches, which were no more than an hours drive from us.  Quite a common theme running through them all and certainly seeing them during the peak of summer meant they were mostly heaving with tourists.  The golden sand beaches were always packed with colorful umbrellas and skimply clad bodies of varying shapes and sizes.  All as close to the water as they could get,  as there was usually a lovely sea breeze about two metres from the waters edge and everyone was doing their best to enjoy it.

Carboneras is the furthest south and lays claim to being the setting for the "Laurence of Arabia" film, among others.  As you enter the city from the northern side you are greeted by this huge "white elephant" of a hotel. The partially built Algarrobico Hotel was deemed illegal, because it was being built too close to the shoreline and has nothing done to it since 2007. The massive 20 floor structure with its 400 rooms was 90% complete when construct stopped and the wrangle as to whether to demolish or finish still continues.

Along the beachfront we found the Pensioners Gym - the aim is to encourage the oldies to get up and get off it.  So various pieces of gym equipment are placed underneath the palm trees, free for anybody to use any time of the day or night.  Not sure if it's working but seems a fabulous idea. Spent a fun afternoon strolling and telling stories with Francis and Janet, while David tried out the equipment.

Next up the coast is Mojacar Playa, a thriving tourist beach resort which is very popular with the Brits and local Spaniards for music and night life.

Then behind this is the magical Mojacar Peublo -a striking sight of small white houses wrapped around a harsh outcrop of rock.  We parked down on the beach and wandered the couple of kilometers up the hill.  Probably not the best bet in forty degrees heat but we surely sweated out any lingering alcohol or foreign bodies we'd taken in over last few days.

Scooters are the way to go as you get the easy ride up, enjoy some air and wonderful view  

It's a classic picture postcard town, an ancient hill village, which seems to just rise up out of the flat plains and is really more about atmosphere than sights.

Wandering the narrow streets and enjoying the balconies overflowing with flowers and the cascading bougainvillea was a treat.

Just around the corner are another couple of lovely spots, Garrucha  and Vera Playa, the later being responsible for one of the worlds best naturists resorts, not that managed to find it.   

Garrucha is a charming, character filled fishing town, a full marina but not too many tourists.  Renowned for its lively fish markets and fabulous seafood restaurants.  Also a super efficient post office!!

Then about thirty minutes up the coast is one of our most favorite places, Aguilas,  a delightful city, originally a Roman fishing port.  Although a classic tourist spot because of its glorious beaches it has more of a city feel to it, based on its principal business of exporting locally grown fruit and vegetables. 

The central town Plaza is lined with lined bars and restaurants, in the middle palm trees, pigeons and statues.  One of those glorious spots you could kick back enjoy either a long coffee or few glasses of the local wine, at a very reasonable price, and enjoy watching the people.

The local Churreria served up Churros and delicious Hot Chocolate, almost thick enough you could stand your spoon up in, just like I'd read about.  We had to try that - Churros is deep fried dough, not unlike a donut, that certainly improves when accompanied by the hot chocolate.  But in 40oC heat it probably wasn't at its best

Market Day in Lubrin

Market Day in Lubrin

Lovely to have time to try different foods and enjoy the whole process of shopping from the markets.  The Spanish aren't a nation of fast-food eaters, they prefer to buy fresh every day.  You won't find a fridge packed full of food, instead they consume what they have.    

Its Wednesday morning, eight o'clock and from our place we can hear the stall holders erecting their shelters and preparing for a morning of business.  It's the one morning of the week that Lubrin seems to come alive and I love the sounds of all the action happening below us. 

About 9.30am we wander down to the Plaza, armed with carry bags, sun hat and money in the pocket and ready to do business.  Its a social time for all and you don't want to hurry this process, nobody seems desperate to sell you anything, infact you often have to wait while they catch up with friends and finish their chatter.  It will happen but you just have to relax and take time, they're not going anywhere and if they happen to be serving you while a friend comes along just be prepared to stand and wait till he comes back to you.

The stall holders come from all around the region, and with the vast selection of wares provided some of the locals never venture any further.  There's fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs,  fish, cheeses, breads, meats, dried fruits, nuts, sweets, shoes, kitchen and  household utensils, women's clothes, men's clothes, socks, underwear, jewelry, handbags, sunglasses, an unbelievably sweaty man cooking roastisere chicken ( sometimes in 40oC)  and an enthusiastic young chap deep frying Churros.  This smells delicious and I notice people purchase then enjoy it with their coffee at the bar.  I'm told that it should really be eaten with a rich hot chocolate, one that you can almost stand your spoon up in, but for now coffee with do.

After filling the shopping the bag, a coffee in the Plaza bar is a must.  Nice to feel we are almost locals as they see us coming and offer us our "usual". Market day is the time to sit, enjoy the company of others, catch up on all the gossip, and generally watch the world go by.  Looks good to me - we're converted, just need a little more practise. 

Saturday morning we head to the market in Vera.  It's huge,  probably ten times the size of our Wednesday market with stalls galore but not quite the intimate, relaxed feel that Lubrin has.  Coffee at a local bar compares well and we manage to come away with only a pair of sunglasses!!!

Discovering Lubrin

First priority off to find some wifi, will get organized at home later but for now great excuse to check out who offers great coffee in Lubrin.  Found six bars all providing strong, smooth Spanish espresso -  Dave's smiling now and even wifi in one of them.

Picked up essentials like water, can't drink or even cook in the local water, so  better keep the mouth shut while showering or goodness knows what we might catch!

A little warmer than our last place of residence, time to put away the jeans and kiss them goodbye for the next couple of months.

Charley

Lola

  We have a menagerie right next door with two lovely big boxer dogs, a goat, about ten chooks and a couple of unbelievably loud roosters!!!  Rural spain right in the middle of the town.Our real reason for being here is of course Charly and Lola, two delightful rogues - ready for action and prepared to create it if they cant't find any, especially just outside the door where the neighbours cats snooze.

We ventured up to the swimming pool just after midday, for just one Euro we can wallow for as long as we like - perhaps the young chap there taking our money will get used to these faces.  Its a wonderful complex , two fabulous all weather football fields/tennis courts,  equipped with lights for the late night games, this great 25metre swimming pool, paddling pool, fives court and the all important pool bar open all hours of the day serving great coffee.

Enjoyed our first balmy night in Lubrin with glass of wine and nibbles on the terrace, then as the sun goes down we ventured up the 'rambla' with Charly and Lola to see some of the countryside.

Santander to Hellim

Santander to Lubrin

Grabbed a shower on the ferry then we found some breakfast.  Nothing to exciting but at least some yogurt and fresh fruit salad.

Chatted to some nice English travellers and practiced some Spanish before arriving in at Santander by 12.15 Spanish time.  City looks far bigger and nicer than I had imagined, pity we didn't have time to wander around and explore.

Got out pretty smoothly, passports stamped and hit the road.  

First Spanish gentleman who spoke to us was the friendly policeman offering his assistance as to the strange place I was parked.

 Anyway good old Tom Tom got us out of the city and on to the motorway heading south.

Had a great drive, stopped a couple of times but over all pretty easy.  Amazing countryside, didn't expect it to be so big and expansive.  Parts of it really reminded me of the Mackenzie basin and Omarama.  Very dry and hotter as the day worn on.

Arrived in a  little village just outside Sergovia. 

Turned out to be a wonderful family style hotel run by Pilar our very gracious hostess. We had a lovely room with ensuite etc and then the use of an expansive siting room and veranda area.

We took our computers and books and sat outside, enjoyed a glass of wine, for the large price of €3 for two!!  What a perfect evening, it was warm but not too hot and we had a lovely stroll around the village at about 9pm.  

The smell of dry grass reminded me so much of a hot Blenheim summers day, grass dry as tinder.  Just like those summers down at Glenbrook. They make hay out of every area possible.

A lot of the houses look shut up and it turns out there are only a out 75 people living in the village, the rest are holiday houses belonging to people in Madrid.  A perfect spot as its close to the mountains so not too   

hot and only one and a half hours drive from Madrid.

Wow we really are in Spain proper now.  Breakfast served between 9am and 11am - so civilized!"

Breakfast was a real carbo loading of sweet biscuits, like Griffens round or super wine, lemon cake, toast with butter and jams, jamon and cheese and deep fried dough.  All washed down with a cup of tea or coffee.  This was all part of the B&B package.  Meet a really lovely family from Holland and chap from Germany who is really Italian!

A kiss goodbye from Pilar and we were on the road by 10.30.

We strolled around Segovia, a gorgeous old city with amazing aqueduct and cathedral.

On the road by 12.30 and a good drive.  About 4.30 hours today and bit stressful getting through Madrid but other than that pretty easy. Did get hotter and hotter as day wore on,reaching 36oC by 4.30 and the poor old Ipad, our TomTom, seized up.  Dave cooled her down by dangling out the window and we continued on the road.  

Scenery not as good today, but lots of vineyards.  In fact as you drive through this centre of Spain everything  is big.  Cropping farms, vineyards, olive groves, orange groves and other fruit orchards.

Made it to Hellim, pronounced Egim by spot on 6pm although it was a rather interesting drive around the town, very very small winding streets with numerous being one way!!

Had a nice Apartment upstairs - great value at only €25 but very hot being on third floor.

Wandered out to a supermarket found some bread, meats, delicious nectarines just like tree ripened, and bottle of red wine€1.55.  Then afterwards strolled the streets.   A lovely safe family orientated type of town.