Autumn stuff

 Covid restrictions lifted in time for a great September with great weather.  Whilst our travel options were limited as we were trying to sell Carole's Mum's old bungalow.  Typically the sale fell through.  We still managed camper van trips, a birthday weekend, lots of cycling and some dinghy sailing and wild swimming. All in all not a bad September! We are so lucky and never forget it.

Camper van trips to Scotland and the Lakes

I was talking to a friend at Arnside Sailing Club and he told me about a small camp site at Sorbie near Garlieston, Dumfries and Galloway, out of curiosity I looked up the site and rang them, expecting them to be full but they'd just had a cancellation so we grabbed the chance for a few days away.  Great little site with a restaurant next-door.  Not so good for walking but Carole swam nearby at the Isle of Whithorn and in Garlieston harbour. 

Sorbie campsite

Garlieston Harbour swim

Isle of Whithorn harbour, the location of the first Christian chapel in Britain, St Ninian's, in AD390

We also snuck off to Park Coppice, Coniston. The weather was wet to say the least but we managed some walking (wading) around the lake and thoroughly enjoyed it.  And of course Carole swam in Coniston, despite the weather.

The Ship Inn, Bowmanstead, Coniston, a shortish and very dark walk from the campsite.

Boy did it rain

But we found a warm spot, with its own brewery - The Black Bull, Coniston

It actually stopped raining when Carole went for a swim...

Birthday Bash

Carole, Jen, Kyri and I went up to the Low Wood Hotel for my birthday weekend treat, 5 star, spa and a top restaurant.  My kind of swimming in a heated outdoor pool, my favourite walk up Dow Crag and onto the back of Coniston Old Man, fabulous food and to cap it all, the sunset of the year! Loved it.

Not a bad spot

A room with a view

My sort of swimming - warm!

On our way up Dow Crag, Becca came too, there was a LOT of stopping for photos

Scaring the sheep

We took the tricky route

And the weather turned Lakeland just before the top of the Old Man

Kyri and Jen on the peak cairn, a PB for Kyri at 2632.6 feet!

Simply stunning

Swimming

Jen got Carole a book on secret(?) wild places in the Lakes which covers a lot of amazing swimming spots so we managed to tick off a few including Banishead Quarry on the way down from Coniston Old Man on my birthday bash.  Jen's mate Becca went in too, Jen, Kyri and I admired their fortitude from a suitably dry spot.

Banishead Quarry, above Torver, Coniston

Carole and Becca braved the deep and very cold water.

Cycling

After much research and soul searching I bought myself a new bike to "complement" my much loved and very well travelled Galaxy touring bike.  I got a Giant Revolt gravel bike, or GRAVEL CRUSHER as the advert says, much to Carole's amusement!

A carbon framed beauty

It was a tough ride!

Alicante November Trip

 We've actually had a really good summer, despite the pandemic, being very lucky where we lived and being retired meant that we made the best of the year.  That said we were desperate to go back to the boat as soon as we could.  Trying to sell Carole's Mum's old bungalow had consistently stopped us from going through September and October.  However at the beginning of November we grabbed a chance to fly out for a couple of weeks which proved really lucky as the country went into another lockdown a few days after we flew.

Another quiet day at the airport with only a few flights leaving Manchester but it made the journey uneventful and felt very Covid safe.

This was our first evening sunset - what a start to the trip!

As soon as we'd got ourselves sorted out on the boat, Carole managed to get a game of tennis in Quesada with Fran and friends which let me sneak off to the chandlers at Torrevieja and buy more rope.  We spent the evening with the rope book out remembering how to splice mooring eyes- what joy! But we managed it.  

Carole contacted Rachel and she sorted out a game of Padel with her and her friend Sammi. Great fun - why isn't this game more popular in the UK? 

The weather became very settled and so we disappeared off to one of our favourite anchorages Tabarca.  Water temperature about 22 degrees so just about OK for me to get in, Carole thought it was warm....  We messed about in the dinghy and on the paddle board finding a deep sea cave to explore. Fabulous water clarity as you can see.

 

 

Beautifully clear water

Checking the anchor

Into the cave

Love my electric outboard.

New webbed swimming gloves - speedy!

We had a hire car for the two weeks so were able to get up into the mountains for a walk.  I get routes from a website called Costa Blanca walkers.  The route I chose, Llomas de Silim and Barranco Selinas, was described as a little adventurous and it was!  After a few Km of off path navigating - thank heaven for the GPS we dropped into a deep gorge and followed it back up into the mountains.  Halfway along we came to a dam which was supposed to be a small scramble to get past - not the 40ft of via ferata we found.  Deeper into the gorge the route description mentioned that bamboo can be a problem - typical English understatement! We kept to the route and got back to the car in one piece if a little scratched (more understatement!)  However we loved it!!

Monte Negra

Off piste walking route

The scramble up the dam wall

Looking into the gorge 

Fabulous rock formations

One of the rock tunnels

Bamboo was a problem - and unusually the stream actually had water, and mud, in it!

Just climbed out of the gorge

On our way back to car.

The route

The next day we, deservedly, went to Casa Domingas, on the beach of San Juan, a great recommendation by Rachel, fabulous seafood and what a view.

We pottered about for a couple more days, walking to the beach, swimming, doing jobs and Carole squeezed two games of tennis in on one day - with Charles in the morning and Martin in the afternoon, both at the Montemar club. This meant that I could replace a leaking galley tap and fit a new toilet pump - result!

 

We just had time then to sneak off for another night at anchor, this time just up the coast at Almadrabha, more swimming and playing around. 

Night swim.

Clear water

We were joined by Rachel and Martin in the morning for coffee and nearly finished the home made damson gin!

I see no ships!

Over the last few days we squeezed in a game of padel and some more tennis.   I got to meet up with Neil who had just recovered from Covid, Shirley was still in hospital but thankfully on the mend.  Then it was time to pack the boat up, put the covers on and head back to the airport which was even quieter than when we arrived.

And now home for two weeks in quarantine!