On the 1st December we both had a run and then went on the non-ebikes to Cabo. We were expecting Yoe & Paul to arrive but their flight was diverted to Alicante so they didn’t arrive until the afternoon.
On Monday we went for lunch to Paddy’s in Los Urrutias with Gaynor, Graham, Mark & Denise. The company was great, the food OK but there was too much to eat!
Afterwards we went to find Yoe & Paul at their apartment in Cabo de Palos. It is small but recently modernised and in a good position on the main road up to the lighthouse. We made arrangements to meet them tomorrow.
Mel went to the Physio in Los Belones on Tuesday but didn’t really get any relief from his knee pain. Yoe & Paul came to the campsite and we went to the cafe for coffee and then had tapas. We had a short walk and then Mel was going to go wingfoiling but the wind dropped so Yoe went out on the paddle board! She had a very good session for her first attempt.
It was a bit cool and overcast on Wednesday and there had been a bit of rain overnight. We had our Spanish lesson with Manuela indoors and then we went to Mercadona to do some shopping. Yoe & Paul hired bikes and explored La Manga strip.
On Thursday Yoe & Paul went to Cartegena for the day. It was a bit cloudy but there was some sun and a breeze too. Mel met me for a coffee after Pilates, he had cycled to Los Belones to get some oxos and tea bags before that. Mel went out on his wingfoil (6m) in the afternoon and had a reasonable session. Yoe & Paul called on their way back from Cartegena and we made plans for a bike ride tomorrow. We went to the campsite restaurant for tea but it wasn’t relly very good.
We met Yoe & Paul on La Manga strip on our e-bikes on Friday morning (Mel’s birthday and a bank holiday in Spain). We cycled to Mar de Crystal and then Los Belones where we stopped for coffee and tostada con tomate. We cycled back via Calblanque, it was a sunny and warm day with very good views across the Mar Menor. Yoe & Paul headed back to their apartment whilst we went back to the campsite for a bit of lunch.
On Saturday we took Yoe & Paul to Ruf-Marie Restaurant in Los Urrutias for lunch. We had a very nice meal and had a walk along the sea front afterwards. It was a lovely sunny, warm day but at home Storm Darragh was about to hit. It was windy in La Manga overnight and Yoe and Paul left on Sunday morning. Mel went wingfoiling and Tom completed his marathon in Hong Kong in 3.5 hours. At home the electricity was off and there were lots of fallen trees and floods.
Monday 9th December was another bank holiday and it was cool and sunny but still very windy. We drove to Ruf-Marie again and had breakfast before going on to La Puebla where we had another coffee after a chat to Caroline. She had been ill for a few days and was still felling a bit rough so hadn’t been to work. It was still windy when we returned to the campsite but not the right conditions for Mel to wingfoil.
It was still cool on Tuesday morning but I went for a run and Mel met me at the beach hoping for some wingfoiling. But again the conditions weren’t right so he left it and we went back to the chalet. I made leek & potato soup and put the towels in the washing machine. Afterwards we went to Mercadona in Cabo to do the weekly shop.
On Wednesday I went to Paula’s Yoga class and Mel went for a bike ride. He came to join us after at the Campsite cafe and we had a coffee with Paula and her daughter Chloe. It was cool and sunny but no wind.
Mel went for another bike ride on Thursday whilst I went to Pilates. It was still cool! We met Gaynor for a coffee afterwards and had a catch up with her.
I went to the Physio in Los Belones on Friday. We both went on the ebikes and Mel had a coffee whilst I was being treated by Christina. She gave my back and shoulders a good (and painful) massage and I made another appointment with her for next week. Then we continued on our bikes to Los Nietos and Los Urrutias. We stopped at Ruf-Marie again for coffee and toast.
On Saturday we went for another ride to Cabo de Palos and had coffee and pastry at Busquets on the harbour. It was slightly warmer today so I did a washing load when we got back and put it on the line to dry. We watched the Strictly final in the evening which didn’t disappoint.
I ran 11km on Sunday and Mel went on his bike and met me in Mar de Crystal. We came back to the campsite cafe for a coffee together.
Monday 16th – it has definitely turned cooler than usual in La Manga but after a Yoga session on Zoom with Alex from Healthy Options in Vassiliki we went for a bike ride to LosBelones. After the obligatory cafe con leche and tostada con tomate we headed back for our Spanish lesson with Manuela. Tuesday was still cool but sunny so I did a run (11km) and Mel did another bike ride (17.63km). Later we went to do the weekly shop at Aldi and Mercadona in Cabo de Palos. I did a load of washing and pegged it out and it mostly dried even though it was cool.
Wednesday 18th December – my birthday – Mel went for a run (6.5km). He hadn’t run for a couple of weeks due to his sore knee but he managed it today. Manuela came to our chalet to do our Spanish lesson and then we went to Cabo de Palos to have lunch. We went to El Miramar Restaurant on the harbour on Manuela’s recommendation and I enjoyed murcian salad followed by Cod. Mel had fried camenbert followed by Steak.
On Thursday I went to Pilates for the last time before Christmas and Mel went for another bike ride to Cabo de Palos.
Later we went to the Chinese Shop in Cabo to buy a kettle and then we drove down to Cala Reona.
On Friday I had another Physio appointment with Christina in Los Belones. Mel took me in the van and then I ran back and met him at the campsite restaurant. He was hopeful of enough wind to go wing-foiling but there wasn’t! There were a couple of kiters wing-foilers out but Mel decided not to bother.
On Saturday 21st December we went on the e-bikes up to La Manga Club and then across the hills over Monte de Cenizas to La Union.
We carried on through La Union and then turned off towards Portman. It was a cool day but sunny and dry and we were dressed for riding the bikes comfortably. We stopped in Portman at a cafe in the middle of the town and had cafe con leche and tostada con tomate.
Unfortunately my battery had gone flat so Mel cycled on my bike upto the gate to the guns (all uphill!) and I cycled on his bike. We swapped back after for the downhill ride back to the campsite.
On Sunday 22nd I went for a run and managed to do 12km and Mel went for a bike ride across the hills to La Manga Club (25km). He was recce-ing a route that we might do together on the e-bikes. It was a bit windy in the afternoon but Mel decided not to go out wing-foiling and washed the bikes instead!
On Monday I did my usual Yoga session on Zoom with Alex at 8am. It was windy and sunny so we went to the beach and after a coffee Mel went wing-foiling. Unfortunately he damaged his 4m wing so had to stop. On Tuesday (Christmas Eve) we went for a bike ride to Calblanque, Los Belones (coffee and tostada) and Mar de Crystal.
On Christmas morning it was a lovely sunny morning so we both went for a run.
Afterwards we spoke to Tom, Ellen & Joe, Ashley, Caroline & Minnie, Stephen & Judith in HK. We went to the campsite restaurant for lunch with Gaynor & Graham. It was an excellent meal and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We spoke to Laura, Ella, Layla & William later; Laura was still a bit tired after her operation yesterday.
On Boxing day morning we went on the bikes to Cabo De Palos, first visiting the lighthouse before having coffee and pastries at Busquets on the harbour. After showering we went to the campsite restaurant to see Manuela who had a stall there raising money for charity. There was also live music on but we only stayed for a short time.
On Friday 27th we went to Puerto de Marazon and had a walk around the harbour followed by coffee. We went to the Wok restaurant to have their buffet lunch – we have been here several times before with Chris and Gaynor but quite a few years ago.
