Our first day on the campsite was cloudy but dry which was good for unloading the van and setting up the chalet. The day after it was sunny and warm, I went for a 6km run. We went to Aldi and the Chinese shop; Mercadona was closed as it was a public holiday (All Saints’ Day). It was windy later so Mel went to the beach and did some wing-foiling. I put a load of washing in and then walked to the beach where we met Franz, Mel & Paul.
On Thursday I went to Pilates with Paula and had a good session with her. Mel came to the beach, we had a coffee after catching up with Heinz and Anette. It was very windy but Mel decided not to go out, so we went to Mercadona and Mel went to the ferriteria and Chinese shop.
Mel put the green netting up around the patio on Friday morning whilst I went for a run (9km). It was windy again so Mel went to the beach. It has been very wet and windy at home but Jill let me know that everything was OK. Mel wing-foiled all afternoon and had a good time.


We went on our bikes on Saturday morning to Los Belones. It was very windy and quite hard work battling against the head wind. We had a coffee and toastada con tomate at the café opposite the church and then cycled back. Mel went to the beach; it was very windy and he wing-foiled until 4pm.
I went for a run Sunday morning (10km) whilst Mel put the lights up on the patio. We spoke to Laura afterwards and then we went to Cabo de Palos. The open-air market had moved to next to the Eurospar supermarket and we bought a carpet there. We did some shopping in the Eurospar and then went to the harbour. Our favourite café was closed for holidays, but we went to another and had a beer and bagel with salmon and cream cheese – very nice. It was a sunny morning with blue skies, it is always lovely to sit by the sea and watch the divers coming and going on the big ribs.


Mel went to the beach in the afternoon as it was now windy and I put a load of washing in. We went to the campsite café for tea but it wasn’t great.
On Monday we went to La Union in the van to get a SIM for Mel’s phone but we needed passports so we had to go back to the campsite to get them. Then Mel went back to La Union and got the SIM. There was no wind today but it was warm and sunny so we sat outside and later Mel did some Maths for Ella.
Dom came on Tuesday morning to fit the Fire stick to the TV. I went for a run (13km) whilst Mel sorted out the TV controls. It was cool at first but warmed up later. There was no wind so we went to Aldi and the Asia Centre in Cabo. We spoke to Laura later, she was upset about something which had happened at home.

We went for a bike ride to Los Urrutias on Wednesday, stopping at Peaky Blinders for coffee and toast.
We booked a table for Sunday lunch for next Sunday. Later we spoke to Laura again and she went to stay in our house.
I went to Pilates on Thursday morning and Mel went for a bike ride but he got a puncture so had to come back. There was no wind again so we sat outside in the afternoon. Spoke to Laura again later.
After I had done my run (7km) on Friday we went to the Espacio Mediterraneo near Cartegena. We did some shopping in Decathlon and Carrefour and on the way back we went to a Pharmacy on La Manga strip and got some antibiotics for Mel’s tooth ache. We also went to look at the beach near Maskite on the strip. In the evening we went to the Indian Restaurant, Bollywood in Los Belones and had a very nice meal.
Gaynor called round on Saturday morning and afterwards we went to her parcela for Mel to look at a sail she was selling. He decided to buy it from her so we took it back with us. We also met her new partner, Graham and are very pleased she has found someone to share her life in Spain with. Mel went to the beach in the afternoon.
I did another long run on Sunday (13km) along La Manga strip, it was very hot and sunny so was quite hard work. Mel cleaned his wings and then we went to Peaky Blinders restaurant in Los Urrutias for Sunday lunch. It was a carvery with 3 types of roast meat, lots of veg and potatoes and all the trimmings. We enjoyed it very much and came back very full so we sat just outside all afternoon.
On Monday we went to Mercadona, Santander bank and the Ferreteria in Cabo before going for a coffee in Los Belones. Washed the bedding in the afternoon and Mel put a line up on the veranda so it could be hung up to dry. It was warm and sunny again and Mel went to the beach later and had a good session with his 6.2 wing. Spoke to Laura again later.
We went for a bike ride on Tuesday and ended up on the harbour in Cabo de Palos where we had toast with salmon, tomatoes and avocado. It was too much really but it was very nice. We cycled back via the beach by the Maloca restaurant and then along the beach at Playa Honda. There was no wind in the afternoon so no wing foiling today.
I went for a short run (7km) on Wednesday, it was very hot and sunny. We went to Los Belones for a coffee and then went to the car wash at the BP garage near the Go-Kart place.
I went to Pilates as usual on Thursday morning and Mel met me for a coffee and croissant afterwards. Mel went to the beach in the afternoon to wing-foil.

We went out on the paddle boards on Friday morning, it was very calm, sunny and warm – perfect conditions. It was sunny all day with very little wind so no wing-foiling. We went to the Peaky Blinders restaurant in Los Urrutias for dinner – fish & chips and cottage pie.

It was cloudy at first on Saturday morning but sunny later. We went to Portman to walk up to the guns but there was no room on the car park so we weren’t able to do it. We went to the café near the lighthouse for a coffee instead.
Sunday 19th November was the day of the Cross de La Artilleria 14km race in Cartegena but Mel couldn’t do it this year because of the osteo-arthritis in his knee. So I ran it on my own (well, with the hundreds of others doing it). It was hot and sunny so hard work but I did it one minute quicker than last time. There were no trophies for age categories this time so nothing to bring home with me.






Mel did some wing-foiling on one day the following week but there wasn’t any more wind after that. We went to the Karoke in the Mirador bar on Wednesday evening which was OK but not many people there. On Thursday after I did Pilates and Mel did a short bike ride we had a coffee with Paula, Dave & Julie. We went back to the Mirador and had tapas for lunch whilst listening to the band who were playing. They were quite good and we enjoyed that even though it was a bit cool sitting outside in the shade.

On Friday we went for a bike ride together to La Union and then Portman (37km). We enjoyed the route, it was sunny but a bit cool although we were wrapped up for it. Stopped for toast and coffee at the usual place in Los Belones.





In the evening we went to Bollywood in Los Belones for a curry which was very nice as usual.

On Sunday we went to Calblanque together, Mel on his bike and me running. It was quite a long run/ride but good to have a different route and to get back on Calblanque hills again. We went to the campsite cafe for coffee and croissant at the end which was very welcome.





The following week Mary Vaughan arrived in the chalet behind us. We didn’t know her but Gaynor sent a message to ask us to speak to her. She is a windsurfer and is here on her own so we made her welcome, had a coffee with her and chatted to her at the campsite restaurant. We had a paddle boarding morning on the Wednesday following by Mel wing-foiling in the afternoon.



It was very windy later in the week and Mel wing-foiled and windsurfed. We had one sleepless night when it was so noisy because of the wind.



We had a trip to Decathlon on Friday to collect some new walkie-talkies (Mel had lost one last weekend when he was cycling on the hills). We also bought some cheap summer wetsuits and some new flip-flops for Mel.