Benicarlo

Last night was one of those nights you just want to forget. Around two o' clock in the morning music started up from a venue nearby. Loud, bassy music, with no lyrics to accompany it. At least when the same thing happened to us in Italy earlier in the year, we knew the songs, which eased the pain a little. At five o' clock this morning it stopped. By then the damage was done, we'd missed out on our sleep, and at ten when we got up, we were tired, and heady. Thank you people of Onda. We will not be back! Next to us on the aire was a car and caravan. Caravans are allowed on aires in Spain. This morning, one of the two men staying in it emerged in his 'tiger' onesie. After after a while, he disappeared into the trees behind the caravan, and then reappeared in a red towelling dressing gown. We realised when the second man emerged from the trees, that they were using their solar shower amongst them. "It's a camping thing'. Never the less, it was time for us to leave town, we had shopping to buy.

Mid afternoon, we stopped for our lunch at a rocky inlet near Peniscola. Although it was very pretty, it was quite isolated, and Angela didn't feel comfortable about spending the night there. So we moved down the coast a little to the town of Benicarlo.

(John's all time favourite van the VW LT)

Peniscola and Benicarlo are both holiday resorts on the Costa Del Azahar. Marge is parked right on the beach, with quite a few other vans, literally a few feet from the waters edge. She, like us, is probably worried she might wake up with water lapping around her differential.

We have a view across the bay to Peniscola's templar castle, which was used in the film El Cid, starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren.

Just before seven o' clock this evening, we promenaded with the Spanish along the seafront to the outskirts of Peniscola. We were glad to see one older gentleman was keeping the fashion of the shell suit alive. On the way back we glimpsed through the window of one of the holiday apartments. A lady was sat eating a meal, her hair 'side combed' so much she looked like a cartoon character. Back at the van, the sea sounded awfully close.

Don't worry Marge, worst case scenario, we'll decamp just down the road to the Gran Hotel Peniscola.

It's four star, and a room for tonight is £43.00 including breakfast. They've got a nice parking area, so Marge will be safe. And we bet they've got nice showers as well. Sounds tempting.