Villajoyosa

The sun shone on Marge this morning, but over the town, sat a threatening sky. We know the weather is due to be unsettled for a few days, but are hoping it's is nothing too severe, as we're not ready to give up on the sun and warmth just yet. Today we had planned to travel through Alicante and stop near to Benidorm. We drove right through the centre of Alicante, glad it was a Sunday, and the traffic light. In the marina, sat a fleet of yachts, the total cost of them all we couldn't evaluate. Today was going to be a little more restful, and after missing the turn to our chosen overnight stop, we found ourselves at Playa el Paraiso, Villajoysa.

Whilst we ate our lunch, the police arrived. The owner of the other van here, asked them if we could stay overnight. We had heard from a German man who had not long left, that the police were moving vans on between here and Valencia. For us a result. It would be no problem. So Marge, what's it like to be sat beside a little bit of paradise. If the weather had been really sunny, you would have thought we were beside a beach in the Caribbean. From our vantage point, we could see the date palms and the Illa de Benidorm, a wedged shaped island just of the coast from Benidorm. On a walk out after lunch, we commented on how the area was so quiet, now the official holiday season was over. Good for us, as we could park Marge up overnight easily, now restrictions on vans had been relaxed. Also, we get to enjoy somewhere, without throngs of people joining us.

Along the seafront, next to the campsite, old lifeboats were stored in a yard, the tubular holders around their gunwales, suggested they were used for firework displays during the main holiday season.

Further along, we stopped to photograph some bind weed, if only the bind weed in our garden had such pretty purple flowers, we might tolerate it a little more.

In some undergrowth nearby, John spotted a pomegranate tree. We had reminisced about having pomegranates as children, when we saw them growing a few days ago, so he picked a couple. Will they still be as magical as when we were children, mesmerised by their little ruby jewels?

The storm clouds had been gathering and dispersing all day, but it has remained warm and sunny at times, offering just a few spots or rain.

The rock formations along the beach, remind us of those at Lyme Regis in Dorset, but unlike there, we can see no fossils.

All round the area, the mountains loom, and behind us, there is a particular high one, whose shape, makes us think it was probably once a volcano.

Tonight the sunset, turned the already dark sky from pink to purple. Our German neighbour decided to suddenly leave his beach chair, from where he'd been watching the sunset, strip to his swimming trunks, and wade into the cold waters of the Med. He appears to be alone, and has been sat contemplating most of the afternoon. We hoped this wasn't about to become a Reggie Perrin moment!

Tomorrow, if we can find a safe place to park Marge, we plan to call in at Benidorm and visit the Sol Pelicanos Ocas hotel, known as the Solana in the television programme Benidorm.

Angela may even call in at their hair salon, Blow and Go, as John thinks she's now styling her hair on Michael Heseltine's coiffured look.