SofaWolves

222 – Xmas eve wolves, agility and mountains

Living in the van we have so little space and weight capacity that we really don’t consider buying stuff. And to be honest anything we really need we tend to buy when the time comes. Outside of coffee and cake our luxury buys are typically books (kindle and audible) as we read prolifically.

This year we had sworn off presents for each other but had bought three each for pups. The main focus has been having nice experiences. With this in mind, I found a wolf reserve open and we drove inland once again.

Sat nav took us right through the middle of Antequera, which is a beautiful small town of very narrow parked up streets that I’ve no idea how we got through. If you want to visit, park on the outskirts and walk around. Or if passing by use the main road avoiding it lol.

On our way to Lobo wolf reserve we passed a doggy hotel called Residencia Canina Los Parejos which had a large agility course in the garden. In my fumbling spanish, I asked if our three could play for 30 minutes and he kindly let us play for free.

The pups had a great time testing out all the equipment. They can’t jump for toffee (Mabel can limbo), Jasper got scared on the high walk but completed it with much coaxing, and Ernest mastered the tunnels once sweets were thrown in. They aren’t going to win any agility awards but it was certainly a fun giggle packed half hour.

Onwards to the wolf reserve and this was so much better than the German one we had visited. They had a very large area and multiple wolf breeds. Also the guide spoke Spanish and English and answered all our questions. The tour lasted as long as you wanted and we were there around 2 hours as it also had a few bonus pigs, puppies, foxes, goats and geese.

Being a long established science reserve they had wolves of all ages. The largest pack were the eurasian wolves some 15 strong with 8 month old youngsters (already bigger than Jasper) and a 14.5 year old female.

Our camp spot for the night was high in the mountains of El Torcal Alto. Mark was nervous of the drive, and I’d read a review that said “it’s just rocks, rocks and more rocks”. However whilst this turned out to true, they are spectacularly positioned rocks!

I had no internet so we made up new lyrics to ‘The night before xmas ‘ and Mark was spared my Dolly Parton/Kenny Rodgers xmas album – both family traditions. I put out 3 trek socks on our heater (off dont worry) and once asleep hid the pups new reindeer antlers and a tangerine each for the humans. Daft I know but it keeps the magic alive.

After a breathtaking sunset we could even see ‘santa’ in the clear night sky.

220-221 Colourful Granada

Mark has been keen to visit Granada for months so I’d left all the planning to him. He was keen to stress it was a tootling about place, so he didn’t have my usual long list of sites to see.

Thinking we wouldn’t be too long as it was Sunday and all the shops were shut, we walked the pups with us into the centre, which to be honest is like any city centre with all the same shops…had he forgotten this is the last weekend before xmas and it was bound to be heaving?

We traipsed around, found coffee and thought we would head home for lunch and drop the dogs off before venturing out again. As it happened we took a wrong turn which meant we ventured into the albaicin area with its tightly packed white houses and winding lanes.

This is a much nicer area, and dotted around are fellow travellers selling crafts (though someone shouted police and they quickly scattered).

From the top are wonderful views of the Alhambra (I personally think it looks more impressive from a distance than close up). There is a lovely cafe with views but it’s got tourist prices (€3.50 for an Americano) so we skipped it.

2 hours of wandering and Jasper was tired and glad to get home to the van. We had a quick lunch then pottered out again.

Walking randomly we went down by the river, were told you can’t eat the copious oranges that adorn seemingly all Spanish streets and ended up at the Alhambra. You don’t get the same sense of scale when up close.

Mark also spotted a square named after Joe Strummer so we wandered there and stumbled upon a lovely selection of street art and found a little vegan corner of town where we had a nice locally roasted coffee at Noat Cafe (€1.40).

The following morning we walked down to the river again and popped into a running shop. I’ve been tempted to get some trail shoes as my brook ghosts are looking very worn and aren’t built for the terrain. Turns out trainers are super expensive compared to online (€40 more!), and they only had one pair; a size 6 pair of Inov8 which surprisingly fitted my size 4 feet. Still despite the language barrier I learnt lots about trail shoes. However €100+ is more than I could justify, so we left empty handed and instead treated ourselves to lunch at vegan restaurant called Hicuri which is opposite Noat. The lasagne was average but the carrot cake was quirky and delicious.

Having still not decided where to spend xmas we thought it best to drive to the coast where it would be warmer in the hope of a nice beach walk. Our first stop had glorious views but no beach access so we thought it best to try the next beach along…a nudist beach (my friends will laugh at this knowing my hubby is such a prude).

Perhaps strategically but Mark thought the road access was too steep so we parked at the top and started to walk the pups down before realising it was far too long a walk and would be a nightmare to walk back up. Thus I glimpsed the sea and nothing more, and Mark got to keep his clothes on 🤣

219 – Am I a missing link?

Waking in the small town of Ochre we had a little potter around, saw its 7 towered ruins, lovely cathedral and a churros stall which had closed by the time I got out of bed. Mark swears he didn’t indulge while out with the dogs but that could be sugar in his beard.

The main attraction here is the only modern building which ironically is the prehistoric museum. It’s only little and we were the first in as the receptionist turned the lights on for us. They have a nice selection of locally found animal fossils including sabres, mammoth and hyena.

The little film at the end is funny but a nice insight into the areas history (it’s in Spanish but we got the gist).

We then drove in the pouring rain to Granada and found a free camping spot on the edge of the city, ready to explore in the morning. Fingers crossed for sun, the storms have been awful!

218 – Crocheted xmas trees

Wow its blowing a hoolie today, what happened to the sunny spain I was promised 🤣 We decided to brace ourselves against the wind to visit Quevedo 1981 cafe on the sea front for cake and wifi.

There are definite perks to being vegan…the only cake option was a huge slice of chocolate cake. Poor Markles slice pailed in comparison, so I shared…a little.

Looking over the map we were torn between dashing to Morrison’s in Gibraltar to buy mince pies and other British yummies, or driving inland towards Granada.

As a weird curveball I found an article about a small village of Galera that had hand crocheted a huge xmas tree out of old plastic bags. That swung it and we drove two hours to see it. The effect was lovely.

We then drove over to the next village Orce. There isn’t much here except a prehistoric museum which we had left it too late to visit today, so instead we bunkered down in the van and made a xmas inspired rice pudding with cranberries, cinnamon and orange peel. As a token towards healthy living, I braved a mile run before scoffing it, it was delicious.

Bedtime was the usual pondering of how I was going to squeeze in

217 – Fried food and museums

Having been hiding out in the back and beyond for a few days, we decided to make the most of the city life and find a nice cafe. It seems you have to move quick as they sell out of croissants early at Cafetería-Panaderia Ana María . I managed to get one of the last ones and Mark opted for a chocolate petis soux. Also directly opposite was an eco shop selling my favourite yogi tea so I’m fully stocked again.

Both of us had dressed for a warm sunny day and were thus freezing as the streets are all shaded with the high blocks, and it was only 11 degrees…should have checked before leaving the van.

We mainly dawdled around the town in the morning, visited the food market, spotted a cute jumper that encouraged biscuit munching, browsed the xmas market and opted for lunch at Vintage 54 which does a mix of vegan tapas dishes.

The portions were huge and there was no way we could finish, plus my ‘nachos’ were like a deep fried bread. We haven’t eaten anything like this since leaving and my tummy hated me afterwards; choosing to put me asleep all afternoon to ride out the tummy ache (Mark was fine and the food was tasty).

My nap works well in spain as everything closes between 1-5pm and then reopens, so by the time I woke we were able to visit the cathedral and both the Photography and Guitar museums, which are free, small and interesting.

As a random extra the guitar museum had a huge model town in the basement, which was charming. Also as a side note the Google Lens app is great for translating exhibitions descriptions.

Arriving home we decided to take the pups out for their bedtime walk but Ernest got distracted playing with a 5 month old boxer puppy. For half an hour they chased around playing while I cobbled a conversation in Spanglish with her owner. Mabel hates fun and Jasper was bored so they went walking with Mark. Ernest was shattered by the time we left 🤣

216 – Sun, Sea, Sand and 3 sleepy pups

The fire was almost out when we woke this morning, so we went out for a long walk back to Jaspers favourite beach. While the pups played in the surf and chewed sticks, Mark and I picked over the beautiful pebbles and quartz.

Jasper was last off the beach and evidently didn’t want to leave, but I’d promised him more beach time later in the day. There are mutual options along the way.

True to my word we drove along the coast into Andelucia, first stopping in the hilltop white village of Mojacar for lunch before driving on to the Arrecife de las Sirenes.

With steep cliffs and jagged rocks we felt our clumsy pups might do themselves an injury so opted to take them down to Cala del Corralete beach. Jasper was still tired from this morning but they all enjoyed a potter.

This evening we are back in society parked near the bars and restaurants of El Palmeral in Almeria. Ernest is nosing out the window at the steady stream of joggers, dogs and cars passing by.

I’m already thinking about tomorrow’s brunch options, I need to make the most of my caffeine having signed up for the WaterAid – Just Water Challenge in January. I’m still not sure how I’m going to cope without my daily: two coffees, several cups of tea and bedtime hot chocolate…hmm plain water replacement yum. However its for a great cause and will do me good. Plus my friends Heike, Mia and Paul are sharing the challenge with me, so that will really help with motivation. Feel free to drop us a sponsor if you are eager (challenge starts 1st Jan). My hubby is going to hate my grumbleweed caffeine headache withdrawal…sorry man!

215 – Living the doggy dream and environmental costs

We woke to the smell of smoke so thick we could taste it. A quick glance outside and all along the shore farmers had fires burning, with thick plumes of smoke being swept towards the ocean. Definitely not ideal running conditions.

We waited until mid morning by which time the fires were reducing, and took the pups for a long walk. The only negative being evidence of serious plastic land pollution as its completely integrated into the soil.

Still today was the epitome of Jaspers ideal day – sea, sticks, snoozing in the sun and plenty of treats.

Once home again the boys sat outside while Mabel and I deemed it too windy and snuggled up with a cup of tea. We are collaborating with a Canadian lady on an environmental project, so much of the afternoon was spent brainstorming and preparing for a hopeful relaunch in January. I will keep you posted with progress.

And of course by late afternoon my running coach Ernest was bouncy with energy again so we had a challenging 4mile run. My legs aren’t used to the trails lol.

This evening I have masses of coursework I should do if the internet remains, though I’d prefer to do some journaling or play games. Either way I’m looking forward to my bedtime choco tea and an early night.

Just as I write this we once again smell fire, the one closest to us has been burning all day, and having closed up the van…the smoke still infiltrates. We had seemingly got used to it when dissipated outside, but now its thickening in my nostrils. It seems we will have to move on from our camp spot in the morning.

214 – The road less travelled

Last night, I felt so thankful. I might not have a clue what TV or celebrity gossip is doing the rounds, but why would I want that when I can be nestled up playing skipbo with snoring pups (wish Jasper had joined us on the bed to).

We were up and organised fairly early and decided to drive further along the coast in search of the sun (it’s 13 degrees and cloudy but still warmer than UK, so I’mnot complaining).

Our first stop was The Pink Lake Of Torrevieja, from satellite photos it’s a lovely dusky pink, but today it was murky blue. Perhaps it’s a time of year phenomenon, still we could see the salt mounds piled high on the lake edge.

I’d read Costa Calida was the warmest spot due to its micro climate, so plugged it into the sat nav, not giving much thought. Until we arrived in the middle of nowhere at a dirt track…ah Costa Calida is a whole region so Google just plumped for a random spot within it, what a rookie mistake 🙈 Even the pups looked bemused.

So after a quick check of the map, I rerouted us to Ciudad Encantada de Bolnuevo in Mazarron. The camper carpark is directly in front of it and it’s a bit underwhelming but the beach opposite is dog friendly so the pups had a mad run around (clean van didn’t stay clean for too long).

Then I had in mind a secluded camp spot at Cala Blanca – Parque Regional de Cabo Cope y Puntas de Calnegre. Mark being Mark was straight on google worrying about road conditions and showed me 1* and 2* reviews of places nearby…hoping I didn’t spot the 4 and 5* reviews for the same spot. Still this is where I’m ever thankful I do all the driving.

The road was fine, and whilst Mark was muttering about the unbelievable amount of orange trees, extensive plastic covering the land and suggesting I drive as slow as possible, I was enjoying the hairpins and that stunning dusk light.

I was as equally excited as Mark was filled with trepidation. Nearing our camp spot I glimpsed another campervan on the horizon and Mark conceded he is a terrible passenger. He really needn’t have worried, our spot is glorious. I just love how quickly the sky changes.

I’ve already scouted out a possible run for the morning but will stay away from the cliff edge as Ernest isn’t known for his brains and could quite happily dive off the edge after a bird and end us both in bother.

Tucked up it’s either coursework, card games or reading for tonight’s entertainment. I love this simple life ❤

213 – Bye bye cobwebs

We are slowly getting used to Spains scheduling. Sunday and Monday most places closed, and every other day shops open 10-2, then close and may open at 5pm.

Despite this I manage to find an open bakery and buy pan o raisin that are bigger than my face and delicious! We also found a cafe blatantly aimed at english and while munching on a jacket potato I made full use of the free wifi to feed my audible podcast addiction – I’m loving the dark gothic stories from the Homeless Bodies series.

The cafe also do a full xmas roast but no vegan version…such a shame as I miss xmas pudding, though Mark had his first mince pie 😋 As of yet we have no clue where we will end up on xmas day.

Then came the usual sunday chores – van deep clean and laundry, some xmas/birthday wrapping (dogs only this year, but still spoilt lol). I’d bought a chameleon toy for Ernests boxing day birthday but Mabel has spotted it, so he is going to have to share 🤣

My highlight was a long run with Ernest. He is an absolute nightmare to start with, getting distracted by other dogs and bush smells, but finally got into a rhythm. That was until on our way back he spotted 3 hares and bolted, snapping the loop chains on the waist belt and jerking my back. I’ve no idea how I held on to him, but fortunately he soon gave up and we carried on.

Meanwhile Mark had a lovely walk in the dunes with Jasper and Ernest, plus he saw flamingos!

Tonight I’m feeling a well earnt hot chocolate and board games. Mabel and Jasper are snoring away and the puppy is still snuffling around…evidently didn’t tire him out…what have we created!

212 – Colourful walks and a big chop

This morning we decided to stay on in Elche and explore a little. There isn’t a huge amount to do but it has a couple of large parks and I’d heard there was a dragon sculpture hidden in the trees.

What wasn’t mentioned in the guides was the wonderfully coloured river channel. Large sections were brightly decorated and though more visible looking down from the bridges, it made for a lovely walk.

It also gave the pups a good opportunity to run free and play with others, though Ernest was so dim he didn’t understand the mini bridges. Also when playing with a chocolate lab he got pushed into the river but soon sprang back out again.

In the afternoon, still frustrated by by frazzled long avocado hair, I decided to chop 5 inches off with the kitchen scissors!

While not perfect, it doesn’t seem too bad so I might have saved myself a trip to the hairdresser lol. Honest feedback welcome, my mum has already commented on my roots 🤣

We are on a campsite tonight so I’m enjoying a full on pamper, shower and relax. I’m still yet to find a lovely cafe with wifi to do my courses (having inadvertently blitzed through my personal allowance doing one course 🙈), but we will mooch about La Marinain the morning.

Tomorrow will be a trip to the beach, a longer run and the joy of van chores.