BIKES, BOULES AND BEER

TUESDAY Feb 8th.2011

The bike controller eventually arrived on Monday, having been posted last Tuesday ( but there was no delivery on Saturday, this being Spain ). Fitted in 15 mins with the help, advice and mastic sealing gun of Paul to make the housing watertight as the old controller looked definitely rusty round the edges - and rather more weather-worn than the new one considering we only bought the bikes early december. These controllers were higher spec ones than the standard fittings and so were changed at the point of sale.....mmmm was an old one used on mine ??. However I musn't be cynical since Eddie at the Electric Transport Shop has been more than helpful in sorting everything and is insistent that I go to Cambridge as soon as we return so that they can thoroughly check the wiring looms and replace the connectors I have vandalised in the 'diagnostic' checking. I cannot speak highly enough of their after-sales when it would have been so easy to say 'well come and see us when you get back to the UK and we'll have look at it'. If anybody reading this wants an electric bike ( and the GF says it is the Best thing we've Ever bought), go to the Electric Transport Shop....just look at their website.

So here we are and in only a week we'll be moving on to Portugal, probably Tavira for a week before heading to Lagos and Dave & Briony (and Derek & Margaret have emailed to say they are on their way). It has gone so quickly, mainly because the weather has been so brilliant and we have been out and about so much. We have played Boules every afternoon bar one, taking it in turns to provide the beer; a raucous evening after Nick & Barbera arrived when we invited everyone round for pre-dinner drinks; tapas in the sun after shopping in the market for olives and nuts; a terrific sunday afternoon when we walked down to the beach with Paul & Marianne after the re-scheduled fiesta parade to enjoy beer wine and tapas in the sunshine and surf at one of the beach bars....and the sun still shines and we still have things to do...

Roy, the token (and broken welshman, land-of-my-fathers plastered all over his van) wandered past and stopped to inform us that he had just booked our pitch for Jan-Feb next year. As we were going to re-book the same pitch for next year the GF called him a very rude name, calling into question his parentage. I then discovered that everybody had started making reservations so I popped down to the office and found I could book the pitch next to us, so done deal ( advance bookings were very ..er..advanced). Took great pleasure in telling Roy that we would be neighbours next year and that I would take great pleasure in gloating about Wales having made an early exit in the World Cup.....hopefully I won't have to eat my words. The campsite has also dropped the requirement for a deposit this year making advance booking even more attractive.

Nick & Barbera......the story of their 3 week trip to Conil was harrowing and costly. They have reported the first garage to the RAC ( who seem to have been rock-steady in their support,unlike the AA last year, even providing translators) for charging them 860€ to replace a fuel pump which Fiat said had not been replaced in their opinion. Having got here however, they have no running water as there is an apparently incurable leak if the system is switched on. Again much advice been offered but the pouring of water from beneath the sink remains impervious to new o-rings,jubilee clips, plumbers tape and even gaffer-tape, the motorhomers' answer to everything. Hymer have been contacted for advice.