ann and andy lawrenson

Good to think that the days started getting longer today. For the shortest day yesterday we went to Calpe, a pleasant resort about ten miles away. We had a walk along the beach in the sunshine, then had lunch in the open air at a beachside restaurant. Today we got up at about eleven, and had breakfast on the patio with the Sunday papers. I spent most of the afternoon improving my tan while working on a  large monster made from an old vine. We both really miss the English weather! We’ve had a really good supper and are now happily curled up in front of a log fire. We are both becoming real lotus-eaters, and I will have to find something useful to do soon before my one remaining brain cell decides it has no useful function and gives up the ghost. I was full of good intentions to write another book and do an hour’s Spanish each day, but at the moment motivation is somewhat lacking. Everybody here speaks English, and I can’t convince myself that many people would read the book! 

We have been planning for next year over the past few days. Our current intention is to leave here in mid/late May and do a big loop through Granada, Cordoba and Seville before heading into Portugal. We think we will then make our way slowly up the West Coast before going back into France, leaving the caravan in the Limousin for anyone that wants it to use during the summer, and making a quick dash back to the UK to get an MOT on the car. After that, we will probably head back to France for a few weeks in September/October. It then becomes a question of whether we come back to where we are now for next winter, try somewhere further South, or see if we can raise enough wonga to hit New Zealand for a few months. A lot will depend on how fit we are feeling. At present we are both struggling a bit to get around. Ann’s knee is giving her a lot of pain, and I had a fall a couple of weeks ago (stone cold sober, before anyone considers asking) which seems to have put my hip back to square one again.

It seems quite strange not to be with friends and family for Christmas, and it looks as if it will be quite quiet. We will try and phone as many people as we can, but if you don’t hear from us we hope everybody has a great time and drinks our health at Christmas lunch. All the best, Andy.