Christmas was a bit strange, I've never spent it on my own before. True, I've got neighbours and we have a chat, wish each other merry Christmas and all that, but sitting down to a Christmas dinner on your own is a bit alien. That said, a few glasses of wine and laid back watching a video and I couldn't give a fuck. I actually enjoyed it.
The camp site was packed over the Christmas holiday. Discussing it with one of the other Brits here (don't think he's a criminal avoiding British justice) he tells me it really quietens down after the 6th January.... Quietens down... Jesus, they'll be bringing mirrors around in the morning to see if we're still breathing if it gets any quieter.
Do you remember asking your granny if she'd had a good Christmas? She'd reply ' yes love, had a lovely time, but quiet'. Try coming here! Quiet!!! Too fuckin right.
The most exciting thing that happened between Christmas and new year was a child shat in the pool!
" Mummy, does Poo float?" Is not what you really want to hear on your 57th lap of the indoor pool. What followed would have made a great youtube video. Indeed, poo does float. I did continue to do my laps while through the corner of my speedo goggles watched 'mummy' try the capture the said poo. She was trying to capture it with the diaper she had, perhaps foolishly removed from that child. How something that size got evacuated from a child that small is beyond me. Eventually it was captured and the culprits whisked themselves away. No damage done, I did the remaining 43 laps, mouth firmly shut, breathing through my nose.
Apparently, with each motorhome and caravan pitch you get a cat, not to keep and take home, but to ensure the indigenous rodents are kept down to a manageable level. My own thoughts are this is a ruse to try and explain the presence of a few too many ferrel critters. One would have thought a few strategically placed rat traps laced with poison would have done the trick.
We aren't encouraged to feed these feline guards. The camp rule book states
" Camping Cabopino is now collaborating with Triple A, a rescue and shelter agency for the protection of animals, to regulate the population of cats on the campsite, necessary to control the numbers of rodents who inhabit the site and surrounding area. The cats are fed at and, must only be fed at, established feeding stations situated throughout the site. Please do not interfere with these feeding arrangements."
Failure to comply will lead to a 50 euro fine. Now maybe I'm being a bit slow here but if you need so many cats to keep the rats away, don't the cats eat the rats and so do away with the need to feed them....?
The cat that protects my pitch appears to be the 'cock' of the block. A ginger tabby with one eye. Not wanting to attract the wrath of the camp management and a €50 fine, I've not fed him, that appears not to be going down too well. Each morning he glares and me (through one eye) then strolls over, nay swanks over, to my van and pisses up the front tyre. I don't find this kind of behaviour endearing at all. The catapult I had in Kathmandu to fend of the monkeys would have come in useful here!
I've had some nice neighbours over the Christmas and New Year holidays. A Swedish couple in a 'fuck off' motorhome to my right and a very nice Spanish couple in a caravan on my left. The Spanish couple have a child who, if I didn't know better is Dora the Explorer. Except, she cries a lot. I don't think Dora cries at all, unless Boots has been murdered by swiper. Ha ha... How do I know about Dora? TEFL teachers all know about Dora!
The Spanish couple are lovely, stop for a pigeon Spanish chat every morning. Doing my Spanish vocabulary a load of good. When they originally arrived Juan came with his mate, I think they had a falling out on New Year's Day because after some raised voices in the night he was gone. Juan left today with a wave and 'hasta luego' from Dora.
I've continued by swimming religiously, 2.5km every day, apart from Christmas Day when the pool was shut. I've rigged up a washing line to dry my towels and trunks. After Juan, his wife and Dora had left this morning I noticed that a pair of trunks were missing. For an awful moment, I thought than Dora's nemesis, Swipe had stolen them. I was not far wrong, the one eyed cat was sleeping in my picnic chair with his face nestled in my best swimming trunks. How he'd got them I've no idea. He got a clip as I snatched them back and ejected him from the chair. He promptly pissed up my front tyre!
I know it's sad but, when you're travelling or on your own, the iTunes 'Twelve days of Christmas' is something to look forward to, not that it's been that spectacular this year. However, they did give you 'Home Alone' the movie, free this year. I've never seen it, so thought it was a good idea to download it. I'm running out of DVD's and watching Rocky Balboa again is enough to make you want to eat you're young.
To be fair, I've had better internet connections in the third world! Slow is not in it. What would usually have taken an hour to download took almost 60 hours. I can only assume I was competing with the silver surfers downloading knitting patterns or the like. Eventually the welcome 'ding' of a completed download and last night I watched it. Not a bad film either ! I liked it best when the oldies didn't know about computers or the interweb. Life was so much easier.
So... The first month.... I like being a gypo, nomad, traveller or the like I'm not keen on eating and drinking from melamine, not that I'm posh but it's just not my preference. Reminds me of school dinners and the plates are too small. Emptying my cassette toilet, I'm really not sure I drink that much fluid (wine perchance?) . I'm enjoying it. I should leave here and head up the coast on the 14th. I'm tempted to stay a little longer (or is that laziness?)
We'll see.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Artola,Spain
No comments:
Post a Comment