27.12.10 Ramble

27.12.10 Ramble

Here’s wishing all of us a happy new year. I hear you’re getting battered with major snow over there-hope it passes here before the 23^rd which is when we fly to London. I think we’ll book the Manila flights for a couple of days after that. Trip insurance? Never bought any, but I think it’s time.

Christmas passed quietly. There was the requisite Eve dash to the big shopping center “Habaneras” in Torrevieja for last-minute thingies and memorable gifts such as a bathmat, shower caddy, rubber spatula and other “luxuries”. Of course I couldn’t get out of there without stopping at the chorizo and cheese departments, a quick dash through candy fro chocolate and Turon de Alicante. I still can’t get over the vast array of delicious-appearing but cholesterol-laden (I guess) foods. And the Mediterranean diet is supposed to be healthy? That must be where the red wine comes in -and what a selection! It is tempting to pick up a few expensive bottles in order to give the varietal report Dylan requested, but we still have a little left from our over-indulgence in Baza. Once that’s gone, I’m tempted to just stay with the €0.95 stuff. Works for me and the curious can come over next year and experience first-hand.

The move into Fontana on the 21st was not without problems. While the vacating Jacksons left about everything necessary (other than perishables) we found that there were no towels. Beach mats, sand toys, corkscrew and all the other necessities of life, but no towels. We used pillowcases and made do with sponge baths, cringing near the portable heaters. Heat/Aircon installation started Wednesday, and ended (more or less) the next. Apparently the builders had not installed some drain tubes properly and condensate from the aircon whould have nowhere acceptable to go. We were presented with three options and naturally had to accept the most expensive, time-consuming and delayed one-that of ordering an assembly like a bilge pump that will operate whenever the condensate level threatens to overflow the yet-to-be-installed drain pan.

Builders seem to be the major scapegoats here, and in many cases, deservedly so. The Fontana builder overextended and went bankrupt-fortunately after this site (1) was completed. There are a few quirks like switches for promised, but unisnstalled lights, short drain tubes, power access ports where there is no power –little things like that. And then there’s the story of the developer who raised big bucks from prospective buyers, built a “luxury vacation condo” and walked away from the four storey shell with the money. When officials inspected (wonder why they didn’t discover the problems earlier) they found that the materials and engineering were unacceptable. Now there is a vacant, un-salable raw concrete shell waiting for demolition by a disappeared builder. Aside from the scams, there are the vacant developments I mentioned earlier. These were victims of the recession, mostly uninhabited and in various stages of completion. It’s hard to drive anywhere and not pass great “urbanizaciones” or burbs with blackened windows, overgrown lawns and debris blowing in the streets. Kind of like ghost towns, though occasionally you find a lighted window. We were told to not even consider the Urbs, as they are burglar-magnets; the security companies having quit due to lack of funds. Sad, but then these were intended to be vacation or retirement homes-presumably bought with discretionary funds.

Throwing in a few photos. One is of a mystery tool I saw at the Castillo Sta. Barbara. I would welcome any clues or guesses. Another is of the gaping bathroom ceiling around which we lived for a couple of days, dodging bare wires, listening to shouted Spanish and holding or asking for the loo to be cleared for a while. Which reminds me of another item to be cured. The toilet seats are not of the highest quality, and have a tendency to crack in a strategically inopportune manner; causing ferocious “bites” to unwary posteriors.

Final shot was taken yesterday morning as I was readying for the Boxing Day ride that didn’t happen. 13C and I suited up and cycled to Studz Bar where the Sunday ride starts and ends. At 1003, I was the only cyclist in the parking lot, so I decided to head for the coast at Guardamar del Segura. The Med was sparkling blue with an offshore breeze causing manes of spray to trail the incoming surf-beautiful, but there were no swimmers. Headed south on the coastal highway and made it to Torrevieja and after a short break I made it back to Algorfa; fighting the now-in-my-teeth offshore gale. 51+Km. I have to guess as the speedometer has a mind of its own.