Observations while on holiday

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markwilding
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Observations while on holiday

Postby markwilding » Sat Jul 27, 2024 1:42 pm

I am on my travels to the med. This year we have chosen the Alicante part of spain and have a couple of observations.
First, Spain has awful motorway rest areas. We traveled to Madrid on Thursday and continued our journey yesterday and both stop-off places were just massive open areas with little shade and rubbish all over the place.

The second one concerns new laws that have come into place over recent years regarding saving a place close the the beach shore by leaving towels and suńchairs while doing other stuff. There are now quite heavy fines in some places if you get caught. I was telling my wife about the new rules and she told me that she had seen interviews on TV with some of spaińs older citizens and they got round it by the man going to the beach to get a place while the wife stayed at home making breakfast. After she had eaten hers, she took over from her husband and he went to have breakfast. This carried on all day. I was a little sceptical until I saw this for myself this morning. It was very funny watching couples taking turns to sunbathe.

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Enrique
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby Enrique » Sat Jul 27, 2024 2:59 pm

Hi mark,
As a long time resident in Spain I'm surprised you don't use the service areas just off the Motorways, really good ones are indicated with the amount of Trucks parked up. Usually comfortabley quiet and great food( very unlike service stations in UK)

I'd be 160km away from your second paragraph............ so no comment.

Have a great holiday.
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.

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fincalospinos
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby fincalospinos » Sun Jul 28, 2024 7:10 am

Well Mark, if these two observations are all you have, then things cant be too bad.
I have just returned from my first visit back to the UK in two years, and I could fill a book with observations, unfortunately non of them positive.
Hardworking resident !!

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Wicksey
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby Wicksey » Sun Jul 28, 2024 10:38 am

fincalospinos wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2024 7:10 am Well Mark, if these two observations are all you have, then things cant be too bad.
I have just returned from my first visit back to the UK in two years, and I could fill a book with observations, unfortunately non of them positive.
:lol: :lol: That's why I'm glad I don't have to go there any more. I may venture over to see a friend who cannot travel but she lives only 20 mins from the airport and I shall get a taxi to her house and therefore can avoid driving or doing anything else much. Whilst the Suffolk countryside where I lived is glorious in the spring and summer, it's everything else :crazy:

We've been in the Alpujarras and close to Granada city this July and we've enjoyed it very much. Great to get away from the hoards on the Costa and I find Granada province very pleasant. Feels quite different to Malaga where I live and certainly a lot less frenetic. The summer has been hot but far less humid here despite it reaching 40 degrees. Also hardly any flies or mosquitos, despite our current Airbnb coming with chickens that we are looking after, and they poop everywhere. (We had them in the UK and they're lovely company for us here, but too much of a tie to have again now.)

It's a real novelty to be able to stand outside and not get bitten. At home it's just horrendous, and we cannot be outside more than a minute or two without getting bitten by mosquitos and tiny versions of them, and biting flies. The wasps have been awful too, to the point I could not use the outside sink to wash up the cat bowls but had to do them indoors to avoid the wasps descending on me. It's a shame the winters are so cold here as I like it very much and Granada is a great city.

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costakid
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby costakid » Sun Jul 28, 2024 4:04 pm

I have to disagree on service stations. We have just completed a 6 day road trip to Galicia so stopped off for fuel quite a few times. The food was good and sensible prices unlike UK service stations where a coffee and a crap sandwich is £15.

No beach swapping rules in Axarquia that I have ever noticed.

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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby Lavanda » Mon Jul 29, 2024 5:54 am

Service stations snd ‘truck stops’ are good throughout Extremadura. Menu del Día still only €12.00 in some popular places and the food is good.

As for the beach - what beach? 8)

markwilding
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby markwilding » Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:28 am

We tend not to use the cafeterias at truck stops. My wife prefers to make a Totilla de patatas and we need a decent picnic area but they are far and few between, unlike france where they are plentiful. Many of the smaller parking areas are a bit better but more often and not, do not have toilets.
It´s true that we could stop at Lerma or Aranda on trips to Madrid and sometimes we do but it would be because we have more time and both places are beautiful little towns and worth spending a few hours there.

The problem is that it is more down to time of day so it is difficult to actually aim for a specific one. We are travelling back along a different route so maybe we will get lucky on the journey back.

Regarding beaches, my post was more of a bit of fun. I live on the coast but it would be a bit silly to introduce a law like that here because we have tides so there's no point trying to be on the first line.
I¨m not even sure which municipales have introduced the law but quite often, once one starts, more follow.

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Wicksey
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby Wicksey » Mon Jul 29, 2024 9:48 am

costakid wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2024 4:04 pm No beach swapping rules in Axarquia that I have ever noticed.
I don't go to the beach but I do know that the law exists in Torrox where you cannot leave all your belongings there to reserve the space all day. The police come along and remove it if so. Whether people do have a rota so someone is always there I don't know. Depends on if you live close by I would think. I've found this: https://www.healthplanspain.com/blog/sp ... euros.html

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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby El Cid » Mon Jul 29, 2024 12:22 pm

Same in Almuñecar. Unattended beach equipment is removed.

Sid

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costakid
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby costakid » Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:57 pm

El Cid wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 12:22 pm Same in Almuñecar. Unattended beach equipment is removed.

Sid
i think the police have better things to do. no shortage of beach in Almunecar

DannyB
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby DannyB » Tue Jul 30, 2024 5:54 pm

If we need to stop, without filling up etc, We just choose a random country road, have always found a quiet spot within 10 minutes. Don't need to sit amongst rubbish and the smell of ad hoc toilet stops

olive
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby olive » Tue Aug 06, 2024 3:22 pm

Our experience too is a mixed bag. I am afraid two of my mrasures are cleanliness etc of the toilets and how full the car park is. The latter isnt a foolproof indicator. If you are travelling from Portugal past Seville on the A92 , the first two stops are diabical. We do a detour into El Arahal and if necessary pre book at an excellent restaurant in the town. Of course that all adds to journey time - not ideal if you are trying to get miles under your belt.

Abades run decent services and on the way up to Madrid from Granada there is a great services on the left. For a change try the antiques centre at Garraman after Jaen on the right side of motorway.

Leaving Seville heading up the A66 the first services are very poor at the Repsol. Much better further on if you can wait.

markwilding
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby markwilding » Tue Aug 06, 2024 3:38 pm

We are heading back on Friday but on a route we have only done once. The problem will be the unknown because we will base our main stop on time travelling rather than aiming for a particular place.
olive wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2024 3:22 pm

Abades run decent services and on the way up to Madrid from Granada there is a great services on the left. For a change try the antiques centre at Garraman after Jaen on the right side of motorway.
In the day before the tunnels on the Castilla Andalucia border, there used to be a nice stop off going south at the top of one of old windy motorway sections and another one is going north just as you enter Castilla which if memory serves me correct is called ‘Pepes’ with wine caskets for tables. The problem is that it’s packed at lunch time.

olive
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby olive » Wed Aug 07, 2024 8:33 am

Good sign that it is packed. If you have been barrelling along for two hours and it is time for a driver change you can’t easily choose.

Another issue is you see a sign for services and take it to be “ suckered” into the nearby town eating into your travelling time. There is a way of telling from the signs but I have forgotten. Anyone know?

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costakid
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby costakid » Wed Aug 07, 2024 12:13 pm

markwilding wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2024 3:38 pm We are heading back on Friday but on a route we have only done once. The problem will be the unknown because we will base our main stop on time travelling rather than aiming for a particular place.
olive wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2024 3:22 pm

Abades run decent services and on the way up to Madrid from Granada there is a great services on the left. For a change try the antiques centre at Garraman after Jaen on the right side of motorway.
In the day before the tunnels on the Castilla Andalucia border, there used to be a nice stop off going south at the top of one of old windy motorway sections and another one is going north just as you enter Castilla which if memory serves me correct is called ‘Pepes’ with wine caskets for tables. The problem is that it’s packed at lunch time.

CASA PEPE. Excellent place, always full of Guardia Civil as a pro Franco place or was years ago.

markwilding
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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby markwilding » Sat Aug 10, 2024 8:57 am

Much better on the return yesterday, clean modern services just after entering the pay section in Zaragoza towards Bilbao and Pamplona. The cost of the toll on the echoing was bit steep though, 37 Euros. Especially, when you consider the fact many stretches of motorway, that previously charged, now don’t.

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Re: Observations while on holiday

Postby KKKaty » Sat Oct 12, 2024 4:01 pm

El Cid wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 12:22 pm Same in Almuñecar. Unattended beach equipment is removed.

Sid
I’ve been to Almuñecar twice this year. Only had rentals from the bar. Suppose doesn’t apply to those. Never saw many families on the beach but it was June and September. I really like the place.


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