Today we explored the mountains via Totana and a detour to the market, one of the best in the area. We bought bread, cheese, ham & olives and headed up into the mountains, to the information centre then settled ourselves at a picnic table in the woods. We had hoped to see wild boar, who often visit the picnic areas hoping to join in, but had no luck. We followed the Dinosaur walk, but were talking too much and missed the dinosaur-footprint shaped rock. Howev...

The Romans mined lead and silver in Mazarron, and set up factories making 'Garum', a fermented fish sauce, the tomato ketchup of their Empire. They enjoyed the thermal hot springs, which were channelled into baths, tiled and tidy, at several sites in Murcia. The hot springs at Saladillo are less regimented. A sucession of visitors have shaped and reshaped the pools, and there are half a dozen camper vans nearby, having carefully negotiated the dry river bed whic...

As we were leaving the Palacio Real on Friday I asked why there were people dressed in 18th century military costumes and was told there was a parade starting at 6pm. It was then 5.30pm so we joined the growing crowd behind barriers outside the palace. by 6.30 it was raining and cold. Lynne & I are not tall, but stand at least a head taller than the average Spanish pensionista. Luckily for us, their umbrellas met over our heads, with the odd drip down our nec...

We drove to Madrid to collect Lynne and Mal from the airport on Friday. They brought some British weather with them, but we still had a great day exploring. The Royal Palace was breathtaking, but having not been redecorated for 200 years we felt IKEA style had bypassed the spanish Royal Family, though they don't live there any more, or at least not in the public rooms. It seemed much grander than Buckingham Palace. Yesterday we took Mal & Lynne to see 'Guern...

Next to the children's play area, the OAP's fitness trail. We did a quick circuit, feeling quite virtuous as others sat outside the nearby cafe with their chips.