We get the van tidied and serviced and Ali puts away the laundry we were able to do on this enormous and well equipped site. It is obvious that some are here for long periods with their outdoor floor coverings and tent-sheds.

We leave at 12:00 and follow the main road along the coast towards Cartegena. We've all been there so won't be visiting that attractive town today. We have jagged dog-toothed mountains on one side and the sea on the other. The middle ground is filled variously with apartment complexes, scruffy poly-tunnels and vegetable farms. We also se lots of almond orchards with pale pink blossom.

A short detour takes us past La Manga and its huge golf resort before we pull into a hilltop lay-by for lunch overlooking rounded hills of brown, red and purple rocks falling to the sea.

Back on the main road is more barren looking rock but actually there is a surprising variety of scrubby plant life if you look at it in depth. In fact, apart from the dual carriageway some of it is straight out of the Spaghetti Westerns which were filmed here 40-50 years ago.

Late afternoon we drive through Aguilas and out onto the beach at Playa La Higuerica where there are already a dozen or so vans parked amongst the rocks and dunes for the night.

It is fresh but sunny and the blue sea crashing over the rocks is throwing up glistening white spray.

Ali takes Cleo [the dog] for a walk and comes back plastered in wet sand having tripped over [shades of Longyearbyen with the huskies]. She gets changed and cooks chicken pie for dinner.