Tootling about in Totana.....

The best pitch in the Camperstop (we think!)

We settled into Camperstop Sierra Espuna at Totana staying for five nights (not the three nights we originally intended) cycling along the canal path both ways and also cycling up to the hilltop monastery de La Santa, now converted to an hotel. 

The monastery church is still preserved with its unusual painted walls depicting not only the twelve stations of the cross, but medieval scenes - I don't know whose head was served up on a platter in this photo!

Distant view of the town of Aledo

A short distance from the monastery is the town of Aledo, perched on the hillside and dominated by the thirteenth century Moorish defence tower, interestingly the tower was built on the remains of a coral reef from 7 million years ago when this area was under the sea - difficult to visualise when we are almost 2000ft above sea level!

The views of the surrounding countryside were magnificent and the downhill cycle ride back to the site exhilarating!

The view from Aledo tower

Back on site we met Frank and Janet with their four dogs, they were having a week or so away in their motorhome before returning to their Spanish home in Rojales not far from Alicante. We shared a drink one evening sitting out until 10 o'clock when we all started to feel a bit damp and chilly! They invited us to visit them on our return journey up the coast of Spain and we might just do that.

Sunrise from our motorhome on Sunday morning

We also met David who was able to give us quite a bit of information on some places we could wild camp on our journey south down the coast, in fact the next place we went to on Saturday was Punta Brava a small resort on the bay of Mar Menor (literally 'small sea') where we camped up by the promenade and enjoyed stunning views across the bay for a couple of days and some easy cycling along the beachfront.

Flamingos just 100yds from our motorhome

 

It was a lovely spot for a few days but time again to  continue our journey south and pastures new!