29 January ’06, Sunday.
After breakfast of some “sweet rolls” we had purchased at the market yesterday, we “unhitched” Bumble Bee and went to find our hotel room for Wednesday and Thursday. We were looking for a hotel close to the airport so that we could drop off our luggage prior to taking “Bumble Bee” back to Donna, and also have close access to the airport with transportation. Having that done, we headed off to the coast for one last time. Destination, Zandvoort. The first time to the coast two years ago was to Zandvoort, and I wanted to go back to find some of the food I had experienced there. Zandvoort is just around the corner from Haarlem, which is just do west of Amsterdam. When we pulled into town, it was very apparent that half of Holland had the same idea…people and cars were everywhere. We were very fortunate to find a parking place without too much trouble. A short walk to the beach and into the center of town made it really great. Louise asked me which direction I wanted to go, so I told her my motives for coming to the coast…FOOD!!! Not just any food, but seafood from one of the beach restaurants on wheels that you can find all along the beach. So, turning right, we headed off to the beach in search of FOOD. There were a lot more of the “beach wagons” here than there were last time, so finding what I wanted didn’t take much time…a raw herring, onion, and pickle sandwich!!! Lou wouldn’t join me, but did I care??? I scoffed it down, all on my own. The beach was filled with the locals from one end to the other. The sun was out, it was Sunday, and it was COLD!!! These Netherlanders are tough!!! Having all I wanted of my herring sandwich, we headed back up to the boardwalk and into town. I mean every Hollander was in Zandvoort today…it was amazing. Every store was open (and being a Sunday, this was interesting in it’s self), and the boardwalk was full. We walked down the main pedestrian sidewalk area from one end to the other, made a couple of deviations off and then back on. All of this was to find a “special” place for Lou to find something for her. Finally (after walking by it twice) she chose one. She ended up having a bowl of hot mushroom soup (all of that looking, and she just had a bowl of MUSHROOM SOUP???), and I had a “tapas” plate of bitterballen’s and a beer. Now tell me, who had the better meal??? Now I’ve had 3 of the dishes I’ve wanted…bitterballen’s, raw herring sandwich, and cod kibblings…I’m a happy camper now… This day really went by fast, so we joined all of those that were at the beach and jumped onto the very narrow and bitterly full streets and headed off to our campground. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you about our parking meter...we didn't notice that the parking place we had chosen was one that had a "pay station" located about a half block away, that needed to be fed money...we didn't. Another fortunatate day...we got away with it. Tomorrow…it's Monday

27/28 January ’06, Friday/Saturday.
Getting up and out this morning was a little tough. I’m really glad we parked as close to the showers as we did, because it was another morning of DEEP FREEZE !!! Besides that, it was time to pack up and head for Delft. Just as we pulled onto the entry area of the “Circle Road” (the highway that completely circles Paris) we were in stop and go traffic. You know, you start out with 3 lanes and then it quickly goes down to 1, and then just as you get on, there is a lane that wants to cross over to get off…what a system…they must have learned it from the US. About 45 minutes later we were just approaching Charles DeGuille Airport and the traffic started to open up. It is amazing to us that you can be in Paris France, turn North a couple of hours and you are in Belgium. Then within another 2 hours of 55mph travel you are in Delft, Holland. The sun was out, but we still have the deep freeze weather pattern to put up with. When we pulled up to DELFTSE HOUT Campground we were met by the staff at the desk with: “How are the Goodman’s, we’re glad you’re back with us again?” Heck, it’s been a year since we were here, and they must have thousands that come through every year and they remember our name…I’m impressed. Now not to put this any other way, it is a pleasure to come back to one of the top 5 campgrounds that we have been in the last 2 years of nightly camping. It has to be the management of Michel and Wilke that makes it so successful.
Today was the “small market day” in Delft, so we bundled up for the cold and headed out for a little shopping. I thought we had left all the bargains down in Spain, but I was wrong. We found a number of “bargains”. Fact is, Louise found another pair of boots and I purchased a great coat and sweatshirt at great prices…we couldn’t leave them behind. Then it was off to the fish market stand. The last couple of times we were here, we had cod “kibbling”, and we had to have them again…they are fantastic !!! Little mouth-sized pieces of fresh cod that has been lightly battered, quick fried, and served with some great tartar sauce and all for $3. Last time I also had one of the national dishes of “a herring and onion” sandwich which I really liked. Now the next couple of days we are going to find a place to have another wonderful Dutch dish called a “bitterballan” (probably misspelled). We have some catching up to do.

26 January ’06, Thursday. Yes, I know who suggested it, and yes I am the one who wants to go because I’m wiped out… This all started when I suggested that we walk from the bus stop, on up the Avenue des Champs Elysees to the internet café we’ve been using. From there we continued under the Arc de Triumph, down to The Grand Palais.

Now we had heard that the Palais was open to the public after going through a 12 year refurbishing. Well, if it was open, we couldn’t find the way in, but across the street was the Petite Palais and it looked like it had just re-opened (and the lines were coming out of the door and down the exterior and cold as hell stairway.)

At this point, we quickly made a decision that we were going to pass and continue our walk towards the Place de La Concorde and the Tuileries, across the Seine and into the Musee D’Orsay.  Not that this was a long walk for us, and not that a frigid wind was blowing into our faces, it came down to the fact that we were going to walk the many halls and staircases of the museum on top of all that…that was why I was crying… I know Louise suggested that we catch the metro to the D’Orsay, but I just hadn’t thought it through. We joined a small group tour going through the museum and then we went out on our own. I guess with lunch and all the viewing of the art at the D’Orsay, we were there about 4 hours. It’s amazing but, you could spend 4 or 5 times that to see it properly. When I heard that there was a large display of “period” furniture, I put that into my “don’t bother with that” category, but fortunately we walked into it… Now I would put this as a “don’t miss” collection…it was wonderful. At this point, I was sitting down, crying, and trying to get some attention…it worked. I was just about grabbed by the scruff of the neck and led out of the building. Fortune was on my side, as we found that down the stairs of the museum was the way to the train. I paid for the tickets with a smile and we were on our way back to “Bumble Bee”. Yes, it was a great museum, and yes, I had to promise to save my walking for the next museum…Tomorrow…Delft, Netherlands (Holland).

25 January ’06, Wednesday. Cooolllllddddd !!!! Paris in the winter can be, and is, COLD. I really don’t know just how low it got last night, but the report said it was -10 C. Fortunately we are somewhat ready for this, with layering of clothing, and extra blankets and leaving the heater on all night, we stay pretty comfortable. It’s just the same ole thing, it’s when you have to go out in the morning and head for the shower or just go potty is when it really hit’s you. I start thinking about how “Bumble Bee” is taking all of this…you know, the hidden stuff that doesn’t show up until later…like when you are half way in between no-where. Today was “Eiffel Tower Day”.

One last chance on this trip to go to the tower and one last chance to go up into it. Unfortunately, the top of the tower was closed for “construction”, so as far as we could go was to the second platform. It definitely wasn’t the top, but it was a ways up there.The views over Paris were spectacular,

but very cool. The pollution was very evident, as the winds have been fortunately slight. Paris is a “Special” city, and we both feel the same way about being here. It is big, it is noisy, it is French, but it is Paris… We caught the bus to the metro and the metro to the Eiffel Tower. The transportation systems here in Paris, work, and are pretty reasonable as well. On top of that, just about everything is reachable by a little walking, which is what we did after our visit to the tower. We wanted to take in a movie this afternoon, so we walked to the theatre. This movie theatre was located just a block from the Arc de Triumph. On our last visit here, we saw Aviator when it first came out, and this time we saw “Madame Henderson Presents” with Dame Judith Dench. Because of a few scenes, and a couple of words that were used, it probably won’t be for the kids, but being “senior citizens”, we really enjoyed it. Oh yes, prior to reaching the theatre, we walked past a shoe store…”They Are On SALE”…Yes we went in and Yes, I bought a pair of shoes…in Paris, I bought a pair of shoes, who’d have thunk it??? Back with “Bumble Bee”, we sit with the heat on and looking forward to one more day in the big city. The campground posted a sign that the electricity will be off from 8am until noon tomorrow, so we have a new challenge to look forward to in this coming COOOOLLLLDDD morning. Tomorrow…”Musée national d’ Orsey”, and “The Grand Palais”

24 January ’06, Tuesday. Yesterday morning we woke to find that we had a heavy frost. As I stepped out of “Bumble Bee”, I stepped right onto a very cold and slippery step. Our first night with our rear window being broken out, and the temperature dropping below freezing was enough to make sure we made some repairs now !!! Our drive to Limoges would take about 3 hours, so taking a little more time this morning to get things in line was worth the effort. Unfortunately when we went to the local “handyman” store, we couldn’t find a thing to help with our problem. On to Limoges, with hopes of finding everything we need there.

Our drive was wonderful, new territory to see, rolling hills and mountains, a number of stunning chateau’s, sunshine, and a fairly short trip…what more could you ask? Just as we pulled into Limoges, we found a new “Home Depot” type of store, so we jumped at the chance we might find something to help cover our broken window, and make it waterproof as well. We couldn’t find what we wanted, but we did find a second option that we were sure will help…a carpet remnant. Now onto our campground in Limoges. Down the highway about 2 miles, we swung into this area next to a lake were the campsite was to be. As we pulled up to the open gate, we saw a note that told us something that we didn’t want to hear….WE ARE CLOSED!!! I yelled at thin air (because there was no one to hear me…) “YOU CAN’T BE CLOSED, OUR NEW CAMPGROUND GUIDE BOOK SAY’S YOUR “OPEN”…” When there isn’t anyone there to listen to reason, you just have to reason yourself…their closed… Now what? That’s traveling in the winter for you because there are so many campgrounds that are closed. We can’t go back, and to go forward is to go all the way to Paris, and that is another 4 to 5 hours away, and it will be late and dark if we go all that way… Well, tucking our tailpipe between the rear tires, we head off for Paris, and just knowing that when we get there that we will be two tired little puppies. We arrived in Paris just after 8pm, found our “Circle Route” around the city, made the right exit and the turn off of the round-about, and then on to the campground without a hitch. We were a little concerned that we might be so late that they had the gates closed, but fortunately that wasn’t the case. We were in Paris, tired, cold, and ready for an early night to bed…that is, not until after I made the small repairs on the window. Last night we put another blanket on the bed and left the heater on so that we might sleep with out shivering too much though the night. It was cold outside this morning, but inside we were comfortable. Louise made a wonderful breakfast of sausage, toast and eggs while I made coffee. A short walk over the bridge next to the campground (over the Seine River), to a grocery store, then back, another short walk to the bus and we were on our way to another day in the city of Paris… First we went looking for the internet café that we used last time we were here, after a couple of false starts, we finally found it. We had 42 emails, of which 35 were “junk”…it’s disgusting, it’s annoying, it’s... Just around the corner from the internet, is the Arc d’ Triomphe and the metro station that was to take us to the Hotel de Ville.

 As we walked to the street level in front of the hotel, we were greeted by a beautiful ice rink. It was filled with skaters of different levels of proficiency and all having a great time in the sun and cool of a beautiful winter’s day. After watching them for a while, we searched out a good place to have our “first day back in Paris” lunch. We found “Paul” (a restaurant), and settled in. First off, you have to decipher the menu (any idea of what that is???”), and then do a little better than just point and say “this please”… As it was, we both received a wonderful treat. Louise had a quiche and salad, and I had hash brown potatoes covered with a seasoned cream cheese and a very thinly sliced piece of slightly broiled salmon that sat on top of all that, plus a salad. Splitting a half liter of Rose and we had a great meal for under $25. I know, that’s not Spain’s prices, but after all, “this is Paris”. Now to walk all of this off… Across the street is the bridge that takes us over to the island that the historic cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris sits on. From there, we walked up the boardwalk over looking the Seine until we walked past the Louvre. We have always enjoyed the Gardens of the Tuileries, so we walked into see them once more.

From this point we could see the Arc de Triomphe sitting way off in the distance in a perfect line with the Louvre, so off we went to enjoy this famous and beautiful walk. About ¾ of a mile on the other side of the Arc, is our bus stop, so we made that our final destination…I think we did justice in walking off our lunch today…tomorrow, well that could be another story…

22 January ’06, Sunday.
Yesterday morning we left Benidorm and headed north. Our calculations told us we would most likely land close to Barcelona for the night. Our drive was uneventful with the exception of a little rain in the first hour. We stopped just outside of Benidorm, for a replenishment of groceries at Lidl (Liidle), a little butter, wine, and some bread…does that sound familiar???. Then it was onto Barcelona. About 4, we pulled into Vilanova I la Geltru, and our campground for the night. This put us about 25 km short of Barcelona, but at a very large and nice campground. This morning after my shower, I went up to the camp store and bought a couple of nice “sweet rolls” to go with our coffee. After packing, we pulled out of our pitch, but found we were heading into a dead-end street. Stopping, I put “Bumble Bee” into reverse and immediately turned into a stone wall. Upset over that, I pulled forward, put her in reverse again and backed into a Palm tree. This time I did some damage…I broke out the back window and put a big enough dent into the back door that it won’t open….S___ . Glass everywhere and I wasn’t a “HAPPY CAMPER” !!! Not only that, I did it in front of someone…why weren’t they still in bed??? Louise and I got out and started picking up all the glass from the ground and around the window frame…sure enough, we both ended up with blood dripping from our fingers, and a lot of smoke from my mouth…I was pissed !!! Here we are, after traveling through a ton of different countries, thousands of roads and back ally-ways, countless campgrounds, and finally heading “home” we back into a damn palm tree… what more can I say??? Now we are behind “schedule”, so we head out towards our “new” destination…Toulouse, France, and it is after 10:30 in the morning. We are looking for our next highway C-31. C-32 is a “Toll” road, so we want C-31…a non-toll. Finding C-31, we motor on towards Barcelona and then to the French border. Funny thing, as we get onto C-31, it all of a sudden becomes a very narrow, winding and twisting, edge hugging, bicycling, little “ole lady”, “Sunday morning”, sightseeing roadway…I need SPEED!!! We were stuck…for just about 1 hour we were on this wonderful (for those that didn’t have a care in the world) road, and couldn’t get off. Finally, after entering Barcelona, we had a chance to jump to the “Big Man’s” highway, and motor on at our fast clip of 100km (60 MPH). What a morning !!! Now we only had 2 more slight inconveniences…we only had $20 Euros in cash, we needed gas, and we were about ready to pay some heavy duty “highway tolls”. Gas would take up to $50 Euro, and the tolls, about $30 before we could leave Spain. Once on the “toll” road we couldn’t get off to get to a cash machine, so we had to hope that one of the “convenient” service/restaurant stops had one. On our 3rd attempt we found one, but they wanted to charge us a $2 Euro service charge…OK, TAKE IT, JUST GIVE ME MY MONEY !!! Escaping into France, taking a last glance into Spain (which we really liked), we headed off to Narbonne. Turning right toward Carcassonne and Toulouse we were heading into “new territory”. We had wanted to find a way to take this route, but we hadn’t found enough campgrounds open to be able to. Finally, after examining some more campground information, we found what we needed…a campground in Toulouse and Limoges that were open year around. Now we had a different route to Paris and some additional sites in France to see…all is good. We arrived in Toulouse about 4:30, set up, and feeling like Don Quixote and Poncho Sanchez, we had some very good Champagne and snacks to drown our sorrows. A hell of day !!!

19 January ’05, Thursday.
The final week here in Benidorm has just flown by. Fortunately for us, the weather has really been great. We looked at the extended forecast about 10 days ago and it looked like we would have at least 4 days of rain. How lucky can we get, we haven’t had but one night with a little wetness, and the days have been in the mid to high 60’s, sun and…beach weather. One of our neighbors, whom just arrived, heard about our “garage sale” and the fact that we had sold our lounge chairs, so they grabbed two of theirs and offered them to us until we leave on Saturday…that’s great neighbors… We stayed home on Tuesday sitting in our new borrowed lounge chairs and did our laundry. Yesterday we packed up and drove 6 miles down the coast to Calp. From just beyond our campground, we can see the magnificent limestone rock formation called Penyal d’Ifach. This large rock formation sits out at the end of a small peninsula from Calp, and looks like a small Gibraltar. Looking from Benidorm towards Calp, Penyal d’Ifach just seems to rise vertically (1087 feet) out of the sea. On a bright sunny day like today, the Penyal d’Ifach looks like it is on fire…really a pretty site. A point of interest about the rock is it was privately owned until 1987 when it was sold to the government. As Louise and I walked to the base of the rock, and around the marina, we were shocked by the amount of sea birds that have made this rock their home. They put on this little display, when one bird lets out a squawk, they all sound off and bound off the rock ledge and circle by the hundreds above our heads….”let’s see how many tourists we can ____ on”. Driving towards Calp, we went through Altea and Alfas, a couple of other towns that line the shoreline of the Mediterranean. The highway goes right through the middle of both towns, and is a complete bottle neck for both of them. For a “highway” that carries heavy trucks, buses, and a load of other vehicles, the streets are very narrow with the buildings going so high as to block off the sun, stop lights every 50 to 75 yards, and pedestrians coming from everywhere to cross the signed crosswalks…it takes time, so you had just better sit back and enjoy the ride. Once we pulled into Calp, we found a parking place and headed off by foot toward the boardwalk and a coffee con leche. Calp really felt like a place you could spend some “serious” time in. Both of us felt this was a smaller town that not only was clean, had some wonderful beaches, great food and shopping, it just made you feel good to be there. We’ll put this one down in our books to come back. For lunch, we found an outdoor restaurant that had a large display of seafood that we just couldn’t pass up. It was one of the best displays of food we have ever seen, and the prices were very reasonable as well. I had a plate of 4 different fish that were served whole, with fries, a drink, and desert of great tasting melons for $7.40. Louise had a ½ “portion” of extra small squid and a drink for $4.50. When we eat a meal like this, we accept it as our dinner, so anything later is light or nothing at all (except maybe something from our “treat” box). Today (Thursday) we finished breakfast and headed into Benidorm to do some “shopping”. This was a shopping trip for us… things new, things that we will wear home or at home…things to make us feel good…things that were wonderful deals. We know prices have boomed upwards in Spain for years, but they still have some great bargains. Tomorrow being our last day in Benidorm we are just going to stay close…to the beach anyway…

January 14th, sun is out, 60+ degrees, and we feel it is time for our hike to the top of the hill. If we wait any more, we may not be able to do it. Rain will be arriving tomorrow and it looks like it will last almost to the day we leave. At the top of the hill, is a large cross that we noticed the first night we were here. At night, it is lit up so that all the city of Benidorm can see it. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the cross. After leaving the campground, we headed into town, grabbed a left turn and started our climb up. Fortunately we could follow the road all the way. It was steep and twisting, but at least it was smooth. About 75 feet above the road, stood the cross, so we found a dirt and rock path to take us to the top. What a stunning view!!! Then wouldn’t you know it, Louise saw that there was another trail heading off across another hill that over-looked the sea. The decision was made, off we go. Fortunately, we had stopped by one of the markets and picked up our lunch at a British deli. When we arrived at the summit of the second hill (Hell, it was a MOUNTAIN !!!), we took a few minutes of rest time and had ate our lunch. I brought a steak pie and Louise had a chicken and mushroom …both were terrific and filling. The cliffs were a beautiful sight as they dropped straight down hundreds of feet into the Med. The water was so clear, blue-green, and very calm. The cliffs that we looked down on, looked like gold as they entered the surf. Then, as we turned and looked back, we had a marvelous view of Benidorm, the beach, and the mountains surrounding it. Now, what goes up must go down… it was time to head back down. Toes being pushed to the end of our shoes, a small rock or pebble slips out from a secure foothold, and the sun directly in your eyes…IT WAS GREAT !!! We did have a good time, a little tired, but a good time. Unfortunately, as we sit here tonight, Louise has come down with a cold. Hopefully, with a little luck I can dodge the “cold germs” long enough to get back to Seattle in good health….then they can have me.

13 January ’06, Friday.
First full moon of the new year…FRIDAY THE 13th… We were up early this morning and had our “Garage Sale” set up before 9am. Yesterday we went into town, and had about 50 flyers printed (about 40 to many) advertising our Garage Sale…”We are selling out to head back to the USA”. By 10:30 everything was sold and people were still coming by late in the afternoon looking for a bargain. One thing for sure, this is a sure quick way of meeting everyone in the park. Now as we walk out to the gate or even to the banõ, people we've said hello to before, now meet you with a larger smile and “neighbor” hello. I think it's just that they are a little more relaxed and feel they know you now more as a neighbor, instead of just a camper. Well besides the garage sale, we have been busy. Whether it's staying home because of a day of rain (we only had 1 of these), or walking into town just to get some exercise. Sunday's and Wednesday's are market days here. This is something that we both enjoy. On Wednesday, there are 2 market locations in Benidorm. This last Wednesday we walked to the one that is on the far side of town. I think it took us about 45 minutes to get there. Once there, we found it to be much larger than the one closer to the campground. Walking back, we came across a Tony Roma’s one of our favorite rib restaurants. We just couldn’t walk past it…Baby Back Ribs ??? Oh my God, were they ever good. Fortunately for me, Louise couldn’t eat all of hers, so I was able to have a great “left-over” lunch today. Not only are we selling things prior to heading home, we are also buying??? Yep, we both have found a deal or two that we just couldn’t pass up. My purchase today, was a pair of shoes !!! Now you know how hard it is for me to find shoes. They may not be a perfect fit, but for $49 Euro, I can limp a little. Besides, I just wanted to have a regular pair of shoes, not just tennis shoes or sandals. One of our “neighbors” introduced us to Skype, a phone system that we can use through our computer. After up-loading their free program, we were making phone calls to everyone…calling the states from here cost us less than 2 Euro Cents a minute. We call from our computer to the house phones of our family and friends. Boy, do we like this !!! OK, now I am caught up.

6 January ’06, Friday.
Well tonight is it, Los Tres Reyes Day !!! A national holiday for Spain, with all the stores, banks, and just about every other type of business closed. For those on vacation down here, a lot of the restaurants and most of the bars remained open. January 6, the last day of Christmas, comes with its own traditions, rituals and symbols. Carolers are going from house to house. In many homes around the area, Christmas trees are taken down and in some areas, burnt in a big bonfire. For the children this is an especially happy occasion because, associated with taking down the tree, goes the "plundering" (or raiding) of the tree. The sweets, (chocolate ornaments wrapped in foil) and cookies, which have replaced the “sugar plums”, are the raiders' rewards. Of course, the 12 days of Christmas end with the Feast of Epiphany (The Adoration of the Magi). It was the 3 kings that saw the Star of Bethlehem and found the Christ child. Last night Louise and I went into Benidorm to watch the arrival of the 3 Kings and the start of the Celebration. The crowds were thick, the kids excited, and the adults anticipating a great time for all. The parade wasn’t to start until just after 6pm, so we went into town about 3:30 to make sure we could find a good location (and hopefully a seat) to watch the excitement. We were a little early…well hell, we were a lot early. It started to feel like the town hadn’t got the message about the parade being at 6. As far as finding a seat…no problem…we had our choice of about 1200+. Feeling a little awkward, we found a seat and sat…sat for a long time before anyone else started to do the same. Finally, about 2 minutes before 6, people started to come out and find a chair. Now we are feeling much better, colder, but better. Now let’s get on with the parade. Just before 7, we heard our first indication that there really was going to be a parade…a “Boomer”, and then about 3 more to announce the night had started. Our chairs weren’t free ($4ea), but they sure were worth it. We enjoyed seeing camels, donkeys, cattle, horses, sheep, a flock of geese and turkeys?... What is it with the turkeys? There were about a dozen of them, they were all right at our feet and wanting to get through us to freedom…go turkey go. I wanted to grab one for dinner, but Louise grabbed my hand just as I was about to score a nice one…. Oh yes, then there was the marching bands and dancers, floats and many other exciting things and people to see. All were dressed beautifully in “Gladiator” type costumes. There was even a baby tiger that was led by on his leash…sooo cute. Finally the last to come were the 3 Kings, mounted on their highly decorated camels, and making the night for all the kids in attendance. We jumped right in behind the Kings (as did everyone else) and followed them through the rest of the parade route. Finally at the end, they dismounted from their camels (with a little difficulty) and went up onto a huge stage. Already there, was a baby (a real live one) waiting in a cradle. As the Kings came up and made their presentation of gifts, the sky lit up with incredible fireworks that seemed to last for ever. What a great night… we missed being home with the family, but being here was wonderful.