Author: Franco

How to Ruin a Photographic Opportunity

I have often found it appropriate to comment, internally at least, that the world was rarely arranged by a photographer. Landscape photography frequently suffers from an unsightly man-made obstruction being plonked squarely within what would otherwise be a splendidly photogenic

Posted in 2025 Xmas

The Changing Face of Calpe

We’ve had a couple of trips into Calpe recently. Calpe has been one of our regular destinations both for wildlife and for lunch. We had heard people muttering about it becoming a second Benidorm, rather worryingly, so we thought we

Posted in 2025 Xmas

Hill Topping

In the halcyon days of Casa Libélule Francine and I had what we used to refer to as our ”training walk” from Senija up to the top of one of the mountains behind it. The summit was adorned with a

Posted in 2025 Xmas

Upupa epops

I just had to do a brief post of this. I THINK that’s pronounced “oop-oop-a ee-pops”. Upupa epops is the scientific/binomial name for what we commonly know as the Hoopoe and it has to be one of my absolutely favourite

Posted in 2025 Xmas

Biblical Three Kings

We have clearly picked the wrong year to try a winter trip to Spain in our motorhome. Our Christmas Day fell slap in the middle of a 36-hour spell of rain, a lot of which was heavy. Hence my Biblical

Posted in 2025 Xmas

Last Photo of 2025

After our Christmas deluge, we have been treated to some dry conditions, sometimes under cloud but sometimes in sunshine. Naturally, this place looks a whole lot nicer under a blue sky. It is still cold, though, with overnight temperatures dipping

Posted in 2025 Xmas

After the Deluge

We are back at Heredad de Elias Ferrer, a delightful campsite that Francine discovered last year. It is now run by Octavio Ferrer, his delightful wife Susana and their son, young Octavio. This is a relatively new venture for the

Posted in 2025 Xmas

A Biblical Christmas

It’s all right, folks; in the words of the immortal genius Douglas Adams, “Don’t Panic”. I have not suddenly become religious. For the duration of our 2025 Xmas trip we are, for better or worse, on the delightful little Alcalali

Posted in 2025 Xmas

Back on the Bikes

We are being most un-motorhome-like on this trip since we’ll be rooted in one place for a month. [What our late lamented American friend Keith used to refer to as being potted plants.] We must hope that relaxing doesn’t metamorphose

Posted in 2025 Xmas

Zaragoza to Alcalalí

We’ve driven past Zaragoza many times as we made our way to and from Casa Libélula. This is the first time we have actually stayed there. We were very favourably impressed with the municipal campsite at Zaragoza; it was spacious,

Posted in 2025 Xmas