Castaway | The Beachmonk Life | Murcia coast | La Union

high 20°, low 8°
Bright Sunshine
Altitude: 5m
Distance covered: 1973 miles

Fantastic location this.. I'm sitting in the sun, listening to the sea, while some kind of Spanish fighter jet - looks like it's a private one for sheer joyrides - circles overhead in roller coaster fashion against the azure backdrop of the Mediterranean seascape.

From where I'm camping, where the breeze expresses itself in the dancing of the bamboo, one may set off on the exhilarating cliff walk in my video. Each summit or bend in the rock face gave way to a new and unexpected sight, as well as perhaps a step back into the history of this coastline.

The sea itself is a meditation, inviting an absorption into its rhythms - you may even be lucky enough to join for the chorus! It's easy in this environment to pass many hours or days in this state. Searching for words to describe it may be the tunnel back into the temporal state we normally inhabit. The world beyond has its own ways, cultures, traditions, but the sea lets us join it in eternity..

Thanks for following along! Check my tripline map to find me.

Get in touch if you're in the area..

Have a good seasonal break.

A weekend by the sea | Alicanté, Spain

A lazy weekend, relaxing by the sea!

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Into the Mountains | Inland from Benidorm | Alicanté coast, Spain

4:49pm Thursday,
high 20°, low 7°
Bright Sunshine
Altitude: 2m
Distance covered: 1890 miles (Since leaving Gairloch, Scotland)

I'm now sitting on a beach at Alicanté reflecting on the previous day's mountain adventure. It was time to move on from our million dollar beachfront location at Benidorm resort, and find another type of solace in the hills not far inland from all the activity of the city..

Under an hours drive should have us high in a mountain retreat.. We set off.. The roads got ever steeper and increasingly narrower, as the surface deteriorated under our tyres. Passing through a mountain village, the Hiace barely scraped through between the buildings as we rounded one corner - I was glad to be driving a relatively small vehicle.

The final exhilarating climb was aided by putting the van into low range gears in 2WD to avoid strain on the drive-train on the steep ascent. This found us reaching 'Font del Partagat' a watering place high in the mountains. The hike in the video, as well as others, set out from here. It was also a fantastic place to camp for the night, though I thought it might have gotten chilly. Although there were pretty strong winds as the sun set, and then rose again in the morning, I awoke to a comfortable 10°c.

Now, while I relax and reflect on it all, Rio can play here on The Doggy Beach..

This is a great spot on the coast at Alicanté with huge expanses of hard surface and sand to park on, so plenty of space and peace to relax.

Lots more to come on our Spanish Caravan.. cue The Doors! 🎶 So come back and see what happens next. I'm sure there are many more unexpected events ahead. I feel blessed to be living such a life of freedom.

Any thoughts? Do share them with us!

See you soon,

Chris n Rio🐾

Una Notche Más | Benidorm area, Alicanté, Spain

11:07am Tuesday,
high 22°, low 17°
Bright Sunshine
Altitude: 2m
Distance covered: 1827 miles (Since leaving Gairloch, Scotland)


I'm currently having a very heady black coffee outside a café, opposite the beach in Benidorm, having passed a quiet night right on the beach. Canaries are singing in cages, as a Spanish flag billows in the morning sunshine. I'll say from the outset, I'm both surprised and impressed with this town. Yes I passed through the clichéd part we all hear about; England shirts, mobility scooters and tattoos, but the positives far outweigh any prejudices I may have had.

The sand on the beach here really is unbelievable - it's soft, white and very fine, and goes on and on. Poor Rio, dogs are not allowed on it, even in winter but it's easy to see why.

It really seems like there's something for everyone here. It's a huge place, two main beaches, apartments, high rise hotels, lots of buzz, but there's peace and quiet here easily found, certainly at this time of year.

I think I'll take my deckchair out onto the beach and enjoy some sunshine.. Here's the video - it was a bit overcast yesterday, but that made it great for a walk to the lighthouse beyond Altea..

Thanks for following along!

Get in touch if you're in the area.. Check my Tripline map on the right to see where I am..

Have a good one!

Cabo de San Antonio | Xàbia, Alicanté Spain

We've had a great time in recent days exploring Xabia, having camped in a couple of spots up on the hillside overlooking the whole town and mountains beyond. Looking out to sea, you can see the island of Ibiza, famed for its house music culture among other things. At just over 50 miles out, I was able to pick up FM radio from there and listen to a few tunes. 🎶

We met a fellow traveller, Lucy from the Isle of Wight, and went walking with her - over a beer it turned out we'd had a common career and a few familiar names cropped up! It's a small world indeed.

Enjoy the video of our journey there...

My Days.. | Valencia region Spain | Video

12:30pm Wednesday,
high 19°, low 2°
Bright Sunshine
Altitude: 90m
Distance covered: 1722 miles

We ended up staying a week, visiting with our friends in Valencia. Being invited to join the family for a Saturday Paella, who would miss the opportunity!