snowbirds 26

[Trotter]

I liked RK’s photo of the new Aire. It looks bijou, with a great view, plus a workout for pensioners

To explain.
The usual park up is flooded, everyone is squeezed onto the carpark of the local chapel. The hill from the cafe to said carpark is, er, challenging

 

[RoaminRog]

Sat in a cafe at Minos Domingo enjoying coffee/beers. Blue skies - its not hot but don’t need a jacket.

Hope you’re not planning to drive North on the 265……. you’ll rattle your new knees off Linda!

 

[Devadave]

 

[rugbyken]

as pauljenny’s said there is a lot of media frenzy about many of the stories there are a lot of extreme weather events going on but the way the media reports it the whole peninsula is under assault, as the weather front rolls along affecting a new area the ones left behind come back to normal, until saturday in the pomarão area was experiencing 45mph winds yesterday 25mph today 10mph 10 days ago i came through the areas where steve and several others are and it was no more than breezy our weather so far this trip has been worse than usual but on the way down we hadn’t seen rain coming round the med coast for ten days the others coming through spain in the north west had rain almost every day, the five storms have focused in different places the first couple hit the cadiz gibraltar hardest the second rolled around to malaga and andulucia almost 300 mls of coastline the last couple of storms have hit the lisbon coimbra area of portugal and the alicante valencia area of spain,

when we speak to the locals pomarao flooded to an incredible level a large valley river rose by approx 40ftnot flooding but submerging a cafe bar that normally sat 20 ft above water level , the owner blames the water authorities not the weather when the dams reached a dangerous level they all released water at the same time a stipulated 85% her point that in constant rain they could have started releasing the water earlier and coordinating the release instead of all releasing there excess at the same time onto a river that’s tidal so already trying to rise, the two dams above pomarao released into a riverbed already trying to handle a release from the dams below,

 

[Trotter]

Not just the Brits who cockup then?

 

[Tim120]

when we speak to the locals pomarao flooded to an incredible level a large valley river rose by approx 40ftnot flooding but submerging a cafe bar that normally sat 20 ft above water level

Knowing the place, that is so difficult to imagine

 

[Pauljenny]

We are being graced by a visit by Ral and Izzy.
It's Carnaval here, tomorrow.
In spite of that, the outlook is reasonably good.
It's calm, overcast and mild.

 

[runnach]

We are being graced by a visit by Ral and Izzy.
It's Carnaval here, tomorrow.
In spite of that, the outlook is reasonably good.
It's calm, overcast and mild.

Good excuse to copy Ral, Paul. You have your mankini ready?

 

[marchie]

as pauljenny’s said there is a lot of media frenzy about many of the stories there are a lot of extreme weather events going on but the way the media reports it the whole peninsula is under assault, as the weather front rolls along affecting a new area the ones left behind come back to normal, until saturday in the pomarão area was experiencing 45mph winds yesterday 25mph today 10mph 10 days ago i came through the areas where steve and several others are and it was no more than breezy our weather so far this trip has been worse than usual but on the way down we hadn’t seen rain coming round the med coast for ten days the others coming through spain in the north west had rain almost every day, the five storms have focused in different places the first couple hit the cadiz gibraltar hardest the second rolled around to malaga and andulucia almost 300 mls of coastline the last couple of storms have hit the lisbon coimbra area of portugal and the alicante valencia area of spain,

when we speak to the locals pomarao flooded to an incredible level a large valley river rose by approx 40ftnot flooding but submerging a cafe bar that normally sat 20 ft above water level , the owner blames the water authorities not the weather when the dams reached a dangerous level they all released water at the same time a stipulated 85% her point that in constant rain they could have started releasing the water earlier and coordinating the release instead of all releasing there excess at the same time onto a river that’s tidal so already trying to rise, the two dams above pomarao released into a riverbed already trying to handle a release from the dams below,

Valencia in general was subject to the Red Warning (Danger to Human Life), and the Civil Rescue Service issued a 'Do not travel' warning for the region, as I outlined on my earlier Post.

We were quite shocked, because we had been walking along the promenade section in Moncofa, in glorious sunshine, with no more than a mild breeze that wasn't enough to stop me sweating under my windcheater!

The promenade is some 300m from the M/home street parking; as we turned at right angles to the streets that lead up to the parking we were hit by repeated wind gusts that just about blew us to a standstill. The closer we got to the parking, the fierce the wind became, blowing directly from the Aire, across the (newly cleared) building plots that were abandoned in the Financial Crash. These plots have new chain fences, erected in the previous 10-14 days (several sections will need reinstalling for a 3rd time after the wind gusts took them out of their holes ...) and there are at least 3 areas where building work has been stop/start recently, so lots of loose scaffold poles, piles of building blocks, some stored at about 5m height for the resumption of work. So lots of material to blow and cause damage
Then the Emergency Warnings started by text to everyone's phones, so to describe it as a media hype is disingenuous. Unless the woman killed in Barcelona died because of circumstances not remotely connected to the weather.

A complete change of weather in less than 300m shows that a Weather Alert for a Region cannot cover every nook and cranny, and if we had stopped at a cafe in the promenade breeze, instead of walking around the corner, we may well have been blissfully unaware of the deteriorating weather. Let's revisit the topic in about 6 months to see what the insurers, loss Adjusters, Civil Authorities et al report the cost of the damage to be. A little more than 'replace the 15 roof tiles and fit 3m of new guttering, leaving the area clean (apart from our cement laden boot prints) - for cash 750€' I'll wager ...

Steve

 

[Rec]

We are just working out the cost of the storm to our place. Insurance companies here are not bothering to look at anything less than €2500. We are lucky-ish that Dave managed to do temporary repairs as getting someone to do anything is hard. They are all repairing their own places first! We had no power for twenty days in total and still have an electric cable draped across the roof, a pole on land snapped and a cable flapping. Think they connected us to a village further up the hill, and will sort it properly once everyone is back with power. A friend's village have a giant generator installed while they are fixing the pylons etc. It's been exciting driving ...have to watch out for cables crossing the road at van level, had one catch on my wing mirror as I passed. Luckily I stopped quickly and the wind blew the cable back.! Hopefully it will calm down now...the sun has JUST come out and only a very light breeze just a few of the piles of tree cuttings we are having to move away from the house. Won't be a shortage of logs next year anyway! But making them safe out of the way before wildfires due may be fun!

 

[Lee]

Just a quick update, we're sat in Silves blue sky, showing 25 deg on van but I don't believe it's that hot, I'm pleasantly warm in shorts.
This is our first sunny day, roll on more.

 

[Pauljenny]

Just a quick update, we're sat in Silves blue sky, showing 25 deg on van but I don't believe it's that hot, I'm pleasantly warm in shorts.
This is our first sunny day, roll on more.

Look out for Ral and Izzy.
They're aiming for Alte and Silves in a battered red Nissan.
Wouldn't it be a coincidence if they bumped into you ?

 

[Pauljenny]

Probably not.!
You can follow their jaunts on WC.

 

[Trotter]

Probably not.!
You can follow their jaunts on WC.

Wildcamping or in the WC ?

 

[marchie]

Wind picking up again in Zaragoza. Plan was to walk to the Main Square and have a coffee in the sun. The wind made it unsafe with the plastic crowd control barriers blowing freestyle in the Square, so walked back via Carrefour and bought an apple tart.

12 months ago, we took photos of the reflection of the Cathedral in the River Ebro. Today, the wind has turned the river into a series of muddy whirlpool, and the riverside street lights are almost submerged ...

Steve

 

[Trotter]

Taking the crocs out of the van and replacing them with wellies.

 

[HurricaneSmith]

Taking the crocs out of the van and replacing them with wellies.

To be honest, I never go away without wellies, even when I don't need them.

 

[marchie]

To be honest, I never go away without wellies, even when I don't need them.

Galosh - how bold! Pedant alert - not wellies- 'wellingtons' - it's a long held beef of mine ...
I'll get my crocs ...

Steve

 

[El radge]

Galosh - how bold! Pedant alert - not wellies- 'wellingtons' - it's a long held beef of mine ...
I'll get my crocs ...

Steve

Boeuf surely ?

 

[GMJ]

We've had good weather for the week here in Daimus near Gandia. It was a bit breezy on a few days but we have at least been able to go out for bike rides and sit outside to read and eat etc.

We are on the move up the coast tomorrow for our last 2 weeks in Spain, to Benicassim.