Si and Jo Where the Frick are the Faux's: Xmas and New Year in Javea

We settled onto the campsite in Xavia (Havia) called El Naranjal just 10 mins walk from the Arenal beach quite close to a wild parking spot, just to the rear of the WOK (all you can eat for ten euros and take your chances with food poisoning) which regularly had eighteen to twenty motorcaravans parked up. We had considered parking on here but wanted to have hot showers and laundry washing facilities over the festive period. The campsite was hosting the Motorcaravan Club Christmas meeting and was quite busy. We found a great spot towards the back and set up camp, making sure the door of the motorhome was south facing. We ended up staying for thirteen nights and had an unusual but lively Christmas and New Year, getting involved with the Motorcaravan Club, joining them for Christmas Eve and a day trip to Denia, which included a meal and a trip to view point. We celebrated New Year at a nearby bar (Quo Vadis) with several couples we met from the campsite, we celebrated it twice, firstly in Spanish time, where you have a drink of Cava and eat one grape for every chime of the clock at midnight this is for good luck and again one hour later for English time, watching Big Ben and the fireworks over London, which looked spectacular, clearly a build up to the Olympics in August.

Xmas Day, we cooked for starters Calamari, followed by steaks, salad and jacket spuds (very traditional) and of course Cava, later we got invited to a friends for cheese and biscuit’s, along with a sing song ‘Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad’.

Si cooking up a storm - Calamarie

One for Facebook!!

Look whats cooking good looking

Cheers!

Nature watch - our morning visitor (not sure whose watching who!)

We went on our traditional boxing day walk around Xavia and along the promenade, stopping to have a picnic lunch of cheese and chorizo butties along with a couple of cold beers from the Spar shop.

Playing Boules with the Motor Caravanners Club

One our day out with the Motorcaravanners we stopped at a viewpoint Cabo de Nao

We wanted to stay in the area for the Festival of the Three Kings, a very important festival in Spain more so than Christmas Day. So on the 2^nd of January, we headed off for a mini break to Oliva for two days, we felt that we had stayed too long on the campsite, and were starting to take root. Many people stay on the campsites over the winter, only heading home in March. We tried to wild camp in Oliva but we couldn’t find anywhere suitable and ended up on another campsite called Kiko Park. Kiko Park was right on a beautiful golden beach, it was a great place to camp and a very quiet area, but just a short walk along a natural river to the busy Spanish town.

Si trying out his new BBQ - late xmas pressie at Oliva

After a couple of days we headed back to Xabia for the Three Kings Festival on the eve of the fifth. We drove down to the old town of Xabia parked on the beach and walked in to town near to the port area and waited. The three kings arrived by boat to huge firework explosions then made up a precession which slowly marched into the town square distributing sweets to the waiting children, we never got a look in with the sweets. They eventually mounted a stage in the square to more fireworks and celebration.