Whilst keeping our own home in Plymouth Devon, (if I could manage the technology you would now be hearing strains of "Land of Hope and Glory") my "family" home is located just outside of Los Alcazares on the South Eastern coast of Spain, situated next to the beautiful Mar Menor. Indeed, Los Alcazares will always hold a special place in my heart.
This is a place where my mother currently lives and is the place that my father loved so dearly and is where his ashes have been scattered. So, whenever we have an opportunity to visit Mudge (the nickname of my mother and matriarch of the family), Dad is also there with us in spirit.
For the past 20 plus years, Mudge has fully embraced the Mediterranean lifestyle and made this lovely part of Spain her home. This is probably why she remains fighting fit and is looking younger than ever! She assures me she has just turned 38.... for the second time!
There is nothing like a visit home, especially when a son goes to see his mother. No matter how old you are, you are assured of being fed, watered, looked after and in general thoroughly spoilt. Above all, our beautiful family home is always the place where I can relax and escape, albeit briefly, from the real world!
Los Alcazares itself is a small costal spa town and former fishing village which is situated on the western side of the Mar Menor (which means little sea), which is Europe's largest saltwater lagoon with a surface area of some 20 square kilometres.
The name Los Alcazares comes from the Arabic "Al Khazar", meaning palace or house of nobles. Anyway to me it means home, a peaceful sanctuary and a world away from the frantic lifestyle that is modern-day Dubai.
The town itself is a complete juxtaposition. To the North and around the small airport of San Javier, it has been completely over-developed and is full of bucket and spade tourism. This may be great for the local economy but is not what I am looking for when I visit home. However, the southern half of town has remained traditionally old-school Spanish, everything is traditional and in keeping and is a joy to visit. The two seem to co-exist, joined by the common bond created by the beautiful Mar Menor and its clean sandy beaches.
For me there is nothing better than taking a short drive to the Los Narejos promenade for early morning breakfast. We then stroll along the beautiful promenade next to the shimmering Mar Menor until we reach the Hotel Balneario La Encarnacion.
Built in 1904, this listed traditional Spanish Hotel is still family run. You can take breakfast next to the sea but if you prefer, and I do, you can sit and relax in the beautiful central courtyard, which takes you a world away and gives you a real taste of old-school Spain.
Breakfast at La Encarnacion always consists of a glass of fresh orange juice, cafe con leche (milky coffee) and of course toast with fresh tomatoes topped with a sprinkling of virgin olive oil and a dash of salt. What a treat and a great way to start the day!
20 minutes drive to the south of Los Alcazares is the port city and naval base of Cartegna. A visit to Cartegna always brings a mixture of sadness, happiness and reflection. Cartegna is where my father spent his last days battling that terrible evil cancer. Surely the bravest person I know and he battled right to the end.
Yet a visit to Cartegna also brings such happy memories. Most visits actually start in a little bay some 5 minutes drive along the coast, called Mares Braves. This is my absolute favorite place and a hidden Gem.
From the vantage point on top of the cliffs you have a panoramic view of Cartegna town, its port and marina and the surrounding fortifications.
The bay itself has a small beach and seems to be a great favourite of the locals. Just alongside the beach is our destination, the Restaurant Mares Braves.Nothing fancy here, no Michelin Stars, just a good honest lunch comprising cold beers, a mixture of Iberico pork with manchego cheese, bocherones (Mrs C's favourite), frittata and of course, what we really came for, their magnificent grilled sardines which are the speciality of the house. We have tried everything to recreate the taste ourselves but we can never manage it.
Content, after a superb yet inexpensive lunch, I always allow myself a quiet moment of reflection to think about Dad. In fact I think about him everyday and miss him so much. This is the first time I have ever written down and shared these feelings and I have found the process to be extremely cathartic. What I firmly believe is that if my children feel the same way about me when I am no longer here, I know that I will have succeeded as a father.
Following lunch at Mares Braves, a quick car ride takes us in to Cartegna itself. First order of the day is to take a stroll along the quayside and marina. Moving past the Audatorioy Palacio de Congresos El Batel (The opera house) and the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology, we cross the main road to the Park Plaza de Los Heroes de Cavity adjacent to the splendid Town Hall.
This was a great opportunity for some street photography along the way and a chance to walk-off lunch and exercise both my legs and the Fuji. The XT20 and XF27mm were in stealth travel mode and as always they delivered some very pleasing images.
Cartegna is such a very photogenic town and I wished we could have stayed longer. However, it was getting hot and the cold beers consumed over lunch were kicking in and all roads seemed to be leading to a well earned afternoon siesta.
The lovely thing about being back in Spain and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life is that it enables you to catch up on the things that matter. Indeed, Mrs C. did some stealth photography of her own with the Fuji and caught me unawares, studying my favorite read, the Fujilove monthly magazine!
Now Mrs C, the love of my life and wife of 31 years ( she claims to have been a child bride!), is notoriously camera shy. However, I did manage to persuade her to try a bit of modeling so that I could put in to practice what I had been reading in the most recent issue of Fujilove magazine.
However, I guess I pushed my luck too far and my model stopped co-operating!
Three days with Mudge was just what we needed to de-stress and recharge the batteries before transiting through a grey and bleak Gatwick en route back to Dubai.
You know, those Mediterranean folk seem to have their priorities in order and have developed a way of life which is both uncomplicated yet fulfilling. As I start to consider what I will do if I am ever able to retire, (at this point I am not holding my breath!) I think three to four months a year next to the beautiful Mar Menor should be positioned firmly at the top of my list of priorities!