Why on earth did we return to Zaragoza?

We spent a single night at the municipal campsite on the outskirts of Zaragoza last year. It was the only site at a suitable distance to break up our journey and you might remember that we weren't too keen on it then. Back in March, it was bleak, practically deserted and had a really creepy air. However, as it is still the only practical site on our journey in the opposite direction now, we thought we could brave it for one more night. And we did! But we didn't enjoy it! The site was practically full and there must have been a few thousand people there in motorhomes, caravans, statics, and dozens and dozens of small tents. It felt like a completely different place to how it was in March. However, as we could manage without electricity, we weren't even offered the luxury of an individual pitch for our 23.66 euros this time. Instead, we snagged a spot in a line-up of caravans and motor homes on a bit of waste ground - might as well have been parked up in one of those freeloader sites instead. As today is the Fiesta Nacional de España (National Day) in Spain, there was a huge party going on in the city of Zaragoza last night with a firework display and also thumping music until five o'clock this morning. Yippee! Do you see the tree in front of our car? We had to undertake Reversing in order to get away this morning and (fortunately) managed quite an elegant manoeuvre in front of an audience.

What passes for a pitch at Zaragoza 

Thank goodness that after a few hours' driving, we are now somewhere very lovely. Camping Malvarrosa is just outside Sagunto and is a fair sized site with a small village of permanent encampments plus a row of touring pitches several of which - including ours - are right on the beach. And I mean Right On The Beach. I can hear the Mediterranean waves about 50 metres away and we step out the back of our pitch onto the sandy beach. Bliss! We set up the awning this evening and sat out in it to eat our dinner with the sea on one side and some quiet opera arias escaping from a German caravan over the way. Very civilised and completely the opposite of yesterday. We're not sure if any shops will be open tomorrow due to the Holiday, but if we can't get anything locally, there is a restaurant on site with a 7 euro Plata Del Dia that might just do instead. Dave - in his hunter-gatherer guise - is going to explore the vicinity on his bike in the morning while I might go for a run on the beach.