The Unknown Murcia

In the Autonomous Community (Region) Murcia, I have never been. The region of Murcia is located between Valencia and Andalusia.

In Catalonia, we have had our experiences with immigrants before. Because there are also many immigrants living by the sea here, we have chosen accommodation inland. At home, we demand that foreigners and refugees integrate as quickly as possible. By the way, I am also of this opinion. However, it is surprising that this no longer applies to the same people abroad. Many immigrants live by the sea, because the climate is pleasant and the cost of living is low. Although a menu with 2 courses, dessert, water, and wine only costs between 10 and 15 euros, this price is often criticized by these very people. Only on rare occasions have we met foreigners who make an effort to learn Spanish and get to know the customs of the population. One such exception are Diny and Bert from Holland, our hosts in La Perroquia. They regularly take Spanish lessons and make an effort to participate in the life of the small community.

B&B Lamberdina by Diny and Bert

In the surroundings of La Parroquia, there are countless groves of almond trees. That must look amazing in spring!

Many houses in Spain are not connected to the electricity or water and sewerage networks. The B&B Lamberdina is no exception. The power supply is primarily through solar panels that charge a battery. In case of bad weather or excessive power consumption, the battery must be charged with a diesel generator. The water is organized in various circuits. Thus, the shower water is filtered, cleaned, and reused several times. If I understood correctly, the circuit of the shower and lavatory water is separate from that of the toilet. There are also some more details to tell about this. Because Casa Lamberdina (still) does not have a water source, the water has to be brought by truck. We happened to witness such a water delivery. 10,000 liters were filled into the two water tanks. Cost: 75 euros!

Bert speaking with the water supplier

For shopping, we have to drive to Lorca, which is 25 km away. With a population of 91,000, Lorca is just twice as large as Thun. We liked Lorca.

El Bälliz of Lorca

From Casa Lamberdina, we have undertaken various excursions and hikes. You can always see vultures. But they are very difficult to photograph.

Finally, a funny story about the last photo. Especially for our time off, I wanted a camera with a large zoom range. But I didn't want to buy a heavy SLR camera with multiple lenses. A co-worker gave me the tip to buy the camera in Spain. Since this goes against my principles (up to that point), I happily went to a photo store in Thun. I told the store manager that I would like to buy a bridge camera. His face showed that he was not enthusiastic about my idea. Although the sale of the Sony RX 10 III should be a good deal, I had to insist and assert myself. Something went wrong there, didn't it? Although there are more expensive and better solutions, the purchase of the camera has proven to be much better. You don't have to write any comments, I know that I am not a professional photographer.

Although we have already seen many different landscapes, there are always surprises. One of these was the visit to the Barrancos de Gebas. I will definitely come back here again!

Finally, a preview of Andalusia, our next destination. Velez-Blanco is one of the many white villages in Andalusia and is only a 30-minute drive from Casa Lamberdina.

I know, this report is a bit long, sorry (it's a joke).

Jürg