Plym’s house

We get the same rental car we had last week and in the morning Ronan drives to Cabo de Palos. He joins a group for wreak dive just on a sunken Cargo ship they call El Naranjito (little orange). It was given that name because when it sank in 1946 it was full of oranges which all washed ashore.
In the afternoon we load the rental car with as much stuff as we can fit; Clothes, food, beach bags, laptop and tablets, Lego, books, Baking equipment and balls. We drive for over three hours, skirting around Granada before heading south to the village of Lecrin. We stop at the shop and then drive on for one more kilometre along a narrow road through the Orange groves until we get to an even smaller village Chite, where we will be staying for the next week.
We are finally getting to use some of our Love home swap points. Over the last few years when we weren’t at home in Cork people stayed in our house and we earned points. Now we are spending some of those points to stay in Plym’s beautiful house for only the cost of the cleaning.
There is a huge choice on the website but many aren’t available when you want them. We contacted about 20 home owners about a points swap and this house was the only one that agreed to our trip. As luck would have it, it is the one we really wanted.
It is a big 5 bedroom house over three floors, glorious mountain views and a swimming pool at the end of the garden. Although the temperature has been dropping over the last few weeks we are still excited about the pool.
Within seconds of arriving into the house each of us has disappeared to a different part, its such a novelty to have so much space. We have been in each other’s pockets on board Regal for the last few months and it is wonderful to be able to stretch out and not hit off something or someone. There are endless possibilities here; Dinner on the terrace, Lego in the basement, Piano in the sitting room, reading in the hammock, baking in the kitchen, Barbecue on the patio, movies by the fire, Picking oranges in the garden or a quick dip in the freezing pool.

When Ronan and Colm return from a walk talking of sunshine, views and fruit trees, Ruby and I take our turn and head out in search of the lake. Down the road takes us, down down down past row upon row of Orange, Lemon and Lime and Olive trees set out terraces with irrigation channels running alongside the narrow road. We come across trees weighed down with Pomegranates and huge Quince and we pick and smash open almonds and walnuts. We are surrounded by mountains and the lake shimmers in the afternoon sun. As we hike back up the never ending hill we both feel this is a walk we will never forget.Read more