Our 2012 Car Rally - postponed from May, so held on September 30th

9 cars gathered in the car park of Pedro's Ferretaria, Moraira at 10.30 am. We were then dispatched from around 10.50 at 5 minute intervals. As in the last rally, 2010, our team was Graham & Ann Muir and David & myself. This time we had upgraded to Graham's comfortable 4 door car, and thus had a very good-tempered driver - my husband drove last time!

We thoroughly enjoyed the Treasure hunt, and the usual queries arose over the marking of some of the answers where various interpretations of the questions were possible - valid in our eyes, but not to the adjudicators! Call me aggressive, but questioning the interpretation of the answers is part of the fun ?[ and will we ever forget our 2009 refrain of 'We were robbed' on the red coat of St. Nicolas which was definitely brown]. I dwell on some of the vagaries in the photos below.

In this day of instant Internet access open to all, and with 20% of the questions pure quiz questions - I obviously forgot to read the small print when I signed up! - rather than car treasure hunt questions, the answers were important. It is difficult to control whether people have succumbed to the temptation to use outside help - "phone a friend". I think that it would probably be best to write a complete ban of outside help into the instructions in any future event.

Happily after a week of dodgy weather, Sunday morning was a splendid sunny morning as we gathered in Pedro's car park, and the morning continued fine and warm as we motored the two hours or so to our lunch destination through very scenic parts of the Jalon valley. And by 1.45 we were all sitting down to a very enjoyable lunch in Alcalali .

Many thanks to Manny and his long suffering wife Sonia for arranging such splendid entertainment. My husband (who does not play bridge) understands better than most what Sonia (who also does not play bridge) has to put up with.

pedros pedro2 car21
The car park at Pedro's in Moraira, brilliant
sunshine & lots of instructions to peruse. What's this - a quiz? - & not just a tie-breaker?? Once dispatched, a clue found, but no time to pause right now for a bun and coffee!
bedcentre tennis-rackets ermita
nor for a snooze at the next clue!
nor even for a game of rackets
Yet another straightforward find... before
piper
casa2
 perles
controversy? Is this not a "piper moving in the wind at Casa Dos" ? No, that was marked "wrong"! It had to be a "weather vane moving" But no dispute over those crustacean "pearls"
duck-turtle lliber tonteria
Having counted 5 humps, almost missed Turtle & Duck Waiting for those traffic lights in historic Lliber Then missed this Nonsense as situated just before, and on opposite side of the road to, the previous clue of the Green Cross
crazy LLiber lliber2
but this Nonsense was after the Green Cross clue in Lliber! Most teams stopped at the far end of Lliber to run back and search for Nonsense
or just chat and admire the view
lliber heidi aleyuya
Glad to be on the road again towards Jalon
But no time to explore the Wine Cooperativo
but several teams found time for a coffee here
windmill yellow-round heidi1
or here - it was open!- failing to notice a static yellowish windmill having already found a yellow Information Board going round and round with tourist photos
No ambiguity with Heidi's flowers
bridge1 rumours bell-tower
Certainly a one way bridge, but we only found 2 more - where was the 4th?
But spreading RUMOURS was easy
 and a wondrous view of the open Bell Tower
st-miguel town-hall camera
Yet again no time for a pausa at St Miguels
but had to pause to spot these 3 towers
 Then missed this one but were quite happy with
lavadero arrival manny-sonia
this, with photos of church, tower & lavadero before the next instruction, but NO & no appeal! Happy to have made it, and to hand over our vain attempts to our Judges, Manny & Sonia, working hard, Royston behind them, Barbara hiding,
cerveza drinks ann
whilst we relaxed - pity Gwyneth wasn't also
 snapping this idyllic scene, more photos for me!
but she was too busy imbibing and chatting
jane jackie-table graham
Discovered fellow teams: Tony & Katrina, then Brian Knight beyond Sonia & Manny also the ubiquitous Evans with Sue & Mike, then Gwyneth, Nancy & team at far end Part of our team, David & Graham, then Ed & Jane, then Maureen Bowen.
winners runners janet
Los ganadores, Ed,Jackie,Mike & Jane -closely followed by Jean,Chris, Sue & Mike & the late arrivals Janet, Thelma & George! and our Anne.

Not a bad way to pass a day!

Javea Bridge Club

. .