Its another early start. We need to have the hire car back by noon and google maps says it will take an hour and a half to get from our hotel to the car hire place, plus a minor detour to fill the tank up so, according to my calculations, we need to allow four hours! OK, I dont trust Googles calculationsespecially having seen how the route past all the major holiday resorts including Marbellaso I want to leave earlier in the day when traffic will be potentially lighter. After all who, apart from us, would be mad enough to want to go to the beach at 8am?
We go down for breakfast at 7am and have a good fill up. Its a really nice continental breakfast. OK, they do also do scrambled egg and sausagebut are we the only country in the world that has proper sausages, I ask Ian? I really hate hot dog type boiled sausages!
We set off around 8am - its still dark but the sky is looking like it might be lightening up a little. The ‘motorway is just round the corner from our hotel. Its actually an A road. One of those
with three different numbers but A7 seems to be a good indicator. The motorway proper in the AP7 but weve been assured its an expensive extravaganceas long as we take it easy the A7 should be fine!
The problem with the A7, and every other non AP road is the frequency of roundabouts. We are lucky if we get a 2.5km gap between each and sometimes as little as 500m. Straight across at every roundabout unless u say otherwise, I tell Ian.
We make pretty good progress until we reach the outskirts of Marbella. Here we have to switch roads a few times (whilst staying on the A7). Inevitably there are a few wrong turns along the way but all noticed the moment we go wrong and all easily rectified. One thing we should not do is take the AP road but in places its impossible not to. No toll booths appear so we can only assume these are free bits, either that or well receive fines for non payment in a couple of weeks! Ive also been assured they still have old fashioned booths here. As there is no other route I think these bits must be
Its 9.45am and weve arrived at the turn off for the fuel station. Hmmm, google maps wasnt far out today then! Ian fills the tank and we make our way to the rental returns. Bugger says Ian, the tank isnt showing as full! What? OK wed better find another filling station thenoh and BTW we just missed our turning!
Weve left the main highway again and back at another garageIan squeezes another 4 euros worth of fuel in and then the tank is overflowing. And the fuel gauge still doesnt show full! Tough, we are returning the car now! Two more wrong turns and several roundabouts later and we are back at the rental place.
Ive been dreading returning the car, even though we paid handsomely fir the ‘super collision damage waiver, which covers us for everything except giving the car keys to a stranger, because Ian claims two new huge scratches have appeared on the car. Im dubious as the paperwork we insisted on having at the outset states ‘scratched. Its all a bit vague though as the car has three major damages to start with.
pleasant and theres no bunfight at the desks here today either. We explain about the fuel and he says thats OK, its a problem they always have with Corsas - we should have been told when we collected it! A five minute walk round and back declaring that everything is perfect. He authorises the return of our fuel deposit and we are all sorted.
Its hours till our bus leaves but I have found out there is an aviation museum at the airportjust Ians cup of tea. Its on the opposite side of the road to the hire place but no means of getting to it on foot as its a busy dual carriageway into the airport. If we dont mind waiting 10 minutes the guy at the returns desk will take us. They have a courtesy bus that takes folk back to the airport and he is happy to do the small detour.
We have arrived at the museum gates and off we go dragging our wheeled luggage with us.
