Mags & Tony’s Spanish Petanque 2009

This is the start of a melee pairs competition with 36 players. There’s usually an entrance fee of about 5 euros (£4). There are 9 pistes, all very similar to Nutbrook’s.

Our caravan site is just on the outskirts of Benidorm, approximately 1 mile from the beach. These photos were taking in the middle of February 2009. Games are played daily, starting at 2 pm unless it is raining - a rare event or if there is a competition being played. Temperatures are usually between 15 to 20 degrees C, as you can see with the short sleeves and shorts. The players consist of British, Dutch, French, German and Belgium. Most go home in the summer to play at their respective petanque clubs.

In the background you can see the bar and restaurant on the left and indoor swimming pool on the right, After a hard day’s competition we can go for a swim to give ourselves an appetite for some Spanish cuisine.

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The lady sitting down is a Dutch lady who can out shoot practically everyone, so she often wins most of the competitions. I tried my best not to let Nutbrook (England) down and usually finish in the top 3 (Ed. Isn’t he a bighead?).

P.S. Don’t look too closely at my shooting style!!

Mags in action! But the boule just doesn't listen to her!

Sun, sea, blue skies, palm trees, good friends to play petanque with and drink the inexpensive Spanish wine. What more could one ask for.