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| Altea Old Town |
Costa Blanca was a lovely place to spend a few months. There is a lot to see and do. Although the weather was sunny and warm, it wasn't quite warm enough for a splash in the Mediterranean. The up-side of this, was that it was a bit early for holiday makers so we weren't confronted with masses of tourists each time we ventured out.
The pool got a bit of a workover as the temperature improved ....
..... especially after a spot of gardening in the sun!
We enjoyed a trip to Embalse de Guadalest, a man made lake and dam. The satnav did us over (not for the first time and shouldn't think it'll be the last!) on the way there by pointing us down a track that you would be lucky to get a donkey down. However, the extra miles were worth the effort. What a lovely spot for a meander around the lake. Especially love the reflections.
Peter and Christine joined us on some of our ventures. Galivanting around town and beach and frequenting the heladeria and cafes. Lifes tough ;-)
Altea Old Town is certainly worth a visit. The views are amazing and the architecture and cobbled streets make the journey worthwhile.
We also enjoyed a few romps around "our" mountain. Just stepping out the door we were able to wander around a myriad of trails. We traipsed up to the peak of Olsa and enjoyed the company of a herd of goats.
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| That's our house sit in the circle |
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| One of our neighbours! |
When it came time to leave Calpe, we set out across the center of Spain toward Santander where we were to take the ferry back to the UK. The coffee was cheap, the landscape changed markedly from hour to hour and we started to see less people as the miles glided by.
We were quite take with the many castles on the approach to most of the villages. It is amazing to contemplate the history behind the battlements.
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| Iconic symbol of the bull (torro) |
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| Fields and fields of poppys |
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| Storks nest in all the bell towers ... of which there are many |
First stop ... Toledo. Pretty and very touristy. Once again we were pleased to be here in the off season.
We then had a few days to find some great fishing spots. We ventured into real rural Spain for a few days sitting on the river banks and listening to the cuckoos, chatting with the odd local that passed by, watching the pollen fly about in the wind and pitching the tent at night. But success was certainly within our grasp!
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| Footnote: same tshirt, different fish |
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| Someone's happy place :-) |
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| Storm clouds looming |
When the rain came tumbling down we upped sticks and headed for Santander. We hadn't seen rain in a while so even that was quite exciting. The ferry trip was an overnighter - 30 odd hours - complete with cabin. And very nice it was too.
UK summer .... here we come.
