TRAVELLING ISN’T ALWAYS A BOWL OF CHERRIES

Really wanted to tell you about Valencia but seems the “excitement” of the last couple of days has preference.
We drove from Valencia to Alicante Airport to meet Gil (in from Madrid), to hand over his worldly possessions (only 30kg of them!) that we have been schlepping around with us. He flew back to London on Monday to look for flat and job. Headed off to an hotel near the airport in a nice quiet street, unloaded the luggage - just settling in when Alan went to the car for something we’d left there, and……THE FRONT WINDOW WAS SMASHED! Ooi vey! Alan’s prescription glasses (x2!), new camera (his new toy!!!) and ipod stolen - but a huge hassle to get the car fixed-the French (who we hired the car through) were quite impossible-really made it stressful for us! On the other hand, all the Spanish (except the “smash and grabbers“) so helpful-even the non English speaking police. Alan spent a fair bit of time at the police station in Elche-known for it’s wonderful date groves-we saw them but couldn't do the sunset walk -what with phone calls back and forth to France and feeling out of sorts!

We weathered the torrid 2 days and here we are 4 days later in a paradise in Andalucia-up in the mts above Nerja - La Posada Morisca. Off to have an early morning swim and breakfast on the patio -before the temp hits the 30s!

On the way to Andalucia, we passed any number of awful looking resorts and then a wonderful little hotel with single story houses all around it -a perfect place for us -on the beach and only 2 stars!! So we went to reception, got the prices and as we were going to check out the room, I asked the receptionist what VERA NATURA (the name of the community) means-the whole place is a nudist colony!!!! We had a good laugh and said adios (I can’t imagine playing tennis in the nude!) - and landed up at Gorrucha - a real little Spanish seaside town - stayed in Hostal Costas across from the beach -perfecto!

And then drove through miles of unspoilt Spain-unspoilt beaches, - we couldn't get down to this one

but swam at this one -just a few houses, a few people and us.