Sunny Spain – Part I

Holy cow, here I was thinking I was all caught up on my blog and that I could take a break! It has been over a month since we wrote our last post, who knew our time in Spain would fly by so quickly?

At the time we made such a significant change in our travel plans to head south along the east coast of Spain instead of across the northern coast, we both felt a little iffy about it. Uninspired, really. But wow, what a joy our trip turned out to be! One thing that made it so wonderful was the weather, of course, but also the fact that the route was completely new to us. We had planned to travel this route upon our return from Morocco in March 2020 and then we were scheduled to take the ferry to Italy. Instead, we ended up making a beeline north to Sens in France because we thought the world was coming to an end.


Since we said goodbye to France and hello to Spain on February 1st we have traveled over 1,500 kilometers and stayed in eight different locations. We’ve enjoyed sunshine nearly every day, walked and biked, visited several UNESCO sites, made an unexpected trip to the ER (!!), enjoyed a surprise visit with friends, ate our weight in delicious tapas and ordered the best steak we have ever eaten. What’s not to love?

Steven was busier with his camera than he has been in a while, a testament to all the beautiful sights Spain has to offer. He has taken so many photos of late, that we will write about Spain in two separate posts so we can share as many as possible. I think you will enjoy seeing our latest travels through his lens, so put the kettle on and let’s get started.

L’Estartit

We made our first reservation in a town we had never heard of before. We landed here because it was close to where we wanted to be, but the area was so busy with motorhomes this was the best place we could find that had room for us. As it turns out, it was a great place and we loved the town, so we didn’t even bother trying to get anywhere else. L’Estartit offered everything we were hoping for!
It was a short walk from our campsite, Camping Mendes, to the promenade that followed along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. We alternated walking and biking, but we did something nearly every day.
The blue Mediterranean and the ochre cliffs are such a stunning contrast in color, and they photograph so well. This spot was our turn around place on our path, and we usually stayed here a while watching the waves crash ashore. So mesmerizing!
We really enjoyed staying at Camping Mendes. The sites were large and we had every amenity we could need, including laundry and fabulous showers in heated rooms! That is a rarity! Heating prices across Europe have doubled, even tripled in some places, and it is rare to find a place that has unlimited hot water that can be so freely accessed, and heated rooms are nearly unheard of! There have been times elsewhere when it was so cold outside and the campground showers barely lukewarm, that we opted to shower in Bijou.
With the addition of Birgitte Nyborg, the chicken, our little farmyard is getting crowded.
Not only did we find sunshine in Spain, but we also found delicious seasonal veggies! These black tomatoes are one of our favorites just to slice and eat. We first had them in Italy, made into a fresh pasta sauce.

Peñíscola

Let’s just say up front that those little accents are important. It is pronounced “Pen-neice-cola”, with emphasis on the middle syllable.
Camping Ferrer in Peñíscola was one of the toughest spots I’ve ever maneuvered into. There were trees, poles and curbs everywhere and of course, we had an audience of Frenchmen who had thoughts about how I was going about it. The place itself was nothing to write home about, but it was close to town and had great showers. Again we had unlimited, free-flowing hot water, but alas, the rooms were not heated.
We spent much of our time on the promenade, which stretched all the way to the next town! It was great for walking and biking! Most of the businesses and restaurants were closed but we always found a coffee shop to visit.
The Castle of Peñíscola is situated on a rocky hill that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and can be seen for miles on a clear day. It was originally built by the Knights Templar in the 13th Century. It has been designated a National Historic-Artistic Monument and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The views of the town from the castle are spectacular! And just like the cliffs and the blue Mediterranean Sea, the color contrast with the blue sky is really beautiful. We did not go inside the castle, but freely walked the grounds, which were, at one time, used as a movie set for various films as well as Game of Thrones, or “Jueno de Tronos” as it is known here.
In peak season the alleys surrounding the castle are bustling with markets and tat stalls, but as you can see, there was not much happening when we were there. And I find this kind of funny, because to me, this is peak season! It gets hot in Spain in the summer and I would not want to be anywhere near this place, but some folks just live for the heat and sun!
The great thing about being in places like this in the “off season” is that we typically get it all to ourselves.
We were lured into one little shop where I bought an Evil Eye pendant. We have seen these in Greece, too, but never bought one. I liked this one because of all the little baby eyes. It is meant to offer protection and ward off evil. So far, so good!
Another nice thing about visiting places off season is that local celebrations are authentic and not put on for the sake of the tourists. We are not sure what this one was all about, but Steven couldn’t resist checking it out for photographic purposes. Thing is, it was nearly 10 pm and it was still the children’s program. The adults didn’t get started until we were long tucked in our bed and snoozing away!

Alicante & Benidorm

The further south we traveled the more difficulty we had in finding campgrounds. We lucked into this one, called “Camping Area 7” and snagged four days on their last available spot. And it was, in fact, their handicapped spot. It was right next to all the facilities and it was the only space that was concrete and not sand. Perfect!
Camper Area 7 is located in Campello, which although stunning, was a ghost town when we were there. It is about eight kilometers from Alicante to the south, and about 40 kilometers from Benidorm to the north. Our goal was Alicante, which was lovely and we really enjoyed our visit there. Unlike tourist towns along the coast, Alicante is a larger city with a year-round population. So everything is open.
Our train station near Camper Area 7. So many of those apartment buildings seemed mostly empty, and there wasn’t much activity in this little town. But the view was amazing.
The promenade in Alicante is famous for its red, black and white wavy tiles, which are meant to resemble the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. The promenade runs parallel to the sea and stretches for almost half a mile. It is lined with palm trees and a row of restaurants, shops and cafes, one of which we stopped at for coffee. The tiles can be slightly disorientating, I had the feeling I needed to step up or down as I moseyed from one side to the other. Very cool.  
The Alicante Mercado. Mostly it was a meat market and let me tell you, the Spanish know how to do meat.
Rather than splash out on a big lunch, we stopped in to the kebab shop, and it was pretty delish.
After lunch we walked uphill to the Casco Antiguo Santa Cruz, a neighborhood famous for its narrow, winding streets, traditional architecture, charming plazas and colorful landscaping.
The neighborhood is nestled in the hills below the Castle of Santa Barbara and above the Mediterranean Sea. The views were amazing and it was a lovely place to end our visit to Alicante.
View of Alicante.
The day after visiting Alicante, we took the tram north to visit Benidorm. As you can see from the photo, it is a gorgeous location. Benidorm is massively popular with tourists who come here to get away from the cold. It is known for having inexpensive lodgings and restaurants as well as a thriving nightlife. Oh, and cheap booze. It reminds me a bit of Mallorca, where my family lived for a few years. Of course, back in the day, beaches lined with daiquiri bars and thumping discos appealed to me, but today, not so much.
Benidorm is so popular, in fact, it is said to have more high rise buildings per capita than any other city in in the world. No idea if that is true, but there are plenty of them. One of the most famous is the ‘M’ shaped high-rise known as the Intempo Building. Steven found this on Atlas Obscura, so you know there is something weird about it. Apparently it was evacuated in 2019 due to issues with the elevators. In spite of the fabulous views, I personally would feel really uncomfortable living in a building like that.
More sights along the promenade in Benidorm.

Murcia

After a few days in the Alicante region, we traveled further south and ended up in Murcia for a two-night stay. There is plenty to see and do in Murcia but we didn’t see or do any of it. This stop was for chores, shopping and a bit of admin stuff. Steven found a place for us to stay for free on Park4Night, and it had very mixed reviews. When we arrived we were shocked to find over 150 motorhomes parked up! In the top photo, that is the overflow lot and this photo was taken early in the day. It is a massive parking lot in between IKEA and a big shopping mall. We were only there two nights, but some people come there and stay for weeks! They drag out their tables and chairs, grills, the whole nine yards! We kept our stuff put away and had a fab time shopping. We replaced some IKEA items and restocked our food stores. Steven got started on taxes and we did a bit of cleaning. All in all, it was just what we needed. We will visit the sights next time.

Granada

Granada has been on our list to visit for a long time, and we would have done so before if not for Covid. We were excited to be here, not only to see the city, but also, the famous Alhambra. (More on that next time!) Above is the Catedral de Granada, which is surrounded by narrow alleyways filled with shops.
This is a view from the back of the cathedral. After visiting the shops, we had breakfast in the nearby square. The Spanish love toast and one of my favorites is delicious toasted bread sprinkled with olive oil and crushed tomatoes. That, and the tortilla of potatoes and eggs, are my favorite breakfast items in Spain.
We found lots of these designs around the town. I can’t imagine how long it took the guy to lay all these stones.
While I am always on the lookout for savory foods, Steven keeps his eyes peeled for sweets. Those pastries in the top photo were the size of my head. We passed by that bakery one day and he resisted, but the next day he had to go in and get the one on the right, which is sponge cake with whipped cream. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) the lady in front of him in line was being very picky and ordering multiple items, so Steven lost interest and left. There is no egg shortage in Spain. In the Mercado, there are stalls that sell nothing but eggs.
They start ’em young in Spain! It is kind of surprising how many shops there are that sell these traditional Flamenco dresses. In fact, I was in one store in a mall that was like a Macy’s and there was a whole section devoted to these dresses divided up by color. When I visited Spain as a teenager, I actually got a purple and black Flamenco skirt, but not the whole dress. I don’t recall ever wearing it, much less dancing in it.
Hmmm, such beautiful spices.
One thing about European campgrounds – and this is especially true pre-Covid – is that many have their own restaurants. In Granada, we stayed just outside the city at Camping Reina Isabel, which just so happened to have a highly rated restaurant literally 50 steps from our front door. How could we not? Those beautiful aged steaks on the top right are €7 per 100 grams, and you don’t get to specify how much you want. They slice off a whole steak and that’s what you get. That hunk of steak on the bottom left is Waygu, and it is €30 per 100 grams and I have no idea if you can specify the weight because we didn’t ask.
We don’t normally indulge quite like we did in Granada, but since my birthday is in mid-March, we used that as an excuse. I am not one of those who likes to celebrate a full birthday month because as soon as my day passes by, I am done, but I don’t mind dipping into late February and adding those days to my celebration. 🙂 Anyway, this steak, we both agree, was the best we have ever had. Ever. When we ordered it, we were told it would weigh 850 grams and that was it. We were not asked how we would like to have it cooked, it came the way they wanted to serve it, which was perfect for us. The first time we ordered this steak (yes, we had this twice!) we ordered a side dish of grilled mushrooms with blue cheese sauce. We also ordered an artichoke dish but we never got it because our server decided it was too much food. She didn’t ask us, she just made that executive decision on our behalf, which was fine with us. The second time we had this steak it weighed 1000 grams, a full kilogram. We ordered nothing else. My gosh, I was in heaven! If my Mom had been with me, we probably would have ordered one each.

There you have it, the first half of our month-long visit to Spain. Stay tuned for the second half, coming soon. Oh, and about that ER visit. It was Steven and he is fine. 🙂

So fine, in fact, that he has been busy creating art as usual. Inspired by the work of Degas, he painted this picture of a ballerina. If you would like to see more, you can keep up with what he’s doing by following his Visual Art page here.


Up next: España – Part 2


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28 Comments

    1. 2chouters

      Isn’t that hilarious? I guess she wanted us to be focused on that steak and frankly, it was a good call. Those mushrooms, though… so fab with the cheese sauce, and fried crispy onions on top!

  3. betsy Shequine

    Such an interesting view of a part of Spain where I have never traveled. (except Granada: looking forward to that!) Thanks for showing us, once again, the everyday life you two are able to reveal, while wheeling aroundthe world. Youmake it so interesting, and these photos are just great!

  4. Travel with Kevin and Ruth

    We bought an evil eye pendant for Max when we were in Turkiye! And, we have two smaller ones to give to the grandkids when they arrive tomorrow.

    The whole Benidorm area is just not our thing. I know, each to their own… but we like the interior so much better.

  5. Rita from Phoenix

    I loved the tour of coast of Spain!!! The cities and promenades, especially the foods, and yes the flamingo skirts! Hmmm I never knew those pendants were ‘eyes’ to keep evil away. I see them in world markets and I do have one on a long chain but haven’t worn it yet. I’ll have to dig it out and wear it. Looking forward to Part II 🙂

    1. 2chouters

      You’d better find that pendant, you never know where evil lurks! The east of Spain has been really wonderful to visit and we are super happy we made the decision to visit. Spoiler alert: we enjoyed the south, too!!

  6. Lesley & Dave Bradford

    As always great photos and a lovely blog. We are following in your footsteps and currently in Murcia, although in a lemon grove and not the Ikea car park. We well remember trying to park in Camping Ferrer in Peniscola – we also had a number of French men watching us manoeuvre slowly into position.
    Lesley & Dave Bradford, Toodlepip

    1. 2chouters

      Oh, your lemon grove sounds so beautiful compared to the IKEA parking lot! And lemon is one of my favorite flavors, so I would probably help myself to a few when no one was looking. I ran across a YouTube video where a guy took some drone shots of this parking area in Murcia, and he interviewed a few of the long-timers, asking them, “Is this the lifestyle you envisioned when you purchased your motorhome?” He said most didn’t appreciate his question! Anyway, I was thinking about you guys the other day, so I am glad to hear from you! Safe and happy travels!

      1. Lesley Bradford

        We watched that video. It was quite bizarre. Our olive grove host was lovely and we left with a huge handful of lemons. Enjoy the rest of Spain 🇪🇸

        1. 2chouters

          Lemons! Lucky you! 🙂 I realized I have not gotten a notice of any blog posts from you guys in a while, but I see you haven’t posted, but I did find your Polar Steps. I’ll try to follow along there, I’d hate for our paths to cross and not even know it.

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you so much, Deb! And it is so good to hear from you, it’s been a while. I have just started getting notifications of your own travels, so happy you are on the move! Enjoy!

  12. Laura

    Looks like you’re gonna be bringing that sunshine with you. I guess someone got the message it’s the run up to your birthday and is treating you right. Nicely done!!

    And thanks for the tour of a beautiful area of Spain we look forward to exploring at some point.

    1. 2chouters

      My gosh that weather report keeps shifting, I don’t know what it will be! I will bring my sunny disposition and hope that makes up for any bad weather. 🙂 Looking forward to seeing you guys!

  13. Carol Stafford

    I love all your adventures. Stephens pictures and your blog are so interesting! I was in that region( Alicante) about 60 years ago, traveling with my parents from London in a small car without air conditioning, our luggage strapped on a roof rack.Looking forward to the rest of your travels, take care. Carol from California.

  14. Laurel

    So beautifully photographed and with interesting commentary. As always, I want to go everywhere that you guys go, LOL. So glad you decided on Spain. Sorry for my tardiness in commenting, but we have our own adventure going on here with simplifying our lives, haha. It’s lovely to virtually escape to Spain for a bit with you.

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