Route During Week Two

We decided on a short hop today to the resort town of Peniscola.  We’ve read some mixed reviews but we really like it.  In summer it must be heaving but on a Sunday in November it’s charming.  

The promenade is pretty typical of Mediterranean resorts, a wide, palm fringed, pedestrian walkway, edging a wide sandy beach but the real show stopper is the walled, old town. The colossal battlements face down the might of the crashing waves and you can really imagine what it must have been like to live here centuries ago. 

Today, you can sit and enjoy a glass of wine looking out from the old city, across the town, its two bays and out towards the ever present mountains.

A claim to fame for the old town is that El Cid and Game of Thrones were filmed here. 

Valencia

Next stop on a glorious, sunny day Valencia, which we have heard nothing but good things about.  Our research indicates that there isn’t anywhere suitable for us to stay in the city and so this time it is just to be a flying visit.  We park at Ikea (nice big spaces) and take an Uber to the City of  Arts and Sciences which boasts truly amazing architecture; we love it.  

While there we also visit Oceanografic which is a huge wildlife attraction featuring a number of aquaria each one replicating as far as is possible different marine ecosystems. 

There are also lakes and a massive aviary containing a variety of bird life.  It is undoubtedly very interesting but Janette is always a bit queasy about wild animals being kept in captivity, Nick is made of stronger stuff and can see the educational value in it.

There are some bits and pieces we want to get for Lionel and so, perhaps foolishly we venture into the never ending maze which is Ikea!  We get most of what we want but of course it takes ages to find our way out again and we don't reach our next stop until well after dark - the satnav volume decided not to work and so the journey out of Valencia was pretty stressful.

Simat de la Valldigna

We have chosen an aire slightly inland in Simat de la Valldigna; this place isn’t one we planned to visit but it is a convenient stopover.  Simat turns out to be a non-touristy village which is unremarkable - or so we think until we venture into the ruined Royal Monastery of Santa Maria  de la Valldigna.  

Goodness what a surprise this was!  The site dates back many centuries and much of it is in ruins; you can wander around, pick an orange from one of the many trees and just drink in the atmosphere. The real star of the show is the church of Santa Maria, the unassuming exterior of which gives no hint of the extraordinarily ornate walls and ceiling within, we are blown away.

The journey up and over the mountains to our next stop is spectacular with many hairpin bends.

Denia

Having spent far too long at the monastery, we again find ourselves driving as darkness falls which isn’t ideal when you’re going somewhere unfamiliar in a big vehicle.  We make it safely to the parking spot at Denia, back on the coast. In the darkness the parking area seems like a massive area of waste ground with lots of motorhomes parked up, we'll reserve judgement till the morning.

Day dawns and it is clear that this is not the stopping place for us however, as luck would have it we spot a place just across the road which backs directly onto the beach, marvellous!

We stay in the beachside spot for a couple of nights and so have time to explore Denia properly.  It’s a port town, the ferries for the Balearics leave from here, there is a fishing fleet and a marina with some pretty impressive boats moored there. 

The town really comes to life in the evening with lots of bars and restaurants; we discover a former industrial building that has been converted to house restaurants and street food stalls, it's really buzzing. 

From our parking spot it is possible to walk along the beach to the town and the full moon shining on the water adds a touch of romance! 

There are many non-Spanish here which is a difference from what we’ve been used to so far and English is more widely spoken; the back streets of the old town have however retained their charm and we, especially Nick, really like it here.