Spain - December - January 2016

After travelling down to Sue and Pete the night before, and having a celebration, joined by Carol and Keith at a local restaurant for Birthdays and Christmas, I flew out to Spain on 15th December - to Alicante - then on to the Hotel Kaktus Albir, where a bottle of bubbly awaited my arrival ... which I shared with Cyril who had come out on the same flight from Gatwick. Not wishing to go back to Alicante so soon after arrival there ... I declined the trip to Elche and Alicante on the 17th !

Temperatures averaged from about 18 to 25 degrees centigrade during the day ( one day reaching 27 degrees ) and there was no rain during my visit and the sea was mostly flat and calm.

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The Hotel Kaktus Albir, and the flat prom outside the Kaktus Albir - all the way to the end of Altea

I went up to Denia on three separate occasions, to visit old friends and aquaintances staying at the Hotel Port Denia, some of whom I had seen at the airport.

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The Hotel Port Denia and the Marina arm nearby

A visit was made to the Albir Market on the Sunday, and I tripped into Benidorm on the Monday to see a friend at the Gran Hotel Delfin ( nearer to Finestrat than Benidorm ), who had also been on the same flight from Gatwick.

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............... Christmas decorations in central Benidorm .........................The Gran Delfin Hotel

On the Tuesday I went to the Altea market - then to the fruit and veg maket, on the way to a coffee by Altea Church. Javea provided a welcome break on the Thursday - a pleasant morning sitting in the sun and drinking coffee.

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.......... The start of Altea market -----------------------------and Altea fruit and vegetable market on way to the Church

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......... Altea Church ----------------------------------.......------------------ View from Church over Altea, towards Playa Albir

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.......... Javea - the headland between it and Denia ........................... A coffee companion - see previous visits

Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch were celebrated in the usual fashion - with multi course menus - before a visit to Finestrat ( inland ) on the Saturday, and by the coast where there was also a market in full swing.

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Inland - Finestrat village " square " with chairs for " storytelling ", and the church

I went to Denia again on the Sunday, before doing the Coast and Country trip on the Monday. I called in at Pemberley Antiques in Jalon, before supping at the bodega, and visited the cave at Benidoleig. ( Cuevas de las Calaveras ) Afterwards a visit to Moraira ( for lunch at the Chinese ) and onward to Calpe for a short stop before returning to the hotel.

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Moraira " Castle " and the Ifach Rock at Calpe

A final trip into Benidorm, where they were setting up many music areas along the promenade. The New Year festivities and food, was followed by a New Year's Day " brunch " on the Friday ( 11.00 to 15.00 ) - for those who didn't go to bed until 04.00 - and saw both the Spanish and British New Year's in ! Unfortunately one guest had a fall, resulting in hospitalisation and an operation for a broken bone.

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The Levante beach from the promontory between the Levante and Poniente beaches, also the "prom ".

On the last Sunday I made my way to the El Cisne rastro, and listened to some music over a coffee. On the Monday I went over to Denia again - calling in at the Denia market, before my return home on the Tuesday.

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El Cisne Rastro

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No doubt English Health and Safety would have had something to say about the items for sale, and on open display.

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