Valencia - beach time!

Hello to you all from warm & sunny Valencia. The temperatures are a very comfortable 18-20 degrees most days which is amazing in mid-November.  The nights are chilly but it's still warmer than the cold dampness of Santiago de Compostela- brrrrrrr!

We've settled into a much slower pace of life as we've been based here for a week or so rather than being on the road.  As such we're sight-seeing at a more comfortable pace.  The apartment is great - very central (located in the Historic City - close to all the major sights, bars and restaurants) so it is ideal for us.  There's also a fantastic market where we buy our food.  Valencia is known as la huerta (market garden) due to its micro climate and resulting abundant produce - fruit (oranges to die for!), veg plus amazing meat and fish. It's also a great place to watch everyday Spanish life - whilst having a coffee of course!     

Mariscos maravillosos (marvellous shellfish)

After a week in Madrid we found ourselves needing the sea - we always feel better with the vast openness of the sea and the refreshing sea breeze.  In fact, we left Madrid at the start of a refuse collectors' strike - all settled now but they had 13 days' accumulation of refuse ... can you imagine that?  Glad we got out when we did!  No sooner had we arrived than we jumped on a tram to the beach (they're quite a way out from the city centre even for walking fans like us).   We weren't disappointed: wide, long, golden sand with the mountains one end of the bay and a marina for yachts and cruise ships plus the commercial port at the other.

Colgate smile in the Med, in shorts, in November - happy days!

The surf was up and a few guys were taking advantage of the waves. 

A little further along the beach we found a washed-up jellyfish.  We saw a few of these when sailing in the French Med - quite ethereal when floating in the sea but stranded ashore it looked like a big blancmange!

What's really nice about the beach is that all kinds of activities are still going on: surfing, kite surfing; kick-boxing; parcour (free running); great to see the beaches being used this late in the year.

So that gives you a taster of the beach life in Valencia.  We go to the beach about 2-3 times per week - just to be down by the sea and wish we could sail our yacht here - we were so close to doing so but c'est la vie ...

We'll update you soon about sightseeing, etc., so tune in soon folks.  Wishing you all well in Blighty.  xx