18 January 2025 Santa Pola

Had a walk into Sitges with  my friend for coffee and a look around the Ifach looks lovely on a sunny morning. Spoke to a friend last night that used to come down here to climb it many years ago.

This lovely hotel is also another place I had a special friend come down to stay while we drove her around this area of Spain.

Cycling teams from all over the world come here to train over the winter.

The mermaids are still visible on the rooks on the sea front.

A good drive down it is starting to get mega hot now I have passed Alicanti on arrival it took a while to book in but I had to catch up with washing so managed to hand wash my beading hard one on your own but only too 1 ½ hours to dry.

Got the bike out and had a cycle round the fishing boat area a large fleet here gosh and I nearly cycled over a very rare starfish WOW.

If you ever come here it’s worth catching one of these boats out to the island of Tarbica interesting you can just see it under the arrow (click image for BIG). Cycled back through the town some shopping and spotted that the Santa Pola half marathon on tomorrow about 9000 runners drum bands and lots of fun.

17 January 2025 Calpe

Bad rain overnight and in the morning wished I had a boat as these roads are not water friendly but a good journey down (dirty Van).

A friend down here was told off by the Policia for using here invalid scooter on a cycle way #### wonder what they would have said to this guy in the hotel.

Got to the site 1100 lunch then into town for a coffee and some shopping then rain showers Ugh!

16 January 2025 Denia

Lots of cycling again and still looking for new things for you all.

Night clubs and Irish bars nearly every town has one.

The castle again from the seafront

Shadows of their former self’s!

What it like at sunrise outside the campsite.

Some people will park there bikes any where.

This shop front is different?

I think this diver is lost?

I wonder what is under this.

Back in 2008 I left a lot of stones here and think I must have started a trend.

A lady on the site was trying to get to a cave in Montgo so below is what she missed the photo below is one I took in 2008 well worth the time to get there on a very windy day with the threat of rock falls but very good.

La Cova de l’Aigua it is on the north face of Montgó, about 350 meters high. If it has recently rained, drops fall from the roof like rain. It has two rooms and a small pond at the bottom. At the entrance there is a Roman inscription dating from 238 AD, unfortunately badly treated.

History

It is known from the remains found that it was already used in Iberian times. Later, the Romans used it as a place of worship, and Arab remains of the Taifa of Dénia and its use as a reservoir have also been found. Some sources suggest that between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries it had a canalization of mud pipes to supply the population that lived on the slope.

15 January 2025 Denia

Managed 3 Cycles today great finding new places cycled along the sea front to Los Marines.

Managed 2 coffee today and a friend sent me that much cake via comments I put on a stone.

14 January 2025 Denia

Had a super day great found some new streets to look around.

In the afternoon another 2 cycles a lovely place to be no coffee n cake today the coffee shop I used the other day coffee was not hot enough and the one I tried this morning everone was on another planet so after a few mins. I walked out and carried on searching but gave up and went shopping?

XX

13 January 2025 Denia

Cycle into Denia the old town this morning then through the Castle tunnel for coffee.

In the afternoon had a cycle looking for new streets and ended up at the market it was huge.

Wow a cool Fish spotted on the harbor.

and this fish you can see what it ate for lunch!

Love this cool dude see him every year.

If you like a house with lots of flowers and find theme to expensive why not just fill it with Cacti.

12 January 2025 Denia

An early start as a 3 Hour drive down to Denia passing Valencia roads lovely and Quiet. Got to the site 1300 got the same pitch as last year. Decided to have a cycle down into town along the seafront. At the harbour spotted a lovely super yacht one of those with masts that go up forever and a massive catamaran. Love the view of Montgo from here I am glad that I have run up it twice what a mountain.

The seaweed here almost looks like cliffs the way it builds up but they do remove it I think they use it for fertaliser.

I do think the guy who posed for this statue was pushing his luck.

Spoke to someone I know and a couple of ladies living the dream.

Wal into town again but visited the old town under the castle streets empty as I like it. A very windy day today but still 28 degrees. You won’t think so looking how this is wrapped up.

I think I have spotted why there is a water shortage in Spain.

Graffiti time Hooray.

I ‘am not sure what this says you decide?

My walk round the old town this morning.

El Faro (light house)

The Magic Museum.

2 cycles into town and one cycle up to Benicola in the afternoon for coffee.

10 January 2025 Peniscola

Walk into town with a coffee cake stop takes me about 1Hr 10 mins.

Back for the cycle to the supermarket for some shopping lunch then a cycle up to Benicarlo for afternoon coffee at my usual place near the market great place for Graffiti (on tomorrow’s blog) yes just wait!

Cycle into town again for some more shopping and look around.

The washing area here is now controlled by an App just like Beverly Park in Paignton or card and also doubles up as a book swap.

9 January 2025 Peniscola

The castle here is FAB and worth a visit very small inside.

The earliest evidence of habitation in the area were Ibero-Roman remains excavated in the port of Peniscola; they date to the 1st–2nd centuries BC. Arab writer Al-Idrisi described Baniskula in the 11th century AD, and briefly described a Moorish castle overlooking the sea. There are no detailed descriptions until the 13th century, when James I of Aragon briefly summarised the Muslim defences. The castle was transferred to James’s control in April 1229, after the last Almohad governor of Valencia, Zayd Abu Zayd, signed an accord surrendering various castles in eastern Spain.

The current form of the castle is essentially that developed by the Knights Templar, who planned to develop a kingdom centered on Peniscola. James II of Aragon gave the castle to the Templars in 1294, together with the nearby castles of Pulpís and Xivert. The Templars began work that year, demolished the Muslim fortifications, and completely rebuilt the castle; the work was completed in 1307. In common with other Templar fortifications, the castle was laid out around an inner ward and possessed a chapel. Architectural features included barrel vaulting and round arches. The basic Templar core of the castle remains intact; some changes were made by Antipope Benedict XIII in order to modify it for use as a papal residence in the early 15th century. The castle defences and the associated town fortifications were significantly upgraded from the early 16th century onward, in line with advances in military technology. The castle was massively redeveloped by military engineer Giovanni Battista Antonelli in the 16th century

The castle was involved in various military conflicts of the Kingdom of Aragon, and later in the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century, the Peninsula War and civil conflicts in the early 19th century, each of which impacted upon the state of the castle defences in some form. The castle garrison was finally disbanded in 1890.

The castle where Benedict lived from 1417 until his death in 1423 was restored, improved and new walls were added in 1960 when Anthony Mann’s film El Cid was partially filmed there. The town and castle of Peníscola played the role of Valencia. The castle is now a popular tourist attraction and the beaches and surrounding area are a popular family holiday resort.

A good drive down sea on one side mountains on the other and good roads. On arrival got booked in lunch then a cycle into town lovely and quiet. But they do lovely sized ice creams yummy.

Temperature down here after a 2 hour drive up at 23 0utside in the van 32 Ouch!