Blogs from Calpe, Valencian Community, Spain, Europe
September 24th 2010
Not sure why, but my last post didn't load until today. So, for this one I'll just put up some photos... sometimes the photos are better than words anyhow. Tomorrow we are off to the mountains south of Toledo (not Ohio) - and I know we won't have internet for the next few days. Love to you all and thanks for the comments.... read more
September 20th 2010
This entry is lifted directly from my journal - sorry if there is too much detail. In re-reading this it sounds like all we do is eat, but I know we have been doing much more! We do not have internet access where we are staying but have found an internet café. No photos on this one, but hopefully some soon. I'll put a couple on facebook if you have that access.... September 17, 2010 We are in Calabardina near Aguilas. Yesterday we left Sierra y Mar after breakfast - hugs and kisses from Sepp and Inger and we invited them to stay with us if they are ever in Oregon. The drive out of the Alpujarras was not bad - there were a couple busses, but nothing too traumatic. It was a cloudy day and ... read more
September 5th 2010
Another morning by the pool and left the house about 1215 for a drive before lunch. First up the mountain to Col de Rates. We were about an hour ahead of a cycling race, not just any cycline race, but the Vuelte Espagne - and the spectators were gathering on the hill. We returned to Jalon and turned off towards Sierra Bernia through Pinos to Benissa and arrived about 1400 for lunch at Restaurante Pedramala, run by Bernte and Christian. Had a fabulous lunch with yet another different bottle of Rosado - this one was a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah and was from the Barcelona region. It went down very well with my excellent pepper steak. Finished the meal with a couple of glasses of Ponche and returned home about 1700 to relax by ... read more
September 2nd 2010
Woken by a visit from Alf, a Pedenco cross. I usually get a big lick and a wash from Alf each morning and a goodnight cuddle from Rocks, a wolf-husky mix and the most beautiful, gentle dog I've ever come across. Remember, I'm not a dog person! Chris and I went into Jalon where we met Ann and Peter, two expats who live nearby. Geraldine arrived shortly after so we all had coffee together. Went to the Farmacia - a really old traditional chemist with potions and lotions on the shelves and snakes in bottles and skulls in the window! Spent the rest of the day by the pool reading Joe Simpson's book "The Beckoning Silence" about his mountaineering adventures and his 2001 attempt at the North Face of the Eiger. Followed this up by watching ... read more
September 1st 2010
Today Chris arranged with his mate Armando for me to go out on a dive boat to do some snorkelling with one of the dive courses. Joined Sergio, Vinnie and five Spanish guys for an hour and a half snorkelling off Calpe Rock. As there was a bit of a swell, we motored around Parque Natural del Peon de Ifach to calmer waters. Vinnie, 20, from Leicester in England, was my guide as I have no Spanish yet. Visibility was reasonable and I spent most of my time watching the divers below on their first ocean dive of 10m and small schools of fish. Through Vinnie, chatted with the dive boat captain who told me his family had been resident in Calpe since 1606! Returned to Real Club Nautico Calpe and wandered along the beachfront walks ... read more
August 29th 2010
Out with the dogs again up in the mountains. It really is the greatest way to start the day. Today we spent some time by the pool before Chris drove us down to Altea for drinks at Club Nautico Campomanes followed by my first paella lunch in Spain at Meridiano Restaurante-Grill. Cath and I shared a bottle of Nuviana Rosado, still not as good as Peter Arnold's! It would be so easy to get used to this life style and being on holidays with an unlimited bank account - lotto win needed! We returned with a great view of Calpe Rock and a promise to return to snorkel in a few days. After an hour or so by the pool, we headed for Ondara to the Plaza de Toros (30 euros per person) to view four ... read more
August 28th 2010
A late start this morning with breakfast and out to walk the dogs. The track is steep and a little overgrown with spiky bushes, holly, wild thyme, rosemary and roving bulls and wild boars. Fortunately, we haven't come face to face with the wild life yet but hear them in the distance and at night. Down to Jalon again this morning to the Rastro, a flea market that occurs every Sat till 1300. Lots of junk, but a few clothing and souvenir stalls and plants. We crossed over to the Bodega Xalo (Valencianan for Jalon) and sampled the local co-op wines. I came away with a bottle of Riu Rau, a moscatel that won a gold medal at Cordoba in 2009. Can't wait to sample that one! We returned to Cafe Ole to see Deb. Cath ... read more
February 10th 2010
Sorry for not updating recently! I'll catch up a lot this weekend. I wrote this entry a month ago and hadn't uploaded the photos. But now it's finished! I promise another entry or two in the next few days. :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This weekend I took a trip to Bernia, a mountain in Calpe. On Saturday, I met the group down at Plaza Los Luceros at 8 am (too early!) After a two hour bus ride, and me sleeping with my head against the window, we arrived in Calpe, at the base of Bernia Mountain. It was cold and a little breezy. At the bottom of the mountain, there was a fountain where fresh mountain water constantly poured into a basin for drinking. It was really clean and cold and I feel like there was something pretty ... read more
September 14th 2008
During our excursion to Altea, the program director pointed out a town a little ways up the coast named Calpe, that had a huge rock towering out over the sea. He mentioned that it was a fun to hike up to the top of this rock where you could see amazing views of the entire Alicante province even including Ibiza on the clear days. Eager to get out and go hiking, I made a plan to hike up the Peñon de Ifach that upcoming Saturday. I asked around to see if anyone wanted to come with me but aside from a few maybes, I couldn’t get anyone to commit definitely. And so, not about to back down on a perfectly good hike on a beautiful day I made the decision to go by myself. It would ... read more
Climbing rocks on the Med in Calpe, Spain
Published: February 27th 2007Europe » Spain » Valencian Community » Calpe
February 23rd 2007
Went and hike the sweet rock know as Penyal d'ifac !! Anybody that gets the chance to take a trip to this area and is able to do some easy to moderate hiking should climb it. It's 332 meters or 1090 feet to the top. The trail starts off on a average park trail, that leads into a cave that was dug in 1918. The cave is a little difficult to walk through because the floor is not stable and its a bit dark. After you exit the cave it opens up to the other side and a wonderful view of the bay and some of the smaller peaks. The first part of the trail contains ropes on the wall "just in case". Naturally we went on, usually choosing the more difficult path to lead us ... read more
