Altea

On Tuesday we headed to Altea, so after breakfast we walked to the station to catch the tram. The hotel had packed us a picnic to take with us as we planned to make a day of it.  The tram system is cheap and efficient and it wasn't long before we were arriving in Altea. Its a lovely place with so much to offer. We always head straight to the old town first which is accessed via steeps steps leading up a hillside. They are a killer and I have never made it all the way without having to stop for a break and to catch my breath. But believe me when I say, its worth the effort. The view from the top overlooking the sea is breath taking. It was very quiet when we arrived an despite there being quite a few tourists milling about the Old Town didn't look like it had quite woken up yet. But we had a coffee in the square and watched people come and go, they clearly didn't have the patience to wait. After our coffee, we looked around the beautiful church which is quite stunning. There are also a few shops lining the steep little roads but they didn't open till noon. By the time we were ready to head back down they were all open and we were able to have a look around.

After spending the morning here, we headed back to the main town area where there are shops and of course the beach, After having wondered around the shops we headed to the beach for our picnic. Its a very pebbly beach, but we found ourselves somewhere to sit and then decided it was time to investigate the picnic. Its always an adventure as the hotel pack all manner of random things in there, little tins of tuna salad, pate, rolls, sandwiches, juice boxes, fruit etc. To be honest, there is way too much and there are several items that we were never going to eat. We did have company for our picnic, a young seagull decided to join us. He was very well behaved and just stood next to us and watched. Alas he was left disappointed as we dared not feed him in case it attracted the attention of the hundreds of other gulls. That could have been scary!!

After our lunch on the beach, we had a long walk along the sea front stopping or coffee on the way. It was sadly not beer weather this year. We both felt in need of a hot drink. It was so lovely being able to spend the day in Altea, though we go every year I could never get tired of it. If you're ever in the area - please go!

The evening followed the usual pattern of dinner, and a walk along the promenade. I think due to the chilly weather there were less people about this year. But I was determined not to miss the opportunity to star gaze on the Costa Blanca.