We had a very relaxing time in Spain. The weather was unbeatable (mid 80's to 90 degrees) and the beaches were nice although we were told that the weather was not characteristic. The scenery was enjoyable once we escaped the touristy areas and the small villages were charming and friendly. The number of orange and olive trees was just mind-boggling! The city of Valencia was very photogenic and easy to navigate. The roads were very well-marked and everything was signposted somewhere along the journey. The roads were also well-built so tourism and the EU are doing their part in terms of infrastructure.That said, I am not a fan of Mediterranean Spain. The Spaniards tend to dispose of litter where ever it suits them and they have the dreaded plastic shopping bag Walmart curse without the Walmart. One thing I do like about the UK is the stress on reusing (and sometimes charging for) plastic bags or using sturdy carrier bags. Buildings are in various states of disrepair or construction has been abandoned. It reminded me a lot of Mexico and Puerto Rico which are both nice places to visit, but just have that junkiness about them. Monuments and special places of interest tend to be rebuilt versions of the real thing to boost tourism. I know that Williamsburg-type venues serve a purpose but it is disheartening to see actual history torn down, replaced and/or altered to what it "should" look like. The beaches are gorgeous in smaller towns, but industry is literally right next to them which was unnerving. The Costa Blanca leading to the Costa del Sol is like a New Britain with even worse driving, parking and food than we experience in the UK because it's old age pensioner land and geared towards them and soft mushy food. (I do want to note though, that the food in Cheltenham is great.) I think part of my attitude is that I had high hopes and Spain just didn't reach the mark, can you tell?
Craig kept a journal of this trip and I am pretty much going to plagiarize his writing because it's good material. So, here goes...
Part One: 30 October 09 - Valencia, Spain
Today is Day 2 in Valencia and actually our first full day. The trip down was pretty easy. Bristol airport was dead at noontime and we zipped right through security. (I, Kris, attribute that to our fantastic ability to learn the system and pack well.) We are staying in a neighborhood west of the town of Betera which is 20 minutes northwest of Valencia. There is a military base here and one of the first people we saw yesterday was a US Soldier in his fatigues at the grocery store. Weird. The place where we are staying is a little (Editor's note: A LOT) different. We thought it was a guest house on a big estate. Instead, we are staying in the house and cohabiting WITH a single mom and her two sons. Quite uncomfortable at first and a shock really, but we are actually getting used to it. The owners have a minifarmful of animals: three chickens, three bunnies, two not-so-well-behaved-but-friendly dogs, a really smelly goat (think teenage boy) and a lame (literally) miniature pony. There is a pool and a small pond with fish and frogs. It really is Owen's dream house. The kids are enjoying having other kids to play with and they are learning many new Spanish card games.
Today, we went to the beach in Porto de Sagunt. It was nice with very fine sand and crystal clear water. It was just warm enough to swim in the Med, but the air was downright balmy at about 90 degrees - not usual for this time of year. After the beach, we had a good lunch at a little restaurant ('bocateria" or sandwich shop). The hamburgers were sort of pork burgers (really were chopped ham as opposed to chopped steak). The paella was authentic.
After lunch, we walked over to a little cafe selling Horchata de Xufa and gelati. The kids opted for gelati and we got horchata. Turns out 'horchata' sounds a bit like the word for 'spoon' especially if you make a /d/ sound in place of the last /t/. The girl couldn't make it out and held up a little gelati spoon. We got our horchata after a laugh. It's an interesting taste. It's made from ground up tiger nuts which aren't nuts at all but are actually tubers on a big grass plant. I thought horchata tasted like a ground parsnip smoothie and very health food like. Wheat germ in milk anyone? That was Kris' first and last horchata.
Next, we went into Sagunto which is an old Roman, Iberian, Moorish, Valencian town. Owen took a lot of these photos.
There are big castle ruins on a 200' hilltop with lots of Roman and Moorish walls about 1 kilometer long. If we hadn't been so tired we would have loved to explore it all because it was the real deal. 
Refurbished amphitheater
Playing statues below
More town shots
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