2010- Costa Blanca, Spain- Warm, Fascinating and Friendly!! March 11-22, 2010

Landing in Toulouse after great flights from Montreal, we were shocked to see snow from a major snowstorm 2 days before.  We scuttled down to the Mediterranean Sea, over the Pyrenees and on to sunny Spain.  First stop, Barcelona's Gaudi extravaganza.......the highlight is the Familia Sacrada cathedral started in 1882 ("maybe" finished in 2050....??!!)  The nativity facade is shown below.....the whole experience leaves you speechless and at a definite loss for words.Gaudi's Battlo building is on the Los Ramblas pedestrian walkway.Further on is The Mercato  full of fruit, vegies and Robert with an angel!!Here is the Poblet Monastery near Tarragona, Spain, another UNESCO World Heritage site....from the 13 century.  It has original Moorish design, becoming a Cistercian abbey.Poblet´s gazebo in the cloister....looks a tad warmer, eh?!

Now in Javea, Costa Blanca,  warm and sunny for Robert´s fruit snack on our apartment balcony and then at our apartment shown behind me,!Robert wants to swim in this pool and drive this great car!!!Hiked up Cap Antoni from the Javea fishing port below, beyond is the Montgo peak at 800 meters which we climbed later in the week.....Javea beach area.....no one swimming...yet!!

Calp's rock called  Penya D'Ilfach was an amazing hike, up the coastal side, through a 150 metre tunnel bored right through to the sea side.  Then you hiked around the huge rock coming straight up out of the Mediterranean Sea as can be seen in the below picture....could see up and down the Spanish coastline for 20 or 30 kms.  What a view!!

Here we are hanging on to the edge of Mont Montgo with Javea beach beyond.!

We headed inland from Javea,  touring Guadalest, yet another stunning monastery....you can see the Mediterranean Sea 20 kms. in the distance

Leaving Javea for France we spent a day in Valencia, taking in the UNESCO site of La Lonja, a centuries-old mercantile centre.

Valencia fish market.....!!

Before we left Spain, we lucked into Denia's fallas festivities, where they light papier mache figures, set off firecrackers, have parades which include an effigy of Elvis with Robert admiring him and crown the queen and princess of the gala!

Spain was fantastic....we loved it and will be back!!