I can’t use that … my bum looks too big …

An annoying headwind … very unusual, we haven’t had it windy like this before.  A farmer is out ploughing and there is dust flying everywhere.  Thankfully it is short lived when we turn into a side/tail wind … we are very thankful. 

The mountains are ahead of us …

• Sue:
• ‘it’s about time I had a pic of me riding my bike … everyone may think I’m swanning along in a car taking pics and not on my bike’ …
• ‘Here is my phone do you know what to do?’
• John:
• Just a minute … I have to put my glasses on’

The naked fields give way to kilometres of orange orchards … it’s very flat as we ride through very good roads/lanes that are divided by irrigation canals and orchards.  We see some mandarins … John squeezes his hand under the fence to get a fallen one … not quite ripe but nice and tasty.

The hills are getting bigger, there is not much traffic on these quiet backroads, a few cars tending to the farm’s parked,  we see an orchard being picked … crates being stacked … I ask if I can take a pic … ‘of course’ … for my trouble they give us 5 freshly picked oranges … later on in the hotel 2 are consumed … delicious!!!!

Tortoise alert!  Some excitement for the morning … as we rode by a canal 2 tortoises dive into the water after lazing on a log … further on a tortoise on the road, I pick it up and put it on the grass … not long after, another on the road … I leave it be.

Getting close to civilisation the path closes in and we have lots of shade … 2 ponies under a bridge on a rope strategically placed to eat the long grass.

We reach the halfway mark at Garnia, 11.30am … we’ll call this lunch  coffee and a roll in the main shopping arcade.  A lovely town … all the fashion shops, lovely paved arcades.  Umm this could easily have done with a better look.  In the meantime it is getting hotter.

We exit Garnia after a nice break … we get funny looks at times.  Over a bridge and onto a ‘greenpath’ ‘you don’t want me to tell you it’s 38C do you? I think the answer was no. It didn’t feel that hot … we have long sleeves, a cap and the breeze was cooling.

The mountains soon disappear or are behind us … more oranges, long straight roads and the next 25km sail by.  Garmin is on target … the familiar tune that we have reached our destination and there before us is the hotel.

The town looks very insignificant … but later on after we are showered and washed our clothes .. we get a map from reception with some tips on a route.

Now the wow factor has slipped in … what a pretty diverse town … we head for the beach past a few bars … things are quiet – it is hot though … nothing special but the port/marina is attractive … we have a drink.  There is a ferry berthed … the Balearic islands of are close (Ibiza, Palma and Formentera, Mallorca) … next trip????

Stop dreaming, as I sip my G&T we are looking at the Denia Castle, very attractive location … I’m not going up there says John (yesterday’s castle must have done him in) 

We continue our route that the hotel guy suggested … the fishmans’ area … so cute with narrow streets, with little plazas and restaurants, colourful houses … very quaint.  We go up a few narrow streets and alleys with a mild gradient and before we know it we are climbing by the castle walls admiring the views below.  We didn’t go up to the very top.

We are on the border of the old town and decide to keep the best to last and visit tonight. A quick way back to the hotel … a 200m tunnel under the castle … how clever.

Well it didn’t stop there, this town is as attractive at night … off to dinner about 9pm …it’s tough being on holiday … so much to do … had a great meal in the fisherman’s quarter, beautiful atmosphere under the stars, then a wander towards the old town and discovered a tapas area … referred to as Street Food Court … all lit up with fairy lights amazing. It didn’t stop there … further on the old town with the lights of the castle and another group of restaurants equally attractive. Wow what a feast this town offers … ticks many boxes.