Thursday 16th February – Two prom walks – windsurf **** La Villa Joiosa – sunny periods

F2 Ride 282, 34 cm fin, Tushingham Vulcan 6m,

Max 24.24 kts., Ave 23.10 kts,, Mile 24.22 kts,, 16 km., – wind 15/25 E

Woke to sunny periods but with more cloud and lighter winds but still nice enough to do exercises outside with Mag going for a walk on the prom again. We were a bit of a magnet attracting a couple of English Campers to park fairly close :( and you had to be careful where you stood as the dog walkers seemed to use this area as a dog toilet!!! :(

We had our porridge with kiwi and strawberries – yum yum :) and watched large groups of cyclists whizzing past on the nearby road, we think several professional teams use the area as winter training. A little sad to leave Calpe we drove the short distance to Benidorm, it was a picturesque up and down kind of road but busy with load of road cyclists taking their life in their hands, rather them than me! We approached the sprawling mass that is Benidorm more USA than Spain with huge numbers of high-rise, we were expecting to hate it, all English breakfasts and lager but were pleasantly surprised! and I can’t believe these words would leave my lips, really liked it!!! I am not saying we would want a week’s holiday here but it was vibrant and full of fun:)

We ended up on the prom ignoring a delivery only sign and soon found a good spot to park just up a side road, free too as you only have to pay in the summer when it must be absolutely heaving. It was a short walk down to the lovely long beach particularly deserted, we have seen the holiday brochure shots when you have difficulty finding a spot to put your towel! The prom was busy but we had a very pleasant walk along the freshly raked sand to the old town passing two large classes of Salsacise exercise on the beach and what great fun it looked, you wouldn’t see that on Felixstowe beach! Reaching the small harbour/marina there was a large group of singers on the steps.  We walked to the end of the harbour wall to get great views of Benidorm seafront. Then past a tiny beach tucked in a corner and up some steps to the old town where a Peruvian was playing modern tunes on panpipes while his mate in full poncho was trying to flog his CD’s two for 15 Euro’s:) Then down into the narrow streets crammed with Brits in Union Jack T-shirts looking for a bargain, with shoe, dress, leather ,souvenir and even sex shops so all tastes were catered for:) We were amazed we hadn’t seen an all-day English Breakfast bar and not that many bars with lager drinking Brits! We decided we had had enough so started back and came across the best bit. A really happy Spanish busker was singing and playing guitar on the prom with several couples dancing and all but blocking the path, a big cheer went up when they called for a pasa doble and we couldn’t believe when he played ‘Viva Espana’ so we had to stay until he had finished and his smiling face will live long in my memory:) We were also amazed to see double mobility scooters!!

Hungry now we decided to head down the coast looking for a seaside town to eat our lunch.  There had been little breeze in Benidorm but it had picked up as we rounded the next headland! In my Windsurfing guide the town of La Villa Joiosa was mentioned saying – ‘Playa del Paraiso’ is anything but pardise during the annual summertime invasion of sunbathers. It’s altogether more peaceful in winter though. Still, it’s oft-frequented by the mainstream just a couple of local matadors! So, sounded perfect. It was another huge place and after a few wrong turns we found it down the narrow seafront road turning right to the old quarter which was beautiful, old multi-coloured 3-4 storey town houses with palm trees freshly raked beach with no one on it.  A large carpark appeared at the end of the road with a kitesurfer rigging up. We parked by the sea and while Mag made some lunch I walked out onto a small concrete breakwater with the wind gauge. With 20/25 mph on the dial and lovely warm sunshine it was too good an opportunity to miss. So, after a quick bite to eat I rigged the 6m on the 282. Mag had trouble doing my metal wetsuit zip up, heavens knows why I didn’t put my other suit on as it’s not cold. I had to ask the kitesurfer who had just come in after heading down wind on a strapless board having fun in the small waves. I asked if there was anything to watch out for and he said no and there was a nice constant breeze. Mag walked with me to launch as you had to go a fair way so you missed the rocks on the way out. There was small surf by the beach and lighter winds but I got out OK at the second attempt, cleared the rocks and headed down wind and to be honest I was always a little under powdered and was spinning out with the 32-cm fin. After a few runs I had a long walk back to the van and put in the 36-cm fin which was better but I should have rigged the 6.5. I am a bit nervous sailing somewhere new so enjoyed a nice hour with the lovely coloured old town and sunny mountains as a backdrop:)

I had a great chat with the kitesurfer after helping him land his kite, he is William from Belgium who is Mags age, has married a Spainish girl and has a 2-year-old daughter. He has sailed up the Orwell to Ipswich and likes to go on long downwinders on his foil board and had done 100km runs!!! He pointed out all the nice places to visit on our map and even got the wind up on is phone, a really top bloke, all the best people come from Belguim:) 

We found a quiet spot by a little river at the end of the same carpark for the night and while I washed my smelly wetsuit in the river Mag cooked a delicious tea of Chicken Kievs and fried patatas. We then went for a lovely walk along the wide prom admiring the old buildings and it was very quiet, none of the hustle and bustle of Benidorm here!

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