Alicante, Spain - our first sight of España

We arrived safely on Tuesday afternoon and settled into our first whole apartment to ourselves.  Our host, Bea (pronounced bay-ah) is a lovely woman who has helped us with a couple small issues (like difficulty getting the outer door open with the key, not earthshaking).

It took us a day on Wednesday to feel our way around.  The language was a barrier that hit us directly in the face yesterday.  We expected to find an occasional English speaker, but to date, there have been two who sort of spoke English (rather like the way Steve and I sort of speak Spanish, but better) and one really wonderful Brit.  Fortunately, we are learning Spanish and the layout of the city.  Today, Thursday, was much better.

We did take a few pictures yesterday, even in our semi-shocked state.  But, here are the parting shots from England.  First, our Victorian water closet from our Eastbourne AirBnb.  You grasp the rod (that doesn't show up well here) that hangs from the water tank above (on the right) and push it up to flush for solid and pull down for flushing liquid (if you know what I mean).  There was a sort of stick on deodorizer in the bowl that smelled like very strong urinal cake, too.  Visiting the little girl's room was an adventure that made an impression.  The shower and sink were in the larger room next door and was just a variation on what we were used to.  I suppose you could call those two rooms and our bedroom a suite, loosely, but they were all dedicated to just us.  The majority of toilet facilities that I visited in England, anywhere, were pretty much the same.  I read a while back about one lady traveler who explained that Europeans don't fuss over their "bathrooms" as we Americans do and now I understand what she meant.  It's a necessity.  The idea is to keep it simple and get it over with because we are dealing with plumbing in old buildings here.  It's a cultural adjustment that we are starting to make because the pattern continues in Spain, at least in the establishments that we patronize,

I understand that Lewes (pronounced Lewis) is a lovely place and I hope to visit it someday.

Here's the view of Lewes beyond the railings.

Then, we arrived in Alicante.

The city bus that took us into Alicante from the airport.

Monument on the dirt paths in the Esplanada next to the waterfront.  The water is on the right from this photo.

Lovely tropical plants - bird of paradise flowers, I think.

Very old looking, many rooted trees.

Lots of boats and yachts for Steve to ogle.

Mount Benecanti, topped by Castillo de Santa Barbara behind the buildings.  It really is in the middle of the city.

Yes, it's almost October and warm enough for people to swim, especially tourists from  colder countries.

Mount Benacantil in the background with Catillo de Santa Barbara on top.

The mosaic pattern can be a little distracting as you walk. Can you see the hills and valleys in the design?  

Route 24 is confusing. Neither route is marked with an N on the buses themselves.  You just have to know.

Mmmm... tapas in our favourite (only) tapas bar. They serve both pinchos and tapas.  You can see some of them under the glass covers on the bar.  But, the staff brings them out fresh from the kitchen (cocina) and offers them at the tables, too.

Tonight, Thursday, after planning our near future and having our dinner, the Esplanada and the waterfront looked different, more relaxed and romantic.  And, maybe more importantly, we found our way back again!

More from our exciting birthday trip tomorrow!  (Actually, I guess I just turned ahem years old a few minutes ago.  I won't dwell. :)  We, also, just made our reservations for a trip to Madrid on Sunday.  We will be staying in another apartment, just us, in the centre of Madrid within walking distance of the Prado, the Plaza Mayor, and a few other attractions.  Can't wait!