The orange groves were neverending...
Our family in Gandia
Some pictures from Sitges
There was some big car rally going on, so they were making sand sculptures for it.
Spanish ham shop
27 March 2008: We were still on a mission for some sun and sand! So, further south we went towards Valencia. At the first campground we went to, it was still pretty windy. And unfortunately, not right on the beach like I thought, from the looks of it on the map. Instead, it was right along the bay water and no sand. But, they had a mini bull ring, mini go cart course, mini zoo and some other amenities that could otherwise divert your attention….IF it was a Saturday or Sunday, when everything was open! The place was kind of creepy, in a ghost town kind of way, since there was absolutely nobody there at all. So, further south we went!
We drove until we couldn’t drive no more, until we ended up in the town of Gandia. This campground was less creepy, but still we must have been spoiled by the last one or something. The facilities were sufficient, but they gave us this spot in between all these permanent caravans (you have to say it like Sean does… like Brad Pitt in the movie “Snatch”) that were covered, up, down and all around with tarps. In the morning, Sean woke up, looked out the window, and said he felt like he was in the middle of the San Jose Flea Market. (Sorry if you aren’t from the area, it’s hard to explain…) Anyway, at least we did find our sun and sand the next day, super fine, soft sand to be exact. We didn’t think it was going to be so nice, so we didn’t bring appropriate gear for laying out. But, we did dip our feet in the beautiful, bright blue water and frolicked in the sun for a bit until it was actually hard for me to motivate when it was time to leave. I do have to give honorable mention to the snack we picked up on the way out, one of the best empanadas so far, tandori pollo-filled. (OK, really I’ve only had one other, but still!)
Again, it’s amazing how fast it seems that time flew by. It was already Friday and we needed to head back towards Barcelona to drop Caitlin at the airport on Sunday. So we decided we’d better at least head halfway up. Somewhere along the way, I noticed there was a brief description on the Lonely Planet we picked up in Barcelona about how campgrounds work. Little did I know they are rated, usually “1” or “2”, similar to 4 star, 3 star, etc. hotels. The “flea market” place didn’t even have a rating! Boy did this make much more sense when we started looking for another place! The next place was a 1A, and facilities were nice, but we do have to admit that the décor was not our style – roman statues, fountains, shrubbery and plants everywhere…and I mean everywhere! The only way I could think of describing it is a not-so-updated senior mobile home park? I suppose that we just weren’t having much luck around the Valencia area….but whatever!
Friday, we headed to Villanova, the campground we first stayed when we arrived to Barcelona, thinking it would be nice for all of us to experience more, since we were kicked out after one late night and Caitlin hadn’t even arrived yet. The next town over was Sitges. Since it was a short drive, we decided to cruise through there and check it out. This is when Caitlin decides that she wants to move to Spain. And honestly, I can see why. This small villa, set right along the beach, was really charming. There was a promenade right along the sand…with a playground that we made a pit stop at for Kai, outdoor restaurants across the street for some good al fresco dining and people watching. And, set in from the beach were narrow, twisty, windy streets to stroll along with cool little shops to pop into. We had a lot of fun there. We definitely rolled into Villanova later than we expected, but the trip to Sitges was definitely worth it!
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