Hi all

It appears that my partner has won a (genuine) free week's accommodation in Villamartin, Costa Blanca to be taken between October this year and March 2009. A quick look at the place suggests that it is a golf/sun/beach/bar resort  not far from Torrevieja. This doesn't match closely (if at all) with our preferred holiday preferences of countryside and villages/museums and cities/restaurants.

But it seems churlish (even rude) to decline a prize won at her place of work. This is not a part of Spain I know anything about. Before I go and buy a guide book and do the normal web research, is there anyone on the group who could make recommendations as to things we might like to do/see/visit in that area?

Thanks

Stewart

Hi Stewart,

Should be lots to see and do. You are a short drive to Rhonda to see the Puente Nueva and also close by  is Acinipo where the remains of a Roman amphitheatre are evident. Then you are also close to one our favourite Pueblas Blancas, the town of Arcos de la Frontera with it's fantastic ridge overllooking the Serenia de Rhonda. Grazelama in the mountains is a great village to visit and to explore as well. We went to Ulbrique two years ago and although it was a Sunday and very quiet it was a beautiful town to wander around.

I would also suggest a trip to Jerez for two reasons. Firstly there are the sherry bodegas, where you can visit an sip. I suggest Tio Pepe/Gonzeles Byass. Also the Spanish Riding school (La Escuala des Cabellos) is a wonderful experience to watch the skills of riders and the horses. But you need to book ahead for the escuala.

And of course there is Sevilla - about a 90 minute drive or I'm sure the Amarillo bus will get you there too. Sevilla is a wonderful city with much to see and do. Especially take in the Cathedral and the Giralda.

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip.

 Cheers

John

John,

I think you may have got your locations a little mixed up. Villamartin
on the Costa Blanca is more than 500km away from Arcos de la Frontera
- at least a 6 hour drive.

Roger.

HI Roger,

When referring to  "Humble Pie" would this be the appropriate phrasing "Tengo que comer el pastel humilde!"

Looks like when I read the note I completely missed "Costa Blanca" in the subject. I remember when we stayed in Arcos 2 years ago, there was a town at the northeastern end of the lake called Villamartin. So it might be a nice drive.........6 hours......maybe not!

Sorry for the mistake folks - wisdom does arrive later for some of us than others. Hmmmmm, anyone else going to going to Arcos? I wrote an interesting post a little while ago.................

By the way Roger, my wife and I have manage to purchase tickets on line for the Bienal de Flamenco n Sevilla for next September. We're going to see Calíxto Sánchez and then "Mujeres" with Merche Esmeralda, Belén Maya and Rocio Molina. We rally wanted to see Sarah Baras but she performs later in the schedule. I managed to get onto the web site the first day and got terrific seats. We're looking forward to the show. ALSO, before we return home, we are staying one night (Sunday September 14th) in Madrid at the Hotel Plaza Mayor at the top end of Atocha before the gate to Plaza Mayor. Perhaps, I you have the time, we might have the opportunity to meet you and your wife for tapas or dinner? Let me know.

Thanks for picking up on my error. Estoy avergonzado!

 Saludos

John

Haha, it would be nice if it were, wouldn't it? But I'm afraid there's
no nice equivalent expression in Spanish.

I must have missed this in your original post. In fact I split up with
the mother of my daughter 4 years ago and now travel every weekend to
be with my current partner, who lives near Lisbon, so unfortunately
it's unlikely I'll coincide with you in Madrid that Sunday, although
please remind me again nearer the date just in case.

Roger.

Sure Roger, I'll touch base in August.

Wow, travel to Lisbon every weekend - talk about a long-distance love affair! We've been to Spain about 5 times now and to Madrid 3 times. Seems to me "en Madrid son muchas mujeres hermosas así su compañera debe alguien muy especial !

Cheers

John

Haha, it would be nice if it were, wouldn't it? But I'm afraid there's
no nice equivalent expression in Spanish.

I must have missed this in your original post. In fact I split up with
the mother of my daughter 4 years ago and now travel every weekend to
be with my current partner, who lives near Lisbon, so unfortunately
it's unlikely I'll coincide with you in Madrid that Sunday, although
please remind me again nearer the date just in case.

Roger.

Well, it's only an hour's flight and I can assure you, it's worth it ;-)

I would recommend to anybody a side-trip to Lisbon if they have time
before or after their trip to Spain.

It's a wonderful city, perhaps still run-down in some areas, but for
me that only helps to maintain it's slightly decadent, colonial air,
always looking to the sea and its historic past.

Marvellous monuments, food, weather and people. And the Portuguese
wines are half bad either!

Roger.

Hi Stewart

I'm afraid I don't know Torrevieja itself but I reckon that you could
have a pleasant week using it as a base - although you would need a hire
car.

My recommendations would be Alicante - Castle, Museum of Contemporary art
Elche - palm tree gardens also rich early history
Murcia city is also worth a visit and Valencia's science museum is on my
list of things to do one of these days.
Calpe - climb the Penon de Ifach, eat sea food on the quay, take the
boat tour in the glass bottomed boat and you could probably visit  
Guadalest on the same trip.
Monteforte de Cid is somewhere I'd like to go only having seen it on TV
travel programs

I'm assured that there is plenty of walking in the immediate vicinity of
Torrevieja - there's a disused railway line that provides miles of
suitable terrain -
but by going a bit further afield you would be certain to find lovely
walking - in your search for guidebooks look out for the Costa Blanca  
volume in the Sunflower  Landscapes series.
One of my current favourites for walking the completely deserted beaches
of Lorca (another town with a museum) and the area north of Cabo Cope
are only about an hour away via the toll motorways.
This area is due to be developed but at the moment there's no sign on
the ground of this fate.

Sue James  

Stewart,

It's a bit far from Torrevieja, but if you want off the beaten track,
take an easy drive about 45 minutes east of Lorca to Velez Blanco.
There's a nice castle there (although the main courtyard is missing,
having been lifted out part & parcel & shipped to Manhattan during the
romantic era).  There's also a cool set of "cave" drawings -- really
"side of cliff" drawings -- that offer a spectacular view of the
valley below.  If you go to the drawings, be sure to get a guide to
explain them.  When I was there several years ago the municipality
employed guided tours off the side of the road for a small fee.

Lester

On Apr 28, 5:59 am, "Stewart Fishburne" <s...@globalnet.co.uk> wrote:

We will be staying one night at the Novotel near Barajas airport.

  There's a metro station next to it and it has a lift to accommodate my wheelchair-using wife.

  Piecing together the few and far between stations with elevators, I see we can take the (8) pink line to Nuevos Ministerios, then one stop on the (6) gray line to Cuator Cominos, then the (1) light blue line to Puerto del Sol.

  Any guesses on how long that will take -- an hour?  90 minutes?

  Anything under an hour and a half sure beats a day with nothing more than a corporate hotel pool for entertainment.

  Also, has anyone visited the Templo de Debod near Plaza Espana and found it worthwhile?

Steve Wright
2330 SW 13 ST Miami, FL 33145
305/776-3231 mobile    305/285-4830 fax

stevewrigh...@yahoo.com

Steve,

It'll take you around an hour I reckon.

But is it really worth the effort? Wouldn't it be easier to simply take a
taxi (there are specially adapted ones which can accommodate wheel chairs)
for around 25-30€?

The Templo de Debod is an interesting curiosity and makes for a nice visit -
and there are some nice views to be had nearby towards and over the Casa de
Campo park. The Temple itself can be seen and appreciated in ust 20mins.

The Teleferico (Cable car to the Casa de Campo) leaves from near here (Paseo
de Rosales), although I'm not at all sure if it's adapted for wheel chairs.

Roger.

On 5/23/08, Steve Wright <stevewrigh...@yahoo.com> wrote: