Calpe & the Costa Blanca

We arrived here in Calpe this past Friday after a wet drive down from Valencia. The "move in" was easy, and while we needed to do a bit of cleaning to get things up to Norma's exacting standards, in general we were impressed with our $44/night apartment.  Most importantly, the view from our balcony is to die for:

Pretty special!  We are right on the beach, with everything we need in easy walking distance. There are a ton of walking routes up and down the beach and further along the coast, as well as a great set of trails up the rock you see in the photo, known locally as the "Penyal d'Ilfac." Pretty  much everything Norma has been hoping for!  As for me, the cycling is the main attraction to Calpe...

After getting settled in, I then set to work unpacking and building up my bike.  On Saturday morning, i set out with a group I've been following on Strava - a bunch of primarily Belgians who call themselves "Fietsvrienden Calpe," and who ride almost daily from a local cafe/bike shop named Baguet- after a local ex-Pro cyclist who owns the place.

My first ride with a local group was a bit more than I probably should have taken on, but .. in for a penny, in for a pound!  The route, as is typical around here, headed quickly inland and upward. For my first ride outdoors since mid-November I was pretty happy with my fitness, and managed to stay with the Belgians for most of the 69 miles & 5800' of climbing or so.  But...the scenery was spectacular!

All that on just one ride. Great roads, very courteous drivers in the few cars to be seen, and a TON of other cyclists, ranging from the many retirees here, to a dozen or more professional teams that run their winter training camps along the Costa Blanca.  After this ride, I've been out on two more on subsequent days, and I'm not sure when I'll need to repeat the same route, other than the initial road out of town. Definitely a cyclist's paradise.

In addition to riding lots, both Norma and I have been walking around plenty too. Norma has twice hiked up onto the Penyal D'Ilfac trails, and we've also walked together along most of the nearby beach strand or boardwalk.  Lots of shops and restaurants, and the views are always changing. 

Finally, in addition to our apartment being very reasonable, the food, both in restaurants and at the grocery store is very cheap!  Yesterday while out walking the strand, we stopped for a snack/brunch that totaled $7.00 for the two of us ...

...and with a view no less!

I guess that's about it for now- Hasta la vista from the Costa Blanca ;-)