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By Vicky Wells, on October 27th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
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Oct 27 ~ Day #170
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17000
|
$112.39
|
$15014.54
|
$88.32
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
6378.9+544.3=6923.2
|
7662
|
168
|
30304.2
|
Current Location: On Board the Celebrity Century visiting Malaga, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $112.39
Cruise: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Transportation: $10.05 (local buses)
Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 544.3 (473 Nautical Miles – Barcelona to Malaga)
Visiting Malaga, Spain
We walked into Malaga and spent time wandering along the beach and exploring the city.
We had been to this area of Spain before but it was many, many years ago – 1990! So, of course, it was like discovering it all over again.
Local Transportation
There were tours and excursions for this area but we decided to just hop on the local transportation to see where it took us.
We spent a good bit of time riding the local buses and getting a feel for the city. We took three different local buses and got a view of the coast and the hills.
Lovely Dinner
Tonight our choice for dinner, for the both of us, was a lovely steak and then Tiramisu for dessert.
This being a North American cruise line, we had lots of water with dinner and a hot cup of coffee with our dessert!
Time Warp
Of course, as we start heading back to North America, the time is going to change. Tonight was the first night we had to put our clocks back by one hours.
By Vicky Wells, on October 26th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 26 ~ Day #169
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16900
|
$102.34
|
$14902.15
|
$88.18
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29759.9
|
Current Location: At Sea Onboard the Celebrity Century
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
At sea all day, will record mileage at next port.
Lazy Day at Sea
After our full schedule in Dénia and Barcelona, it was nice to have a day just to relax. It was also a good thing to give my remaining footwear a break. It had been a long walk just getting to the cruise ship yesterday. And, on top of that, we spent time walking around downtown Barcelona as well.
On Board Activities
There always seemed to be some on board activities planned and we joined in with a couple of things.
I like trivia games. Geoff usually just plays along and is not as interested as I am, but he usually ends up winning anyway – darn him!
One of the activities today was Gender Wars – a Trivial Pursuit game pitting the men against the women.
I can’t actually remember the outcome, so I guess that means the women lost. 
Later in the day there was more trivia in Hemisphere lounge. Not Trivial Pursuit, just answering trivia questions. People formed teams and won little trinkets as prizes. We never got enough answers to even challenge the winners.
Meet the Captain
Tonight was the traditional “meet the Captain” night. That made it our first formal night and everyone looked terrific!
By Vicky Wells, on October 25th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 25 ~ Day #168
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16800
|
$114.51
|
$14799.81
|
$88.09
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29759.9
|
Current Location: Celebrity Century, Barcelona, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $114.51
Transportation: $3.91 (€2.80 – subway to cruise port)
Cruise: $102.34 (transportation, accommodation, food & entertainment)
Food: $8.26 (€2.98 – tuna sub in Barcelona for lunch & €2.94 – Sangria to take on ship)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Hotel to Cruise Port
After checking with a few people at the front desk at our hotel in Barcelona, we determined, I think, that we can take the subway (which is just a couple of blocks from our hotel) to the cruise port.
So, that’s exactly what we did.
With a little help from a local person at the subway station, we found which way we needed to go and what station we needed to get off at.
We figured we had it all covered. Well – almost.
So, Where’s the Ship?
We got off the subway and began to look around to see if we could determine where we should go.
We could see the ocean – that’s a plus – but the port is pretty big and we didn’t want to charge off in the wrong direction.
We followed some people who seemed to know where they were going and were heading towards the port. Also, we could see shuttle busses for the MSC cruise line – the cruise line that we had taken for the Greek Island cruise.
Getting lots of exercise with our loaded backpacks, we walked, and walked, and walked – finally stopping at a hotel and asking the concierge where we would find that Celebrity Cruise Line check-in.
He pulled out a map of the port and showed us which way to go. It didn’t look very far so we headed off.
After what seemed like quite a long walk, we stopped at a ferry office and asked again about Celebrity.
In very broken English a gentleman said we were headed in the right direction but it was probably about 3 or 4 kilometers more. YIKES!
He suggested we catch the local port bus and pointed it out to us. But in our infinite wisdom we were sure it couldn’t be that much farther.
We should have listened.
But, we didn’t, so we continued walking and getting all kinds of exercise. Fortunately, it was a pleasant day for a walk.
We finally got to the bridge that would take us to where Celebrity was supposed to dock. That’s right, we had to walk over a rather large bridge – meaning uphill the first half of the way.
But, we did it and got to where the Celebrity Century was SUPPOSED to be.
But, they were taking bags and checking people in and we were assured we were at the right place.
We gladly gave them our backpacks and headed into the terminal to check in.
The reason the ship wasn’t at the dock was because it was late. It wouldn’t be there until at least 4:00pm (the time we were supposed to leave).
Celebrity Cruise LInes Understands Customer Service
After checking in, by way of apology because the ship was late, they told us that they would give each passenger a $25 onboard credit.
In addition to that, they had shuttle busses taking those who wanted to go into downtown Barcelona. The busses would be running until 4:00pm.
As it was only about noon, we decided to take advantage of the shuttle bus as we had not explored the downtown area.
We walked around a bit (like we needed more walking – but it was much easier without our backpacks) and stopped into a sub shop to have a tuna sub for lunch.
We also picked up a couple of bottles of Sangria to take on the ship with us. Celebrity actually allows passengers to bring a couple of bottles of wine or liquor onboard at the start of the cruise – very unusual for any cruise line.
Waiting to Board
If you’ve ever been on a cruise you know that the board process can be – well – slow and boring.
When you check in you get a boarding group number and you have to wait until that is called to be able to board.
Because we were, for all intents and purposes, in the “cheap seats”, we were among the last to board. We just had to sit around waiting for them to call our number.
When we were finally called the boarding process was fairly smooth and we were greeted by several officers and a terrific cruise director (more about her later), in addition to a welcoming glass of champagne.
Thanks for the Upgrade
One thing everyone should know about booking a cruise is – don’t pick a specific stateroom, just pick a guaranteed category. If you do that you’re much more likely to get an automatic upgrade.
That’s exactly what happened to us.
We picked the cheapest category. We should have been in the bowels of the ship – but we ended up on the Penthouse deck! Now, it was still an inside cabin. You’ll never get an upgrade from an inside to an outside cabin, but it was still great to get the upgrade that we did.
The stateroom was very roomy and comfortable.
Dinner the First Night
We had selected late seating because the early seating just seemed way to early for us.
We were at a table for eight and we were the only ones there. We were hoping that the rest of the guests were just too tired for the late seating.
We had a wonderful first dinner, even though it was kind of lonely. I had Coq Au Vin and Geoff had a Braised Lamb Shank that I swear could have fed two or three people.
By Vicky Wells, on October 24th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 24 ~ Day #167
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16700
|
$109.61
|
$14685.30
|
$87.94
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29759.9
|
Current Location: NH Forum Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $109.61
Accommodation: $73.24
Food: $36.37 (€19.70 lunch buffet + €6.35 groceries)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Barcelona & Gaudi
Barcelona is synonymous with Gaudi and we were not going to miss the opportunity to see his most famous, and still under construction, work.
La Sagrada Familia
After getting some idea of the distance that La Sagrada Familia was from our hotel, we made the decision to walk to this famous landmark.
Walking, as we have said before, is our favorite method of exploring a new place. We find we get a better feel for things that way rather than only being a spectator from a bus, train or taxi.
It’s fairly apparent that we do a lot of walking given the footwear I’ve been through on this trip. My walking shoes gave out in Croatia and now my very comfy leather sandals are starting to come apart. It’s a good thing we’ll be getting on the ship for our transAtlantic cruise tomorrow.
It didn’t take us as long as expected to get to La Sagrada Familia. It surprised us, though, that the city Barcelona encroached on this cathedral on all sides. It is on a plot of land just large enough to contain it, and no more.
We had expected it to be on a much larger piece of land given it notoriety and importance.
Nonetheless it was fascinating and impressive and we were once again lamenting our lack of a camera.
Lunch in the Shadow of Gaudi
Our tummies were reminding us that it was definitely time for lunch but we weren’t quite ready to leave.
We don’t often eat out but we couldn’t resist the chance to dine with a view of La Sagrada.
So, we splurged a little and treated ourselves to a leisurely lunch overlooking Gaudi’s masterpiece.
Another Gaudi Building – Casa Milà
We had a map of Barcelona with us and took a different route back to our hotel which took us past an apartment building that had been designed by Gauda – Casa Milà.
We didn’t get a chance to see Park Guell which was also designed by Gaudi, on this trip.’
However, we hope to return to Barcelona some day. It’s a beautiful city and we definitely enjoyed our short stay here.
By Vicky Wells, on October 23rd, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 23 ~ Day #166
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16600
|
$171.70
|
$14575.69
|
$87.81
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263+288=15551
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29759.9
|
Current Location: NH Forum Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $171.70
Transportation: $98.46 (€67.72 bus to Barcelona + €2.80 bus to hotel)
Accommodation: $73.24
Miles Traveled Today:
Road Miles: 288 (Dénia to Barcelona)
Taking the Bus from Dénia to Barcelona
There was more than one choice of bus going from Dénia to Barcelona, but only one going during the day.
It turned out that that one was also the shortest (time wise) to get to Barcelona. The ones that went overnight took as long as 14 hours. Yikes!
However, we wanted this to be a sightseeing experience as much as we wanted it to be a mode of transportation, so we took the bus leaving at 10:00am and arriving in Barcelona at 6:00pm.
That’s right – it was an eight hour bus trip.
However, surprisingly enough, it simply didn’t seem like it took that long.
In several places we were able to see the coastline and there were several stops along the way. At some of them we had a half-hour to 45-minute break to get out and stretch our legs or get something to eat.
We had packed a lunch before leaving the unit that morning to take with us on the trip so we had water, sandwiches and grapes. Plenty of food for the trip.
We didn’t want to be forced into buying overpriced food and bus stations along the way.
We Go Where? And Do What?
It seems that when people give directions for things that are second nature to them some important details seem to get left out.
At the information booth at the Barcelona Nord Bus Station, we spoke with a woman whose English was impeccable and asked where we would find the bus we needed.
Geoff had already printed out directions from the Barcelona Bus System’s website, so we knew which bus we needed to take.
Her directions seemed simply enough – go upstairs, out the door and across the street. And, that’s exactly what we did.
However, all we saw were taxis and absolutely nothing that resembled a bus stop – not to us, anyway.
We walked up and down the street the main bus station was on but were still confused.
We stopped to talk to a motorcyclist, who spoke no English, to see if he could help. Just as we were getting across the concept that we were looking for Bus 54, he pointed at a bus (Bus 54) that was coming down the street.
I pretty jumped into the middle of the street and indicated that we wanted to get on.
The startled bus driver pointed to a bus stop just around the corner and we hustled over there and got on the bus.
Geoff explained, or tried to, where we were going. The bus driver seemed to indicate that the street we were looking for was 16 stops along the line. The instructions Geoff had said it was 15 stops. So, we didn’t know if he was counting the stop we were getting on at or not and it was just too complicated for people who didn’t speak the same language to get that figured out.
Finding Our Hotel
We counted the stops, got off at the 15th stop (not counting the one where we got on) and found we were at the right street.
The instructions we had was that it was about a 10 minute walk from the bus station to the hotel.
Now, remember, we’ve both got rather heavy backpacks on and are carrying some luggage as well and we’re very, very tired. But, what do you do?
So, we headed off in the direction that we were pretty sure was right and just a few steps along – there was our hotel! Yay!
The gentleman that checked us in spoke perfect English and we happily dropped our backpacks in the room and relaxed for a while.
We still had some sandwiches and water left over from our trip and that became supper.
We did a quick walk around the area we were in and then just settled in for the night.
The room was fairly basic but also fairly new and very comfortable.
Our bed, however, was two singles pushed together – and made up separately. The beds were also on wheels so you had to make sure you didn’t roll over onto the crack between the beds because if you did the beds would roll apart and you could possibly end up on the floor.
Hey – it almost happened to me!
By Vicky Wells, on October 22nd, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 22 ~ Day #165
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16500
|
$33.73
|
$14403.99
|
$87.30
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29471.9
|
Current Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $33.73
Accommodation: $28.14
Entertainment: $5.59 (€4.00 – Dénia Castle)
Our Last Day in Dénia
Sometimes we’re just not sure where the time goes, but this was our last day in Dénia and so we decided to visit the Dénia Castle.
We had planned to visit it earlier in our stay but just never got to it. So, today, we made it our top priority.
It was an easy walk from our hotel and we arrived there mid-morning.
It is an impressive structure and we spent lots of time walking around the ruins and up on the walls and ramparts. It has a pretty impressive view over the ocean and the whole town of Dénia. The archaeological museum that was housed in part of the castle, was small but informative.
Time To Pack – Again
The rest of the day was spent just relaxing and then packing for our trip to Barcelona tomorrow.
By Vicky Wells, on October 21st, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 21 ~ Day #164
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16400
|
$44.59
|
$14370.26
|
$87.62
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29471.9
|
urrent Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $44.59
Transportation: $6.98 (€5.00 – bus)
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $9.47 (€6.78)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Costa La Calma
Today we decided to take the bus in the other direction along the coast.
This trip was much, much longer and the end of the line was at a small river emptying into the ocean. There was only a footbridge across this little river.
More Walking
We, again, did lots and lots of walking. Some of it along the beach, some along the sidewalks when we thought there might be interesting things to see in the small towns.
Some of the beaches are groomed, some are not and I’m really not sure what the criteria would be for the beaches that are, or are not, cleaned.
Checking Out Real Estate
We passed many, many real estate agents along our walk but most of them were closed.
We did stop by one that was open and the lady there was very, very helpful.
We explained that although we are looking to move to Europe, we haven’t actually decided where. And, on top of that, we will probably rent for at least a year before we buy anything.
This did not deter her enthusiasm at all and she was happy to give us all the info we wanted. She also suggested that she show us a rental property to give us some idea of what was available in the area.
She showed us a lovely 3-bedroom house on a decent piece of land that was only steps to the beach. It came furnished and with all the dishes and linens as well.
It was, however, a bit out of our budget at about $1200/month (€850/month) if you rented it for a year. If you rented it for just the winter months then it would be only $1050/month (€750/month) because the high season here is the summer. You see, the get about $10,000 (€7000) for just July and August. So, often it’s more profitable for them to let it just sit empty during the low season than lower the monthly rate for a year long, or six month long rental that includes those months.
But, all this did give us some idea of what we could expect to get for what we’re willing to pay.
What Is It About Me and Insects?
It seems that no matter where I go if there are any biting or stinging insects in the area they will find me!
And, today was no different.
While we were walking along the beach a felt something on my thigh and brushed it away. Wrong thing to do!
OUCH!
I saw the wasp that I had just brushed away on the ground at my feet. But, he somehow had plenty of time to sting me!
I immediately headed for the ocean and splashed the sting area with salt water. It didn’t seem too bad – at first. After the next few days it would get much worse, with the read area spreading across quite a large portion of my thigh and swelling as well. Not to mention it got quite itchy for a few days, too.
It seems I just can’t escape this kind of thing no matter where I go. Sigh.
It’s Melting … Melting
On the way back to the timeshare unit we stopped and picked up a few more groceries.
We were both in the mood for some type of dessert and we bought what we thought was simply a frozen cake.
You see, we didn’t have a freezer in the tiny little fridge in our apartment.
Any way, when we took the cake out of the fridge for dessert we found that it was, or rather HAD BEEN, an ice cream cake.
It was a little runny and a little messy, but we still enjoyed it for dessert.
By Vicky Wells, on October 20th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 20 ~ Day #163
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16300
|
$40.99
|
$14325.67
|
$87.89
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29471.9
|
Current Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $40.99
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $12.85 (€9.20 – groceries)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Real Estate Agent in Spain
This trip is about more than just showing how easy it is to travel cheaply. It is also for us to try to determine where we might like to live in Europe.
We have decided that it’s time to consider moving to our “final” house. So, a lot of this trip has also been to get a “taste” of the countries we might want to look into in more detail.
As Geoff is also a British Citizen, that opens up the entire European Union to us.
So, along the way, we have also been looking at the cost of real estate, the cost of living, the culture, the “feel” of each country, etc.
Because our Spanish is very limited – okay, let’s be honest then – pretty much non-existent – we wanted to talk to a real estate agent that spoke English.
As luck would have it, on one of our walks earlier in the week, we passed by an office that seemed to fit the bill. The sign said “Estate Agent” and they also displayed a British flag, so we decided to head back to their office today.
We spoke with Shirley Barker of Abbey Properties who was very helpful.
Even though we explained that our timetable meant we would probably not be back for about a year and even then we may rent for a while before we considered buying, she was happy to show us what properties were available in our price range and explain the process of purchasing property in Spain.
We even left with some printouts of various properties in our price range knowing full well that these exact properties would not be available in a year’s time.
Shirley herself was British married to an Australian and they have lived in Spain for over 40 years. Thanks Shirley!
Planning for Tomorrow’s Adventure
Up until this point we had not been all that impressed with the “beaches” we had found around Dénia. However, after talking with Shirley at Abbey Properties, she assured us that there was over 20 miles of beach stretching from the Port of Dénia North (east?).
There is a bus that leaves from the port heading that way and we decided that that is what we would do tomorrow.
Downtime and Dinner
So, the balance of the day was just a lazy day and some downtime.
We made ourselves a lovely pork chop dinner this evening, that was quite a challenge given that we only have a two-burner stove, but it was delicious.
By Vicky Wells, on October 19th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 19 ~ Day #162
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16200
|
$56.69
|
$14284.68
|
$88.18
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29471.9
|
Current Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $56.69
Transportation: $3.49 (€2.50 – bus)
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $25.06 (€17.95)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Note: we will only record miles when traveling from place to place and not within a town or city.
Looking for the Beach
From the map we got from Tourist Information here in Dénia, it looked to us like the entire coastline of Dénia was beach.
So, packed lunch, blanket and water in hand, we headed off to catch the local bus (there are only 4 local buses, 3 of which drive along the coastline and 1 that goes to the hospital).
The route we were taking was called Las Rotas and we were able to catch it just down from our timeshare.
It arrived more or less on time – hey, this is Spain, after all. We got on and paid our fare – €1.25 each, which seemed reasonable until we realized just how short a trip it was.
We had actually walked almost halfway ourselves the day before. And, as we found on our walk there really wasn’t a whole lot of beach, but we were hopeful that we would find more beach as the map seemed to indicate that.The map also indicated a naturist beach at the end of the bus line.
End of the Line
We hadn’t been on the bus for what seemed like a very long time when it backed up in front of a seaside restaurant and was then headed back in the direction we had come.
Yep, this must be the end of the line.
So, we got off and still couldn’t see anything but rocky coastline, but did not give up hope.
This is a Beach?
We walked to the end of the road and saw a small – very small – hmmm, I’m really not sure I can call it a beach, more a patch of gravel. But, it was on the ocean and it even had steps down to it.
According to our map this was La Cala Naturist Beach. There was barely room of half a dozen people!
We thought perhaps we had the wrong place, so we continued to walk up the hill next to the beach to see if there was anything more beyond here. But, no, this had to be it.
There were actually several people there, none apparent naturists. So, we spread our blanket and had our lunch and spent some time in the sun.
Being “beachologists” ourselves and having written the book, The Elusive Beaches of Eleuthera, we would not have even mentioned something like this as a beach let along named it, but there it was on the map.
Heading Back
Just before 3:00pm we decided to head back to our timeshare. We thought the buses ran more or less every hour and we had been dropped off around 20 minutes past the hour when we arrived, so it seemed reasonable to assume that the return bus should be there at about 3:20pm, right?
On closer examination of the posted bus schedule, we noticed that there was a two hour break at that time of day and the next bus wouldn’t arrive for at least another hour.
More Walking
Rather than wait for at least another hour we decided to start walking back figuring, if we got too tired, we could always head back up to the main road and catch the later bus at some point in its journey.
Coastal Walkway
The coastal walkway at this end (southern?) of Dénia is actually quite impressive and makes for a pleasant walk. For a lot of the way it is paved with flagstone and concrete and closer into town it is paved with interlocking stone.
There are many benches placed all along the route so you can stop and rest and enjoy the view and sound of the ocean.
We so enjoyed the walk that it seemed like no time before we were back to the section that we had already walked the day before.
So, there was no point in taking the return bus anyway, we were almost home and it had only been about an hour.
This was a way more pleasant way to spend the hour we could have spent just sitting and waiting for our bus.
More Groceries
We stopped at the small grocery store just a little ways from our timeshare and picked up a few more groceries – and a little more wine, too!
We had found a lovely Sangria and decided to get some more. Now, don’t go thinking that we’re spending a lot of money on wine that we are reporting in our daily expenses. Any such purchase is included in the Food expenses category. And, this Sangria was only €1.45/litre (about $2.02) and it was very nice.
We also found some red wine and white wine that were in the same price range – or cheaper – but the Sangria was by far the best.
Laundry and Relaxing
The rest of the afternoon was spent doing laundry (that is something that, on such a long trip, we just can’t ever seem to escape) and relaxing.
Relaxing with some Sangria, cheese and grapes, that is!
By Vicky Wells, on October 18th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
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Oct 18 ~ Day #161
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Budget to date
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Spent today
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Total to date
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Daily average
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Total
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$16100
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$46.05
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$14227.99
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$88.37
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Miles by Road
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Miles by Sea
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Miles by Air
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Miles by Train
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Total Miles
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15263
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6378.9
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7662
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168
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29471.9
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Current Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $46.05
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $17.91 (€13.30 – groceries)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Monday Market
This morning we decided we needed to walk back into the main part of town and get more information from the Tourist Information Centre about what there is to see and do.
We also needed to find a bank machine to get some more money out (there just never seems to be enough, does there?). We were supposed to do that yesterday but I forgot to bring my cards with me and the bank machines don’t just give you money because you ask nicely – darn!
On our walk into town we noticed that a large section of one of the main streets was closed to traffic and there was a huge market of just about everything you could think of – clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry, toys and lots more. And, as far as I could tell, the prices seemed not only reasonable but very, very good.
I have to admit that I was sorely tempted to stop and look at some things but, as you know, we’re traveling light and on a very strict budget. But it was still tempting, sigh!
Tourist Information
Even with some language difficulties (mostly that we didn’t speak Spanish) we got a lot of help and information from the Tourist Info Centre.
We found out there was a bus that runs along the coast in Dénia. They start at the centre of the port and go either North or South (east of west?) along the coastline. But that seems to be it for local buses except one that goes to the hospital.
We plan to take the one that goes toward Las Rotas tomorrow. The next day we plan to take the one that goes to Las Marinas and then you can also change buses and continue on along the coastline to Playa Calma. We’re hoping for a little beach time.
Walking Along the “Beach”
There is a beach, with a lovely walking path just a short walk from our hotel. We decided to take a stroll along what we thought was a mostly sandy coastline.
The beach near our hotel, while sandy, really isn’t very big, so we were hoping to find better.
We walked for quite a while in the direction that we’ll actually be taking the bus tomorrow and found mostly rocky coastline. However, the walking path is wonderful – wide and well kept and there always seems to be lots of people taking advantage of it.
A Bit of a Nip in the Air
Even though we are in Southern Spain, the Costa Blanca actually, we’re certainly not as far south as you can get in Spain.
Although the weather is mostly in the 70s, there’s a decided nip in the air whenever there’s a wind or you get out of the sun.
Tonight we even put the heat on in the unit.
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