Our grand tour of southern Spain in a motorhome January 22nd Day Eight

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 Sunday 22^nd January Day eight

We cycle 28 miles to day, over to Port Saplaya, across into Valencia and then back again via the port once more. All along well made but not so well signposted cycle lanes. Everyone and their dog are out this morning as we cycle across the flat plain where market gardening is the dominant land use. 

The Spanish certainly know how to grow things. The soil is finely sieved, light, sandy and well ridged and furrowed. Not a stone to be seen. Early potatoes, well grown artichokes, fields of onions, cabbages and spinach. It is genuinely impressive and actually I feel puts us to shame back in the UK. Ok, I know we don't have such a conducive climate but even so, here everyone seems to have an allotment somewhere.

Down at the tiny marina on the beach front we stop for coffee and admire the views of palm trees, promenade and golden sandy beaches. Quite windy and small surf waves provide challenges to stand up paddle boarders. In the neighbouring bay between groynes, surfers catch some good waves.

We cycle into the city where we eventually join up with the Jardi del Turia park area. It runs in a continuous long line east and north of the city and we stop to watch a baseball game. Great fun and boy the shock batters must feel as they contact the ball. It leaves the pitchers hand at a blistering speed. The two teams were taking it very seriously as were the women in the keep fit group exercising to the beat of bongo drummers, an African band who put their heart and soul into their rhythms.  The women, of all ages, were, frankly, scarily fit! Lots of people strolling in the park and plenty on bikes. Lots of youth football matches on going at the youth academy, all on artificial turf. They take their football just as seriously. 

Further along we come to the most extraordinary buildings and area I've seen in a long time. The museum quarter known as the Ciutat de les Arts i Les Ciencies . It is difficult to adequately describe these huge white buildings. Impressive, works of art? Architectural extravaganzas? Suffice to say, it felt like we'd time warped into a futuristic city straight out of Star Trek or Guardians of the Galaxy. They likely filmed here.  

We have not given ourselves enough time here. Two days is insufficient to do Valencia justice. The tourist shop owner was right! The science museum and marine aquarium will take a day alone. We will alter our itinerary to make sure we have enough time to come back in on the return leg of our tour. 

We cycle back the way we came, stopping at a gelateria owned by some Italians in the port marina. Hot chocolate and pastries. Hot chocolate here is not like we do it in the UK. It is actually hot melted chocolate...think hot chocolate thick mousse. The consistency of gloop. Very tasty but very, very naughty.
Back at base, we plan tomorrow's route, sort the van, empty the toilet cassette and load up the bikes. It's been a good day. Warm but breezy. Doesn't a healthy dollop of sunshine do you the power of good? 

It's 20.00 and in the space of a few minutes I’ve managed to wipe the router and get error code E 15H on the Truma panel. It's not going well. Stargazing is off because a forty-foot-high warehouse wall blocks my view of Polaris which I need for stargazing.  It's not going well at all 😄👍