After checking out of Hotel Cervantes in Alicante on Sunday, I walked to the main train station - but because I was early, I stopped for a coffee about a block from the station. We were told that the Elite Bus Company would be there to pick us up at 12:45. When I got to the station, I saw a familiar looking face - as some point, Isabella and I have been on an English Immersion program together. We chatted and then saw other people who were waiting and our group grew to more than a half dozen. The bus was a bit late, but we still got to Hotel Allon Mediterrania in Villajoyosa by 2:00. What an amazing hotel - every room has a balcony that faces the Mediterranean and we are only separated from the beach by a narrow street and walkway. I had an end room so I had two balconies. My room was huge - some forty feet/twelve meters in length, with a king size bed and a king size sleeper sofa.
This is the smaller side balcony.
And this is the larger balcony looking out at the beach.
We ate lunch, had siesta and then some group activities to get to know each other, then dinner and a quiet evening. Monday morning, I went for a walk before breakfast. The hotel is in the middle of the beach. 1.5 km north is the port, 1.5 km south is a park - a pleasant 6 km walk in the morning sun.
Just beyond the park, there is construction of more beach facing condos and apartments by Happy Vila.
Each morning we had breakfast at 8:45 then four one-on-one sessions, lunch at 1:45, then siesta, group activities from 5:00 until 8:00ish and dinner at 8:45. Except for Wednesday, there was an optional activity after dinner.
During the one-on-ones, I often went for a walk with the Spaniard on my schedule. Sometimes we would go into town and have a coffee or a beer. Other times, we would take a leisurely walk - since I live in Phoenix, Arizona, when we saw Villa Phoenix, I had to take a photo - it is a beautiful home.
I am a morning person, so I would go for an hour long walk each morning, starting with a cup of coffee in a take away cup with cover. The local cafe opened at 5:30, I would be there by 6:15. I would loop back by the cafe for my second cup around 7:15/7:30 to have back in my room while working on my online classes. One morning, this mountain looked like a volcano erupting, but it was just the way the clouds were formed.
On Wednesday, we had a tour of Villajoyosa. Each Spaniard was given a fact sheet which they practiced with an Anglo during the early one-on-one session. Then all of us went on the tour. At each of the 15 places we stopped, a different Spaniard would tell us in English about the location. Several of the locations also had informational signs in Spanish and English.
At several times, we hard about Villajoyosa having walls, but we never saw them. Later, on my walks, I found where a section of the old city walls still existed from the 1500s.
I also found many different walkways and roads from the city down to the beach.
I loved this venue - beach, great hotel with excellent rooms and an excellent buffet for every meal. I hope to return to Hotel Allon Mediterrania and Villajoyosa.
Awesome recap Tom! Thanks!
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