Hotel Sol Elite Costa Blanca Benidorm

So today is our last day and we are both ready to be done with it! We arrived not until noon in Alicante and we had reserved an excursion to see two towns near Alicante. One was Jalon and is famous for Muscatel wine and the other was Aleta famous for nothing except that the tour guide lives there. So this day turned out to be a double holiday in Spain and ...

... getting ourselves into, we embarked on the hike with just our "flippy-floppies". The start of the hike was nothing more than a walk in the park with a nice stone path that led us into a manmade tunnel. The tunnel was pretty neat, complete with ropes to help guide us in the dark and to avoid bailing on the slick rock. Once out of the tunnel, the path changed ...

These pictures are from me trying to take a photo of myself writing with my ancient feather pen from the Alicante market and from walking around Alicante on a tour of the the two cathedrals, San Nicolas y Santa Barbara.<br>The pictures later are from our visit to two little pueblos just outside of Alicante; Guadalest and Altea. In the little town of Guadalest is a beautiful castle ...

... I realize that my phobia of large horrid American groups of people are realized when we walk through el barrio and we get all these horrible stares for being Americano and obnoxious. I hate tourists in Chicago, of course I don't wanna be one in Spain! And I know how much hassle it is for not much thanks, (thanks Walgreens). And so I hate being ostentatious like that. We did get some free drinks and the food was on CIEE which ...

... with: "What nationality are you?" I stared at him blankly and replied "British", I joked, "this is the BRITISH consulate". He then wisely replied "no, no. Many people don´t realise this but Britain actually consists of England, Scottland, and Wales". At this point someone else sitting behind, him who we had previously spoke to, started to silently cry laughing. I replied "yeh, I know but....." He then interupted me and said "no, your not hearing me, the Island ...

So, day 2 in Alacant. Had to start off by finding the British consulate so Alex can get a new passport. After a pretty standard day we bought some cheap Sangria and food which we cooked in the courtyard of the hostel. Thats right 7 euros a night and it has an f-in courtyard. We cooked food, drank and ate with a few of the German dudes whilst the rest of the guys where lost in the city. After ...

... shoes. . . . But i didnt have no clues. . . Crazy man at night. . . . gave Alex a fright. . . . its not these times we choose. . . . Its the Barcalona/Peniscola Blues" . . . . and so it went on. <br><br>After a truly genius and uplifting night the Belgians and Germans who were supposed to be leaving in the morning decided to stay another day. Then we all slept in our own amazingly comfortable beds. Awesome.

... usual and fell asleep in a wierd location (motorway traffic Island) as usual. Then, as usual, whilst going to the toilet a big animal started rustling around in a bush next to me. I nonchalently threw a massive rock in there to freak it out. <br><br>Then we soundly fell asleep to the sound of heavy traffic a few meters away.

Mit: Patrick aus Österreich<br><br>Wir reisen im gut klimatisierten Zug schnell aus Alicante hinaus, fahren an El Campello vorbei, ein malerische Bucht, wo auch viel Englisch zu hören ist, wie ich am nächsten Tag feststellen kann, villa Joyosa und dann Benidorm. Der Name klingt für meine Ohren ja recht ulkig, man soll sich aber nicht an offensichtlichen Äußerlichkeiten festhängen. Denn:<br><br>Benidorm ist auf Anhieb sympathisch. Adrett, Sauber, viel leiser und ...

... that whole enrollment thing sound easy, but that was a story in itself, but all I can say, is we are feeling really comfortable about our choice of schools; the tutors are absolutely lovely, and really do have a genuine love of children. So that done, we all look forward to the 7 January, when the schools recommence for the term. The last 'official' thing on our list (after residence, phone, internet, padron, school ...