Andalucia Day 52 Alicante

The tram stop is just 5 minutes walk from Margot's house and soon takes us to the centre of Alicante. It's a quick, clean, efficient service. Once again there are a lot of high-rise apartment blocks, there's a historic centre but it's quite small.

We have a look at the market, where prices for fish are quite high and the selection is not as good as we have seen further south. Instead there's a really excellent dried fruit stall. Clean tidy hygienic with the origins of the items clearly stated, good prices, we'd been keeping an eye on the price of almonds in the various markets and supermarkets because our stock of  homegrown walnuts is much depleted by the fact we are travelling instead of being there to collect them at the right time! We buy a kilo of dried ginger, small pieces but not coated with loads of sugar, very good. Then local almonds, natural and fried and salty, half a kilo each and a kilo of the local dried figs, dried but still soft and delicious. Quite a weight for the rucksack but we are very pleased with these purchases.

After a look around the centre and at the Basilica it should be time for lunch. TripAdvisor is unsatisfactory, Alicante is big, the reviews in English are all good of just about everywhere but when we stop by prices seem high and portions mysterious.We are getting tired, hungry and consequently irritable when fortunately we find Cafeteria La Lonja in a street behind the market. What a relief, 7.50 euros for menu del día of mixed salad, squid stew and rice with fish as a first course, pork loin and fried cod for the second, dessert and beer included. Simple abundant genuine food, just what we needed after a little too much bread and jamón.

We have a stroll along the promenade and stop for a rest and to decide where to go over the next few days on the way home, something which kept us up last night as well. We don't really get anything decided and after a coffee we head up to the Castle.

It takes about 20 minutes to walk up the 169 metres difference in height to Castillo de Santa Bárbara. The view stretches across Alicante's skyscrapers to the mountains beyond and of course, the sea, there are dozens of good-natured seagulls wheeling, landing, taking off or just looking at the view like the tourists. The castle is large and it's free to go in, there are lots of people and it's quite well conserved and rebuilt, the most interesting thing to see in Alicante.

We linger until after the sunset and then walk down to the town to go back to Margot's to puzzle over maps and accommodation.

Kilometres by car: 0

Kilometres on foot: 16