May 31, 2024
Vila Joiosa
Today’s ride to Vila Joiosa is a short one so we had enough time to go to the Central Market for a look around and have a sit-down breakfast before moving on.
The Central Market is large with meats, sausages and dairy on the main floor and seafood and produce on the level below. It occupies about 11,000 square metres and has almost 300 stalls. In addition there are vendors selling breads and pastries, herbs and spices, and wines of the region. Then there are the cafes where you can stop for a coffee and a light snack.
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Outside in the plaza are the flower vendors. All in all, it is a wonderful place to browse and shop.
There is a sad back-story to this market, however. It was originally built in 1922, but is now a symbol of the suffering the people of Alicante endured in their fight against Fascism during the Spanish Civil War.
On May 25, 1938, aircraft flown by Franco’s Italian allies attacked the city. There were no military targets, just an attack on civilians. The market was hit with 90 bombs and over 300 people were killed, with many more injured. The scale of destruction was on par with the deaths at Guernica. Today, the clock in the market is set at the time of the bombing and a metal plaque in the plaza has an inscription about the event. We initially saw the pile of flowers on the plaque but didn’t know about this history until we had a closer look.
I find markets irresistible, even though I am not likely to buy much of anything. So, in we went for a good look at the abundance of incredible food. We bought some cherries and pastries, snacks for the road.
I think I might have to buy a Raf tomato so I can save some seeds and see if I can grow them in Victoria. They are an heirloom, so they will grow true to the parent. I don’t have high hopes, but it will be fun to give it a try.
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We had a leisurely breakfast in the plaza (fresh squeezed OJ, coffee and tosta’s), then we checked out of our suite and pushed off down the hill to the beach. It was about 11am by then and the beach was packed.
Our route today basically followed the coastal road once we left Alicante. As we made our way east, we stopped for a look back and noticed that two cruise ships had moved in overnight. One of them was huge and dwarfed the one docked behind it.
We stayed on the minor highway all the way to our destination, Vila Joiosa. It was quite lumpy as you can see in the profile below and, instead of the lovely breeze we have been accustomed to, we were accompanied by a 20-25 km/h headwind the whole way. Yes, it kept us cool but it was unrelenting and became tiring.
We came upon a coastal pathway not far out of Alicante which looked enticing so we hung a right and followed it, only to discover after considerable persistence on our part, it led nowhere. Due to construction, the path was completely closed off, although there were no signs warning of this. It meant we had to ride all the way back to the turn off and ride that section along the highway. It was a little frustrating, but in retrospect this is the first such experience we have had on this trip and we should probably count ourselves lucky.
There are many truly spectacular beaches along this coast. The one pictured below is Cala d’Or.
Midway along the beach promenade, we stumbled on an international beach volleyball competition. Our zoom fitness instructor is a former national volleyball champion, so naturally, we had to stop and watch part of a game between Belgium and Germany.
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After that short break, we were back on the road. The minor highway we were on today was the N332. It’s the only road besides the freeway that connects the coastal towns. For the most part it had a good, clean shoulder, but occasionally it narrowed to the point that we had to ride to the left of the the white line. Holding a steady line into the wind, with traffic, was not easy.
There was one tunnel to navigate and it was not particularly long and we were not concerned about it as we entered but we were turned off by a woman yelling at us about halfway along. Honestly, it’s hard enough to cycle through a tunnel with a bunch of cars (the sound is unbelievable), and to have someone yell at you when they are right beside you is just a little unnerving. It seemed so un-Spanish so we shook it off and carried on.
Eventually, the sign for the Vila Joiosa appeared and we coasted downhill for the final 3 km. Vila Joiosa has an old town which presented a distinctly warm and inviting welcome. We found our accommodation and were soon being greeted by a lovely young woman, Sandra, and led up to our room.
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Here’s what today’s ride was like from the saddle.
We left our bikes at the hotel reception and went up to the room for a cooldown and rest. Sandra recommended several restaurants to us and, as it turns out, there is an abundance of excellent restaurants in this cute little town. We chose T-class for an 8 pm seating. It was just a 15minute stroll along the beach to the restaurant.Since the wind was still blowing steadily, we chose a table inside the restaurant. What a fabulous reward dinner it was.
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For dessert, we chose a molten chocolate cake with ice cream. It disappeared shortly after being served. We enjoyed the nice stroll back along the beach and up the hill after this most delicious and rewarding dinner experience.
Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 884 km (549 miles)
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