The next day we took my parents to Moraira and showed them the sights of the town. We also drove into Javea and they were of the same opinion as us so we didn't repeat the experience. My Dad especially loved the wine shop in Moraira and we chose two different wines from the barrel to try with our lunch of salad and ham.
Mum and Dad enjoyed their stay with us and we found some lovely restaurants near the villa. One day we drove into the mountains, to the town of Guadalest and Keith and I bought some Lladro to take home. This beautiful moutain village is cool and full of shops selling local produce. We all spent a very happy hour wandering around and taking in the breathtaking scenery. We took lunch at a nearby restaurant where the food was barbecued and served on wooden platters with salad, but the flies everywhere were a bit off-putting!
For Mum and Dad's last night with us we went to a great restaurant out in the countryside. The eating area was partially outside and we had a delicious meal with particularly good desserts! It was a popular place with a lot of loud English voices about!
The next day we took my parents back to Alicante airprt and said goodbye. It would take them just two hours to fly back home. We didn't want to think about our return journey which we had decided to change. A trip home via the Pyrenees sounded a good idea and we had even thought of leaving a day earlier and re-visiting some wine areas in France.
After waving goodbye we drove to Benidorm to spend a couple of hours on the beach. We turned off the motorway at the junction before Benidorm and became embroiled in an horrendous traffic jam. We slowly crawled towards the resort and parked the car in what used to be a quiet area next to the hotel we'd stayed at in April. Then, the beach was almost deserted but now, although not over-crowded, it was definitely busier. After a drink at a promenade bar we went onto the beach and Sophie and Keith went for a swim. The sea was lovely and warm, but salty! We could see our hotel in the distance but I was really glad we'd decided to rent a villa this time.
After a couple of hours we'd had enough and so dressed back into our crumpled clothes in the car. All three of us were sweaty and salty...not a very nice feeling at all! As soon as we got back into the car Sophie fell asleep and we negotiated our way out of the very busy resort. The coast road was packed with cars as well and we literally crawled all the way to Calpe where thankfully the roads became a bit quieter.
That night we decided to "slob out" and have fish and chips from an English takeaway on the road to Moraira. It was very windy as we drove to the small arcade of shops and bars and the clouds were increasing. Almost every night, sitting on our balcony, we had seen lightening over the mountains and tonight was no exception. As we were eating our supper back at the villa the wind grew even stronger and tore down the awning that sheltered the terrace. We were dismayed and worried about this as the awning was vital for giving us welcome shade from the fierce sun.
The next day we called in to see the agents to explain what had happened but their response was very laid back and they never did send anyone out to repair it!
We decided that we were going to leave on Thursday, a day earlier than planned, and take our time getting home. We spent Wednesday packing and washing clothes and at night we drove to a restaurant called Bacchus which we'd been trying to find. The restaurant was French-run and specialised in fondue dishes. We sat outside in the warm evening air and commented that my parents would have loved it there as it was just their sort of place, despite the fact that Keith wore a bib when he was eating his main course!
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