Javea, Costa Blanca September 2-18 1999 Part 1

An account of a family holiday we took to Javea on the Costa Blanca, Spain in 1999, when Sophie was 3 years old. This is an account of the first few days and is quite long. I will post subsequent entries in the 1999 archive.

After a busy day spent packing mammoth amounts into the car, we were on the road by 5.20pm, only 20 minutes behind schedule. Shunning the normal route to the M1 because of terrible roadworks at Junction 15, we travelled through the sunlit Northamptonshire countryside to Junction 16 and the start of our long journey south.

Luck seemed to be on our side as the traffic, although heavy, was flowing freely and we made Dartford in good time to see Eastenders (for some reason I was a fan back in 1999!). My Nan made sure we didn't go hungry by supplying us with ham sandwiches and doughnuts with ample coffee to keep us going through the long night ahead.

By 8.30pm we were on the road to Folkestone where we were booked onto the 10.21pm train. However, we made such good time that we were able to board an earlier shuttle, at 9.51pm, which was a bonus!

We lined up with other travellers and tried to fix our headlamp converters into place. The man in the car in front decided it would be a good time to try his, too, but there seemed to be universal confusion as to the correct way to place them and he kept looking at ours with a worried look on his face! (We later found out that ours were indeed wrong, and after attempting to fix them, they fell off never to be seen again!).

The journey to Calais was short and smooth and before long we were in France although in the darkness we could have been anywhere! Gradually we found ourselves all alone on the dark and empty motorway, little orange lights illuminating the way into the impenetrable blackness. We passed very few cars and only several lorries but the road stretched on and on with nothing to alleviate the dark. Sophie had finally fallen asleep on the shuttle and was snoring peacefully in the back. She looked comfortable and warm and both Keith and I envied her.

Time passed and the hours crept forward. We fortified ourselves with flasks of hot coffee and took it in turns to drive. Our arrival at Reims was a little bright spot in the otherwise black night but we were soon past and alone on the empty road.

Our journey continued with only one brief stop to use the toilets at an "Aire". These are brilliant stopping places, mostly with only toilets and picnic tables but they appear at regular intervals along the autoroute and are a haven for the tired traveller. Little clusters of cars with their sleeping occupants were dotted about and there was a temptation to stop as well and have a sleep but we pushed on into the night. With hindsight I realised we were in a dangerous position; we were both tired and the road was completely empty and dark with absolutely nothing to concentrate on. Driving was like being on autopilot, with no other traffic to overtake and no landmarks to keep us interested. It took all my concentration to keep awake and focused on the driving. Luckily (or not!) whenever we went over about 85mph an ominous droning noise would start, a legacy of a replaced windscreen some weeks before. The noise in itself was enough to keep us awake!

Gradually we crept further south and a weak dawn appeared as reached Lyon at about 6am. We somehow missed the "Peripherique" and ended up going right through the centre at a steady 70 miles an hour! Lcukily it was very quiet. I'd been looking forward to the section of road from Lyon to the border as it runs through some beautiful countryside but it began to rain and the surrounding hills were covered by thick mist. The traffic grew heavier, as did the rain, and we couldn't believe that we driven under clear starry skies all night through the rest of France! It wasn't supposed to have been like this!

We stopped for a quick breakfast after Lyon and made some ham rolls which were washed down with coffee. Sophie woke up and joined us, a complete look of bewilderment on her face! The weather certainly didn't look very summery and we were soon back in the car heading towards the Spanish border.

Unfortunately the weather grew worse the further we went, with torrential rain at times. This didn't deter the French drivers who kept up their incredible speeds, often in tiny Renaults or Peugeots. What do they put in their tanks? Rocket fuel? I phoned Mum who gleefully told me that the weather at home was beautiful...great!

We had planned to stop overnight in France before driving into Spain the next day but we were in the South of France by 11am and so decided to push on and perhaps stay in the small resort of Tossa de Mar, not far from the border.

We halted briefly outside Narbonne to stretch our legs and eat some more rolls and let Sophie play on the climbing frames that the French throughtfully provide. The weather was humid, muggy and very warm.

Soon we were at the border and with just a cursory glance at our car from the officials we were into Spain. After a few junctions of the motorway we turned off to Tossa de Mar and followed a busy road through several villages. We soon came to the mountain road that I remembered so vividly from a previous holiday in 1981 and although it had been improved it was still winding and scenic with stunning views towards the sea.

Tossa de Mar was a busy little resort full of cars and people. I had planned to visit the Tourist Information Bureau and see if we could find a hotel for the night but they were closed until 5pm and we couldn't afford to wait that long to see if we could find a bed! We parked the car and walked to the sea-front as we had promised Sophie that she could go on the beach. We felt very scruffy and tired, a feeling made much worse by the jolly holiday-makers all around us who were sitting in the bars and restaurants without a care in the world. After reaching the beach, Keith took Sophie off to play while I ordered some drinks from the bar overlooking the sea.

The bad weather had followed us into Spain and suddenly the heavens opened and everyone, including Keith and Sophie, dashed to the shelter of the beach-bar. We all huddled under the awning and watched as the rain grew heavier, feeling alarmed as the first rumbles of thunder began overhead and flashes of lightening zigzagged across the sky. Little did we know that this was to be the pattern of weather for the next few days!

During a short lull in the rain we ran back towards the town, hoping to get to the car park but another burst of heavy rain sent us fleeing to the shelter of a restaurant where we cowered in the corner, watching the diners happily eating ice-creams and drinking Sangria. We all felt utterly miserable as we'd had next to no sleep, we were still wearing the clothes we'd set out in yesterday evening and we were wet, bedraggled and covered in sand. Not the best of feelings and a disappointment from a town where I'd had so many happy memories!

The rain continued and reminded me of a violent storm I'd witnessed when I visited Tossa de Mar the first time, with my parents back in the early 80s. We'd stood on the balcony of our apartment and watched as the storm approached over the sea, the rain making everyone flee from the beach and into the nearby cafes and bars, much the same as we were doing now!

We waited half an hour before we felt it was safe to sprint to the car and carry on our journey, making the decision to return to the motorway and stop at the first hotel we saw. All three of us were exhausted by now and we all badly needed a shower and a change of clothes!

Shortly after getting back into the car, Sophie fell asleep and we saw signs for a motorway hotel just outside of Barcelona. We'd never used a motorway hotel before but regardless of the cost we decided to stop and see if they had a room. It was part of a large service area and looked modern and comfortable. Keith carried his sleeping daughter into the Reception area and we were told we could have a room for the night at £64.It was more than we'd wanted to pay but by now we were desperate for some sleep. Keith took Sophie up to the room while I went back to the car to fetch our passports and luggage. There were signs everywhere warning motorists of thefts from cars so we made sure we took out anything of value to avoid a broken window or break-in!

After we had dumped our luggage (which almost filled the room) we both took welcome showers and scrubbed ourselves until we gleamed. Sophie slept on; she must have been exhausted, poor thing! After his shower Keith decided to explore in the hope of finding a bar where we could get a drink, but he returned empty-handed. There was no bar at all! He decided to pop next door to the shop and returned with a large bottle of San Miguel, some lemonade and a huge packet of crisps! We ate the crisps with the last of our rolls and settled down for a nap.

We awoke later to the sound of thunder and pouring rain. Our room overlooked the car park and the motorway and when we'd arrived in the early afternoon the car park had been almost empty. Now it was full of cars of differing nationalities. We sorted out some clean clothes from our luggage and then made our way downstairs in the hope of finding somewhere comfortable to sit and relax over a drink.

It was not to be! The only place that served drinks was a noisy cafeteria next to the lobby so we bought some beer for us and a bottle of Orangina for Sophie and took them  back to the lounge area where Sophie was entertained by the fish-tank. The Reception area was busy with travellers arriving to check-in and as I went back to our room to fetch some crayons for Sophie I met a middle-aged man who was determined to engage me in conversation, even letting me know about the sort-porn channels available later that night!

Dinner was very relaxed and informal. Most of the guests staying at the hotel ate in the large restaurant and we had a lovely meal with some delicious wine. Sophie played up a bit towards the end of the meal and I had to take her away from the table and threaten her with dire punishments, but looking back she was just probably tired and completely out of her normal routine. Soon after we'd eaten we decided to call it a day and returned to our room. An evening walk was out of the question!