Dec 5 – Alicante

Our first stop on our transatlantic journey, was the port of Alicante on the Costa Blanca. Alicante was the site of my first ever foreign holiday when I was four – seeing as my only memories of the trip were my brother almost drowning, the waves being taller than me, and having a stand off with my Grandmother when I refused to eat her food, it is difficult to tell if it has changed much since then.

Alicante is famous for the quality of its luminescent light, and it certainly lived up to its reputation, with incredibly bright blue skies and a hot sun, warming it up to 22 degrees – it felt like a summer's day. With all the people sunning themselves on the beach, swimming in the sea, and strolling along the seafront promenades, you can see why so many Brits come to this area for the winter.

We explored the old town, visiting the Cathedral, the ornate Ayuntamiento (town hall) and the art nouveau market, where we stopped for a drink and overheated in the morning sun.

Our next stop was to get up to the Castillo, sitting at the top of the steep hill which dominates all views of the city. We briefly contemplated walking up there, but instead, reason prevailed, and we took the lift the 548 feet up to the top. The views from the castle across the town were stunning.