Alicante

[majortom10]

Due to visit Alicante in March on Iona and being our first time there is there enough to do and of interest if we stay in Alicante or would it be better to book an excursion.

 

[Harry Peterson]

Stay there and just wander - lovely place to stroll round and explore, probably warm and sunny, occasional coffee, occasional ice cream, occasional pastry. 
 

Perfect! 😀

[zap99]

14 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Due to visit Alicante in March on Iona and being our first time there is there enough to do and of interest if we stay in Alicante or would it be better to book an excursion.

 

Like many cities, nice old centre, lots of shops and restaurants, pleasant park. No reason not to

[alpha whiskey]

4 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Due to visit Alicante in March on Iona and being our first time there is there enough to do and of interest if we stay in Alicante or would it be better to book an excursion.

 

We went under our own steam and I can recommend the Santa Barbara castle/ fort. There is a lift (but it wasn't working last week).

We walked up, which in itself is a challenge, but well worth it if your mobility and health allow. The walkway is a wide gradual incline, fully paved, with a dwarf wall running alongside that you can sit and rest whenever you feel like it.

The views from the top are fantastic; entry is free and so are the guided tours. 

https://www.alicanteturismo.com/castillo-de-santa-barbara/

Hope this helps and best wishes for an enjoyable cruise.

[Son of Anarchy]

There's a castle at the top of a hill.  Haven't been inside but a pleasant walk up there.  Beach not far from where the ship docks.  Usual Spanish bars and restaurants.  Pleasant seafront area opposite the marina.  Museum regarding round the world yacht racing not far from the beach.   Haven't visited it.

 

Or there's the transfer to Benidorm 😇

[Peppers mum]

Alicante is a fabulous city, we had a house in Gran Alacant (20 minutes drive away) for 18 years and frequently visited. We have met friends off ships when they have been in port and we are due to call in September also on Iona which I am beyond excited about!. A visit to our favourite Thai restaurant is definitely on the cards!

A visit to the castle as mentioned in other posts is a must or you can just stroll around this vibrant city and enjoy the numerous bars, cafes and restaurants.

Have a wonderful cruise.

Julie

 

[terrierjohn]

40 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Stay there and just wander - lovely place to stroll round and explore, probably warm and sunny, occasional coffee, occasional ice cream, occasional pastry. 
 

Perfect! 😀

Just be careful you don't get dizzy looking at the tiled promenade.

[Britboys]

As all P&O cruises are now apparently like Butlins, perhaps a visit to Benidorm is de rigueur... (tongue firmly in cheek...).

[Eglesbrech]

The Alicante Museum of Modern Art is well worth a visit. It is not far from where the ship docks. When we went if was free to enter, backpacks not allowed.

 

When we were there they had a number of Miros (which I love) and a couple of small Picasso’s in the exhibition space upstairs. They have permanent and temporary exhibitions so it’s just your luck what they have.

 

A lovely promenade just to walk and people watch, lots of nice bars and a nice older area.

 

Personally I wouldn’t book a tour, plenty to see and do.

[Harry Peterson]

22 minutes ago, Britboys said:

As all P&O cruises are now apparently like Butlins, perhaps a visit to Benidorm is de rigueur... (tongue firmly in cheek...).

Great idea! Everywhere has its own appeal, even Benidorm and Torremolinos. Been to both, admittedly when we were first married (married might be a bit of an exaggeration there!), and thoroughly enjoyed both. We didn’t have much money and they were great. Likewise Skegness, Yarmouth etc now. In any place there’s something to enjoy - it’s what you make of it.

 

But I still prefer Aldeburgh!

[Megabear2]

36 minutes ago, Britboys said:

As all P&O cruises are now apparently like Butlins, perhaps a visit to Benidorm is de rigueur... (tongue firmly in cheek...).

Okay, time to add Benidorm to my list! Repeat after me, there's nothing wrong with Benidorm there's nothing wrong with Benidorm ... 

[Megabear2]

10 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

But I still prefer Aldeburgh!

Careful, someone will call you a snob.

[zap99]

10 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Careful, someone will call you a snob.

We are currently in Pizza express, Woking........no he isn't!......we said we haven't  been to Southsea since lockdown. Picnic, ice cream, stroll along the prom. Watch out for the coppers. Could have got busted for Southseagate. Many places have their good points..😁

[Britboys]

21 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Okay, time to add Benidorm to my list! Repeat after me, there's nothing wrong with Benidorm there's nothing wrong with Benidorm ... 

Benidorm Old Town is lovely.

[Eglesbrech]

5 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Benidorm Old Town is lovely.

We stayed in a hotel in the old town right on the water (just round from the church) and enjoyed it. Lots of great authentic tapas bars in that area.

 

Wasn,t so keen on the busier areas or the “English quarter” but for a one off visit it was perfectly fine.
 

Enjoyed Terra Mitica. Major Tom if you like theme parks it’s a good day out (or was pre covid).

[Harry Peterson]

26 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Careful, someone will call you a snob.

They might - but I bet they don't know what Aldeburgh was like in the mid-1960s!  Or Snape Maltings for that matter!  Suffolk was just Silly Suffolk - a rural backwater - then. Kids doing music in the sixth form at our (state) school used to visit Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears for tutoring back then and thought nothing of it. And George Ewart Evans hadn't long finished what became an 'A' level text about Suffolk life and the village of Blaxhall.

 

No airs and graces in Suffolk back then, but even Felixstowe looks to be going upmarket these days.

[Britboys]

47 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Great idea! Everywhere has its own appeal, even Benidorm and Torremolinos. Been to both, admittedly when we were first married (married might be a bit of an exaggeration there!), and thoroughly enjoyed both. We didn’t have much money and they were great. Likewise Skegness, Yarmouth etc now. In any place there’s something to enjoy - it’s what you make of it.

 

But I still prefer Aldeburgh!

Recent photos of Torremolinos... As ever, I don't know why three are upside-down - they weren't when I clicked submit. This site is a mystery...

Edited January 14, 2023 by Britboys

[zap99]

15 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Recent photos of Torremolinos... As ever, I don't know why three are upside-down - they weren't when I clicked submit. This site is a mystery...

Looks quite nice. Who's the old bloke in flip flops with a paint brush ?. I thought it looked like Brian, but he was a plumber🤔

[Britboys]

6 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Looks quite nice. Who's the old bloke in flip flops with a paint brush ?. I thought it looked like Brian, but he was a plumber🤔

It's old Pablo innit...local boy...😄

[Megabear2]

25 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

They might - but I bet they don't know what Aldeburgh was like in the mid-1960s!  Or Snape Maltings for that matter!  Suffolk was just Silly Suffolk - a rural backwater - then. Kids doing music in the sixth form at our (state) school used to visit Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears for tutoring back then and thought nothing of it. And George Ewart Evans hadn't long finished what became an 'A' level text about Suffolk life and the village of Blaxhall.

 

No airs and graces in Suffolk back then, but even Felixstowe looks to be going upmarket these days.

Always thought we'd end up there like a very large number from Essex.  I visit Aldeburgh every year and stay at the Brudenell Hotel.  My husband and I took his mother there for the Festival  20 years ago and stayed there. It was her last trip before she died so holds great sentimental memories for me.

 

I'm usually visiting friends who live on Norfolk/Suffolk borders so deter to Southwold and Oulton Broad where I generally meet some Dutch friends who sail over from Marken Island. Always travel around for 10 days or so before ending up in Newmarket to go racing and visit the studs.

 

Lovely county, so varied, often forgotten.

[Britboys]

16 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Always thought we'd end up there like a very large number from Essex.  I visit Aldeburgh every year and stay at the Brudenell Hotel.  My husband and I took his mother there for the Festival  20 years ago and stayed there. It was her last trip before she died so holds great sentimental memories for me.

 

I'm usually visiting friends who live on Norfolk/Suffolk borders so deter to Southwold and Oulton Broad where I generally meet some Dutch friends who sail over from Marken Island. Always travel around for 10 days or so before ending up in Newmarket to go racing and visit the studs.

 

Lovely county, so varied, often forgotten.

I love Southwold. My favourite small seaside town.

[Harry Peterson]

24 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Always thought we'd end up there like a very large number from Essex.  I visit Aldeburgh every year and stay at the Brudenell Hotel.  My husband and I took his mother there for the Festival  20 years ago and stayed there. It was her last trip before she died so holds great sentimental memories for me.

 

I'm usually visiting friends who live on Norfolk/Suffolk borders so deter to Southwold and Oulton Broad where I generally meet some Dutch friends who sail over from Marken Island. Always travel around for 10 days or so before ending up in Newmarket to go racing and visit the studs.

 

Lovely county, so varied, often forgotten.

With you entirely. I’d love to move back but it’s just not feasible.

 

What’s the Brudenell like these days? Used to stay there occasionally many years back, when it was run by Trusthouses Forte. Some here might remember an excellent scheme they had called something like Touring Bargain Break Leisure Cheques. You bought a number at a fixed price before going on holiday and they were valid at most THF hotels across the country. Nothing fancy, but good reliable hotels with surprisingly good food - and amazing ‘sweet trolleys’ as they were called then. I remember some really good breaks at the Brudenell.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Always thought we'd end up there like a very large number from Essex.  I visit Aldeburgh every year and stay at the Brudenell Hotel.  My husband and I took his mother there for the Festival  20 years ago and stayed there. It was her last trip before she died so holds great sentimental memories for me.

 

I'm usually visiting friends who live on Norfolk/Suffolk borders so deter to Southwold and Oulton Broad where I generally meet some Dutch friends who sail over from Marken Island. Always travel around for 10 days or so before ending up in Newmarket to go racing and visit the studs.

 

Lovely county, so varied, often forgotten.

We went to Amsterdam about 10 years ago. On the plane home (easyjet) DW said ' so what did you think of it ,?,' I said it's like all my friends went there in 1968 and never came home.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

Recent photos of Torremolinos... As ever, I don't know why three are upside-down - they weren't when I clicked submit. This site is a mystery...

This happens regularly for me.

I just post the photo again and delete the upside down one.

Nice collection of photos.

[Eglesbrech]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

I love Southwold. My favourite small seaside town.

Never even heard of half these places. May be good to know when I can’t get travel insurance in the future 😀.