A Trip to Gandia

We ventured out of the city today, fifty minutes by train down to Gandia to meet up with Steve and Joyce, who we met in Cambodia at the beginning of last year.  They have a flat in Denia and drove down to see us. 

Interesting train journey through hundreds of groves of lovely orange trees.  I wanted to jump off and fill my bag with them, they looked so gorgeous.  Also dry paddy fields waiting to be flooded and the famous Valencia rice planted.  Each town we stopped at had Arrocerias by the station, where they sort and dry the rice.

The landscapes is flat leading down to the sea, but as we approach Gandia we passed through some tall hills with the most spectacular castle/monastry on the top.

Went for lunch.  A good way to have lunch is to choosethe Menu del Dia, today we started with a tapa of tortilla, followed by salad with smoked salad, Cod with vegetables, a glass of beer followed by coffee, all for 10 euros.  Can't beat that.  Also smallish portions so that you don't feel stuffed (gastromic term) afterwards, and the coffee is always fab.

Afterwards we visited the Borgias Palace.  It am told this is the good Borgias, not the very bad Italian Bogias.  Lovely place to wander around, they must have had so much money to have built this palacio.

A great day out and hopefully get to see them when they are back in March