Sunday was our last day in Gandia. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, temperatures in the mid 70s and calm. Vicki and I played tennis early and were able to get in a long workout. The courts were pretty damp at 8am and the balls were giant fluffballs pretty quickly…it felt like playing with nerf balls. Matches started at 9:30 (I received a default in singles and Vicki had to default doubles because her partner could not stay longer), so we received our singles “trophies) with the tournament director, Carmen Perea after whom the tournament is named. We were able to get another 30 minutes on court after that too, as a bonus.

We had lunch, then packed up our (excessive) stuff (see the photo of Vick in the elevator with it…I didn’t fit and took the stairs! I tried to call a taxi but none were available online, so Vicki had to good idea of asking the hotel a block away if they would call one for us, which they gladly did. We arrived in Valencia just after 4pm. The taxi driver dropped us off about a seven minute walk from the apartment building for some reason (same thing happened in Gandia), so I walked to figure out the correct route and how to enter the building (it was 100% automated with entry via an app). We could not get into our apartment in Valencia till 4pm and by then the app did work and the apartment was fine.

We are staying in the Rufaza district which is behind the train station and apparently the “hipster” district (because we are so “hip”). At any rate on a Sunday afternoon it was very lively with all the shops open, and we are on a pedestrian street with lots of shops and restaurants too. We did some shopping and window shopping, then walked to find a tapas bar. I had one in mind I found online, but it was closed, so we went to one that seemed busy and had a nice atmosphere. It also had great focaccia, hummus and pumpkin. I also ordered sardines thinking grilled sardines only to be delivered a can of sardines and bread! Fortunately I like them any which way.

We were tired by then and walked back to the apartment intending to do a load of laundry. It turns out they turn off the washing machines (allegedly) from 9pm to 9am so people can sleep….I guess they sleep a lot in Valencia?

Today we are going to explore Valencia and tomorrow we are off to Turkey!