This year has been the year of Spain. Three trips, three destinations, three very different journeys. And this one, by far, was the most emotional of all. It’s been an absolute whirlwind and, at the same time, the most relaxed I’ve been in ages.
My trip came about because of the wedding of Andrea. Not only is she the most maja person I know, but she’s been one of my closest friends for years. Words cannot describe how much this girl means to me, and to be invited to be a part of the biggest day of her life was truly an honour. So I packed my bags and headed off (at a nausea-inducing 3am) to Alicante.
The wedding party wasn’t due to arrive for another couple of days, so I checked into Hostel Olé close to the centre and Barri Vell. The hostel was pleasant enough in itself, and I soon headed out for a stroll through the narrow streets to grab some food at the Central Market. I tried to find a bit of shade from the sun on the beach, but failed miserably, and so headed to the archaeological museum. The museum highlights the history of this part of Spain, from the prehistoric inhabitants to the time of the Romans. It’s worth a visit; not least for the air-conditioning, but also for the interesting exhibitions. Note that not everything has an English translation, so it can be a bit tricky to grasp the story.
Back at the hostel, I met my friendly roommate and after an evening filled with sangría and good company, I crashed into a deep sleep.
The next morning, the roomie and I took a boat to the nearby island of Tabarca. For €20 you can grab a return ticket, and we rented some snorkelling kit to take with us. The skipper was happy to chat about places to see and where to go, so as we arrived we headed to the rocky shores of La Cantera. We snorkelled around the tiny islands and saw endless fish, beds of seagrass, and sea urchins. A lunch and cold beer later, we slowly made our way back towards the ferry back to Alicante.
That evening our hostel had organised a pub crawl, which involved copious amounts of sangría, shots, so-called “mojitos” which tasted more like Fanta with rum, and a lot of dancing and music. It was my roommate’s birthday, so we celebrated all night and eventually I stumbled into bed at around 4am, anticipating that the next morning might not feel too great…
And I was right; the next morning wasn’t the best I’d ever felt. We went to the nearby Sip and Wonder cafe for a filling breakfast to soak up any remaining alcohol, followed by a trip to the famous Santa Bárbara castle. You can either walk up to the castle or take the lift for €3, which is definitely recommended in the summer heat. The views were astonishing, and as we enjoyed the breeze, we looked out over all of Alicante. The cafe at the castle didn’t accept card, so we had a final drink in the harbour before we parted ways.
Afterwards, I headed toward Elche, where I was meeting Andrea and the rest of the wedding party for an afternoon of catching up and wedding preparations. As always, both her and José’s families were so warm and welcoming, and I cannot express how much it means to always be made to feel part of the tribe. The rest of the day and the Friday were spent in a haze of wedding prep, eating brilliant food and getting to know the numerous family members and friends. My Spanish was (very, very slowly) starting to come back to me, just in time for a great surprise on the Friday night: a pool party! To celebrate José’s birthday the week before, Andrea had organised a surprise party with their friends at a finca in the countryside. There was a BBQ, plenty of beer, and fantastic company. The party continued into the early hours of the Saturday, before we all headed back to make sure we were clear-headed for the wedding later that day.
The day of the wedding arrived and it was a blur of getting ready (the magic they performed on my hair and make-up was something else!), helping Andrea where I could, and slowly understanding what was happening: my friend was moving on to a huge new phase of her life, and she was the first one of my friends to do so. As the ceremony neared, I felt my normally icy heart slowly warm up, and as Andrea and José exchanged their vows, I may or may not have wiped away a few tears. Looking around the crowd, I was definitely not the only one, and the joy for our friends was obvious on everyone’s faces.
The evening flowed quickly from there, filled with amazing food, music, and friends. We enjoyed the stunning setting of the finca, the sunshine as it finally cooled down towards the evening, and the laughter as we all took photos with the happy couple. A photo booth was a source of ongoing amusement, and we danced to everything from Queen to Ozuna. It was my first ever wedding, and it has set the bar pretty. damn. high.
The party continued deep into the night (or more like the next morning; the sun was definitely up…) and shortly after going to bed we were awoken to head to our next destination: Guardamar. Friends and family were heading to a camping in the small coastal town to celebrate and relax by the beach.
Over the next few days, we ate, laughed, drank, swam, and sunbathed – in no particular order. I learned loads more about my friend, whose life has been split between Gran Canaria and Manchester for so long. It was the most relaxed I’d been in a long time – a huge thank you to everyone for having me along and making me feel so at home!
My last night, José’s father took us to the most beautiful place of my trip: Carmen del Campillo. It was close to midnight when we arrived, and the atmosphere was magical. In essence, it’s a huge complex of Arabic buildings, surrounded by a gorgeous Mediterranean garden. In the dark, it was easy to get lost in the countless nooks and crannies of the building, every surface covered in pillows and low tables for drinking tea. The garden was lit by candles and we settled in a nook where we drank tea and looked back on a brilliant week.
At last, it was time to go. The next morning I headed towards València with two of Andrea’s friends, who had kindly offered me a lift as they headed the same way. Along the drive, we stopped in the gorgeous Altea, a small hillside village with a stunning cathedral. We took in the views and grabbed some food before continuing our journey.
The last stop before the airport was Calp, a seaside town with an excellent beach. We had a last swim in the sea, and as clouds started rolling in over the mountains behind us, we made a move for the last stretch of motorway before I had to face the reality of going home. It was a great way of finishing my trip; relaxed, and in good company.
As I was waiting to board my plane, I reflected on my experiences in Elche. Andrea is moving on to another exciting chapter, and I wondered what my next chapter might be. But then I realised that, perhaps, it doesn’t matter. All that mattered was that in the week I spent with Andrea and her friends and family, I had felt welcomed, loved, and part of something bigger. And that in itself is worth celebrating, so as I write this I’m having a beer to do just that. All I can say now is a huge thank you to Andrea (and everyone else who made my trip as amazing as it was) and, lastly: te quiero un montón.
Faye Vogely 