Travelling allsorts

Years ago, we rented a villa in Javea and wanted to buy it or something similar. We still haven't! It was September 1997 and some friends had recently bought a holiday home on a resort in Javea; we met up a couple of times and enjoyed al fresco dining on balmy evenings. Those same friends have upgraded to a villa now and have retired there. We are still living and working in the UK. Opportunity missed? We are planning a lifestyle change in 2017, when our son completes his degree, and we are still looking at properties around the Mediterranean. Prices fall into two camps: those we can afford as a holiday home and those we can afford if we sell our house in the UK.  This presents us with a dilemma as we obviously prefer the nicer properties but we are not ready to move lock, stock and barrel. We have some other friends who have made the decision to move to Denia next year and have contracted to buy a brand new 'designer villa' from a local (Denia) building company. The ...

Islands off the west coast of Africa are popular for not-quite-so-long-haul winter sun breaks. Our visit to La Gomera began with a flight to Tenerife and a ferry across to San Sebastian, although there is a small airport. We hired a car for our week and drove around most of the island, which is basically a large rock in the Canary Islands. Although a small island, the climate is diverse. The northern shores were shrouded in mist whilst the southern coast was baking in full sun. Our favourite place to visit (which we did more than once) was the Garajonay National Park at the centre of La Gomera. It enjoys its own micro-climate and can be enchantingly misty or beautifully sunny. There are enjoyable walks through the woods and family picnic areas with adequate car parking. La Gomera is a peaceful and quiet island with winding roads and some interesting geography, best for people who want a relaxing short break in a warmer climate. It is not the place to choose if you want glitz, gl...

Salamanca in Spain is roughly half-way between Madrid and Porto on the Portuguese Atlantic coast. The weather in September is very pleasant - hottish with plenty of cool shaded places as you wander through the mainly pedestrianised centre, enthralled by the architecture. Of a compact size and shape, it is one of the oldest University cities in Europe and a UNESCO world heritage site. It's busy but with so many places to wander around, not too crowded. Easy walking, places to sit, cafés, bars, etc. enable you to spend all day exploring and not be too tired to eat in the evening. Be aware, though, that most restaurants don't open for dinner until 8.30ish! Where to stay? There is a good choice of hotels, starting from under £40. For luxury, fly-drive for a 3-night stay in the Hotel Rector in the heart of Salamanca or, for a family holiday with children, take the 24-hour car ferry to Santander (it's like a mini-cruise) and drive the 225 miles to Salamanca, which is a f...