A holly jolly holiday!
U3A Vall del Pop members spend Christmas in Andalucia
There was excitement in the air as, just after sunrise on a beautiful December morning, 43 members of the U3A Vall del Pop assembled in Jalon to start our special Christmas break in Nerja, Southern Spain guided jointly by the TCET Leader Sandra Welham and her husband, U3A President Bob Welham.
Everyone settled in to their suite accommodation at the Aparthotel Marinas de Nerja, for four nights. Situated on the sea shore but just a short walk from Nerja town, the hotel proved an instant hit, not surprisingly, as the trip was booked on a “fully inclusive” basis, the bar and restaurant soon became popular meeting places.
A series of trips and outings, using the Gandia Tours bus, was ably and safely conducted by driver Pepe, whose continuous good humour added much to the enjoyment of all, with the first outing to Nerja old town and the impressive Cueva de Nerja on Christmas Eve morning and, in the afternoon, to the pretty white village of Frigiliana where many of the group took advantage of the tourist train to view the more inaccessible parts. Before dinner, they gathered in the dusk to sing a range of Christmas Carols in several languages, an event which was enjoyed as much by the other guests of the hotel as by the singers!
On Christmas Day, they started with cava and gifts from Secret Santa (AKA Bob and Sandra!) before settling down to a more formal Christmas lunch in the hotel’s banqueting suite. With four courses to get through each accompanied by unlimited wine and soft drinks, most of us did not complete our feast until very late in the afternoon!
After the celebrations of the day before, Boxing Day got off to a more relaxed start but after lunch, Pepe drove us into the nearby city of Malaga for a bit of retail therapy! There was also the sea front and Cathedral to visit before 18.30 when we were able to witness the famous Christmas light and music show, a spectacular fifteen minute display in a specially constructed tunnel which ran the full length of Calle Larios, which had drawn crowds from all over Spain and Europe.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end and so the next day, we set off for the journey back to the Costa Blanca. But spirits were high and somewhere near Murcia, Bob produced a quiz for our entertainment, which was won by Tony and Brenda Bailey.
We all agreed that the 2018 Christmas Trip had been a great success and formal thanks were made to Bob and Sandra for their hard work, and to Pepe for driving us safely and smoothly throughout.
Next year’s venue might be to Peñiscola, so time to get our names down on the list!
For further information on U3A Vall del Pop check our website http://u3avalldelpop.com