April 13, 2013
Let me give some background information on the Rock itself. The Penon de Ifach is a calcareous rock joined to the land by an isthmus. It stands 332 meters or 1089 feet above the Mediterranean Sea on the Costa Blanca. The rock has seen many settlers through the ages. In 4th century BC it was home to an Iberian village which parts of still stand today and ceramics date back to 8th century BC. 
The Romans inhabited it next, along with various conquerors during the Middle Ages. Spaniards identify it as “The Northern Rock” because of its resemblance to the Rock of Gibraltar or “The Southern Rock.” 
Over the years it was a landmark to mariners and a watch tower giving warning of pirates and unwanted invaders. On a clear day it is said that you can see all the way to the Island of Ibiza. Unfortunately we did not experience a view of that great distance but what we see was equally amazing.
Following a pathway called the Red Route up the rock one think that the hike would be an easy one; especially because there were others 3x my age and even one man on a Hover Round. Rather impressive!! We began by walking around the front side to gain a glance of the sheer rock front that has taken a few lives over the years. We were not put at ease by the helicopter landing pad placed strategically at the bottom of the steep cliffs; but we hiked on. 
At the tunnel the hike’s challenges become evident with the slick windblown rocks as well as the lack of light in until you reach the other side. As we cautiously watched our footing we preceded up the “trail,” I use that word loosely here because there really wasn’t one.
Now on the sea side of the rock the wildlife present increased and the scenery changed; resembling a cliff side jungle.
The seagulls were not startled by us as we tromped by them and their nest; although their loud chatter could have been their attempt to alert others of possible danger.
Once we reached the summit we felt the cool air rolling in which to our delighted surprise ended up being a cloud. Within minutes we went from standing above the cloud to standing in the middle of it.
This was a first time experience for both of us that we will never forget. This memory will stay with us forever: first for its awesome factor and second for being rather scary! The wind picked up and the temperature dropped rapidly as the rain clouds rolled in! The last thing we wanted was to be stuck in a storm at that height. We could have been stranded or worse. Like falling off the already ultra smooth rock face; so we began the decent. Along the path are eight designated points of interest, including several scenic overlooks offering stunning panoramic views over Calpe. The following pictures show the lookouts and illustrates a number of them with pictures of what our eyes saw firsthand.
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| Western vantage point |
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| Remains of an Iberian village |
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| Tunnel |
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| Guard post |
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| Summit |
Sunday morning came quick this week! Ross and I were invited to breakfast by our German friend Bjorn today so we work early with a hearty appetite. He took us to a local breakfast buffet with a rather nice spread of food but an even nicer collection of high performance cars.
My brothers were on my mind today as I snapped pictures and met the owners of theses sweet rides. The restaurant’s decor was that of vintage sports cars, classic muscle cars, and expensive import cars all set up in what looked like a diesel fueling station.
This restaurant is the meet up spot for a local car club in Calpe. We met Paul and Liz who are from England. Paul worked for 2 years building his Shelby Cobra kit car. It runs with a 351ci engine but the engine bay could hold a V12. The color was my favorite!
This ride was the oldest car there we were told. It was in excellent condition but reminded us of a street legal go cart.
Here is a sight you never see in the states…..$300,000 worth of Italian gold sitting in two parking spots beside each other. The white Ferrari is a hard top drop top and the grey one is a classic hard top.
Magnum PI eat your heart out!!! Classic 1980’s Ferrari in excellent condition and runs like a top.
After filling our bellies and breathing in rich car fumes we took it to the house for the day to sunbath before our night out at the Havanna Club for a little salsa dancing.
We met our friends Jo, Colleen and Bjorn and followed them into Altea, a little city just a few miles outside of Calpe. On the way there you could see the storm clouds rolling in over the mountains near La Nuncia toward the coast.
After the car excitement this morning I wanted to get a taste for driving the winding roads myself so I took the wheel on the way to the salsa club. It was just as much fun as I thought; although the speed limit seems low here. The Spanish drive faster than the legal limit that's for sure. I never left 3rd gear as we danced through the Spanish mountains towards our destination.
Once at the Cuban salsa club we started out with a few beginner lessons. I quickly found out that it was way above my skill level. There was a rather eclectic bunch of people in attendance tonight. All ages, all races, all sizes, and even a few unable to dance who come to feel the electric energy that radiates through the club air.
My dance partner was a 65yr old petit woman named Linda. She has been taking salsa lessons for about 5 years and she told me that it brought her back to life.
Linda is a native of England but her and her husband moved to Spain because they loved the judgment free lifestyle along with the lack of stress about time and money. I was put shame because in the states I’m one to dance all night long but the spinning required in salsa turned my stomach upside down within the first two songs.
It was just as fun to watch those with skills; so that is what we did. Ross and I bellied up to the bar because the place was crowded and we wanted a good view. Watching our friend Colleen, who is a professional teacher of a number of traditional salsa dances, was a real treat.
We had an excellent time and through dancing we strengthened our bonds with our newly made friends. By the end of the night they were already inquiring if we would stay forever.
April 16, 2013
Today we drove around Calpe for hours getting lost. We
figured it was the best way to learn the county side, LOL. We really were on a
mission but I’ll get to that in a bit. Ross’s keen ability to get lost was put to the
test today as we drove on streets that are not clearly marked, got dizzy
circling round a bout’s, and got frustrated because of the low speed limit on
straight a ways. Everything started looking the same, so against his better
judgment we stopped and asked for directions. This was not as helpful as we
wanted because of the language barrier but at least we were pointed in the
right direction on our quest to buy a Ross a Spanish guitar. 
As if we were playing a game of Hot and Cold, you know the
one based on getting closer to something (hot) or farther away from it (cold).
Locals attempted to help us along our way. Once the car was parked we were much
more successful on foot. 
Every few blocks we would pop into a shop and ask “La music
shop?” The question is totally implied in the sound of our voice since we do
not formally know how to ask. Finally, we were told it was a two minute walk
and then there it was!! Calpe’s only Music Shop! It only took half the day to find it. The best
part was that the store was actually open and not closed for siesta. After
purchasing a classic acoustic Spanish made guitar Ross pranced around all of
Old Town Calpe with it attempting to play.
We spent the rest of
day wandering the Old Town admiring beautiful frescos, Spanish wall art, the
unique plant life found growing in the Old Town, and the interesting iron work
protecting the estates. See below for picture of Old Town sights from today’s
adventure.
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Jesus Fresco
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| Elaborate Iron Gate |
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| Amazing Purple Tree |
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