End of the Road in Vistabella

We packed our rucksacks and wandered up to the village. Gary couldn’t walk the trail today. The pain had not reduced overnight and any pressure on his knee could result in lasting damage. We just don’t know, but the decision was taken and this was the end of the trek. Beautiful, very different and exhausting, and over. We had two long days walking ahead of us and it was not possible. Next time, it will still be there and if we’re not then we won’t be bothered about it.

We had two hotels booked and paid for ahead on the trail but Vistabella only has one road through it, the CV-170, and that runs west to east. Our trek would have taken us south, and to get to the next location by road would be over 50 miles. So we had to let the bookings go. Unfortunate but unavoidable.

So we will head to Benidorm and get longer rest and relaxation than we anticipated. However Vistabella is isolated. There is only one bus a day out of the village and that had left at 06.00. The Restaurant El Dau was open and we asked whether they could book us a taxi from somewhere to take us to the nearest train station. The taxi would be with us in four hours, the journey would take two hours, the cost would be £150.

Initially we asked them to order the taxi. We had to get out of Vistabella. Then we sat down and reconsidered the situation. We discussed the pros and cons. Come on and let me know. Should I stay or should I go? Thanks Mick. Stay!

Dolores flitted in and out of the Restaurant and we grabbed hold of her. Yes we could stay another night, although we would be sharing the house with four other trekkers. We offloaded our rucksacks back at the apartment then plotted our escape.

The first section in red would be tomorrow’s bus to Castellon de la Plana. The blue line was to be a train ride to Valencia where we would transfer by taxi to the bus station and take a second bus ride down to Benidorm.

In the meantime we bought a rabbit from the butchers, which was chopped for us into sections.

Then at the grocers we bought a leek, huge tomato, a quarter kilo of mountain fungi, mashing potatoes, butter, wine, carrots and chicken stock. The entire meal, including the wine and rabbit, had cost €22. Back at the apartment we prepared a rabbit stew and let it simmer in the wine and chicken stock for three hours, whilst we sat outside in the street looking at the view and talking about life.

Then the moment of truth.

A rabbit rarely died a more worthwhile death. Meat is murder and we plead guilty. The meal was a brilliant success. We patted ourselves on the back and ate the lot!

Early night and the next day we were up at 05.00 and on the deserted bus at six. Two hours later we decanted at Castellon at the train station and were on a train heading south within 15 minutes. A taxi in Valencia to the bus station and we just had time for a coffee before the bus to Beni bore us away. We arrived seven hours after we left Dolores’ des res. We did a good deal at our hotel for the extra night and set off on an eating spree.

The weight we lost in the mountains was regained by the sea.

Farewell Benidorm. We will return to Spain in 2027, fill the gap from Vallibona to Morella and complete the lost two days, before pressing on further south. Like Icarus.

Night night.