Seniors in Spain 2018: 7/21/2018-Valencia-pool, beach, paella dinner at Casa Roberto

Received message from Dorie that she and others will come to the hotel to spend time with us. Waiting for Ronan to wake up. We need to find a place for breakfast as I didn't include breakfast with the cost of our room. It was way too pricey. Especially since I don't eat that much at breakfast. Stopped at reception desk to inquire any other place close by and was recommended we check out Blue Bar right here at the resort. It's by the main pool. Walked over. They do offer a light breakfast. €8.50 gets you juice and coffee, choice of toast plain or with the tomato spread or a selection of sweets. Richard got the toast with tomato spread and I got a nice plate of 4 sweets-plain croissant, chocolate croissant, glazed donut, mini muffin. We signed for this to be added to our room. It was a nice, relaxing start to the day.

Walking from our room to the Blue Bar by the main pool

The door that leads to the beach

Breakfast

View of main pool from Blue Bar

I guess most do the breakfast buffet in the resort main building??

View of resort main building

Toast with tomato spread

My plate of sweets was perfect

Pool looks inviting

Changed into swim suits and headed to the pool to wait for Dorie. Had my computer with me so could check message when she'd arrive. At 10:30 AM Dorie, Ronan, and her friend Zerlina arrived at pool area. Blue and Kerby are looking for a place to park the car. The pool lifeguard said our guests couldn't stay at the pool. I explained we're just waiting for the other guys and then we plan to head to the beach. The life guard had an attitude that I did not appreciate. He was rude. This attitude really put me off this place. I'd never stay here again. Paying €300 per night, cheapest room, and to be treated like that! No excuse as Dorie and her gang were just standing with their beach gear by us. Richard and I had loungers by the pool. Richard decided to stay at the pool and I went to the beach with the others. There's a door from the resort property that leads to the beach. The beach is public. We managed to rent 5 loungers at €5 each but unfortunately all the umbrellas were gone. And it's a hot, sunny day. Not ideal for sure. The water was warmer than the pool so I liked that but it's too rough for me as I found it hard to not get knocked over by the wave action. Ronan had fun. Building sand castles, bridges in the sand. Playing in the water. He's certainly not afraid of the waves! I was supposed to return to the pool but time flew by and then it was 5:30 PM! Time to leave. Dorie and her gang rinsed off and walked to the car to go back to the apartment they were all renting together. I returned to the pool area. Richard had also gotten a lot of sun even though his lounger was under an umbrella. He asked why I didn't return. I apologized. He couldn't walk down to find us at the beach because he had my computer. I had the room key so he was stuck. He couldn't go to the room, drop off the computer, and join us on the beach. Plan is to meet up later for dinner.

Ronan having fun in the sand

OMG!!

Full of sand-not me!

Busy beach

Ronan loves the water

Ronan to the waves "Is that all you got!"

Wall to wall people

A little too rough for me

Rental prices

Boardwalk down to the beach

View of our resort from the beach

Rinsing off the sand and salt water

Went back to our room, shower, changed. Want to go some place for paella as Valencia is where paella began. The city is known for that. We haven't made advance reservations so it's a bit tricky to find a place for the 7 of us. Finally get a message from Dorie. Dinner. Casa Roberto opens at 8:30 PM and we have a reservation. We'll meet them there. We get a taxi. The others are already seated at a large circular table. House bread on all the plates. Zerlina has ordered traditional Valencian paella for 3 and seafood paella for 3. We also get 2 bottles of red wine, 1 bottle still water, 1 bottle sparkling water. Starters-Valencia style salad of lettuce/hard boiled eggs/tomatoes/peppers/radishes/tuna, grilled squid with lemon, grilled vegetables-artichokes/eggplant/asparagus/cherry tomatoes. Then the paella pans appear. They're huge. We all get wooden spoons and are told best way to eat paella is with the spoon right out of the pan scraping up all the bits of rice, etc. The seafood paella has mussels, fish, crayfish, prawns, peeled shrimp. The traditional paella has rabbit, chicken, snails, peppers and assorted vegetables. This meal was so yummy and we ate all that food! Bill was €218.85 without tip. We split it 3 ways. I gave Blue €100 and he gave me back €25. Kerby took all the cash and then paid for dinner with his credit card. I had been meaning to take Dorie, Blue, and Ronan out for dinner before it was decided we'd all go together so I put in €22 towards the tip. We walked a bit heading in the direction where we could get a taxi back to our hotel when we came upon a gelateria. Of course we have room for some. So many delicious looking flavors. I got a small cup of sweet cherry amaretto and Richard got a small cone of pistachio. Gave Blue €10 even though €5 would have been enough. Extra to pay towards theirs. Got a taxi easy while the others are walking back to their apartment. Tomorrow we will meet up again but not until dinner as Dorie and Zerlina are doing a walking tour and Blue is taking Ronan to the City of Arts and Sciences.