Main picture: Photolibrary
Photography: Alamy
Bez & Elise
The adventurers:
This issue’s roving reporters are ELISE THOMAS, 27, from Swansea, and her boyfriend, LEE “BEZ” BESSANT, 29, from Tonypandy. Elise works for a healthcare company as a territory manager, covering south-western UK, and recently completed a course in silversmithing and jewellery making. Bez is a structural technician, drawing lines and labelling them (apparently they make sense to someone, somewhere!) and studying part-time for a degree in civil engineering. They met in 2005 in Christchurch, New Zealand, and now live in the Rhondda Valley, south Wales. The Cook Islands, Fiji, Tahiti and Cambodia are just some of the destinations they’ve explored as a couple. Their most recent trip was a van tour in April, taking them from Vancouver to Toronto via Las Vegas. They passed through 11 US states and two in Canada – and covered 4,600 miles in three weeks! They were looking for inspiration and somewhere new to visit when we broke the news that they were this issue’s winners, and sent them off to Murcia in southern Spain…
DAY 1
12.50pm City walk
After jumping on the number 70 bus from the airport, we alighted in sunny Murcia and decided to walk through the city to get to our hotel. Armed with a map, we headed off in the direction of the river and came upon some lovely sights along the way through this very walkable city. The architecture is very much a blend of old and new, though mostly old, which is picturesque and very different to the apartment blocks you often see in coastal Spain.
2.15pm Cathedral
After checking in to our hotel, we headed back out to visit an important Murcian landmark, the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, commonly called the Cathedral of Murcia. Originally the site of a great mosque, King Jamie I began constructing a cathedral here after conquering the city in the 13th century. It’s been growing and changing over the centuries and has the heart and entrails of Alfonso X the Wise buried under the altar! It’s open from 7am-1pm and 5-8pm daily.
2.45 Lunch
After our meanderings, it was definitely time for lunch. We stopped in the Plaza del Cardinal Belluga, outside the Cathedral. Deciding on a seafood experience at a café called La Mejillonera, we muddled our way through a very Spanish menu (little English is spoken in Murcia) and were fortunate to receive what we guessed we were ordering! We particularly recommend the whitebait (chirretes) and the house speciality, mussels in spicy tomato sauce (mejillones escocesa).
3.30pm Bars
Needing a postprandial tipple after our delicious lunch, we headed to one of the many nearby plazas, lined with bars and cafés. Siesta time was starting, so there was just time to sink a cheeky glass or two, and then we strolled back to the hotel for a well-earned nap in our very comfy air-conditioned room. After a quick shower and change later on, we were refreshed and ready to hit the streets for more exploring and fun.
5.30pm Gran Via Alfonso
This time we made our way to Gran Via Alfonso, the largest street in the city. It’s lined with cafés and ice cream bars and has a real family atmosphere. This is an ideal spot to watch the sun go down and soak up the early evening ambience with an ice cream or glass of cold beer. After our refreshments, we strolled along to the fountain in a little park at one end. Trying the local food is always near the top of the list when we travel, so we were already starting to think about dinner!
8.00pm Dinner/drinks
The hotel has a lovely restaurant, but we decided to venture out, and went with the restaurant recommended by the receptionist. O Mamma Mia was nearby on the Plaza San Juan, and offered a choice of both Spanish and Italian cuisine. There are several tasty-looking restaurants on this plaza, so you’re bound to find something you’ll like. We finished the night in the hotel bar, where the friendly waiter was more than happy to serve generous drinks into the early hours!
DAY 2
9.00am Gardens
After a leisurely breakfast, we went out for another stroll around Murcia before catching the bus back to the airport for our departure that afternoon. The city was still asleep when we first hit the streets, and it was a great time to catch the flowering gardens while it was so quiet and peaceful. There are many spots which have been set aside for gardens and fountains in the area. Jardín de Salitre is the largest, and all are well kept, free to enter and were in bloom when we visited.
9.45am River
The river running through the heart of Murcia is the Segura, which in the past has suffered from pollution problems. In recent years, however, some €5.5 million has been spent on water management techniques and waste-water treatment plants. As testament to their success, there were many fishermen on the banks of the Segura while we were there – although, if it’s giant fish they’re hoping to land, we think they’re being slightly optimistic!
10.30am Shopping
Shopping in Murcia was great. There were large department stores, like El Corte Ingles on Avenida de la Libertad, as well as plenty of unique shops down the little streets off Calle Traperia, near the Casino. We found a great bead shop there where we could have spent a lot more time, had Bez not started suffering from a case of man-shopping grumbles!
12.00am Veronicas
Veronicas, on Plano de San Francisco, are the 12th-century defensive lines of the Hispano Muslim city tower walls. They’ve been repaired continuously since the Middle Ages and really give a sense of the city’s history. The church of the Veronicas’ Convent, on the same site, is used as an exhibition hall – and handily not too far from the bus stop to the airport!
The hotel
We stayed at the Silken Siete Coronas, in the centre of the city on Paseo de Garay. When we arrived we immediately chatted with the friendly lady at reception, who was very helpful and directed us to the best bars and restaurants. The beautiful Casino on Calle Traperia was under reconstruction at the time; however, pictures of the restoration to date looked stunning – a definite stop for future visitors. Our hotel room itself was well presented, spacious, spotless and air-conditioned. Hairdryers, irons and TV are standard and the hotel also houses Las Coronas restaurant, whose chef won first prize in the International Rice Competition in 2003! What more could we want?
Our writers stayed in the four-star Silken Siete Coronas. It’s available to book from €58 per night per room on a room-only basis (based on two sharing), including free Wifi connection for all guests. To book, visit www.bmibaby.com, where you can search for hotels and apartments in all bmibaby destinations. Powered by Europe’s leading travel and leisure website, www.lastminute.com
