After saying our goodbyes to Barcelona, which I have always said is my favourite European city, we began our long drive south towards the Mar Menor, where a luxury apartment in Los Alcazares is eagerly awaiting our arrival.

We took the coast road to Valencia, as I’ve driven this stretch by motorway before and wanted a different view. It turns out that Spain is a big country and this road went on for ages. There were a few bits and bobs to see along the way: The Cava wine route, for instance. However, if you’re thinking of doing this journey in a day, take my advice and drive the fast roads instead. At the end of the day, we were both really tired and spent the night parked around the back of a petrol station.

The next day, we took the motorway and made much better progress towards our target.