Firstly there are worse places to be stranded than Spain and more particularly Valencia when an Icelandic Volcano blows its top, although the weather has been a bit shocking for those who are enjoying (sic) an extended stay. Let's look on the bright side first, some people were able to go to the Valencia match on Thursday, the hotels have space as people cannot get here, there is a big wine festival on in the riverbed and the sun has come out this afternoon. However for anyone looking for some practical advice for getting back to the UK at the moment here are some possibilities: 1) P+O Ferries run from Bilbao and allow foot passengers costing around 90 Euros for a one way trip. You can get to Bilbao hiring a car or the train will cost a maximum of around 90 Euros from Alicante or Valencia to Madrid and then on up to Bilbao. (I would put up the link to their website but it is totally useless and down at the moment and they are no taking calls until tomorrow morning and RENFE's for the trains is equally bad) 2) Car hire is still available in most of Southern Spain. Use your nous and rent a car to take you to Calais. However one way trips  without return and drop off to the same place tends to be hideously expensive so find one of the 20% of Spanish people who is unemployed and able to drive and offer them a couple of hundred Euros extra on top of the rental cost and their own trip costs to drive you up there. I am sure there would be many takers. Once you get to Calais the Ferry companies are taking as many foot passengers as is possible on each ferry to get them back into the Uk and a fleet of coaches, extra trains and I suppose taxis, will be waiting for you there. 3) Coaches: I have come down to Spain many times on the coach and it is not as horrendous a trip as it seems. Coaches out of Barcelona are apparently booked up but the rest of Spain is doing OK. 4) Swim!! If anyone needs some specific advice for their own situation as they are stranded somewhere in Spain I would be happy to give you the latest news on travel possibilities as far as I know it. I might also be able to get you a river if you need one. Send me a mail using the contact form on the site and get in touch or just email me on grahunt@gmail.com. If you are on one of the Islands then things become a tad more difficult of course. Good luck.

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