Moments like when on my daily ‘commute’ to work – a five-minute drive along the shore of the Mediterranean – the early morning sunlight is reflecting off the deep blue, silky water. Or on my journey home, when an orangey-red moon edges up over the horizon and casts a warm glow across the waves. When all the layers of the mountains ranges are revealed as the sun goes down on yet another cloudless, warm winter day. When it’s beach weather in early spring.

I could go on, but it was this edition’s article on visiting cycling teams which reminded me of some of the reasons why so many foreigners and people from other parts of Spain decide to holiday or settle here.

For cyclists, professional and amateur, the Levante offers ideal winter training and touring conditions, most obviously the climate. Just think how many days of sunshine and how few days of rain we have here compared with Northern Europe, and how unlikely it is that snowed over roads would stuff up plans to go out for a spin.

Decent weather isn’t the only attraction for the top cycling teams which come here to get in tip-top form for the racing season though. It’s the facilities offered by local hotels, it’s the diversity of the landscapes, and it’s the relatively little amount of traffic on the roads. And it’s also because this is simply a nice place to be, whatever the time of year.

I’m a bit of a cyclist myself actually, although less cool as ice fitness queen and more a sort of scruffy Mrs Bean on two wheels, tootling up and down Mojácar Playa on my rusty old mountain bike for a bit of exercise and an airing.

You don’t have to be a cycling fan of course to appreciate all this region’s plus points. It’s a great place for a holiday and it’s a great place to live. How lucky are we!