So we had our appointment a couple of weeks ago to present our EX23 documents at Alicante - was expecting to have to wait 3 weeks before we could consider picking up our cards.
I joined a Brexpat group on Facebook and the Valencia posters are advising their lote numbers when they collect their cards. After you have attended your EX23 appointment you are given a letter which you need to take when you collect your cards and it has a lote number on it.
I've read that some people have collected their cards with a lote number after ours so we are off to see if ours are ready tomorrow - not least as the weather is supposed to be a bit iffy.
Fingers crossed :)