All posts by chaput@live.com

Spain

Caves del Canelobre

We went to Busot, Spain which is a small mountain town 18 kilometers from Alicante. The views were amazing on the way up the mountain on our way to see the Caves of Canelobre.

View from the entrance area of the caves in Busot, Spain

The entrance to the caves is on the northern slopes of the mountain ridge known as Cabezón de Oro.

Entrance to the Caves

We went to buy our tickets to go and see the caves but discovered that they just closed for the day. Our friend Felipe who is also a tourist guide spoke to the manager. He did his magic and the manager opened up the caves just for us. We went down a long hallway to the entrance of the caves.

The hallway to the “Coves del Canelobre”

When we reached the end of the hallway we came to an open cavern area. There was a platform which you could see the large cave area.

Ray in the Caves of Canelobre
The main platform area in the caves

We were able to go to the edge of the platform where we could see all the main areas of the cave. We looked at the main cave area which has a height of 70 meters and is shaped like a cathedral ceiling.

The cave which has many stalactites and stalagmites and is similar in shape as a cathedral ceiling.

It is amazing to see the caves, which were formed millions of years ago.  There were different size stalactites and stalagmites throughout the cave. They only grow about 1 cm every one hundred years. Stalagmites are formed by calcium salt deposits formed by dripping water and often unit with stalactites.

Stalactites and stalagmites throughout the cave.

It was neat to be the only ones in the caves and able to see them without any other people around. The main cave area is the candelabra formation, which is the official name of the caves.

Stalagmites formed over many thousands of years.

The caves are a true natural wonder and an amazing site. We enjoyed our visit to the caves and were very thankful to have a private viewing of the caves.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Spain

Exposición del Ninot 2017

We attended the “Exposicion del Ninot” display where you can vote for the best Fogueres of 2017.  What makes this so interesting, is that a miniature of each Foguere of the current year is created. They are put on display for people to view and cast a vote for their favorite one.

Entrance to the Exposicion del Ninot 2017

We went inside to view the fogueres and cast our vote. The room was very large and there were fogueres displayed throughout the entire room. Each foguere had an identification card with a number and the barrio it was from.

Foguere identification card
Fogueres on display along the entire walls of the large room

We began walking slowly through the room admiring the amazing art of the fogueres. Each one was unique and had great details. Some were whimsical and almost cartoon like.

whimsical foguere

Other fogueres had themes or represented strong messages.

One of the Foguere’s with a specific message.

The message is a quote from Oscar Wilde which states “They’ve promised that dreams can come true, but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too.”  The image was very powerful and was very well done.

Foguere with strong message and image

One of the entries commemorates a prominent person involved in the fogueres in Alicante for years.

Foguere commemorating the life of a prominent Spanish person involved in the fogueres for years in Alicante
Homage to Antulio SanJuan Ribes

We walked through the first room amazed at all the great artwork of the fogueres.

Ray looking at the fogueres

After about a half an hour looking at the fogueres we came to another hallway and were shocked to find even more fogueres in the next room.

A second room full of fogueres.
Jim and Anne looking at Fogueres

In total there were 89 fogueres which made it very hard to cast our vote.  Below is a gallery of the fogueres, try to decide which one of them is the best.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

 

Spain

A day exploring Alicante

We took our friends from Canada for a little tour of Alicante to show them some of the sites. We walked to the downtown area of the city and enjoyed a nice stroll through one of the oldest parks in Alicante. The park is called the Canalejas Park and is located very close to the Mediterranean sea. The park is known for the beautiful centenary ficus trees which provide shade cover over the complete length of the park. We stopped in the shade and relaxed for a bit to enjoy the trees.

Anne and Jim under the centenary ficus trees
Ray sitting on the root of one of the centenary ficus trees

After enjoying the park we headed to the waterfront to admire the sea. The boardwalk along the marina is beautiful and provides a great view of the Castillo Santa Barbara. We walked along the pier to the end and enjoying the breeze from the sea.

Anne, Jim, and Shelley along the pier in downtown Alicante
Jim and Anne in downtown Alicante

After exploring the downtown area we decided to get lunch at one of our favorite Spanish restaurants called “La Matanza Castellana”.

We enjoyed a traditional Spanish meal of the day which was very tasty.

Jim enjoying a Mediterranean salad

We went to the Castillo Santa Barbara to check out the castle. Our friend Filipe gave us a great tour of the castle.  We explored areas that were not normally accessible to the public.

Ray and Filipe going into the dungeon area of the castle
Anne, Shelley, and Jim, at Castillo Santa Barbara

We went into the area of the castle where prisoners were housed. We saw a torture chamber area and even went into a water reservoir which was used by the castle for centuries.

Ray with Filipe showing the torture chair
15th-century water reservoir in Castillo Santa Barbara
Jim and Anne at the Castillo Santa Barbara

We enjoyed showing our friends some of the Alicante sites. It was a nice day with friends, sunshine and overall lots of fun.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Spain

InterNations Evening

We went to an InterNations event on Friday evening. The monthly events are a great way to meet new people and other expats in the area. This month’s event was held a very unique and old hotel in the old quarter of Alicante. The hotel called “Les Monge Palace” is very ornate and beautifully decorated. The main entrance is unassuming and could easily be walked past.

Les Monge Palace Hotel in Old Quarter of Alicante
Entrance to Les Monge Palace Hotel.

There was a large group of people who attended the event. We mingled in the main lobby area enjoying tapas and snacks. We then headed up the rooftop terrace which was reserved for us. There was an elevator or you could take the stairs. I decided to take the stairs and admire the interior of the building.  The staircase itself was completed in mosaic tiles.

Mosaic tiles on the stairway in Les Monge Palace Hotel

There were wrought iron railings and mosaic tiles throughout the four floors to the rooftop.

Wrought iron railing in the hotel

The view looking down from the top staircase was interesting.

View looking down from the top floor of the staircase

Once on the rooftop the beauty and charm of the hotel were evident. The views from the rooftop were stunning and there was traditional Spanish music playing. The quaint and cozy rooftop seating provided beautiful views in every direction.

View of the Basilica from the rooftop terrace of the hotel
View of the Castle of Santa Barbara from the terrace of the hotel

We stayed on the terrace enjoying the beautiful weather and socialized with people from all over the world.

Ray chatting with some expat friends
Enjoying time with friends from InterNations

It was a great evening and a very enjoyable time. We always enjoy the InterNations events.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Spain

Pirates of the Caribbean in Alicante

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We took a walk on the boardwalk near the Mediterranean Sea.

Boardwalk near Mediterranean sea in Alicante

We were enjoying the walk and came across the Museo Volvo Ocean Race and decided to check it out.

We entered the free museum not knowing anything about the Volvo Ocean Race. We were amazed at how large the museum was and the complexity of the exhibits. Almost ever exhibit was interactive and very informative.

There were small model sail ships that explained the different pieces of the equipment and design of the sailboat. There were fans blowing the wind and moving the sails in different directions explaining how sailing worked.

Model of the sailboat explaining parts of the interior of the ship

They had interactive sailing stations where kids could compete against each other on a virtual screen.

Kids racing against each other on virtual sailing exhibit

There was even a virtual ride on the sailboat in rough and windy waters of the ocean. We watched some children go into the ride but we decided to skip that ride.

virtual sailboat ride at Volvo Ocean Race museum

It was a very enlightening experience and we learned a lot about the Volvo Ocean Race. The race is the longest race of any kind in the world. It crosses four oceans and is 46,000 nautical miles long.  The race will start on October 22, 2017,  in Alicante and finishes eight months later in The Hague. There is a total of 11 legs in the race starting in Alicante and finishing in The Hague.

The legs of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017

The race will take over eight months to complete and covers four oceans. The race is the toughest test in professional sailing.

There was a sailboat called “The Black Pearl” and was crewed by a team called “Pirates of the Caribbean”, the United States entry sailboat was sponsored by Disney. We were able to see some of the Black Pearl equipment and the sailboat itself.

Shelley with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” suit worn by crew members during the race.

The “Black Pearl” was raced in 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean race and won second place.

The “Black Pearl” was on display at the museum but then relocated to a prominent location in downtown Alicante.

The Black Pearl on Display near the main promenade in downtown Alicante

There is a short video below that explains the Volvo Ocean Race and the Black Pearl.

We enjoyed the museum more than we thought we would. It was very interesting and the Volvo Ocean Race is an amazing and challenging race.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”