We went for a tour at a winery called “Bodega La Cepa De Pelayo” which is a new Bodega located in Alcafá Del Jucar, Spain.
The tour was very detailed and took us through the entire Bodega.
Ray at the start of the Bodega tour
Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained the entire process in detail.
Tour guide explaining the processes of the wine making in the Bodega
We began with a tour with the extraction process, known as “debourbage”and how the grape is separated from the juice.
The vats used to ferment the wine
The juice is then transferred to different vats where the alcoholic fermentation starts.
Shelley and Ray in front of the fermentation vats
We then went to the barrel storage area where the wine is aged.
Wine aged in oak barrels at the Bodega.
Finally we went to a large hall set up for the wine tasting. We found our seats and learned about the etiquette of wine tasting. Our tour guide was very good and explained everything very clearly.
Tour guide explaining the wine tasting etiquette
We learned about the colour of the wine, the smell, look, texture and taste. We were taught how to swirl the glass to release the aromas of the wine.
Shelley at the wine tasting
We tried several different wines including a white, rose and red.
Ray tasting a white wine at the Bodega
The wine tasting was very entertaining and a lot of fun.
When we were in the town of Alcalá del Jucar, Shelley and some friends decided to go carting for the first time.
Shelley and Monica at the go-cart race track
Each of them selected their go-cart and drove to the starting line.
Shelley, getting ready for the race in her go-cart.
Shelley drove up to the starting position along with two other racers.
Rafa, Monica and Shelley lined up to start the race.
The race track has many curves and was very challenging track.
The go-cart race track layout
The race began and during the first lap Shelley was in second place. As the race continued Shelley gained on the lead driver. In the last lap Shelley was able to pass the lead driver on the inside curve to win the race.
Shelley crossing the finish line in first place.
After the race Rafa, Shelley and Monica gathered in the winners area and took a photo on the podium.
Rafa, Shelley and Monica on the winning podium
Everyone had a great time and really enjoyed the go-carting.
Las Fallas festival in Valencia is a celebration to welcome the coming of spring and an opportunity to say goodbye to winter. As part of the Fallas festival there are giant “ninots” which means dolls. They are built using paper machè, cardboard, wood and other combustible materials. The ninots have different themes and are sometimes political in nature.
We took a bus tour to Valencia and arrived early to explore the different ninots throughout the city.
Our Costablanca tour bus
We walked the crowded streets looking at the different fallas along the way.
The crowded streets of Valencia during the Fallas 2019
We came to some fallas, which were quite interesting and had specific messages.
Falla with naked Franco, Mussolini, Hitler and Trump with condom promoting no reproduction of these politicians.Falla depicting the United Kingdom cutting ties from European unionA satire of a politician as a frog
Other fallas focused on the environment and in particular the issue of plastic in the oceans.
Falla depicting the dangers of plastics in the oceans.Falla of a Turtle with plastics in its mouth.
We walked towards the “Plaza de Ayuntamiento” to see the “mascletàs” which is a pyrotechnic event that happens at 2 P.M. The mascletàs are focused on noise and rhythm rather than visual effects. As we got closer to the Plaza de Ayuntamiento the crowd became bigger and thicker.
View of the crowd in the streets at the Plaza de Ayuntamiento in Valencia waiting for the Mascletàs
The crowd was so large and big that we decided to go and find a place to have lunch instead of being in the centre of the crowd. We found a nice restaurant not too far away from the plaza. We enjoyed a nice meal and watched the mascletàs which were streamed live on the internet.
Watching the mascletàs live at the restaurant
After lunch we continued exploring and viewing the different fallas. We came to a parade and walked along with them for a while.
Ray walking along with the parade in Valencia
The parade had different traditional costumes, music and flowers. There were people of all ages participating in the parade.
After watching some of the parade we continued to explore the different fallas.
Shelley and Ray in front of a Falla in Valencia,
There are so many unique and different fallas that we created a small gallery of some of them.
During the evening the fallas and streets were lit up with decorated lighting. This made the fallas look completely different and they were quite beautiful.
We stopped at a bar for some tapas and a rest before heading back home after a full day of exploring the fallas. It was a very unique and enjoyable experience.
There is a carnival in the town of Aguilas Spain which is one of the most famous in the Murcia region. The carnival has received the status of “Fiestas of International tourism Interest”. We decided to go and check out the carnival and watch the parade.
We arrived in the early afternoon to Aguilas and explored the city before the big parade. We walked along the waterfront enjoying the beautiful views.
The colonia beach area of AguilasRay, Shelley, Sonja and Marcelo on the beach in Aguilas, Spain
The boardwalk goes along the waterfront with a marina area.
Marina area of Aguilas Spain
After walking along the boardwalk, we headed into the city centre. The streets were already crowded with people waiting for the parade which was still a few hours away. We explored the area until it was time for the parade. We came across a small plaza which had lots of white doves.
White doves in the plaza of Aguilas Spain
We then went and found a spot to watch the parade. It was not easy to find a good vantage point because of the bleachers that were set up. You had to pre-purchase a 10 euro ticket to get a seat on the bleachers and we did not have one.
Bleachers with paid seating for the carnival parade in Aguilas
We found a spot to watch some of the parade. The costumes were very detailed and ornate.
One of the ornate costumes in the carnival parade.
We watched the parade for some time admiring the different dances and costumes. There were children, teens and adults all participating in the carnival parade. Below are only a few of the spectacular costumes and floats in the parade.
Children dressed in costumes of the carnival parade
Below is a small highlight video of some of the carnival.
The parade was very interesting and we enjoyed watching the different costumes and dancing.
We went exploring throughout the old quarter of Sevilla. We came across a very unique structure, called the Metropol Parasol. It is also known as “Las Setas de Sevilla” which translates as the mushrooms of Sevilla.
Las setas de Sevilla in the center of Sevilla, SpainView from the base of the Metropol Parasol
We walked along the base of the Metropol Parasol exploring the large structure.
The Metropol Parasol in Sevilla Spain
This project to create the Metropol Parasol was by the german architect Jürgen Mayer, and is the largest wooden structure in the world.
Shelley at the base of the Metropol Parasol, in Sevilla Spain
The Metropol Parasol has different levels, each one with interesting things to see. On the underground level we came across the Antiquarium Museum. It was created to allow people to visit the archaeological remains that were found during the early excavations for the Metropol Parasol.
Shelley in front of the museum in the lowest level of the Metropol Parasol in Sevilla
The Roman ruins on display are behind a large glass, which gives the appearance of an aquarium.
Roman ruins on display at the Antiquarium museum in the Metropol Parasol in Sevilla.
After checking out the Roman ruins we took the Elevator to the third level. On that level there is a restaurant with seating which provided great views of the city.
View from the sitting area of the restaurant
We walked around the restaurant and came to the 26-meter-high walkway which crossed over the top of the parasol.
Walkways on the top of the Metropol Parasol in Sevilla, Spain
We walked along the walkway enjoying the views of the skyline.
Ray and Shelley on the 26-meter high walkway of the Metropol Parasol in SevillaShelley on the 28-meter high walkway of the Metropol Parasol
The parasol is quite interesting and you were able to look down through the structure to the ground below.
View of the people below through the structure of the parasol
We walked around the parasol enjoying the different views of the skyline. It is an impressive size 150 by 70 metres (490 by 230 ft) and an approximate height of 26 metres (85 ft).
Image of the Metropol parasol from the sky
The Metropol Parasol was a very unique wooded structure and we enjoyed exploring the different levels of it. It was one of the highlights of our trip to Sevilla.
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