We went to explore some of the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea. We went to the Island of Mykonos which is one of the more popular islands and is located in the Cyclades group of islands.
View of the town of Chora on Mykonos Island
We stayed in the town of Chora which is also referred to as the town of Mykonos. Our hotel was well situated and we had a great view of the city and sea. We enjoyed watching the sun set from the pool area.
The view from our hotel in MykonosPool area at our hotel with views of the sea.Shelley and Ray with view from the hotel poolside.
We went into the old part of town and explored the narrow white washed streets. The white walls and blue trim on the buildings were very stunning.
Ray in the old part of Mykonos.Typical street in the old part of town in Mykonos
There were many unique shops, art stores and restaurants. We explored some of the art shops looking at the unique pieces for sale.
Shelley looking at some art pieces
We explored the town walking along many interesting streets. There were small churches and even a fish cleaning station near the shoreline.
Fish cleaning station on the shoreline in Mykonos.One of the many churches in MykonosTypical street with numerous restaurants in Mykonos.
We explored the town enjoying the spectacular sites and sounds. We found a beautiful little restaurant near the shoreline which provided us with a great view. We stopped and took some time to enjoy the moment.
Ray and Shelley at a restaurant in Mykonos
We enjoyed a glass of wine while looking at the iconic landmarks of the 16th century windmills that sit on the hill in Mykonos.
Semana Santa week in Alicante is full of activities and parades. We participated and enjoyed some of the activities during the Semana Santa.
Procession on the Promenade
We went for a walk down the promenade and came to the procession also known as “penance procession” which was underway. We stopped and watched some of the procession including the Nazarenes dressed in their traditional “Vesta”.
Members of the brotherhood of Nazarene in procession
The history of the Nazarenes dates back to the 16th century. They are members of a brotherhood who do penance during Semana Santa. Their faces are covered for mourning and the colourful clothing represents the cloak that Jesus wore when he was being lead to be crucified.
One of the floats being carried by mourners
The floats or “pasos” which can weight in excess of 500 kgs. (1000 lbs) are carried by people dressed in white hooded gowns. These gowns cover their faces in mourning and represent the shame of sinners for the sins they committed.
The procession was interesting and we watched it for approximately an hour before we left.
Procession Santa Cruz
The second procession we watched is one of the most popular and is held in the narrow streets of Santa Cruz. Thousands of people gather early to get a good spot to watch the procession.
People gathering early to watch the Santa Cruz procession
We were very fortunate to have friends who invited us to watch the procession from their balcony which overlooks the procession. We could see the procession from a great vantage point.
View of the start of the procession from our friend’s balcony
The streets of Santa Cruz are narrow and there is one section in particular which is the narrowest in the procession route. At this section the people carrying the floats (known as the brotherhood) must be very careful to lower the float below the edges of the balconies which line the street.
The floats in Santa Cruz are very heavy and the heaviest one is over a ton. You can see the strain and effort on the people trying to move the float slowly and carefully down the stairs.
Moving the float through the narrowest section of the street
It is considered good luck if you are fortunate enough to touch one of the floats as it passes by. Shelley was able to reach out and touch the statue of Jesus as the float went by.
Shelley touching the arm of the Jesus statue during the Santa Cruz procession.
There are women dressed in black mourning throughout the procession. Some of the mourning women carry symbols of the stations of the cross.
Women in Mourning carrying a crown made of thorns.
The procession in Santa Cruz is very emotional, You can feel the emotions of people as they sing and cheer throughout the procession. It is definitely one of the highlights of the Semana Santa in Alicante.
Below is a video of the procession in Santa Cruz.
Santa Maria Church Procession
We went to a roof top bar to see the Santa Maria procession which begins at the Santa Maria Church. The bar has a great view of the castle of Santa Barbara and overlooks the Santa Maria Church.
Ray and Shelley on the roof top bar with a view of the castle of Santa Barbara
The bar was full of people waiting to see the procession from the rooftop.
People on the roof top waiting to see the procession.
The procession began with the church bells ringing and people on the church roof throwing rose pedals onto the procession.
People throwing rose pedals onto the procession from the church roofProcession float starting the procession out of the Santa Maria Church
The float is carried out of the church while crowds align both sides of the street. We watched from the rooftop as the procession went along the street.
View of the procession float from the rooftop along the street near Santa Maria Church
Below is a video of the procession from the Santa Maria Church.
Each of the three processions were unique and different. We enjoyed each one for their uniqueness and style. Semana Santa is a great time to be in Spain and in particular Alicante.
It was a rainy day in Madrid so we decided to go to the National Museum of Art to see some of the exhibits which included Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and H.C. Westermann.
Entrance to the Museo Reina Sofia
We explored the museum which had many different exhibits. We explored some of the ones which were of interest to us. The first one we went to was the cubism exhibit which featured some famous Spanish artists, including Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.
Bust and Pallet, (1925) Pablo PicassoFace of the great masturbator, (1929)- Salvador Dali
Some of the exhibits were quite unique and interesting, in particular we enjoyed the Horace Clifford Westermann exhibit.
Ray looking at some of the HC Westermann exhibits
He is known for his folkloric sculptures and works on paper with playfulness and humour,
We saw some interesting pieces that were very unique including the “Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea,”
Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea, HC Westermann
We looked at the different pieces and some where quite interesting while others were simply strange.
Antimobile (1966) HC WestermannShelley “just missing the bullseye”“In God we trust” HC WEstermannRobot by HC Westermann
The Museum was well worth the visit and we enjoyed seeing the different styles of art on display.
Ray in mirror art
It was a great way to spend a rainy day in Madrid.
We went to check out one of the iconic and original cocktail bars in Madrid called the “Museo Chicote”. It is located on the Gran Via and was formerly known as Perico Chicote bar. It opened in 1931 by Pedro Chicote, who was a former barman of the Ritz Hotel.
The outside of the bar was unassuming and had a modern look.
The facade of Museo Chicote bar in Madrid
We went inside and immediately it felt like we had stepped back in time. The inside of the Museo Chicote had some interesting features. On the right side were small booths with moulded chairs and in the centre tables and chairs.
View of the interior of the Museo Chicote bar in Madrid
The rear of the bar had some red velvet curtains with an old style pay phone mounted on the wall.
Pay phone at the rear of the bar
We sat down at one of the booths and took in the decor as we enjoyed a cocktail.
Shelley sitting in one of the booths.
The Chocote bar was one of the first cocktail bars in Madrid. It is known for the many famous people that have spent time in the bar. On the wall behind the bar there were pictures of some of the famous people who visited the bar.
Photos on display behind the bar
We took a closer look at some of the photos and came across some famous people including, Salvador Dali, Rita Hayworth, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Sofia Loren, Earnest Hemingway and Many more.
Picture of Rita Hayworth (top) and Bette Davis (below) in the Chicote BarSome of the pictures of celebrities in the Chicote bar.
It was a wall full of Celebrities from all parts of the world.
There is even a Spanish TV series called “Arde Madrid” which features the story of Eva Gardner when she was living in Madrid.
Throughout the series there are many scenes involving the Chicote Bar. In 2004 the Chicote bar received an award as one of the best bars in Europe.
It was a great experience being in the Chicote Bar. We enjoyed a cocktail at one of the historic and iconic bars in Madrid. We even took a selfie picture of us with the Chicote Bar.
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.
We saw some interesting pieces that were very unique including the “Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea,”
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