We went to the airport in Munich and came across a unique feature of the airport. It is the first time we have seen this feature. They call them relax areas and they are located throughout areas of the airport.
A relax area in Munich airport
We went and checked out the relax area. There were recliner type chairs in an area with artificial grass and live plants.
Live plants and artificial grass at relax area in Munich airport.
We sat in the loungers waiting for our flight and enjoyed a nice relaxing rest. They also provide free WiFi at the airport allowing us to catch up on emails etc.
Jim, Anne and Shelley relaxing at Munich airport.
There were also cubicles with work stations for people who wanted to do some computer or business work.
Cubicle work stations at Munich airport.
What was very innovative and interesting was the specific area for sleeping. They had designed sleeping quarters called “napcabs” which you could rent for a nap before your flight.
Napcabs in Munich airport
Cost of 30 euros for two-hour napNapcab in Munich airport.
The relax areas are a great feature and reduce stress waiting for your next flight.
We took a trip to Munich, Germany to explore some of the sites. In particular we want to visit Second World War sites and points of interest.
We started our day early flying out of Alicante at 6:30 am. We had a short stop over in Madrid and then off to Munich, Germany. We landed in Munich with no issues.
Ray, Anne, Shelley and Jim at Munich airport
We took the train to get to the centre area of Munich. The train system was easy to figure out and we managed to get the train. We arrived at the central station.
The train from Airport to central Munich
It was an easy walk to our hotel from the central station. We found our hotel with no problems at all. We were impressed by the hotel Uhland, which was very well located in Munich.
The Hotel Uhland in Munich, Germany
After checking in and unpacking, we decided to head out and get something to eat. The hotel clerk recommended a restaurant near the hotel called “Lenz”. We headed out to try the restaurant and have a traditional German meal. It was only a short walk from our hotel to the restaurant, which looked very nice.
German restaurant in Munich with traditional German meals
We found a great spot on the outside patio and settled in for a nice meal.
Shelley, Jim, Anne and Ray at Lenz restaurant
We had a great German meal with a roast pork in a beer gravy with potato dumplings. It was the very delicious and a great way to start out Munich trip.
German meal of roast pork with beer gravy and potato dumplings
We enjoyed the meal and then went back to our hotel to relax before our next adventure.
We took a trip out to Agost, a small town near Alicante. This town is known worldwide for its excellent handcrafted pottery.
We went to a family operated pottery facility which has been in the same family for two hundred years. They provided us with a tour throughout their entire process of making handmade pottery.
We started outside and the guide explained how they select the soil, clean and treat it in preparation to make it into clay.
Guide, explaining the process of selecting the soil for clayFlatbeds for drying the washed soil for clay
We then headed inside the factory to see the next stages of the pottery being created.
The filter process of the soil used for clayThe guide demonstrating the pump system used to get clay
We went into a work area where we watched a potterer create pottery from clay.
A worker making clay pottery and demonstrating the process
We enjoyed the tour and learning about the art of pottery making. We then visited the showroom where there was some very neat handcrafted pottery.
Pottery showroomSome of the finished pottery on display in the showroom
There is definitely an art to making pottery and it was a very interesting process.
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 cardFogueres 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 AlicanteHomage 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.
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 treesRay 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 AlicanteJim 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 castleAnne, 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 chair15th-century water reservoir in Castillo Santa BarbaraJim 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.
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