Tag Archives: retirement

Spain

Tour of a 309 year old winery

Friends of ours contacted us and wanted to go to a winery called Casa Cesilia with us. This winery is located in a small town called Novelda. We took a 30-minute drive to the town of Novelda and decided to check out the “Santuario de Santa María Magdalena” church before going to the winery.

IMG_20160711_131734509_HDR (2)
The Santuario de Santa María Magdalena church on the hilltop in Novelda, Spain

The church is located on a hilltop high above the town of Novelda. The view from the church was breathtaking with a panoramic view of the town.

IMG_20160711_111401232
View from the Santuario de Santa María Magdalena church in Novelda, Spain

The church is in a “Gaudi” style and was built-in 1918 and was not completed until 1946. We walked around the church and admired the unique architecture.

IMG_20160711_111206603
Front doors of the Santuario de Santa María Magdalena in Novelda, Spain

Some of the stonework was crafted with unique curves and arches. There were designs built into the church by using different rock shapes and colours.

IMG_20160711_111606588_HDR
Notice the twisted stone column in the midst of the other church columns

We walked around the outside of the church admiring some of the features.

IMG_20160711_110738172
detailed corner section of the church
IMG_20160711_111047190
Stained glass window above one of the doors

Unfortunately, the church was closed and we were not able to see the inside.  After walking around the outside of the church we decided to relax on the patio of the restaurant then headed to the winery.

IMG_20160711_122721419_HDR
Ray, Mike, Liz and Shelley in front of the church before heading to the winery.

We arrived at the main gates of the winery which is situated in the valley below the Santuario de Santa María Magdalena church.

IMG_20160711_134344729
Giant vat at the entrance to the Winery

The Casa Cesilia winery was established in 1707 and has a long history of making excellent wines. We drove along the roadway which goes partly through some of the vineyards to the main facility.

IMG_20160711_124730202
Main building of the Casa Cesilia winery

There was beautiful landscaping around the building which is also the home of the owners of the winery.

IMG_20160711_124720108
Some of the landscaping outside of the winery

The view of the surrounding vineyard and mountains was also very impressive.

IMG_20160711_131734509_HDR
View from the winery

The main building was large and also had a restaurant and areas that were used for special events.

IMG_20160711_124946675
Restaurant area of the winery

One area which was neat was a wine cellar which special guest or VIP’s could go and enjoy a glass of wine. We could see the room through the glass floor in the restaurant area.

IMG_20160711_132051275
View of the wine cellar through the glass floor in the restaurant

We took a tour of the winery and saw some interesting aspects of wine making. It is hard to imagine that this family business has been running since 1707.

IMG_20160711_134311316
Some of the fermenting vats in the winery
IMG_20160711_133754155
Oak barrels used in the wine making process

The tour took us to a beautiful covered patio area where we could stay in the shade and enjoy the view of the vineyard.

IMG_20160711_133045413 (1)
Shelley in the covered patio overlooking the vineyard
IMG_20160711_133307920
Patio area near the vineyard

After the tour, we headed to the restaurant to sample some wines. Sitting at an oak barrel table we enjoyed some different wines.

IMG_20160711_140253357
Ray, Shelley, Liz and Mike have a sample glass of wine

We finished the day by having a great meal and another glass of wine before heading home. On the way to the car we stopped and took a look at the vines and grapes up close.

IMG_20160711_155336022
Ray in front of the rows of grapes in the vineyard.
IMG_20160711_155321570
Some of the grapes used in the making of the wine.

It was an interesting and enjoyable day and well worth going to see.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

Bubbly times!

Last night we went to the “6th FASCV Sparkling Wines Bubbles Party” held in Alicante. The event was part of the InterNations activities held each month. The party was held at the Isla Marina, which is a beautiful restaurant and marina on the coast of the Mediterranean sea.

We registered at the entrance and paid our 5 euros to receive a sparkling wine glass for a free sample drink and our name tag. This was to allow us to try one glass of champagne for free. The person doing the registration could not find our names on the list so he added them and gave us two “name Tags” with the word “Professional” on it. Well, it turns out that having the “professional” name tag provided access to all the champagnes for free.

IMG_20160706_111632727
Our name tag which allowed for unlimited free champagne

Off we went to check out the more than 20 producers of sparkling, champagne, cider and other wines.  We met up some of our friends from the group and tried a glass of champagne.

group photo copy
Ray and Shelley with InterNations group

After sampling a glass of champagne we headed to the sitting area near the water to enjoy the scenery.  We found a beautiful spot to sit and relax.

IMG_20160705_203749147_HDR
Ray and Shelley enjoying the view of the Mediterranean sea

The view from our table was spectacular allowing for a complete view of the sea.

IMG_20160705_203913751
view from out table

Our friends gathered at the table and we had a great time chatting about all kinds of different things.

IMG_20160705_201954332_HDR
Our group sitting at the table

One of the items we chatted about was the use of the “abanico de mana” which is Spanish for “hand fan” . They are very popular in the Spanish culture and most of the women at the event had an abanico de mana with them.

Abanico copy
Abanico hand fan
IMG_20160705_210233816_HDR
Shelley with some of the group

We had a great spot and stayed there for most of the evening only heading out to refill our glass or to get some tapas. There was a selection of different tapas which we could buy for three euros.

tapas copy
Tapas for sale at the event

We tried different types of Spanish wines and champagnes including Caves Mestres,  Gramona, Juvé & Camps and a few others. Each vendor had an area on display.

some of the vendors copy
One of the vendors displaying her selection of wines

We stayed until 11 pm and enjoyed the event. The weather was hot and there was a nice breeze from the sea. We then headed home by taxi with our wine glasses in hand.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Canada

Less than 3 weeks before we move to Pembroke

It is less than 3 weeks before we move from our Kingston residence back to our home town of Pembroke before heading to Spain.  Our friends in Kingston and area have been meeting with us and wanting to spend time before we head out. We find ourselves meeting with  our friends, enjoying our limited time together. This is both a happy and sad time for us. It is always  sad when you are saying good-bye and not sure how long before you may see them again.

The fermented Friday group of friends we have, took us out for a going away dinner at the Sakura Japanese Restaurant. It was very heartfelt with lots of laughs. We had lots of fun. We have been deeply moved by the show of support and caring by everyone. The offer of use of their vehicles, help with furniture and overall willingness to help us with anything has been very humbling.

IMG-20151121-00060
Sakura Japanese Restaurant

 

IMG-20151121-00059

IMG-20151121-00057