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Spain

Not a Canadian River

Sunday we went with friends to do some hiking in the foothills of the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park. It is located near the town of “Banyeres de Mariola” which is the highest town in the interior of the province of Alicante. The trail began with a concrete path which went towards the valley of the mountain.

Shelley at the beginning of the trail in the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park.

We walked along the concrete trail for sometime and eventually the trail narrowed and changed to a dirt path.

A path in the park

We arrived to an area with a river called “Vinapoló” which was quite small and shallow. It appeared more like a stream than a river.

Shelley, Victor, Irena and Ray in the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park

We walked along the path towards the source of the river. There were a few small footbridges that we crossed as we went along.

Footbridge over the Vinapoló river

We walked along the river for about an hour and came to the source of the Vinapoló, which was an underground stream.

The source of the Vinapoló river

We followed the trail further and came to some building ruins that were quite old and other unique features.

building ruins in the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park

We even saw in the distance some castle ruins, but decided that it was too far for this trip.

Castle ruins along the trails in the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park.

We did not pack enough water or food to hike to the castle ruins so we will save that for another time. We walked about 10 kilometers during our time in the park. It was a great day and we enjoyed seeing some of the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park.

“Adios y que tengas un gran dia”

Spain

Santander Spain

We went to port city of Santander which is the capital of the historical region of Cantabria. It is located on the north coast of Spain. We walked along the coastline which had a large park. 

Park area near the bay of Cantabria bay

We walked through the park exploring and admiring the views. We came across some bronze status, which was a memorial.

Memorial of the fire of February 15, 1945 in Santander, Spain

It was a memorial for the rebuilding of Santander after the massive fire of February 15, 1941,  which destroyed most of the city. During the fire a total of 72,211 firefighters fought the fire and its aftermath. There was only one death throughout the fire and it was a firefighter named Julian Sanchez who was from Madrid.

Ray and the memorial

The park was quite long and ran parallel to the water.  Along the parkway we came across a large structure which was quite unique.

Structure along the coastline in Santander, Spain

It is called “Centro Botín” and it is an art center with a very unique architectural design. We walked under the edge of the Centro Botin near the water.

Shelley under the base of the Centro Botin Art building in Santander
Centro Botin, Santander

The building appears split into two halves with a central connecting hallway. There is also a stairs and an elevator which allowed people to reach the roof. We decided to head to the roof and check out the views. 

Shelley and Ray on the roof of the Centro Botin art building in Santander, Spain

We continued our walk along the  park and came across some bronze statues of children, called “raqueros”.

Bronze status of children on the shoreline of Santander, Spain

Apparently the story of the statues is to depicted the children who would wait for the tourist ships to arrive at port. The tourist would trow coins into the water and the children would dive in for the coins.

Statue of child diving into the water in Santander, Spain

We walked along the park for a while before heading in to explore  the old quarter of Santander.  The waterfront parkway was a great time and a leisurely way to spend a few hours.

“Ados eta egun handia”

Spain

Birthday in Valencia

We went to Valencia to celebrate Shelley’s birthday. Our day began with a 1:40 minute train ride to the city of Valencia. We arrived to a beautiful warm day in downtown Valencia. We settled in to our hotel before heading out for a walk through the city. We started out walking through the beautiful “Jardin del Turia.”

Path in the “Jardin del Turia” which leads under one of the bridges in the city.

Jardin del Turia in Valencia

The park has a very interesting past. It was originally the Turia River which overflowed its banks in October, of 1957. The flooding reached heights of over five meters (17 feet) high. At least 81 people died and thousands were displaced during the flooding.  As a result of the devastation caused by the flooding the city decided to divert the entire river through fields south of the city. After much debated and public protest the former  seven kilometres of riverbed was converted to the current park in 1986.

Map of the Jardin del Turia Park

We walked through a section of the Jardin del Turia and then headed towards the centre of the city. Along the way we came across some beautiful  building architecture, parks and statues .

Building in Valencia with ornate decor

Ornate building in Valencia

We stopped along the way to enjoy the views and admire our surroundings.

One of the arches in Valencia

Shelley and Ray in front of one of the many statues in Valencia

Shelley in front of the fountain near city hall plaza in Valencia

We walked along the streets until we reached city hall plaza.

City hall Plaza in Valencia

The streets around the plaza were cordoned off and there was a large street party going on. We stopped to check out the live music and walk through the area.

Street party with live music at Valencia City Hall Plaza

After exploring the city centre,  it was getting dark so we decided to walk back to our hotel, which was a fair distance away.  On the way back the city views changed as it got darker.

Valencia city view in the evening

The view of the City Hall Plaza at night in Valencia

Ferris wheel in Valencia

A section of “Jardin del Turia” at night

It was a long walk but very enjoyable. The city of Valencia has some beautiful features and architecturally interesting buildings.

“Adios y que tengas un gran dia”

Spain

Snorkeling in the mediterranean sea

Felipe and Ray decided to go snorkeling at a spot called “El baño de la reina” which translates to “the Queen’s bath”. It is located in Campello, a short distance from the city of Alicante.

The Queen’s Bath located in Campello

We went down to the tourist centre located in Campello and got some information on the Queen’s Bath.

Felipe and Ray at the Queen’s Bath in Campello

There are former Roman pools located at the Queen’s Bath. These pools were used by the Romans as a fish farm. The tourist centre provided us with snorkeling information including an identification card of different fish and plants.

Fish identification card from the tourist information centre

They also provided us with an audio player which you wear on your arm during the snorkeling.  We headed down to the Queen’s Bath with our gear.

Felipe and Ray at the Queen’s Bath

We swam for about one hour around the rocks at the Queen’s Bath. There were different types of fish along the rocks and we even saw a sea urchin.

Sea Urchin

The snorkeling was great, it was very interesting and enjoyable.

“Adios y que tengas un gran dia”

Spain

Fireworks on the Mediterranean Sea

There is an international fireworks competition held in Alicante each year. Our friends Mike and Liz invited us to go on their sailboat to watch the fireworks from the sea.

Jorge, Ceci, Mike, Paul, Shelley and Ray on the sailboat before heading out

We went out and anchored off the coast near in front of the Castle of Santa Barbara. The view was quite stunning to see the city and the castle in the evening from the sea.

View from the Mediterranean Sea of Alicante coast line.

We enjoyed the views and warm evening while we waited for the fireworks to start.

The view of the fireworks from the boat

The fireworks were beautiful and lasted approximately 20 minutes. There were some unique fireworks and the show was great to watch from the water.

Ray and Mike on the “Hegeldi” heading back to port of Alicante after the fireworks

We had a great time with friends, there were lots of laughs and lots of fun.

Ray with friends on the sailboat waiting for the fireworks to start

We still find it hard to believe at times that we are living in Spain. It is an adventure almost every day.

“Adios y que tengas un gran dia”