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Poland

Krakow Poland

We went to Poland to visit the city of Krakow with friends. We walked through the old quarter of the city admiring the architecture and buildings.

There is a large medieval main square in the central of the old quarter. It contains several unique buildings and several statues and monuments. The square is very large and covers nearly 10 acres. It dates back to the 13th century and is one of the largest in Europe. In the centre of the square is the cloth hall, which was built-in the renaissance period in 1555.

Cloth Hall in Krakow Main square

Vendors stalls are located inside the cloth hall. We walked through and checked the different vendors.

Many vendors were selling amber jewelery, which is common in Poland.

On one side of the main square is the beautiful Town Hall Tower.

Town Hall Tower in the main square in Krakow

On the other side of the square are the monument of Adam Mickiewicz made in 1898 and St. Mary’s Basilica.

Monument of Adam Mickiewicz made in 1898
Shelley and Ray in the main square of Krakow
St Mary’s Basilica with twin towers.

In the main square on this particular weekend there was a traditional Polish food and crafts event. We walked through the different stalls admiring the crafts and enjoying the smells of the market. We even stopped to enjoy a Polish sausage.

Shelley in front of some of the local craft stalls

All along the outside area of the main square are different restaurants. We stopped to relax and enjoy the scenery and bustling square with a beverage. There was even a pride parade going by while we were there.

Pride parade in the main square of Krakow

In the evening the square is lite up with beautiful lights and has a different feel. There are horse-drawn carriages that are decorated with ornate features and lights.

Main Square in Krakow in the evening
One of the horse-drawn carriages ornate with design and lights

The Medieval main square in Krakow is an amazing feature of the old town. It is bustling with people and activities, with bras and restaurants surrounding it. It was a very enjoyable spot and one we visited many times over our stay in Krakow.

“Do widzenia i dobry dzień”

Canada

A trip to Canada

We took a two-week trip to Canada to visit family and friends. We arrived at the Ottawa airport on the new 737-800 Next Generation without any issues. We were met by our friend Jim, who picked us up at the airport. On the way to Pembroke we stopped at Costco to pick up a few things. Shelley is a big fan of the store and enjoyed the opportunity to “visit” Costco.

Shelley in front of the Costco Store in Ottawa

After visiting Costco, we headed to Pembroke and arrived without any issues. Visiting family and friends is always enjoyable and warms the heart. We spent our two weeks trying to see everyone possible and to spent valuable time with each of them.

Ray and his dad on a walking trail

We even went to an iconic restaurant “Wilno Tavern. ” We enjoyed a great polish meal and spent time with some of our friends.

Shelley, Anne, Jim and Ray infront of the Wilno Tavern

The two weeks went very fast and before we knew it we were heading back to Alicante. The trip takes almost 24 hours and is very tiring. Arriving back home we were able to rest a bit before our next adventure.

“Have a good day eh!”

 

Spain

The Castle of Denia

We decided to take a walk up the hill to the Castell de Denia.

Road to the castle of Denia

The road was on a slight slope but the walk was fairly easy and enjoyable.

Road leading to the Castle of Denia

We reached the top of the road where the entrance of the castle is located.

Ray at the entrance of the Castle of Denia

The archway to the entrance is in a traditional Islamic period. It was built between the 11th and 12th century. The archway was covered for approximately 20 feet with a stone walkway.

Islamic design archway of the Castle of Denia

The castle also functions as an archaeological museum. We went into the museum section at a cost of 3 euros each. The museum had several interesting displays of Roman artifacts.

Display of artifacts in the museum

The castle had a spiral staircase to the top of a tower with a lookout over the entire area.

Shelley and Felipe on the spiral staircase leading to the tower

The view from the tower lookout was beautiful. We could see the entire region and coastline.

View from the tower of the castle

After touring the tower we walked through the castle working our way to another elevated area.

walkways inside the castle walls

We reached a doorway which opened up into another area of the castle. We walked through and came to a flat area which contained a large courtyard and lookout.

Doorway leading to another level of the castle
Courtyard and lookout area in castle

In the courtyard there were several cannons located at strategically  points.

Ray at the lookout of the castle
Cannon located on lookout point of the castle

The views from there were spectacular, with almost a complete 360 degree vista. We walked around the castle admiring the views.

Shelley walking along the castle admiring the views.
View from the castle walls

The tour of the Castle of Denia was well worth the visit. We enjoyed walking through the castle and looking at the great views from the castle walls.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

Denia, Spain

We went to Denia to explore this town, with a population of approximately 41,000. It is about a one hour drive away along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  We arrived in Denia by mid morning and began walking through the streets of the small coastal town.

Streets of Denia

We came across the central market and went in to check it out.

Inside the market in Denia

There were some interesting items and goodies for sale.

Hand weaved baskets for sale at the market

There was a sweet made with pumpkin and other ingredients that was quite unique.

Sweets made with pumpkin and other ingredients

Felipe and Ray couldn’t resist trying a few of the local sweets.

Felipe and Ray sampling some of the sweets in the market

After exploring the market we walked into the old quarter and headed towards the castle. We stopped off at the tourist information centre to get some information. We took the opportunity for a selfie in front of the base of the castle de Denia.

Shelley and Ray at the base of the Castle in Denia

We continued our walk admiring the streets of Denia.

Street in Denia

We eventually came to the main square in Denia with the City Hall or “ayuntamiento” in Spanish.

The “ayuntamiento” of Denia

The main square was large with a beautiful church on one side.

Church in the main square of Denia
Church in the main square of Denia

We explored the area of the square and came across two pillars from the Roman era.

Ray standing between two Roman pillars in Denia

We enjoyed walking the streets of Denia and decided to take a break before heading up to see the castle of Denia.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

A costal ride to Santa Pola

Felipe and Ray went for a drive to explore some of the area around Alicante. We went along the coastline towards the town of Santa Pola. Along the way we came to a small church which looked like something out of an old western movie. We decided to stop and check it out.

small traditional church on side road near Santa Pola
Felipe and Ray at the small church

The scenery along the coastline was great, with nice views of the Mediterranean Sea. There were bluffs of Santa Pola on one side and the view of the sea on the other. We could see in the distance the lookout near the lighthouse.

The Lookout of Santa Pola above the bluffs

We decided to go and explore the lookout and lighthouse of Santa Pola, which is called “Faro Cabo De Santa Pola”. The road to the lighthouse was long and narrow  with numerous potholes.

Road to lighthouse and lookout of Santa Pola.

There was a raised metal platform that went slightly over the edge of the bluff.

The metal platform overlooking the Mediterranean Sea

The view from the lookout was truly breathtaking with a great view of the island of Tabarca and the coastline of the entire region.

View of the Mediterranean Sea and Tabarca Island
Ray with view of the region of Alicante coastline

The views along the coast were beautiful with almost an amazing view around every curve.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”