We were fortunate to have friends with a sailboat and they learned about a flotilla event at the marina. The flotilla is a traditional maritime procession in honor of the “Virgen del Carmen”, the patron saint of sailors. We headed down to the marina to meet Mike and Liz and then go and check it out.
View from the harbor Mike and Liz Sailboat
We headed out on the boat and went towards the exit of the harbor to be ready for the flotilla. On the way out of the harbor, we came across a unique luxury cruise ship.
Star Clipper luxury cruise ship docked at the harbor in Alicante
The luxury cruise ship is 134 meters long and is considered the largest sailing ship in the world.
We found a good location at the mouth of the harbor along with other boaters to wait for the flotilla to start.
At the mouth of the Harbor ready to start the flotilla, with Shelley, Ray, Mike, and Liz.
Once the flotilla procession started, there were even, more boats that joined in.
Some of the boats in the flotilla
We navigated out of the harbor following along side the main boat of the flotilla.
Main boat in the flotilla which carries the Statue of Virgin del Carmen
On the main boat, was a statue of the Virgin del Carmen proudly displayed on the roof of the cabin. The boat also was also playing a song over loudspeakers. The boaters would sound their air horns from time to time. The whole experience was very interesting and enjoyable.
Statue of Virgin Del Carmen, the patron saint of Sailors.
We followed the flotilla for about an hour along the coastline of the Mediterranean before the flotilla stopped. At that point, the lead boat cited two prayers. The first prayer was for the protection of sailors and fisherman who are dependant on the sea for their living. The second prayer was for the lost souls who died in the sea.
When the prayers were finished, the flotilla headed back to the harbor. It was a very interesting and enjoyable experience.
Each year approximately 10,000 workers across the Hondon Valley tie white paper bags to each fledgling bunch of grapes. The bags are used for the protection of the grape harvest. These protective paper bags prevent pest infestations, feeding birds and shield the grapes from direct pesticide sprays and the fierce sunlight here. It apparently also adds to the flavour, colour and texture of the grape., makes the skin is thinner and easier to eat, plus fortifies the vitamin and nutritional qualities of the fruit.
On Sunday there was an international competition of bagging grapes in the Honton Valley. We decided to go with some of our friends and check it out. The competition is called ” Bases Concurso Embolsado de Uva de Mesa de Novelda”. This was something we never knew existed and wanted to see what it was about.
The competition which is the only one of its kind in the world is held at the Bodega Heretat de Cesilia. It is based on the skill of bagging grapes which are done for the harvesting of a particular type of grape. It is only short distance outside of Alicante so we headed off early on Sunday to get a good seat to see it.
What was surprising was the size of the event. When we arrived, the parking lot was nearly full and there were crowds of people gathering well in advance of the event.
Filipe, Ray, and Shelley on path to competition
We walked down the path towards the competition and there were beautiful palm trees all along the path.
We found a beautiful gazebo covered in vines providing great shade and an excellent view of the competition. We sat down on a bench and enjoyed a nice shaded area with great views of the rows of grape vines.
Ray, Filipe and Liz under the gazebo at Bodega Heretat de Cesilia.
There was a brass band playing music and a beer garden set up for everyone. They had a booth that was giving out free hats and ball caps. We donned our new hats and settled in to watch the Grape bagging.
Felipe, Mike, Liz, and Ray with new hats and a sample bag used for the grapes
There was an emcee and she drew numbers to determine which row the competitors would compete in. There were 20 competitors that ranged in different ages.
Competitor preparing to start race
The race begins with a gunshot and the competitors run to the end of their row and begin bagging grapes. Each competitor has 150 bags and must tie each one-off in an approved knot. It was very impressive just how fast they could bag the grapes. The video below is in real-time and it is the competitor who won the competition.
After the race was completed, there was music and drinks on the patio. We had an opportunity to meet the winner and have our photo taken with her.
Ray, Mike, Liz, the winner Mari Carmen and Filipe
We went into the Bodega for the official awards and banquet meal.
The first place winner Mari Carmen receiving their trophy and cash prize.
After the official awards were completed we sat at our table and enjoyed our six-course traditional Spanish meal. The meal was very enjoyable and we had a wonderful time.
The banquet hall area of the Bodega
It was a long day but well worth going to see the competition. It was entertaining, educational and lots of fun with friends.
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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