Tag Archives: Spain culture

Spain

A day exploring Alicante

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 trees
Ray 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 Alicante
Jim 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 castle
Anne, 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 chair
15th-century water reservoir in Castillo Santa Barbara
Jim 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.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Spain

InterNations Evening

We went to an InterNations event on Friday evening. The monthly events are a great way to meet new people and other expats in the area. This month’s event was held a very unique and old hotel in the old quarter of Alicante. The hotel called “Les Monge Palace” is very ornate and beautifully decorated. The main entrance is unassuming and could easily be walked past.

Les Monge Palace Hotel in Old Quarter of Alicante
Entrance to Les Monge Palace Hotel.

There was a large group of people who attended the event. We mingled in the main lobby area enjoying tapas and snacks. We then headed up the rooftop terrace which was reserved for us. There was an elevator or you could take the stairs. I decided to take the stairs and admire the interior of the building.  The staircase itself was completed in mosaic tiles.

Mosaic tiles on the stairway in Les Monge Palace Hotel

There were wrought iron railings and mosaic tiles throughout the four floors to the rooftop.

Wrought iron railing in the hotel

The view looking down from the top staircase was interesting.

View looking down from the top floor of the staircase

Once on the rooftop the beauty and charm of the hotel were evident. The views from the rooftop were stunning and there was traditional Spanish music playing. The quaint and cozy rooftop seating provided beautiful views in every direction.

View of the Basilica from the rooftop terrace of the hotel
View of the Castle of Santa Barbara from the terrace of the hotel

We stayed on the terrace enjoying the beautiful weather and socialized with people from all over the world.

Ray chatting with some expat friends
Enjoying time with friends from InterNations

It was a great evening and a very enjoyable time. We always enjoy the InterNations events.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Spain

An evening in El Campello

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We were invited to a jazz evening in El Campello and decided to go and check it out. We took the TRAM from Luceros to El Campello which takes about 30 minutes.

Entrance to the TRAM at Luceros in Alicante

We then walked about 5 minutes to the Jazz event being held at the Casa de Cultura.

Casa de Cultura in El Campello

We arrived 15 minutes early but the place was already packed. There was standing room only so we decided to stand at the back to watch the jazz. There was no ventilation and the room was very warm.

Packed room waiting for the jazz band to start playing.

The band came out and began playing some jazz music which was interesting to listen to. It is not our typical type pf music but was a nice change.

We listened to the music for about a half hour then decided to leave because it was very warm and uncomfortable standing.

We headed back towards the TRAM and came across some friends having dinner at an outside patio. They invited us to stay and visit so we enjoyed some time chatting with friends. We then took the TRAM back to Alicante and stopped at one of our favorite restaurants called Mish Mish.

Shelley at Mish Mish restaurant Alicante

The restaurant was busy and there were lots of people outside enjoying the great weather. We had some tasty tapas before heading home.

It was an enjoyable evening of relaxation, Jazz, and good company.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Spain

A bike ride in Alicante

On Sunday we decided to take a nice bike ride with our friend Filipe through parts of Alicante. There are so many beautiful sights and scenes in the city that each day is a great chance to explore. We started in the center of the city and worked our way down towards the waterfront. We cycled along the waterfront enjoying the view

Ray and Shelley along the waterfront in Alicante

We came across a group of people singing and chanting in Russian along the waterfront. Some were dressed in traditional Russian dress.

Russian march along the waterfront

We decided to take a break and watch them for a while before heading on.

Ray, Shelley, and Filipe taking a break on waterfront boardwalk

We continued along the coastline for a few kilometers admiring the vistas.

Shelley and Ray on the coast of Mediterranean Sea.

We came across a lookout area and took some time to admire the views.

Ray, Filipe and Shelley on the lookout admiring the view

After biking along the coast we headed into the old quarter of Alicante. We cycled through the old streets of Alicante and came to a beautiful old neighborhood called Barrio de Santa Cruz.

They decorate the streets with flowers and colorful ornaments to welcome the Fiesta of the Crosses of May. They hold a fiesta and decorate flower crosses which are judged for the best design. The fiesta ends on the 1st of May and we missed the fiesta but we were able to see the winning cross still on display.

Ray and Shelley in front of the Winning Flower cross of the Fiesta in Barrio de Santa Cruz

We then headed back into the center of the city and came across an art exhibit. It was set up with local artist displaying their work and some artist were painting as well. We stopped and decided to check it out.

Shelley looking at some of the artwork on display

There were some very talented artists and we watch several of them work on their art. We could recognize some of the Spanish landmarks they had painted in some of the paintings.

As we walked throughout the displays we came across a beautiful water feature.

Water feature in the park with artist

After viewing the art we stopped at a new Italian restaurant called “ll Typico”. We were introduced to the owner Felice Falanga by our friend Filipe and enjoyed a wonderful meal.

Filipe, the owner Felice Falanga, Shelley and Ray

Overall another great adventure in Alicante. Each day brings new adventures and experiences.

“Adios y que Tenga un grand dia”

Alicante, Spain
Spain

The Basilica of the Sagrada Família

We went the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona with friends from Canada. The construction of the basilica began in 1882 and after the architect resigned in 1883,  Antoni Gaudí took charge of the project. The Basilica still remains unfinished and construction continues with approximately 70 percent completed. The art nouveau design makes the basilica an impressive and amazing architectural building.

We walked towards the entrance admiring the massive and ornate design.

Looking at the main entrance area of the Basilica

We entered the basilica through a large and ornate entrance. The design was very busy with many different features. We took our time to look at the various designs finding unique features throughout it.

Front entrance of the Basilica

 

Looking up in the arch to the entrance of the basilica

Inside the basilica, we were overwhelmed by the massive structure and unique design.

Stained glass windows in basilica
pillars and stained glass windows inside the basilica
View of the pillars and ceiling in section of the basilica
The design of the ceiling and stained glass made the lighting inside the basilica look almost supernatural
Ray, Sarah, and Steve in the basilica
Stained glass throughout the height of the basilica walls

We walked through the main floor area of the basilica admiring the design. The view of the main altar area was incredible. The massive pillars and use of lighting made it quite impressive.

View of the altar area of the basilica

The lighting that entered at the top of the ceiling was reflected by what appeared as gold or copper metal.

Light from the ceiling above the altar reflecting on a copper or gold metal.

The altar also contained a statue of Jesus hanging from the cross.

Jesus on cross hanging above the altar in Basilica

We then walked through a passageway to an exterior section of the basilica. There we admired the outside designs taking our time to see the details. Some of the statues and designs were strange and intriguing.

Design on outside of the Basilica
Design on the door entrance area of the basilica
Roman killing infants while person trying to stop him
Turtle at the base of the pillar on outside of basilica
details on outside of the basilica
intricate details on the outside of the basilica
Three wise men depicted on basilica

We went through another passageway and down stairs to a lower section of the basilica. This section contained some of the original drawings and plaster models for the design of the basilica. This was also the area where work continues on the completion of the basilica.

Model of section of the basilica
Work area for the completion of parts of the basilica

We then headed to the crypt area to see where Antoni Gaudí was entombed.

The tomb of Antoni Gaudí in the basilica

It was a very interesting and unique basilica. Well worth seeing and recommend if you get a chance to see it.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”