Tag Archives: Spain culture

Spain

Exposición del Ninot 2017

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 card
Fogueres 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 Alicante
Homage 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.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

 

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