There is a tradition in Alicante that occurs on Ash Wednesday every year called “El Entierro de la Sardina” which translates to “the burial of the sardine”.
There are large groups of people who dress up in black clothing and mourn the death of the sardine. They parade through the streets of Alicante with a symbolic large “Sardine”.
Parade funeral of the Sardine in Alicante
The parade works its way through the streets and finishes in la Plaza del Carmen in the old quarter of Alicante.
We went to the Plaza del Carmen and waited for the Parade to arrive. When the Sardine parade arrived there were people dressed in mourning and others wearing devil horns. We watched as they assembled the base and mounted the sardine for the funeral.
Sardine set up on base in preparation for the burning
Before they burn the sardine a “priest” goes on stage and recites a prayer. The prayer is symbolism of different endings for food and drink in preparation for lent. The sardine is the symbol of the past festivals and enjoyment of drink and food. The death of the sardine represents the beginning of lent.
“Priest” on stage saying prayers for the death of the sardine
We managed to get to the front of the group and watch the ceremony up close. It was an amazing thing to see. People were shouting the recital of the prayer “Libra por la Sardina” and one member had a lit torch at the ready for the burning.
A person with a lit torch for the burning of the sardine.
After the “prayer section was done they started playing drums and lighting fireworks flares and danced around the base of the sardine. The flares made lots of noise and sparkles which they sprayed on the base of the sardine.
A person using sparklers to light the sardine
There was a lot of smoke from the fireworks and a tremendous amount of noise. The atmosphere was very exciting and it was a surreal event. We were at the very front of the group and had a perfect view of the burning.
Ray at the front near the Sardine in Plaza del CarmenBurning of the sardine
The following video will hopefully give you an idea of the atmosphere of the burning of the sardine.
The Burning of the Sardine was a very interesting and an amazing thing to see. We had a great time watching the locals celebrate the Entierro the Sardina.
We went to a new restaurant in Alicante called “La Flamenco Bar” located on Calle San Francisco. The street itself is interesting because it has large mushroom figures along the street. It is referred to as “Calle Seta” Spanish for the mushroom street.
Ray and Shelley on Calle Seta (Mushroom Street)
We arrived at the Flamenco bar shortly after it opened for the evening. We were able to check out the bar and look around before it started to get crowded. It was larger than we anticipated with lots tables.
Inside the Flamenco bar in Alicante
There were photos on the walls of key attractions from each province in Spain. There are 50 provinces in total and some of the photos were very interesting.
Photos on the walls of interesting places in Spain
We walked around looking at some of the pictures before finding our seat. There were some pictures of places we have been to which made it even more interesting to see the pictures.
Ray, Shelley, Liz, Felipe and Mike at Flamenco Bar with a picture of La Alhambra in the background.
We sat down at our table and waited for the bar to begin to fill up with patrons. It wasn’t very long and the bar was full of people enjoying a drink and waiting for the entertainment.
Full restaurant waiting for entertainment
The entertainment arrived and began to play some traditional Spanish songs. Although we didn’t know the songs it was great to listen to. The singer had a beautiful voice and the people sang along with her at times during the songs.
Entertainment playing for the bar.
People enjoyed the music and in some cases would get up and dance. There was one gentleman who danced a flamenco style dance and was quite entertaining.
Patron doing a flamenco style dance in the bar
The evening was an enjoyable experience and highlighted the great culture of the Spanish people.
There is a carnival in Alicante that starts on February 23rd and continues until March 5th. The carnival is full of different activities that include fireworks, dressing in costumes and other events. The carnival begins with a parade through some of the streets of Alicante ending with a big party at the Plaza del Carmen. The parade is full of people walking through the street some are dressed as devils and setting off fireworks and sparklers.
We headed over to the Plaza del Carmen early to check out the area before the big crowds showed up. There was a stage set up for music another section with a bar and some barbecue pits. We then could hear the parade approaching through the narrow streets so we headed over to watch the parade.
Parade procession through the narrow streets of Alicante
We watched the crowds of people gather into the Plaza del Carmen. Some people were dressed in capes, with makeup and wearing devils horns, others were playing musical instruments and singing. People were pushing carts full of fireworks and they were carrying bicycle wheels with fireworks attached.
One of the many carts used to push the fireworksRay standing beside one of the carts
Once everyone was gathered in the plaza they started to set off fireworks in the middle of the plaza. It was an amazing thing to see because the sparkles were raining down on the crowd.
Fireworks and sparklers in Plaza del Carmen
They also stood on the shoulders of other people to elevate the sparklers.
climbing up on the shoulders of another person to set off fireworksStanding on the shoulders of people to set off fireworks
We stayed and watched the fireworks show for a while and left once the live music began. The experience was unique and spectacular. What amazed Ray was the use of handheld fireworks and the lack of apparent concerns for injury.
Here is a small video to give you an example of the fireworks.
It is hard to believe we have been here a year already. We were required to renew our residency card which expired in January 2017. We began the renewal process in November 2016 with the first process attending the “Oficina de Extranjero” to have our documents reviewed to ensure they met the requirements.
We headed to the “Oficina de Extranjero” and arrived early in the hopes of getting served quickly. We took a number and waited our turn. After approximately 30 minutes our number was called and we met with a clerk. She reviewed our papers and informed us that we were missing one form. The form was available online and we needed to return with it completed. We were not permitted to complete it there so off we went back home. We completed the form and returned another day to have our documents reviewed again.
After waiting approximately 45 minutes our number was called and we met with a different clerk. She reviewed our documents and asked for a new document that was not on the list, however, I brought every document we had, including the one she asked for. We provided the additional document and was advised that we would receive a letter in the mail advising if the application was approved.
A month later we received a letter in the mail advising us to proceed to make an appointment at a different office for our residency card. We went online and scheduled an appointment which was three weeks later at a different office.
Campo de Mirra office
We attended the office located on Campo de Mirra with a copy of all our documentation and met with another clerk. They reviewed our documents and the letter we received from the other office. We were then issued with another letter which required us to return again in another month to pick up our new residency cards.
We returned a month later and after having our fingerprints scanned we were able to pick up our new residency cards. We are now good for two years before going through the process again.
The city of Alicante has a very long and diverse history. Throughout the years there have been numerous battles and wars fought on the shores of Alicante. In 1936 there was a civil war and Alicante became a vital stronghold for the republican government. The Seneca Air Raid Shelter was part of a network of approximately 100 underground bomb shelters located throughout the City of Alicante. They were built by the republican Authorities during the Spanish civil war (1936 to 1939). Alicante was heavily bombed over 70 times during the civil war.
Map with locations of bomb shelters in Alicante during the civil war 1936-1939
These shelters were intended to protect the civilian population from air attacks by the German and Italian aircraft. Alicante was bombed more than 70 times between 1936 and 1939.
Image of one of the bombing runs over Alicante during the civil war of 1936-1939
The Plaza Seneca was renovated uncovering the entrances to the bomb shelter, which has now been opened up to the public. We went to check out the bomb shelter and learn about the network of shelters in Alicante.
Ray at the entrance of the Bomb Shelter R31 which is located in Seneca plaza
We began our tour in a small area with photos and documentation of the bomb shelters. Our guide spoke only Spanish and it was a challenge to understand some of the commentaries.
Our guide explaining the civil war and the creation of the Bomb shelters in Alicante
We had an opportunity to see some of the original documentation outlining the locations and designs of the various bomb shelters in Alicante.
We then saw a short video on the history of the creation of the shelters and the outcome of the civil war which ended with a dictatorship in Spain by Francisco Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975). He was a Spanish general who ruled over Spain as a dictator for 36 years from 1939 until his death in 1975.
After the video, we headed to see the bomb shelter. The door to the shelter provided access to a set of stairs which went down 21 feet underground. We headed down the stairs into the bomb shelter which has basically remained intact since its construction in 1936.
Stairway into the bomb shelter
At the base of the stairs, the shelter corridor turns to the left. The design of the shelter reduces the blast zone through separated small cubicle rooms throughout.
Model of the Seneca bomb shelter showing the layout of the divided rooms along the corridor.
The walls of the shelter were constructed with stone and the floor was a dirt floor.
Shelley in bomb shelter
There were different messages painted on the walls providing some instructions to people in the bomb shelter.
A message, “Keep silent for the duration of the alarm” painted in Spanish on the wall of the shelter.“Respect the shelter is belongs to everyone” written in Spanish“The center is the best of the shelter” In Spanish encouraging people to go to the center for safety.“Give seats to children and the elderly” in Spanish on Bomb shelter wall
Along one end of the shelter, there was a small medical section for people who may be injured.
Medical station at the end of the corridor in bomb shelter
The main corridor of the bomb shelter was 51 meters long and adjacent to the corridor were 38 cubicles. Each cubicle was intended to protect the people from the bombings.
Ray walking along the corridor of the bomb shelter51-meter long corridor of bomb shelter with 38 cubiclesCubicle in bomb shelter
The entire bomb shelter was able to hold 1200 people. There were no washrooms and very limited space and seating. The intent was simple to protect people for the duration of the bombings. We walked along the corridor and imagined the horror children and parents would have endured waiting in the bomb shelter while their homes were being bombed.
It was an interesting day but somewhat sad thinking about how people had to live during those years.
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