Spain

Caves of Canelobre

We went to see the caves of canelobre which are located in the mountains near the town of Busot. The caves are on the northern slope of the Sierra Cabeçó D’Or mountain. The views from the parking lot were quite breathtaking, you could see the whole region.

The view from the parking lot of the Canelobre Caves.

We arrived early and were able to get into the caves before there were too many people. Inside the main entrance was a long hallway leading into the caves.

Hallway entrance into the Canelobre caves

The hallway opens into a large cavern area which has a high ceiling.

Shelley and Ray in the main cavern area of the Canelobre caves

The caves were a lot larger than we expected, there is more 80,000 square meters of space in the caves. There were stairs leading to different levels and areas of the caves.

Shelley on the stairs exploring some of the caves

We walked through the different areas admiring the limestone caves with the different stalactites, stalagmites and columns. The caves are estimated to be 145 million years old. The caves were believed to be discovered by the Arabs in the tenth century, however little was known about them until the nineteenth century. It was during the civil war in Spain in the 1930’s when the caves were accessed and used as an aircraft repair shop by the Republican army. It was at that time when the tunnel access to the cave was created along with platforms, stairs etc.

Features of the Canelobre caves
Inside the Canelobre caves in Busot Spain
One of the features inside the canelobre caves

It was an amazing feeling exploring the caves.

Shelley and Ray at the Canelobre caves in Busot Spain

We were fortunate to explore one of the natural and unique caves in Spain.

“adios y que tengas un grand dia”

Spain

Christmas music in the Castle

We walked up to the 9th century Santa Barbara Castle to enjoy a free concert by soprano singer, Ascensión Perona and Pianist Daniel Catalá. Our walk began at 7pm and we walked up the steep incline towards the Castle. The views along the way were stunning and you could see the Castle light up in the night.

Castle of Santa Barbara in the evening

There were beautiful views of the city of Alicante along the walk up the mountain. We could see the city lit up in lights.

View of the city of Alicante at night.

We reached the entrance of the castle after a 15 minute walk up the mountain.

Entrance to the Felipe II hall at Santa Barbara Castle

We entered in the Felipe II hall located in the main area of the castle. There were seats set up and we found seats at the real of the hall.

The view from our seats of the front stage

We were entertained by a soprano named Ascensión Perona. She was well-known and had studied technical vocals and interpretation in Los Angeles. She was also accompanied by pianist and composer Daniel Catalá.

Soprano Ascensión Perona and pianist Daniel Catalá performing Christmas songs in the Santa Barbara Castle.

They played a mix of Christmas songs from different countries. There were a selection of songs from “Pie Jesu” – Andrew Lloyd Webber to “White Christmas”- Irving Berlin. It was quite interesting to listen to songs from around the world as well as from regions of Spain. Below is a small sample of some of the songs.

The event was one of the many free events throughout Alicante. It was certainly worth the climb to enjoy this free Christmas concert.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Spain

Is Van Gogh Alive?

We went to see the Van Gogh Alive exhibit at the “Lonja Del Pescado” building in Alicante.

We went through the entrance and the exhibit began with some photos and write ups about Vincent Van Gogh.

Entrance to the Van Gogh Alive exhibit

We walked through the room looking at the displays and reading the information. After a few minutes we were brought into another area of the exhibit which had chairs along the walls. We found some seats and waited for the interactive show to begin.

Multimedia area of the exhibit

The interactive show displayed Van Gogh’s art works through digital imagery. It went through his life from the early years until his death. It was an interesting way to see an art exhibit.

Digital displays of Van Gogh

We put together a short video of the exhibit to give you a sample of the exhibit.

It was a very enjoyable experience and a unique way to view artwork.

Ray and Shelley in the Van Gogh Alive exhibit

“adios y que tengas un grand dia”

Spain

Turrón Festival in Jijona, Spain

We went to the quaint town  of Jijona, which is located in the mountains in the province of Valencia. The town is located a short distance from Alicante and is known throughout Spain for its production of Turrón.  We went to take part in their annual Christmas fair which features many different types of turrón.

We arrived and found a parking spot at the base of the hill to the fair. There was a “train” that was providing free rides up to the fair, but we decided to walk up the hill.

Along the walk we came to a large nativity scene set up on the side of the mountain. We stopped to take a closer look and admire the nativity.

Nativity scene in the town of Jijona Spain
Jijona Nativity scene

After looking at the nativity scene we went up to check out the Christmas fair. We came to the main street and there was a large Christmas tree on display near the front of city hall. We stopped to get a photo with the tree.

There were tents and vender stalls lined up along both sides of the entire main street. They were selling and promoting turrón products. Turrón is a sweet which is made of sugar, honey, almonds and eggs and it is the most typical sweet eaten during Christmas here in Spain.

Turrón on display at one of the booths

People were gathered around trying free samples of different turróns.

People lined up to sample some of the turrón

We slowly walked along the street looking at the different products on display.

Different honey for sale which are also used to make the turrón

We would stop and sample some of them that interested us.

Shelley waiting to try a sample of turrón

One vender was selling a specialty liquor and was providing samples., so we just had to stop and try some.

Vendors providing samples of specialty liquors
Turrón liquor

We walked through the entire street enjoying the odd sample and seeing the different types of turrón. It was a great way to spend a beautiful afternoon.

“adios y tengas un gran dia”

Spain

Now that is a church choir!

We went to the Cathedral of San Nicholas de Bari which is located in the old quarter of Alicante. The beautiful cathedral was built in the mid 16th century on the site of a former Moorish mosque. It has a large dome located more than 45 meters high.

The Cathedral of San Nicholas de Bari in Alicante

We went to watch the ceremony and the concert for the twentieth anniversary of the Pontifical Coronation of the “Virgen del Remedio” We arrived almost an hour early and the church seating was full. We did manage to find some seats near the back of the church with a view of the altar.

The view of the Symphony from our seat at the back of the church

At the front of the church near the altar, there was a large orchestra and singers lined up in rows. It was the Symphonic Band of Alicante and the Tabaquera and Cantábile corals.

The choir singing a hymn during the ceremony

The acoustics of the church made the music even more amazing to listen to.  We stayed for the entire ceremony which lasted almost two hours. The hymns and music played was very moving and enjoyable. Here is a small sample of the music we enjoyed.

“Hasta luego y tengas un buen dia”

Life is too short to wait for adventure!