Tag Archives: Santa Barbara Castle

A whirlwind trip through some of Spain’s amazing cities

January 16, 2023 chaput@live.com

Madrid

We met our friends Dan and Kathy from Canada in Madrid. From there we did a tour of some of the most beautiful cities of Spain. We of course began our adventure in Madrid. We walked the city centre exploring the architecture, food and culture of Madrid.

Ibérico de bellota, is a type of ham, the ¨bellota¨ refers to the acorn-rich diets of free-range Iberian pigs. It is considered one of the best type of ham in Spain.

Shelley, Kathy and Dan in front of the oldest restaurant in the world ¨Botin¨ located in Madrid.

View of the Palacio de Comunicaciones in Madrid

We decided to take a break and try some Madrid tapas.

Toledo

The following day we took the high speed train to Toledo.

The city of Toledo represents the essence and soul of Spain. There are beautiful historical landmarks that are located throughout the city. Toledo was declared a Historic-Artistic Site by UNESCO in 1940 and later, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage. It has a rich and long history and dates back to the fifth century BC. In 193 BC, it was taken by the roman empire and remained an important city. During the ages Toledo was known for the quality of the weapons it made for the Romans.

Store front in Toledo selling assorted swords and knives.

We went into the ¨Iglesia de los Jesuitas¨ a beautiful 18th-century baroque church.

We explored the church and even went up the tower and onto the roof area.

From there we could see the spectacular views of Toledo and the surrounding area.

View of Toledo Spain from the roof of the Iglesia de los Jusuitas

We had a wonderful day in Toledo exploring the many sites and historic areas.

Barcelona

The following day we took the high speed train from Madrid to Barcelona. The train speed was as fast as 300 kilometers per hour during the trip. We arrived in the heart of the city and began exploring the second largest city in Spain.

We went to the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, known as the Sagrada Familia basilica. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is an extraordinary cathedral. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Designed by the Famous architect Antoni Gaudí,

Dan in the base of the Sagrada Familia church

We went to see the Güel park which was built from 1900 to 1914. It was designed by the same architect Mr. Antoni Gaudí that was in charge of the construction of the Sagrada Familia Church. The Güel park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984. It is one of the large green spaces in Barcelona, with more than 17 hectares. We walked throughout the park admiring the unique designs of the walls and walkways.

entrance area of the Guadi Park in Barcelona — The Entrance to the Güel park in Barcelona

One of the stone walls along the walkway in the Güel Park in Barcelona

Stone pillars of the bridge section in Güel Park

Shelley towards the top of the Güel park with views that overlook Barcelona

After exploring Barcelona for a few days we were off on the train again this time to Alicante

Alicante

Alicante is a historic Mediterranean port city with a long rich history. The history of Alicante spans thousands of years. The first settlements in the Alicante area were made by Iberian tribes. Since then the area has been inhabited successively by Greeks, Romans, Muslims, and Christians. Today Alicante is a bustling city of over 320,000 population.

We explored the city and walked the beautiful coastline of the Mediterranean sea enjoying the kilometres of white sandy beaches.

Kathy, Dan, Shelley and Ray on the beach in Alicante

Kathy and Dan walking in the Mediterranean sea in Alicante

Kathy and Dan leaving their mark on the shore of the mediterranean Sea.

Over the next few days we explored the city at a relaxed pace. We walked the promenade. It was decorated for Christmas and there was a very large nativity scene on the promenade.

Kathy and Dan at luceros plaza in Alicante

10 meter hight Nativity scene on the promenade in Alicante

Dan and Kathy on the Promenade in Alicante

Dan and Kathy in front of an old Ficus Microcarpa tree in the Canalejas Park in Alicante.

We explored some museums which were quite unique. The Fogueres Festival museum was very special with different fogueres on display.

Kathy and Dan in the Fogueres Museum in Alicante

We went to the Castillo de Santa Barbara and explored this historic castle.

View of the Santa Bárbara castle from the waterfront of Alicante.

The medieval castle is a historic landmark and was built on the top of Mount Benacantil. The views of the mediterranean Sea where amazing and the colour of the water stunning.

View from the top of the Castle of Santa Bárbara in Alicante

Partial view of the castle and the mediterranean sea

Kathy and Dan with some Knights of the Castle of Santa Barbara

Kathy, Dan and Shelley on a section of the castle of Santa Barbara

Kathy in the lookout on the top of the Santa Bárbara Castle

Kathy on the lookout tower of the Santa Bárbara Castle in Alicante.

While in Alicante we enjoyed trying a few of the traditional Spanish restaurants and walking through the fresh food markets.

Dan and Kathy at one of the Spanish restaurants in Alicante

Guadalest

After spending time in Alicante we took a few day trips around the area. The first trip was to Gaudalest a small village anchored in a small valley. Gaudalest was declared a Historic-Artistic monument in 1974. It is known for its ‘castle’, which is literally hanging on the edge of the cliffs.

We did a day trip with our friend and tour guide Filipe to a town called Novelda.

Novelda

The day began with a tour of the Mola castle which stands 360 metres above sea level. The castle was built in the late 12th century by Islamic occupiers. The castle was originally a polygonal layout with eight square turrets jutting out from the outer wall, although only four still survive today.

Dan, Kathy and Shelley with Filipe explaining the history of the Mola castle

We climbed the steep narrow stairs inside the towers reaching the top of the tower.

Narrow and steep staircase within the Mola castle

We also could see the remains of the 12th century layout of the castle from the rooftop.

View of the remains of the rooms within the 12th century castle

We could also see the church Shrine of Mary Magdalene .

View from Castle of the Church Shrine of Mary Magdalene

The church Shrine of Mary Magdalene in Novelda

We explored this amazing and unique church. Work began on the church in 1918 and was completed in three phases. The architect Jose Sala Sala, who is a native of Novelda, he dedicated the church to Mary Magdalene, the patron saint of Novelda.

The outside is made of stone, brick and marble with a similar style to the Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona.

The main entrance archway is made of large sections of marble and is quite impressive. The marble organ system which is still under construction is made completely of marble. The three main marble pipes are mounted above the entranceway of the church.

Shelley and Dan at the entrance area of the church

After visiting the church we finished our day by visiting the Bodega Casa Cesilia which has a great restaurant. We enjoyed a great meal and then toured the winery.

It was a great way to end our day. Over the next few days we relaxed and enjoyed home cooked meals and some quiet time in Alicante before heading back out on our next adventure.

“Las cosas bonitas se aprecian mucho mejor en compañía de amigos”

Spain

The Liverpool Band

July 27, 2019 chaput@live.com

We went to the Santa Barbara Castle for a meal and some live entertainment. We settled into our reserved table to enjoy an outdoor full course meal. The tribute band for “The Beatles” called The Liverpool Band was slated to do a concert after our meal.

The view of the stage from our reserved seats

The atmosphere was fantastic sitting in the heart of the castle which was built in the 12th century. People were gathered at the tables enjoying the meal before the start of the concert.

People enjoying the outdoor meal in the 12th century castle of Santa Barbara

It was a beautiful evening with a full moon slowly moving over the castle walls.

View of the moon perched over the castle walls

The concert setting was small and allowed for a great view of the stage. Our seats were quite close to the stage and gave us a perfect view of the concert.

What was really interesting about the Liverpool Band was that they were formed in Alicante in 1997 and all of the band members are Spanish. They played for over two hours non-stop focussing on some of the top Beatle songs .

Juan Antonio Juárez: Guitarra solista y voz,

Iván Martínez Ferrández: Batería y percusión.

We have put together just a small sample of some of the music they played at the Castle.

The Band Members are:

Jose Manuel Lledó Adsuar: Guitarra rítmica y voz,
Juan Antonio Juárez: Guitarra solista y voz,
Jorge Aniorte: Bajo y voz,
Iván Martínez Ferrández: Batería y percusión.

We enjoyed the evening and had a great time at one of the many events held in Alicante and at the Castle of Santa Barbara.

“Hasta la próxima, vive el momento y disfruta del regalo de la música.”

Spain

Christmas music in the Castle

December 18, 2018 chaput@live.com

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.

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

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

Sci-Fy in the Castle

November 28, 2016 chaput@live.com

We went with Brad and Louise to the Santa Barbara Castle to see a Sci-Fy display, which featured memorabilia of different Sci-Fy movies. We walked up the steep trail to the Castle which takes approximately 45 minutes.

img_20161022_175449027 — Trail up the mountain towards the Santa Barbara Castle

When we arrived at the Castle, stopped to admire the beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea.

img_20161022_182643252 — View of the Mediterranean Sea from the Santa Barbara Castle.

The display was held in an original area of the Castle which had a smaller entrance door. We had to duck when we entered the room in order to get through the doorway.

img_20161022_182614002 — Brad and Ray at the entrance to the Sci-Fy display area

We are a big fan of certain Sci-Fy movies including the Matrix, Terminator, and Back to the Future. When we went inside we saw an exhibit of original movie props of some of the classic Sci-Fy movies.

img_20161022_182412161 — Exhibits of Sci-Fy movie props in Santa Barbara Castle in Alicante

Some of the displays were movies that were unknown to us, while others were of our favorites.

img_20161022_182206976 — back to the Future memorabilia

The Back to the Future Flux Capacitor and if you look close you can see someone from the future.

img_20161022_182027600 — Flux Capacitor from Back to the future

We walked through the rooms looking at the unique and different props on display. Some of the props were very large and lifelike, while others were small.

img_20161022_181252267 — Props from Iron Man movie

img_20161022_182115282 — Prop from RoboCop movie

img_20161022_181402653 — Props and script from the movie “Blade Runner”

img_20161022_181449171 — Motorcycle used in the SyFy movie “I Robot”

img_20161022_181457255 — Movie props from “I Robot”

We came across props from some of our favorite movies including “The Matrix”, and “The Terminator”.

img_20161022_181407493 — Head plug from the Movie “the Matrix”

img_20161022_182520433 — The Terminator Movie props

There were several smaller props from the Terminator movie.

img_20161022_181116815 — Terminator skull

img_20161022_181749084 — Some movie props with Shelley in the mirror

The Sci-Fy exhibit was very interesting and there were some very neat items on display. We enjoyed the free exhibit and walked around for about 45 minutes looking at all the props and reading about the movies.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”