Street food event in Alicante

I went to check out the 'Alacant Street Food Market' yesterday afternoon which is an event running this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the grounds of the old bus station in the centre of Alicante.

There was a central stall on one side selling drinks and who also had the music pumping to appeal to the younger, hipster generation. There were about 10 caravans serving different treats from bacon butties (unfortunately not like the ones in the UK) to fried seaweed.  There was also a g&t stall and one serving up coffee and cakes.

I went there really hungry after I had closed the shop quite late but as it was the middle of the day, the sun was beating down and I could actually feel my arms sizzling as I held my camera steadily to take photos.  So as there was practically no shade and no cool air at all, I got back on my bike and went home for lunch. 

My interview on BBC's Escape to the Continent

Last October I was filmed for an appearance on the BBC programme Escape to the Continent with the wonderful Alistair Appleton and the house-hunting 'subjects' Ian and Simon from Doncaster.  The final cut is just a short interview (from minute 25) about my advice and experience of living in Alicante.

They filmed in my shop, Read & Sixty, then we went to the market to buy ingredients for a paella that my friend Fede cooked for us in his restaurant La Piazza, which is in the main cathedral square.

You can watch the episode on BBC iPlayer and its available for another 30 days from now.  Here is the link to take you straight to the programme page:

http://bbc.in/1GjdEjy

The episode was originally aired on 18th June 2015 at 3pm.

More filming...

I have also been filmed recently for a similar programme in the US called House Hunters International, this time with some friends from San Francisco who relocated to Valencia.  When this programme comes out I will also post the link to the page.

I hope the information given in these tv appearances is useful and maybe even entertaining!
Let me know what you think!

Winter sun warning

Happy New Year to you all!!

I think its important to mention, especially for any of you who are planning a trip to Alicante this winter (or are here already), that the winter sun can be dangerous.

It's not a cloudy place at all and we enjoy very clear, blue skies most days - actually I met a lady a few days ago originally from Cape Town and she compared the bright Alicante sky to her home town.  As the sun is quite low in the sky during winter, you should be prepared with some sunglasses and a clean window screen on your vehicle.  It can also reflect off the road and blind you if you are not careful.  The wife of one of my dad's friends unfortunately died many years ago now as she accidentally drove off a hillside road as she turned a corner and was blinded by the low sun.  Just be careful out there.

Inland Alicante

As it is a fairly dry climate it's great for motorbikes.  It's my vehicle of choice I use to get to and from the shop every day because parking in Alicante can be very complicated (people live in flats and the buildings are quite close together and there aren't underground garages in each building) and with one I can park virtually anywhere.  They are also great for outings in the hills around Alicante so we go often with friends and stop en route for a drink and tapas.

panorama shot Alicante

Motorbike buddies

In the hills around Alicante

If you can, don't just limit yourself to visiting Alicante city... take a road trip around the outskirts of the city and in the province where there are interesting walking and hiking routes too.  

Have you been in the hills around Alicante?