Featured in SWISS AIR Magazine!!!

I was recently contacted by people at SWISS AIR Magazine who were arranging a city report for their online magazine about Alicante.  They wanted to do a little spot on the blog and also my shop.  What an honour!

I have just received a copy of the magazine and the report they did on Alicante is really good.  Here is the front cover:

They highlight some really interesting things and places to go and the photos are fantastic (apart from my mug shot on the highlight about my blog ... sad face.).  This is the page dedicated to my blog (left):

My shop, Read & Sixty, is also featured on the SHOPPING page along with a photo that the photographer took here the day they came to interview me (right):


Im very pleased that my rantings about Alicante can be interesting and maybe even useful to people.  Let me know if you want to see any posts about certain things and I will try to make it happen!

Warning: the 'jealousy' alarm just may go off...

I saw this post on Spanish BuzzFeed about Alicante and when I saw the photos, I realised that the title was merely sarcastic.  If you can read Spanish then you will understand the irony otherwise just enjoy the gorgeous photos showing the Alicante province.

Click on the link further below to go to the post.
(Sorry, wonderful couple from Newcastle/London, you know who you are... I know you are going to be angry with me for posting photos like this hahaha... and thank you for the Marmite.  Please come and say 'Hi' again soon.).

https://www.buzzfeed.com/alfredomurillo/razones-para-no-visitar-alicante


I will say that I have been to almost all of these places and seen these sights with my own eyes and they are as true as you see.  In some respects, its even better in real life because you get the whole panoramic vision, feel the climate, taste the wonderful cuisine, experience the atmosphere, etc.  But to bring you back down to earth, nothing is perfect for everyone.  Maybe there are sounds or smells you don't like, maybe the people are not as you thought, maybe you can't get on in a culture with another language, maybe... there are a whole lot of maybe's.

Alicante isn't for everyone and I understand that as I have my own moans about the city too.  So for now lets just enjoy these sights of the city and the province but keep posted if you want to find out the good, the bad and the ugly sides of life in Alicante city.

Happy May!

The pilgrimage to Santa Faz

Today was the annual pilgrimage to Santa Faz, a small village within Alicante city.  It always takes place on the second Thursday after Maundy Thursday, the Thursday of saints week, and is said to participate some 260,000 people.

According to legend, the Clarisas nuns at the monastery keep guard of a religious relic that is supposed to be a part of the cloth that Veronica used to wipe the face of Jesus when he was on his way to the crucifixion site of Jerusalem.  The sacred cloth is taken out of the monastery once a year to preside over a mass that takes place outside the temple, in the square at Santa Faz.
 

Pilgrims on the route to Santa Faz - image courtesy of El Mundo

The pilgrims start at 8am at the CoCathedral of San Nicholás in the centre of Alicante and walk the roughly 8km to the Santa Faz monastery along the roads which are closed off to traffic for the event, accompanying the religious procession.  In the town hall square people can pick up (if they get up early enough) one of the 15,000 canes which they attach a sprig of rosemary to the top.  Also traditional is wearing a tunic and neck scarf.  Once at Santa Faz a Mass takes place, then people who want to see the relic queue to get inside the monastery.
 

The Mass at Santa Faz - image courtesy of Diario Informacion

After visiting the church, people hang around to have a bite to eat at one of the many stalls that are set up for the day or to browse the small market of artisan products from the area.  Some really prepared families bring a picnic and find a spot around the grassy areas of Santa Faz and make a day of it as it is an official holiday in Alicante.

Alternative ideas

If you don't fancy/can't walk the 8km there is a special bus service that leaves and comes back to central Alicante every 5 minutes.
Also, if you like walking part of it but not the religious part of it, you can fill up your trolley with food and drinks (usually the alcoholic type, as the Alicantinos like to party), join the pilgrimage to the end of the Avenida de Denia and then take a right towards San Juan beach.  When the weather happens to be good on the day of Santa Faz, there can be up to 15,000 people on this part of the beach, it's been estimated, usually the younger generation though.


Have you ever been on a pilgrimage?

The Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante

The rain has finally stopped and has given way to the wonderful blue skies that Alicante is known for. It rained once in June and once in August but at the end of September the plants and trees got a much needed drink as we had a couple of weeks of unsettled weather.

Back in tshirts and shorts now and as today was yet another 'fiesta' day in Alicante (the 9th October is the special day of the Valencian community which includes the provinces of Alicante Valencia and Castellón) we headed down to the port to the Volvo Ocean Race area.

 For a few years now, Alicante has hosted the starting point activities and celebrations of the round-the-world yacht race and the dedicated part of the port was developed especially, creating an area for race preparations, information about the sport, stuff for kids and adults to do, bars and restaurants and a permanent museum and organisers office.

You can get up close to the yachts, see preparatory races and even the workshops where mending and modification is always going on. Its totally free to get in to the area and have a walk around and as its at the far end of the port you get some lovely views towards Alicante and the Castillo de Santa Bárbara.

The last day is 11th October and the various teams set sail heading for the next stop at Cape Town. Good luck!

Star Wars in Alicante

Alicante was invaded yesterday in true Star Wars style. Legion 501, the Spanish Garrison, celebrated their tenth anniversary with a parade through the town after an invasion of the Santa Barbara Castle where there is currently a Star Wars exhibition. You could get up close and personal with the super fans dressed as their favourite characters from the saga.  The costumes were really quite good.

Here is the promotional You Tube video of the exhibition in the Castillo Santa Barbára:

The exhibition, hosted by the castle, displays over 20,000 objects and figures collected by Gabi Navarro over some 35 years. Some figures are arranged in battle scenes...

and you can also imagine yourself as an action figure! (Thanks to my brother-in-law for this photo.)

The exhibition finishes next year to coincide with the release of the newest Star Wars film.

Snapshots of the Hogueras festival 2014

The night of the 24th of June marked the end of the Hogueras de San Juan festival in Alicante with the huge palmera firework lighting up the sky at midnight from the Santa Barbara castle indicating the start of the lighting of the more than 180 bonfires around the city streets.

So as not to bore you with an explination of the events and activities during the annual Hogueras festival, I will just post some photos of from this year.  

The winner of the best bonfire (hoguera) this year went to...

PAN'S LABYRINTH BONFIRE

The Pan's Labyrinth Hoguera won in it's category.  It was so amazing to see in real life and a shame that burned to the ground like all the rest.

Here are just a few of the other large bonfires:

on the Rambla

in the Plaza de la Montañeta

the official bonfire in front of the town hall

These are the 2014 'Bellesas del Foc' with one part of the flower offering in front of the co-cathedral St. Nicholas.

Here are some photos taken from the Castillo San Fernando in Alicante at about 2am during the fiestas where you can see the city lit up by the various barracas.  It's a shame there is no sound with these photos because its quite bonkers... you can hear the different music from the dozens of party zones and the general fiesta ambience which goes on until 4.30am.  After that time the party does continue for some people but the music has to officially stop at this hour.

And finally a couple of photos taken from the other side of the San Fernando castle at 2pm during the Mascletà...

I hope you enjoyed the fiesta!

The Hogueras de San Juan de Alicante 2014

So once again the fiesta is in full swing! The fiesta Hogueras de San Juan has engulfed the city and the barracas and hogueras are set in place.  Right now as I type the 2pm Mascletà is lighting the sky and tapping on peoples eardrums with the mega loud fireworks and firecrackers.  They were being set up this morning when I was on my way to open my shop...

You can see the Plaza de los Luceros in the background.  The Mascletà event was supposed to be held in another place in the city because the vibrations and gunpowder damage the fountain and statue.  But people complained for different reasons so it's still held in the plaza.

You can see my blog entries from last years fiesta for more information about the events.

Alicante Timelapse

I would really like to share with you a time-lapse video for Alicante Turismo done by the very talented photographer Javier Guijarro.  Below, I will tell you about the places featured.



Video turismo Alicante Timelapse from Javier Guijarro on Vimeo.

-Firstly, Javier shows us a sunrise starting over the Cabo de la Huerta and then the swimming pool of one of the hotels in the port area with stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea.

-The high-speed train service called the AVE (Alta Velocidad) now arrives at Alicante from the capital Madrid and the station has been enlarged to accommodate it.

-Alicante receives many visitors from the cruise ships on the Mediterranean Sea who arrive at its special dock and ferry terminal.

-The new airport terminal on the outskirts of Alicante (about 15 minutes from the centre of the city by car) was completed a couple of years ago and is a light and airy glass structure, pleasant to arrive to and depart from.

-The part-underground, part-overground tram service connects the very centre of Alicante from the stations Luceros and Mercado with many neighbourhoods in Alicante and beyond like the University town of San Vicente del Raspeig, running along the huge Playa de San Juan and further afar like El Campello.  The connections go through Benidorm and all the way up to Denia.

-The port area is a great place to stroll along and the new development now holds the Volvo Ocean Race, its offices and its own museum.  The space also regularly holds concerts and markets.

-The beach in Alicante is called the Playa de Postiguet.  It has a nice promenade with cafes along it open all year round.  It's very close to the centre, meaning it's a popular beach in the summer or whenever the sun shines!

-The beach of San Juan is 7km of uninterrupted sunbathing space with chiringuitos (small beach bars) set up on the sand in the summer, restaurants and bars on the promenade, beach volleyball courts all year round and fantastic views always.

-The famous wavy 3-coloured marble esplanade next to the port is always a pleasant stroll, whatever time of year lined with cafeterias, restaurants and market stalls.

-Next we see Javier taking a boat trip to the small island of Tabarca a few kilometres off the coast of Alicante.  The waters around are a natural marine reserve and you can go snorkeling or diving to appreciate the sea life or go for a day trip to bathe in the rocky waters.  Lots of people go to sample a local paella made from locally-caught fresh sea fish.

-The castle in Alicante, Castillo de Santa Bárbara, is the most dominant feature of Alicante sitting on top of the huge hill next to the sea.  The views from up there are stunning.

-The town hall (ayuntamiento) building is a beautiful baroque palace which was started in 1699 and finished some 80 years later.  The bicycle that the woman is riding in the images is one that you can rent from the special roadside bicycle stands with the system Alabici.

-The auditorium is a relatively new building that holds regular events, concerts, plays and is situated right next to the bullring.

-The 5-star hotel Amerigo is featured, which is just along from the town hall, and another local hotel's accommodation.

-Local wines and paellas demonstrate the wonderful local gastronomy, but there is a lot more to try.

-The area is excellent for cycling with many bicycle lanes through the city and special routes beyond.  Outdoor sports in general are possible all year round with this climate and sports in general are very popular, especially water sports, beach volleyball, golf, tennis, football... well just about everything!

-The fiestas are great here, especially the Hogueras de San Juan that I wrote many posts on last year.  The flower offering during this fiesta is shown in the plaza in front of the Cathedral... and my friend's bar and restaurant Piazza is on the right hand side.

-The theatre is shown which is near the Rambla, and then the contemporary art museum which is near the beautiful Basílica de Santa María.  The archaeological museum is shown outside and in which has a very interesting permanent exhibition of artifacts and descriptions of Alicante through the ages.  It won and award for the best European museum a few years back and is well worth a visit.  There are also temporary exhibitions of a variety of subjects.

-The year-round outdoor lifestyle of Alicante is second to none with the possibility of eating and drinking outside day or night.

-The huge pirate ship (I call it a pirate ship but its not really) is a museum and cafe and is permanently (for the moment anyway) in the port.  It's great to look at and fun to be on.

-The video closes with some views of Alicante from some of the few tall buildings in Alicante.  (There are not many thank goodness and the ones that were constructed are from the 1960s or 1970s).

I hope that you enjoyed the video.  It's a good summary of what Alicante has to offer... but I do hope that you still keep reading the blog for my personal insight into this enjoyable city.  See you soon!

Summer moon over Alicante castle

It is a relatively fresh night here in Alicante giving us respite from the long, hot days.  So we just went out for a ride on the motorbike and ended up at the castle overlooking Alicante city.  The sky was cloudy for once and looked quite moody so I got my camera out.  Is it a full moon tonight?  It looked quite 'round' to me.

The castle in Alicante (Castillo Santa Barbara) is free to get in and there is parking at the top so if you fancy just heading up there to sit at the bar and check out the views, then it's a great thing to do.  If you don't have transport then there is an elevator that takes you right to the top but you have to pay for the service.  You can also walk up but it's a very steep climb and certainly not recommended in the midday sun!

I will post more about the castle, its history and what you can do there another day but for now I will just leave you with some photos I took from the castle this evening.

The Firework Competition for the Alicante June festival

The International Firework Competition starts the night after the bonfires of St. John. Each night, a different pyrotechnic company organises a display as their competition entry, starting at midnight.  The more than 25 minute-long spectacle is enjoyed by hundreds or even thousands of people sitting on the beach and promenade (amongst other viewing points) and it gets quite packed.  The displays are very good and there are usually some innovative fireworks each year.

If you go to the most accessible place to see the display (and its intended viewing angle) which is the main beach in Alicante, the Playa del Postiguet, then I recommend arriving about 20 minutes early to get a spot on the sand (yes, the beach actually does fill up!).  Take a towel to sit on and face towards the Playa del Cocó where the rockets are set off from.

Some people take their boats out to see the display from, anchoring them in the bay. I've seen a display from my uncle's boat before but as we arrived about an hour before and were bobbing up and down for all that time (and I am not very good on boats) it was not the best place for me.

This year we walked up to the Serra Grossa, a huge 'rock' just next to the beach, further along from the castle towards Albufereta.  We took torches to hike up as its quite dark and its just a rough stone path.  At the top, we were higher up than the castle and above the fireworks, and I think too far away to appreciate the sound with the explosion.  So that is crossed off my list too.

A great place to see the display from is my friend's balcony, which is right in front of the Playa del Cocó.

You can see the enormity of the fireworks from there and also feel the sound as it rebounds off the surrounding hills.  The traffic was stopped on the street next to the beach this year because people usually just park their cars to watch the display and literally block the road!

I didn't take any photos of the traca this year but its worth mentioning.  The pyrotechnics hook up a string of firecrackers from the lamp posts on the beach promenade of about 200-300m long.  Just after the firework display, they set light to this track of firecrackers which form part of the competition.  They are very loud and are not just a simple boom but a string of upside down, fountain-like fireworks (remember from the box of 'Standard' fireworks from bonfire nights, my UK readers?) that get progressively louder and crazier.  Traditionally, young men would line up at the start of the traca and race it to try to get to the end before the last one explodes.  Some get lucky if there is a problem with the track and the firecrackers have to be lit along the line... they get a chance of beating it!  It's a great way to end the firework display each night and brings the fireworks closer to the people watching it from the beach itself.

It is also a nice continuation of the fiestas as people get back to work after the hogueras, they still have something to see and do on these hot summer evenings.  And if you've never seen an ice cream shop full of people at 1am on a weekday evening then you will do during this time in Alicante!