Tag Archives: culture

Castillo de Santa Bárbara

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the beach in Alicante

the beach in Alicante

We drove into Alicante to see what was going on in town. We’re staying about ten minutes north in a sleepy village full of condos and hotels. Not much action going on there at this time of year – not even an open restaurant that we could find.

el castillo

el castillo above; Esplanada de España below

It was a warm Sunday; lots of people at the beach. We stopped and had a refreshment on the Esplanada de España, then headed over to the castle of Santa Barbara on the hill overlooking Alicante. So glad they have an elevator to the top because the weather was not conducive to climbing the hill.

archer1Castillo de Santa Bárbara is one of the largest medieval fortresses still in existence in Europe. Its foundation is Moorish, like most fortelezas in southern Spain; construction began shortly after the Moors came across from North Africa at Gibraltar in 711. Great views from the top!archer2

 

 

 

 

flag at fort

view of the rock that's in the backyard of our condo

our rock: our condo is wedged between it and the sea

The Osborne bulls

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We have fallen head-over-heels in love with these bulls encountered on the hillsides of Spain. Originally an advertisement for Osborne brandy, these bulls are fourteen meters (forty-six feet) high and are strategically placed along the highways for maximum drama.

According to Wikipedia, the EU passed a law in 1994 outlawing the advertisement of alcohol on the highways, so all the bulls were to be removed. But they had become such an icon of Spain that there was a public outcry. They were allowed to remain if Osborne agreed to paint over any reference to their product, which they did. There are now ninety-one of these solid black bulls throughout the country. It’s thrilling to come around a bend in the highway and find one of these guys hovering above you, especially because they are so few and far between.

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I’ve said it before: I am totally against bullfighting or torturing animals in any respect, which is all the more reason I love to see these “survivors.” They may represent the archaic sport of bullfighting to some, but to me they represent the majesty of a magnificent animal. And that’s no bull!

Wandering in Valencia

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Mercado Central from the outside

Mercado Central from the outside

Valencia, the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, does not have many sights per se, which makes it a great city to wander in. No agenda, just mosey down any street that strikes you as interesting. And when you feel you are hopelessly lost, pull out Google Maps. Here’s a bit of what we discovered.

Mercado Central on the inside

Mercado Central on the inside

evidence of the Moorish influence on architecture

evidence of the Moorish influence on architecture

typical Spanish street life

typical Spanish street life

our favorite hangout - real craft brews, very rare in Spain

our favorite hangout – real craft brews, very rare in Spain

beautiful palm-lined streets

beautiful palm-lined streets

the glass-domed ceiling in the post office

the glass-domed ceiling in the post office

Plaza de Toros

Plaza de Toros

Valencia feria

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Valencia Day parade

Valencia Day parade

It was a day off. We were only going out for a bite to eat, but we got stuck on the wrong side of a parade. We couldn’t cross the street to get to the restaurant we had selected.

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What the heck! We’re here, we might as well enjoy it.

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We are not parade people. We’re allergic to crowds. So this really tested our fortitude. It was actually kind of fun. From what we could understand, it was Valencia Day – a celebration of the communidad’s (state’s) history. We saw several signs that said “Moros y Cristianos,” so I guess they were celebrating their Moorish and Christian roots. That’s nice to see, in this day and age. People in the parade were dressed in various costumes, both Moorish and Christian, from the past thirteen centuries.

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How cool to have such a varied history, and how wonderful to celebrate it so many years later!

Where paella was born

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paella valenciana

paella valenciana for two

Had to have a true paella valenciana as Valencia is where paella was born. This is rice country. The Albufera estuary, just west of Valencia, is full of rice paddies. Most people associate paella with shellfish, but the true Valenciana paella includes chicken, rabbit, and snails. Okay, we had to forego the snails (thank goodness!) because Marcus is allergic, but other than that, this was the real thing.

Most restaurants in Valencia serve paella. There are some restaurants dedicated to it, called arrocerías (arróz is rice). I had never had “the real thing” and we were at a craft brewery, but it was on the menu and the timing was right. It was fantastic! Cooked perfectly from scratch after we ordered. It took about 45 minutes, but that gave us some time to enjoy a few genuine IPAs. Perfect meal in Valencia!

Tarragona

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Circus Maximus, Tarragona

Circus Maximus, Tarragona

IMG_5708Nice stop in Tarragona as we made our way from Barcelona to Valencia. Tarragona was once a capital of Roman Spain, the first to be toga-certified. Residents were allowed to wear togas, meaning they were considered to be full Roman citizens. Maybe it was the wine. Now that I think about it, Rome may have conquered all the Mediterranean countries just for the wine and olive oil. Can’t say I blame them. It’s a strong motivation!

the Roman amphitheater - nice backdrop!

the Roman amphitheater – nice backdrop!

Looking back at Barcelona

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While I did not love Barcelona as much as I thought I would, I have to say it was because of the throngs of tourists more than anything else. It really is a beautiful city, and I wish we could have had it to ourselves for a day – okay, maybe the whole week. But looking back, there were many things I did love. Here’s a sample.

Ingenious!

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dish drainer

dish drainer

Love these dish drainers built into the cabinets above the kitchen sink! There are no shelves in the cabinet, only dish racks. You wash the dishes, put them in the racks, and they drain right into the sink. And when you close the cabinet doors, no one sees the clutter!