Alicante, Spain

We celebrate our one-year milestone of continuous travel this month and find our life has been enriched beyond measure.

Life is truly amazing. The more we learn, the more we realize how much more there is to know. Travel seems to urge us onward offering new knowledge and experiences at every turn. What will we discover in the next city, the next museum, the next experience? And each visit triggers additional research.  We often learn even more after a visit as we seek to clarify our photos which in turn definitely helps cement the memories.

Someday we may even be challenging opponents in a trivia game.

 

Museo Arqueológico Provincial de Alicante,

Alicante’s Provincial Archaeological Museum referred to simply as El MARQ has superbly organized displays adding to the interest as you walk through. There are 5 significant archaeological sites located within a short distance of Alicante and this museum offers a wealth of excavated objects. The historical journey is divided by the exhibition halls, beginning with prehistory referred to as the Bronze Age, followed by Iberian culture, Roman culture, Middle Ages and Modern and Contemporary.

The Thomson Tide Gauge caught our attention. It was the first mechanical device, built in the 1870’s, with a clockwork mechanism that recorded the changes in the sea levels, helping to predict tides.

Basílica de Santa Maria 

Similar to many churches in Spain, the Basilica of Santa María, after the reconquista in the 14th century, was built over a former mosque. This church is the oldest in the city. It has two large somber towers that look identical, but the right tower was built in the 14th century and the left tower was built in 1713. The beautiful Baroque-Rococo facade of the entrance softens the feel of the towers that flank it.

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Alicante – MACA

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Alicante is in a former granary built in 1687 and is close by the Santa María Basilica.

Alicante sculptor Eusebio Sempere, founded the museum in 1976 and much of the museum is used for his own work as well as his private collection. The museum apparently has nearly 800 pieces of art, but only 250 are displayed at a time. We noticed a focus on local artists and Spanish artists including a few pieces by the famous Picasso, Dali and Miró but unfortunately no photos were allowed which limits what we are able to share.

Playa del Postiguet

A brief hop, skip and a jump from our apartment and we were on Postiguet Beach. This popular city beach is clean and well taken care of and the sand is white and soft. Restrooms and restaurants are nearby and in the summer months you are able to rent sunbeds and umbrellas. Palm tree groves have been planted in a couple of areas and the few benches we saw are favorite places to sit and read a book.

We met lovely people in Alicante. For example, one couple  we enjoyed visiting with over drinks one evening was from Oliver, British Columbia, Canada; not far from where we (Ted & Julia) first met.

Another wonderful experience was when we were invited to meet our Airbnb host’s family and join in on a birthday dinner and celebration. There were 9 of us and a unique style of delicious pizza was ordered. It was about 4 feet long by 12 inches wide served on a 4 ½’ long wooden board.  It was one continuous crust with sections of multiple types of toppings; something tasty for everyone. There are two of these restaurants in town, called Sale & Pepe, both offering full Italian menu choices each in a lovely setting. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful and the staff excellent in both and we recommend either restaurant for midday or evening dining.

One year on the books (or blogs) and we continue to be excited about the journey ahead. We sincerely appreciate having each of you following along and sharing our travels with us.

Salud from these Alicantinos,

Ted & Julia

 View our Alicante, Spain photo gallery here

 View our Museu Arqueològic MARQ photo gallery here