Yes, I went to Alicante, again.
In my defense, it was the perfect place to stop on the way from Madrid to Barcelona, and Ken had not yet experienced lovely Alicante.
Thus, I had no choice. I had to enjoy that quaint, pretty city yet again. Twist my arm. (The previous visits are documented here and here.)
We took a train from Madrid to Alicante, and gray clouds loomed over the ride. There was rain in the forecast, so we kept our fingers crossed for at least a little bit of beach time and a good view from the mountain during the few days we were there. When we arrived, there was a light cloud cover and no rain, so we headed up the side of the mountain to Castillo de Santa Barbara right off the bat.
Pretty gardens in Parque La Ereta, which leads up to the top.
Cloudy, but still warm. Yes, Ken is wearing his Vibram Five Fingers in public, and not during a run. He's fully embraced them (and we're pretty sure someone laughed at him).
Looking for pirates.
Pretty colors at Castillo de Santa Barbara.
Loved these houses on the way down. I'm sure they enjoy having the pathway to the park right outside their front doors...
The next day turned out to be sunny and gorgeous! So, we got in some good beach time at Playa del Postiguet, just outside of the hotel (one of the best things about Alicante), and walked back up the mountain for a view with blue skies.
We met a cute new friend while enjoying a glass of wine at the top. We named him Castillo.
Back down in they city, we learned that there would be parades for Semana Santa (Holy Week). For about three hours each night, processions of people in robes and people playing instruments walked very slowly through the town.
Amazing paella at La Taberna del Gourmet: super tender pork, asparagus, and snap peas.
Moments of Zen: Lovely sunny beach time each day, complete with chilly dips in the sea, and a little paddle ball. I was bracing myself for rain, but Alicante pulled through for us, as always!
