Our flat is located less than a block from Concatedral de San Nicholás de Bari. We hear the bells each morning and evening. Luckily they sound as if they are in the distance, unless we have the soundproofed doors opened to the balconies. It is the first church we visit. The blue dome is a distinctive draw to the otherwise non-descript exterior. The interior is quite nice, and I think the side chapel is the most interesting.
The only other church we decide to visit in Alicante is Basilica de Santa Maria. That isn't because there aren't more to see, just that these two are so convenient to our flat. On a sunny Wednesday we follow the blue signs and wind through the streets of Old Town to the Basilica. We catch some photo's of the exterior and proceed inside, adjusting our eyes from the bright sunlight. It isn't until we have taken a couple of photo's that we notice the sign requesting no photo's. Oh oh, but of course we did not use flashes, so at least we did not disturb anyone.
After thoroughly enjoying the Basilica we exit the courtyard and notice Museo de Arte Contemporāneo de Alicante (MACA) is directly across the street. We walk through the three stories of the museum at a relaxed pace. Several famous artists are included within the collection, including Miró, Picasso and Dali. There are also large collections of the works of Euebio Sempre and Juana Francés. I enjoy some the pieces but there are times where I fail to see the attraction.
 | On one of the few cloudy days we opt to walk out on the port to the Museo Volvo Ocean Race. We are both familiar with the America's Cup, but do not know anything about the Volvo Ocean Race. We learn that it is a sailing race that goes around the world and was formerly named the Whitbread. Alicante was the starting point for the past three races and will also be the starting point for the next race, which occurs in 2018-2018. A documentary of the history of the race as well as the exhibits provide us with an enjoyable education. |
Museo Arqueológico Provincial de Alicante (MARQ) is recommended to us, so we plot our approach. The MARQ is located a mile west of the base of the mountain holding Castillo de Santa Barbara. We will taxi to the MARQ, walk through the museum, then take our time strolling back to the flat.
On Friday after breakfast we head out. It is easy to get a taxi. Less than 20 minutes and 10€ later we are dropped off in front of the Museo. There's a very pretty cafe out front which beckons to us to pause and enjoy the pretty day, so we do.
On Friday after breakfast we head out. It is easy to get a taxi. Less than 20 minutes and 10€ later we are dropped off in front of the Museo. There's a very pretty cafe out front which beckons to us to pause and enjoy the pretty day, so we do.
After we are caffeinated from our coffee's we enter the Museo. The MARQ is an archeological museum of Alicante. It is intended to be educational and is laid out with five time period rooms (Prehistory, Iberian, Roman, Middle Ages and Modern) and also has displays on how archeology excavations are carried out. We have fun looking at the displays and reading the explanations when we can, as approximately 25% are in English. True to our plan we walk back to the flat, so it turns out to be a busy day on our feet. A late lunch is in order.
The last museum we visit in Alicante is Museó Bellas-Artes Gravina (MUBAG), which is just six blocks from our flat. It is in a beautifully restored building and turns out to be an enjoyable hour of looking at mostly paintings and sculptures from Spanish artists, but there is also a collection of Oriental art which is on loan.
The last museum we visit in Alicante is Museó Bellas-Artes Gravina (MUBAG), which is just six blocks from our flat. It is in a beautifully restored building and turns out to be an enjoyable hour of looking at mostly paintings and sculptures from Spanish artists, but there is also a collection of Oriental art which is on loan.
RSS Feed