We are very impressed with Alicante as it seems to have a mixture of interesting historical areas and beautiful buildings, a great palm-lined esplanade, many plazas with massive fig trees and palm trees and a huge range of excellent places to eat. It is a large city with many interesting streets and good shopping so we have walked for several hours each day.
Yesterday we followed the walking tour suggested in the AA book, mostly in the Barrio Santa Cruz area, the oldest part of the city. It had rained heavily during the night so the streets were all especially clean (and so was the boat exterior). Part of the walk was up Carrer San Rafael, which is a long flight of steps where the old houses are adorned with flowers. We continued up the steps to the church Ermita de Santa Cruz and had a panoramic view over the city below and looked up to the old walls and watch towers around Monte Benecantil.
There is a wide range of tapas bars to choose from in many of the lanes but we lucked upon Pesca al Peso for lunch (Calle Mayor, 22, www.pescaalpeso.com) where every kind of fresh shellfish plus squid, octopus, sardines, white bait, baby sole and mussels is laid out on ice for diners to choose from. You pay according to the weight of whatever you choose and then it is either steamed, grilled or fried, depending on what is suitable for each type of seafood and how you want it cooked. We had some grilled sardines, mussels cooked in garlic and wine and a mixture of lightly fried whitebait, baby sole, baby squid and shrimps which were all superb. With a bottle of rose, desserts of creme caramel and chocolate cake plus coffees, the entire meal for the four of us €49. What a treat!
Our walking continued after lunch, along some of the best shopping streets such as Calle Gerona, Calle San Francisco and Avenida de Maissonare, finishing so far away from the marina that by the time we returned to the boat several hours later we were exhausted. Michele and I were too tired for dinner but the guys relished a hamburger 'with the lot' at Ancora, about 30 steps from the boat.
During last night it rained very heavily again, a very unusual happening for here at this time of the year, but we don't mind as it is quite refreshing for a change. I woke during the night and discovered very sad news on my iPad about my special friend Robyn Newbound. I will miss her greatly and wish I had been home during the past few weeks.
This morning we had breakfast at Ancora and then the guys visited all of the marine shops and the museum about the Volvo Ocean Race. Next year the 39,500 nautical miles race begins here as it has the last 2 races. Michele set off to do some shopping for some last items in the summer sales while I had a bit of pampering with a haircut, manicure and pedicure at an excellent salon, Centro de Belleza, at Calle Ballen, 1 (at a little treed plaza just off Rambla Mendez Nunez). Greg was also very happy with his haircut there yesterday and the owner Ines Terror is an extremely helpful and lovely lady.
Before returning to the boat I walked for a few hours again, so apart from making a frittata and cooking some apricots and peaches I have spent the rest of the afternoon reading and writing in the cockpit. The others did the same once they finished some boat jobs. The weather is not suitable for a trip out to Formentera tomorrow so we will be able to go to the local market in the morning.