Alicante, Coasta Blanca, Spain

Playa del Postiguet

Over 7000 years ago hunter gathers migrating down the Iberian Peninsula from central Europe stopped and made settlement on Spain's Costa Blanca. Establishing their base on the dry foothills of Monte Benacantil, they had discovered a gem: a clear blue ocean bountiful in fish and seafoods. 

Whoa- Alicante! 

Monte Benacantil

Centuries later the small city of Alicante is a flourishing Mediterranean port. An area without much defence it was continually conquered and stood no resistance to the influx of rulers flexing their muscles and taking over the desirable trading port. Rival armies, the Romans, the Carthaginians, the Goths, the Moors, the Castilians and eventually the Kingdom of Valencia all took their hands in ruling; fighting battles against each other on the hot sandy landscape.

The city specialised in rice, wine, olive oils, wool and oranges however in 1609 King Felipe expelled thousands of moors who were charged with cooperating with pirates (this was 400years after the Spanish reconquest), as they left so did the skilled labour which sent the city almost into bankruptcy until the late 19th century.

Today the beautiful and quiet port city focuses its interests on tourism, sharing its history and culture with not only Spain but also the rest of the world. The port is inactive but is a welcoming gate for cruise boats. Its soft sandy beaches are packed during the summer months, littered with cheerful umbrellas, white deck chairs and bronzed bodies. Barrio de la Santa Cruz, the old city quarter, with its narrow cobbled streets has an active nightlife scene and is decorated with flags and pots of flourishing flowers. 

Old town colour

Something smells fungi... 

Looking West 

Looking North (see the bull ring?)

We visited on the last Saturday or August, when many shops are still closed for summer vacation. 

It was a stunning morning, the sky with lines of pink strewn across a hazy baby blue grey. It was also still early so after stopping at the city's tourist information we decided to climb the towering Monte Benacantil and see the Castle of Santa Barbara which watches over the region. Keen not to get side tracked our map was sufficiently helpful and we quite easily scaled the Southside looking down over the city's entirety. The castle was built during the time of Muslim control and has an amazing location. 

Waving up Explanada de España

Waving down Explanada de España

In town, breakfast was finishing up but local tourists lingered over their coffee and tomato toasts. Slightly peckish we ordered a garlic potato brava dish and on a parallel road, claros and tapas. What a treat, ohh how we had missed the Spanish food. Hearts soaring, giddy and tipsy we waved ourselves along the Explanada de España, lined with palm trees and made from small squares of marble, people were walking up and down taking in their paseo or casual stroll. We ended up perfectly at the beach front (playa del postiguet) and scoured ourselves a spot next to hundreds of other beach goers.

Clothes on people! 

Visiting a Spanish beach is quite an experience as the Spanish really have far more body confidence than other nationalities and it seemed very normal for woman and men of all ages and sizes to wear as little as possible. Tops? Who needs them? Modesty? Nope- not here! Horrified at our paleness against neighbouring naked sun worshippers we spent lots of time in the clear warm waters of the Mediterranean bobbing in the waves.

This whitey won't be white much longer! 

Several hours of bathing in the sea, drying in the sun, bathing again, drying, bathing....and then we headed off for a late lunch. 

Feeling a little adventurous and excited we went on a self-made Spanish tapas tour, heading where our noses took us and probably one of the best ways to try lots of small portions of the local foods within a limited time! Alicante could be the home of tapas, with fewer restaurants than tapa bars! 

Cold wine, free tapa! 

Ordering our new favourite for lunch- eggplant with a molasses honey! The best part of impromptu tapa touring is you never really know what you'll get with your beverage! We tried mouth watering pork, crab salad, salmon and juicy garlic prawns and washed down with vino blanco or a small local beer!

Our bus home drove through the western desert-looking land but we missed it, sitting back, eyes closed, lost in our dreams of returning back another summer. 

Tot siens,

John and Kara

Tapa's in Murcia, Region of Murcia, Spain

Ayuntamiento de Murcia

Our bus plundered through the Spanish countryside. Shaking and wobbling its way around the bendy roads, constantly turning as we moved through a chain of large mountains. 
Peering out the dirty bus window we could imagine that we were in a western movie, large golden coloured rocky mountains covered the horizon, sandy desert lay from the road to their feet. Cactus and small dusty shrubs dotted the forefronts. It was nothing but arid, sandy, dry desert land. 

Kara outside the Murcia Cathedral 

As our bus veered closer towards our destination, palm trees begun sprouting from the ground, falling and drooping in odd directions. 

Through the windscreen we could see healthy plantations of orange farms indicating more fertile lands as we crossed the flat plain. 

Murcia the capital of the Murcia region, is a small and very typical Spanish city at the bottom east side of Spain. Commissioned by the Emir of Córdoba in 831 a small settlement was built along the banks of the Segura river. Way off the normal tourist routes the city is renowned for its local produce. In fact its name derives from the Latin Murtae (Mulberry). For centuries mulberry leaves were grown to feed silk worms, an industry that lasted well after WWII; that was until they could not compete with man made fibres. Unfortunately, with less than 300mm of rain annually, growing their famed vegetables doesn't come easy!

Front of the Episcopal Palace

Gardens in the Plaza de Martinez Tornel

Nuestra Senora del Carmen

Statue in Plaza Santa Catalina

The city of Murcia doesn't have huge monuments, famous museums or much to overwhelm a visitor. But it does have maybe some of the best food in Spain. The food alone is worth a visit, that and the true Spanish experience. We arrived late afternoon and it was siesta time, something taken extremely seriously down in these southern parts. With the temperature hovering around 35degrees we ventured out to quietly, in the empty streets, see what Murcia had to offer hungry travellers. 

Ensalada Murciana

John with his Pastel del carne

Ohh, but we didn't get far, at the end of our street we stopped for a qinto y tapa of Ensalada Murciana (small bottled beer with a type of potato salad) and then next door to there we paused to try the local meat and egg pie! Slightly salty but bursting with flavour surrounded by a light melt-in-your-mouth pastry. Happy chappies we veered towards the large Cathedral of Murcia. This beautiful building made of sandy stone is famed for its artistic diversity, a super-imposed facade of Baroque over a large Gothic style interior. Several other pretty buildings pulled us closer but it was the picturesque fountains and corners of the Plaza de las Flores we liked most. 

Rome Theatre 

Spending some time walking around, everything was still very much closed as we mentioned, siesta is taken very seriously here with the large majority of bars and restaurants only re-opening at 8pm. By then, a little peckish again we found a small taparia open serving cold food and tried two local dishes the pisto (vegetables fried with pepper, onion and tomato) and a mushroom shrimp concoction accompanied with light fruity Murcian white wine. 

We tried some pinchos too! 

Trying more local specialities 

Warm Jamon mini-Burgers

An amazing dish from our hotel

Catching the full moon 

Our last tapa of the day was an amazing garlic jamon and mushroom dish with Estrella beer at our hotel restaurant for uno euro night! Alright, alright we ended up having two each!

It was a short weekend stay in Murcia but most enjoyable!

Tot siens,

John and Kara

La Tomatina & Valencia, Spain

It was pitch dark and quiet, so quiet that all we could hear were the soft sounds of our shoes hitting the pavement as we ran. The street lights were dim and we could only smell the warm bitter scent of coffee coming from our own breath. It was early, very early on the morning of the last Wednesday of August. The sun was still hours away from rising but it was already almost 30degrees. We were running through the streets of Valencia to catch the Regional line to the small village of Bunol, running because we stopped on the way out of our hotel to enjoy a small nibble of breakfast, running so we weren't late, running to what was going to be one of the craziest things we've done in Spain, yet. 

Hahahahaha! Fish face... Kara fish! 

Matching tomato man! 

Back-tracking ten hours we arrived to the Mediterranean seaside city of Valencia, Spain's third largest city, after spending the afternoon in Barcelona. That morning we had waved goodbye to Rome, completing our amazing summer in Italy. Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain and strategically located, it boasts being the birthplace of one of Spain's most famous cuisines- the Paella (pie-yay-a). There are also two major events that happen in Valencia annually, Las Fallas and La Tomatina. 

John's in the ...ahh.. red... (top right)

What is La Tomatina? Perhaps the craziest - of epic proportions - food fight in the world. Not for the weak, faint-hearted and small of stature the annual event is like putting yourself through a blender. Originating in 1945 when several young people who were watching a town parade either purposely or accidentally knocked a musician, who so enraged begun throwing tomatoes. Returning the following year with tomatoes of their own the festival (much to the authority's displeasure) begun.

Look close... see the pole

And so there we were running to the train station to participate in this year's, the 70th anniversary of the largest food fight in the world. Arriving into Bunol, the town was pumping. Music was playing loudly and in the doorways party goers from the night before lay resting. All down the main road local residents were selling sangria and boccadillos and busloads of excited partygoers were arriving. We effortlessly collected our entry bands, took a locker and bought sangria by the litre as we waited for the other 35,000 - 45,000 people to arrive.

Yes! Part of the gang! 

The town had one main narrow road and as the morning progressed thousands jammed their way in focusing on the centre to Plaza del Pueblo where on a large greased wooden pole hung a heafty leg of jamon. As with tradition people attempt to reach the jamon, which would then signal the beginning of the hour long tomato assault. What we saw though was a frenzy of people climbing, jumping and hanging off each other, liken to a zombie attack they looked ravaged, clothes ripped and clawing up the wooden pole.


The pole was quickly forgotten though when at 10.57am we were suddenly caught under a ferocious onslaught of water pulsating out of fire hoses. Blinded, disorientated, drenched and scrambling for our goggles the first siren went off signalling the start. Within moments the first tomatoes were flying, smacking us on the heads. The goggles fogged up fast and there were masses of arms, legs, flying shirts and tomatoes. As the first truck honked its way through we were squished against everyone else. Bodies stacked alongside each other, hip bones digging into thighs and with absolutely no room to move anything we swayed like one. The Roma tomatoes, long oblong shaped and not exactly at all soft or over-ripe shot like bullets tearing off goggles and exploding on impact. Trucks continued to pummel through the crowd and through it all the fire hoses shot ice cold water at a bloodthirsty level. For sixty long minutes there was nowhere to go and try as we might, we were too far into the depths, with caught-in arms and legs. We threw, we caught we smashed and we took painful hits and the tomatoes kept coming. All 170tonnes of them and soon the juices covered our feet, our ankles and shins. We were nothing but pasta caught in a thick sloppy sauce.

Exactly one hour later the siren signalled the end, the trucks drove off empty and we waddled, slipped and sunk in the blood red streets. 

Kara by Plaza de la Reina

Drenched in our soaking-wet, itchy clothes we boarded the train back to the city. Returning to our hotel wasn't an easy task, everything looked so different, shutter doors that were closed earlier now were open. With no GPS it took us a long time to manoeuvre the five kilometres back to our hotel under the midday sun.

John by the Agora, Centre of Arts

One of the things that they don't tell you or you don't really hear people talk about La Tomatina is that after the event you're quite likely to get sick and that tomato is really, really, hard to get out of your hair. Festival goers stand for hours in the street, waiting, drinking, singing and when the tomato comes raining down and the mulch fills and floods the streets its full of body fluids, urine, vomit, alcohol and your normal street dirt. The tomato acid certainly smooths the complexion but if you have sensitive skin, like Kara or half of everyone attending, the infamous 'pimply, itchy tomato rash' will plague you for days. Your eyes, will expel stringy yellow and green mucus for hours, fighting the gunk that went in them and as your body does the motions fighting toxins your lymph nodes swell so much that you can hardly put your arms down. So would we do it again? Hell yes! 

La Tomatina was our highlight in Valencia but we also spent the next two days enjoying the bilingual (Catalan and Spanish) city and recovering from the festival. 

Unidentified church

View from Plaza Ayuntamiento 

This included our walk to the beach (la playa) where we stumbled across some friendly kiwis when we were awkwardly climbing up the side of a bridge after taking a wrong turn. Valencia actually has the closest beach to Madrid. Huge and sandy we were surprised how big it was and the sea, a little rough, smelt amazing. 

Palm trees? Check! Sand? Check! Good to go! 

Plaza de la Virgen

We walked and jaunted through the central district and across from our hotel was also the futuristic Centre of Arts (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias). 

Catching some sun at the
Palau de les Arts

In the Umbracle

Overall Valencia surprised us with what a liveable city it was! Surrounded by parks, the beach and mountains there was something for everyone. Even savoury gelato? 

Tomato? Salmon? Potato omelette? Anyone... 

Via Barcas, City Centre

Inside the central market

We couldn't leave without trying the famous local dish though and so on our last evening we went out for Paella! Actually considered a lunch time dish and never eaten at dinner it wasn't easy to come by. Through share fortune we came across an Arroceria (rice restaurant) and here they prepared us the traditional Paella Valencian. This hot pan of golden grainy yellow goodness is served under a huge slathering of green beans, buttery white beans, purple tinged artichokes, land snails in their striped shells and knobbly legs of rabbit, succulent pieces of chicken and warm duck. All the flavours fuse together with spices of turmeric, paprika and saffron creating what was a 'que rico' and delectably delicious dinner! 

Us and our Paella

Paella Valencian close up

Tot siens,

John and Kara

ROMA Capitale, Italy

Roman warriors abound

Rome, Italy's capital, once the administrative cradle of one of the greatest civilisations ever has been exerting its power over the last 2800years of its existence.
With such a rich history, Rome has had an overwhelming impact on the world. Without overly exaggerating and it's hard not to, as with every turn something amazing strikes you, Rome is full of grand palaces, romantic ruins, opulent fountains and ornate statues.

The city is alive and flourishing and clearly still to this day exerts an influence through its enduring cultural ties, love of fashion and fine food. Old and new mix together seamlessly with tree-lined boulevards running parallel with medieval cobbled lanes, ending with ancient Roman columns.

A fountain in the Piazza della repubblica

It has been said that Rome was founded by the mythical twins Romulus and Remus (remember them from our Florence blog?) who were abandoned and raised by a she-wolf before being found by a shepherd. We love a good legend and with evidence of a first settlement back in the 8th century BC it's fair to assume at some time this folk story might have told some truth! 


Once a small village, Rome rose quickly and grew to become the Western world's largest and wealthiest city, holding the title for over one thousand years and it is that rich history which draws millions of tourists to Rome annually.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Piazza della Madonna 

Bright and cheery, full of exuberant energy we bounded into Rome with renewed enthusiasm and vigour. Look at that golden Jesus, look at this building, oh what's that- we'll have to come back and check that out! 

Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina

But first we had to carefully navigate our accommodation situation. Close to the train station, through a street market selling Chinese plastics, in what looked and felt like not the best neighbourhood we found our hotel. 

Upon checking in, it seemed that our 'hotel' was overbooked or perhaps more appropriately the hotel had purposefully overbooked. We had got ourselves caught up in some kind of seedy dealings for sure because oh yes there was an apartment available for us 'in another building' OR for a special price we could upgrade to a different room (still not in our hotel). This story sold with a..."yes my friends come look, just looking, ok?" was not appreciated. But we still needed somewhere to stay so we went to see the original room. 

Palazzo della Esposizoni

Our haven't-washed-since-last-year receptionist (the first clue we should have picked up when arriving) marched us down the road and showed us our room. Thinking we were born yesterday he was adamant no one else lived there, but the Muslim woman hiding in the kitchen and the fact he needed to be buzzed in to the 'Yusuf' residence was a bit of a dead give away. Well it was clean and even though there was no advertised TV, coffee machine or a breakfast fit enough to feed a dog we didn't really have many other options.


Bags down, room locked, out we went to explore Roma!

Forum de Augustus

Now, friends, countrymen, Romans, lend me your ears. Be quiet, be still and hear our words.

For if one more lone person appeals our need to acquire a selfie stick, that stick will be placed high up ones backside. Move forward now and share our gospel.... (Face palm).

Honestly, we really, really don't want a selfie stick, or a scarf, or a wooden bowel, or a beautiful rose for the pretty lady or to sign against drugs or a spray painted picture or anything else for that matter! Big breath. We want to see Rome! 

Ancient Colosseum, Rome

And Rome we saw! Slowly, calmly we traversed forwards, backwards and in circles. Sometimes forging a new route other times tracing our steps. We explored the ancient Colosseum first, built by captured slaves. If Rome had a central point it would most surely be the colosseum, located in the heart of the city the grand monument was the largest of it's kind. Technically an amphitheatre, it's considered one of the greatest works of architecture and engineering.

Northside of the Colosseum

Out front (East side)

Views from the lower level

Strong and steady, still standing!

In it's heyday, the Colosseum could hold around 50,000 to 80,000 people. It's construction which begun in AD72 under the emperor Vespasian was completed in AD80 under his successor Titus. As we toured the public halls and ancient stone steps we read how it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles (really!), animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology. 

Interior view, Colosseum 

Hanging about inside! 

Of course time and natural decay hasn't been kind to the limestone rock and although its self supporting arches are crumbling and the damp maze of hidden rooms are now visible under the central floors, it's still grand, still magnificent, still a work of art.

Interesting artefacts in the museum

Far view of the Colosseum 

Arco di Costantino

As the afternoon grew on, our second stop was towards Arco di Settimio along the old roman ruins in Campitelli and past the Piazzo Campidoglio and finishing by the amazing Altare della Patria. We were drawn in by its grand stone cold white marble stairs, Corinthian columns, gushing fountains, soaring flames and handsome uniformed guards- the alter dedicated to the first King of a unified Italy. Completed in 1925, the largest (modern) monument in all of Rome asserts itself aggressively within such an old neighbourhood. 

Altare della Patria

Carcere Mamertino

View of Rione X Campitelli

Overwhelmed and warmed in the late noon sun we stopped for gelato. Sitting on a roadside table we slurped at our chocolate rum truffle ice cream and looked around. Surely, you could be in Rome for weeks and not see everything? 

Truffle rum and a side of fig 

Basilica Ulpia

After the last sun danced golden on the building frescos we wandered back to our 'room' catching the first street light begin to turn on. Soft, warm light shone up from the ground beginning to illuminate the buildings as we walked past. Strong smells of oven-baked pizza mixed with the joyful sounds of happy tourists enjoying their evening. Determined to make the most of tomorrow we drifted off happily. 

Looking up to Piazza Venezia

In the morning, after finding somewhere to grab a cappuccino we walked towards the Trevi.  La Fontana di Trevi is famous as the largest baroque fountain in the city and a backdrop to many popular movies. 

Top of the Trevi

Legend holds that in 19 BC thirsty Roman soldiers were guided by a young girl to a source of pure water thirteen kilometers from the city of Rome. The discovery of the source led the emperor Augustus to commission the construction of a twenty-two kilometer aqueduct leading into the city, which supplied Rome with water for over 400 years. Today, the fountain marks the terminal point of the ancient aqueduct but to our dismay it was all under renovation!! Hidden behind plastic and scaffolding! So we moved on, passing gorgeous plazas and weary old buildings, looking a little past their prime.

Outside Tempio Adriano

Closed off Trevi fountain 

Outside the Pantheon

A sacred Egyptian gift 

We reached Piazza Della Rotanda and home of Ancient Rome's best preserved building: the Pantheon. Suddenly a rich choir-like sound bellowed out and we gingerly stepped inside the ancient circular building.

Stunning rays of sunlight

Commissioned by the emperor Hadrian in 126, almost 2000 years ago, the Patheon still stands strong. Since its conception, it has been in continuous use, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been a church. It was the music that pulled us in and surprisingly we stayed a while to enjoy the ambience and atmosphere. Something special about the Pantheon is it's oculus.

The oculus is a round open hole in the roof which, as we walked in, is shaped in such a way that a long bright beam of light flooded through. Throughout the day, the light from the oculus moves around the building and also serves as a cooling and ventilation method. During storms, or wet weather there are special drains under the floors to help clear the water. 

Looking across Piazza Navona

From the Pantheon we walked North west to the river. Moving through Piazza Navona. The long public Piazza with its famous central Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is more art than fountain!  Built in the 1st century and used frequently for Roman games and competitions, theatrical events and markets (including annual Christmas markets still) with its prominent Baroque style and seemingly endless sunlight, it is also home to a large gathering of budding artists. Who for a pretty penny endeavour to catch its beauty on their canvases. 

Ponte Sant' Angelo,
looking towards Castel Sant' Angelo

Heading towards the Fiume Tevere river that wraps around Rome's insides, we crossed over the Ponte Umberto I bridge which is embellished with large impressive angels perhaps protecting or keeping watch over the Palazzo di Guistizia. 
Returning, we veered over the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II bridge. 

Another great day was followed with a journey much further to the old city's south west to the trendy neighbourhood of Trastevere. Across the river, the area oozes affluence but also more quiet down-to-earth eateries and restaurants covered by flowers and wild plants. Away from the tourist hustle and bustle we could walk alone down the narrow roads following flocks of nuns moving from church to church. We wandered around until lunch time, taking breaks often by the number of fountains. Taking the longest route back we stopped for gelato, trying flavours like pesto di pistacchio, ricotta stregeta and the devine walnut fig.

Trastevere backroads

Quiet and overgrown

Old neighbourhoods

Washing and cafe's

Gelato time (again)

Piazza di Santa Maria

When the sun began its descent we wiggled and weaved through tour groups towards Rome's famous place to people watch: the Spanish steps. From the Piazza de Spagna around 130ish steps climb steeply to Piazza Trinata dei Monti but we couldn't see them because there were just so many people! 

Can you spot John on the steps?

We got ourselves a cozy spot, happily watching the final sunset, but after 10minutes we couldn't stay, someone was getting way too angry at the aggressively insistent selfie stick and flower pedlars. (Not looking at you, Kara).  

Even five days in Rome didn't give us time to see a fraction of Italy's Roman wonders. I guess we'll just have to come back! For now though, it's time to wave arrivedercci to Italy. 

One creamy cannoli! 

Rome by night! 

It's been a tremendous summer and our Italian circuit has come to it's end. Tomorrow we return to Spain!

We can't wait!

Tot siens,

John and Kara