July 24 - Alicante, Spain

Santa María Magdalena

Weather – HOT! I predict this will be the hottest day of this vacation. In the morning, the forecast is for 34º with real feel of 42º!! In town right at the coast it is HOT and

Santa María Magdalena

HUMID. Further up in the hills it is hotter, but less humid.

Steps – 9,523

First order of business today is jumping on a coach bus. I’m not the biggest fan of this part of tours, but it’s a necessary evil. I’d rather just walk off the boat and continue with a walking tour, this can happen occasionally, but it’s rare that a visit to caves happens without a bit of a journey out of the city. We’re basically on the bus for 15 min to get us from the port into the heart of Alicante city centre for a walking tour.

This walking tour of Alicante starts with the 18th century town hall.  Next is a 17th-century San Nicolás de Bari Cathedral, with its 15th-century cloister. 

Bodega Heretat de Cesilia winery

Then back to the bus for a bit of a journey to Novelda where we visit the Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena. This place is supposed to remind us of Antoni Gaudí’s, Sagrada Familia, which it does. It is here where it is HOT! WOW, but the lack of humidity makes it OK really. The most interesting part of this stop is the church organ. The pipes are made of marble…different.

el toro!

Lastly, we visit Bodega Heretat de Cesilia, an early 18th century winery where we learn a bit about their process and taste a glass. This place, like most other wineries we visit is very stylish and chic. The wine

Dali spent time here

lesson is good, but the wine pours are minimal. The wine is tasty, but very small – not as small and the New Zealand pours, but chintzy.

The rest of the day is the usual ship life…lunch at the pool, nap, cocktails, dinner, comedy show, late evening disco and BED!