Alicante 1 - New City, Markets

My first breakfast in Alicante of müsli. It's not a normal Spanish breakfast, which tends to go for bread, the packet was imported from Germany.

My apartment was on the mezzanine floor (E for entresuelo on the lift button) of a block facing a park with an outdoor café.

I later discovered that this building in the park was the former bus station, used for events, and awaiting further works.

The plan that morning was to walk to the central mercado, which would be in full swing, being Saturday morning. Along the way I walked up the rambla on Av. Federico Soto. Some families were already out.

At Plaza de la Puerta de San Francisco I paused to admire this fountain. I noted that the pigeons in this part of the world were plump (well fed by people) and about evenly distributed between gray and white. Maybe being white had an advantage in a warm climate.

This is an aquarium at Plaza Nueva displaying some of the underwater life off the coast.

Facing this is a row of cafés for enjoying drinks, often with tapas. I called this social media in Alicante in messages to friends.

The Teatre Principal d'Alacant (the Valencian name for Alicante), showing that the city has a thriving cultural life.

The exterior of the mercado.

A meat vendor.

Bread shop.

Nuts.

Cafeteria.

Fruits and vegetables.

I wondered how long I would have to live here to be confident enough to buy most of my produce at the market instead of the supermarket.

A Japanese themed eatery.

Outside, the florists.

Glorious trees in flower.

Close up.

The temperature was in the low 20s, just right.

Close up.

It seemed that these friends were celebrating the imminent marriage of one of their number. The shirts say Superana is getting married.

The plaza is named in memory of the over 300 civil victims of a dastardly bombardment by fascist Italian planes on the 25th of May 1938. Alicante was the last city held by the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War.

After that it was time for lunch. I found the Alma del Sur seafood shop and had a good feed of mixed fried seafood with patatas bravas (fries with spicy sauce).

And after that a couple of scoops of gelato from Livanti Gelato di Sicillia, bacio chocolate and liquorice, if I remember correctly. Nice blend of sweet and bitter.

A wedding ceremony at Ajuntament d'Alacant (City Hall).

Finally I reached the explanada. This is number 1, a fish restaurant.

The wave pattern in the paving stones is common in Spain.

A vendor selling prints made by the old fashioned chemical method.

Sculpture by Manolo Valdés, Mariposa, of a butterfly on a woman's head.

This street entertainer was making soap bubbles to entertain children.