Prowling my world, camera in hand

This was the last week of my sister’s visit, so I took three days off to be with them and to show them around. Most of the pictures are from our day trips around the area and in the city of Alicante.

43_1
Our first day trip was to the mountain village of Guadalest. It is a very popular tourist destination, as it is close to the beaches of Benidorm and the rest of the Costa Blanca, so the parking lot is always full of tourist buses. People want a break from the beach and this is a good option for that. Guadalest is built around a castle on a hilltop, and the views are spectatular. This is the emblematic image of the town:

43_2

43_3
The surrounding mountains:

43_4
The river, also called Guadalest:

43_5
Why have one dog when you can have three?

43_6
As is evident from this image, the main business of the village is to separate the tourists from their money:

43_7
Inside the village church:

43_8
Narrow passage:

43_9
Irka and Telesfor struggling uphill but taking it in stride:

43_10
It does feel like the Via Dolorosa at times:

43_11
These two young women asked me to take a picture of them with their phone. I obliged but then also asked them to pose for me:

43_12
The small hilltop cemetery:

43_13
Lost her head:

43_14
Gate integrated into the rock:

43_15
Statue of a saint on the central square of Guadalest:

43_16
The next day we went for a walk around the centre of Alicante, visiting the MACA, the Museum of Contemporary Art. This is the entrance, next to the Basílica Santa María in the old part of the city:

43_17
Frankly speaking, MACA is not the world’s most interesting art museum. There is a lot of empty space, and few truly interesting works. This is one of them, a sculpture by Rafael Canogar depicting an arrest during the Franco dictatorship:

43_18
This young man was taking a nap on a bench inside the gallery; for a moment, my sister thought that this was art installation:

43_19
During the week, we had some clouds that eventually delivered their payload:

43_20
While walking Cheeta in the morning, I looked for different ways to depict the autumnal weather. One way was to focus on the beautiful skies and colours and water on the road:

43_21

43_22

43_23
Another way was to focus on the rain drops, such as here outside one of the restaurants in the neighbourhood:

43_24
Or on the flowers on Avenida Vicente Ramos:

43_25
Strange case of vandalism or an artistic statement?–overturned bench with neatly arranged bottles:

43_26
Irka and Telesfor were leaving Wednesday night. This is their last lunch with us this time around. Given the occasion, a vodka toast is part of the standard procedure:

43_27
After lunch, we went for another drive. First, we stopped at the memorial tree in the park, where I put up a ribbon for our lamented late kitty Taco:

43_28
Then we drove on to Aigües and walked on Calle Mayor which, despite its grand name, is only about 100 meters long. There are some artistic types living there, though:

43_29

43_30

43_31
Then we sat down for a coffee:

The remaining pictures were taken earlier in the week during a walk in the centre of Alicante. I decided to go back in time, and took my Leica M2, loaded with Fuji Acros film.

43_32
Street corner conversation near the Mercado Central:

43_33
Eye contact:

43_34
At the flower stalls behind the Mercado Central:

43_35
Woman on the bench. In the background, bar La Rotonda, behind the Mercado Central:

43_36
Inside the Mercado, the fish mongers usually constitute the most interesting photo opportunities:

43_37
At the time we were in the Mercado, they were getting ready to close, so there were few customers and the mood was one of relaxation:

43_38
BIG fish:

43_39
The butcher:

43_40
The final part of our itinerary took us to the area around Alicante’s town hall and the Basílica Santa María. This is the street that leads from the Plaza de la Santísima Faz to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento:

43_41
Lone woman on a bench, Plaza del Ayuntamiento:

43_42
A smoke on the balcony, Plaza de la Santísima Faz:

43_43
And one of the last pictures I took of Irka and Telesfor, on Plaza de la Santísima Faz:

Irka turned 71 during her visit here, and her husband is 7 years older. I think both are keeping well.