by Taetske | 1:10 pm
(Last Updated On: July 24, 2021)

 

A brief trip in the Thunderbird to Alicante in the south of Spain

 

This summer we made a very nice mini trip with the Thunderbird to Alicante. We left early Friday morning traveling towards Malaga, then continued on the A7. This highway has the name of Autovia del Mediterraneo, and most of the time it follows the coastline.

There is another highway, often running nearly parallel, but this is a toll road and does not have the local flavor we wanted. There was not too much traffic, so the driving was comfortable also due to this Autovia having a good surface.

We were on our way to meet other Thunderbird owners. Michael imported his car last year to Spain. and on the internet had gotten in contact with people from Barcelona. 2 Couples were coming down from the capital of Catalunya and the other couple lived in Alicante. After a coffee stop and a light lunch on the road, we arrived at 17.00.

We had booked the Golf Hotel and met the other people early evening in the bar. Michael does not speak Spanish yet, but these people could communicate in English. That evening we went out for dinner and enjoyed nice food and conversation.

We talked about what program we could do the next day and the person who lived in Alicante had made reservations for visiting a famous Bodega.

 

Parked at the Bodega

Parked at the Bodega

 

www.bodegasmendoza.com

Interesting visit to a famous Bodega

The next morning after breakfast we all met with the Thunderbirds. 1 light blue, 2 red, and 1 cream-colored. It was quite a sight in town, and many people turned their heads on seeing us pass. The weather was lovely, just over 30C and after about 1 hour we arrived at the famous bodega.

There were a few other people present, so we formed a small group and were taken outside close to a small experimental vineyard. There we were told about the different soils and how that influences the taste of the grapes. It was nice to hear the whole setup was organic.

 

The beginning as a small family business

In the 70s, the patriarch Enrique Mendoza started it as a small family business and over the years passed on his knowledge to his 2 sons. As Mr. Mendoza states: The best wine is in the best vineyard. Control everything from the beginning to the end.  Use your own vineyard, controlling the irrigation, use the best techniques in viticulture, and having the best grapes are the fundamentals in order to make the best wine.

When you have reached all this, then you will have to apply refined techniques to determine the evolution of the plant growth, using Scientific factors based on dendrometry, controlling the hydraulic stress in plants. No herbicides or insecticides are used, and we give only the best compost to the grapevines.

 

Entrance to the Bodega

Entrance to the Bodega

 

Inside the Bodega

He also gave his 2 sons vineyards and the small family business grew into something big.

After this interesting introduction, we went to the bodega where all the barrels were lying. They were of different sizes and made from oak wood coming from different countries. Depending on which country the wood comes from, it will give its specific aroma to the wine while aging in the oak barrels.

We then proceeded to the gardens, where a wine tasting was organized. I remember we tested some 7 different wines. Tapas accompanied this. Just as well as tasting so many wines even if it is a small sip can have a “funny” effect. You really need some food in your stomach.

 

Tapas and Wine

Tapas are small bites on a slice of bread or crackers. Fresh cheeses or some ham, perhaps also fish, there are no limits to imagination. While we were tasting the wines,  Mr. Mendoza came to meet us and mingled nicely with the Spanish and foreign people present.

A nice young orange-colored cat also appeared. He looked very well fed. I can imagine he always shows up when people are wine tasting, being sure of a piece of cheese or ham now and then. Our visit ended with a stop in the shop where we bought two wines we liked best.

We went back to our hotel and after a rest, met at the bar to go out for dinner. We were not really hungry as the wine tasting and tapas were more than lunch. Our host took us to a very nice restaurant and as dinner time was well after 21.00 we could have a small meal.

Here you can visit the Castillo de Santa Barbara with the beautiful view.

.

 

Visiting the famous Castillo de Alicante

Plans were being made for the next day, which also was the day of our departure. After breakfast, we should all meet and visit the famous castle of Alicante. Castillo de Santa Barbara is 1200 years old.  It is situated 166 meters above the city.  From up there, you have a lovely view of the city and the coastline.

There are many stories about the castle. Nicolas Peris was a one-time governor who fought fiercely so Jaime II would not take the castle in 1256. Nicolas died with the city keys so firmly clasped in his hand that there was no other option than to cut his hand off.  Sometimes at night time, one can hear his laments for having lost his castle.

This castle also has a dungeon, not such a nice place to see. During the Spanish Civil war, there were 50 prisoners. One after the other these prisoners scratched their name on the walls with a nail which was handed around.

There are many more stories to be told, so I think the best is to come on a guided tour of the castle.

 

Santa Barbara Castle

Santa Barbara Castle

 

Going home again

We had to say goodbye to our new friends, these were happy times and much too short. Perhaps we will meet again one day. Till then we maintain our contact by email. We left at 11.00 and took the Mediterranean highway back home.

 

Agua Dulce Marina

Agua Dulce Marina

 

At lunchtime, we stopped at a nice little place called Agua Dulce (sweet water.) There is a small Marina where we took a stroll looking at the moored boats. Behind the buildings on the promenade, there is a high looming rock that encloses this small Bahia, it really looks unusual.

We came home at around 18.00, tired but happy for having made this enjoyable trip. Michael put the Thunderbird into the garage to have a rest. She did a good job.

 

A good and small book

When going on a holiday it is always a good idea to have a travel guide with you. This is the perfect pocket-size travel companion showing you the best of Costa Blanca. Many photos, maps, and insider tips. Included, you will also find a laminated pullout map of the area.

 

 

Conclusion

Traveling is great. You see unknown places and meet people. It widens your horizon and will form lovely memories for the future.

I have made a special page for you. It has a collection of things you could find interesting. Before you leave, have a look at Recommendations.

 

Source: My Life

Photo Source: Private

 

Andalucia has special places you should not miss visiting if you come to the south of Spain. Coming on a holiday, you are welcome to contact me. I love to meet the visitors of my website. Perhaps you care to read my post on Ronda.

Unique Ronda, A Special Jewel Of Andalusia

Comments

Tim.

Beautiful narrative. I enjoyed reading your article on this trip. I’m hoping that someday, I will have the opportunity of embarking on a trip like this. I am a lover of wine, especially good wine. There are indeed several wonderful treasures that the earth holds. It is for us to discover and enjoy them.

Dec 06.2017 | 06:03 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Tim,

    Thank you for reading my post. It was indeed a lovely trip but way too short. Even if it was high season in Spain the driving part was quite smooth. In Alicante there were ofcourse a lot of people but that is to be expected at that time of the year. I hope to see you again.

    Regards, Taetske

    Dec 06.2017 | 08:07 am

Michel

People who own old, special or vintage cars have such fun jaunts out and about together. I know a few people who have vintage cars and once every six months they meet up and travel the country side in convoy. They get to see places most of us don’t know even exist. 

The highlight of your article to me was the castle and the history. The key story was fascinating. Your story telling skills are great. 

Oct 24.2018 | 01:50 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Michel,

    Even if this Thunderbird is not old, as it was made only during 4 years it is still special. Here in our village she still gets a lot of attention when she is around.

    The castle is quite impressive with a great view. To be a prisoner deep down in its dungeon is a lesser nice thought.

    Thank you for commenting on my post. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 24.2018 | 02:05 pm

Celeste

I love reading travel articles. Your’s literally took me on the journey with you.  I went to Spain five years ago but never made it to Alicante.  I must say, you did it in style with the Thunderbird.  Tapas and Wine, it all sounds fantastic.  Just one question.  When traveling, my husband and I are not fans of big crowds.  When would you suggest is a good time of year visit the area with good weather but fewer tourists? 

Oct 24.2018 | 01:53 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Celeste,

    Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Yes, it was fun and the Thunderbird got a lot of attention. I personally like the month of May and also September. Temperatures are normally nice around 30C. High season is June, July, and August and it is full of people.

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 24.2018 | 02:00 pm

Aweda Olakunle

Interesting narrative. A lovely writeup on the castle and its history. I love traveling to and I hope one day I can go on exciting trips and adventures like yours. I would also like to enquire which areas in Spain are lovely to visit? I would like to have a list so I can visit them. Thanks

Feb 15.2019 | 07:59 pm

Yormith96

This is really a good narrative about your trip to Alicante Spain, it really gingers me to wanna travel down there. I am a lover of traveling around the world to know about culture, tradition, and ways of life of new people around the world. I really need to see the Castillo Alicante which is over 1200 years old, amazing, I hope one day I will visit and also enjoy their lovely wine

Feb 15.2019 | 08:06 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Yormith,

    Thank you for your comment on my website. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Spain is a great country with beautiful things to see. I have lived in the south since 1976 and absolutely love it here. In case you are able to visit one day do not hesitate to contact me. I love to meet the readers of my website.

    Regards, Taetske

    Feb 16.2019 | 07:19 am

Jennifer

Thanks a lot for the very thorough and comprehensive travel article. I was doing some research online to find a place I could visit to release my stress. I came across your nice article and got helpful insights. Great article regarding your trip. A walk-through on your website brings many ideas for me about your trip to Alicante Spain. I hope one day I can visit the same place too… 

Best regards, Jennifer 🙂

Apr 28.2019 | 06:18 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Jennifer,

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Nice to hear you liked my post. I do hope you will be able to visit one day as Spain is well worth a visit.

    Regards, Taetske

    Apr 28.2019 | 10:59 am

Jack Kaobata

This is a very good post. I like to travel sometimes and visit new sites like you are experiencing. This is because I feel happy, joyous, and harmonious when I see new things on Earth. I feel that you are experiencing the happiest, joyous and harmonious time in your life. Keep on travelling to my friend and learning new things that will make you happy, joyous and harmonious within your heart.

Apr 28.2019 | 06:24 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Jack,

    Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
    Have you ever been to Spain? If you should come sometime in the future do not hesitate to contact me. I love to meet the readers of my website in real.

    Regards, Taetske

    Apr 28.2019 | 11:22 am

Adyns68

Hi

This is a pretty tempting story! I love traveling and your trip is the kind I really love. Traveling to visit the place and discover the culture. Also visiting the historical places is what makes a great trip. 

I may not want to visit in summer because it should be pretty packed with people. But your post really encourages me to discover more of Spain, not only Barcelona.

Thanks

Apr 28.2019 | 06:25 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Adyns,

    Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    June, July and August are the high season and also the hot months. Good Months to visit Spain are May, September, and October. 

    The past winters have been really mild so often during day time it was 20 C. This is, of course, the area I live which is the Costa del Sol. Spain has many interesting places and is well worth a holiday.

    Regards, Taetske

    Apr 28.2019 | 10:48 am

Linda Cooper

Loved the post, well written and informative. 

Interesting to be taken on the trip with you to meet your new friends an enjoyable read.

The wine tasting was very descriptive and brought it to life, so much so that it took me back to a vineyard we visited in Italy several years ago where we tasted various wines in a similar way. It too was a family business.

Loved the video of the Castle, it seems to have something for everyone, such a variety within the walls.. Stunning views from it too.

Enjoyed the post, thank you.

Apr 28.2019 | 06:25 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Linda,

    Nice to hear you enjoyed my post. I have lived myself for 5 years in Italy, a lovely country of which I have fond memories. I came to Spain in 1975 and have been here ever since.

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Regards, Taetske

    Apr 28.2019 | 10:42 am

Jill

What a great read.  I was with you every step of the way.  Especially the wine tasting.  I’ve not been to this part of the world yet.  Europe has such ancient history.  Australia is some 200 hundred years old, a mere toddler!  Must add it to my bucket list!  Thanks for the trip.  Cheers 

Apr 28.2019 | 06:29 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Jill,

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Greetings from one Aussie to another. Yes, Europe has a fascinating past and I have been lucky to visit many countries here.

    Let us not forget that Australia is the oldest continent.  In 1788 the first “white” people arrived, some 1500. Then till 1868 Australia with an age of 4.4 billion years, suffered the emigration of 160.000 people.

    The Aboriginal people are one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world and outside Africa, they are the oldest with an age of 50.000 years. We are mere visitors during the last 200 years.

    Regards, Taetske

    Apr 28.2019 | 10:36 am

RoDarrick

Hi, very beautiful narrative. It was very interesting and I enjoyed reading this article because of the narratives —concise and detailed. I really would love to go on a guided tour like this one day. I enjoyed the video too and the story surrounding the castle. Though it got a little creepy where you said one could hear his laments for losing his castle. I wouldn’t mind having a taste of good wines and I heard that arguably, Spain produces some great wines. Thanks for sharing this

Apr 28.2019 | 06:33 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Rodger,

    Nice to see you again. Thank you for your visit.

    Spain does produce some great wines and I have been lucky to be able to drink these wines since 1975.

    The castle of Alicante is quite spectacular and worth a visit. There are many lovely places here in the south that are worth a visit, be it natural areas, historical buildings and let’s not forget the nice weather, people, and good food and wine. Come on a holiday so you see for yourself. If you do don’t forget to contact me as I love to meet the visitors to my website.

    Regards, Taetske

    Apr 28.2019 | 10:23 am

George

Hello. I went once to Spain with my sister because she was taking Spanish lessons and they offered her a trip but it was for 2 so she asked me.

We went to 3 cities but I only remember about 2. I remember going to Toledo because we bought a Toledo cathedral fridge magnet and I also remember going to Barcelona. Went to Barcelona’s football stadium and bought a football-shaped key chain.

I will be honest with you. I don’t like going on trips with the wrong people because they make the experience bad even if the places we visit or the things we do are OK.

One thing I still remember is that that tour guide said that the city (or the whole country can’t remember) is changing like every year. They build something new constantly or they change the existing structure.

I’m a big fan of vintage shaped cars or muscle cars. Even though these Firebirds in the picture look quite new they are still beautiful.

The only alcoholic beverage I drink is wine (dry red wine). When I read about family businesses about wine or beer or in general it is a pleasant read. That signifies that people enjoy what they are doing and they keep it up for generations as a family tradition.

Hey, if my “journey” passes from Spain again, I might contact you for your suggestions and opinions. Cheers. Take care.

Apr 28.2019 | 03:19 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon George,

    Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Besides Toledo and Barcelona, there are many more beautiful towns to visit in Spain. I am sure there are still lovely places for you to visit on your next holiday.

    Yes, the Firebird is from early 2003. This model was only made from 2002 till 2005. Here in Spain, it is quite a novelty so people always comment on it.

    To be happy I have to have my glass of red wine each evening.

    Regards, Taetske

    Apr 28.2019 | 04:02 pm

Sophie

Hello there! Thank you for this delightful story of going to Alicante with a Thunderbird car. Great, that Michael could import his car to Spain and meet Spanish owners of Thunderbirds. 

  I love reading traveling articles, they’re very relaxing. Although I don’t travel a lot, I hope to travel frequently like you someday. My first stop would be Spain, so I can enjoy the relaxation I’m getting already from this article. Thank you. 

Oct 11.2020 | 04:57 pm

    Taetske

    Good evening Sophie,

    In case you come to Spain one day, do not hesitate to contact me. You will find my email address on my website. Thank you for your visit and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    If you get a chance to travel, just do it. It definitely is one of the big joys in life. Doing this, I have made friendships that are lasting a lifetime.

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 11.2020 | 07:03 pm

Aluko kolawole

Hi,

I enjoyed reading your post on Alicante and it’s history. Traveling is one of my hobby.  I find it a delightful and educative pleasure and hope one day I will take an adventure trip to Spain. Thanks to your article a short trip in the Thunderbird to Alicante in the south of Spain, I definitely plan to visit that part of the world one day.

Aluko.

Oct 11.2020 | 05:07 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Aluko,

    If you should really come to the south of Spain do not hesitate to contact me. Spain, which is my guest country since many years, has so much to offer. Its history is rich, its nature varied and beautiful and the people are very welcoming. The foods each different region has to offer make a visit to Spain worthwhile.

    I am happy to hear you enjoyed my post. Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 12.2020 | 06:21 am

Timotheus

What a lovely journey! Thank you for taking us along with you. I truly enjoyed your travel story and all the lovely photos. ? ?

Nov 24.2020 | 12:55 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Timotheus,

    Thank you for your visit and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    Traveling is one of the best things one can do. I have been many places in my life and the memories are cherished. Especially now that traveling is so restricted like at this moment we are on lock down in the village. Anyhow, better times will come and I am happy to hear you enjoyed the trip.

    Regards, Taetske

    Nov 24.2020 | 07:32 am

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