Bike rides along the coast

End of the road beach in Torrenostra

 

One of the staples of our trips to Alcossebre are morning bike rides. I am a huge fan of cycling and the setting in Alcossebre is beautiful with normal rides following the coast. The most common route we take is to the neighboring town of Torrenostra just south of us. It is about an 8km ride one way and makes for a perfect route along the coast with the final point being the literal end of the road in Torrenostra at a small park on the beach. We usually get off the bike and stretch a little bit overlooking the ocean. There is a small park nearby with drinking fountains meaning we do not have to take water bottles along.

There is usually a nice breeze coming off the ocean and it is in view for nearly the entire ride. If you get out early enough (before 9am) the road will be deserted with only a handful of walkers and cyclists getting in their morning exercise. Cars are also scarce which allows for a real casual and safe ride. I can't imagine a better environment for morning exercise though it's a shame the road doesn't extend a little further along the coast.

Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta: El Faro hasta Playa de Cala Argilaga (Trip II)

 

I've written about this park before and it remains a summer staple. We enjoyed a beautiful walk along the coast and checked out some little hidden stoney beaches. It's particularly beautiful in the late evening with the light fading as it sets over the hills but it is also a fantastic area for a picnic. Although you can not drive to most of the beaches you can park the car and take a short hike to set up in a relatively secluded beaches, especially when compared to the hectic nature of most of the public beaches in Alcossebre.

Doorway curtains (Cortina de tiras)

 

A variety of curtains

In addition to the unique persianas, another ubiquitous and unique household furnishing are doorway curtains (Cortina de tiras). I had never seen these before coming to Spain and initially thought they were cumbersome and uncomfortable but I now enjoy their utility, especially for keeping flies out of houses. 

Whether it is the door to the outside or interior partitioning, the doorway curtains hang from the top of the doorway and cover the entire doorway. They are typically made up of strands of metal or plastic and come in all sorts of colors and designs. 

When passing through the doorway you can kind of brush them aside like a normal curtain but when passing with items in your hands they can be a little unruly but after some practice you get used to it. As mentioned I initially thought they were unnecessary if not a little strange but in the end I am a huge fan.

Basketball

 

Awesome court by the beach

Although Spain is more well known for futbol (soccer), basketball is a growing sport. I'm much more comfortable on the basketball court than the football pitch and thus I enjoy pick up games whenever I get the chance. 

As true to the sporting stereotypes, I find the Spanish players are either solid with great fundamentals and a non-flashy game or they are very inexperienced and lack formal training. Either way it makes for a fun environment, especially since I am past my athletic prime. 

Local court

At the beach there is a local court that inconveniently hosts futbol games as well. It's a little cramped as the games run perpendicular to each other (see above photo) but it's surprisingly smooth and interference is not so bad. I get hit with a futbol once in a while and we hold up action if the futbol game is passing through but otherwise it's a normal game. There is a nice group of regulars that come and we're able to play 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 and the skill level is usually good enough to be enjoyable while not being too serious. 

I've had similar experiences in Madrid though I have not sought out any serious courts rather I've only played in the local parks. I encourage anyone that plays even a little bit to not be afraid to go out and enjoy some recreational basketball.

Window shutters (persianas)

 

A pretty standard persiana

You may think the title of this post is incredibly boring but I can assure you that window shutters (persianas) are a very cultural relevant item in Spain. It is a unique feature to Spanish home decor that is standard for all homes yet I have never seen them outside of Spain. Sure there are homes that have curtains and even shutters but the standardization and permanence of the parsianas in Spain are something to behold. 

While some have speculated this comes from traditional religious beliefs and lifestyle norms, I think it has endured due to the schedule of Spainards. How do you sleep in until 9am if you are bombarded by daylight? It certainly helps the, "stay up late and sleep late" lifestyle that so many people here embrace. 

They have grown on me for their ease of use, reliability and practicality. The way they are embedded in the house make them much less fussy than curtains.

The method of opening and closing is pulling this strap like cord

San José Caves (Coves de Sant Josep/Cuevas de San José)

 

Nice vibes in the boat.

 

I'm always eager to go on an excursion while at the beach and this year we discovered a relatively well-known tourist attraction that we had not been to. It is located about an hour away so an easy half day trip for us.

San José Caves (Coves de Sant Josep/Cuevas de San José) is a cave with a river inside and although at first glance I was worried it might be too touristy but after the visit I felt it was a fantastic activity that anyone coming to the area should do!

The caves are very well designed for tourism activities with a 45 minutes boat ride and a short 10 minute walk within the caves. The cave has several boats that maximize the loads of tourists (especially in August) while still avoiding overcrowding. We had to book in advance online, something which I was told is relatively new due to the popularity of the activity. The activity is extremely family friendly and also suitable for people of all ages.