Alicante and the Palms of Elche — November 2

This morning from our dock at Alicante we saw the old fort.


We drove off in a bus, sightseeing in Alicante and then to the own of Elche.  There we saw the old city walls.

Nearby there is a church dedicated to Mary, or perhaps the Virgin of Elche.  This is an active parish, but they have a special permission to put on a performance about the story of this virgin annually. It was recently performed here.


 
Here is the organ.  Again,  notice the horizontal pipes.And the gigantic door beneath it.






Finally we went to a botanical garden in Elche.  It is truly a city of palms, but in the garden there are also cacti from around the world.





This particular cactus acts like a vine, climbing up the palm.
Zoom in on this palm, and you will see that it is one palm with seven branches!
We were treated to a tasting of two dates, two fruit and nut breads, a date liquor and a strong sweet wine.


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