Page 68 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL EATING IBERIA

Alicante, a port city on Spain's southeastern fic. Our dinner was expensive and disappointing at
Costa Blanca, is known mild sunny weather, it has a an Italian seaside dining spot across the street. We
facinating old town with narrow streets and color- wonderedifwehadmadeamistakevisitingthecity.
ful houses, and a robust nightlife scene. The city is Our views quickly changed the next morning
crowned by the medieval fortress Castillo de Santa when we hopped a bus for a short ride to the city
Bárbara, set high on a hilltop with sweeping views center past the impressive waterfront with its
of the Mediterranean. broad swath of sandy beaches and marinas loaded
When we arrived in Alicante for a three-night with yachts whose owners are loaded as well. De-
stay, we initially were not impressed. Our Airbnb parting the bus, we made our way up the impres-
had a fantastic sea view but sandwiched in a drab sively clean and landscaped downtown streets
mix-use highrise fronted by four lanes of noisy traf- buzzing with locals, and tourists browsing retails

68 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020