Elche: Basilica of Santa Maria

Monday 29 July
This morning we were invited to join Fitzge’s family at his brother Bruno’s bar/cafe in the centre of Elche - see extra. Afterwards, since we were very close to the Basilica, we went for a look round, and climbed up to the roof. This is where Magali’s wedding will be on Saturday. The basilica is the location for the Misterio de Elche Mystery Play, which takes place every year in August. It is a sacred musical drama of the death, the passage into heaven and the crowning of the Virgin Mary. The figures in the lower left photo represent a scene from this play. We then drove up into the hills north of Alicante to visit Canelobre Cave, near the village of Busot, one of the largest caves in Spain. The cave is open by guided tour, and unfortunately no photography was allowed in the cave. There are extensive views from up there, (see extra) of the surrounding hills, and down the valley toward the coastal town of El Campello. While we were waiting for the guided tour, we enjoyed an ice cream from their little shop. One of the curiosities of the cave is that it was used by the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War for building and repairing aircraft engines for a five year period in the 1930s. In fact, the 45 meter long tunnel leading into the cavern, was built for this purpose. The caves were opened to the public in 1965.
When we’d finished at the cave, we went to a beach near Elche for a few hours, before joining the family for dinner at their home. I’ve added another extra of the long outdoor table. They eat late in southern Spain - usually about 9.30 or 10pm!