With perfect visibility throughout, this flight was undoubtedly one of the most scenic we've ever experienced. Thank you, SWISS Airlines  for this unforgettable journey.

We visited Alicante for two days in mid-December. After visiting the giant nativity scene, and getting all the Christmas-related stuff out of the way on day one, we were free to concentrate on the city itself for our second full day. And we loved it. Alicante is most famed as a summer destination, but we can fully recommend a winter visit to this beautiful Mediterranean city.

In the afternoon we went back to the Barrio Santa Barbara for the beautiful and colorful traditional houses.

We do understand that it’s a little early to be bothering you with Christmas already, while it’s still summer, but this is a post we’ve been meaning to publish for awhile. And besides, if you book your trip to Alicante now for this holiday season, you might be able to score some bargains.

This was our first time visiting Alicante together, and the city was absolutely buzzing with festive spirit. Everywhere we turned, decorations lit up the streets in preparation for the big days. Alicante is famous for its larger-than-life Bélem figures, and we were blown away by the massive displays in Plaza del Ayuntamiento—the main nativity figures were huge!

Climbing the tower of La Lonja (silk market) has long been at the top of our Valencia wishlist. Every time we visit La Lonja, we spend a couple minutes at the gate in front of this intriguing tower, frustrated that it’s inaccessible to visitors. But we’ve recently learned … it’s not completely inaccessible. At the end of this article, we’ll let you know how to get permission to climb the tower and get onto the roof of La Lonja for some spectacular 360º views over Valencia.