The question about whether worshippers pay the entry fee is one I've never thought to ask, and now I can't stop thinking about it. There's something odd about a space that's simultaneously a place of worship and a tourism product, and the fee is the point where those two things collide awkwardly.

The small alleyways being clean and safe is actually a meaningful travel detail. That's the kind of thing you only know once you've walked them, and it changes the whole experience of a city.

What made Alicante not work for you? Curious whether it was the place itself or something about the timing.