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DAY 28—WEDNESDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER VALENCIA to Alarcon
It just so
happens that we will be singing along with Willie Nelson today:”On the road
again” as our week long stay in Valencia wraps up. Right team, all bags
repacked, clothes and hangers from the Chinese laundry have been re-stuffed
into their storage locations. Paul took several small items along with his
camera backpack and headed across the street to the underground parking garage.
Ultimately he pulled back up in front of the Hotel Renasa with no Loading zone
and several cars already sitting with 4-way flashers shining brightly Paul added
to the line of doubled-up parking in order to load up our bags and to hit the
road. I have come to the conclusion that even though you are double or triple parked
in a no parking zone, if you have your 4 way flashers on it is not a problem!
That intersection should, by following the laws of average, have at least three
collisions a day! Now I see lots of cars with scrapes and dents but I have
never actually witnessed a collision. How can that be? Garage pass was returned
and the deposit returned we were finally ready to head out towards the
A-3/R-901 notice the multiple highway numbers!! Garmin ultimately did a fairly
good job leading through the city center and out to the outer belt highways and
past Valencia’s modern airport. The sky was only partly filled with white
cotton balls so sunglasses were paramount today for the drive.
We stopped
in a small town and had lunch. Paul insists that I recite what we had! He had
secreto de cerdo which is a cut of pork from the Iberian pig and comes from
near the front leg. Somewhere secret I assume. He declared it delicious. It is
served all over Spain and a great favorite. I just had normal lomo and probably
salad. If I don’t write this the same day I forget what I ate. Paul never
forgets a tasty meal!
We travelled
on to our 8th century castle in the country. We have stayed here
before but it truly is magnificent. It is not our first stay here but this time
, for some reason, I was totally enchanted by the place! It is small by Parador
standards and quite intimate. These are the rooms they actually lived in, with
a few up grades of course! Thick stone wall, lots of marble and wooden floors,
towers and crenallated walls and slits in the walls to repel attackers! We
walked along the battlements and marveled at how far you can see. The slopes down
to the river are steep and about 65 meters high. It was impregnable. It is said
to be one of the best preserved castles in Spain.
Then we
walked into the village. There were a few people out walking, very few. They were
most friendly and wished us “Buenos noches” and “Adios”, so civilized. It was close to dusk by now and
we were surprised how few lights were on in the houses. We later learned that
there are only 175 residents! Most people work in Valencia or other towns and
only come back at weekends. The school has only 20 pupils! It is a very well
kept village, clean and tidy. What a shame we are only staying for one night, I
think I have found my new favorite. There are lovely walks for those who have
the time or stamina. I think we may return!!
Few places
to eat in town, though the building next to the Parador, which was under
construction when we were last here, is a lovely looking hotel. We dined at the
parador which is always delightful. The food is
good, the wine even better and the service excellent. We met a lovely young
couple from Belgium. At least that is where they live; they are both German and
speak beautiful, perfect English. Andres is an air traffic controller and Lisa
a teacher. They are travelling with their 2 little boys, Ben(5) and Mark(3).
Lisa lived in Montana and has family there. The boys speak English, German and
French and sometimes switch without even knowing it. ( We discovered this the
next morning. Made me miss my babies!) They have been touring Portugal and
Spain and are moving on to Crete! We killed another bottle of wine and chatted
until midnight. They are using a babysitting app on their phones to listen to
the children in the room. They can even set it to film too but nonetheless they
were a little anxious every time the boys turned over! We really enjoyed their
company and will visit them in the morning in their Tower bedroom and climb to
the very top of the tower!!
I do hope
they keep in touch, they are really a delightful family!
DAY 27—TUESDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER VALENCIA
Today is day
trip day again. We are heading a few miles (about 20mi.) up the road to Sagunt or
Sagunto depending on which language you want to use.
Sagunt was
founded by the Romans in the year 200 BC or thereabouts. Who is going to
quibble about a year here or there when it is that old? Certainly not I! We visited
the Museum in town before exploring the town and it gave a pretty good overview
of the relevant marauding Romans, Visigoths, Carthaginians and Arabs. Must have
been a favorite resort back in the day! There were even remains of the Temple to Diana that the Romans had
built. Amazing! It has one of the largest roman Amphitheaters in Europe. Though
I believe the one in Merida is pretty huge. This one has been kind of “refurbished”
and is in use for special performances.
We found
Paul down the hill having a nice cold beer and watching the world go by so we
joined him. We have been extremely lucky with the weather, we missed the floods
on the way back from El Compello after visiting with Gill and apparently the
next town over from Sagunt had been flooded. More storms are forecast later
this afternoon. We shall see.
Had a lovely
lunch on the terraza (actually it was the sidewalk but no complaints here) and sampled a little of the local fare, Fiduea
noodles, which kind of surprised us because it looked like elbow macaroni to
us, but it tasted good, so no complaints
and we headed back to Valencia. We made another side trip to Alboraia
where, it is said, the best Horchata is made. We had a sprinkle of rain on the
windshield but not much. Horchata is made from the chufa bean/nut/tubar. It
grows kind of like peanuts, they are dried, ground up, mixed with water and
sugar and served ice cold with fartons. Now behave, fartons are sweet rolls
which you dip in the horchata and enjoy. This milky like product is often used
by those who are lactose intolerant. It is full of minerals and iron. We
sampled this Catalan delight at Horchateria Daniel and it was terrific. It had
poured down rain there just before we arrived standing water everywhere and
huge puddles! Can you believe it? Missed it again!
Back to the
hotel for a powernap and you guessed it, time to eat again. Our last evening in
Valencia together and as such we chose just to eat in the Hotel’s cafeteria.
DAY 26—MONDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER VALENCIA
Well today
is scheduled to be a real adventure as we take one of the free walking tour
groups around the old city center from the Plaza La Reina. We are to meet at
1130 at the fountain behind the cathedral. Well, guess what we waited and
waited, Dave asked a policeman who said he thought the tour met up and departed
at High Noon. And so the group cooled their heels for another half hour for the
tour guide to show. Jane and
Joyce went off to the Officina de Tourismo to double check the tour info or to collect info so that we could if need be conduct our own tour if need be. At 1215, we decided that no one was likely going to show up and declare that Monday is a no-show! The lady had said we should visit the Ayuntamiento (City Hall) and Merkat (Central Market) which are only open in the morning.
Off we
trekked to the Plaza de Ayuntamiento and city hall. Well, what a beautiful
building ! A marble staircase leading up to the Banquet Room, Council Chambers,
and the Balcony from whence all public
announcements are made. The banquet room ( I don’t know if that is what it is
called) was very grand with marble floors and pillars and amazing crystal
chandaliers. They were piping in some splendid music and Joyce and I waltzed our way to the end, laughing like fools! The balcony gave a great view of the plaza and one felt in command and ready to announce something very important. The council chambers were stunning with red velvet “thrones” for council members and the Mayor, whose chair was impressively large. I took a picture and sent it to one of our Commissioners and asked how he would like this in Cocoa Beach! Now I do realize this was all built at a time when most people in Spain were very poor and oppressed, to a certain extent, but the legacy it left behind is one of great beauty and graciousness and something the people now are very proud of, as they should be because now it symbolizes the democracy that they have become.
Dave and
Joyce went back to the Central Market to take some photos for Dave’s brother
Paul Murray in Florida. Paul and Jane went trinket shopping and had a pincho at
the Bar Lazarran which is a Basque village not far from Irun. The pinchos were
outstanding including the avocado served in a tiny paella pan of 3 inches plus
a small jar of chips.
As we waited
for Dave and Joyce we heard a great hulabaloo and whistling and saw a large
group of people protesting, with banners, whistles and horns. There had been a
huge police presence that morning and we wondered if it had something to do with
Sunday’s vote. It turned out to be a protest against large layoffs by
Vodophone. Unemployment is incredibly high and to have 300 laid off in Valencia
alone is huge, of course they were upset.
The group reconvened and decided to have a
Menu of the Day versus tapas for lunch. We returned to an Italian sidewalk café
that Paul and Jane had visited on Friday. The food was again excellent the
waiter enjoyed our return and looked after all of us with gusto and a flare to
all of his efforts. Afterwards we ambled down to the city’s central train
station built and commissioned around the year 1900. The stained glass and tile work is truly something to behold. Really
a unique and beautiful building. Unfortunately the bull ring museum was closed
so that will have to be for another
visit in the future.
Back to the
plaza to catch a bus back to the hotel as Dave needed his combat nap and Paul
wanted a siesta break from all the walking.
Siestas are
getting later and later so by the time we meet up again at 7.30 or so it is
time to think about where we need to eat and what we need to eat! It was
decided after great deliberation that Taverna De Jaen looked very promising as
they were offering lentejas. ( Lentils!! One of my favorites) Alas alack there
were no lentils, everyone else must have decided that that sounded good too!
However, the fabadas con chorizo looked good so that was my choice. ( to the
uninitiated, that is bean soup) It was awesome. That was all I had and the
others ate very lightly too. Damn we must be getting old! It was back to the
hotel for the night. We four have been friends for 45 years and in our youth we
partied hearty till dawn! Now it is a light supper and off to bed!
DAY 25—SUNDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER VALENCIA down to Campello & Back (Visit with Gill Fischier-Groves/Gill from San Seb)
Sunday is a big day for the foursome after breakfast we are
going down the coast about 175K to El Campello a village just north of Alicante
to visit our friend form San Sebastian (up north) - - Gill Fischier-Groves. And
so we met for a bit of breakfast our usual cold scrambled eggs and toast
assuming they have bread in the bread basket! Our weekend brekie girl is 10
times more organized than the blond lass who is always running to and from
while barely making any headway. 1030 met-up and a walk over the way to the
underground garage. All loaded and on our way out of town Garmin lead us
perfectly to the V-23 heading south the road continued to be an outstanding
motorway, at one point about 10 miles ourside of town Garmin flashed a red
warning across the top of her screen saying that heavy traffic ahead
“re-routing NOW”, we continued to follower directions without double checking against
the Michelin mapbook but she kept us on the A-7 which went inland away from the
old coast road which would have been the most direct route. Anyway after about
an hour and a bit driving we stopped for a coffee and leg stretch. When we
asked the chaps behind the bar where we were, they pointed to the map and we
were on our way directly into Alicante and were inland about 35 miles from we
would 
Back at the hotel my phone lit up with messages from Gill,
“take the highway! Bad flooding! Villages cut off!” well, I guess we dodged it!
I responded that we were fine and please put ice on that head!
It had been a very long day, a lot of Kilometers, food, wine
and laughter so off to bed. Tomorrow we explore Valencia .The TV was full of results from the elections in Catalunia.
The separatist party gain the most seats and apparently that means there will
be a referendum in about 18 months on whether or not they will separate from
Spain and become independent. Interesting times we live in! our Spanish is
becoming even better, which pleases me. Sometimes when someone is explaining
something, I even have time to marvel that I understand just about everything
without losing place in the
conversation! I wish I had been this fluent when I
was younger. Grandchildren listen please! Take Spanish in school and we will
make sure that you will come here to become fluent. This is my pledge! We so
love this country. I had a hard time at the beginning because life had been so
incredibly busy that when I got on that plane I had a hard time slowing down
and enjoying myself. A few days in Elizondo meeting friends and walking in
beautiful weather I felt myself unwind but I think I needed longer. We are
coming to the end of our trip here and I am not ready to leave. Anyway, off to
bed. Tomorrow we are off to explore more of Valencia. Some rain is forecast but
we have been lucky so far. Nighty night!
DAY 24—SATURDAY, 26th SEPTEMBER VALENCIA
Another lovely bright sunny day and we are planning on a
trip to el Albufera and El Saler which are only a few ks outside Valencia. This
region grows a lot of rice and a much of it is very close to the city. Albufera is a sweet water lake but is very
similar to our Indian River Lagoon with a very diverse ecosystem. Very close to
the Med but is fresh water because of the upwelling of several springs in the
lake area. We went to the nature preserve and did a bit of bird watching.
Perhaps it was the time of day but there more ducks than anything else, we did
see some egrets and David got a great picture of an eagle in flight. Awesome!
The light around the lake is very soft and dreamy. Goya wrote about the special
light around there but he also said the hunting and fishing was wonderful! When
we were last here, about seven years ago, there were not as many visitors, now,
busloads of mostly Dutch and French. All lining up to go on a boat ride. The
old boats of the Albufera are wooden fishing boats but I saw a few pontoon
boats out there. It is protected I know, but I hope they are more careful with
that wonderful place than we have been with our beautiful lagoon.
We visited the very small town of El Saler and had a little
refreshment before heading to lunch. In town was a sign directing us to the
Puerto but when we got there all we could see was the highway and an orange
bridge over it. The others opted not to go there but, Jane , ever curious
embarqued on an adventure. Really, I
just wanted to see the port! Well, that was interesting, on the other side of
the highway is a bit water with a few wee boats moored down the middle! I know
there had to be a channel out to the lake but I could not see it. I turned
around and in the distance I could see the Ciudad of Artes y Ciencias! Amazing!
They can only go so far and no further the Albufera and the rice fields are
protected. It was a little disconcerting to see the city so close because from
ground level it is another world.
La Matandeta was an
old farmhouse set in the middle of the rice fields and is now a fabulous
restaurant, family owned and operated; so popular that they are ONLY open for
mid-day lunch time servings . Paella is their specialty. The traditional paella
is made with chicken, duck and rabbit all cooked over and open flame fire the
burning wood gives the paella a slight smokey flavor. So, that is what we had,
with a salad with beet, celery, and carrot ice cream! Seriously! It was very
good, though a little unusual. Lunch was long and delightful in an outdoor
terraza in the middle of the rice fields with gentlely blowing breeze coming in
from the Mediterranean Sea. Lovely!
After the obligatory siesta back at the hotel we assembled
downstairs in the bar and decided where to go for dinner. Some days it seems
that all we do is eat! As we were all stuffed we decided that all we could manage
was a light tapa or two with a glass of wine.
DAY 23—FRIDAY, 25th
SEPTEMBER VALENCIA
Better conditions in the breakfast room today, we arrived
first and saw no Dave & Joyce however a text soon arrived,….”running late
see you all in a few”. The blond lass was caught up it was only 1300 we decided to watch the
training session underway. Very interesting and in a ways more interesting than
any show could hope to be. Next was the Arctic display with huge walrus
swimming and playing ball with each other. The beluga was swimming laps in a
nervous loop over and over again! Inside the Igloo it was nice and cool, we
assume that the water was just as cold for their occupants. We finished at the
Oceanographic around 1330 and decided to head back into the city center via the
#35 bus. Once there we got off at the Plaza de Toros bullring and walk to the
puntillas, gambas alijo, ensaladilla rusa,
ham and cheese, croquettes, and of course good wine to wash it all down.
our travels. All of the displays were clean and
wonderful to view. The emphasis was on protecting the environment and the
habitat for the species and humans, alike. The walk through tunnel where fish
swim all around you depicts the Atlantic ocean from Europe to the coast of
Florida and the fish unique to those parts of the ocean. Cool very cool and the
scuba divers were busy scrubbing rocks, feeding fish and in general keeping the
display in top notch condition. Jane heard the announcement that Penguin
feeding would commence at 1245 but we failed to find the exhibit or display at
which the feeding was actually happening.We did wander up to the dolphin arena and although the next
show was not until 1515 and it was only
1300 we decided to watch the 
DAY 22 THURSDAY 24 SEPTEMBER VALENCIA
Our foursome
is scheduled for a FULL day of Fun exploring Valencia today but first we need
breakfast at the Hotel Renasa. Poor little blond lass running her
Off to the
town center but Paul and Jane need a multi trip bus pass, we will get one at
the Tobacco shop. Unfortunately, the chap had no more plastic cards, but plenty
of maps, he asked if David’s card had any of the original 10 trips remaining
because he could Re-Charge the card and we would be on our way. We boarded the
bus and off we went on our adventures.
We stopped
first at the Central Mercat which is really something to see. Every kind of
vegetable, fruit, meat, fish, spice, nuts, and beans you can imagine all under
one roof. It really is remarkable.
Irrigation
channels were built around Valencia from
the 9th to 13 centuries to water the fertile plains. Every
Thursday the Tribunal de Las Aguas de
Valencia meets to settle any disputes in front of the Apostle’s Gate of the
cathedral. The gentlemen are democratically elected , wear the black smocks
which symbolizes the people of the fields and file in to hear if there are any
conflicts and file in very solemnly and take their positions. One suitably attired
We headed
for the Bus Turistica, as the plan was to head down to the Port and beach for a
walk and lunch. Valencia is a lovely town with lots of gorgeous buildings, long
boulevards, plazas with statues, green spaces and some of the most modern and
innovative structures you have ever seen. They were very bold in their choice
of architecture when they were building the Cuidad de Las Artes y Ciencias and
the Oceanographico. La Puente de Los Artes (bridge of the arts) is most
graceful and modern , just lovely. The other buildings could have come out of
SciFi movie but they work just fine as they are all next to each other and do
not jar with the ancient bridges and buildings. I wonder who had the vision and
the money to build this. It must have taken a lot of guts! But Valencia is a
very
We got off
the bus at the harbor and wandered down the boulevard which is right next to
the beach and lined with restaurants and some hotels. There was a huge cruise
ship in which explained the overload of tourists! There is nothing quite like strolling down
next to the Med and smelling the delicious smells from the restaurants! What is
annoying though, is each restaurant has a barker who tries to bring you in to
eat! I think if they thought they could haul you in physically without an
assault charge, they would!
We chose a
restaurant and had a wonderful meal. Dave and Joyce opted to have a selection of
tapas to share whereas Jane selected a seafood salad, Paul meanwhile choose
Ensaldillla Rusa and a swordfish platter. The Swordfish patatas and salad
arrived on a rectangular plate some 10” by 15” and covered more than half of
his tabletop. All was good and after an 1.5 hrs we wandered around the corner
to the roadway in search of the Turistic bus stop. After 20 minutes the big red
honker arrived to pick us all off the curbside. Right back into the center of town
so we can catch a city bus back to the Hotel Renasa. Our group reformed after
siesta and found a sidewalk café around the corner from out hotel for the
evening meal.
DAY 20 WEDNESDAY 23
SEPTEMBER TERUEL to VALENCIA
It’s move
along day again and with the temp at 6C believe you me you definitely have to
jump up and down to keep the chill off and blooding pumping. First things
first, it’s breakfast at the Parador. No bowls for the cereal, the young chap
said Bol for bowl
and off he went to fetch stack of them. I showed him my phone
with Google translator on it that said bowl is cuenco, he acknowledged that
word but said bol is the one he most used. Oh well, we got the round thingy for
cereal. A-23 will take us down to the coast area where the V-21 outer ring road
leads to Spain’s third largest city, Valencia. We stopped once in a village (
Albalat del Sorelles ) that did not appear to have plumbed water as there was a
fountain spigot where the locales were filling large plastic jugs to take to
their homes. Hmm! Wonder why that is. We stopped for a potty break and a Bitter
Kas and had to move on to the next village because we found no bar or restaurante,
nothing at all. Gilet the next village was four times larger and it had a bar
for Bitter Kas. Carmen Garmin directed us to the front door of the hotel without
issues. However, absolutely No Loading/Unloading zone plus there were eight
steps up to the entrance without a ramp, oh well, let’s play Spanish and use
our 4-way flashers while pulled to the side of traffic perfectly blocking the
few folks who had parked in front of the hotel. The hotel is located at a HUGE
traffic circle and
 |
| Valencia Bride posing next to the Cathedral |
Lunch was
taken here at the Hotel Renasa which was outstanding for a bar cafeteria. Siesta
hour followed and just a relaxing afternoon before venturing out to get our
bearings with a short walkabout. We joined forces around 7:30 and wandered
around
This a big
University area so the place is packed with students. The Cafeteria in the
hotel had tables full of elderly ladies playing cards. I guess this is the go
to place for Ladies of a certain age who live in the neighborhood but don’t
want to go to the student hangouts! Looking forward to tomorrow! The weather is
cooperating so far, so it should be a good day.
DAY 19 22 SEPTEMBER TERUEL SPAIN (Day
2)
It is our
second day in Teruel and as such we are ready to explorer the mudejar towers
and influences that somehow escaped the ravages of the Spanish Civil warfare
and Italian Air Force bombing practices before WWII started. First things first, it was
 |
| Moon over Teruel Spain |
First order
of business was to explore the Torre Del Salvador. That is to say Jane was
exploring and Paul was waiting. There are 122 steps involved and Paul was
having none of that! The towers had been
commissioned by the Christians and were designed and built by the Mudejars. The
design is remarkable in that there is a tower within a tower with the stairs
going up the middle between the walls. www.teruelmudejar.com.
The term Mudejar refers to the Moors who still lived in Spain after the
Christian Reconquista but did not convert, they were eventually run out later
by Isabel and Ferdinand. What
complicated stuff!
Paul was
dutifully waiting downstairs and we continued on to the Torre San Martin, the
Cathedral and the Plaza de Los Amantes.Thereby hangs a tale…….a young girl
from a rich family falls in love with a young man who was poor. He goes off to
war to make his fortune but is gone for so long and the girl is told he has
died. The day of her wedding to another, the young man dies of a broken heart.
She, in great grief, gives him the kiss she had denied him in life and promptly
dies! There is a photo of me with the Lovers somewhere on here. They have a Mausoleum
and their bones are interred there. I wonder if Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
was based on this story. Kinda sounds like it. 
We went back
to the café of the previous day and had lunch. Huevos rotos for me! Potatoes with ham and fried eggs, absolutely
delish. Ham and melon with calamaris to follow was Paul’s choice. We went back
to the hotel for siesta intending to come back for the evening train ride. It
is supposed to leave every hour from the Plaza del Torico, not tonight my dear,
not tonight. There is seldom any explanation for an interruption in service. I
guess the driver just decided not to turn up.
We had
pretty much covered Teruel so we sat at a café, had a glass of wine and people
watched, always a very relaxing pastime. It is surprising how quickly time
passes when you are sitting, idly chatting and watching the world go by.
Lovely. The sun sank behind the hill of trees and we decided to head back and
have a sandwich at the Parador. Tomorrow is the trip to Valencia where we will
stay for a week and explore extensively with Dave and Joyce. Looking forward to
it!
DAY 18
MONDAY 21th SEPTEMBER 2015 ALCANIZ to TERUEL
It’s
a Willie Nelson Day today, “On the Road Again” which fits us every other day.
After our Parador breakfast we loaded up our trusty little Renault for this
mornings 158K drive further south within Spain at least below the capital’s
position. A smooth drive on good roads past arid red hills much the same as
Sedona, Arizona. As we drove around the ring road outside of Teruel what did we
find but the Parador well sign posted and with its own exit from the N-240
highway. This Parador was built in 1956 in the style of a country manor house.
Last upgraded/remodeled in 1985 it certainly is high on the list to undergo yet
another facelift as there are parts of the
building and facility that are showing
the worse for wear and tear. We off loaded the cases and went directly into
town to get our bearings and to stop at the Oficina de Tourimso. Maps in hand
from a not too friendly chap who did not want to spend too much effort to get
this visitor back out the door
with a few maps. Paul drove around until his
parking fairy landed on his shoulder and we found a slot on the road leading to
the Bus Station as it was just 5 minutes until 2:00PM so no ticket was needed
to park as the off peak time during siesta is FREE. We left the car and
meandered up to the cross walk. On the other side we entered an alley way
leading towards the center of the city. Paul read the menu on the corner
establishment, liked its content but when he went to pull open the entrance he
found it locked even though the window was partly open. So we turned left down
the intersecting alleyway and found the Café La Bella Neda. With a Menu of the
dia of 16 euros but Paul noticed the braised rabbit on the menu. In we went and
of the 8 tables half were filled. The head cook (chef) was tending to a
fireplace barbecue pit loaded with steaks, rabbit and other carnes. The tiny
chef from the kitchen recited the menu including a vegetable she said which was
locale Cardo Guisado con salsa cheese,
ham., and almonds. We both felt adventurous and ordered Cardo our first, Paul
had his rabbit and Jane had scallops with salmon and a light cheese sauce. We
were duly instructed that he would braise the rabbit slowly so that it would be
fully cooked but not charred. He 
After
the obligatory nap, Chinese laundry and reading, we set off to explore a little
bit. The pool is closed for the winter. Although the days are warm and sunny
the nights are quite cold, as low as 48, which is very chilly for us. We headed
to check out the old center of the town. Teruel has many beautiful Mudejar
towers dating from the 14th century. They are elaborate and
stunningly beautiful. There is a huge variety of building styles in this town
and though it is seldom spoken of, this town was so battered during the civil
war that I am surprised the towers survived. The town changed hands so many
times, was bombed by the Italian Air Force and suffered barrages of artillery.
Not sure why it was so important to everyone because it has been ignored by the
government. A group was formed to bring pressure to bear and get some funding.
It worked to some extent and new roads are being built in the province. It is
quite a small town less than 40,000 population but some of the architecture is
stunning. The towers were built by the Mudejar but commissioned by the
Christians. It was in an era when the Christians had taken back Teruel but the
Muslins, Jews and Christians lived in harmony. What a concept! Now do not think
that all of Teruel is gorgeous because it isn’t, it has the same blight as any
other city, but it is interesting.
We
dined on tapas at a place just off the Plaza del Torico and up the street from
the Torre del Salvador and headed back to the Parador after a very full day. We
bumped into a couple that had been at Parador
Alcaniz and chatted for a while. They, or he, had been in the Foreign Service,
State Department. There was a bit of name dropping going on but we had no idea
to whom they referred so we smiled knowingly and they carried on chatting. They
were a good deal older than us, Nina and Percy, and they told us that when they
were in Italy the Embassy had sent out a language tutor to help them. Didn’t
they do that for you? Your Spanish is so good! Snort giggle! Yeah, like the Air
Force did that! They were heading out the next day for Cuenca.
Okay,
off to bed!
DAY 17
SUNDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2015 ALCANIZ (Day 2)
Sunday
was a bright but crisp start at 53F and forecasted to reach 28C or 82.4F today,
still believe that the shorts will stay packed away until Valencia. Wimps we
have become on this trip. A great Parador breakfast to stoke the boiler for our
adventures. We saw Jose and Desiree at breakfast she was cool with a sleeveless
top and hence chose to sit around the corner away from the main room which had
air conditioners flooding the entrance way sitting area. Off we set to find the Oficina de Tourismo in
town to get our bearings and their recommendations on 
attractions to visit. Well the Old mill next to the river is open until 2:00pm just drive down Calle Major to the bridge hang a right to the mill. Guess what, Calle Major is NO ENTRY from the Plaza de Espana. We drove around town trying to find that bridge and the mill without ANY luck. So we found the tourist parking lot, stashed the car and hiked back uphill to the Plaza de Espana again. Had a refreshment and tried to plan out the rest of the day. At first we were going to drive to the outskirts looking for a roadside Hotel resturante combination for lunch. However, Paul noticed that there was a big “R” sign with knife and fork at the corner establishment. Turns out it was the Bar Guadalupe part of the Hotel Guadalupe in town that had a complete bar top of coolers and plates loaded with various tapas. We chose 3 tapas a piece and drinks all brought to the appointed table by the window by the cute young chica. Turns out our lunch time fare only totaled 12.70€. Great tastes and we didn’t have to move the car to find lunch.
After
siesta time, we explored the chapel behind the Parador and enjoyed the young
lady’s explanation of the church, its foundation. It was given to the
religious/military order of Calatreva by Alfonso II. She explained how the building was
constructed, repaired, and what all of the old paintings were above the high
pointed arches and beams. Her tour lasted nearly an hour and was well worth the
visit. Now off we go back into town to see nderground storage vaults where
they perfected the keeping of snow from winter and the beginnings of the
original ice trade in Spain.Underground vaults measuring 4 by 14 by 40 meters
with interconnecting tunnels between the storage
caverns. Several the tunnels went off the main room only to stop after about 50 feet or so with the height in some places just 5 foot tall. Paul opted to stay in the main storage room which suited his height without restriction. After this underground excursion beneath the tourist office we decided to drive around the city from directions not previously attempted and guess what, we found that second bridge but we did not find that mill!
caverns. Several the tunnels went off the main room only to stop after about 50 feet or so with the height in some places just 5 foot tall. Paul opted to stay in the main storage room which suited his height without restriction. After this underground excursion beneath the tourist office we decided to drive around the city from directions not previously attempted and guess what, we found that second bridge but we did not find that mill!
This
Gotica stuff is fascinating. This area was soooo busy during the 11th
and 12th centuries which set me to thinking about a lot of things.
Pope Urban II kicked off the whole Crusade thing in 1095. Christians against
Muslims. A thousand years later very little has changed. Why is this? We are supposedly more enlightened but I
guess not, it is a bit depressing.
We
are sitting having a little refreshment in the patio of the Castle and will
dine later. More then….maybe! We ate at the Parador dining room: Paul had the
traditional roast lamb shoulder and Jane had the sea scallops with salmon in a
light cheese sauce. Our server said that the wedding reception went on with the
dancing until 0500 Sunday AM, we heard nothing.
DAY 16
SATURDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 2015 LLEIDA to ALCANIZ
Saturday
means we will move along today as we travel further south in Spain running
parallel to the med coast but inland about 100K or so from getting our toes
wet. We have tickets for the Gardeny Castle which is only open on the weekends.
The European union has pumped money into the restoration and having seen the
state of disrepair after the Spanish Civil War every single euro was needed to
bring its condition into line with other restored projects throughout Spain.
The monks had to have been a hardy bunch to live up on this high hill
overlooking the town of Lleida. This castle was one of the primary fortresses
of the Knights Templar who were termed warrior monks. They fought in the
Crusades and helped chase the Muslims from Spain. They also guarded and
protected pilgrims on their pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Santiago de
Compostella. They were given many gifts and properties as a reward for their
services and so accumulated great wealth. I believe they were what could be
termed the first international bankers.
However great power and great wealth also attracts great opposition and
kings and other leaders did not like them having so much power so in 1307 they
were all rounded up, arrested, tortured and killed. Not all of their wealth was
discovered. Wonder where it is???
There
was a great presentation and video at the castle. Love this stuff, really
fascinates me.
We
stopped in transit, Calaceite, and found a great place to eat next to the
Repsol gas station in a small village just 37K shy of Alcaniz. We shared a
ensalda mixta and had pan seared baby lamb chops with fries and a red pimento to
round off the plate. Great food and not too filling either. Off we set to the
Parador. We have being seeing orchards of small trees every since we left
Lleida. We now know that they are almond trees.
The
wedding reception crowd of 210 people have totally taken over the entire
Parador, do not think you can redeem your Amigos drink coupon they are 5 deep
totally around the bar. Similar hordes of people are milling around inside the
courtyard snacking on little tapas. They are not scheduled to eat until 1000PM
and so the hotel guests must eat in the breakfast room as the entire dining
room has been setup for the reception dinner. For the most part the crowd is
well behaved with girls squeezed into too tight dresses and beautiful shoes
that are in no way comfortable. The guys have suits and/or dress shirts most
with neckties. It is the few older gentlemen who keep setting off firecrackers
in the parking lot out front of the castle. As such we believe that this crowd
might be from the Valencia region and their penchant for fireworks and loud
booming noises. They had moved hotel clients to the quiet side of the castle!
It seemed to work as we were undisturbed at night. Ron and Sandy will remember
what a Spanish wedding is like. Great fun if you have the stamina! I was a
little peeved last night though as you could not move or sit anywhere.
At
dinner Saturday night we met a lovely couple. Jose (82) who managed restaurants
and other establishments in London and his wife Desiree (86). He is originally
from the Barcelona region and she from London. As the wedding bunch had finally
dispersed to the dining room we went down to the bar and had a nightcap with
our new friends. We sat and talked until midnight. What a lovely couple! They
split their time between homes in Wimbledon London and outside of Stiges
Spain. We saw them at breakfast before
they departed and we said our goodbye with the exchanges of emails to stay in
touch. No photos you have to take our word that we met them.!!
We
picked up a map of the town, its 11 minutes to walk down from the castle and
Laura said double it back up the winding access road for 22 minutes. Paul
chimed in and asked how long in the car, she merely giggled and smiled. I bet
we will be taking the car!
DAY 15
FRIDAY 18th SEPTEMBER 2015 LLEIDA
A very
bright sunny start to this Friday, forecasted to reach 78F. We have two
cathedrals and a history museum to see this day. Breakfast at the Hotel Real is
just slightly better than at Huesca. Just being the operative word. Both locations may wish for a Parador. LLeida
is an interesting town. It has been, since pre-historic times, been taken over
by just about every up and coming tribe and/or warring nation. They were doing
just fine until the Carthaginians moved in and then came the Romans. They were
here for a century or two and with the fall of the Roman Empire, the Visigoths
decided to make it their own. Now the LLerget did not let this all happen
without a fight but greater forces prevailed. The Arabs then entered and took
over until the Christian faction decided enough is enough! This was around 1149
or so. All of this is reflected in their buildings and castles, irrigation
systems, etc. Fascinating stuff! We were at the Museum today can you tell?
The town
Museum is a fancy modern building but has taken into account the need for
filtered sunlight/natural light to highlight internal displays. Very clever
integration of skylights for subdued lighting effects throughout the modern
structure. Pre-historic to modern day outlined on 3 floors of displays many
with computer control videos in multiple languages. Friday we did the Museum
first and after siesta did the Old Cathedral which the military had taken over
in the early 1700s and pretty much wiped out the church facilities all
together. I did not see the Old Cathedral above the town until I walked across
the river, from the bridge you could see this amazing structure (on top of the
biggest hill of course). It was pretty easy to access from down below via a
series of escalators and elevators. La Seu Vella (Catalan for old cathedral) is
situated on top of 1. A Palaeo-Christian and Visigoth Catherdral and 2. An
Islamic Mosque. I told you all about the conquest and reconquest of LLeida
yesterday. Re-building started in 1193 but it was not completed until
1431! Then one of these pesky conquests
came along and Felipe V ordered the destruction of the cathedral because he
wanted to build a new one down town. It is a long walk up that hill! It was not
destroyed however but was converted into barracks and it remained that way
until 1948. The place was totally trashed. It had been declared a national
monument in 1918 but nothing was done until 1948 after the civil war. Now I
tell you this because I walked into the cloister and was absolutely blown away.
The scale of the place is amazing. We have seen many, many, many cloisters in
Spain but this is the most magnificent I have ever seen! It is considered the
largest in Europe. The church is extremely high too, but very simple and so
ancient. I think they had anticipated giants for this place it is that big. I
cannot believe what destruction was wrought on such a magnificent building. It
overlooks the entire city and the views are incredible.
Did we tell
you that one of the receptionists worked at an hotel in Scotland to improve her
English? Maite is delightful and very pretty. She worked in Fort William and
had even visited Inverness! We asked her about tapas in the city and she
directed us to Rita Koko, so we took a taxi and dined on some fabulous tapas
and wine. Paul is inspired look for a new menu when we come home.
Now a short
essay on Spanish hotel showers. I got into the Hotel Real shower, adjusted the
water temperature and turned it on. Word of warning here for the uninitiated,
check where the showerhead is pointing and the pressure of the water! Damn near
flooded the bathroom! Water shot off over my head past the glass door and
directly on to the floor. When I tried to redirect it I slipped in the tub! I’m
okay but let me tell you there was a lot cussing going on! This is something
you must check with every new bathroom you encounter. Death by drowning could
ensue. Just put a water limiter on your damn showerhead, you can save water and
save the environment and your clients all at the same time. You are so worried
about the amount of water being used in washing towels every day that you ask
clients to re-use to reuse but after I have mopped the floor with my towel
there is no way I am using it the next day.
We have had
glorious weather the last few days let’s hope it continues, Tomorrow Alcaniz
and a castle!
DAY 14
THURSDAY 17th SEPTEMBER 2015 HUESCA to LLEIDA
Today is
move along day again, a short 118K drive to our next stop across the high arid
plains of southeastern central Spain. One thing we noticed as we drove is the
propensity to spell the city’s name with 2 “L” and also with just one “L”.
Didn’t matter as we found the town after all regardless of the spelling.
Instead of taking the autovia we followed the N240 it kind of parallels the A22
but it is easier to pop off and look at towns or castles on hilltops, of which
there are many in Spain. Look for the highest ground and there you will find a
castle, ruined castle, fortress or monastery. True story! We veered off to
Barbastro because we thought we might have a coffee or something, drove around
down town twice, as there was no parking, and saw a cathedral and a castle on a
hill. Couldn’t get to them though. Paul is nothing if not persistent so
eventually we found a bar/café and had some refreshment. The locals’ reaction
to Paul is pretty funny, they get a look at a tall man with a Tilley hat and
camera and they cannot stop staring. Paul is totally oblivious which really
cracks me up! Anyway, onward to Lleida/Lerida….until we see this huge building
on a hill, totally isolated. I commented about the poor people who had to carry
the stones up there to build it. Next thought was how do they make the
determination to select that spot? Defense, reconnaissance, what? Wrong, it is
a monastery! A place of devotion and solitude, so of course we had to take a
look! Up we went the narrow windy road to a large parking lot with no cars. It
was like being on top of the world. Very windy and chilly too. We did not want
to be pushy or nosey so we just took a few pics and left. Definitely a lot of
meditation and soul searching going on there!
However, Carmen
Garmin was not as fortunate as she had no clue in helping us find the Hotel
Real immediately in front of us on the Blondel avenue. We unloaded the luggage and wheeled
everything inside out of the blazing sun, we were actually hot waiting in the
sun out front. Room 301 assigned and then we put the car into the city
underground parking opposite the hotel has a special arrangement on price. Next
we need to view the maps and get our bearing on places to see etc…. but lunch
with the first order of business. Paul order the menu del dia 9.50€ and Jane
settled for a daily combination plate offered at just 6€. The choices were
excellent and the rose was chilled to perfection. We both agreed that the new
city reminded us of Barcelona perhaps the catalan spellings of names and signs,
etc.
Of course
after a good meal, what do you do in Spain? Siesta time, at least for Pau! The
resentment I feel because he can sleep so easily is not rational; I know that,
but deal with it! I get to read or play a silly game or write the blog. It
would not be so bad if I slept more at night but this waking up at 6AM has got
to stop!
We decided
to look for this Tourist bus they told us about but we have not seen and ended
up popping on the #11 which said “ Turistica” on the front which took us on a
little jaunt around town and we got off at the other end of our street. A
lovely girl offered her help because I was trying to get my bearings and
tracking on the very inadequate map. No problem, just riding the bus for $1.20! We tried to find the Tourist Office and found
instead , the main shopping street which was bustling.
By this time
it is getting close to dinner time. We eat a lot over here. We were kind of
undecided about what we wanted to eat and in a moment of weakness decided to
try a small pizza. I know, I know, big mistake. What can I say we are but
human! It really was less than mediocre but the beer was fine!
DAY 13
WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2015 HUESCA
Our second
day in Huesca will be a lot slower paced than our arrival day – why because we
have been the Oficina de Turismo and have maps, brochures and phamplet
outlinging what we might get our selves up to eventually. The Underground
Weather channel says 27 C today, fat chance with how it feels this AM bright
sunny but with a crisp nip in the air. Off to the breakfast buffet. Again we
found the breakfast to be just as sad as the other offerings in the Pedro de Argon
hotel, in need of an overhaul and
A Bitter Kas
for refreshment and then on to the Cathedral built in 1240AD. Paul waited outside his church quota had
already been met while Jane trooped ahead into the Cathedral. Now this is not
unassuming! Quite grand and elaborate with lots of paintings from different
periods, an elaborate alabaster alter piece and all the accoutrement necessary
for Catholic religious ceremonies. This
cathedral was built and added to and refurbished over the centuries but It too
is very old. The choir had over 28 hand
carved seats, again incredibly elaborate with the huge music book also crafted
by some poor monk so the whole choir could see! Quite beautiful and though I
appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty all I can see are the poor souls who
worked their entire lives building such a thing. I may be churched out!
Afterwards
we wandered back to the hotel and then up the boulevard for Menu of the Day,
Paul had found a place for 8€. The fine print said that drinks were not
included in the 8€….so that actual price was more like 9€. We wandered around
the old part again and ate some fabulous tapas (Bar Da Vinci had outstanding
pintoxs) for dinner. I can see Paul filing this all away. There may be some
interesting tapas parties in our future. Solomillo/pate/mustroom on bread, the
crab was excellent too.
DAY 12
TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2015 ELIZONDO to HUESCA
Slightly
overcast and damp this AM not too cool and looks like it will be a good day
from driving today’s change of scenery involves the town of Huesca only 45
miles inland from the French border. We went for our usual coffee and pastry
next to the church and in walks Lander Santamaria; hugs kisses and greetings
all around. Are the Amercians back again?? No, just Jane and Paul. Told him we
were just finishing up our week long stay in Elizondo and heading towards
Huesca after our coffee. Is he working, yes just submitting articles to the Navarra
Diario newspaper, occasionally he catches an assignment to cover. He is happy
and departed with his famous expression:
Friends forever in English.
As
we had gassed up yesterday we were able to load up directly only to return as
Jane’s IPad was left on the kitchen table. Now we can hit the road. A quiet
ride to Pamplona and around the PA-30 bypass. We joined the A23 to Huesca and
rolled across the dry high plains to the east of Pamplona. The landscape soon
turned more green and we began to gently climb into the Pyrennes. It reminded
us of driving in the Colorado mountains.
We stopped in Berdun to refresh, Paul smelled the menu of the day aromas but we
decided to press on. The entire town of Berdun was perched up onto the hill
behind the truckstop bar and tienda.
Next we actually took the bypass around Jaca and continued on towards
Huesca.
 |
| Beardun, Spain |
Anyway,
after Paul’s mandatory siesta and a bit of game playing and reading for me, we
set off in the rain to find out about Huesca! First order of business is to
find the Oficina de Tourismo. The map they give you in the hotels is barely
readable (a personal magnifying glass is mandatory). Now, the tourist office is
quite close if you set off in the right direction but we did not. We took the
long if not the most picturesque route. We asked a total of about 6 people who
all said it was only minutes away, before we finally found the Plaza del
Mercado with interesting aches and shops and government buildings……..all in the
rain. Paul was in desperate need of refreshment by this time so a beer was the
solution! We got our bearings and will return tomorrow to explore the
highlights. Looks quite interesting. We opted to have a tapa or two instead of
a full meal. I wont give my impressions of Huesca and thee people right now as
I might be a bit judgemental. We have always been used to something a bit
 |
| Oldest Operating Grocery Store Founded 1871, Huesca |
different. Perhaps it will be better in the sunshine, perhaps they have a lot
to be disgruntled about, maybe it is because they think we are French again,
or……who knows? We had noticed the background music in the bar at lunch and also
later Tuesday when we stopped for a night cap, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by
the Beatles was playing. Guess what we
heard in the restaurante at breakfast - - Lucy in the Skydiamonds,
Beatles! Paul remarked that they must have bought the cassette back in 1966 put
it into the cassette deck and now the door or eject button is broken and they
are forced to play the one cassette over and over!!
The
sun is shining this morning (Wed) so we shall set off to explore. Let me just
say this, the coffee and juice were equally bad! More later.
DAY 11 MONDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2015 VALLE DE BAZTAN
Our
last full day in the valley has begun with a light drizzle and partly pumped in
clouds hanging to the side hills. A slight chill lingers in the air so who
knows what type of day we shall ultimately enjoy. With all of our visits made
yesterday we are free to just wander around and decide what shall be of this
fine day. We headed for our morning pastry and wifi fix as well as another
coffee. It must be time to move on because the pastry shop had NO cornilla de
crème rolls as usual. We went in search of a kaiku or jug for cuajada but found
the handmade wooden ones started at 20€ and porcelain ones at 9.95€ so we
continued to wander in the backstreets. When we returned to the main street we
bumped into the owner of the hardware store now long since retired with the
business firmly in the hands of his son and his wife. Smiling from ear to ear
he asked if the Americans had returned again in numbers just as we had two
years before. No, just Jane and Paul exploring again this time by themselves.
Greetings exchanged and hugs all around and we set off to find our car.
An
adventure park has been built back in the hills. There is a bungee jumping
platform, zip lines and hiking trails. It is in a gorgeous spot but due to an
unfortunate accident, which I will not go into here, it is closed pending an
inquiry. Looks like a great idea, hope it works out for them. On the way up
there we spotted a ewe that had just given birth to twins! They were identical
too and wobbling around on very shaky legs. Just adorable!
Paul decided to use nothing but the ‘old’
original road and drove all the way to Sumbilla and back to Elizondo again. We topped
off the diesel at the HP Simply Hypercor outlet at only 0 .959€ / liter, the price
had been 1.359€/liter just last
It
has been a very quiet day for us and we are ready to move on and continue our
travels but not before we find somewhere for dinner and find out what they are
going to do with that huge tree trunk that is standing in the middle of the Elbete
plaza! I gotta get moving more and work some of this lard off!
Monday
nourishment was taken at the Posada Elbete, the fiesta for most parts is
finished the tree trunk stuck into the hole at the edge of the plaza is slated
to be cut down for firewood sometime late Tuesday or even Wednesday it depends
on when the chap with the chainsaw arrives?? The 3 person band continued to
play loud music although no one was moving in the plaza. While we sat outside
the Posada we saw just 4 people attempting to dance but the music continued to
boom on!! We had salad/asparagus and a torilla francesa (like scrambled egg
with onion and cheese melted within) ( actually it was supposed to be an omelet,
but it was good). Just enough without being overpowering. Early back to the
apartment to enjoy our last night. Actually we had a little bit of excitement as
we entered the apartment when Jane neglected to turn off the alarm! Sirens and
lights flashing as we were pushing buttons and trying to figure it out! A
stentorian voice spoke to us from the control panel in the front room but we
have no idea what he said as the flashing red light was distracting us. We
exited the apartment, reactivated the alarm, re-entered after a little bit and
all was well! We wondered if the cops would show up but luckily we escaped an interrogation!
Travels tomorrow to Huesca to the foothills of
the Pyrenees.
DAY 10
SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2015 VALLE DE BAZTAN
Not quite as
gloomy this morning, still cloudy with rain threatening, but not too bad. We
have acclimated, 60 odd degrees no longer is freezing cold. Still need long
pants and long sleeves but it is almost balmy! We had no bread left so we
headed for the pasteleria for coffee and a pastry and to get online. The
restaurant in Ituren had suggested we call this morning at about 11am to see f
they had room for us. I always hesitate to call in Spain because although I
speak quite well face to face the phone is a little more daunting for me.
However I soldiered on and called. No problem! Mission accomplished, we have a
reservation for 3PM!
We decided
to go visit Guillermo and family at about 1200. We had not called in advance
and I was a little apprehensive as I do not like to visit without calling
first. However, always the gracious hosts it was not a problem. Guillermo had
been partying in Elbete at the fiesta until 7AM! Can you believe it? He called
his Mom and John and then went to pick them up for a visit. Carmentxu and John
have had some health problems but they both looked good. John is a little frail
(now 87) and forgetful, not sure if he knew who we were but he was smiling and
in good spirits. Carmentxu said he is always happy and smiling and that makes
it easier. Rosa has had back problems but is doing much better. It was a lovely
visit. We left to make our way to Ituren for lunch. 
We stopped
for a Bitter Kas and ran into Maite another friend who we have not seen for 2
years. She was delighted to see us so, there was another lovely visit! Sitting
with Maite was one of Angel Marie’ twin girls now grown along with her daughter
of 17. Pilar her mother (Angel Marie’s widow) lives behind the church in the
same part of town as Asun. We re-told the story that Angel Marie told all of
the French tourist taxi patrons, that the huge antennas on top of Gorramendi
were actually the lids to the 
American missile silos. Hence he was the principal architect who perpetuated the myth about the Americans having nukes inside the mountains of northern Spain because we always had the lids in the open position ready to launch at a moment’s notice. His granddaughter had never heard the story and was laughing uncontrollably.
The
restaurant Altxunea is in Ituren and is only open on weekends and holidays thus
the need for a reservation. It is a delightful place. Small and intimate with
an open charcoal fire pit where they grilled enormous chuleton steaks and fish including besugo. Very charming
indeed. The owners and staff are most welcoming and delighted to help you. We
were promptly ushered to the only remaining table. The food was incredible! There
was a large family table of 17 people sitting along one wall including a large
husky Basque chap complete with black beret who enjoyed a huge chuleton
charcoaled steak, all of the girls looked to be sisters with the same dark
black hair and Basque noses. We sat for
2 hours eating and drinking fabulous food. We started with grilled shrimp and
salad, which we shared, then came something called a brick de hongos. It is
like a cannelloni but the pasta is very , very thin and stuffed with a wild
mushroom concoction, it was delicious. Paul had cocochos de merluza (hake
cheeks!) with almejas (cockles) in a white wine sauce. I had merluza a la plancha
(grilled) also in a very light sauce. It
was all very delightful and though it sounds like a lot it wasn’t really. We
didn’t have dessert though! The owner invited us to a small shot of Pacharan
after our coffees which really put a finishing touch to an absolute
unforgettable luncheon.
We had to
come back so that Paul could sleep it off. So here I am again pounding the
keyboard as he snores in the bedroom. The Fiesta is still going strong in the
village and we met a little train blaring music and hauling kids around what
passes for a city block in Elbete. It stopped for a while and I realized it was
raining. Paul is up, his turn now.
Jane has forgotten to mention that we are listening to
audible books on the GPS and the book current book is quite interesting so it tends
to make us to want short drives to see what is happening in the book. We hate
to hear that a main character is hanging on the edge of a cliff or trapped
under water with their air tank running low and we exit the car until the next
day and the poor character is left to their own devices for over 24 hours!!!!
It just does’t seem fair to leave them up in the air. Tomorrow is Monday and our next to last day,
with fairly good weather it will likely be a day trip to San Sebastian which
will mean a bigger chunk of the book to which we will listen.
Sunday evening will be a quick visit to the fiesta and then a
short drive to the new end of Elizondo (towards the Baztan Hotel) and the Bar
Saioa which is also a Basque mountain
above the Valle de Baztan, When we stopped earlier today their bar top
was loaded with some good looking pintxos which will likely be Sunday evening’s
meal. Should be enough to sustain us until Monday AM! Well we opted just to have
a sandwich mixto with egg, ham, and cheese. It was nearing 10:00PM and we
needed just a little to eat to cap off the day. Bar Saioa filled that billed. Now
to crash for the night, what a great Sunday in Basque country!!
DAY 9, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH
BAZTAN VALLEY, ELBETE:
A word about the quality of thunderstorms here in the
Batzan, when I woke up in the middle of the night, or early morning considering
what time we went to bed, I thought they were letting off more fireworks, the
sound rolls around the mountains and
sounds like bowling balls, constant, nonstop bowling balls. The mountains are shrouded in
clouds which drift down into the valley with the sound of the thunder. Very
different from the violent stabs of lightening and cracks of thunder in
Florida.
I finally
pulled myself out of bed at about 9.45! Paul slumbered on a while longer. It
was very gloomy and “triste” as Miguel used to say. Hard to get moving this AM
it was 11-1130 before we got to the bakery for our internet fix! What to do on
a wet gloomy day? Well, let’s find somewhere else to eat! We drove to Ituren
about 18 k away to a restaurant recommended by Maite but found they were
totally booked up, today and tomorrow! Damn, but the drive was gorgeous into
another area of the valley with old picturesque villages and green, green
mountains. The weather cleared up a bit, still cloudy, but dry and a bit
brighter.
I cannot
figure out this crisis. (say it like “creeseese”) restaurants full, everyone
out socializing. Not to say there are not problems, there are but the Batzan
seems to be weathering it quite well. There is a trilogy out right now by a
Basque writer, Dolores Redondo, which is a blockbuster! It is set right here in
the Baztan and there are now tours for the many visitors who come to see the
areas mentioned in the books. It has been translated into many languages and is
a wordwide phenomenon. Don’t look for it in the States yet. It isn’t coming out
there until March of 2016 but David is bringing me the first novel from the UK.
We were talking about it last night at dinner and Loles (who knows the writer)
said that the writing improves as the novels continue; I think that often
happens with new writers. Dolores has just been on a tour of Australia so her
writing has struck a chord with lots of people, that and excellent marketing
have created a blockbuster. I wish her the very best of luck!
time. I sit
here writing, watching the rain pour down and Paul is snoring.
Not having a
good feeling about the Fiesta tonight. There is supposed to be dancing in the
Plaza next to the Iglesia San Marcos but if this rain keeps up…..well
More later.
Saturday
evening was basically uneventful, we wandered over to the Elbete plaza where
because of a light splatter of raindrops they had moved tables chairs and the
contents of the entire Posada dining room along with folding tables into the
fronton/handball court to play music and
dance without umbrellas, loud music and the entire town of 325 people were
obviously here to enjoy themselves! We had a drink took a photo of the tree
planted in the wee hours last night in the plaza. We headed into town and
stopped at Bar Sobrino for a WiFi fix and our evening nourishment (platos
combinatos). We were back at the apartment by 9:45 PM and decided to watch the soccer
match until our eyelids gave out. Throughout the night there were cherry bomb
fireworks to signify something was happening in the Elbete plaza. Occasionally
the loud boom was a thunder storm above. We both sleep well awoke famished for
breakfast on an overcast Sunday morn.
DAY 8, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH
BAZTAN VALLEY, ELBETE:
Today’s forecast calls for a high in the
valley of 30c and brilliant sunshine as soon as the cloud deck
recedes from the valley. The clouds this AM are clinging to the small hilltops
and are hiding the sun. We had coffee at Bar Sobrino so we could connect but
the WiFi was acting up meaning we also had a coffee at the Posada where we know
that the Internet is stronger. Carlos said that they were planning to feed
60-70 people this evening because of the fiestas (we will be eating at Ascun’s
with Loles and Nekane and will partake of the fiesta activities afterwards. The
log cutting or throwing of heavy stones is scheduled for the men’s club at
midnight (just what we need is a bunch of large Basque men who have had dinner,
many drinks of wine, etc. heaving large stones around the plaza at one
another!!!
The weather
was tooooo nice not to drive back up to the old base area. The access road
continues to show advanced wear and tear however there were at least a couple
of areas that reflected some blacktop patching had been done recently. Still
many pot holes and of course the occasional wandering pony calling out for
Cheryl. We rolled down the windows and yelled that Cheryl had NOT come on this
year’s trip but you can count on her for next year. Photos taken and back into
the car for our descent into the valley again. The destination was Arizcun for
lunch where Jane had lamb chops, and Paul had 4 small trout with ham slices,
Both of us enjoyed an ensalada mixta loaded with huge slices of bright red
tomatoes from the valley; 2015 was a bumper crop for toms it seems.
After siesta
time it was time to buy a bottle of wine and several dessert items for our
visit to Ascun’s at 8:00PM. A large
chunk of chocolate with almonds, 6 cream-filled canalones from the pastry shop and we were ready for the
evening’s festivities. This evening meal consisted of salad, fresh tomatoes
with mozzarella cheese, salmon, serrano ham, Tortilla de patatas, followed by
chistorra, a selection of cheeses and of
course wine(s). We were able to meet Fernado the boyfriend of Nekane, he is a
lawyer for a pharmaceutical company. Jane and I agree, he is a keeper and quite
handsome, too!!
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| From the contonment area you can see the French tropo site betwn the trees. |
Of course Loles is Loles looking great as
ever. With the recent Government changeover, she lost her job but is still
looking for another one as time marches on, she remains on the unemployment
list but with high hopes something will come her way and soon, too. At age 51,
finding a job can be very difficult, but she has a vast experience and
knowledge to offer so we will keep our fingers crossed.
We mention
the Government change over, because you guessed – it means that the roads have
undergone a minor renumbering of sorts (slight improvements and not a complete wholesale
renumbering of the highways.) – yet again.
The politicians must own shares in Michelin map books.
Ok we have
finally figured out what the Elbete festivities will be at midnight. They have
cut down a 17 meter tall tree and cleaned off the branches so that it looks like
one big heavy tooth pick which will be
carried to the plaza and stood upright into a 2 meter deep hole and wedged tight in
place to prevent tiping over. Needless to say that the midnight festivities did
not begin until 1235 AM. About 40 people trudged off to help pick up the trunk
and cart it back in line for hoisting upright and down into the hole. All in
all, it took45 minutes to stand the tree
trunk upright and solidly wedged it in place. They used two steel wedge bars of
sorts and of course a 20 foot normal extension ladder to walk the trunk into a
vertical stance. The chants were called out by a large Basque guy with an “Earle
Jones” baratone voice.
Elbete has a
population of about 300 and most of them were there plus a few from Elizondo.
Not sure what the standing of the tree signifies but we will find out.
Something ancient to do with saying goodbye to the summer and hello to fall.
This is the last of the big Fiestas in the Baztan. The fiesta de Santa Cruz.
We did not
get to bed until after 2AM and then were awakened by rolling thunderstorms. I
guess that hot day just brought down the wrath of the weather gods! I managed
to get back to sleep but then we were awakened, at who knows when, by the
drummers and chistu players marching nearby. Not sure if they were still
partying from last night or starting a new day! It was after 9.30 by this time
so I am assuming it was the start of a new day of Fiestas!
DAY 7, THURS, SEPTEMBER 10TH
BAZTAN VALLEY, ELBETE:
The day started with a brief rain
shower just enough to wet everything but
the valley was NOT pumped full of clouds this AM as days past. Cool but
every indication of another fine day. A light breakfast in the apartment toast
and cheese, coffee, orange juice to get the motor running. Jane went for a
nature walk for some exercise and Paul took the car to the church parking lot
so it was right at hand for the journey to who knows where?? We had coffee and a
danish and connected to the world, blog included. After the refreshing stop
Paul said that we were off to Hondarrabia for a fish lunch. The skies were over
cast and occasionally did a spit spot or
two. It was market day in Hondarrabia but no parking spots were nearby the
homemade tent city. Back into town and the parking ferries were looking after
us, we found a spot and tucked the car away, this front and back parking assist
is outstanding, You have to actually try to dent the car but you have to listen
to the blaring beep, beep, and the RED color pops onto the display just before
you can touch the offending object or car.!!
It was such
fun to find a fiesta in progress! This was the last day, I believe. We heard
some singing and decided to follow the sound and find the source of the
revelry! A group of young men was partying hard outside their club quarters. We
were invited to join them, so ever up for a challenge, the 2 old farts joined
in. They were the Batteria de Artillaria, a group that fires old cannons and
celebrates a victory over France! It was funny, because they thought we were
French when they first saw us. I think they were going to rub it in that their
group had defeated the French in battle, albeit many centuries ago, but were thrilled
to discover were Americanos! We got a
complete history lesson on the battles with France. They had a huge tub which
they kept filling up with champagne and fanta naranja, the cheaper version of
mimosas! It really was a lot of fun, we took pictures and danced with them in
the streets, another adventure to remember. God! I love this country! Paul
whispered to me “How are we going to get out of here?” I didn’t finish my huge
drink but quietly put in on a table and said Gracias, gracias, see you next year
on September 8th! Several wanted to practice their English and of
course everyone knew Elizondo. We left with great shouts of, adios hasta el ano
que viene, following us! So I guess we have a date for next year!
We returned
to Elizondo to rest a while and then went to the Posada for internet and
dinner. The strength of the internet varies widely, the posada has the best so
we were able to download messages etc. Outlook really needs a good strong
signal!
DAY 6, WED, SEPTEMBER 9TH
BAZTAN VALLEY, ELBETE:
Another fine
day with the cloud deck pumped directly into the valley cutting off every
possible ray of sun until mid day. Coolish to start with but with every
indication it will be another fine day warming into the mid 70s again. Right campers
the bread from Monday is now as hard as a cricket bat. So we need food and
coffee. Out we went to the pastry shop in front of the church. A croissant,
toast, ham with cheese, coffee and that all important WiFi to connect with the
outside world again. It took nearly an hour to have our breakfast because it
was interspersed with emails, WhatApp texts, and posting to the blog however,
we finished up Jane got a loaf of bread and juice for the apartment and we
headed to visit with Asun. She is looking and keeping well and busy at 76 she
still visits the grave of Miguel daily. Ascun said with a twinkle in her eye
and broad smile that she had noticed new flowers we had left from our Tuesday
visit to Miguel’s grave.
She says
that she keeps busy with her friends and will be in a bicycle race of sorts at
the end of September which will even be shown on the internet! So it is all go for
her in Elizondo. Ascun said that Tia Anna turns 82 in a couple of weeks so
would have Miguel her twin brother. We will visit with the Tios just before our
flight back across the pond.
Each place
we tried for Wednesday lunch turned out to be their closing day and we had
lunch again at Eskiseroi in the backstreets. Jane opted to have just have an
ensalda mixta and not a full menu of the dia. Paul meanwhile had deviled eggs
and roast Turkey from the menu del dia.
Siesta time and then a ride through the valley to
see if the Hotel Bertiz is still in operation because we know it is Ron Hand’s
favorite place. Ultimately we found it shuttered but with every indication they
are still open.
Why is it so
hard to just kick back and relax? Why do we feel the need to go, go, go? Is
there some compulsion to have frenetic activity because we do not want to waste
a moment of our vacation? We have been here a week and we are just now slowing
down and savoring the moment! I will let you know tomorrow if we have achieved
a state of total calmness and peace!
DAY 5, TUESDAY, ELIZONDO, 8
September: We awoke early this AM and found ourselves
very cool as the central radiator heat had NOT come on automatically during the
nighttime. Under the comforter and blankets it was nice and toasty but us
Floridians were chilled as the temp was definitely cool for us. The valley had
a low cloud deck meaning the valley was full of clouds and the sun would be
busy first thing trying to burn off the cloud deck to let the sun in.
With the
weather so clear and crisp we drove to Arizcun and then on and up into the
mountains to the village of Azpilcueta one lane at best with pull off areas to
pass oncoming traffic ( luckily we met nothing but a lazy dog or two lying in
the road soaking up the heat) but the views were breathtaking for sure. It had
turned out to be a gorgeous day with a brilliant blue sky and sunshine. There
were lots of cows and calves in the fields and that lovely fragrance of the
country that I have not experienced for quite a while. It is quite strong but
not unpleasant, cow manure! Lovely for the flowers, a nice fertilizer! A couple of photos and a place to turnaround
so we could retrace our steps and we ventured down into the valley floor again
and on our way for lunch in the backstreets of Elizondo. Eskiseroi, a favorite eating place, was
calling us.
They are really pushing the tomato and onion
salad in the valley. They must have had a glut of tomatoes! They are quite
delicious, unlike the flavorless species we get at home. The food is always
excellent here but I will leave it to Paul to give specific menus and to wax
lyrical about it!
Paul needed
his PM nap so I did a quick load of wash and hung it to dry, then I finished
Monday’s blog. The rest of the afternoon was quiet and uneventful, a shopping
trip for a change purse and cute shoes for ‘Kenzie, a visit to the Mirador del
Baztan and a stop at the Hotel Baztan for a little refreshment. The hotel used
to be the showpiece of the valley but it needs a little care, attention and
weeding! We spent many happy summer afternoons at the pool there with the
children in the ‘70s. Dave and Joyce had their reception there, Joyce was once
dumped, fully clothed into that pool, as I recall! Not, I hasten to add, at her
reception! Lots of partying there in our youth! Maria and Jesus had their
reception there too and we partied until the wee hours of the morning! It is
still a lovely spot but I was anxious to get in and clean up those flower beds!
The girl behind the bar was very sweet, she was from Bolivia and had only been
there for about 15 years and had never heard of the Base or the American boys
there!
We visited
Miguel with a nice plant, and said “Hello old friend, we miss you” and headed
into town for the evening. I do love this little town, we meet old friends all
the time and they are always happy to see us. Today Paul spotted Juaqiun but
not wife Begonia. Juaquin had just stepped out of the Pharmacia dragging his
little oxygen bottle but Paul recognized him right away. Juaquin was Miguel’s
best friend and the three guys had cooked large pans of paella at the Casino
restaurante in days gone by. Juaquin’s
smile lit up the entire valley when he realized who we were.
It was fun sitting near the plaza and watching
the kids running around or riding bikes and skateboards. We did not realize
that some of them were the children of friends too. Lovely town and lovely
atmosphere. We just had tapas for dinner and finished with a visit from
Guillermo at the Bar Karrika across from the Casino. It seems to have been a
rough year for his Rosa but hopefully she is on the mend now that things have
been sorted out. Back to the apartment which was toasty warm and we went
straight to bed calling it another fine day finished in our Baztan valley.
DAY 4, MONDAY, SORIA to
ELIZONDO:
Another full breakfast spread at the Parador before packing up and heading north again. On the road at 1030 which is par for the course and us on vacation mode. Garmin got lost the very first thing leaving the Parador grounds down the narrow access road and turn Right at the bottom only to find our after 2.5 miles we had to make a U-turn as the river road ended at the nature park = no more blacktop for cars!!! Silly girl ,we followed her instructions explicitly only to backtrack as she RECALULATING, yet again. We got to the center of Soria but she had NO Clue how to get out of town towards Pamplona. Actually we wanted to stop in Vozmediano ( about 10 K from Agreda) to view the spring which is the nacimiento (birthplace or source) of the Rio Queiles.
Another full breakfast spread at the Parador before packing up and heading north again. On the road at 1030 which is par for the course and us on vacation mode. Garmin got lost the very first thing leaving the Parador grounds down the narrow access road and turn Right at the bottom only to find our after 2.5 miles we had to make a U-turn as the river road ended at the nature park = no more blacktop for cars!!! Silly girl ,we followed her instructions explicitly only to backtrack as she RECALULATING, yet again. We got to the center of Soria but she had NO Clue how to get out of town towards Pamplona. Actually we wanted to stop in Vozmediano ( about 10 K from Agreda) to view the spring which is the nacimiento (birthplace or source) of the Rio Queiles.
DAY 3, SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2015, Soria:
The day
started out bright and sunny and just a little crisp for us! I have no doubt we
will adjust in the days ahead but those long sleeved fleeces will be put to
good use! We both slept well and ventured down for breakfast at about 9.30 or
so. Feeling much more rested today and looking forward to discovering Soria. We
reached the old part of town about 11.30 just as church was letting out. We
parked the car, visited the Officina de Tourism, left with a load of maps and
brochures and headed to a sidewalk café for a Bitter Kas. The sun was shining
the temperature was climbing and the cafes were packed. It really is a lovely
atmosphere.
We visited a
12th century church, the outside of the Diputacion Provincial, which
has 8 larger than life statues of people who were important in the history of
Soria, the Plaza Mayor, which had a display of vintage Renaults belonging to
the car club of Soria.
Now, those are little cars and we now understand why
parking is so tight in garages and parking lots! They were all in pristine
condition and left pretty promptly at 2PM to go home for lunch. We saw them
later though, in a little parade through the center of town.
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| Soria Diputacion Provincial |
El Collado
is a pedestrian walkway from the Plaza Mayor to Plaza Mariano Granados and the
Municipal Park, called Parque Alameda de Cervantes, you know him right? Don
Quijote and all that tilting at windmills? El Collado is lined with shops and
must be quite busy when they are all open. Even today a few were open and lots
of people were out strolling and enjoying the sunshine. The Park is quite
beautiful with lots of trees, a gorgeous carousel, fountains and even a
Hermitage! There was a group of men playing a game with metal discs and throwing
them towards a pin. I was going to ask them what it was called when one guy
took out the pin and they all took their toys and left! I have googled it and
it is called different names in different areas, Chave in Galicia, quoits or
Tejo so I have no idea. I have seen boules and petanque but never this version.
Interesting.
It was
getting on for several hours since we had last eaten! Yikes, time to find an
interesting eatery! I think Paul spots restaurants and squirrels away the
information for future reference.
Today was no different. Asador Ecus had
caught his attention on our Saturday walkabout, because it promised roast lamb!
We sat outside, across the road, at a very nice table in the shade. Real tablecloths
and napkins and a delightful waiter! We ate salad and a quarter roasted lamb,
followed by cheesecake and cuajado. Wine, beer and water rounded it all out
very nicely. It sounds like a lot but not really, it must have been a very
small lamb. We ambled back to the Parador for a siesta and rest before the
evening’s adventures.
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| Soria is famous for poets and Jane sits with one. |
DAY 2, SATURDAY, SORIA, SPAIN Well, Friday night in Daroca was spent
at the cafeteria next to the hotel actually they were a part of the business,
we think. We sat outside until Paul found it too chilly and we went inside to
have a sandwich for our evening’s nourishment.
Jane forgot to mention that Paul found a lunch place upon arrival in
Daroca where the Menu was just 10€ a person with drinkies and a coffee!!
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| Dorca's famous 20 fuentes |
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| Renault Scenic All Luggage fits in the back! |
Jane here
As it had
been so cool the evening before we drove around Soria looking for Hypermarcado
to find a cheap fleece for each of us. Believe it or not we underpacked! It was so hot at home we thought the light
sweater we had packed would be sufficient. No so! Paul had only one long
sleeved shirt, so off we went to find suitable cool weather gear. Found
Sprinter Sporting goods and Paul bought 2 XXL long sleeved shirts for €8 and a
light fleece for me at €9. We have plenty at home so cheap, cheap, cheap was
the order of the day!
After
parking under one of the Plazas we emerged into bright sunlight and an area
full of sidewalk cafes and restaurants. The reason we come here. Great for
people watching, one of my favorite pastimes. We are still feeling quite tired
from the trip, it is a first for us, we usually bounce back quite quickly after
a good night’s sleep. No matter, there is plenty of time to re-adjust. I slept
really well last night, better than I have in weeks. The shower was a bit of a
challenge this morning but that was managed after a bit of trial and error!
It was late
in the afternoon by the time we left the parking garage to go the Parador about
4.30 or so. There was a wedding at the hotel so it was packed and quite rowdy.
Everyone decked out in there finery for a party. Nice! We always see a wedding
when we come to Spain and today was no exception. One big church had a fabulous
vintage car outside waiting for the happy couple but we didn’t see them, we did
however see a gorgeous couple in tux and white dress going down the stairs to
the parking garage! Now it may just be me, but I think someone could have
brought the car up to the bride, right?
Paul took a
nap and I read a bit. We rested. Damn, we must be getting old! We decided not
to go downtown to eat and dined in the dining room. Tomorrow promises to be a fine day and we will explore
Soria. Off to bed about 11pm.
Day 1; Friday, 4 September 15. We made it to the Orlando airport in our trusty enterprise rental car which was released to us dirty and only containing ½ tank of gas. So they gave me a $15 dollar rental refund. 90 degree heat and we had to push the luggage across the concrete parking garage. We would soon feel the heat in Philadelphia at 96 degrees with just as bad humidity as Florida. The US Airways flight from Orlando was early back from the gate and wheels up ahead of schedule, too. I had fretted that our 1 hr and 17 minute connection time might throw a wrench into our trip by delaying the luggage. As luck would have it the Orlando flight parked at gate A10 and the Madrid plane was already waiting at gate A8 not even 100 feet away. Yep the bags made it to Madrid just fine. We were late by 45 minutes in pushing away from the gate and then we were caught up in the taxiway log jam trying to jockey into the best takeoff slot. We had wheels up over 1 hour and 20 minutes late. With the tail winds and increased speed the scheduled landing time of 811AM turned out to be 8:36AM. Terminal 4 S is at least a FULL mile from the immigration controls, thank god for moving walkways!!
Jane here.
In Orlando we had been selected for TSA precheck. That meant we kept our shoes
on, did not have to put computers separately, liquids did not have to be
displayed! You might think that this would expedite our way through security,
you would be wrong! Just as slow, but it
was good for Paul as he takes forever to put himself back together again. You
know the drill, everything in the right pocket, shoes back on, hoist the camera
backpack on, belt back on, watch on wrist, computer in backpack, phone in
pocket, change in pocket as I stand with a benign smile on my face thinking “
Get a move on old man!”
Anyway we
get to Madrid Terminal 4 and begin the long climb up the ramps, a gentle slope it must be said, but a slope
nonetheless, which we Floridians are unaccustomed to! Then came the moving
sidewalks, one after another for what seemed like miles! In the US we would
have trains and escalators but then everyone is very chunky and perhaps there
is a reason for the walk, walk, walking! We breezed through passport control, a
wonderful thing as usually we spend a long time waiting in lines at T 1. Then
another walk to baggage claim. Blood was circulating wonderfully by this time!
My Vivofit registered over a mile by the time we got to the Enterprise counter
to pick up the car. Then I had to find a restroom which was another long walk
away!
For the
first time ever we had to pay a deposit of €150! Now, we had prepaid for this
car, were covered by AmEx insurance and they still wanted a deposit! I was
seriously ticked off! Off we went to find our car, Enterprise’s reputation was
redeemed by a young man, Alfonso who was super helpful and nice. Off we go to attack
the re-re-numbered roads around Madrid. We have never managed to exit Barajas
without a misstep and a bit of backtracking but this time St Christopher the
patron saint of travelers was with us! We headed for Alcala and on to
Medinaceli and Daroca. By this time I could feel my eyes drooping and hoped
Paul, as the driver was keeping his open! After all it was 4 AM US time when we
finally left the airport. We had slept on the plane but you know you have to
take in to consideration that we are not young anymore.
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| View from 100 Balconies Hotel in Daroca |
We found
Daroca with no trouble (God Bless Carmen Garmin) and checked in to a very nice
hotel called Cienbalcones, which means 100 Balconies. We found the gated (but
not locked) parking area which gave Paul a another workout! We had a bite to
eat and then succumbed to the droopy eyes and went to lie down for an hour.
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| Main Entrance to Daroca Spain |
Daroca is an
ancient town, founded by the Moors in the 9th century. It is small
and a bit shabby but retains a lot of the original buildings of that time. It
was very important when the Christians were warring with the Moors for supremacy
. It was also important when the Aragonese were fighting the Castillians. It
has narrow, cobbled streets with buildings almost leaning towards each other.
It is a good place for us to readjust to Spain. The language, the food, the
time difference! If this seems long it is because it is only a few hours since
we landed in Spain and I feel as though I have been here for a month. A glass
of wine, a few olives an old Mudjar building, the Spanish voices in the
background! It all makes me so happy that I can have these experiences. I love
this amazing, diverse, vibrant country. Our vacation is just starting and tired
as I am, I am, in a way energized. Paul has gone in to get a table and we will
have a lovely meal and…….to bed. Tomorrow another adventure awaits us and I am
thrilled!
After last year's trip to Spain where we explored two
parts of Spain first in Galicia and then later on down to Andalusia,
we decided that 2015 would start with a return to our beloved village of
Elizondo and the Baztan valley and then to amble across the foothills
of the Pyrenees stopping in cities never before explored: Huesca,
Lleida, Alcaniz, Teruel, to finally settle into exploring the city of
Valencia and its surrounding province.
When you explore a new city it's always much more fun
to do so when accompanied by great friends (Dave and Joyce Murray) will
join up with us from the UK to help uncover the secrets of Span's 3rd largest city!!
PRE TRAVELS INTRO TO BLOG
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| Paul holding a snail from the Paella |
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| Jane enjoys a Paella at La Matandeta Carretera Alfafar- El Saler, Km. 4 |
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| Tarragona painting on end of a building |
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| Paul Beskow, Robin O'Neill, Maggie O'Neill, Joyce Murray, Jane Beskow, Dave Murray |
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| Center for Performing Arts - Valencia Spain |
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