Category: Europe 2018

We woke up to gray skies and rain this morning in Xabia. After croissants and coffee at a beachfront restaurant we headed northeast to Teruel. We passed Valencia then headed inland and passed turnoffs to ski resorts. When we got to Teruel the temperature was about 30 degrees and it was snowing!

We drove into the historic center of town and visited the regional museum then enjoyed a couple of beers (cañas) and ham (jamon).

We had dinner at our Parador. I started with a salad.

Then Duke had lamb chops and I had a special dish made with local black truffles.

For desert we had cheese tarts and mango ice cream.

Today we drove three hours up the Costa Blanca to Xabia, not too far from Valencia. This is the view from our Parador.

After checking in we walked along the water to the point in the distance.

There are a lot of English people here. This is the view looking back at the Parador.

For dinner we walked down to the beach again. We had an excellent dinner, one of the best of the trip at Posidonia. I started with mussels in a curry sauce and Duke started with ceviche.

Then we shared a paella.

And ended with ice cream and pumpkin cake.

When they started building the Parador next to the castle in Lorca in 2002 they didn’t know what they would find when they started to dig. They immediately found ruins of an old Jewish Quarter and synagogue from the fourteen and fifteenth centuries. Lorca was strategically important because it was on the border of catholic Castillo and Muslim Granada. Before we left Lorca this morning we toured the recently excavated Jewish Quarter and the castle tower. It was interesting how they built the Parador over and around the ruins.

After the tour we left Lorca and headed to the coast. The drive along the Mediterranean reminded me of the California coast.

Tonight we are in the eastern edge of Andalucia in Mojácar. This is the view from our room.

For dinner we had pizza and sangria. I forgot to take a picture of the pizza.

This morning before we left Alarcón we walked around the village. Back at our Parador we asked at reception for the key to the ramparts of the castle and climbed to the top.

Today we drove south and west about three hours to the town of Lorca. We are actually only about one hundred miles east of Cazorla in Andolucia where we were a week ago. This is the view from our room.

We have the romantic package here so this greeted us in our room.

For dinner we had comfort food.

In Cuenca this morning we crossed the pedestrian bridge from our Parador to the town. From the town we had a great view of the Parador

And of the Casas Colgadas or Hanging houses.

On our way south out of Cuenca we stopped at a grocery store for water and sunblock. Spanish grocery stores are fun to check out.

About half way between Cuenca and Alarcón we stopped at the Roman ruins of Valeria. The town was founded by the Romans in the first century BC. It was a cold day but we enjoyed a walk all around the ruins.

Duke decided to stop on the way out of town to take a picture of the town sign for his daughter Valerie.

This week we are staying in eight Paradores in eight nights. It is so interesting and fun to stay in these beautiful places. Tonight we are in the Parador de Alarcón. The castle we are staying in was originally built as an Arab fortress in the eighth century. It was destroyed in the twelfth century and rebuilt in the fourteenth century.

For dinner we had steak.

We had cheese ice cream with honey for desert.