My name is Marion Vermazen. I am a traveler, hiker, reader, Sun alumnus, computer geek, YouTuber, Spanish and French language student, knitter, weaver and genealogist.
This morning we left Granada and drove about 110 miles west and a little south to the white hill town of Ronda. Along the way we took a short break at an overlook to eat some of our oranges.
Ronda is one of my favorite places in Spain. There is a gorge running through the center of town. The gorge is spanned by a stone bridge. Our Parador overlooks the gorge and the bridge.
The Parador of Ronda
The weather today was perfect. We enjoyed sitting outside overlooking the bridge for our welcome drinks.
We wandered around Ronda a bit.
The Bull Ring in Ronda
Before we went down to dinner we checked out the full moon coming up over the bridge.
This morning we found a place for coffee near our hotel.
Tomato on toast with fresh orange juice and coffee
About 10 AM we went up to the Alhambra. It sits with a commanding view of the surrounding city and country. We have been there a few times so we did not take the tour. Our friends did take the tour and took some fantastic pictures.
Patio de Arrayanes in the Palacios NazaríesJardines de San Francisco in the Alhambra
We explored the parts of the Alhambra that don’t require a ticket.
Puerta de la Justicia
In the Carlos V palace they currently have a temporary exhibition – Zirid Granada and the Berber Universe. It was fascinating. The introduction to the exhibition says:
The Berber (or Imazighen, as they prefer to be known) are the group of peoples who since ancient times occupied almost all of North Africa, from the Siwa oasis (west of Egypt) to the Atlantic Ocean
The Carlos V palace also houses the equally interesting Alhambra Museum. After Spending quite a bit of time in each Museum we explored a bit more then went to the terrace bar of the Alhambra Parador and had coffee. The terrace is in a beautiful peaceful spot in the middle of the Alhambra.
Duke on the Alhambra Parador terrace
After we left the Alhambra we had lunch.
We needed to buy playing cards. I learned something new. There are two kinds of playing cards sold here, Spanish cards and poker cards. It took us a while to find a place that had poker cards for sale. After a bit of rest we played cards on our hotel room balcony.
Getting ready to play cards
When We were in Granada in February of 2018 we had a wonderful steak dinner at Negro Carbón restaurant. We enjoyed it so much that Duke made a reservation in advance so that we could go there to night. It was as good as last time.
Here is the link to my video with a few of the sites we saw in Barcelona and Valencia.
This morning we picked up a rental car in Valencia and drove 210 miles west to Almagro in the Spanish region of La Mancha. One of the highlights of our day was when we stopped at a grocery store in a small town to buy some picnic food for tomorrow. The staff behind the meat and deli counter were super friendly. They gave us cheese and ham to sample and showed us a few of the many things they stock.
Pig face that you can buy in the meat section.
The young woman behind the counter is a expert ham carver. She has competed in competitions and won many awards. She showed us her album.
La jamonera
The Parador we are staying at in Almagro is a former Franciscan convent that was originally built in 1603. It was expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries but was in ruins when in 1977 they began the work to make it a Parador. The reconstruction took seven years.
The entrance to the Parador de AlmagroThe Patio del AguaOne of our rooms
We spent quite a bit of time exploring after we arrived. We had our welcome drinks in the former wine cellar.
Welcome drinks next to old wine vats
We had a delicious dinner in the Parador restaurant. We had steak for our main course and various yummy deserts.
This morning after breakfast we visited Barcelona Cathedral. They started building the Cathedral in 1298 and provisionally finished it in 1450.
Inside Barcelona Cathedral
Our train to Valencia left at noon so our visit to the Barcelona Museum had to be short. The Museum tells the history of Barcelona since prehistoric times. The archaeological ruins in the basement of the museum are really fascinating. There are the remains of Roman building from around 300 AD. On top of them are the remains of a Chapel from around 600 AD. As you walk through the ruins more and more recent buildings are revealed.
The Archaeological Ruins below the Barcelona Museum
Our train to Valencia took about three and a half hours. It was a smooth and uneventful ride.
Our train to Valencia
Valencia is a beautiful city. We spent a couple of hours walking around and admiring the squares and the buildings.
Marion and Duke In Valencia
We had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant near our hotel.
Beet hummus and breadsticksSpanish ham and rosemary crusted cheeseCovina fish with a peppermint sauce.
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