Leaving Guadalest and more pictures!

Day twenty three of our vacation. Jeff says it's really more like school. :)  We're taking in so many new sights and experiences and feel very fortunate.

A first for us today was waking up to dark clouds on the horizon and threats of rain in the forecast. Undaunted and oblivious, we headed back toward the coast, hoping to someday revisit this beautiful place.  On our way back, we lost our bearings in the town of Callosa d'en Sarria. Being lost has come to be an invitation to an adventure. So into town we drove, confident that the little car, which we nicknamed "The Box" would be small enough for any narrow old streets.

Jeff and The Box

We came upon the TI, (tourist information office) which unfortunately was closed for a short time, so we wandered on our own and found a charming town square, complete with church, government buildings, and a little cafe (called a 'bar' in Spain and Italy).  The town was preparing for their annual fiesta commemorating the Moors and the Christians, and was decorated in colorful banners. Pleasant, charming, it invited us to linger.

After a leisurely coffee and the prerequisite jamon con pan  & tomate (Spanish ham and bread with tomato sauce), we headed back to the TI. Though the claps of thunder were building, they were still in the distance, or so we thought. We ducked for cover in a doorway while the street in front of us turned into a river.
 The videos below tell the story.

The Box is parked at the very end of this street!
Drenched,and miserable, we had experienced a typical Spanish rainstorm!

For more pictures of our adventure, click this Picasa Web Album link.          Adios!

Guadalest! Days 21-23

Our neighbor Denise was insistent that we visit Guadalest, and she was so right. We looked it up online and decided that since it's such a popular destination for day-trippers, we'd get a room to enjoy the town when all was quiet. When we saw Cases Noves we decided to make it two days. What a great move!

The inn is lovely, each room has breath-taking views. The breakfasts and dinners are first rate. Owners, Tony and Sophia, are warm and easygoing and have created an inviting home.

Guadalest is a tiny town, 200 people, up in the mountains, away from the crush of the beach-goers. A stunningly scenic old castle, built in the 11th century by the Moors looks out from above, over the valley to the sea. The town's economy is based on this, with restaurants, souvenir shops, and many 'museums'. (At least one for every 20 inhabitants!) What hasn't been destroyed by war and earthquake is  a picturesque village, the lower part of which is reached by walking up, up, up a stone path, through the castle walls. This is the easy part to reach, so we did it right after arriving, and the views were terrific.
 Next day, after one of Sophia's delicious and fortifying breakfasts, we headed  to the top of the castle. Access is through the Museum Casa Orduna, the former home of a very wealthy family.

Many of the furnishings and much of the decor is intact. Their library was enormous!The museum itself was a destination, but we, like many others , were on a mission. 

 Soon we found ourselves out on the steps leading up to the castle. What a hike, and what amazing views at the top! I can officially say that my knee surgery was a success. This hike could not have been done on the old knee!

Bear with me.....

I apologize if you've been getting posts that don't seem complete. Blogspot is acting up. Be patient and the full posts  will follow.

Muchas gracis!
Bonney 

Novelda Spain Day 18

Novelda is a small city about an hour north of here. Besides having the prerequisite fortress and church, which are spectacular; Novelda also houses a beautifully preserved home from the modernist period that is now open to the public. 
Having found  a great parking place, we began our rambles. The city was fairly quiet and neat as a pin.

The Casa Museo Moderniste  was a feast for the eyes! Beautiful architectural details, superb craftsmanhip and lovely period furnishings. Though we couldn't understand a word the guide said, we left the museum with a true appreciation for the modernist style

A little ways outside town, perched on a hill stand the remains of a 12th century Moorish fortress and the Sanctuary of St. Mary Magdalene, a lovely little church built in the modernist style.  These two buildings are the pride of Novelda.

Note the use of many and varied materials, a hallmark of the modernist style

Jeff has a new friend!
For more pictures of these sites follow the link to my Picasa Web Album.

Around the Casa, Days Fourteen - ?

We're back in La Zenia enjoying a bit of downtime. Each morning we head out for a walk, and end up wishing we had started a bit earlier. By midday the heat is palpable on the pavement.

Jeff at the post office

The other day we discovered a route to a neighboring beach, Playa Flamenca, also a tapas, er, topless beach. The village has a post office, a few shops, and restaurants.

 Our current  favorite is The Oasis, and indeed that's the way it feels!  It's run by a British couple our age who are delightful.

It seems as though the post office is privately run, but our Spanish is not good enough to verify that. There's so much we're learning about Spain.









The other day we met a very nice gal in our complex named Denise. She and her husband Bob are  from Britain and spend most of their time traveling here to their home in Spain and to Australia visiting their son and his family. Denise has been terrific, recommending places to visit and restaurants to try out. The other day Jeff bemoaned the fact that we haven't seen any Spanish restaurants nearby, so she suggested we we all go tomorrow night to a place in  Pilar de la Horadada, a few towns to the south, that is supposed to be very good. Stay tuned!





One of the fun parts of a home exchange is that you get to appreciate and care for certain parts of the home. For us it's feeding the  little black (feral) cat and watering the potted plants on the patio.

 It certainly feels more like home.

Heading back to the coast Days Thirteen and Fourteen

After a terrific breakfast in a nearby sidwalk cafe we grabbed our bags, found the car, and said farewell to Granada.





 

"There's something wonderful about Sunday mornings in big cities", we both exclaimed as we easily guided the car back to the highway and headed east.

Spain's highways are terrific, very well-repaired and well-marked for the most part. The drivers and the road signs are something else, and a topic for a future post!

Our destination was a B&B just outside the city of Lorca, Los Sibileys , a country inn  set in the remote foothills outside the city and teeming with rugged natural beauty. Debbie and Steve, the owners moved here from England where Steve was a chef. The inn overlooks a beautiful pool where we enjoyed  good conversation and a glass of wine with a charming couple from Holland. That evening Steve put on a magnificent dinner for us and their good friends Kevin and Liz.

Next morning we enjoyed a brief walk around the area, seeing and hearing many birds and watching rabbits scurrying about.

And back into the rental car, headed for home.
Only got lost once!

Granada! Days Eleven and Twelve

If you ever consider driving into Granada, promptly dismiss the thought unless you have nerves of  steel. The city was built long before the automobile, hence it's a maze of narrow one way streets, and there is road construction on every other block. Since our hotel was conveniently located in the heart of the city, we were well-advised to ditch the car in one of the many municipal garages. This after inadvertently wandering into the restricted zone for a little foray!A short cab ride and we were at our hotel. We apparently lucked out because we found a small simple place within walking distance to the Alhambra and the downtown sights. Thank you, Tripadvisor !  








Dinner was a tapas feast at Bodegas Castenada at the bottom of the old moorish quarter. The only waiter in the place was a magician. He managed to keep the many customers fed and watered without so much as a pad and pen. Despite its popularity, this place has a vibe that was both fun and laid back. And the food was magnificent!Big day tomorrow, so early to bed.

 Next day we headed up to the Alhambra on the cool of the morning.The Alhambra is such a special place- rich in history and natural beauty. It's hard to imagine that in the 17 and 1800's it was a shambles. Thanks to the efforts of Washington Irving among others, the palaces, fortress, and grounds have been lovingly restored and are visited by ~8000 visitors a day.

Puertas de las Granadas

Washington Irving stayed here while writing "Tales from the Alhambra"

View from the old Moorish quarter, the Albayzin

Inside the Moorish fortress, The Alcazaba

the fountain of Myrtles is said to have inspired the Taj Mahal

in the rotunda of the palace of CarlosV

after a long hot day

the Alhambra at night from the Albayzin
For more pictures from Granada, click on this link.