Autonomous Community Castilla y León: Gumiel de Mercado 2021

I love this bodega.

 I've written extensively about Gumiel de Mercado (Post I, Post II, Post III) but it's such a beautiful place that sharing pictures is always a treat. This year we noticed there were some improvements in the "bodega hill" at the center of the pueblo. The have cleaned up the dangerous open chimneys and also provided a few maps of the bodega network in the village. I'm not sure if there is any actual tourism but it's great that they are leveraging the history of the area to promote tourism.

Sunset on the hill.

One of the entrances to the village.

A nearby vineyard.

Autonomous Community Castilla y León: Frías

 

The main attraction. Apparently some centuries (?) ago it collapsed and killed 30 inhabitants of the town.

 

Frías is hands down one of my favorite Spanish pueblos (villages). The layout of the village is unique and expansive considering it is an elevated village partially integrating the rock face in structures. One side of the village is a massive castle that erupts out of the highest point in the rock and literally towers over the village. On the other side of the village is an old church and in between is a large open green space with old castle walls overlooking the valley below.

Apart from the beautiful architecture and layout, in my opinion the village has also not yet been completely swallowed by tourism. There were probably more people living in the town than passing through although the local bar was packed (the bar was built into the rock). Entrance to the main castle was two Euros and the reconstruction of the castle was a perfect balance of reconstructing the general shape and function but not overdoing it by giving it a replica feel. There was an elevated perimeter wall and a pair of towers to climb for a view. The main tower was a short but steep hike up and the views of the village were amazing.

A few kilometers out of town there is an old Roman bridge and an area to swim in the Ebro river. It was a nice place to go for a walk and although we had big plans for swimming, the cool mountain air discouraged us! 

 

View from the highest point.

The open area between the church and the castle.

Roman bridge and a nice swim spot.

Autonomous Community Castilla y León: Oña

Oca River

 Oña has several hiking trails and we chose a very flat and moderate walk along the Oca river. The pueblo (village) is nested in a valley and the river walk passes by the abandoned train line at several points with massive rock features rising from both sides. The walk is nice though the road is always nearby and there was some traffic so it’s not exactly serene. But for the more adventurous there are trails that venture up into the mountains. We were not feeling so adventurous and instead headed back into the town after a 4km circuit. 

I didn’t expect much from Oña and as a result I was pleasantly surprised. There was a massive monastery and a very open plaza mayor (main square). There was a cool free museum called the Museo de Resina that not only provided an unexpectedly interesting lesson on old fashioned resin extraction (I know, it sounds so nerdy), but it also provided a great view of the village at the top.

While getting a drink at a local bar I thought that Oña would be a great spot to spend the night and use as a launching point for longer walks on the trails. It would be amazing to return to the area for a longer trip hiking to several of the small villages.

Autonomous Community Castilla y León: Tobera

 

The ermita.

 

Tobera is a stunning mountain village that seemingly appears out of nowhere. We approached from the dry and expansive plains of Burgos in the south. The climb up the Cantabarian Mountains (Cordillera Cantábrica) is sudden and the landscape becomes full of green pines. The change of scenery is stunning and dramatic. It's like one minute you are looking at dry wheat fields as far as the eye can see and then  the next moment there are waterfalls gushing out of steep rock faces.

One of the first buildings to appear after the ascent is a well preserved roadside ermita (a kind of monastery for recluse religious people) and then a well designed walking trail following a mountain river through the quaint village of Tobera. The water is a beautiful emerald blue and whether there are waterfalls or shallow areas, the water provides a stunning backdrop.

After visiting the three main waterfalls and pools that are woven in the town, we had a pincho at the only bar and then headed up the road to the village of Frías.

There was a trail to go around and underneath this waterfall. The local bar was also perched nearby with a great view.

Aranda de Duero restaurant: Mesón de la Villa

 

Cordero lechal

 

One dish the area is known for is cordero lechal (roasted baby lamb). I have had it a few times before but the meal today at Mesón de la Villa was so exceptional that I felt the need to blog about it. I also felt for the owner as covid-19 has absolutely affected his business negatively and he was making an effort to put his personal touch on the experience. He told us that he had to shut down twice already and I'm hoping he can stay open as he has such amazing food and great ambiance.

The entire restaurant is located underground and there is yet another level to access a bodega. There were probably 20-30 tables but only three tables were in use that day. They had installed air filters and there was good circulation but we had noticed the town was particularly covid conscious. The owner constantly checked in on us and we saw him at the oven personally roasting the cordero lechal. He even brought it out and cut it at our table even though there were other waiters that would likely take on the task if there were more customers. We had fantastic morcilla (blood sausage), croquetas de jamón y cocido, and some salad to go along with our cordero lechal. Obviously it was accompanied by a delicious red wine and we were pleased to get some desserts of chocolate cake, cheese cake, and and unbelievable hojaldre (Puff pastry).

After lunch the owner invited us to take a look at the bodega. Although it's no longer in use, it was still cool to see some of the big old barrels, bottles, and chimneys. It was also really cold down there which was refreshing on a hot August day.

The pandemic has been tough for restaurants around the world and Mesón de la Villa is no exception. I'm hoping it can stay open and thrive.

Aperitivo: Champiñón

Morcilla

Croqueta

Barcelona: Park Güell

View of the city from "Nature Square"

 

I have visited Barcelona a few times over the years and I have always prioritized visiting Park Güell. It's such a unique park and fits Barcelona's personality perfectly but this time around I was unfortunately disappointed. The biggest change that has occurred since I last visited eight years ago is the addition of an entry fee. In my previous visits the park was still functioning as an actual public park and I have wonderful memories of hanging out in the park listening to people play music, watching young people kicking around a football, or observing relaxed elders under a tree eating a bocata and drinking wine. 

This time around the park felt less like a park and more like a tourist attraction. There may have been some effect with pandemic protocols but I could not believe how poorly signed and organized the park was. My suspicion is that they have redesigned the park to control the crowds and funnel tourists in a predetermined entry/exit path. Even getting in the park was a little confusing with specific gates for entry and exit. There was a "digital map" that was broken and the available paper maps were not clear. I think we had a pretty natural flow to our walk but we were constantly met with "exit only" signs. 

Gone were the general public and in their place were throngs of tourists and some street performers that frantically picked up their goods and ran whenever the authorities passed by. I felt like no one was actually enjoying the park as a public space rather we were all just taking pictures and walking a circuit to view the most famous features of the park. 

I read online that most of the park is actually still accessible for free to the public and only the famous monuments require payment. It's entirely possible that this move not only creates revenue for the city but also funnels the tourists (myself included) away from the recreational use areas and thus improves the quality of those specific areas for the locals.

 

 

Barcelona: City Visit

 

I would not describe myself as a city person but I can appreciate the benefits of an urban environment, especially if I am on holiday as opposed to permanently living there. One of my favorite cities hands down has always been Barcelona. It's small size, location on the sea, cosmopolitan population, amazing food and weather...what is not to love? Well, apparently the secret is out and Barcelona has often been the centerpiece of discussions regarding overtourism. We certainly felt that this trip was different and we also realized that due to travel restrictions, nearly all Chinese, Japanese, and Australian tourists were not traveling during this time and we could not imagine adding them to the mix. 

It doesn't help that my wife studied for a year here in the early 2000s. Obviously things change but it was disappointing to see that places that used to be cool and used by the residents of Barcelona were now tourist traps. Mercado de La Boqueria used to be a market frequented by locals and now it's nearly totally geared towards tourists, the same goes for Park Guell. Even Las Ramblas felt like it was only tourists walking up and down looking at each other. The fun street performers and locals hanging out were absent and it felt claustrophobic at times. 

I still loved Barcelona's charm and international feel. I did get to check out two places that I had never been that contrasted quite well with each other. We went on a hike in the hills in Serra de Collserola Natural Park with beautiful vistas of the city. On the beach front the vibes were bumping at San Sebastian and Barceloneta Beach. I loved the feel with loads of young people hanging out, skateboarding, flexing on the beach, and just exuding August Mediterranean beach vibes. 

Overall the visit was still great, I was there primarily for work which made it easy to enjoy the food while not getting bogged down in the tourist activities.

Ermita de Santa Llúcia

Morning sun.

 

One of my favorite morning or evening trips in Alcossebre is the Ermita de Santa Llúcia. Located in the Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta, the building is on the southern hillside overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. There are gorgeous views on one side of orange groves nestled into the mountains and on the other side vast expanses of coastline. There is a windy road that leads up to the lookout point and many cyclists and hikers come up in the early morning. 

The actual building is never open when I go but there are some nice information panels describing the history of the building and the area. It's absolutely worth the trip if you're in the area.

Beautiful vantage point.

Autonomous Community Aragon: Mirambel

View on the street.

 

After Morella and La Iglesuela del Cid, the final village on our little tour was Mirambel. The village of Marimbel is tiny, like 120 people tiny, and it is quite stunning to stroll through a random thousand year old village. The fuente (drinking fountain) is located in a lush green space near the church and it was the perfect place to have a drink and cool off. The majority of the buildings and roads were constructed of stone and there was a beautiful gate and archway on the north end of the town. Another interesting sight was a large building with a fun sundial on the side that was indeed accurate. 

The town had a few nice rural hotels and some trail signs for nearby hikes. We ended up getting a cold drink at the local bar but we wished we could have stayed at least a night! 

Getting a drink.

Beautiful gate.

Admirable stonework.

There are terraced hills surrounding Mirambel.

Autonomous Community Aragon: La Iglesuela del Cid

 

Main plaza.

 

Even though our trip to Morella was technically in the autonomous community (the Spanish equivalent of a US state) of Valencia, we combined that trip with some trips to nearby villages in the autonomous community of Aragon. The landscape in the area is beautiful with rugged hills, impressive canyons, and dotted with horses, cows, and sheep. There are a few villages in the area that are well preserved and deserve a good walk and drink if one is in the area. 

The first village we visited was La Iglesuela del Cid. It had an excellent restaurant (Casa Amada) where we enjoyed solomillo (sirloin steak), conejo (rabbit), and chuletas de cordero with a 7 EUR bottle of red wine. After the meal we strolled the town visiting the classic rural village spots such as the plaza, fuente (water fountain) and village outskirts. There was some really cool stonework throughout and we ran into a literal horse in the middle of the village, I mean, it was just that kinda of village!

This horse just chilling was a notable sight. 

 

That is a hell of a hand crafted stone wall. 

Autonomous Community Valencian: Morella

 

Shamelessly ripped this from the web because I did not get a photo of it from our approach...which was not from a helicopter.

This one I did take, it's from basically the opposite angle as the one above. Note the bull-fighting ring INSIDE the main castle.

Today we went on a multi-village excursion (La Iglesuela del Cid, Mirambel) that started with Morella. I had never heard of it before but I was pleasantly surprised with our trip to the ancient walled city. It's cool because the core of the castle incorporates several caves that have been used for thousands of years and then the exterior has a rich history of the Greeks, Roman Empire, Arabs, and pf course modern Spain.

These days Morella is teetering on the edge of being a tourist trap but is still charming and the approach to the village does look freaking cool. It is in a very hilly and rural location so there aren't any other developments around it. When you approach from the southern side you see these beautiful terracotta rooftops with the castle almost floating above. 

The tourism development is more than adequate with ample parking, a visitors center, and tasteful restoration of buildings throughout the village. The castle is the centerpiece and it's a steep walk up but totally worth it. I loved the little cave museum with explanations about historical characters and the views at the top of the castle were pretty. The only funny (but very Spanish thing) was that the hours of the castle were 11am-11pm. It was €3,50 to get in and it wasn't super crowded. 

The rest of Morella was nice but really only took an hour or so to stroll. There is a main street that has a variety of shops selling the famous local cheese and wool products with some trendy restaurants as well. This area of the town was much more crowded than the castle which makes me think many people are not thrilled to make the steep-ish climb. It's a village that is totally worth the visit!

Castillo de Xivert

View west.

 

Castillo de Xivert is located in Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta overlooking the town of Alcala de Xivert. These types of forts are common along the Mediterranean coast line though their condition varies. Castillo de Xivert has undergone some reconstruction and in my opinion it was done extremely well. The castle still has an ancient ruins feel but has interpretive signs and enough core infrastructure to help one understand how the castle was designed. I absolutely loved the fact that there is no one there and you're free to kind of clamber around the fortress Indiana Jones style. It was completely free of charge though that also means there weren't any services available (no bathrooms) but it's still totally worth it. 

We were with a local and we took a back way through some orange groves from Alcossebre. At the parking lot there are signs funneling you to a slightly adventurous walking trail but since our crowd was a little on the older side we took a more circuitous though flatter and less scenic road. It was funny because when we arrived to the castle there was someone bent over exhausted and she eagerly asked us if the way we came was more comfortable than the normal route. Lucky for her our local friend, Antonio, had the answer!

Southeastern side.

Artistic interpretation of the eastern side. You have to climb a very sketchy wall to access here.

Love the high walls.

View to the south.

Faro de Irta

One of my favorite "classic" Alcossebre activities is a walk to Far de Irta, a lighthouse on the northern edge of the town and on the southern edge of Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta. Architecturally it is nothing to special, it was built in the 1980s in the post-modern style and I personally prefer the older more traditional lighthouse designs. It has a really nice boardwalk leading up to it and then has trails leading in the adjacent park. 

It's an easy stroll from the town so no excuse to not at least check it out. You can clamber along the rocks as well and there is also a nice little bay if you want to take a dip upon arrival.

Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta: El Faro hasta Playa de Cala Argilaga

 

View towards the north looking into the hills.

Just north of the bustling and crowded Alcossebre pueblo center there is a rugged park, Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta (Torre Badum). There is a walking trail beginning at the lighthouse that follows the coastline with the mountains in the background. The vegetation in the area is sparse so it is best to go on a cloudy day or sometime in the day when the sun is not too hot. 

As with most parks in Spain the area is not completely devoid of development and the trail winds past a few luxurious houses as well as some hidden beaches. Although there aren't any massive trees the shrubs and brush fit well with the massive boulders and rocky shoreline. It's a highly recommended walk but make sure to bring everything you need with you (food, drink, shade if you're on the beach) as there aren't any shops or services available.

Alcossebre (Comunidad de Valencia) Trip IV

 

Another August, another family trip to the coast (Trip I, Trip II, Trip III). The rhythm of the beach takes some getting used to, but once one settles in the groove it can be relaxing and enjoyable. Ana's family are creatures of habit and that being said there is an absolute routine to an average day at the beach. If you spend a month here, probably 20 of your days will look exactly like I outline below.

7:30-8:30 – Wake up and have breakfast. I usually have an espresso-like coffee from a perculator, a bowl of oats with fruit, and my absolute highlight of the day, a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice.   

8:30-9:30 – Bicycle ride along the coast. The early morning crowd of Alcossebre starts to hit the streets at about 9:00 so if you can get out a tad earlier you can enjoy relatively deserted streets for some time. There are cyclists, joggers, and loads of walkers. One of my favorite groups are the people with vans or campers that arrive to points along the beach to set up shop for the day. The lucky ones that snag the good spots early look smug as they unload their tables and lawn chairs while surveying their well-selected beach real estate. The area will later fill up with other beach goers but for now they can enjoy some exclusive serenity.   

Prime real estate.

 9:30-12:00 – The first chunk of, “free time”. Ana’s parents emerge from their slumber around 9:30-10:00am and I often have a second breakfast, usually some fruit and maybe a little jamon sandwich. Unlike the other meal times, breakfast are mostly solitary and everyone does their own thing. It’s usually still quiet and cool and a great time to read.   

12:00-2:00-  This is the perfect time to go to the beach. The beach is about a 15 minute walk (one mile / 1.6km) from the house. There are some other less populated beaches but they require a short drive, it just depends what one is in the mood for. I prefer the walk to the beach, quick swim, dry, and then walk back to the house. Upon arrival back to the house it’s standard to go for a quick dip in the pool to rinse off any sand.   

2:30-4:00 – Lunch.  

4:00-7:00- The second chunk of free time. It’s highly encouraged to take a siesta after lunch but one is free to relax in the shade and “read” (ie, doze off). Physical activities are highly discouraged.   

7:00-10:00 – Activity. This usually consists of a walk and “tomar algo” (literally to take something but meaning have a drink and tapa). We either walk from the house or drive to another neighborhood and walk from there. Regardless of where we begin, it always ends with us at a bar or cafe having a tapa. When the sun begins to set we head home.   

10:00-11:30- Dinner. The rumors are all so true, the Spaniards have a late dinner time. It’s usually something light and it’s quite nice to wait until the sun goes down and it cools of a little. I usually head to bed around 12 or 12:30 which is far off my usual bedtime of 9pm but one must adapt to the local customs.