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.

Mid-morning meal: Almuerzo

Almuerzo ingredients

 

I've written about the eating times in Spain but I want to highlight one of the specific mealtimes, almuerzo. Typically this meal is taken anywhere from 10:30 to 12:00, a kind of late-morning snack to tide people over until the late lunch. This used to be more important when the majority of people were farming and couldn't afford to come back to the house and prepare a meal. I learned about this tradition from Antonio, a life-long resident and eager narrator of local customs and behavior. He explained that in the area (province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community) people lived inland and had plots of farmland near the coast. They would have their almuerzo packed with their bota while they either farmed or grazed sheep. In this area the almuerzo has, "jamon de mar" (sardines), green pepper, tomato, garlic, and bread. 

The first time it was explained to me I was intrigued and Antonio was excited to arrange it. It has since become a yearly tradition, one that we all look forward to. To be honest, I really don't love the actual food in almuerzo but it's always better than I think it will be and it's a fun thing to do. The porron is an essential piece of equipment and we're also partial to having coc en sal, a kind of specialty bread from the area. It's a nice change of pace, a bit novel for us, and a throwback to the lifestyle and rhythm of life a few decades ago.

Fresh squeezed orange juice: Zumo de Naranja

 

Where I am from, fresh squeezed orange juice is a delicacy that will probably cost you nearly $5 a glass. Here in Spain, it is the norm, not the exception. I remember when I first came and saw my in-laws making fresh squeezed orange juice every morning I initially thought they must be rich to afford such a luxury. But then I realized it was at all the normal cafes and indeed was perceived as normal. 

Spain is the biggest producer and exporter of oranges to Europe and the fifth biggest worldwide. Around 75% of oranges in Spain are grown in Valencia region (where we usually stay). There are hundreds of varieties of oranges and the ones used for juicing are usually the "Valencia" variety: thin skinned, containing seeds, with little meat and quite acidic. They are pretty affordable and one can easily acquire a juicer and, voila, fresh squeezed orange juice.