Spain

6/21 -- 7/4/2014

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[6/23 Madrid -- Toledo -- Alarcón] [6/24&25 Alarcón -- Valencia] [6/26 Valencia -- Peñíscola] [6/27&28 Peñíscola -- Barcelona]
[6/29 Barcelona -- Zaragoza] [6/30 Zaragoza -- Ordesa] [7/1 Ordesa -- San Sebastián] [7/2&3 San Sebastián -- Madrid]

Map of Itinerary

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June 26 ...

Valencia
We walked to Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados (Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken) in the early morning because it was closed yesterday afternoon when we were in that neighborhood. This temple, built upon the ruins of the Roman forum and dedicated to the patron of the city, is linked to the cathedral by way of a Renaissance arch. We saw many people passing by to pay their prayers on their way to work in the early morning.

Mercado Central, opened in 1928, is a spectacular piece of architecture and one of the most attractive and visited buildings in Valencia. With a surface area of over 8000 square meters, inside you can find almost anything in the more than 1000 selling posts: fresh fish, vegetables, meat, fruit, etc. You must go inside to feel the atmosphere of the market and being surrounded by the smells and colours of this place (although I was not particularly fond of the smell...).

Sagunt Castle
Sited near the junction of two Roman roads, Sagunt (Sagunto) played a crucial role in Spain's ancient history. It has been a witness to the passage of time and to the presence of the different civilizations who inhabited it: Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and Christians. Sagunt Castle covers an area of almost one kilometre in length along the top of the hill and provide a view that reaches for miles in all directions. To get to the castle, we had to park at the foothill outside a gated private community and walk uphill along the narrow streets for about 20 minutes, which was well worth the effort.

Coves de Sant Josep

The Caves of San José is a grotto by the underground river that runs from San Jose to 2,750 m in length with the possibility of reaching 4 or 5 km, which would place it within the Global Catalog of Large Cavities. The interior of the cave was also used during prehistoric times by human groups to establish their habitat. Latest archaeological excavations have resulted in the discovery of a site with more than 15,000 years. The longest navigable underground river in Europe will allow you to enter into the depths of the earth a peaceful boat plying waters, and admire the fanciful shapes of the rocks that the action of water has shaped over thousands of years backward and forward in time at breakneck speed to imagine the growth of stalactites and stalagmites.
Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the cave so I could not capture any of those spectacular formations (although I was not sure if I could get any on the moving boat).

Peñíscola
Peñíscola is one of the most popular tourist resorts in the province of Castellón. The castle, built by the Knights Templar between 1294 and 1307, perched on a large ridge overlooking the sea, offers a glimpse of its past at a time when knights and battlemented fortresses occupied the lands of El Maestrazgo. Pope Benedict XIII, known as 'Papa Luna', chose this as a place of seclusion from 1415 to 1423 and to launch the fight for the unity of the Catholic Church.
On the way to Peñíscola, it began to rain harder and harder. When we arrived to the hotel, we met Linus and his friends in the lobby waiting for a chance to go to the beach. I thought our day was ruined by the storm. Luckily, after a short break in the room, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. It turned out to be a nice afternoon so we could explore the Peñíscola castle under the blue sky and the cool breeze.
We missed the concert in Peñíscola because some mix up of the schedule we received a few months ago. The concert actually took place the day before when we were still in Valencia. But we received a picture of the concert where Iris was playing her solo from above the audience.

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