Leaving Madrid, we headed to Valencia, stopping in Cuenca a city in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha in central Spain. Departing the bus, we were treated to tasting of a local liqueur, RESOLI, enjoying so much we bought a bottle to take home.
Cuenca (pronounced 'kwen-ka'), a breathtaking mountaintop autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, founded by the Moors as a strategic defense of the area. Due to the shortage of land, the people came up with the ingenious solution of building upwards alongside the cliffs. These 'casas colgadas', seven or eight story HANGING HOUSES have become a signature of Cuenca.
Driving to the top of the old city we then walked to the bottom to meet our bus. During this very steep decline, our guide pointed out the many points of interest. We then taken to a home hosted lunch. This was very special - our hostess Eva, and her father joined us for a traditional meal. The conversation back and forth enabled us to understand their family history and present lifestyle. These home visits are a signature of our tour company, Grand Circle and for the most part are a highlight of each adventure.
Saying goodbye to our hosts, we headed for Valencia arriving long after dark, checking into our hotel and then looked forward to a good nights sleep.
Showered, and having eaten, we took a panoramic drive around parts of Valencia, followed by a walking tour of the central area. After stopping for lunch al fresco, of grilled fish and vegetables, a plate of grilled mushrooms (for me) and cervaza, we walked back to the hotel to rest and experience whatever the rest of the evening holds.
Cuenca (pronounced 'kwen-ka'), a breathtaking mountaintop autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, founded by the Moors as a strategic defense of the area. Due to the shortage of land, the people came up with the ingenious solution of building upwards alongside the cliffs. These 'casas colgadas', seven or eight story HANGING HOUSES have become a signature of Cuenca.
Driving to the top of the old city we then walked to the bottom to meet our bus. During this very steep decline, our guide pointed out the many points of interest. We then taken to a home hosted lunch. This was very special - our hostess Eva, and her father joined us for a traditional meal. The conversation back and forth enabled us to understand their family history and present lifestyle. These home visits are a signature of our tour company, Grand Circle and for the most part are a highlight of each adventure.
Saying goodbye to our hosts, we headed for Valencia arriving long after dark, checking into our hotel and then looked forward to a good nights sleep.
Showered, and having eaten, we took a panoramic drive around parts of Valencia, followed by a walking tour of the central area. After stopping for lunch al fresco, of grilled fish and vegetables, a plate of grilled mushrooms (for me) and cervaza, we walked back to the hotel to rest and experience whatever the rest of the evening holds.
After breakfast, the day began with a visit to the Lladro Museum. We were walked though the process of how each and every Lladro figurine is created, piece by piece, some taking as long as several weeks to complete. Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed so you will have to go to your favorite store to see what the end results.
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Valencia scenes
After this brief sojourn in Valencia we depart for Barçelona stretching our legs in Peniscola, a scenic seaside town before stopping in Tarragona for lunch and a tour of this Catalonia town, founded by the Romans and in the past, because of it's harbor, was the largest and most important community in Spain (did I mention that the Roman name Spain, means "country of rabbits"). Tarragona proved to be one of the most beautiful costal towns as we wandered through it's narrow cobblestone streets.
Following our lunch, and walk, we boarded the bus and continued onward to our final destination - Barçelona.