Stops along the way in Spain

I feel compelled to strike a pose at the Cáceres sign in Plaza de Santa Maria.

As we get older, our tolerance diminishes for long days of driving. We've planned our recent trip to Spain to stop for the night after (at most) five hours in the car. This itinerary gives us the chance to spend an afternoon and evening in some towns that we probably would have just bypassed en route to our next destination. Here are some descriptions of our stops along the way as well as some day trips we took during our week on the Costa del Sol.

Lerma

Located near Burgos, a much more famous city that we visited a few years ago, the small city of Lerma provides a good end to our first day on the road. As with nearly everywhere else in Spain, the city has an ancient past with Romans, Visigoths, and Arabs all contributing to Lerma's history. The city's political and cultural heyday was in the 17th century, and in 1965 Lerma was designated as a historic-artistic complex. Its main square is flanked by the Ducal Palace and the Monastery of San Blas. 

Our friends had recommended a small hotel located at the entrance to the old town, DC Mesones 21, which impressed us with its cozy room and friendly owners. 

Lerma's Ducal Palace is now a parador (a fancy hotel).

From the Viewpoint of the Arches in Lerma, one can look out
over the Arlanza plain. 

I find Lerma, our first stop on our recent trip to Spain, to be
surprisingly charming.

Cáceres

Located in the Extremadura region of Spain, Cáceres is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city's cobblestone streets are surrounded by Renaissance and Gothic palaces, mansions, and churches. Barrio San Antonio is Cáceres's old Jewish quarter. The city is encircled by Moorish walls from the 12th century, and can boast around 30 towers. 

Our first stop is for lunch in the main square, where I order the regional specialty, migas, which is basically sautéed bread crumbs — delicious!  

Cáceres's Arco de la Estrella was built in the 18th century.
The gate leads to the city's main plaza.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site city of Cáceres has something
to see around every turn.

Cáceres's Jewish Quarter is an area of steep narrow streets. The
white-washed homes here feel simple compared to the grand
Baroque mansions found a block away.

Residents of this home get a bird's-eye view of the
street below in Cáceres.

I am surprised how delicious migas is. The Cáceres version is made
of bread crumbs and topped with a fried egg.

Mezquitilla

We've hunkered down in a seaside high-rise apartment in Mezquitilla, on Spain's Costa del Sol, an area that I'm not too impressed with. Most days, the weather is chilly and gray, or rather, red; a major Saharan dust storm blows through on our second day here, turning the water in the swimming pools a muddy color and layering everything with a thick dust that we are still trying to exorcise from our car weeks later. 

We spend much of our time talking about what we're going to eat since there's no shortage of restaurants here. We take some long walks including one where we check out a pint-sized castle created by a Danish artist with a sense of humor. A few enjoyable day trips (see below) round out our stay here. 

Although we didn't know what we were ordering, we quite enjoyed
this huge calamari for lunch at a seaside restaurant in Mezquitilla.

The pink hue of this photo is not a filter; a Saharan
sand storm blew through during our stay in Mezquitilla.

It took Danish artist Anton Jensen two months to construct
El Castillo del Búho (The Owl's Castle). The miniature castle,
located near Lagos, is made of stones found on the Costa del Sol.

Frigiliana

Our day in the lovely white-washed village of Frigiliana is a highlight of our trip. We've chosen to visit this area of Spain because our friends are spending several months here and are considering making it their winter home. We meet them for lunch in Frigiliana and take a long stroll through its winding passages. Paul tells us that its residents come from more than 30 different countries. The town, located a few kilometers north of Nerja, is in the National Park of Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama — a popular area for nature lovers. 

Frigiliana is one of the most charming of the white villages in Andalucia.

What must it be like to live along a narrow passages in Frigiliana?

Touches of color can be found throughout the white village of Frigiliana.

We've come to Frigiliana to hang out with our friends (and neighbors),
Lydie and Paul.

Málaga

One day during our stay in Mezquitilla, we take the bus in the other direction to Málaga, a large port city whose most-famous native son is Pablo Picasso. Not surprisingly, there's a Picasso museum here, as well as a cathedral with the nickname La Manquita (one-armed lady) because one of its towers was never built. 

We're impressed by Málaga's Atarazanas Market, its many churches, and a Roman amphitheater. After a few tapas and glasses of wine, we head to the Alcazaba, the ancient Moorish fortress, and surprise ourselves by climbing to the top of the hill on which it's perched. We're rewarded with fabulous views of the port below. 

Atarazanas Market is bustling on the day of our visit to Málaga.

The ancient Moorish fortress called the Alcazaba is perched
on a hill in Málaga.

Málaga's large port is seen from the Alcazaba.

A Roman theater is located at the base of the Alcazaba in Málaga.

The sun finally makes an appearance during our daytrip to Málaga.

Ocaña

Our two-week trip to Spain is over, and we're on our way home to France. We spend our first night in Ocaña, a town located in the Castilla-La Mancha region in the center of Spain. It's a very quiet Sunday afternoon when we arrive, but a smattering of families are hanging out in the town's large central square. We've chosen a modest-looking tavern for lunch and are impressed with the quality and price of our meal.

After lunch, we walk to the Fuente Grande fountain, which is a huge outdoor structure dating from the 16th century that includes a wide stone gallery, and a central washing area that allowed 300 women at a time (who else?) to do laundry. 

Ocaña's Plaza Mayor features 70 arches topped with two stories
of balconies and attics.

The Fuente Grande fountain in Ocaña is a huge facility dedicated
to water, including the biggest laundry room I've ever seen.

This little guy tops a fountain in Ocaña.

Pamplona

For our last night on the road, we stay in Pamplona, of bull-running fame. We visited here a few years ago, and because it had been raining then, I assumed that we'd see the town in a whole new light this time. Unfortunately, our nerves are on edge from our long drive in the rain, and the dark skies and the wall-to-wall graffiti, sours our mood. 

We perk up as it nears the pintxo hour and we head to our hotel's neighborhood in search of wine and snacks. We never did succeed in adapting to late dinners. Oh well — one last early-to-bed night in Spain before we return to France. 

The narrow streets of Pamplona are beautiful,
if you can ignore the incessant tagging.

Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona is named for a castle that used
to stand here. Bullfights were held here from 1385 to 1844,
the year a bull ring was constructed. 

Ken stands atop Pamplona's 16th-century city walls, which were
built to defend the city from invasions by the French. 

Lost in Jerez

A stork couple make their home in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. 

Our winter getaway this year was to the Andalucia area of Spain. We spent five days in Jerez de la Frontera, a city known for sherry, flamenco dancing, and royal Andalucian horses. Jerez, which translates to sherry, is roughly pronounced "her-eth," something I learned our first evening in town during a private guided walking tour. 

Jerez's cathedral sparkles in the evening sky. 

First, about that tour. We often go on free walking tours when we visit a new city. The idea is that a guide will give us, along with a few other tourists, a lay of the land, sprinkle in some history, and provide insider tips on where to eat. In return, we give the guide a tip at the end of the tour. 

The Cathedral of Jerez features Baroque, Gothic, and Neoclassical styles.

We're eager for our Jerez at Dusk tour because we know very little about the city, and an evening tour will require us to stay up later, perhaps even late enough to have dinner in a restaurant. (Restaurants in Spain start serving dinner about the time we're changing into our P.J.'s.) 

This tour is through GuruWalk, an enterprise that connects tourists with freelance amateur guides who work for tips. Our guide, Kike, may be an amateur tour guide, but he's had a long career as a flamenco musician/dancer and is also a barber. We enjoy our tour, although being the only participants makes us a bit self-conscious when deciding what to pay at the end of the tour. 

Tío Pepe is a popular figure among sherry lovers in Jerez de la Frontera.

Jerez de la Frontera was originally named Xera by its founders, the Phoenicians. During the Middle Ages, the city, which was located on the border of Kingdom of Granada, was governed by the Muslims until the Catholic monarchs won control. Jerez's rich Muslim past can be seen at the Alcazar, a fabulous fortress that contains a mosque and Arab baths. Just around the corner is the Cathedral of Jerez, an ornate building that we admire from the outside.

The Alcazar of Jerez dates to the 11th century. Several vestiges
of its Islamic origins remain. 

The Alcazar of Jerez contains this ancient olive oil press.

It's time to rest after climbing to the top one of the towers at
the Alcazar of Jerez.

The Villavicencio Palace at Jerez's Alcazar contains
this well stocked pharmacy.

The old city was originally surrounded by a wall, some vestiges of which can still be seen. The town was deliberately designed as a labyrinth so that invaders would get lost if they breached the wall. I can attest that it was an ingenious idea. Even after several days here, I need a map and GPS to find my way back to our apartment. And even with these tools, I get lost — a lot: There's a shortage of street signs here, and certain areas where my phone's GPS gets confused and sends us in the wrong direction. 

Performers at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art salute
the royal box, although no kings are in attendance today.

One thing we can't miss is a visit to the Royal Andalusian School of the Equestrian Art. I'm glad we planned ahead, otherwise we might have missed the chance to see the famed Cómo bailan los Caballos Andaluces, How the Andalusian Horses Dance, a spectacle featuring the wondrous Cartujana horse breed. Some aficionados of such things consider this exhibition to be the best equestrian ballet in the world. Our show tickets allow us entry to the school's gardens, the equestrian art museum, saddlery, stables, and carriage museum. We visit the stables last, and wander among the stalls admiring the steeds up close — sadly, no petting is allowed. 

The equestrian museum is housed in the palace at the
Fundación Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre in Jerez.

This building contains the performance arena at the Fundación
Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre in Jerez.

Ken has a word with one of the horses at the
Royal School of Equestrian Art in Jerez.

This rider is perhaps calming pre-show jitters at the Royal
School of Equestrian Art in Jerez.

Cómo bailan los Caballos Andaluces is the famed horse ballet at the
Royal School of Equestrian Art in Jerez.

Jerez is also known for its flamenco dancing. In fact, according to Kike, the term tabanco, meaning a bar where flamenco is preformed, was coined here, although I can't confirm he's right on this one. We don't attend any flamenco shows during our visit to Jerez, nor do we stop by any of the many sherry bodegas. If we find ourselves back in Jerez, we'll still have a healthy to-do list. 

I adore this tile bench in Cádiz.

On one of our days in Jerez, we head to Cádiz, allegedly Europe's oldest city, located a short train ride away on the southern coast of the Iberian peninsula. This city is rich — really rich — in history. Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans ruled here. The Muslims defeated the Visigoths here. Christopher Columbus set sail from (and returned to) Cádiz two or three times. The city was Spain's first capital following the signing of the first Spanish Constitution in 1812. 

The city of Cádiz has a rich Muslim heritage.

Cádiz's Roman theater is free to visit. Note the neighbor's laundry
drying above the stage.

San Antonio Plaza in Cádiz is a popular gathering spot for locals.

Although we find Cádiz to be a pleasant city, with a vibrant market, we see few signs of all this rich history. We enjoy the architecture, a visit to ruins of a Roman theater, and a leisurely stroll along the sea during our brief visit. 

Pastel buildings with beautiful windows abound in Cádiz.

Pretty spots like this one are found throughout Cádiz. 

In my next Away to Live post, I'll share glimpses of several stops we made on this trip to Southern Spain. 

The beautiful blue sea of Cádiz is seen through this balustrade.