Requena to Cuenca

I started out today with breakfast at the town square in Raquena. The people I’ve dealt with in this town have been so welcoming and friendly. It is interesting to watch how these Spanish communities work. People walking by greeting each other, groups of men or women walking around talking, business people stopping and talking. The sense of community is so strong and apparent. It’s their culture, but I also think communities based on walking instead of driving is a necessary component. I really enjoyed my morning here.

Deb and I are planning to come back to Spain in the spring. Part of my rationalization for this southern detour is to scout out some places we may visit. It’s really more about not raining, but play along with me on this. I’ve wanted to see Cuenca for a long time though, and it’s on the way back to Madrid and my flight home in two days. So I took the train to Cuenca today.

Cuenca is a city built on a rock outcrop surrounded by two rivers. Houses hang on the cliff faces. Nothing is flat and everything goes up or down. I visited the cathedral and walked around a little before dark. The pension I’m staying is down at river level. The back wall of the pension is a rock face. Tomorrow I’ll walk the route around the whole rock bluff/old city and get some better photos.Read more