• Powell Ettinger
  • Powell Ettinger

Spain 2023 - Gorgeous

Bad start - then improved Read more
  • Trip start
    November 8, 2023

    Birmingham Airport

    November 8, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Met up with Caroline in the terminal, the excitement mounting. Until we got to check in and Ryan air announced that we(at least C) weren't going anywhere today as passport more than 10 years old. Ah. Plan B. To Chester to collect a painting and a night on the town.Read more

  • Plan B , part 1.

    Nov 8–13, 2023 in England

    Collected DJ and found Air BnB. Wandered round town looking for restaurant. They are all Italian. Pretty much every one. Still decent.

    Forgot to check the clocktower. Story is it only has three faces, North, east and south as earl of Chester wouldn't give the time of day to the WelshRead more

  • Monarchs way

    November 9, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Plan B. Monarchs Way wombourne to Oaken. Drove to Oaken then called local taxi firms for taxi to Wombourne. All too busy, none could help, to inspiration -try Uber even though we are seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Bingo. Habib just happened to be passing. £12. I love Uber.

    Was expecting a flat bit on old railway line then very muddy fields and lots of country lanes. But after the railway the path was across farmland which was surprisingly un-muddy with 1-2 notable exceptions.

    Fantastic graffiti under road bridge, unusual large herd of black and white horses and a disused airfield were notable.
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  • Newport

    November 10, 2023 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Train to Newport. Rain started hammering down as we got into car last night. And stopped as we stepped out to walk to station this morning.

    Caroline new passport all good and on time. Very efficient.

    Barbers in Newport not so good. I found 4. 1 hair salon, 1 stylist. No good. A guy with big beard, braces and tatts wanted £27, and another guy who wasn't in his shop at all but came back after 5 minutes told me he didn't do "quick cuts". No one wants my money, at least the amount I am prepared to fork out. Barber of somewhere near Seville it is.

    And then train cancelled,😞😡🤬
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  • Bristol Airport.

    November 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Bus from Bristol took 65+ minutes. Lots of people getting off and walking, some missed flights. Lots of road works, no warning from airport or Airline. Ridiculous.

    Lots of building work at airport, new car park and transport hub. But useless if cars can't get here.

    Highlight was 2 girls shouting at Easyjet ground staff. I'm going to take this to the top. Mum works for an Ambassador and my dad is. A multi millionaire!.
    Done up like cheap tarts, you would never know. Apparently had been refused boarding due to inebriation.
    They left in a huff and went to the nearest bar.
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  • La Ermita

    November 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Small village, very clean functional accommodation and very friendly and simple bar/cafe. Just a kilometer or so from the much more attractive Chulilla.

    Rias from Requena very spectacular, and closed. Involved 1.5 hours detour.Read more

  • What have the Romans done for us?

    November 12, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    A walk based on All Trails "Called, Chelva, Pena Cortada. " walk. Lovely start along the river , Chelva is prettier from a distance than inside, but with some impressive old walls and water channels. Coke and ice cream available.

    Walk on through a few farms and olive groves to Pena Cortada, Roman Aqueduct and channel cut into rock that now forms part of a very unusual footpath. Cross the Aqueduct and through the tunnels - some with windows on the gorge. We took a diversion that followed a path through the woods and through a bizarre almost spiral cave en route back to Calle. Although it is known the Romans built the Aqueduct in the 1st century, no one knows why.
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  • Rio Guadalaviar

    November 13, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Very pretty gorge walk, lovely autumn colours and a climb up to a dam. A few rope danglers and a couple of via ferrata opportunities, as well as a lone ibex spying on us from the top of the gorge.

  • Sponge Bobs, Rocky and the Flintstones

    November 14, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    A walk that started almost immediately as spectacular and got better and better for 2 hours. Big gorge, but mostly forested and with fantastic rock formations.

    Near the top of the gorge there was a carpark where many wirey people were carrying round large square sponge mats. With so many fantastic boulders around it is no surprise this is a big centre for bouldering.

    A few very faded cave paintings and a top view point before a much more functional path back
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  • Albarracin -Doh! Shoulda....

    November 14, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Glimpsed as we drove to a walk. Looked interesting so we went for a drink after the walk, and nearly stayed the night, even though we had a (over-rated) Parador booked in Teruel.

    Had a wonder, took details of a house for sale, watched a few vultures fly past then snaffles some tapas - Well, I did. Giant pork scratchings and bread crumbs soaked in oil and vinegar with bacon bits. Not to Caroline's taste so more for me.

    Small tunnels with gates by some houses, assume they are for livestock kept out the back
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  • Chill chulilla

    Nov 15–19, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Very picturesque village set on the cliffs above the canyon and with great access to the canyon walks. Apparently some excellent restaurants here, but none were open on the 2 nights we were here!

    A castle hangs on the cliffs over the village, and there are vulture nests (Well at least 1) on the cliffs opposite the castle. The canyon is spectacular and easy walking. The river was used to transport logs downstreamin 18th Century but now can be crossed by a series of low bridge crossings and stepping stones.

    There is a vast cave that has been used for millenia as shelter.
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  • Colgate bridge canyon

    November 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Terrific walk, the canyons keep coming and this is the biggest of them all. First part, just below Chuililla, the Charco Azul, isn't connected to the rest of the canyon as it is too narrow and sheer, but worth the additional effort. If you that section you have to go back to Chulilla to rejoin the main walk. The first section of the walk then follows the canyons edge, until, having paid a 1 Euro entrance fee, you drop in the towering canyon itself, crossing a couple of rope bridges. This is a climbing mecca and there are lots of very fit, tanned men and women dancling off ropes at various levels of the walls of the canyon, but it isn't obtrusive.

    Some hard yeards along a dirt track from the dam at the head of the canyon before you drop back down past some very small and inaccessible cave paintings before rejoining the canyon just below Chulilla
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  • Valencia

    November 17, 2023 in Spain

    Quick wander round a bit of Valencia. Fantastic fresh produce market where I bought some of the world's most expensive cheese.

    Stopped for Ben And Jerry's - it was Friday.

    Very impressive cathedral but wanted 9 Euros each.

    Found a park instead of a river which was diverted in 1957 after major floods. Pleasant enough. And comes with the now ubiquitous Ring-necked parakeets.

    Found a barber at last. Good cut for 20 Euros and some advice where to eat. Nowhere opens until 8.30 - which is past Caroline's bedtime

    Finding suitable restaurant proved challenging. After much walking ended up in Argentinian place. Excellent nachos and empanada, Les good pork loin.
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    Trip end
    November 18, 2023