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Spain spring 2022..
  • CL Wanderlust
  • CL Wanderlust

Spain spring 2022..

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    paella at home

    21 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    made a paella at our place. used a chiorza sausage called rosary beads and they were quite good. I found some good spices at the local grocery store, sweet smokey paprika. it wasnt too bad considering it was made in a Dutch oven and not a real paella pan. did not get that nice carmelized rice happening but maybe next time. it still tasted pretty good! and we have leftovers so no need to cook tomorrow! the wind has shifted we think. there were less Whitecaps on the water tonight but the wind was cool and had more moisture. it seemed to be coming from the west off the Atlantic. we only stayed on the patio briefly before retreating to the enclosed patio area outside of our door. the view was magnificent. the light house in the distance is Faro de Camarinal or fara de torre graciela. we hope to get there maybe tomorrow its only 3 km away.Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    change in the weather

    22 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    the wind is gone and it is cloudy and cool just like vancouver's maritime climate. There are even a few drops of rain! There are some fisherman out on the beach close to the lighthouse fishing with very long poles, 3 or 4 poles per fisherman stuck in the sand.....just like we saw in Portugal on a similar sand duney beach south of Nazare. Yesterday when we were driving down from here to Zahara de los Atunes, we saw lots of fishing boats in the bay with their nets set out. The way they use to catch tuna with these nets is called "Almadraba" and dates from moorish times. They create a fence with the nets and as the blue fin Tuna are entering the Mediterranean during migration (now May) They then club the fish to death. Apparently the wafers turn red from all the blood. Today when they bring the catch in there are Japanese processing ships at port ready to buy the catch, flash freeze it and send it to Japan for sashimi! There are concerns about overfishing locally.
    this is the name of the beach we look out on. Playa de Atlanterra. suppose to be a blue flag beach, crystal clear waters. The light house called Camarinal lighthouse was built in the 16th century under Philip II as part of the coastal defence system to keep the berber pirates out. it was restored and made operational in the 1990,s its pattern seems to be one very long illumination followed by a short one. this area is great for migratory birds. they wait on the African side for the winds to die down and cross early in the morning. I expected there were some crossings this morning since it is no longer windy and we are certainly hearing more bird song but not seeing large flocks....granted it is cloudy. we did see a lot of swifts in Madrid and seville and they would have made the crossing this month.    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    wander through town Benalun Casas-Viejas

    22 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    The museum closed at 1400 so we went for a walk through the town after. it is very hillly and has some great views. very quiet as it is Sunday. there is some very sad political history on this town from jan 1933 when some of the local workers , poor temporary workers, shot into the barracks killing 2 officials. in reprisal there were 22 peasants massacred. this was one of the first uprisings recorded by journalists and there is a walking tour pamphlet that follows the areas in the town where some of the incidents took place and photos take 2 days after.. the church -Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Socorro -appeared to be abandoned but may have just been closed since it was not yet time or church. the fountain was lovely. Fuente La Calcetilla. this was one of the local fountains where the town people would get their water. We had good tapas at Restaurante Casa Pepe on the town square - la plaza de bates. Empanadillas-stuffed with brie, patatas bravas- roasted potatoes with a spicy paprika sauce and ensaladilla-potato salad with tuna.....I thought it would be a green salad bit no. it was all very tasty.
    This town I think is like the poor side of the city where the workers and peasants lived working for the rich landowners, some of who resided in nearby Medina-Sidonia.    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    drive to medina sidonia

    22 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    medina-sedonia is 20 km away from casas viejas. it may be one of Europe's oldest cities on a hilltop. there are remains from Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Christian's . it is very perched up very high so you can see why everyone wanted it. you can see over to cadiz harbour! enroute we saw storks nesting in top of the light standards in one town....we saw this in Portugal too around reberdosa, .Penacova, Portugal. one stork was feeding its baby.
    also some pics of plants. the blue is morning glory vine stretching way up. liaquat fruit....I dont think the few vancouver loquats ever get this much fruit. an unknown pink bell flower which was very pretty and the pines we saw a lot of. pinus Aleppo? Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis). or is it another 2 needle pine? forms a dense umbrella and seems to be all over the place. Aleppo holds onto its cones and is temperature sensitive. likes it hot. is common in cadiz provnce....but so is Italian stone pine Pinus picea also a 2 needle pine and likes sandy soils but seeds are larger....    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    Medina- sidonia church

    22 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    we drove up and through the Arc Bethlehem. thought we would not make it through it was so narrow. we then walked up to the church where someone leaned out of the window and told is there was a magnificent cultural area to see....the inside if the church. Church of Santa Maria, so we paid our 5 e and went in. it was beautiful. more Mary statues for thier floats and we saw the platform for the float. their alter was similar to the cathedral in Seville with 22 scenes carved to show some of the stories of Mary and the life of Christ. this church too was built on top of an old mosque. Alfonso X took the town from the moors in 1264. this church dates from the 16th century when the Duke was hoping to make it the seat of the bishop for the area. it was one of the dukes of medina-sidonia who led the Spanish armada against Elizabeth I
    ...apparently he was not an good seaman and got seasick. however their family was one of the very sucessful aristocratic families in spain. see some info on the red duchess one of the recent members who died in 2008. she was quite the character.
    https://www.andalucia.com/province/cadiz/sanluc…

    we did climb to the top of the bell tower and you could look down and see the old town remains behind the cathedral. there was a nice cloister attached to the church.    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    Castillo de Medina Sidonia

    22 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Castillo de Medina Sidonia We walked up to the castle. Google had it open till 9 pm....Google was wrong it closed at 1830 so we could not get in. we did pass by the Doña Blanca Tower - where Pedro I imprisoned his wife 3 days after marrying her. some say he was already married to Maria de Padilla his mistress but he denied this as he needed the dowry from Dona Blanca . She would eventually be executed and Pedro the cruel would go to rebuild the Alcazar in Seville where he and Maria would live. Marie gave him many kids.
    The Maria baths at the alcazar, this from another website.
    "They receive this name because it is believed that Doña María de Padilla, the lover of King Pedro I the Cruel, walked naked through the palace and bathed in this beautiful stone cistern coated in lime. Legend also has it that Pedro I made all those who visited him drink from the water in which Doña María bathed. Once they drank, the audience began"
    Because we couldnt get into the castle we found a path that went all the way around the site. it was high and narrow but you really appreciate the strategic importance of this spot.
    the one pic shows just how narrow these streets are to drive along.....    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    Faro de Camarinal

    22 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We drove back home and tried once again to find the route to the lighthouse-Faro de Camarinal- which we did find this time! there is a hiking path that goes to Baello Claudia. we went along part of it. Beautiful plants and rocks. our first real sunset over the Atlantic. the beach to the south is called -Playa del Cañuelo- but only accessible by walking down a steepish looking path from the lighthouse. it is partially in the military base area. this area during WWII was strategic for the entry into the Mediterranean. there are bunkers just below the lighthouse which were used to supply the german submarines. this would have been where my dad's ship patrolled. funny how 70 years changes things. some of the villas along the.beach between where our villa is and the lighthouse were possibly built by former nazis masquerading as wealthy Spaniards. this beach is called Playa Los Alemanes. our villa is very Spanish feeling with lots of religious tiling and an absolutely amazing selection of plants. it was built in 1993 we were told by paloma the owners daughter. it was built up in sections over the years. lots of private terraces for the different units.
    the 4 bedroom unit next door all bedrooms had an amazing view of the water as did the front room and the kitchen. there was a nice selection of rose prints I believe by Redoute.
    this from a website:
    "Pierre-Joseph Redouté's Roses are perhaps his most celebrated images, which the artist issued while under the patronage of the Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon"
    -Josephine had the most amazing collection of roses and Redoute was the artist who painted them for her.
    I suspect Palomas mom was a very keen gardener!    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    another lazy day

    23 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    spent most of the day reading and lounging by the pool. weather was cloudy so not too much fear of getting burnt. we went into town zahara de los atunes for more groceries and had a quick walk around town. so quiet today compared to Friday and Saturdah and Sunday....the weekenders have gone home! just like birch bay.

    there is an abandoned fort in town-Castillo de las Almadrabas- which was built by: "Juan Alonso Pérez de Guzmán y Zuñiga, VI Duke of Medina Sidonia (1518-1558), inherited the title of Count of Niebla from Emperor Carlos V and, as a result, expanded the family palace of San Lucar de Barrameda and built the Castle of Zahara of the Tunas. Which would serve as a residence, factory and defense of his almadrabas"
    this dukes families ancestors got the land when king alphonso granted it to him in 1294 when he defended Tarifa against the moors. he was the medina ancestor who sacrificed his son in order to oust the moors. his son was held hostage by the moors and he did not surrender. - "origin in the concession that, in 1294, King Sancho IV the Brave made to D. Alonso Pérez Guzman for his defense of the Tarifa square," These tuna traps were then owned by the dukes of medina right up to 1817.
    interesting article about tuna traps: http://alquilerenzaharadelosatunes.com/almadrab…

    the fort or palace -Palacio de las Pilas - is where the Duke would come with his enterouge when it was tuna fishing season. it was also important as an area to protect from the barbary coast pirates the berbers. there is a huge salt cellar where the church- Parroquia Nuestra Señora del CARMEN- now stands at the north wall. This was a working castle or "chanca" because of the fish processing that took place here. today it is protected but in ruins
    one web site states hippy fairs and concerts take place here today! .....folk fest anyone?    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    Cueva del Moro -cave of the moor

    23 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    when the sun came out it was getting quite hot so we didnt head out to our hike till after we had tapas. we made our own and had them on the deck of the next door unit since no one was there....amazing view as their terrace is above the pool terrace. then we drove to the lighthouse Faro de Camarinal- and walked to Cueva del Moro. it is in the natural park.- Parque Natural del Estrecho- there is a locked gate at the lighthouse end of the path/road but there is a farm along the dirt road. at the other end it is an open gate and then an old paved road 1.3 km up to the cave. there is a look it 300m up the road first with amazing views down to la bolonia and Baelo Claudia. We kept hearing bells as we were walking and sure enough there was the farmer with his herd of goats and 2 dogs as we got closer to the cave. there were also some cows with their calfs...all had horns as they dont remove the horns from the female cows here. we saw and heard lots of birds. a titmouse blue grey and yellow, a yellowish lbj and then a pair of larger blackish blue birds perched way up on a dead tree close to the cave. i think some sort of vulture. there are common vultures, griffin vultures and I think the sign said Egyptian vultures. A web site said there is a colony of griffen vultures here. They flew and a perigrine falcon flew out from the rock ledge and chased them away. i suspect the peregrine may have been protecting a nest. Later we saw another pair of huge hawkish/ eagle type birds. lighter in colour that flew around the rock ledges. there are bonelli's eagle, booted eagle and black kites here in the la plata mountains where the cave is located. the cave is only accessible if you are a rock climber and is blocked by a fence so you cannot enter. there are prehistoric paintings on the walls. discovered in 1995 and dating back 20,000 yrs. upper paleolithic. see this link: https://guiadecadiz.com/es/turismo-cultural-det…

    and this link
    https://www.prehistoriadelsur.com/2013/12/cueva…

     on the way back we ran into the farmer again with all the goats and he was shephardng them into his enclosure. The marine clouds were starting to come down to where we had walked up. apparently we did a 221 m elevation gain. it was very peaceful lots of birdsong and you could hear the waves way up high. a nice time of the day to be out walking. we passed quite a few people, a cyclist and a few cars.    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    more cave of the moor

    23 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    just a few more pics. we saw aot of the ground palm -Chamaerops humilis, https://josecelestinomutis.cadiz.es/en/portfoli…
    the three types of pine, italian stone, aleppo and Scots- all 2 needle pines they had slightly different habits and some had cones that seemed to stay on the tree.. cistus- rock rose which we lost this year at home , Spanish lavender!! daphne , wild olive and maybe Holm oak- an evergreen oak that does grow at VD in the Mediterranean section, quecus ilex. I think the purple plant is a type of phlomus? and huge thistle. there are also lots of eucalyptus, replacing the native trees.Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    cadiz

    24 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    a very quick trip to cadiz. it took an hour from zahara to cadiz. we ended up parking right next to the botanic garden -Parque Genovés. lots of interesting plants from around the world. there was a 100 yr old dragon tree! we made our way into the old town but because it was mid day lots of things were closed. we found Fallo teatro building-nice moorish architecture but it was not that old, built in 1884, but on a site that was a former theater. on our way back to the car at sunset it was way livelier as they were practicing for carnival this weekend.
    lots of narrow streets, apartments with small balconies and a lot of wrought iron. it reminded me of Havana. we found another square san Antonio where there was a church -Parish of St Anthony of Padua-, an old bank -Casa Palacio Arámburu, and casino! there was also some interesting decorations.....I assume for carnival. As we were having our coffee a truck came down the road and had to do 3 point turn to get around the corner.....and ask a patron to move the chairs out of the way. I don't know how they do it.    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    more cadiz

    24 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    we next went to the museum after a brief stop at the turismo to get a map and a bird pamphlet. stopped at Fuente de la Plaza de las Tortugas (Turtle fountain plaza) built quickly in the 1950's for visit by Franco. the church is st. Augustine, he is holding a church, his symbol. the museum was free but only floors 1 and 3 were open. one was prehistory up to the moors and was interesting. some signage in English. Google translator is not all that accurate we are finding. the third floor was marionettes....a bit like Polar Express...they even hava a Mary float puppet!. the funerary stuff was interesting. I think cremated remains are placed in a glass receptacle then into ceramic the Into stone. the amphora were different shapes depending upon what the held, olive oil, wine, garem, .....the beads look similar to the turquoise ones we saw in Phoenix in march. The museum is on a square called plaza Mina Square. it was full of kids playing in the gardens and climbing the shrubs it was a bit chaotic but this is their green space and they were enjoying it.Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    cadiz end

    24 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    after the museum we found spot to eat on Sacramento st. quiet side st. tuna in wine and onion, baby squid called puntillinas-they were good and some spicy prawns- gambos ajillo- very good. a very quick walk to the historic center passing the flower plaza and the huge cathedral -Santa Iglesia Catedral- through the rose arch,- Arco de la Rosa- and briefly into a church where they were practicing some music -..Parroquia de Santa Cruz-.it was quite nice but we felt we were Intruding so left. this church was built on the foot print of an old mosque, and you can see some interesting arches. then we wandered back up Sacramento to where we had parked. passing the falla theater where they were practicing for carnival.Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    lower wall walk

    25 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    after the concert it was windy so we went back to the car to get our sweaters. then walked back over the lower arab bridge and around the lower wall to get back to the west side and up through the Puente del viente the windy gate where we had been the night before in the dark. we passed by the Iglesia del espiatus santo- church of the holy spirit the large brown church. built on top of an old mosque in gothic renaissance style. we passed the iglesia ma auxilladoro the large white and yellow church on the highest point in ronda and then down a steep stair path to calle del Prada which turns into ctra de los molinos. these are actual roads paved in cobblestones. the goats were on these paths the night before....and will be the following night when we will drove this same route to catch the sunset.Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    drive to ronda

    25 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    left zahara just after 12. we were the only ones there last night. said bye to Jesus. Maria was not there today. drove to ronda and it took almost 3 hours. we went north to cadiz and turned east....missed the turn of course. you go past Arcos de la Frontera . the terrain is a bit like Oregan and tbe drive to Osoyoos. rolling hills, high rocky outcrops. some brownish rock some grey limestone , lots of farms and a few reservoirs.Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    ronda

    25 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    found the place in ronda, found the lockbox, found the right entrance got to 4th flr. apt A and the key did not work......deja vu. we had gone up portal 2 instead of portal 3.... finally got the correct apt. and the key worked! Nice place great view to the south out in the burbs of Ronda. A bit cooler here and a fresh breeze. the deck has an auto awning that goes out when sun is out and goes back in when sun has gone further to the west. got settled. the Lido (grocery store) is just 200 m down the road. had our leftover paella and a green salad in the deck for dinner......green salads are hard to come by. not a lot of lettuce grown I suspect because it is too hot.Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    eve stroll ronda

    25 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    walked to the old town . the drive in was gradual and around the north side of ronda. walking down the main st - ave Malaja- it goes right into the shopping street- Carrera Espinel- . at the end you are at the bull ring- Bullring of the Royal Cavalry of Ronda-. the art of bull fighting was founded here in Ronda and they worship the first matador who developed rules around the sport -
    Pedro Romera. Ronda was freed from the moors on 1485 by isabel and Ferdinand. Philip II (grandson) decreed the sport of bull fighting in 1572. he did this to keep the royal calvary in shape. this bull ring was constructed in the 18th century and is made entirely of stone. we then walked to the Alameda del Tajo (almada is mall and del tajo is pit) thuis is a 19th century park laid out in geometric patterns, hedges and some amazing trees. at the west end of this park you come to the cliff.....and what a cliff. this looks over the Rock called the El Tajo de ronda. tbe mountains around here are of limestone and are part of the Baetic Cordillera that starts in Morocco and extends to southern spain. the town of ronda itself sits on top of a sloping plateau called the depression of Ronda. The Guadalevín river carves it's way through Jurassic limestone ( yes there are sea fossils in these rocks) at the bottom the power from the river use to power some flour mills until a land slide in 1917 took most of the mills out.
    see https://dickschmitt.com/travels/spain/malaga_pr…
    for more info.
    saw a flock of sheep or maybe it was a heard of goats and their shephard witb his dogs down on a lower slope being led down to the lower road.    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    sunset and birds

    25 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    you can walk north of the Alameda del Tajo along the edge there is a nice promenade but we wanted to go over the bridge and go down a bit. it was a good bird watching spot at this time of the day and we saw a pair of some sort of kestral like bird with pinkish shoulders and dark wing tips. they kept landing on the cliff face and it looked like they were going into the cliff. nesting site perhaps? the booted eagle does inhabit cliffs but it seems too small to be that?? eagle is 45-50cm . kestral is 22 in which is 55cm so maybe it was the booted eagle! I have now read in rough guides that there is a bird called the lesser kestral that inhabits the cliff face...so I think this is what we saw. we walked to another lookout -Mirador de Ronda- where there was an accordian player playing everything from tangos to the macarena to in the mood... just a bit beyond here is where we watched the sunset. a flock of swifts became active as the sun was going down, lots of swallows and a flock of red billed choughs....they make the most unusual sounds. a flock of them are known to roost in the gorge. see here for what they are and sound like. in the crow family. https://ebird.org/species/rebcho1
    the pic of the bridge look in the top left corner for colin....that gives you an idea of how big this bridge is!    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    over the new bridge and down

    25 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    so we headed to the old town to see if we could find the path down to one of the old gates. this is the new bridge Puente Nuevo built in 1793. there are 2 other bridges but we havent been to that side yet. you can hear the water rushing over the edge and it kind of reminded me if an amazing gorge we drove over last fall on the road between port renfrew and cowichan lake....where there were 6 of us taking pics😉. we walked over to this lovely square -plaza de maria auxiliardoro- where there are again some lovely old trees and a path down to these gates. there was a sign that said 11 min to Molinos del tajos. so down we went. we could here the goats bells as we went. We got to this gate in the dark. . Puerta Del Viento the wind gate. . there was an interesting cone shaped rock outcrop to the left. We think we heard an owl, saw a newt like amphibian cross the path and lots of we birds rustling around. after Puerta Del Viento we went up and back down what I think was the Los molinos gate. amazing views of the Puente neuvo from here but what a walk back up. my knee and my toes were not particularly happy...then we had a 25 min walk back to the apartment. tomorrow I think we may try going up from the bottom but this time drive to the bottom and I will have my knee brace! we may run into more goats!Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    ronda view from puerto de los molinis i

    25 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    the view of the Puente nuevo from the puerto de los molinos.
    Puerta Del Viento the wind gate was part of a wall system on the western flank to keep watch over the mills and cattle. this gate we definitely got to but not sure if we got to the next one. we got to a different arch with amazing views but we didnt go through.
    Puerta de los Molinos I think is the final spot we got to but it was dark and we weren't sure....    Leggi altro

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  • CL WanderlustSpain spring 2022..Viaggiatore

    2 old bridges

    26 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    over the Puente Viejo bridge, the old bridge then down towards the arab baths. but first we bad to cross the 2nd bridge the Arab bridge or the Puente Arabe o de san miguel.
    the Puente Viejo was built in the 16th century and may be the 2nd bridge built on the same site. it was built to connect the old city- moorish settlement - to the new padre jesus marketplace neighborhood. the arab bridge which is lower was built during moorish times. it was rebuilt in the 1960s. this was the bridge that moors used when entering the city where the baths were located.Leggi altro

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