Train tickets and local exploring

Today we took an early bus up to the town where the train leaves at Canfranc Estacion. I had struggled to buy tickets online using my phone and in the past there was a ticket window at Canfranc. Imagine my disappointment when it was only a video terminal where I spoke to a clerk to buy tickets at the newly remodeled station. It took all my Spanish (thank you school lessons) to work through the process. Phil and I have discount cards for senior citizens. They worked fine at home buying tickets before we came to Spain, but they would not work on my phone. Sadly they also did not work properly with the clerk so after several frustrating attempts, we just bought our tickets without the discount (only 15 dollars more.) Anyway, I was glad I could understand and discuss the issue and we did get tickets. We'll get our discount tickets checked at a station with a live clerk in the future.

We walked around and got a few groceries. We are going to stay one night at the station hotel before our next leg of the trip. It will be my birthday and the only way to see inside the station is to stay there. The first time we saw it the station was a ruin. I will post more about it's history when we stay there .

After a healthy lunch at home, Phil loaded his pack again and we went for a slightly longer walk through town again. I posted some photos of construction for my Dad. He is an engineer and I recall on walks with him as a child we always had to stop and look at houses being restored.

We also went to the Visitor's Center which was open today. We walked out the "mill race" path which was originally a small aquaduct to bring water into town for a mill where grain was ground. It also provided water for the local washing area where women gathered to wash clothes. The mill race was covered by boards to make an interpretive path so you could walk out to see the water source.

The Cave of Wtches here is also an attraction. We have walked by it a few times, but never taken the guided tour. The Visitor's Center also had a very cool exhibit explaining how the threat of being named a witch was used to control women here in Spain over the ages.

On our way back, we found a few other paths we might explore next week. This is a perfect little resort town. There are two grocery stores (one for tourists and one for locals it seems). There are four or five bars and restaurants. There is an active library and church and the city seems to have strict building codes to keep the community's new construction looking as much as possible like the old.Read more