Right now, Lars and I are counting down the days for the start of our big spring trip. So far, we have spent a lot of time to the planning ;we will spend quite some time in Eastern Europe. We are really looking forward to the trip! It is very likely that we pay a visit to Italy again and Albania and Romania.
When we were in the Dolomites, we stayed on a farm in a small village.
If you are a nature love, you will love this area! This sierra is surrounded by motorways, so accessibility should not be a problem: E 902 in the west, E315 and E326 in the east, A324 in the North and GR5100 in the south. We usually drive via the town of GUadahortuna, which we did that day too, and afterward ended up by coincidence in Cuadros, where we found road signs to a mirador.
We let ourselves be guided by our curiosity, the landscapes were magnificent! This is the video we made:
I grew up with my grandparents and when I was six my grandmother introduced me to Lawrence of Arabia. Although I didn’t really understand the movie, thanks to the landscapes, the soundtrack and the enigmatic Peter O’Toole, this was the start of a lifelong affair with movies. Furthermore, When I saw the movie again in the fall of 2018, I discovered that part of the movie had been filmed in Spain! The next day we found ourselves in Tabernas for some exploring:
This small town is located not far from a desert, as you can see from the surrounding mountains:
Last Summer, we were back in Tabernas, for some further exploring.
On top of a hill, you can see the ruins of an 11th century castle. The local church is also worth a look:
There are picturesque villages nearby:
And there is of course the desert:
During our day in the Pyrenees, we decided to follow a touristic route in the area, we basically drove from one village to another. In Valle de Villaverde we decided to take a lunch break, we had become hungry!
So we parked our car near the Santa Maria Church and made our way to the Posada Calera. As soon as we entered the dining room, we were welcomed by delicious smells coming from the kitchen and a very friendly woman presenting the menu del dia to us.
Lars chose chickpea soup with extra cabbage for the starter, and I had macaroni. Both dishes were incredibly delicious. The Posada has an excellent cook!
For the second course we both had French fries, eggs, and the best smoked ham we had ever eaten:
Dessert was Natillas (Vanilla custard), containing about a miliion calories! One of the best meals we ever had, we were in foodie paradise.
When we were back in the car, the explorers in us woke up, and we decided to go to Bakio (am small coastal town):
Huge change of scenery, and what a scenery:
it was the end of the afternoon and lots of people were soaking up the last sun rays on the beach with their pooch.
And after all the fantastic events of that superb day, It was time to return to Santander.
There’s no denying it, winter is approaching. The weather is still sunny, but temperatures have gone down to 15-20 degrees Celsius, which is about half of what we enjoyed during summer. Lars and I both miss summer, but seeing the first snow in the magnificent Sierra Nevada is special. Since we both come from flat countries, a drive in the Sierra Nevada -or any other Sierra for that matter – is always a delight.
These are the pictures we took:
Budapest is without any doubt Hungary’s most popular destination, but checking out the Balaton Lake is really worth it. IT’s home to numerous beaches and a geological site, called Hegyestű (located between Monoszló and Zanka). The site features an exhibition about its history. The entrance fee is about 1200 HUF.
The trail to the top is easy to follow; do wear a decent pair of shoes though and a sunhat. The views are magnificent!
The address is:
Zánka Monoszló és Monoszló között külterület
About a month ago, my laptop broke down. That’s one of the reasons why we haven’t been very active on our site. Without a laptop it’s kind of hard to blog, and we have just returned from more adventures in the north of Spain. Anyway, without further ado, let’s finish our adventures in Murcia!
First up is Puerto de Mazzaron, a charming beach town. In the harbor, there are boats that organize trips during which you can observe dolphins.
Another beach town that won our hearts was Bolnuevo. Think Beach, Bars and Bays, and Rock formations. All the ingredients for a tranquil holiday!
Our next post is dedicated to some randonautica!
There are of course other coastal towns worth checking out
If you don’t program your GPS For a certain street in Los Alcazeres, itwill take you to the center of town, which is not particularly picturesque. Better follow one of the arrows to the beach!
Cabo de los Palos is another quaint town with lots of bars and restaurants.
And why not do some exploring in the nature reserve of Calblanq and its beautiful beach. With a bit of luck, you can find the remains of Portman, once a thriving mining and fishing village.
In the next post, we show you the 2 places that impressed us the most!
Murcia is the name of a region, province and town. Just like Andalusia, it is an autonomous region, located to the east of Andalusia.
When we crossed the border between the two regions, we were aware of the differences. The landscapes are greener in Murcia and there are far less white houses. During our trip, we really felt somewhere else. Lars and I stayed in the coastal region, more precisely in San Pedro del Pinatar, one of the biggest places at the coast. It’s not a picturesque place, I would call it cozy, and there are lots of bars and restaurants. Not to miss are the sandy beaches and Las Salinas, salt mines where you can observe a lot of wildlife.
In order to find Las Salinas, program your GPS on “avenida de las salinas”; there are 2 big parking spaces. Traveling on a budget? Keep in mind that tapas are no longer free here, but you can find a daily menu everywhere.
There are three villages that are generally seen as the most beautiful ones of the whole Alpujarra. Coincidence or not, these three are each other’s neighbors, so you can visit them in one day.
Avoid the weekends for a visit, when the villages are invaded by photography enthusiasts from all over Spain.
We started our exploration in Bubión, an artistic centre with typical narrow streets.
Next stop, the largest of the 3 villages: Capileira.
Around the village, we encountered some local wildlife.
Some wilder than others:
Back to the center with its steep, narrow streets and picturesque plaza:
Our favorite was the other small village, Pampaneira. With temperatures around 100F, we quickly sought refuge in the shadow of the local church.
We were enchanted by the abundant colors and flowers. This is Spain at its best!
In our next posts, we will show you more gems that we have discovered in this area, including an encounter between Lars and a local beauty.
Travel Memories 