The next segment of the cruise was up the Eastern coast of Spain. We resisted the offer of beaches in Malaga and headed to the hills in a taxi where UNESCO sites beckoned. One hour later we were at Ronda. The vertical weathering of these hills is dramatic and building a bridge between the two sides of the town was not for those with vertigo.
Any area that vaguely resembled horizontal was claimed with a stone wall to form a garden.
The town is also famous for training bullfighters. This was a rare moment when crowds were absent.
Whether you live on the edge or at the base it does seem
that any minor earthquake would be devastating. Presumably this is a stable
zone but….I think I am happier being a visitor than I would be as an occupant.
Just a short 20 minute drive down the road is an equally extraordinary site at Setenil. These are modern day cave dwellers. This particular shop not only had part of the roof that had fallen away from the rock above but sought to emphasise the flaw with lighting. I suggested Helen to make her selections quickly….
Some of the rock shelves were so wide that they formed the same roof for shops on both sides of the street. The caves provided cool shade and generated a breeze so it was a very comfortable environment. I suspect winter may be a different story!
After those two UNESCO sites we headed to Alicante. As we walked down the quay towards town there was an unexpected diversion - the Volvo Ocean race museum. It turned out to be a wonderful education of winners, designs and unfortunately deaths. You could even spend a few minutes in a simulator…. we gave that a miss!! We prefer larger ships with stabilisers. This lego version comprises over 100,000 bricks and everything works including winches, rudders and even the canting keel.
The town is overlooked by the
usual fort. What was interesting were the corner turrets. I suspect they would
have been very useful in the days of bows and arrows in shooting down marauders
climbing the walls but would have been rather vulnerable when cannons were
introduced.
In town, a simple street became a tourist attraction through the clever addition of some sculptured mushrooms. I suspect it is the largest area for selfies in Alacantie.
We opted to escape the crowds and visited the cathedral of St Nicolas. This was an austere but nonetheless stunning structure comprising many large hewn stones, delicately refined to provide tight interlocking. The skill of the stonemasons producing flawless curves culminated in the wondrous 45 metre high dome.
Out next port was Valencia where
Helen had arranged a short walking tour of the historic centre followed by some
tapas. Our walk around included a huge market. Produce was not limited to Spain
– it seems the UK continues to survive Brexit.
Most buildings were adorned by small balconies. They look good but other than the very occasional washing line do not appear to have any real function.
As with most towns in Spain there are structures going back to Roman times. La Almoina Archaeological Museum entices thanks to a glass roof covered by a few inches of water, giving distorted views of the ruins below. Had time allowed we would have probably succumbed but on this occasion lunch beckoned!
It turned out our host was not just
Irish but a qualified chef so after the tours gave us a real run through of
some of the greatest tapas we have ever enjoyed...
together with a large selection of the local wine. We certainly
travelled “home” full (in all senses of the word)!
The half-way point (and
changeover for the ship) was Barcelona. This was hot and very busy (4 cruise
ships in). With a late off time (those leaving the ship had priority) and early
back on board time (notwithstanding we left 1½ hours late) our planned trip to
Monserrat had to be shelved for another day. Some ships look like they belong
in space rather than on the sea…
A relaxing day at sea then saw us in Malta. What a stunning city/island. Natural harbours abound with many buildings having great outlooks. A Hop-on-hop-off trip enlightened us on the many initiatives Malta has taken to generate wealth (free port for cargo and servicing of airline planes). I suspect boat insurance must be somewhere in the list.
The city sits atop a large hill
within fort surroundings where the focus is on giving tourists all that they
need. Squares with flowers, gardens, decorative pillars, and statues abound were a welcome distraction from the shops!
Some fountains were quite new – the Triton Fountain, unfortunately, lacked water.
The fortifications are an unusual blend of built structure and hewn walls. They would have been a formidable challenge for any attacker.
The Royal theatre had fallen into disrepair, but rather than demolish and rebuild, they have built over the top of the original stonework with a steel frame and set in new, comfortable seats. Although concerts are now outside, the chances of inclement weather upstaging plans is small, given a dry climate and temperatures tempered by the surrounding sea.
The original building and what has been kept is readily appreciated from a picture en route to the loo....
The steepness of the city can be better appreciated when compared to the ships. These normally dominate the harbour but here tend to nestle into the landscape.
Cruise ships are encouraged, and a
short stroll from the port is a lift to the Upper Baraka gardens and city
level. Having bused up we took the lift down. Using steps to descend the 58 metre height would have
taken most of the day. Climbing up would have taken less time, as partway would have inevitably resulted in an emergency trip to hospital.
Fortifications are not just limited to the city centre. Bastions are the dominant feature of each of the numerous bays within the harbour.
This view rather summarises the city. A few relatively skinny buildings near water level to service the sea industry backed by a vertical cliff face with the main city above. I cannot recall a similar landscape.
Even exiting the harbour was a zig-zag affair.
With a spectacular sunset….
We all agreed Malta is on the list for a longer visit.
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