Europa Hotel Albacete

...And, to think. I did all that. And may I say -- not in a shy way. Oh no. Oh no, not me. I did it my way.

Okay, okay!!! Stop the music!!! Silence the band!!! The trip isn't over yet.

But it is true, I am officially in the last week of my European travels. And other than the food challenges that I've mentioned, Spain has been very good to me. Though Mizz Valencia is being coy and keeping her sunny skies veiled with a drab, white, overcast haze. Hmpf. But ...

... and things. Where I was staying it is a nice area with cobblestone and big square with fountains- the main one Plaza de la virgen with a fountain of Poiseidon. I made great friends here with the austrailan girls, a german, two dutch and a girl from norway and we went out together salsa dancing and also to the beach for the whole day following my arrival. For halloween it was quite a treat to see the whole city full of young kids dressed up. It was different ...

... pass by to help out in the garden, baking bread, gathering wood, repairing parts of the house and taking care of the two and a half donkeys (Trinity is pregnant) and the chickens. I felt really welcome and felt directly at home and part of the whole project. We helped out wherever we could: gathering and carrying wood ...

... time you could even meet a waiting crowd of fellow re-cyclists.

Shopping and recycling is a complete different activity. Before shopping its mostly wise to think before hand or even make a list of what you need. In the shop it takes a lot of time to find the articles and then to compare quality and prices and check product information (especially important when you choose for nutrition that is vegan/vegetarian/more ...

So today is our last day and we are both ready to be done with it! We arrived not until noon in Alicante and we had reserved an excursion to see two towns near Alicante. One was Jalon and is famous for Muscatel wine and the other was Aleta famous for nothing except that the tour guide lives there. So this day turned out to be a double holiday in Spain and ...

... qui chante à mes oreilles!!
Exposition de Sorolla, artiste peintre espagnol natif de Valence. Il a décrit l'espagne du début du XXe siècle sur d'immenses fresques. Isabel est enchantée de me faire découvrir sa ville et les trésors dont elle regorge. Mais mon besoin de liberté recommence à se faire sentir.. l'envie de continuer la route reprend le dessus!

... viena - salzburg
22sept: salzburg - hallstat - salzburg
23sept: salzburg - zurich tren nocturno
24sept: zürich - winterthur - schaffhaussen - rheinfall (cataratas rhin) - stein am rhein - zürich
25sept: zürich - lucerna - interlaken
26sept: interlaken - grindelwald
27sept: Grindelwald - interlaken - berna
28sept: berna - laussane - montreaux - fribourg
29sept: fribourg - basel - vuelo a alicante

... Moorish Spain. Granada is not a large city, around 300,000 people, but it occupies a signal place in Spanish history. Standing at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, it has been settled since prehistoric times. It was built up by the Romans and became an important center under Moorish rule. It was here on January 2nd, 1492 that Ferdinand and Isabella accepted the surrender of the last Muslim ruler in Spain. Because the surrender was largely peaceful ...

... hippy college town. and the alhambra was magnificent. if you find the oasis backbackers hostel, it is near the teteria street which holds the arab market during the day and at night comes alive with various dance shows, flamenco and belly dancing are big. and the tapas in grenada are HUGE!!!

Sunday morning, and I feel completely refreshed! A quiet dinner with Regina and some of her friends, a few glasses of good red wine, and off to bed to sleep like the dead. This morning, I am up early. Before my host has risen, I tiptoe out the front door of her flat, and head for a nearby coffee ...