This is a short and easy hike with nice views. Not a lot to say about it. I was only out for two to three hours round trip. But it was a pleasant visit if you’re in the area. If you are interested in the route, you can see it on Strava.
This was a fun hike. You can choose your difficulty level and end up at Monasterio de Caaveiro. If you are interested in my route, you can see it on Strava.
On one side of the river, there is a paved road running near to the monastery. You can drive most of the way, or walk here on even terrain. On the other there is a hiking trail that follows the rivers with small waterfalls all along the route.
The río Eume is a striking shade of blue. If I understood correctly, there are some restrictions to swimming here due to a unique ecosystem. It is not a warm day for swimming, so it isn’t hard to resist the temptation.
So many little waterfalls everywhere.
There are ruins to explore along the way as well. This roman bridge appears at the Ruínas do Muíño de Sesín.
View from the monestary.
Merry Christmas from Benicàssim! It’s a lovely day for walking barefoot on the beach.
Castellón de la Plana is a large-ish city near the Balearic Sea on the Mediterranean Coast of Spain. It has a nice downtown shopping district and its proximity to the coast and things to do is lovely. It has an bike path from Castellón de la Plana to Benicàssim that remains well lit at night. The rental bikes and flat landscape make it a desirable form of travel.
Sculptures from Juan García Ripollés decorate many of the the public spaces here. You can also find his paintings for sale in various shops around town.
Cuenca was a quick stop on the drive between Santiago de Compostela and Valencia. This city is absolutely stunning. I would love to return here for a longer visit.
After parking, I climbed some stairs to the historic old town. The views are stunning here. The first stop was the Catedral de Cuenca. The architecture is Gothic, but was built during a time when Romanesque was still popular. As per usual, the art inside was a mix of strange pagan and christian symbolism.
The cathedrals of Spain always have the best position in the mountains for amazing overlooks.
There was a gallery of broken pieces, unfinished carvings, and miscellanea. I absolutely fell in love with these guys.
The geometric patterning of the ceiling of the Capilla Honda is absolutely stunning.
I left the cathedral to walk around the historic district and learned about the hanging houses of Cuenca. The buildings are built that the walls abut the exact edge of the cliff. If you walk out onto the bridge, you can see the balconies of these homes overlooking the moutains. I can only imagine the view waking up each morning.
Last up was a little shopping in the old town. I found a ceramic shop from artist Rubén Navarro. You can visit the shop here. These guys came home with me. I am not sure how to explain my new found obsession with Spanish chickens.
PigTailz 