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Published: December 3rd 2009
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Pots of geraniums are a common sight in Arcos
The contrast with all the whitewash is striking The trip from Marrakech back to Madrid went smoothly. No problem with customs reentering the Eurozone, even with our bundle of carpets and other goods. The Spanish agents seemed much more interested in Europeans bringing items back than they were in Americans who were going to take their goods back out again. We talked over our next destination after we landed and decided that after Morocco, we needed a quiet place to chill out. We ultimately decided to try Arcos de la Frontera. Although it is a fairly long drive from Madrid, it is also pretty far South, so we're likely to get reasonably warm weather, and the town is small (about 35,000), so it won't cause us any problems with traffic or locating hotels. I had reserved another car for our last 6 days, and it was quickly ready for us.
It was getting on into the afternoon by the time we left the airport, so we needed to find a place to stay Friday night, then could continue on to Arcos on Saturday. Andrew had started feeling the onset of a head cold before we left Marrakech, and the flight didn't help. He was pretty miserable when we
left the airport, so we didn't want to drive too far that day. Heading South on the Autovia, we settled on Valdepenas, a winemaking city that gives its name to an origin for red wines. It is a prosperous and busy city, but has little of touring interest unless you arrive for the annual wine festival. That was OK with us, since it was just a transit point. I did visit a pharmacy in the morning and managed to explain to the pharmacist that we needed medications for a severe sinus and head cold. He helpfully provided two treatments, which Andrew started taking immediately.
We headed out, crossing back into Andalusia and over the Sierras. It was 4-lane all the way, and other than a brief navigational detour in Cordoba, we drove to Arcos without incident. Arcos is justifiably well known for its whitewashed, picturesque buildings and hilly, twisting, narrow streets. We drove through the town, climbing to the hilltop where a cathedral and castle overlook the surrounding fields and vineyards. Unlike many of the other places we have visited, Arcos seems to be buzzing with tourists. I suppose it is partly that it is the weekend, and partly
that, like us, the other tourists chose to head South in hopes of warm weather. In any case, for the first time on the trip, the first hotel we tried was full for the night. No worries though, the next place had a nice triple for us, and was located most of the way up the hill.
Alec and I left Andrew to nap in the room while we went out to explore a bit. We took in some of the ever-changing perspectives of Arcos, as well as scouting for good places to have tapas and dinner. We stopped for a beer at one cafe, then at another for some chorizo and a great potato salad, with a good rioja. We then went back to our room to relax for a bit. We waited until 8, then went out for dinner. We decided to try an Italian restaurant near the hotel. It was really good. The calamari was great, very tender and sweet. I had ravioli with a white sauce, filled with anchovies, as did Alec. Andrew was starting to feel a little better, and found the appetite for a big bowl of pasta. We shared some desserts, had
a coffee, and went back to the hotel for the night.
Sunday morning, it was heavily overcast, foggy, and drizzling. I decided to go out anyway, while the boys slept in. I climbed up through the streets to take some photos, then went back down into the more modern section around the Plaza Mayor. It wasn't classic sunny Spanish weather, but it was very atmospheric and a stark contrast with the aridity of Morocco. I found some breakfast at a cafe (a tostada and cafe con leche) and walked for while more. The weather was improving, and by the time I got back to the room it was clear and sunny again. The boys were up and moving, and Andrew was feeling still better. The medications really seemed to be helping. We headed out to find some lunch. It was a quiet, pleasant, and satisfying day. We went back to the place where we had eaten tapas the night before to have dinner. It was really good Spanish fare: we had pork, venison, and lamb, all very well prepared and savory. Our decompression days in Arcos were welcome, and Andrew was feeling almost himself. On Monday, we would head
back North for our last couple of nights before returning home on Wednesday.
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