Spain 25 - lost in translation, Beethoven, and our last day in Spain

---

How plans change. When we woke up the sun was shining. Why move? We would kick ourselves if we missed Zaragoza now being so close. We may not come this way again. So it’s a day in Zaragoza then and France moved back another day. We had managed to miss Africa and Gibraltar so the plan was that this one wasnt going to get away.



Sunday morning in Zaragoza. We are into the third week of our trip . We have covered somewhere in the region of 2600 miles so far and still have some way to go in the next week before we return to Britain.

Yet again another fairly early wake up call. We did the usual chores , Suzy is dusty and needed a good clean. Where does all that dust come from in a motorhome. Water needed topping up.We never fill Suzy to the brim as it means more weight to carry and generally top up what we need every three or four days. Once those jobs were done I headed for reception to pay for another night and find out where the buses go from.

I was told that they ran every 20 minutes even on a Sunday which I could hardly believe . Being used to no or very few Sunday services at home I wasn’t sure I should believe what I was being told . Apparently the buses left from behind the buildings I could see from reception. A small town was hidden behind those buildings. The story I was given on how to catch the bus was not the best of descriptions but we are getting used to this bus thing where it is hit and miss if you find the bus stop. We usually manage it somehow or other and today was not going to stop us. A bit like Treasure Hunt we have the clues and eventually work out what we need to do .



We walked slowly over the busy road, across the dirty scruffy park which was full of dog muck. I would be a very rich lady if got a euro for every pile of abandoned dog muck. I can never understand why dog owners dont take their own muck home rather than leave it for us poor souls to pick around on our way through the park. We gingerly picked our way through it to a street that had been given the name of Beethoven. We hadnt been given a name for street the bus stopped at so we had to make an educated guess. Of course there is a bus stop on either side of the road and not knowing which way the bus would go always causes a minor problem. As we rounded the corner we saw bus 41 speeding up across the other side of the road. Not knowing which way it was going we didn’t bother doing the run thing but walked slowly to check the stop out. It didn’t quite look right so we crossed the road and tried the one on the other side. This looked better and it did say a bus was due in 30 mins which seemed to be going in the direction we wanted to go. We managed to find an older man walking up the street who spoke a little English and he confirmed it was the right bus stop. We waited and it turned up just as he and the receptionist said it would. It was empty and we paid our 1 euro 35 to be carried the 10 kms to the Puerto del Carmen in Zaragoza. Again an excellent price for such a long ride.

The ride was an interesting one through a prosperous area of the city, no abandoned cars here nor graffiti. It was a cleaner entrance to a city than Valencia. We drove around housing estates for about 25 minutes before arriving in the city centre. This was the end of the line. The bus went no further other than back to where it started.

Eventually we got off and the driver followed us. He pointed to the arch and told us in Spanish and that universal language of using signs that we needed to walk 10 minutes straight past the roman arch to the River Ebro and all the main sights. He told us we needed to walk back to the same stop to catch the bus back. What a nice helpful man. We uttered our gracias and were grateful for his help. It would not have been easy to find the bus home without his help.



The arch reminded us of Saintes with its Roman arch. . A touch Bob the builder built . It was a strange thing with bits in the wrong places but interesting nevertheless . It didnt look quite right sitting where it did in the middle of the road. There were other roman remains, a temple complex and a statue of Caesar Augustus pointing somewhere - perhaps back home to Rome.



Our first stop coffee and cake as always. I try to hunt out a nice small cafe with a good selection of cakes . We never can just pick a cake between us. Greed kicks in and we buy a slice each and enjoy every morsel. . Over coffee and a large piece of a cheesecake type cake with blackberries on top we worked out strategy for the day. Espressos and capuccinos out of the way it was now time to hit the city properly and do the tourist sights.

It wasnt that busy. Perhaps Sundays are quiet days.

Our first stop the square with the cathedral . The present spacious church built in the Baroque style was begun in 1681 and completed in 1686.. Although we hate Baroque we had to admit that it was built in a pretty impressive time scale . Hard to credit just how it was built in just 5 years. Around the Holy Chapel are the domes filled with Goya frescoes. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936 - 1939 three bombs were dropped on the church but luckily none exploded. Two are displayed alongside flags in the church. It is a mellow brick structure with an interesting roofline. We never found the Goyas. The inside space was filled with ornate gilded side chapels, dark and gloomy , confessional boxes and a mass was going on whilst we were there. Strangely this gave the church a nice welcoming atmosphere. All that was missing was a incense and I am sure that came at some point. The music booming from the large organ, the choirboys singing and the act of worship despite us not being religious really brought the place to life as did the chanting of the priest and the congregations participation.

As we came out in the sunshine we walked past the old Roman bridge over the River Ebro and ticked off another great river.

We headed out towards the castle of Aljaferia. It was a long walk out and was poorly signed but at least armed with our street map we were able to walk along the riverbank in the general direction. People watching as we walked. Walkers , bike riders and the boaters on the river. . The city was a real unexpected treat offering us more than we imagined.



And as for the palace well for a start it was free. Yes for once we had picked the right day to visit. Sunday was a free day. Normal fees are 5 euros for adults and 1 euro for pensioners. It was empty - another bonus and we had plenty of photo opportunities and the chance to walk at leisure which had been denied to us when we visited the Alhambra. The castle is made up of a number of parts. The first that you see is the Islamic palace which dates back to the 9^th century. Courtyards open out onto water gardens with oranges planted for shade and smell. Arches act as visible screens dividing room from room. There is a northern portico and oratory all highly decorated with Islamic complicated designs. The niche of Mihrab points as always towards Mecca . The work continued on the palace through to the second half of the 11^th century and the art work apparently inspired the Real Alcazar at Seville and Granada itself.



After the inevitable reconquest by the Christian kings the castle became the home of the monarchs. Expansion took place and rooms were given a make over with beautifully decorated wooden, gilded and painted ceilings. Much of this work was undertaken between the 14^th and 16^th century. Further fortifications were added with an outside wall and defences and moat.



And to finish it all it is the home of the Aragon assembly.



We loved the place . Probably not as grand as some of the places we have seen but at least you could see it close up and personal.



Lunch was at a French style café. We ordered two white wines , a chicken salad and patatas bravas. Lost in translation we were served two blond beers, the chicken salad and potatoes covered in mayonnaise - Belgian style with tomato sauce for good measure. The interesting thing about ordering food is sometimes it does get lost in translation. Nevertheless we both enjoyed what we ended up with.



Journey home uneventful for us . We caught the bus. We didn’t even miss it nor get on the wrong side of the road to pick it up. It took us to Beethoven. It was easy to find the stop as the overhead notice changed and told you exactly where you were and what the next stop was. The disembowelled spanish voice also gave the destination of the bus and the name of the next stop. We couldnt understand a word of it.

The rain came back for a short while, the sun came back out and we bought a cake . Apples and strawberries in something syrupy and very sticky . Bring on tea time.

---

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Architecture
Lovely. We can spend hours enjoying the detail.

[JenGog]

always looking up
Glenn always laughs at me I forever fall down steps as my head is always looking up at ceilings or the details above head height. I have many a bruise to prove it