Troglodytes, Tango & Dali - Guadix to Figueres Everardt's photos around Figueres, Spain
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Entry from: Figueres, Spain
Entry Title: Troglodytes, Tango & Dali - Guadix to Figueres
Entry:
Not far from Granada is the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, and after weeks of museums, galleries, palaces, castles, etc I need to do some strenuous activity, so decide to climb Mt Mulhacén, which is the highest mountain in at 3482m. It's a beautiful sunny day and for once everything goes right (only a little sunburn, I don't get lost or freeze to death) and in a few hours I'm sunbaking shirtless on the peak, along with lots of other people, including cyclists with their bikes - it's the highest mountain in Europe you can ride up as there's a bike trail to the top (most were pushing their bikes the last bit). On my way south a couple of months ago near here I had seen fantastic rock formations and road signs saying something about troglodytic towns so as I am not too far away I drive to Guadix, about 60kms from Granada. The landscape is dry and barren and there are large outcrops of rock on the valley floor, many with houses built in to them. I stay at a troglodyte hotel - the bedrooms, dining area, etc are all built into the rock. The owners tell me they are holding an outdoor barbecue that night, so after freshening up I go to the dining area, and seeing a group of people sitting at a long table speaking in different languages (a couple of whom have Australian accents), who I take to be the other guests from the various rooms. I sit down at the head of the table and start chatting with them and they all seem to be involved with motorbikes. What I have come across in fact is a dinner being held by a racing team of Yamaha, who are out here for a week testing new motorbikes that are being released shortly - there are an Australian and a Spanish works rider, mechanics, PR people, etc, and I have inadvertently gatecrashed their party. They are very welcoming though and I end up eating with them, drinking their champagne and wine, etc so a jolly night is had by all. Near Guadix there are other places of interest so I spend a couple of days in the area: there's an place called Gorafe which is full of megalithic tombs sitated along the edge of a deep valley, and a fabulously sited castle called La Calahorra, which was one of the first Italian Renaissance style castles built outside Italy and the first in Andalucia. Further along, towards Almeria on the coast there is the Desierto de Tabernas, the only desert in Europe. I arrive there at sunset and it's very dramatic and surreal in the low light. The landscape is similar to some of the deserts in the southern US and has been used to make spaghetti westerns for many years. I continue on my way north to Valencia, where my friend Rafa and his girlfriend Laura live (I met him on a camel trip in the Moroccan Sahara). They are incredibly friendly and generous and I have a great time there with them. Valencia is a very interesting city - apart from the older quarters it has a new area with all these stunning modern buildings, including the Palacio de las Artes (a theatre/performance centre), which rather looks like a fish. Talking about food, Valencia is the home of the paella - I ask around for a recommendation and go to the Restaurant Riua, which specialises in rice dishes. The most traditional form of paella is made with chorizo and rabbit, but there's some other interesting alternatives, so I end up having pimientos y bacalao (peppers & reconstituted dried codfish) for first course, then a paella of langostinos (a type of small lobster) and ...
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Photos from this trip:
1. Clouds over Mulhacén
2. Peak of Mt Mulhacén
3. On top of Mt Mulhacén, highest mountain in Spain
4. Sunbaking on Mt Mulhacén
5. Members of Italian UIC riding club on Mulhacén
6. View from top of Mt Mulhacén
7. Mountaineers lunch after climbing Mt Mulhacén
8. Landscape near Guadix
9. Cliffs near Guadix
10. Fancy troglodyte home, Guadix
11. Cave Hotel, Guadix - my room on far left
12. Guadix Cathedral
13. Crucifued angel? Guadix
14. For sale - troglodyte home, Guadix
15. Small home, Guadix
16. Home sweet home, Guadix
17. Peugeot lost in the wilds, near Guadix
18. Curved road and olive farm, near Gorafe
19. Megalithic tomb, Gorafe
20. Town deep in the valley, near Gorafe
21. Water trough and tree, near Gorafe
22. Solar farm, near Guadix
23. Wind farm, near Guadix
24. La Calahorra Castle, near Guadix
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Alojamiento Rural El Parral, Pozo Alcon, Spain, Review HD
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Alojamiento Rural El Parral is a vacation home located in Pozo Alcón just 15 miles from Cazorla. The property is 30 miles from Guadix and features views of the garden.
The kitchen features a microwave, a toaster and a refrigerator and there is a private bathroom. A TV is provided. Other facilities at Alojamiento Rural El Parral include a seasonal outdoor pool.
Arroyo Frio is 17 miles from Alojamiento Rural El Parral, and Baza is 18 miles away. A variety of activities are available in the area, such as fishing, canoeing and hiking.