We went on a trip for a few days to visit the town of Requena in eastern Spain. It is located on the left bank of the river Magro. The town has a long history and at one time was used as a Moorish fortress. The moors occupied Spain for around 800 years, from 711 to 1492.
Part of the fortress in Requena Spain
Requena is dominated by the ancient citadel of the Moors, and still has traces of the original town walls.
Church front of Arciprestal Del Salvador in RequenaThe Iglesia Arciprestal del Salvador is Renaissance-style, Roman Catholic church. It was erected in the 15th century.
We walked and explored some of the streets of the older section of Requena.
One of the narrow streets in RequenaA narrow street in Requena
Another interesting fact about Requena is the existence of a labyrinth of caves located underneath the streets. Between the 12th and 13th centuries during the Muslim period, caves were excavated and used for storage and protection.
One of the gated and locked entrances into the labyrinth of caves under the old quarter of Requena.
There are 22 caves that can still be found in Requena today. Many homes in Requena’s old quarter have a cave as part of the house. Thanks to geology, it was possible to easily excavate the subsoil which was done by the moors.
Entrance into the Historic Murviedro bodega.
We had the opportunity to visit the Murviedro’s Historic Winery located in the old quarter of Requena.
Entering into the cave system under Requena
Through part of the tour we explored some of the ancient caves under the city.
Ancient containers used for wine storage
It was like going back in time and experiencing the sensation of a different era. The bodega kept some of the original wine containers and in the original condition.
Original clay cast for storage of olive oil or wine.
After exploring the caves of the winery we were able to enjoy a fantastic wine tasting of their different wines.
Overall It was a great experience and provided us with a snapshot of ancient times through the caves of Requena.
We finished our day by walking along the small alleys that led to the edge of the city, where we admired the stunning sunset.
A very enjoyable and memorable trip to Requena Spain.
In September of 2021 we started the Camino de Santiago known as the Primitivo route. It begins in Oviedo and is 321 kilometers to Santiago. We left from Oviedo and after incuring an injury we had to stop in Lugo. See this entry for the details https://chaputfootprints.com/?p=18542
After two years we returned to Lugo to complete what we had started two years earlier..
Shelley and Ray on their way to start Camino de Santiago
Our trip began with an 8 hour train from Alicante to town of Ourense in Galicia then we took a bus to Lugo.
Ray and Shelley on the bus heading to Lugo
We arrived in the early evening in Lugo and checked into our Hotel. Excited and anxious to start our camino the next day. Our day began early and we started out at sunrise.
Shelley on our first early morning trek on the Camino de Santiago from Lugo
We reached the camino marker that also marked the end of the camino for Shelley two years earlier.
Shelley at the camino marker outside of Lugo
She stopped and put a new rock on the marker and then we continued along the camino. There were many beautiful spots along the camino and over the next five days we would wake up early and walked long hours. Below are some of the spots along the way.
Although the journey was hard, it was very rewarding with special spots and memories along the way. The experience was enhanced when we finally reached Santiago de Compostela. To stand at the Cathedral of Santiago and look at it gave us a sense of accomplishment. It was a happy and emotional time even though our bodies were sore and tired.
Shelley and Ray at the Cathedral of Santiago
We managed to find a nice table near the cathedral and sat down to relax and take in the moment.
Shelley and Ray near the Cathedral of Santiago
After checking into our hotel and settling in we headed to get our compostela. We arrived at the compostela office and within 10 minutes had our certificates.
Ray and Shelley’s certificates of completion -Compostela de Santiago and camino stamp passport
We spent the day relaxing and had a nice meal to celebrate the adventure and achievement.
Shelley and Ray toasting the finish of the Camino de Santiago
The following day we headed home to prepare for our next adventure.
Shelley and Ray heading home from the Camino de Santiago
“Hasta la próxima, buen Camino y disfruta de cada paso de la vida.”
It has been a busy summer but a very rewarding and fun time. We went to Canada for a visit with friends and family. Ray was able to finally visit with his uncle, (first time since covid). They played some games and enjoyed quality time together.
Uncle Adrien and Ray playing shuffleboard.Uncle Adrien and Ray enjoying the day
We were able to rent a beautiful cottage on the Ottawa River.
Ray enjoying the view and a Timmy´s coffee
We spent a fabulous week there and enjoyed some relaxing time by the water.
Shelley enjoying the view and calm of the Ottawa River
One of the highlights of the cottage was that we were able to entertain and reconnect with close friends. Overall it was a great week at the cottage and the weather was quite nice during the week.
Shelley at the waterfront of the Ottawa River
We went to Ottawa on July 1st and we celebrated Canada Day with family. It was raining but we had a Barbecue anyways.
Keenan in the rain doing the Bar-B-que
Our grandson Keenan was a sport and did the barbecue cooking. The rain stopped later in the day and the sky was clear for the fireworks. We headed to the park and watched the fireworks celebrating Canada day.
Canada Day celebration fireworks in park in Ottawa
It was a great last day in Canada before we headed back to Spain with our Grandson. The next day we drove to the Montreal airport and flew back to Spain with our Grandson Tyreese.
The next few weeks in Spain were very busy. Tyreese was able to experience Spain for the first time. It was such a joy to show him around and try out new adventures with him. Each day we tried new things and had many adventures, below are only some of the activities we did during out time in Spain. We hiked up to the Castle of Santa Barbara and explored the 11th century castle.
Tyreese at the turret on the castle of Santa Barbara
There are some amazing views from the castle and we would stop to take in the vistas and beauty of the area.
Shelley and Tyreese at the Castle of santa BarbaraTyreese and Ray at the castle of Santa BarbaraTyreese at the Castle of Santa Barbara
One day we explored and walked some of the beaches in Alicante.
Shelley and Tyrsse overlooking the Postuget Beach in Alicante
Along the way we would stop and enjoy a cool drink at one of the many chiringitos along the beach.
Tyreese enjoying a refreshing drink
Each day we tried new things including Go Cart racing and we had a great time.
Ray had the best time but Tyreese was disputing the winner outcome. All and all Karting Alicante was a lot of fun.
Tyreese at Karting AlicanteRay and Tyreese of the race podium
We went parasailing and we had a great time. We enjoyed the best views and flew along the coast at 150 meters high. The views of the city of Alicante from the Mediterranean Sea were amazing.
Shelley, Tyreese and Ray getting ready to start our parasailing.Shelley Tyreese and Ray 150 meters parasailing along the coastline of Alicante
Each morning Shelley and Tyreese were out for an early bicycle ride.
Tyreese and Shelley heading out for daily bike ride
We took Tyreese for some surfing lessons and he loved it. Both Shelley and him spent the day surfing the waves.
Shelley and Tyreese getting first lesson for surfing.
After spending two action packed weeks in Alicante and area we went to Madrid to visit this amazing city before he went back to Canada.
Tyreese and Shelley in front of the Almudana Cathedral in MadridTyreese in front of the Royal Palace of Madrid
In Madrid we met up with a friend of Tyreese’s. Monica who was a Spanish student that lived in Ottawa as an international student for a year. She took the train to Madrid to meet with us and spend the day.
Tyreese and Shelley at the Madrid Train station waiting for Monica to arrive.Monica and Tyreese in front of the iconic bear and strawberry tree statue in the Puerta Del Sol in Madrid.
We explored the city of Madrid with Monica and enjoyed the day.
Monica and Tyreese in El Retiro Parque in Madrid.
The Next day we took Tyreese to the airport and said our goodbyes. It was time for him to go home.
Shelley, Tyreese and Ray saying goodbye at the Madrid Airport.
It was a very busy and enjoyable few months with lots of adventures and memories being made. These are only some of the activities we enjoyed during our busy summer.
“El mundo es un libro y los que no viajan leen solo una página.”- St. Augustine
We went to visit the Marq Museo Arqueológico de Alicante, which had a special exhibition from China of the XI’AN Warriors.
There was a complete section of the museum dedicated to the terracotta warriors and the dynasties of Qin and Han.
The entrance into the exhibit had a video display with some of the history of the terracotta warriors. It also showed the behind the scenes of getting them to Alicante and how the set up of the exhibition was completed. The set up of the artifacts was extremely delicate and time consuming.
There were three galleries of the Qin dynasty which included tools, armour and weapons. One gallery displayed how the terracotta warriors were made.
They explained how prisoners and slaves were used to build the vast terracotta army, which included 8000 warriors, 500 horses and 130 combat chariots. which protected the underworld. The soldiers were dressed, hair styled and armoured according to their rank. Each one was unique and they were laid out in battle formation facing the East.
Display showing how the Terracotta warriors were constructed
Below are a few of the unique items we saw.
Armour made of Limestone and Copper wires Qin Dynasty (221-206BC)Limestone and Copper wires of the armour
In 221 BC, the king defeated enemy kingdoms and subsequently proclaimed himself as the First Emperor of China under the name of Qin Shi Huang Interestingly his name Qin (pronounced Chin ) would remain engraved in the name China.
Funeral carriageTerracotta horses as part of the funeral carriageTerracotta warrior behind a material wall
It was interesting to see that the details design of the terracotta warrior was 360 degrees and all aspects of the warrior were very detailed.
Front view of one of the unique terracotta warriorsDetails on the back of the terracotta warrior
There were different terracotta statues including horses, different warriors all with unique uniforms, ranks and faces.
terracotta horse and a terracotta chariot driver
The Terracotta General in full uniformTerracotta armoured generalShelley with one of the terracotta statuesRay with the terracotta statue of the General.Kneeling Archer terracotta warrior
Overall it was an amazing exhibit and one which we really enjoyed.
We headed by car to Granada driving along the scenic route. The views and country side were gorgeous. Spain is truly a beautiful country and the landscape changes fairly quickly into something totally different.
We arrived in Granada and stayed in the heart of the city. It was a perfect time to visit because it was Christmas season and there were lights decorated throughout the city.
We walked and explored some of the main streets of Granada.
Shelley, Dan, Kathy and Ray in downtown Granada
We walked for a fair amount of time and came to an outdoor area that was converted into an outdoor skating rink.
Outdoor temporary ice rink in Granada
We watched as people enjoyed skating or tried skating for the first time. We decided to stop and enjoy some tapas and watch the skaters for a while.
Shelley and Kathy at our table enjoying a tapa and drink
The following day we went to see and explore the Alhambra Palace which is a world UNESCO site. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. We walked up the path leading to the Palace. The views along the route up to the Palace were beautiful.
View of the Alhambra Palace walking up the route towards the Palace.
Once we reached the entrance we saw just how large and wonderful it was.
The way to the Alhambra area through arched walls along the route to the main entrance.
We entered the Alhambra and walked along the different paths that lead throughout the Palace. There are gardens located on a raised area that provide great views of the Palace as well as the city below.
Kathy and Dan overlooking the Alhambra PalaceView of part of the garden in AlhambraInside islamic designs inside some of the palace buildings.
We walked through many of the different buildings in the palace. Some of the buildings were quite unique and included ornate islamic designs.
Beautiful marble floors inside the PalaceShelley, Kathy and Dan on one of the walkways in the Palace with the city of Granada in the backgroundShelley and Kathy inside one of the courtyards within the palace building.One of the many water features in the Alhambra palace
After exploring this mazing Alhambra Palace and the city of Granada, we were off to our next adventure in Sevilla.
Sevilla
We arrived in Sevilla and we were immediately impressed by the display of lights that were set up for the holiday season.
We stayed in the heart of Sevilla and we were able to walk to the major sites. One of our first stops was the Sevilla cathedral which was open and we were able to get inside.
Seville Cathedral
The cathedral was spectacular and we even saw the resting place for the remains of Christopher Columbus.
Inside the Cathedral of SevilleKathy and Dan inside the Cathedral of Seville
After touring the Cathedral we walked along the streets exploing the area. We came across some beautiful buildings and sites. The streets were wet from the rain and it made everything look like polished marble.
Dan and Kathy on the streets of Seville, Spain
The following day we went to see an authentic Flamenco dance show. We arrived at the building which was located in the heart of the old quarter. We had great seats in the front row. We could feel the emotion and enjoyed the amazing dancing of the Flamenco. It truly was one of the highlights of Seville.
After Seville we went to another great city, Cordoba.
Cordoba
The city is located near the banks of the Guadalquivir river. It was once a Roman settlement along with the historic Roman bridge of Córdoba. This bridge is in the Historic centre of Córdoba, and originally built in the early 1st century BC.
Historic Roman bridge in Cordoba Spain
We walked across the Roman bridge and were amazed at the size and length of it. It is 9 meters (30 ft) wide and 331 meters (1,086 ft) in length.
Kathy and Dan walking along the Roman Bridge in Cordoba Spain.
It was a rainy day and we able to explore the area without large crowds of people. It was a nice pace and very relaxed. We walked from the Bridge to the Puerta del Puente which means Gate of the Bridge. It was built in the 16th century. The gateway is located on the site of the previous Roman gates, linking the city with the Roman bridge.
Puerta de Puente in Cordoba
We walked the streets of the old section of Cordoba, including in the jewish quarter. The streets are very narrow and it was easy to get disoriented and loose yourself in the back streets.
We wandered around for about an hour or so before deciding to stop for lunch.
Tabursa Restaurant and bar in Cordoba.
We enjoyed Cordoba and the final leg of our whirlwind tour of Spain. We headed back to Madrid and said goodbye to our guest. It was a great time and lots of fun but it was time to get back to our normal routine and plan our next adventures.
“Vivimos en un mundo maravilloso que está lleno de belleza, encanto y aventura. Las aventuras que podemos tener no tienen fin si las buscamos con los ojos abiertos”.
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