We took one day and decide to go to the city of Lleida located in Catalonia. Like many places in Spain, it has a long and interesting history.
One of the highlights for us was exploring the historic centre and making our way up to the impressive “La Seu Vella” known as The Castle of the King. The castle is located on the highest point and is referred to as the Sovereign Rock.
One of the arched entrances into the castle
The castle was large and impressive with views of the entire region. Built between the 12th and 14th century it was home to the visiting King and used as his fortress and palace when in Lleida.
View from inside the castle walls of Lleida
There was also a Gothic 12th century Cathedral located inside the castle walls.
Cathedral inside the castle walls
It dominated the centre of the castle along with the large bell tower. The inner courtyard of the Cathedral was impressive and open.
We explored the castle enjoying the views and just experiencing this historic site. We made our way to the bell tower and it did not disappoint.
The tower was so high that we had to angle of picture. (LOL)
Ray and Shelley at the Bell tower in Lleida
There’s something we love about visiting places that aren’t always on the tourist travel itinerary. You get to explore the pure Spanish culture and enjoy a city without feeling as though you’re following a crowd. We had a great day, enjoyed exploring the city and had a tasty authentic Spanish meal. Overall a great day in this unique city.
“Dondequiera que vayas, de alguna manera se convierte en parte de ti.” – Anita Desai
We took a little break and headed across the border into the south of France for a few days. We spent a few relaxing days exploring and spending time with friends.
We visited Elne, a charming historic town with its beautiful cathedral and cobblestone streets.
Cathedral in Elne France
We stayed there for a few days and explored the narrow streets and views of the town.
View of the Rue Principal of Elne FranceThe Elne Arch which dates back to 1569View of the Pyrenees from the top of the hill where the Cathedral is located
Shelley stopped and took a moment to smell the roses.
Shelley checking out the wild rose
We then made our way to Perpignan for a day. We wandered around the city centre, We stoped to admire the fortress and then went exploring inside the fortified walls of the former fortress.
Former fortress entrance in Perpignan
Now a bustling centre with shops and restaurants it was an enjoyable way to spend the day.
We took in the sights, enjoyed some good food and, of course, found time for a coffee or two along the way.
But the real highlight of the trip wasn’t sightseeing, it was simply spending time with friends. There was plenty of talking, laughing, eating and enjoying the occasional glass of wine. Which, is a pretty good way to spend a few days in France!
We decided to spend a day in Peñíscola, a beautiful coastal town on the Mediterranean coast.
It was easy to see why this place has become such a popular destination. Sitting on a rocky peninsula and surrounded by the sea, the Castle and old town seems to rise right out of the water.
View of the Peñíscola Castle and old town
We walked along the beach towards the old town. Along the way we came across a large dragoon made out of small tiles. At first it seemed odd but then we learned that parts of the Game of Thrones series was filmed right here in Peñíscola, including parts of the castle and the old town. So, the dragoon makes perfect sense.
Shelley with the dragoon that repsresents part of the Game of Thrones series.
Our first stop was the castle, It is perched high above the town and dates back to the Middle Ages. It was built by the Knights Templar in the 13th century. The castle has had quite a history and is famous for being the home of Pope Benedict XIII.
Statue of Pope Benedict XIII at the walls of the castle.
Walking through the old stone walls, courtyards, and passageways of the castle, it was easy to imagine the centuries of history that took place here.
Bronze statues and canons helped to imagine life at the castle.
One of the best parts of visiting the castle were the amazing views.
From the top, we had spectacular views across the Mediterranean.
Looking down over the town, we could see the long sandy beach, the promenade, and the modern part of Peñíscola spreading along the coast.
View from the castle looking towards Peñíscola
After exploring the castle we walked along the narrow streets of the old town. There were shops and artisan stores on every street.
After walking for quite a while we decided to take a break and enjoy the view from the castle wall with a refreshment.
Afterwards we made our way down toward the waterfront. We took a relaxing walk along the promenade. We spent some time simply walking, taking a few pictures, and enjoying the day. We then stopped at a shoreside restaurant and enjoyed a meal along with a great view.
For us the Peñíscola was a great spot to stop and explore. The history of the castle, the connection to The Game of Thrones and the beautiful Mediterranean views made it a memorable day.
“La vida es un viaje. Aprovéchalo al máximo” – Anónimo
Some travel experiences are about the places, some are about the food you eat, and others are about the people you share them with. Our trip to Valencia to watch the solar eclipse was all of the above.
Our daughter Janice and our son-in-law Scott came for a visit from Canada. We were thrilled to have them here, and it coincide with the full solar eclipse, so we knew we had to make an event of it.
Janice and Scott on the balcony of City Hall in Valencia Spain
So, off we went to Valencia for a few days to visit that great city and then to see the full eclipse. The day of the eclipse we went to an event at the Albufera Natural Park which is just outside the city. We had booked tickets to an eclipse party there which had been organized.
Our shaded area and seats for the eclipse
The weather was perfect, the skies were clear, the sun was shining, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight.
The event was fantastic. There was live music, food, drinks and plenty of tables and shade for everyone. It felt less like we were waiting for a scientific phenomenon and more like we were attending a big outdoor BBQ celebration.
Giant Paella being made on a Gas BBQ
We found our spot and settled in and of course, we weren’t going to sit around waiting on an empty stomach.
The four of us enjoying Paellla and drinks before the EclipseSpending quality time together having laughs and fun
We enjoyed some drinks, food, and listened to the live music and, more importantly, we spent time together. Having Janice and Scott with us made the whole experience more special.
As the time of the eclipse approached, the atmosphere changed. Everyone became a little more focused on the sky. Glasses and eclipse viewing equipment came out, cameras were ready, and people started looking upward.
Trying on our Eclipse glasses
Watching the moon slowly move across the face of the sun was absolutely incredible. As more of the sun disappeared, the light around us changed and dimmed and the whole atmosphere became almost surreal.
We were standing there in Albufera, surrounded by other people enjoying the same incredible sight. It felt very personal for us, especially having Janice and Scott there to share in this experience.
Our view of the full eclipse view from Albufera Spain
What an amazing feeling, watching the eclipse as it transformed. The sense of something bigger and almost magical as the air cooled and darkness fell quickly on us, only to transform into an amazing sunset of sorts. As the moon passed by the sun the sunset was occurring which made the views spectacular.,
Sun setting while in final part of eclipse
This rare experience was the perfect alignment of having family beside us, perfect weather, music, food, and it all came together to make it an adventure that we won’t soon forget.
“El eclipse nos recordó que, aunque la luz se oculte por un momento, siempre vuelve a aparecer. Al igual que los momentos especiales y las personas que iluminan nuestras vidas.”
Our main reason for coming back to Canada was to visit with Family and friends. There are some people you can go months or even years without seeing, but when you finally get together, it feels like it was only yesterday when you saw them last.
We landed in Canada and our first stop was to visit our daughter Janice and son-in-law Scott in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Of course we also stopped along the way to enjoy a Timmy´s.
It was great spending time with them and enjoying their company. One day we decided to head out toward St. Andrews and visit Ministers Island and the home to the Van Horne Estate.
Now, visiting an island sounds pretty straightforward but this one was different. Ministers Island is known as a tidal island, which means the road to the island is actually exposed ocean floor. We had to time our visit with the tides because, unlike most roads, this one disappears with high tide. we arrived early in the morning and there was a heavy fog along the coast. We drove along the Ocean floor and eventually reached the island. This was a unique experience and interesting to say the least.
View of the Ocean floor along the route to Morrison Island
In 1891, Van Horne purchased land on Ministers Island and turned it into his summer retreat. The estate had the main house, gardens, farmland, a huge barn, dairy, carriage house, windmill, bathhouse and even a gardener’s cottage. At the island our first stop was at a very large Barn.
Scott, Shelley and Janice at the Van Horne barn
We explored the barn and it was interesting to note that this barn was considered the most modern style with a built in elevator and scale system. However the main attraction on the island is the Covenhoven.
The Covenhoven estate
The former summer home of Sir William Van Horne. If that name sounds familiar, there’s a good reason. Van Horne was one of the key figures behind the Canadian Pacific Railway and served as its president. He is in the historic photo of the last spike in the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Original photo of the “last spike” on Canadian Pacific RailwayOne of the salons inside the Covenhoven estateMassive game room in the Covenhoven EstateDinning room of the Covenhoven estate
We explored the Covenhoven and walked trough the many different rooms. It was like walking through a piece of Canadian history.
It was a perfect day to explore the grounds of the estate and so we walked throughout parts of the island. We came upon one of the locals who simply watched us walk by.
We went to see the stone bath house and decided to head to the base which leads to the shore overlooking the water.
Bathhouse along the shoreline
The views were beautiful and the air was crisp and fresh.
Our trip to Morrison Island and the Van Horne estate was a great way to spend a calm and relaxing day with family and some Canadian history.
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