October 2019- a Spanish outing.
October 5th - Paulie and Stephen head off to Spain with Yolande for a 10 day break
 Oct 5th - off to Spain with Yolande |
 8 hours later, we get to her apartment in Alcocebre |
 A short walk... |
 To the beach. We've left the 15 degree temperatures back in St Antonin. |
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 A short drive to visit Peñíscola and it's 13th century castle |
 Before a longer drive up into the mountains (1km up) to visit Morella |
 Looks like it's by foot from here to reach the Castell de Morella |
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 The walk has a negative effect on some locals. They just can't move any further |
 The Moors took the town in 714 and it was fought over until 1232. Ye old convent of San Francisco was then built. |
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 Gothic mural from 15th century represents the Dance of Death. |
 Higher up, the castle/fort continued to be used up to the Spanish Civil War |
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 Home for a drink and rest. |
 Oct 9th- to Vilafamés |
 Yolande joinded Paulie & Stephen on this trip |
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 A visit to the |
 Pondering... |
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 Up to the top. |
 Oct 10th- back at home base on the walk to the village |
 And at night the moon does it's thing. A big discussion regarding the lunar cycle kicked off. |
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 Paulie and Stephen strolled the beach at night. |
 Oct 12th - we head to Valencia to stay with Paulie's pal Ree (she lived with her family for a year in Maine when a teenager) |
 Their new pad is not far from where we stayed with her some years back. |
 Dinner time |
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 Neil is home from playing Padel Tennis |
 Ree's kids arrive - Anni and German husband Stefan |
 Neal's daughter Natasha & Brit boyfriend Lawrence |
 Mike arrives |
 walkies... |
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 Like hearding cats |
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 Morning read of the news |
 Time to catch up with Olivia and Ree's God-daughter Evana in Brisbane. |
 They met at the Regatta pub |
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 Valencia visit |
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 Bottoms were big in Spanish medieval times |
 La Lonja de la Seda. The silk market |
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 A splendid ceiling |
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 Roman ruins found when a building started construction. Now L’Almoina museum |
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 From Roman architecture to contemporary work - the city of Arts and Sciences. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela |
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 Then lunch by the beach |
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 Ree's clan say farewell after a quick catch up at Natasha's cafe. |
 Back to Ree's to pack up |
 And a farewell to all the family members. |
 18th Oct - dropping in on Tarragona. |
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 Caught in the rain |
 Approching Girona - travelling 18 km took close to 2 hours care of Catalan independence protests! It's all kicked off again given politicians were given long jail sentences by Madrid courts |
 The next morning all was calm |
 Entry to the old town. |
 Trying hard to get in frame |
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 Time to leave for France. The kids are awake and ready to protest again! |