Good Friday in Cuenca – Rain rain go away

Up early this morning to drive to Cuenca for Easter week-end.  Very easy packing as we just packed anything warm we had as Cuenca is in Central Spain in the mountains, and much cooler than Javea where we are on the coast.  Out the door by about 7:30 to start our 3.5 hour drive.  As we get closer it is much greener than we have seen, and also much foggier and rain starts, it reminds us of Ireland at parts.

Are we in Ireland or Spain?

Andre chose this place for the Easter traditions.  Come to find out thousands of others have chosen this town too.  Found the apartment we are renting a room in no problem, parking is a problem.  After a few loops around the block we are lucky, but I kinda stole the place from someone else, not nice but we had an appointment to meet for keys that we were going to be late for.  It was a woman driver who did not speak English thank-goodness, so I just said I didn’t understand her, I should have waved an American flag, I’m sure that it was choice words she was saying.

The apartment is in a fantastic location.  We have a bedroom rented and she provides us with a breakfast in the morning.  I think this is a way for this single woman and child to make a little extra money.  For 35 Euro a night it works for us.  Nice and clean and very friendly. 

This week-end is also a big music festival here that Eva was working at so we followed her to old town to the cathedral.  We basically walked straight up the mountain from her apartment, quite the hike.  She told us when it is not Easter she can do this walk and see no one else, today there were hundreds of people with umbrellas walking into town.  

Walking to Old Town, this is just a small part of the walk up

The old town of Cuenca is a Unesco heritage site.  The first Easter procession should have finished around 2PM, but we found out after visiting the information center that it was cancelled because of the rain.  The one at 5:30AM was also cancelled due to rain.  Oh well another one to try for tonight at 9PM.  We explore the town, find the hanging houses, which were built on the edge of town, many of these have been lost, but there are a few still hanging.  We cross a very high foot bridge to take some picture, Dad would have never done this.

Hanging Houses

View of Old Town built on the cliff

Typical Narrow street

Convent that has been turned into a hotel (more than 35 Euro a night!)

Cathedral

Another view of the hanging houses

Time to find some lunch.  With this many tourists in town everything is packed.  Tourist information tells us to try near the castle as it is not as popular as near Plaza Major where the Cathedral is.  We had missed the Castle earlier on our exploring, how do you miss a castle?  We eventually find a place that takes us in to feed us.  A funny little place as it seems to have a main restaurant, then a few tables out back in another building that I think is the bar, this is where we are sat.  No menus in English, waiter doesn’t speak English, but we do understand that they have a 3 course menu special that includes a drink.  So we order Sopa, must be soup, I pick Pollo for the main as I know it is chicken, Andre still does not know what he had for the main, must google it.  Then they bring us a bottle of wine for our drink.  We asked for wine but figure it will be a glass, oh well we’ll figure it out when we get our bill.  For dessert Andre has flan, which turns out to be crème caramel, and I have fraises, which I knew where strawberries.  It is now about 3PM, so not sure if this is lunch or supper or both.  Here is a copy of the menu, what would you pick?  Bill comes and it is 12.00 Euro each, no tax, no tip, including wine.  We did tip though, can’t break that habit when you have an ex waiter with you.

 

On walk to find lunch

Lunch menu, what would you pick?

After lunch we walk around a bit more, and decide after our bottle of wine it is time for a siesta.  Back down the huge hill, I think it is worse going down than up.  Still hundreds of people walking around, I can’t imagine what this would have been like if it was sunny out.

Huge nap finished, it is about 6PM and time to get ready to head out in the rain again in hopes that the Easter procession will happen tonight.  Back up the hill and there is a huge line up for one of the concerts happening tonight.  It would be good to see one, but not knowing the language and trying to even figure out which one to see would be hard so I think we’ll pass this trip.  We see lots of people in their costumes for the procession, they are very strange as they have masks that look like KKK.  It has nothing to do with the KKK but it is still kind of creepy.  We walk around for a couple of hours taking some night picture and find out the procession has been cancelled again because of the weather.  

Town square at night, still raining, waiting for procession that does not happen

Cathedral where the procession should have started

Our new rain jackets have already paid off, did not get wet!

Going home, no procession

View from the street outside the apartment, see what we need to climb!

Back to the apartment at about 9:30.  Find a parking place closer to the apartment so move the car.  Have some oranges and strawberries that we had in the car, as well as some of the breakfast that Eva has left out for us tomorrow, guess this is supper.  Off to bed, with hopes that tomorrow brings some sunshine as we plan on driving a little around the area to see some of the sites.  There is one more procession scheduled for Sunday, I sure hope it happens!

 Some good new did happen today, our "relations" from England James and Karen Bowler are going to meet us in Valencia in 2 week-ends, they have booked their flights and we both booked hotels today.  Karen chose the hotel, the LeBlancs are moving up....