Exploring with Merry & Stephanie

     Yesterday I bid farewell to one of my favorite spots in Spain. It is just an hour from Camarma and I often take others there for refreshment and renewal. This time I stopped at another little town which I had never been to, so it was fun to get to complete that desire. First we stopped at La Cabrera, the town I had not been to. It is nestled in a little valley with the Rio Dulce (Sweet River) running through the town. They have diverted the water in one area to make a side stream and have a trout 'criadera' or nursery.

     Next we went to my favorite little town, Pelegrina. It is situated on a hill overlooking a beautiful valley. The ruins of a 12th century castle stand guard over the village. There are sometimes sheep grazing the hills, the fields are full of wild flowers in the spring and early summer, and on a hidden trail you can walk down to a little glen where a farmer has cherry and apple trees, a stream and the most beautiful vegetable garden I have ever seen. I want to live there!

     We drove on about 8 kilometers to Siguenza, a medieval town with quite a history. They were having a medieval faire which was an unexpected treat. We ate from the various stands and tried everything from sausages to crepes! Yeah, I feel a little queasy today.

     Finally we drove through the countryside to Medinaceli, another small medieval village where we took pictures of ourselves by a 2nd century Roman arch, an Arab arch from the days the Moors ruled this part of Spain, and saw Roman mosaics from the first century. We bought candy, bread and sweet butter, something this area is famous for. (I'll take any excuse to buy butter.) We had such a wonderful time, met some very friendly villagers, and felt like we had spent a 5 star day! That is saying a lot since Merry has lived in Spain for 30 years and Stephanie has been here for 4 or 5 years. (By the way, Merry is from Bothell for those of you who know the PNW and she is an expert on Spanish history. A great travel companion! Stephanie is a dear friend and is from Boulder, Colorado.)