09 Dec. Ramble

Yesterday, we packed up and left Cortijo Pepe Soria and headed for the Costa Blanca. It was about a four hour drive through some majestic scenery, comparable to the mountains around the Apache Trail in Nevada (USA). We'll miss the beauty of the Sierra de Baza and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada, but we won't miss the cold and (uncharacteristic, everybody says) wet weather. Bernard and Pam were great hosts and showed us a fine time during the month we were there. They showed us around and introduced us to their circle of friends who were all very welcoming and helpful. We'll miss the Brit tapas nights at Bar Mora.

We also met a pair of friends in Jose and Eva who ran the local Coviran market. their patience with our halting Spanish and friendly advice with groceries kept us in fine feed for the month. He is a marathon runner and is planning to do the 2012 New York Marathon. Naturally an invitation was extended, and if we are still in Maine near the end of Nov. 2012, we will host them and try to return the hospitality.

Today we drove the rented car back to Granada Airport which is about an hour past Gor, picked up another car which can be dropped off in Torrevieja which is a short bike ride from where we are now in Punta Prima and did the afore-mentioned drive again. This time, though, we stopped to do some ceramics shopping in Purullena, a small town in the center of the cave-dwelling area. Yesterday we stopped for a break in Cartagena and chanced upon the best (so far) restaurant of our trip. I was able to order a dish I haven't had since April of 1964: Squid cooked with rice in its own ink, with clams, crab, shrimp and fish added. My only regret was that I had to drink a Cerveza sin alcohol (fake beer) as I was driving. I would much rather have had a good red, but I made up for it tonight with re-heated leftovers and a Carinena Riserva.

More to follow...whenever...pictures too,,,