We’ve just spent the weekend in Plasencia, Spain with Ana Sanchez, her husband,Pedro and their three children: Isabel. Pablo, and Jorge plus her parents Juli and Mari and older brother Juli. What a time we had! It began on Friday night at Juli and Mari’s hone for a scrumptious dinner with Juli II doing his best to translate for all of us. Ana,Pedro, and kids joined us, after driving in from Madrid.
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| With Pablo |
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| Pedro, Jorge, Dennis, Juli, Mari, Isabel |
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| Mari, Isabel, Juli II, Ana |
Before I go too far, a note from the gospel of Dennis: we picked up the car in Porto from a great Alamo service attendant, Daniel. Cindy wasn’t sure if we were in the right place so she asked him. Daniel’s answer, “If you’re here to order a pizza it’s the wrong place but if you want a car, this is the place.” He gave us an upgrade to an automatic with a GPS, for free. Right place!
We made it out of Porto pretty easily. There wasn’t much traffic as we were going out of the city and everyone else seemed to be going in. Soon we were out in the country. Sometimes we were on 2 lanes but the roads were perfect.
We made it out of Porto pretty easily. There wasn’t much traffic as we were going out of the city and everyone else seemed to be going in. Soon we were out in the country. Sometimes we were on 2 lanes but the roads were perfect.
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| On Our Way to Spain |
Very little traffic but I think we went through a thousand tolls.
In about 4 hours we were in Plasencia. We could not find our way into the walled city so it took us about 2 hours to find our hotel. I finally pulled over by a gate into the city, got out, closing the door gently and walked through the gate. About 50 feet from the gate was a hostel. I sent Cindy in to find out where our hotel was. She got a map, directions. Told me to wait there. She walked 2 blocks to the Palácio, got great directions from reception, walked back to me and got us to the hotel. Once the car was in the gated lot (for 6 cars) I told her it was there until we left on Monday. We took a taxi to Juli & Mari’s.
In about 4 hours we were in Plasencia. We could not find our way into the walled city so it took us about 2 hours to find our hotel. I finally pulled over by a gate into the city, got out, closing the door gently and walked through the gate. About 50 feet from the gate was a hostel. I sent Cindy in to find out where our hotel was. She got a map, directions. Told me to wait there. She walked 2 blocks to the Palácio, got great directions from reception, walked back to me and got us to the hotel. Once the car was in the gated lot (for 6 cars) I told her it was there until we left on Monday. We took a taxi to Juli & Mari’s.
Back to Plasencia with Cindy:
Saturday morning the ten of us were off for an adventure. They wanted us to see a quaint and unusual village. Morgarraz is a medieval village of typical Salamanca design but with portraits of past inhabitants on the buildings painted by Florencio Maillo.
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| The boys! |
The end of the village ends in a sunny plaza where we stopped to have drinks.
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| Dennis, “I wish I had enough Spanish so Juli and I could just sit and bullshit.” |
Then back up the hill to the car for a drive to another picturesque village for lunch. I don’t know how these professional travel bloggers come up with new words for picturesque, beautiful, amazing, wonderful. They must carry a thesaurus in their brains. But this little village was charming.
After a lovely lunch, we drove to the top of the mountain to a sanctuary with incredible views of the valley which I was able to enjoy once they pried me out of the car after ascending this mountain. In my defense it was a very steep drop with few guard rails, not that they would have done much good.
A final stop at La Posada Del Casar, a rural hotel and bar/restaurant owned by Ana’s cousin, Ruben.
After a lovely lunch, we drove to the top of the mountain to a sanctuary with incredible views of the valley which I was able to enjoy once they pried me out of the car after ascending this mountain. In my defense it was a very steep drop with few guard rails, not that they would have done much good.
A final stop at La Posada Del Casar, a rural hotel and bar/restaurant owned by Ana’s cousin, Ruben.
And then one more stop at Juli & Mari’s for a last bit of Jamon and then we rolled to the hotel.
Sunday we strolled around Plasencia. I found a couple of outfits for Dennis and I but he refused.
There was a jamon contest of some kind in the Plaza Mayor so we had to try some and then onto a bar near the hotel for drinks and tapas before lunch!
Then a gorgeous lunch of paella and chicken cordon blue, once again at Juli & Mari’s. Now do you believe me—I’m going to need a seat belt extender on the flight home!
Sunday we strolled around Plasencia. I found a couple of outfits for Dennis and I but he refused.
Then a gorgeous lunch of paella and chicken cordon blue, once again at Juli & Mari’s. Now do you believe me—I’m going to need a seat belt extender on the flight home!
A beautiful night, our last night in Spain...
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