Morella

Just a short drive from Torre del Compte is the ancient walled town of Morella standing at 1,072 metres above sea level and positioned just beyond the pass in the mountain range of Els Ports between the river Ebro and the Mediterranean. It's history goes back to the days of the Iberians and everyone has been located here from the Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Moors due to it's strategic position.
 

Today, the main industry is tourism but the shops which generally sell local produce are tasteful rather than tacky.

One of the attractions of the city has to be the castle, originally built by the Iberians and then said to have been rebuilt by Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, who was in the service of the Muslim King, in the 11th century. 

The castle has been of key importance featuring in every major conflict up to the Spanish Civil War in 1938.

Some of the streets appear to be made from the original stone.

The Convent of Saint Francis, El Convento de San Francisco, is gradually being restored and is due to become a Parador, a state hotel.

As you climb up to the top of the castle there are some terrific views.

Although the castle itself appears to be impossibly far away, the gradual circuitous path means you get to the top without too much exertion...

...with plenty of pauses along the way in order to take photographs of the town and countryside below.

The castle has been described as similar to a 3 layer cake with the 1st layer being formed from the Church and Cloister; the 2nd being the services of the castle such as the bakery, the soldiers' quarters and Arsenal with the highest level  being the parade ground  and the Officials' Hall.

The castle has been impregnable, not even an army of Orcs could get close!

One of the most important features of any Spanish town, the bullring, has to be within the town walls.

When you have reached the top you must take another photo to prove that you were there.

The local council is really missing out as there is not a shop at the top selling cold drinks and ice creams! They would make a fortune!

On the way down you can see even more photo opportunities.

There is even a "state-of-the-art" cannon from around 1885 on the 2nd layer.

Another great day out!

Andorra

Andorra. the town in Teruel, not the country in the Pyrenees, was our destination to visit the Mining Museum there, MWINAS. Although coal mining underground has now ceased, coal is still produced from very large open cast sites and that is why there is a coal fired power station with a 343 metre high chimney close by. 

The massive pithead which was built at the pit was kept in place when it closed and turned into a museum...

...along with machinery, tools and various artefacts used by the miners.

Then lunch at a restaurant in nearby Alloza, La Ojinegra. It's claim to fame is that it produces "slow food" on and in the oven of the wood fired stove shown above.

After lunch, a visit to the Ethnic Museum in Andorra, Museo etnográfico Ángel García Cañada, which is actually housed in the old bakery, the wood fired oven is shown above,...

...and to find out about the culture, the typical costume of the region and the classic jota in another part of the same building, but named Museo José Iranzo, "El Pastor de Andorra", after the famous singer born in Andorra who sang to President Kennedy.

Finally, just outside the town of Andorra on the way to Ariño is a company which produces honey and after tasting different types the presentation was finished off with a candle making demonstration. Margaret had to hold the candle wick vertically until the wax cooled and set.

What a great day!

San Juan

The celebration of the Fiesta de San Juan in Torre del Compte started with mass in the ermita. 

The musicians and choir were in exceptionally fine form.

San Juan, John the Baptist, kept an eye on the service from his position behind the altar.

After the service, lunch was served in the, (still unfinished), polideportivo, sports centre.

In the evening there was dancing in the street in front of the ermita to a live group. 

To see the video of this, click HERE.

To see all the photos, click HERE.

A great time was had by all!

Peñiscola

A short distance down the coast from Vinaroz is the delightful town of Peñiscola. 

As a very popular tourist destination Peñiscola has many seaside attractions...

...as well as the 13th century castle and loads of history going back to the Iberians from the 6th century BC. The castle featured in the 1960 film El Cid where it portrayed Valencia in ancient times.

More recent attractions are also to be found in the streets. A great day out.

Torre del Compte Worldfair

Sunday was the big day for Torre del Compte when the village was host to various organisations in the Matarraña region and representatives of the many different countries throughout the world who had made their homes here. This event is held every year in a different village in the area. Click HERE to see my video of the event.

Margaret was representing the United Kingdom with her very special Devonshire Scones complete with jam and cream, delicious.

Our friends Joy and John were selling plants and making cups of English tea.

Meanwhile, Floyd and Jorge were offering samples of a Cajun dish.

Many countries and organisations were represented; Peru,...

 ...the local area of Aragón...

 ...with regional costume and samples of lace making,...

 ...Romania,...

 ...the village of Torre del Compte,...

 ...crafts from India,...

...and even Russian dolls.

Local specialities had been made...

 ...as well as various creatures being modeled!

 There were workshops on batik printing...

 ...where people were able to create their own original designs.

To see the 2 performances of modern dance given by a group of young girls, click HERE...

 ...and to see the performance of Oriental Dance, click HERE.

There was a splendid Bolivian folk group with a group of extremely well costumed and energetic dancers. To see and hear the musicians in action click HERE and for a second tune, click HERE.
To see 2 performances by the dancers, click HERE then HERE. 
And there's now a 3rd, HERE.

A highlight of the afternoon came when there was a sudden "flashmob" event.

To see the "flashmob" of Torre del Compte, click HERE.

To see more photos of the event, click HERE.

Overall, the best Worldfair in this area that there has ever been!

IHTA! (8) Almagro

One of Almagro's main claims to fame is the Corral de Comedias in the Plaza Mayor, a 16th century open air theatre which is unique in Spain. 

It still has the original lighting system!

The cafés and bars in the very large Plaza Mayor are housed in modern looking, but still 16th century, quite magnificent buildings.

Apart from the open air theatre, Almagro boasts the Teatro Municipal which is pretty spectacular...

...and has a fabulous chandelia.

We also visited the Museo Nacional del Teatro which was really interesting but you couldn't take photos so there is nothing to show.

The original buildings show off their architecture.

Margaret poses by an interesting display of plants.

There is tremendous attention to detail on the woodwork.

Now that is what you call an ornate doorway.

Who needs downpipes for the guttering with a system like this!

Maybe some bits of 16th century wood hadn't survived as well as others.

We stayed in a charming hotel, modestly called Casa Grande.

A lot of attention had been paid to decoration.

The water feature.

Margaret found the sunloungers in the open courtyard.

Almagro is certainly worth a visit!

To see my video of our visit, click HERE