I’m not sure how I initially found Cuenca. I think it was just looking at a map of Spain online. I’m glad I found it, though, because it’s been exactly what I was looking for, for my last days in Spain. It’s a small city, with a population around 50,000 or so, and it’s actually two cities in one. I’m staying in the upper part, which is the old city and has most of the tourist attractions. There’s a castle, or really what looks like the remnants of a castle, a cathedral, and the signature “casas colgadas,” or hanging houses. There are some walking trails that lead down to one of the two rivers, the Huécar and the Júcar. Basically, though, it’s a quiet place, and there seem to be very few tourists here. I was starting to feel like the only non-Spanish tourist yesterday until, up near the castle, a busload of Japanese tourists descended and starting snapping dozens of photos from the same spot, flashing the peace sign for the camera. Ha. Reality check.
Today I ventured into the newer part of town, which is basically the commercial district with all the shops. I was relieved to find some fruterías and panaderías, where I could stock up on cherries and bread. What I didn’t know about Cuenca before I arrived is that it is a very meat-centric town. You can easily find paté, venison, and I think I even saw boar’s meat, but a good zumo (juice) or fruit stand is pretty much non-existent in the old part of town. What’s interesting about most of the fruit stands I’ve encountered in Spain is they are not self-serve. You have to tell the owner what you want and he or she will get it for you. I’m not sure if they do it that way for hygiene, but I’ve kind of gotten used to it. I haven’t been disappointed yet by the quality of the fruit they’ve chosen for me. Oh also, another thing I forgot to mention about my shoe-buying experience - when you try on shoes here, they only bring you one shoe. This seems supremely odd to me. Like, would you buy a pair of pants after trying on only one leg? In the Camper store I asked the lady if I could please have the other one as well, which turned out not a problem. I thought maybe it was a security thing, but I think it’s just a “thing,” as I asked her if every shoe shop operates this way, to which she told me yes. Fascinating.
Anyway, this will likely be my last blog post from Spain. I leave tomorrow back to Valencia, where I switch trains and head back to Barcelona. I found what looks to be another great room on AirBnB (love this service!). It’s right near Plaça Espanya, from which I can catch the bus to the airport. Awesome! Spain has been a fabulous adventure, but I’m ready to go home. A few last pics from the lovely town of Cuenca…
Today I ventured into the newer part of town, which is basically the commercial district with all the shops. I was relieved to find some fruterías and panaderías, where I could stock up on cherries and bread. What I didn’t know about Cuenca before I arrived is that it is a very meat-centric town. You can easily find paté, venison, and I think I even saw boar’s meat, but a good zumo (juice) or fruit stand is pretty much non-existent in the old part of town. What’s interesting about most of the fruit stands I’ve encountered in Spain is they are not self-serve. You have to tell the owner what you want and he or she will get it for you. I’m not sure if they do it that way for hygiene, but I’ve kind of gotten used to it. I haven’t been disappointed yet by the quality of the fruit they’ve chosen for me. Oh also, another thing I forgot to mention about my shoe-buying experience - when you try on shoes here, they only bring you one shoe. This seems supremely odd to me. Like, would you buy a pair of pants after trying on only one leg? In the Camper store I asked the lady if I could please have the other one as well, which turned out not a problem. I thought maybe it was a security thing, but I think it’s just a “thing,” as I asked her if every shoe shop operates this way, to which she told me yes. Fascinating.
Anyway, this will likely be my last blog post from Spain. I leave tomorrow back to Valencia, where I switch trains and head back to Barcelona. I found what looks to be another great room on AirBnB (love this service!). It’s right near Plaça Espanya, from which I can catch the bus to the airport. Awesome! Spain has been a fabulous adventure, but I’m ready to go home. A few last pics from the lovely town of Cuenca…
Maybe my favorite scene from the whole trip.
The cathedral in the Plaza Mayor.
View of the hanging houses and the Parador, a former convent turned hotel.
Cathedral detail.
The hanging houses.
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