19 October 2019: El Bosque to Arco de la Frontera (20 miles-561 total)

Today was excellent, at least that's the view of Michael and I as we relax in our Arco hotel room in the heart of Old Town. Michael just opened a bottle of local white wine. A light rains forecast for later this evening and we have selected a nearby local restaurant for this evening. Life is good.

We left our El Bosque apartment, saying adios to Victor, the owner, who inherited it from his mother. We all found it quite comfortable, except Robin wanted me to report that the upstairs bath was out of liquid soap for the shower. We had a few issues, all operator errors/ignorance, with the European controls. We could never figure out how to run the full cycle on the washing machine, so we resorted to wringing, rolled towel, and clothes line. Similarly, we could get the oven working but not the stove top. Victor showed John the secret this am as we were leaving, not a big loop.

We had three route options:

• Direct on a quality road with wide shoulder=20 miles
• Southern route on a smaller road through one village=25 miles
• Northern route on a smaller road through 3 villages=31 miles

Michael and I opted for the direct 20 mile route, as we wanted an easier ride and more time to explore Old Town Arco. John and Robin took the southern route, arriving about an hour later. John raved about it, but they did have repeated sharp hills all the way. Robin has been napping; I've not heard his view. 

After this weekend, John and Michael have one more week before they need to be in Seville. John loves the ocean, so we are heading south towards Cadiz, a historic port city dating from the Phoenicians. We found another apartment short of Cadiz, where we booked 2 nights. We will plan to explore Cadiz by bike on our layover day. Maps.me seems to show a 13-mile route, ideally on bike paths, as there are major bridges. 

Cádiz is an ancient port city in the Andalucia region of southwestern Spain. The home of the Spanish Navy, the port boomed in the 16th-century as a base for exploration and trade.

(From the NYTimes: SEPT. 3, 2019)

Cádiz, an Underrated Corner of Spain

People have been living in Cádiz for more than 3,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe: Traces of the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and North African Muslims, who once ruled these lands can all be found on a short walk through the old town. 

In the province of Cádiz, the 52 Places Traveler finds ancient history, heart-wrenching music and some of the best meals of his trip.                                  By Sebastian Modak

    

El Bosque on a Saturday Night. Active early for drinks and tapas, a quiet interval, then noisy for some all night.

Preparing to depart El Bosque. But then John realized that he left his sunglasses inside after locking the door.

Victor arrived in a few minutes, letting John retrieve his glasses and showing him how to operate the stove and clothes washer.

Beautiful road for Michael and Larry.

Arco de la Frontera in the distance.

 Classier WC Signs. Off our hotel lobby.

Old Town Arco Street. Many of the buildings have historic plaques, noting the prior owners. Houses are sandwiched between churches and government buildings.

Michael and I ate lunch here. Touristy, but quite good.

Michael's 1st course. Described as a workman's traditional meal, vegetables, eggs, and bread with some roasted peppers and onion in olive oil on the side.

Source of the tapas. A nice serving arrives with each drink.

My lunch. Described as a local specialty: chicken rolled in dates, cheese, and pesto, then sliced and served with a side of quinoa. 

Michael's Dessert

Birds on Display. In order from the left: Two eagles, eagle owl, horned owl, peregrine falcon, barn owl, another owl, and then some hawks. This couple raise the birds; they are not involved in bird rescue work.

The guide books advise people to park here and walk. There is a parador on the left surrounded by Old Town's narrow street network.

Parador Entrance. Michael inquired about off-season rates. They said 150 euros, but we we have no idea for what type of room. The parking is limited, pricy, and additional.

Much of the beauty of these homes is in the courtyards, hidden from the heat, noise, and curious eyes.

Always interesting to see where and how the locals live.

 Steep streets.

 I loved these two tile displays depicting artists and craftsmen.

Dog of the Day. Official greeter in the above art gallery. Four artists own the gallery, displaying only their work and each taking turns managing the gallery. 

Wonderful spot, seemingly run by a family. Two women turned out great-looking food while the young guys served. Our preferred spot for dinner. They said they were open until 1 or 2 am, or as long as people are there. Here—one never knows.

Michael contemplates. Note the tiles depicting bullfighting practice contrasted with the jackets and Spiderman back pack. The table to the right was filled with a local family of 8, enjoying lunch.

Tentative tourists were inching through this portal in their rental car, actively coached by the teens on the right.

Cat Condo.

Walking Arco. We put in several miles, walking, exploring the streets, alleys, and passages.

Sinister hooded figures. This display, across from our hotel, had a base noting particular years. 

John & Robin's Room

Ok, so it's NOT art.

We deciphered the pricing. In the lower right corner, they list prices for seats in the sun vs. in the shade, then differentiate for children, teens, general seating, and up-close, look-the-bull-in-the-eyes seating.

I get a lot of questions about the food. Michael observed today that he was less than impressed with the food in Spain. It is meat-heavy and salads and vegetables are often more expensive than meat entrees, but a lot of that relates to the level of restaurant selected. As mentioned earlier, we spotted the lunch servings at this place and persuaded the others to return.

John's Salad. Mixed greens with chicken. Michael's was similar; Robin's had chicken and ham.

Michael and I had the Menu of the Day, two courses and dessert.

My 1 course was gazpacho with prosciutto and egg. 

My 2nd Course: BBQ chicken and fries.

Michael's 2nd Course: Not sure (TBD)

Neighborhood Regulars on a Saturday Night. This group was at the bar when we arrived about 8:30 pm, and slowly expanded as more arrived. Robin & John had a single entree and were a bit bored. The wait line at the door grew, as a light rain started outside. Loud, happy atmosphere. 

Family Affair. The young girl at the end of the bar was the daughter of the cook and on of the waiters/bar tenders. 

3rd Course. Our entire meal was 9 euros plus 1.20 per beer. Spain is quite affordable.