Hello, here is my first blog entry. It feels a little strange writing this but hopefully I will get the hang of it!

On Friday we visited Cuenca, a very old town built by the Moors and later conquered by Castilians in the 12th century. The trip was a one and a half hour bus ride from Madrid so it was quick & easy. I was very excited to see this place because I had heard its location was magnificent, and it definitely exceeded my expectations. We managed to find the famous hanging houses (casa colgadas) that overlooked the Huecar river. We crossed the bridge which was rebuilt in the 1900's and walked up the road to the beginning of some hiking tracks... At this point we all decided it was time to head back to town for Menu del dia!

Menu del dia is becoming my favorite thing here! It is found on offer at many restaurants on weekdays and what is on the menu differs. It consists of three courses, the first has a number of options and the second course has different meals to choose from. The dessert has a set list of options as well, however the drink can be anything you like (wine, beer, coffee, etc are all on offer). It is great! The price is generally between 9 to 12 Euros and the meals are filling, with paella and other delicious dishes on offer.

Anyway, back to Cuenca.. After we enjoyed menu del dia we were given free shots and were greeted by cats & dogs. (There are so many stray cats and people walking dogs here in Spain it is great!)

Later, we continued further up the hill into the city streets of Cuenca and passed the Cuenca Cathedral which had been rebuilt in the 1900's after it crumbled down. We reached the small remains of el Castillo which provided beautiful views and then we started our descent through the town making a detour past two Churches and back to the bus stop for the journey home.

All in all, Cuenca is a very scenic place worth a day trip to!