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Arriving in Zaragoza by train just after midday, it was simple enough to find the bus that would take us within a couple of hundred meters or so from our accommodation. No sooner had we arrived at the bus station than the big red bus appeared, an electric articulated number that only had two speeds, breakneck and stop. But after a coffee and a snack, that was soon forgotten and we were once again in another apartment, this one overlooking the Plaza de Neustra Senora del Pilar.
It’s Saturday, 28C and the Plaza below our window is ringed with cafes and tapas bars and filled with kids kicking footballs. Each window has two sets of double glazed windows that should ensure a peaceful nights sleep. But before that can happen, it’s off to find a tapas bar and the area renowned for tapas is absolutely heaving. Noisy crowds, music and continual stream of people winding through the narrow streets of the old town made for a great night. Eventually we found the bar we were looking for and it did not fail to excite the taste buds. The flavours of the food were really beyond description. Each selection was just one or two bites and it was gone. Lamb in a casing of potato, bacalau, a creation called “Cave Ovum” that was the speciality of the house and a flavour that just can’t be described. 8 courses and 3 glasses of wine later ( plus an extra one each on the house because the last course was slow in arriving) we rolled into bed. Hopefully tomorrows program will burn up all those calories and then some more.
Sunday and another day of exploring. The great thing about Zaragoza is that it is flat. As we walk there are plazas, both big and small and the scent of the blossoms of the Linden trees just fills the air. It’s as if the city has been sprayed with perfume.
We have been in Spain for just over a week and Jean has settled into the 10:00 am starts and the afternoon siesta routine very well.
Tonight was anchovies and garlic, more bacalau, chorizo, pigs cheek on the bone, mussels and beer. The good thing is that while it sounds a lot, overall it’s not a lot of food and we feel satisfied but not overfull.
Day 3 and our last full day in Zaragoza. With nothing planned we headed off to the market to buy some Iberian Ham, ( prosciutto ) bread and cheese for lunch. More wandering and after a short siesta, it was back to Melissa de Tubo for more tapas for dinner.
All in all it’s been great to have 3 easy days. The apartment had a washing machine so we were able to breathe some new life into our clothes after nearly 4 weeks on the road (and camels). Hand washing in a hand basin with no plug just isn’t the same.
Tomorrow it’s off to Barcelona as we slowly make our way north. We have just heard from one of the properties where we are staying in Italy that a
landslide has blocked the rail line from Milan as well as the road, so it looks like our first real challenge has arrived.
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