Cuenca (or as Jane kept calling it... Cuesta)

View of the Saint Paul Convent, now a hotel

What a surprise! Our visit to Cuenca began a little shaky when it turned out the hotel we had booked did not exist, well at least not in Cuenca. We booked a hotel in the morning when we left Barcelona. According to Expedia it was a located just north of the town between Cuenca and Guadalajara.

The town below the hilltop

After a long day of driving we pulled into Cuenca and followed the route the website had given us. We reached the end point on our Google map and there was no hotel in sight. We stopped and asked a few local people. No one had ever heard of it. Biting the bullet we switched on our iphone service and checked our itinerary for the hotel again. Yep, the Expedia map clearly shows the hotel in Cuenca. In fact, it lists the hotel as being in the city center. We looked up the phone number and called. After speaking with the person in reception, we learned that the hotel was actually in Navarra, where we had been in Pamplona – 350 kilometers north of us! We quickly searched the internet and found another hotel nearby and booked that. After checking in we called Expedia to let them know about their mistake. I was told by a call center by the book woman that it was my fault, “I’m sorry that you are unfamiliar with the area and booked a hotel beyond where you wanted to stay”. Ok, I can accept not knowing a hotel is perhaps 50 or even 100 kilometers from our intended destination, but we are talking about the other side of Spain! After being on hold for an hour (while the representative checked with her manager) I finally hung up.

Walking up the hill

Luis called the hotel directly and explained the error. They said they had already charged us but would try to correct the problem. They are supposedly going to email us when it is resolved through their accounting department??? We will see what happens. When your booking your hotel one day at a time, it is always nice to double check. Guess we learned our lesson. All in all, everything works out in the end.

The next morning we woke up and headed to the old part of town. Cuenca is an old walled town perched precariously along a steep gorge. The rivers Jucar and Huecar run along either side. The name Cuenca is derived from the Moorish fortress Kunka that once guarded this area. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, this beautiful walled town contains a labyrinth of narrow twisty streets and interesting buildings.

View of the casa colgades
supports

As you climb the hill to the heart of Cuenca, you pass the hanging houses. Called casas colgadas, these houses are constructed of large timber beams that are wedged into the cliff side, allowing the houses to literally hang over the edge. While looking up at the floorboards of the houses it is amazing to think how long they have floated above the streets. Built in the 14th century only three original houses exist. Looking at the picture to your right, you can probably guess why. They do not look to be very safe. The remaining houses are the Casa de la Sirena and two known as the casa del Reys.

The "newly" built facade

We made our way through the Plaza Mayor towards Cuenca's Cathedral. Known as Our Lady of Grace, it was Spain's first Gothic cathedral. We decided to do the tour. The audio walk through was very interesting, it pointed out all the major dates and information one would miss without it. Their were 36 separate cues on the audio and it made the walk through more inviting than to try walking it without knowing any relevant information on the history of the Cathedral. For instance, the cathedral was initially constructed in the 12th century, on the site of a mezquita. The cathedral has been renovated many times throughout the centuries. Several stained glass windows and the altar screens are from the 16th century. The altar was redone during the 18th century, in addition to the facade which collapsed in the late 1800's. The rest of the tour you will have to travel to Cuenca to find out for yourselves. This town is worth the visit, we wish we could have spent a couple of more days enjoying the city.

Modern stained glass

Along the sides of the main nave are numerous chapels, each dedicated to a different patron saint. We toured the massive structure, admiring the detailed altar, stained glass windows, and sculptured stone.

No photos allowed? he he he

As tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the priests were preparing the church for the special occasion. We entered the main Sacristy where ancient relics used in celebrating the Eucharist are kept. We watched as a priest opened the ornate, ancient cupboards and drawers to retrieve items for the upcoming service.

Leaving the cathedral we walked up the hill noticing signs indicating the route that the Semana Santa procession would take. We saw many people carrying palm leaves in preparation for the celebration.



Another Semana Santa Float

Around many corners we were struck by captivating views of the gorge below. Everywhere magnificent flowering trees of purple and pink. Spanning the crevasse is the enormous 60 meter high metal bridge of San Pablo. Originally, built in the 1500's, it collapsed and was rebuilt in 1902. Below the hill, floating on an island of rock is the Convent of Saint Paul. Reached by the bridge of San Pablo, this former Dominican convent is now a parador.

Looking up at the old walls



View of the river below

After spending the day walking around and sitting watching the views, we climbed back in our car and drove towards back to Madrid to see Christine, Seb and the kids again. We arrived around 5:30. After visiting for a while we went out to a local plaza to enjoy some dinner. We sat and enjoyed Argentinian pizza, canas and each others company while the kids were busy on the playground. With full bellys and hearts we returned to their apartment and continued the fun until 2AM. What a great day!

More views

Walking back down



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