We jumped in the car and headed south this weekend not knowing exactly where we would land.  Altea, Alicante, Mar Menor de la Manga and Murcia were all possibilities.  But I had no luck finding reasonable, dog friendly accommodation within walking distance of a town. 

As we checked into the Hotel Campanile in Alicante, Benjamin, being the clever three year old he is, immediately found the Rio Safari Elche brochure in the lobby.  As we had a late bite to eat in the hotel restaurant, it became apparent to us that the safari was first on the next day's agenda. 

We kept our expectations low as we had never heard of this place and it looked pretty small.  Plus, the weather was dreary and cold.  As we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed a man walking out with a dog.  "Are dogs allowed here," we asked the parking lot attendant?  Sure, they just can't attend the shows.  O…kay….  Mitch had to convince me not to leave Carmen in the hotel, and now he was spending all of his energy convincing me that we had to bring her into the safari.  "Just think of all the smells," he implored.  "Come on.  She doesn't have that much enjoyment left in her life."  Oh brother, here we go again, schlepping our blind, nearly deaf dog in the stroller. 

The safari was pricey.  18Euros for adults and 15 Euros for children.  Mitch was ecstatic and I think would have paid twice the amount for the right to bring in his dog.  The most shocking part of this was at the gate house.  "Just bring the dog back to the office when you want to watch a show.  We'll take care of her.  We love animals!"  WOW! (And we did, and we were amazed that we were able to)

Do any of you know my husband?  Do you get his sense of humor?  Take a look at these pictures.  He was in heaven.  We're not sure if the dog was on her way there or if the camels and giraffe were simply grooming her.  It was pretty funny.

Some additional highlights of the safari were the guacamayo show and the elephant show.  Have you ever seen a parrot riding a skateboard or a bicycle?  How about a dancing elephant?  We had fun at the shows.  

 About the emus. They're not too nice.  They were quick to nibble my jacket as I took this photo. 

Actually, they are quite nasty. 

Did you know that BIG BIRD is based on an Emu?  It's a huge artistic stretch however, because I just can't imagine ever telling a child that Big Bird is an Emu.  Either they will lose a limb to an emu or they will be turned off to Sesame Street education for ever!

Raising Emus is becoming so popular in the U.S. for their meat that apparently some towns are beginning to have problems with packs of wild emus roaming free.  

A grandmother and her grandson in Eugene, Oregon were almost attacked by one of these.   

But I digress.  Thankfully, Rio Safari Elche has them under control.  And thankfully, funny Mitch did not ask the Emus to groom his beloved Jack Russell Terrier. 

The approach to Morella is almost mystical.  Morella is a spectacular walled city located in the northwest corner of the Valencian province with a castle strategically situated on a 1000+ meter rocky mountain that is the vertex where Valencia, Catalonia and Aragon meet.  Almost every street in the town leads to the castle and the walls surrounding the town are so well preserved that even today, you must enter the town through one of the six original doors.   

We couldn't wait to explore the town, but just like the day trip to Guadalest the previous day we arrived in town just before comida (the main meal of the day.)  Although I am beginning to think that we travel with our stomachs, I think we are often able to discover unique regional attributes through a town's food.  And so it was with Morella.  Our most recent visitor Tom (or Tomas as Ben called him) was learning how we travel and skipped our family meal as he hiked around the town. 

At first glance, Morella did not have a lot of restaurants, a bit unusual for Spain.  We stopped at the first one we saw, Casa Roque, and have no regrets.  It seemed a bit formal (you worry when you see four wine glasses at each place setting and you have a three year old in tow) however the service was completely unpretentious and the menu del dia was a respectable 12 euros.  Ben behaved himself marvelously which in itself is a great contributor to a good meal. 

The house wine we ordered tasted awful and we sent it back.  Oh no said the waitress, that's the house wine, you will have to order off the menu.  Now we know what a good bottle of 1 euro wine tastes like in Spain so that wasn't the problem.  It was bad.  Soon, the manager overheard our conversation and brought us a bottle of wine.  A bit embarrassed, he admitted that a bad bottle had probably got into the mix, and thanked us for sending it back.  Note to all of you thrifty travelers who drink the house wine in Spain.  If it is nasty, send it back.  In Spain, just because it's cheap, doesn't mean it's bad.  

Mitch enjoyed a traditional broth with pastry puff dumplings and I tried something called pilotes, a dish with breadcrumbs topped with a fried egg, sausage and grapes.  Ben enjoyed his penne pasta dish.  I was proud of his Spanish and his speech when the waiter asked me if he should bring some grated cheese for the pasta.  Si, responded Ben enthusiastically. 

Throughout our meal, I heard and smelled sizzling plates of meat going by.  Apparently, Casa Roque is known for cooking both beef and pork on hot stones.  The crowning finish of the meal was a special dessert Mitch ordered, in addition to what came with the menu.  Dates in wine (datiles al vino) and Figs in coffee (higos al cafe).   Mitch says it was possibly the best dessert he had ever tasted!

For my dessert, I ordered a Cuajada.  Cuajada has been typical in all of the higher elevation pueblos we have visited.  It's made with milk and cream and typically sugar or honey is added to it to make it sweet.  In Morella it tasted like cheese.  I was not a huge fan of it, but Mitch was.  I asked the manager what made it taste different and he told me that they make a gelatin out of a substance they derive from a wild artichoke plant that grows in the Spring in the Morellan countryside.  How is that for unique?  Morella is also know for its truffles but we decided to sample that delicacy on another occasion. 

Once nourished, we were ready to begin our ascent to the castle.  On the way there, we passed another gorgeous old cathedral but didn't even try the door.  We had just an hour and needed to see the castle!  (It is truly shameful how cavalier one can get after seeing so many architectural wonders repeatedly.)    We also passed an old convent that will eventually be the Morella parador.  And once again, Mitch and I surged with pride as our little Ansel whipped out his camera to record the view. 

The strategic advantage of the castle is apparent from the top. 

Ben  played Rey de morella for a few minutes and I admired my husband's great parenting skills as he took charge leading an energetic toddler down the castle steps.  Yes it's true.  Women think it's sexy to see men taking care of children.  Thank goodness it's my husband I'm talking about :)

 El Arco de Noe Centro de Recuperacion de Animales (Noah's Ark Animal Shelter). 

Just past entrance to Guadalest if heading west from the coast.  Tel: 34- 965-972-359 - 10:00-22:30 -Voluntary contribution but definitely suggested - Adults - 5, Children 3 euros.  

We have a friend/business partner visiting us from the States and we decided to take a day trip to Guadalest, a charming itty, bitty, mountain town about 30 minutes inland from Benidorm.  After just 24 hours with us, our bachelor friend was beginning to see that our style of sight-seeing tends to accommodate a three year old's preferences and we are delighted with the out of the way places we find on the three year old touring plan!

We could see the charming mountain top village of Guadalest from a distance but since Ben was asleep we drove by the village.  We followed signs for an animal sanctuary and stumbled upon the Arco de Noe Animal Sanctuary.  Sorry we said to bachelor Tom as Ben woke up.  Detour to the animals.  Tom took off to get a cup of coffee and we walked in, not knowing what to expect.   

The animals in the sanctuary are mostly old, sick or simply abandoned.  There was a bear that was the property of a wealthy Madrileno until he was sent to jail for fraud.  There was a 2 year old white tiger would lived in the sanctuary director's home until just six months ago.  Two Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs that were no longer wanted when they became fat and sloth like.  Over 15 tigers, 2 lions, a wolf, a dingo, countless birds, chickens, goats, foxes, as well as some leopards and panthers.  Each animal had a story.  Some were posted outside the cages and some were discovered from talking with one of the two men in charge.

We were given a walking stick when we arrived to help us maneuver.  I didn't find the path too challenging and couldn't help wondering if they were really for us to fend off an animal if one escaped.   The man in charge is multi-lingual and he spoke to many about the animals.  I asked how the sanctuary is supported.  He told me that he happened to know the Queen of Spain and that she was able to contribute up to 6,000 euros a month to the cause.  The cost to run it however is 1000 euros a day.  (Can you imagine the cost of that meat?)

We took this picture of Ben near these lions.  The lion seemed particularly fond of Ben and I remarked to the man at the exit that I thought the lion seemed to like children.  Oh yes, all wild animals are fond of children.  They are the best meals since they are tender.  Goodness.  

 I asked the man if the sanctuary had a website or a way to raise money, and although he said yes, I was not able to find anything on the net.  There are so many wild animal lovers out there.  This sanctuary seems like a very worthy cause to donate to if that is your passion.   I know that there is a strong element out there that are completely against circuses and that feel like these sanctuaries need to exist because of them.  I don't really know how I feel about that but in any case, we feel privileged to have been able to experience the sanctuary.   

If you want to see more photos - check out the photo album Arco de Noe on this blog.

Last weekend we discovered Albarracin and Teruel, towns about 2 hours from Valencia.  Albarracin is a delightful village about 40 km west of Teruel that should not be missed.  The town sort of erupts from the red rocks that surround it and the views are fantastic.   The houses here are actually narrower on the bottom than the top so the streets and alleys are completely narrow and dark. 

 We really noticed the temperature change.  The town is at about 1200 meters- roughly 3600 feet and the air was dry, crisp and chilly.  Quite a change from Valencia where I am convinced has the best climate in all of peninsular Spain.  (Actually, on the Sunday we returned, I noticed that it was warmer in Valencia than in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.  Wow.!)

The most impressive feature of the town is the castle wall that surrounds it.  The walkway tower – el Torre de Andador – dates from the 9^th century, when Albarracin was an important Muslim town and military post.  It was quite a hike. 

Since we had left our pooch dog in the car as we had a quick bite, we knew we had to take her on our excursion.  We loaded up Ben's stroller and brought one of Mitch's sweaters in case.  In the end, Mitch ended up carrying our dear, blind Jack Russell terrier, sitting in the stroller to the castle walkway on the top of the mountain. It goes without saying that the people we saw hiking on the way up as well as the way down were really wondering about us. 

If that isn't love for your dog what is?  I should mention, even though she is blind and mostly deaf by now, we could tell that she truly appreciated the crisp air atop the mountain and being part of the outing.   

From Albarracin, we headed to Teruel.  We weren't sure what to expect as the guidebooks dedicate very little to Teruel and describe it as a 'has been' town whose fame was centuries ago and whose recent slogan was – Teruel existe (Teruel exists.) We were pleasantly surprised.

We stayed at the Hotel Reina Cristina, principally because pets are allowed.  The hotel chain has 2 hotels in this town, and although the other one was less expensive, we are happy we paid an additional 20 euros to be in the middle of the old town.  The hotel was fine.  Nothing out of the ordinary, except for the timed lights that go on in the long hallways just as you walk into the darkness.  (Our three year old appreciated that.)  The rooms are not particularly big but the bathrooms were clean and we were impressed with the tiny balcony off our room that completely insulated us from the noise outside.

We enjoyed walking around the town.  Mudejar architecture – (the Muslim style that flourished under Christian rule) is everywhere.  The Torre of El Salvador was right beside our hotel and the views from the top were fantastic. 

The town's most famous legend is that of a forbidden love between a girl and a boy, Isabel and Diego.  There are so many versions of the story but in a nut shell, he returned a day later than he should have and Isabel was forced to marry someone else.  They both died of heartbreak. 

The Escalinata is a beautiful plaza that is located between the Renfe train station and the many flights of grand steps built in the 1920s that lead up to the Paseo de Ovalo.  The steps are beautifully decorated.  There is also an elevator that links the plaza with the main part of town.  At night, the lighting and the modernist approach to the elevator in contrast with the Mudejar architecture and stairs was a sight to see.  Bauhaus with a Mudejar twist.  (Apologies to the architects out there – remember – I'm the one reviewing the $1.00 Spanish wines :)  I wasn't able to take a picture since I had just stepped out to walk the dog.  My recommendation if you visit Teruel.  The night views are almost as spectacular or even more so than the day views.

Speaking of wines, Mitch was impressed with the house wine we ordered at dinner at the restaurant Tapas y Copas en Teruel.  It was a private label for the restaurant bottled by heredad pangua sodupe.  It was a Rioja joven, cosecha 2004.  6.5 euros (price in restaurant)  There were a lot of children in the restaurant so I was surprised when they gave our three year old a wine glass for the water with lemon that I ordered for him.  Believe it or not, the glass survived, even with Ben insisting on holding the stem of the glass as he sipped his water.