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France/Spain 2011
Day 7 - 23rd March - Loarre Castle (Part 4)
On my way to the airport, a car stopped to let me cross the road and someone on the bus gave up his seat to me. This was a refreshing change from my last vacation, in China.
I was very happy to head to the airport, since it would mean I could unload my 2.8kg of duck eggs - 1/3 the weight of my checkin baggage. That said, this was the shortest time I’d ever spent in a city, reaching the hostel at 7pm and leaving at 11am. Though that couldn't beat the guy arriving at Strasbourg at 8pm and leaving at 10+am.
Covered urinals at the airport - I'm trying to understand why you would do this
Tellingly, even at the airport shops, the staff didn't speak English.
The car we got. An auto car would've attracted a more-than-100% premium due to relatively late booking.
For some reason the car kept stalling when I drove it. I later discovered that this was because I was going into third gear instead of first (the last time I'd done a stick had been in 2006). In any event I didn't do most of the driving - despite forgetting to add a second driver (kids: remember to add a second driver if you're not the only one driving).
Then came arguably the highlight of my day.
Krispy Kreme
Our first stop was Loarre Castle, dating from the 11th century, which the tentative WHS list calls "undoubtedly the best in all of Aragon".
Loarre Castle
Abandoned Warehouse aka Entrance building/Visitors' Centre
Camera panorama of the Castle and its Valley
Valley - manual stitch
Loarre Castle
Approach
Walls
Tower and countryside
Dog
Wall sides
Climbing up to keep
Walls from above
Keep walls
Entrance
Stairs up
I felt a little sad for Spain (or Aragon, rather) as the interior was gutted out.
Church of St Peter:
Altar
Columns
Capital
Altar
Church
I can't remember why I took this
Bars
Arch and background
Passage
French school group
Outer face
Valley
Climbing into peril - the area was cordoned off
Distance marker. I didn't recognise the names
Gate
After exploring the castle, we had:
Churros
I preferred the Clarke Quay Alegro version as the chocolate was sweeter
Road and Castle
Castle from afar
Then there was a very odd sight:
Catapult in the middle of nowhere
Playground in the middle of nowhere (beside the catapult)
I call this "NIMBY"
There was some bridge trail called "Route of the Bridges". Notice how they talk about "the Roman occupation". What have the Romans ever done for Spain?
Failed bridge
Murillo de Gállego
Paintball alley
Plaque about the Pyrénées
River, Hill
Is this a gorge or a valley?
Apparently LED candles and covering up in churches are a Mediterranean thing (though you see this in France too).