20 years ago today – Day 45

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Sunday, April 17 – a rest on Almeria

We get up at nine. Ricardo has made us a light snack for breakfast. Nuria has already left for work. I ask if I can do a load of laundry and Ricardo shows me how to use his machine. It takes forever so it is almost 11 before we call Tony.

We meet him a short distance away. This is a small city of perhaps 150,000, so it doesn’t take us long to get to any attractions. The three of us walk five minutes to the cathedral, the central attraction of any Catholic town. They begin to look all the same ins spite of their varied splendours. This time it is a bit more personal as Tony and Nuria have both worked as volunteers here restoring old paintings. We learn a lot about the process of art restoration from Tony.

According to Tony, Almeria is also the city where “How I Won The War”, co-starring John Lennon, was filmed. This is where Lennon got the inspiration for the song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and where he discovered the granny glasses that he became famous for.

Then he takes us up to the Alcazaba, the fortress built by the Moors to subjugate this Spanish city. It overlooks the city and coast with delightful views. It is in surprisingly good shape, as if recently built. Tony explains that it had been extensively damaged by a great earthquake in 1522 and later by looting. It was extensively rebuilt in the late 1900s, a period of historic restoration when other walled cities like Carcassonne were rebuilt. Unlike Carcassonne though, this fortress was rebuilt with respect for historic accuracy. There is has bar inside, as all good fortresses should, so we stop in to share drinks.

Tony takes us back to Ricardo and Nuria’s at 2pm. Nuria has returned home and the two of them have prepared a delicious meal of fried sardines, salad, rice and a vegetable stew. After lunch, Nuria returns to work and Tony has to leave us to teach an English class. Mike takes a walk downtown and I clean my bike and tighten the brakes. I also packed my laundered clothes away. They are cleaner than they have been since the start of the trip and they have thoroughly dried in the hot Almeria sun,

Nuria returns home at 8 and Mike and I take her and Ricardo out for dinner at a seafood place downtown. We pig out on several platters of octopus, shrimp, halibut, sardines and salad. The bill comes to a whopping 6950 pesados, equal to three nights accommodations, but it was worth it for all they have done for us. Nuria tries to contribute 2000 pts but I won’t let her.

Nuria and Ricardo go to a theatre to hear a concert that evening after dropping us off back at their home. We are in bed and asleep by the time they return.


PHOTO 1: Almeria city hall
PHOTO 2: John Lennon in "How I Won The War"
PHOTO 3: Tony & Mike climbing the stair to the Alcazaba
PHOTO 4: view from the restored fortress
PHOTO 5: walls in the hills around the fortress
PHOTO 6: old town below fortress, some houses in caves
PHOTO 7: flowers on Almeria street