A Castle, A Cathedral and Chuckles

What contributed to a good night’s sleep? It might have been the vino tinto and the substantial tapas, or the late night listening to the Real Madrid game, or perhaps the fabulous mattress. I wish I could take it home with me.

Real Madrid won 3-0 over Manchester City, so Cipri should be pleased today. I must ask him where to purchase a football shirt.

I managed to get out of the wet room without incident. I’m sure there is a trick without killing yourself and there never seems to be enough towels! I love the blue tilework. 💕

Downstairs I head for a nice breakfast. Christophe and I had a good giggle about needing more coffee. The coffee machine produces a passable cafe con leche however, this morning I had to add an extra shot of espresso.

As I head back to my room to get my clothes in order for check out, we learn that Sam, Barry’s wife had been rushed to the hospital via ambulance earlier that morning.

I can’t imagine having an emergency like this in a foreign country and grateful I qualify for travel health insurance. Please don’t travel without it. Yes, that was the American Express credit card tag line. As we mature, travel insurance is paramount when out of country. You never know what could happen. Barry and Sam, expats from Ottawa, Ontario Canada are now residents, so insurance is likely not an issue.

The start of the tour is going to be delayed for a couple of hours until they return from the hospital. No one is bothered as we all are concerned for Sam. These are good and kind people on this trip. Heartwarming really. Some continue to explore the town, some rest their feet and some just enjoyed the quiet time.

The hotel let us store our luggage and they opened up an extra salon for us to wait. While waiting, I had a beautiful conversation with Lena and Bjorn. Well, truthfully with Lena, as Bjorn was napping.😴 His antenna was still up though, and chimed in every once in a a while.

Just before noon, Sam, Barry and Cipriano returned to the hotel. Sam looks exhausted, but thankfully she is okay. She would remain on the bus for the day to rest and hydrate. Everyone is grateful she is going to be fine. It was wonderful that Cipriano stayed with them through it all. This is another example of the excellent service provided by Oletrips.

We say goodbye to Baeza and head to the city of Jaén, approximately 35 minutes away.

I am sitting at the back of the bus with Olivia and Colm, we have some chuckles over whatever topic comes up. I look ahead and see that Sam is snuggled up against the window and Barry is next to her. It must have been quite a scare for them both. Thankfully, we will all be together today.

Jaén City Stats

The population of Jaén surpasses 111,000 and sits snug up against the Santa Catalina Hill and below the shadows of Castillo de Santa Catalina. This castle is quite impressive with its limestone watchtowers, and battlements.

Ricardo is winding the bus up and around the hill until we approach the gate that says, “No Buses”. He begins making a three-point turn on the narrow road. Unfortunately, the fender and rear signal hit something and we heard a loud crunch. Dang! We all felt for Ricardo.

Castillo de Santa Catalina

We walk the rest of the way up the hill to the castle entrance to be greeted by a suit of armour.

The Castillo de Santa Catalina was built using mud and stone (adobe-style). I try to envision lugging all those rocks up that hill. Cipriano asked us to remember Ferdinand III and sure enough this guy conquered this area also, in 1246. The castle was also expanded under his rule, and a beautiful cross was erected that provides a spectacular view of the city and surrounding area at approximately 850 metres above sea level.

I wander around the ruins for a bit and head to the cross lookout. On my way I pass a family with a child who are picnicking in the shade along the path. I wish them a good day and continue on. I bump into Cipri and Christophe who suggest returning to the bus as soon as I have visited the cross.

I take a couple of panoramic shots and a selfie, appreciating the view and start my way back.

Our new friend Barry (living in Nerja) and a wonderful artist (Check out his incredible work here) is sauntering along the path to the cross while munching on a long bean. He has been mingling with the picnicking family who offers their beans to him and he graciously accepts. I stuck around with him for a few minutes and as we are walking back, we see the family again, and Barry begins complimenting them on the quality of their beans. I hear them offer him more food. I decide to keep walking while smiling and giggling. I’m loving this entire experience.

Along the way, passing another Parador hotel, I come across a family of cats who didn’t look like they suffered from hunger. Hey, the garbage at the Parador should be top-notch.

Winding down the hill, I spot the bus and climb aboard. Sam has more colour in her cheeks and seems a little more perky. I stop and inquire how she is doing. “Much better,”she says.

I find my seat just as Cipri begins his head count, uno, dos, tres…dieceseis. Okay, who is missing? Where is Barry? A couple of minutes later he appears offering us long beans, and we are on our way.

Exploring Jaén

Ricardo drops us off on a hilly street. Some of the group want to see the cathedral before lunch, while Olivia, Colm and I wanted to grab some lunch on a sunny patio. We receive our meet up time from Cipri, and off we go in search of food and a view.

We walk and walk, laugh and walk and end up in a plaza in front of the cathedral. Guess who is there? Cipri and the rest of the group. LOL So much for going it on our own.

We continue past them after waving and notice Barry seemingly turned around. We ask him to join us for lunch.

Bar Restaurante La Cruz Chica

If you want to get the flavour of a place, then the Menu del Dia is the most economical way of doing it. You usually get a drink of your choice (beer, wine, water, pop) an appetizer, main course and dessert for a reasonable cost. You may also be fortunate enough to try a local specialty.

Lost in Translation

Cipri was eating at the same restaurant. We asked him to translate a menu item for us. What Colm and Barry thought was a vegetable salad turned out to be a cold vegetable soup. Olivia and I howled, Colm grunted and Barry ate without complaining.

Jaén Cathedral

Time to reconnect with the group but not before having our picture taken in front of the cathedral. It is massive!

The Cathedral of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic cathedral that was once occupied by a mosque and was reconsecrated as a church after our long-gone friend Ferdinand III took Jaén. It has been damaged and rebuilt on numerous occasions.

Is this the end…or just the beginning?

Back on the bus, we point our way back to the coast. We stop for a break at the halfway point. I am enjoying the scenery as it rolls past us, and I reflect on the past few days.

I have learned loads about Jaén Province and probably more about myself. Meeting others from around the world is both educational and inspiring. Having a shared experience is enriching and good for the soul.

I thank the group for making the time we spent together fun and special. I plan to stay in touch with those I connected with. You can also subscribe to my travel blog ‘Rubbing Elbows With The World”, by clicking here.

Cipriano makes these trips interesting and I thank him for all his efforts. As a solo senior female traveller, I always feel safe and comfortable when travelling on Oletrips excursions. I will be sure to provide a Google review.

Some of you might not be aware, Christophe has a wonderful travel blog dedicated to Andalucía, called Andaluciamia, check it out here. It is is well put together and his talented photography compliments the content. Great job Christophe!

As the sun begins to set, the bus is unusually quiet. Perhaps we are tired or others are reflecting on their last few days. I look out the window and see this view. A touch of melancholy squeezes my heart knowing this trip is ending, but also I feel grateful that I can still travel and that my legs continue to support me. Life is good!

¡Estoy agradecida por esta vida!