Life: Idiotropic

Sunny Sundays are for lazy mornings, slow starts, and striking sunsets.  They are for a plan without a timeline.  It's a good thing.  So often my early morning push brings me home too early to see the evening lighting in the places I visit.  Our late start, coupled with the earlier sunset blessed us with a spectacular evening in Peñíscola.  I should sleep in more often.

I've hoped to return here ever since I left it the first time, but time is the all elusive with so many things to see and repeats are a luxury, so I had to wait until now when the sand is moist and doesn't squeak like it did before.


A strange view today.  We'd just missed two days of extreme biking events that took over the tiny streets of the old town and the hill getting to it.  Wooden ramps covered stairs and tires blocked poles and sharp corners making it a bit difficult just to get to the top of the hill where the castle stands.  Today we'd go in the castle.  Children up to age 12 are free.  Adults cost 3.50 which includes a souvenir post card.

Most of the castle rooms are sparsely furnished if at all, but they are good about putting up informative plaques on the walls in Spanish, Valenciano, German, and English so that you know a bit about where you're standing.  It's quite impressive actually.

It's hard to know when the original castle was built or what it must of looked like because of so many changes that have happened over the centuries.  King James the First rebuilt it after the conquest in 1234.  Since then, it's been the witness and catalyst of an incredible history here in this little town.  Declared the third papal see by Pope Pedro Luna who ended his life there, it was also the headquarters of King James himself, and the Order of the Templars from 1294.

This is one of two doorways built as part of the new facade between 1294 and 1307.  The other was destroyed during the Independence War.




The self-guided tour allows you to relax and even picnic in the many open spaces within the castle walls.  The roof itself is even spectacular with stairs leading all the way to the top.  So spectacular that my 9-year old reached the top first and exclaimed, "Holy Cow!"  The next one arrived at the top of the stairs and exclaimed the same thing.  Now it was a game.  Elise, the youngest, arrived last and we all waited for what we thought must come next.  She looked from side to side and exclaimed quite loudly, "Holy Duck!"


The forecast storm passed north of us both saving us from a good soaking and giving us a view of the streaks of grey in the distance and a rainbow that painted the entire village beneath it in stripes.

This is one of those seasonally touristy towns that serves up the most horrid food on earth for abominable prices and people smile though it because either the view is nice or they really think paella should taste that way.  It's pretty sad.  There are a couple good restaurants, but this is definitely a place to ask a local.  I've eaten average here and I wasn't going to eat average again.  In fact, we were heading back for dinner, but the kids were hungry, so we thought we'd stop at a local bar for a snack.  Blech.  Worst bar experience ever.  We ordered three items.  Two came and were barely palatable. The third was not what we'd ordered - at all.  And I'd spoken in both Spanish, English, and pointed to the picture.  The waiter was not apologetic nor sympathetic despite the big-eyed starving look from my 6-year old.  He explained that they were out of the baguettes and brought it on a croissant instead.  "But it's not even tuna!  We ordered tuna."  He looked confused.  I picked up the top crunchy overtoasted croissant and showed him the serrano ham and anemic tomatoes underneath.  He said he'd go get a tuna sandwich.  It never came.  No apologies. I went to pay.  They charged me for everything.  These are the stupid people that give places and countries a bad reputation.

The moon assuaged our post bar funk.


A full moon lingers briefly above the edge of the castle wall 
that Jaime built long ago after the Moorish fall.
Where Papa Luna spent his days and nights
and the Templars staged their fights.
The wars called just and holy though by means hardly so.
It was long ago.  
And now I must leave too soon.
A walk along the beach shooting the moon.
Digging my toes into the sand that's seen it all.