Another day of exploration in the Province of Alicante, of the Valencia Community. Today we are visiting the town of Orihuela. As with many places in Spain, there is a municipality and a city. The municipality is like a county and will contain a number of towns. The city is just what it says. So there is the city of Madrid and Municipality of Madrid
I've done my usual after the fact research on the town. For the longest time it was at a very critical juncture of communication and transport which led to numerous powers wanting to control it. (And trust me, there were lots and lots over the centuries).
The local people throughout the centuries have had the unenviable history of almost ALWAYS aligning with the losing sides of these power struggles. Yet, despite that the town always seemed to bounce back. The losing streak took its toll, however, starting at the end of the 18th century. Through the last third of the 20th century, it was a steady decline.
However, beginning in the 1970's tourism and expatism drove the economy to substantial improvement. In fact, now 32% of the total population consists of expats with the bulk of the concentrated in the Orihuela Costa (coast) versus Orihuela City.
Despite its historical travails, Orihuela had a lot to keep Wife and I in happy photo tourism land. It never stops amazing me how various places have variety in architecture, cityscape, and decoration that transcends their popularity, or their popular reputation. Orihuela was one of these. In fact, we took so many pictures that we have divided them into multiple posts, two in my case. Rather than go in chronological order of visiting, I've grouped these into subject categories.
Cityscape - What I view as the overall image of the city.
Ruins of the Moorish Castle and City on the Hill
Again the wooden door and window blinds
A very Modern clock tower
Turn of the 19th/20th Century Architecture
A very different looking fountain with stairs leading to a building. I was able to find nothing about these.
Benches of Death
Back Story - Wife and I were tired and needed a place to rest until it was lunch opening time. We saw these in a park. They were covered in these small, dark, hard berry like things. We cleaned them off. Sat down. Immediately began being pelted by these same berries coming off the trees! We retreated.
Street Lamps - A Great Variety for a Small City
Birds (the Count Challenge)
Miscellaneous
Rumor has gotten out of a potential Re-Reconquista raid by Swedish Vikings. Children are being taught to get to a shelter.
Despite the Moors and Christians Festivals at first glance celebrating the Catholic reconquest of Spain from Islam, the dominate imagery and promotion is Moorish.
This led to me doing research which I will share in a future post.
Found near the Benches of Death, a Thermometer. A good idea. Would be better if it were working.
Lunch - Our Menu del Dia
As is our preference, we found a local place that was not tourist driven but not unfriendly to tourists and had a superior Menu del dia.
Vegetable Soup (squash or pumpkin based) with a soft egg
Ensalada Murciana (Murcia style salad)
Tomatoes, tuna, hard boiled egg, olives, salt, pepper, good olive oil
Braised beef with Fries
Roast Chicken with Oven Roasted Potatoes
A bread pudding layered with flan (they love their flan here)
Helados in a tub
A nice white wine with a couple of grapes in it.
And all this plus an extra coffee, was $32.
Lastly
SIGNS OF THE WORLD
Evidently de-I is not the only one to play loose with the micro size Spanish parking places.
When you have NOTHING else to do, find this sign!
Remember the three most important things in advertising - repetition, repetition, repetition
1 comment:
this is truly the land of menu del dia. Not sure if Vikings like that though
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