Cuenca - The Square; Benefactor Zobel

Cuenca, Spain, Plaza Mayor, main square
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The town square at Cuenca. There is our car, at the right. There is a lovely Cathedral dating from about 1170, see ://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-of-Cuenca,-Spain&id=619313

Look well at the hapless little car, because you will not see it again and neither did we until, the next morning, we got to the police impound lot (by taxi, thank you).

Know your street symbols for each country well. We did not interpret the sign we saw to mean no parking for any vehicles at all - it looked like it only forbad trucks. Learn your road signs!.

Also, do not use common sense.

You would think there would be some available short-term parking at the main square after hours, where the only parking lots are far, far away. The lots at Cuenca are at the top of a long hill, a twisting narrow road, like half a lane, and there is no sidewalk down, and the road goes right to the walls of the buildings and is a tight one-lane with cars going both ways.

No, you have to park up there and apparently walk down anyway, life in hands. Jam your bod against the stucco, walk with head swiveling to see which car is coming from where, wheeling around the curves like mad, pack into a doorway, close your eyes, and wait until you can dash to the next door. We did that as far as the hotel a short way down, but then went back up for the car. The risks I want to take with Dan are zero, and that was a hazard. So we drove back down to the square, and you know the rest.
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Daniel Widing conversing Fernando Zobel, we think, Cuenca, Spain

While we were eating, off slipped the car, chained behind the gendarmes in theirs.

Meanwhile, we enjoyed ourselves, in our ignorance.

There is Dan, at the cafe, a little inside open courtyard late afternoon, with who we believe to be Fernando Zobel, 1924-1984, founder of the Museum of Abstract Art, professional painter and member of a prominent philanthropic family - spent much time in the Philippines, came back to Spain and Cuenca.

See more about Fernando Zobel and his family at ://www.march.es/arte/ingles/cuenca/coleccion/abstracto/abstracto.asp; and ://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=381209.

Cuenca is known for its art museums, galleries. It dates from the Iron Age, through the Romans, the Visigoths, the Muslims, the reconquest.

Cuenca - The Gorge, The Monastery, Brother Martin

Cuenca, Brother Martin de Carrascosa y Cabrejas, Monastery

Cuenca - part of Castilla La Mancha - walled city, here on the map://www.donquijote.org/destinations/spanish-cuenca.asp. The medieval houses cling to cliffs. See ://www.spainview.com/cruzquijote.html. There are two deep river gorges - the town was highly defensible. Up a long winding road.

Here is Brother Martin de Carrascosa y Cabrejas - miraculous healing powers. He died 1603. He was a candidate for sainthood, thus there was a dispute who would get the body - the monastery here, or outside town, at Tebar, where he died. See ://libro.uca.edu/nalle/gmc5.htm. There was finally, after many disinterments, a resolution. We believe this is his statue, but the inscription is unreadable. It is at the monastery.

Cuenca, top of hill town

Parking is up here. Long walks from the top, where the monastery is, and parking lots, down the narrow streets to the square.


Here are some of the surrounding cliffs.
Cuenca, gorge, cliffs

And the lake down the gorge - Laguna de la Cruz.
Cuenca, Laguna de la Cruz, lake

Cuenca - cliff houses, art, police system

Dan philosophizing. This is an the inner courtyard at this pub in Cuenca.

Dan also enjoyed sitting with James Joyce. See Croatia Road Ways, Pula post.



Cuenca, Spain, cliffside houses

Cuenca is south of Madrid, heading into the La Mancha area.

It is an arts center, known for its houses clinging to the cliffs. Be prepared to walk. The only parking area is at top of high hill area, with narrow roads back down to the square. See NYT travel section 7/23/06 s.5 p.10. The Times recommends the Parador here (see post on Paradors), the national system of fine hotels reasonably priced, but we liked our little place.

Cuenca is on a clifftop itself -- see www.idealspain.com/Pages/Places/cuenca. Fine art museums, monastery, twisty streets.

Warning for handicapped. If you are handicapped, this is a difficult stop because parking is at the top of the old town, and you have to walk down to the square, pinning yourself against the walls on far-too-narrow walkways, if someone is going up or down in cars too fast. The police station is in the square, so stop there first if you must park in the square, and ask for permission. Most big squares are off-limits to any parking.

Police. They are not greeted as the people's friend. Do not expect helpfulness, just enforcement. Here is an explanatory site on the different groups: www.andalucia.com/spain/police/home.htm. See also www.photius.com/countries/spain/national_security/spain_national_security_the_police_system.

James Michener says in his book, "Iberia," somewhere that there are three powers in Spain - the police, the church, and the landed. And with an independent-minded collection of people of differing historical backgrounds, the stress is on law and order.