Sax Castle

October 14th
What a very nice day we had today.  We wanted Andrew to see a little of the interior of Spain, so we we had in mind to drive to Sax.  We picked Sax because we had passed by that little town several times before in previous years and were always so impressed with the castle and how it was situated.  We always passed by saying, "One day, we should stop in to that town and see if we can visit that castle!"  And today we did just that!
Here is how the castle looked as we approached it from the highway:

The best view would have been while we were driving right in front of it, but we were too busy at that point trying to exit the highway.

Using our trusty GPS, we drove into the center of Sax and using a review we had seen on Trip Advisor about where to eat in Sax, we tried to find a restaurant called Casa Mami.  In our little bit of driving around before parking, we didn't see it anywhere so we walked a little thinking we'd see it as we walked.  We didn't so we stopped in a store and the ladies there we nice enough to give us very good directions to the restaurant, which fortunately was close to where we had parked.  So, we followed their directions, found the restaurant and were pleasantly surprised to see this nice restaurant.  We had the most incredible meal in this restaurant!  Everything we ordered was excellent, our waiter was so nice and attentive (it probably helped that we were the only customers at that time) and the atmosphere inside the restaurant was so nice and cozy.  It rained while we ate and that was nice to see also.

After our meal, we chatted with the waiter (Miguel) a while, he and Andrew discussed wines, and he was very enthusiastic that we should go visit the castle.  He told us that to see the castle, we would first have to go the police station (only a few blocks away), ask for the key to the castle and then we'd be able to go inside it.  He drew us directions to the police station and to the castle, although we used our GPS to help us get to the police station.  I couldn't believe it!  We could get keys to the castle of this town and we would be the only ones looking around in it!!

At the police station, they wanted ID, so Guillermo showed them his expired residency card from  when we were here for several months back in 2012 and they said that was fine and handed him the keys to the castle.  We drove to the castle, parked across the street from it and started the long climb upwards.  I could.not.believe, that we were actually visiting this castle!!!  Whenever we drove past it on the highway, I was always FASCINATED by the rock it sat on and how in the WORLD could they have built it up there back so long ago?!?!?!
Here are some pictures of the castle:  This first picture is how we saw the castle from where we parked the car.

When we parked and were heading across the street to start the climb up the castle, we heard this noise coming from an area close to where we parked.  We couldn't see what it was, but it was loud and grating, like a bulldozer scraping along the road or something.  We get to the other side of the street and the sound was getting louder, so we just had to stop to see what was going to emerge from behind the trees on the other side of the street.  When it finally appears, we see that it is a motorcycle pulling an object (that looked kind of like a microwave oven) with a rope along the ground.  We laughed and figured that he was bringing it to the curb for recycling.  My goodness we couldn't stop laughing hysterically when we saw the motorcycle then turn right onto the street and start driving down the road with the microwave oven scraping along behind him making the most incredible racket.  We are just sorry we didn't think to get video of that.

ANYway, here is Andrew unlocking the door to the castle

Inside one of the towers of the castle was this ladder-type thing made of just narrow metal rods.  It was placed in a corner, one on top of the other so that the climb was straight up.  We all made it up those rods to the outside of the tower.  Coming down was a challenge because to reach the first rod was a stretch but we all made it.  Really.  There are many things in this castle and in the one in Alicante that would never be allowed in the states.  That ladder in this castle would probably have been roped off and once at the top of BOTH  castles, there is nothing along the edge of the towers to prevent a fall.  In the two pictures above, there is a VERY narrow walkway from where we're standing to the remains of the tower in the background.  That, too, would have been roped off and it WAS a little tricky maneuvering that narrow ledge.

This castle was built on the most narrow rock hill!  It was truly amazing!!!

After we returned the keys to the police station we decided to take a different route back to El Campello.  We are so glad we did because what a beautiful route that was!  Our favorite town along that road was Biar,  What a beautiful town in the pines.  Then when we got on the road to Jijona, it was all downhill and curvy but it had a lot of amazing views.

October 15th

Today we were so excited because Wednesdays are Mercadillo days.  Mercadillo is the most amazing fruit and vegetable market here in El Campello.  So, we have breakfast at the house and head over to El Campello where we find several streets closed and by the time we get to the area where Mercadillo is usually held, we see that it isn't there.  What a big disappointment.  So, since today is still part of the festivities here for the Christan and Moor celebration, we figured that's why Mercadillo wasn't there and why most everything was closed.  We decide to have lunch at an Indian restaurant but even though they were open, they didn't start serving until 1pm.  So, we head over to Muchavista Beach and find one open restaurant along the beach and that's where we had lunch.  Which turned out to be nice out there in the beautiful weather with the sea in our view.