SPAIN: MONASTERIO DE PIEDRA

Hidden in the mountains in the province of Zaragoza, the Natural Park of the Monasterio de Piedra offers a really beautiful environment, especially in Autumn.

Around a monastery, the waters of the River Piedra have shaped the landscape into lakes, grottos and waterfalls, such us:

• Cascada Caprichosa (Caprichosa Waterfall)
• Lago de los Patos (Lake of Ducks)
• Cascada Trinidad (Trinidad Waterfall)
• Cascada Caprichosa (Caprichosa Waterfall)
• River Piedra
• Cascada Iris (Iris Waterfall)
• Gruta Iris (Iris Grotto)
• Cascada Cola de Caballo (Cola de Caballo Waterfall)
• Lago del Espejo (Mirror Lake)

• Monasterio de Piedra

Besides, the park preserves dense forests in an ecosystem of great biological richness with many different species of animals and a great variety of giant trees. 

Here begins the itinerary of Natural Park of Monasterio de Piedra

Fallen leaves in Natural Park of Monasterio de Piedra

Cascada Trinidad (Trinidad Waterfall)

This is the first waterfall we saw in Monasterio de Piedra

Cascada Caprichosa (Caprichosa Waterfall)

A closer view of the previous waterfall

Lago de los Patos (Lake of Ducks)

A bridge over Lago de los Patos in Monasterio de Piedra

Nice environment in Monasterio de Piedra around Lago de los Patos

Cascada Trinidad (Trinidad Waterfall)

Cascada Trinidad in Monasterio de Piedra

A closer view of Trinidad waterfall in Monasterior de Piedra

Cascada Caprichosa (Caprichosa Waterfall)

As you can see, there are many waterfalls you can see in Monasterio de Piedra

Cascada la Caprichosa (Caprichosa waterfall) in Monasterio de Piedra

River Piedra

River Piedra, whose waters have shaped the landscape of this park

Cascada Iris (Iris Waterfall)

Cascada Iris in Monasterio de Piedra

Gruta Iris (Iris Grotto)

Gruta Iris (Iris grotto) in Monasterio de Piedra

Beautiful place where we enjoyed our meal in Monasterio de Piedra

Cascada Cola de Caballo (Cola de Caballo Waterfall)

Cascada Cola de Caballo (Cola de Caballo waterfall) in Monasterio de Piedra

Lago del Espejo (Mirror Lake)

Lago del Espejo (Mirror Lake) in Monasterio de Piedra

Monasterio de Piedra

Chapter room of Monasterio de Piedra

Cloister of Monasterio de Piedra

Finally, next you have links of other beautiful places I have visited in Spain:

- Catalonia

• Barcelona
• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Galicia

• Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
• Costa da Morte
• Baiona, Islas Cíes and more Beaches in Galicia
• Tui and Camino de Santiago Portugués

- Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra

• Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Estella and Los Arcos in Navarra
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery and Sanctuary of Borja

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca

SPAIN: TAPEO IN ZARAGOZA

It is a pleasure to go de tapeo in Zaragoza and enter one of these bars full of tapas where it becomes difficult to choice. 

But sometimes some bars choose the option of specialization, like La Cueva de Aragón or La Ballena Colorá.

The bars and restaurants I will speak about below are located near El Tubo, a street whose official name is Calle de los Estebanes. Besides I went to these bars and restaurants with a relative who lives in Zaragoza, so these bars are some of the best ones of Zaragoza.

- La Cueva de Aragón

• Address: Calle de la Libertad, 16

- La Ballena Colorá

• Address: Calle de la Libertad, 16

- Vinos Nicolás

• Address: Calle Estebanés, 4

- Erzo

• Address: Calle Santa Catalina
• Website: erzotapas.com

- El Portón

• Calle Estudios

El Tubo (Calle de los Estebanes)

Calle de los Estebanes (Estebanes Street), also known as El Tubo, is the best place to enjoy Tapas in Zaragoza

Mudejar bell tower beside Calle de los Estebanes (Estebanes Street), also known as El Tubo, in Zaragoza

La Cueva de Aragón

Tapa de Champiñones (Mushrooms Tapa) we enjoyed in La Cueva de Aragón in Zaragoza

La Ballena Colorá

Montaditos (small sandwiches) of with anchovies and pepper in La Ballena Colorá Snack Bar in Zaragoza

Vinos Nicolás

Croqueta de Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham Croquette), Taco de Ternera Picante (spicy beef piece) and Carioca (stuffed mussel) we enjoyed in Zaragoza

Erzo Restaurant

Erzo restaurant in Zaragoza

Montadito (small sandwich), Pimiento relleno (Stuffed red pepper) y Croqueta de Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham Croquette) we enjoyed in Erzo restaurant in Zaragoza

El Portón

Table with different kinds of cheese, pate and prosciutto we enjoyed in El Portón snack bar in Zaragoza

Other restaurants you can try in Zaragoza are:

• Estudios Snack Bar (Calle Estudios, Estudios Street)
• El Fuelle Restaurant (Calle Mayor, Mayor Street)

If you are interested in visiting Zaragoza, below you have the most interesting places of this city:

• Basílica del Pilar
• Area of the Expo Zaragoza 2008
• Aljafería Palace
• Mudéjar church of San Pablo
• Seo or Cathedral of Zaragoza
• Church of Santa María Magdalena
• Lonja
• Mudéjar Tower of Zuda
• Parque Grande

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:


- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Galicia

• Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
• Costa da Morte
• Baiona, Islas Cíes and more Beaches in Galicia
• Tui and Camino de Santiago Portugués

- Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Estella and Los Arcos in Navarra
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery and Sanctuary of Borja

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca

SPAIN: ECCE HOMO IN BORJA

A few days ago I was in Tarazona and I had the opportunity to go to El Santuario de la Misericordia in Borja, where I could see the Ecce Homo which has been in the news these days because of the problems in its restoration.

As you can see in this picture, the Ecce Homo is a small fresco painted on a side wall toward the back of the church, so it wouldn't be located in a prominent place in the church.

Ecce Homo in El Santuario de la Misericordia of Borja

Other places I visited in this trip in Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra were:

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Estella and Los Arcos in Navarra
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery

Finally, I visited in Spain too:

- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Galicia

• Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
• Costa da Morte
• Baiona, Islas Cíes and more Beaches in Galicia
• Tui and Camino de Santiago Portugués

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca

SPAIN: TARAZONA AND VERUELA MONASTERY

We spent the two last days of our trip in La Rioja and Navarra visiting the town of Tarazona, were a friend of us has an apartment.

Tarazona has many interesting moorish monuments, like its cathedral. Near Tarazona is located the Cistercian Monastery of Veruela, which we visited in the afternoon. The spanish poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer lived in this monastery.

You can see below all the places I visited in La Rioja, Navarra and Aragón during this trip:

Days 1 and 2

• Zaragoza and Logroño

Day 3

• Haro
• Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Day 4

• Laguardia
• Estella
• Los Arcos

Day 5

• San Millán de la Cogolla
• Nájera

Day 6

• Tarazona
• Monasterio de Veruela

Next I would like to show you some pictures of Tarazona and Veruela Monastery.

In Tarazona we visited:

• Cathedral of Tarazona
• Episcopal Palace
• Church of Santa María Magdalena
• Bullring

Besides, from Tarazona we went to:

• Monastery of Veruela
• Sanctuary of Borja (Ecce Homo)

Tarazona

Dome of Tarazona Cathedral

Cloister of Tarazona Cathedral

Moorish bell tower of Tarazona Cathedral

Cathedral of Tarazona from the old town

View from the old town of Tarazona

Moorish bell tower of Santa María Magdalena church and Episcopal Palace in Tarazona

Santa María Magdalena church in Tarazona

Moorish bell tower of Santa María Magdalena church in Tarazona

Bullring of Tarazona

Monastery of Veruela

Veruela Monastery near Tarazona

Church of Veruela Monastery

Romanesque doorway of the church of Veruela Monastery

Gothic cloister of Veruela Monastery

Inside the church of Veruela Monastery

Chapter room of Veruela Monastery

Battlement of the wall of Veruela Monastery

Other cities I visited during this trip in Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra were:

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Estella and Los Arcos in Navarra
• Sanctuary of Borja

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:

- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Galicia

• Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
• Costa da Morte
• Baiona, Islas Cíes and more Beaches in Galicia
• Tui and Camino de Santiago Portugués

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca