Return home from Morocco

On April 9, 2024, we took the ferry from Tangier, Morocco to Tarifa, Spain and continued home. In Spain we experienced three highlights this time: the excellent Gala Dalí Museum in Púbol, the impressive city of Girona and the mighty Sierra Nevada. The first two are in Catalonia, near the French border. We had been in the Sierra Nevada exactly eleven months earlier, see article Mountains of Andalusia, but this time we were able to use our skis.

Marion and Alfred with the hut Refugio Vivac de la Carihuela and 3396 meters high Pico del Veleta, which we climbed on skis in March 1986 and by bike in May 2023 (the last few meters on foot)

Thanks to a large low pressure area at the beginning of April, there was a lot of snow in the Pradollano ski area, which is quite large with 23 lifts and 113 kilometers of slopes. We had traveled with skis in our little motor-home through France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco for almost six months without using them, but finally we needed them nearly at the end of our trip. We were so happy to be able to enjoy the only ski resort in Andalusia.

Best skiing conditions in Andalusia on April 12th 2024!

Some people enjoy the snow – there are no crowds here like in most alpine resorts

Marion and Alfred with the peaks La Alcazaba and Pico de Mulhacén which we climbed up in May 2023

The next day we explored the smaller town of Baeza, about 100 kilometers north of Granada. The old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003 as it has one of the best-preserved examples of Italian Renaissance architecture in Spain.

On the way to the French border we stopped in the small town of Moixente (approx. 75 kilometers southwest of Valencia), near Cap Roig (approx. 140 kilometers southwest of Barcelona) and in the coastal town of Malgrat de Mar (approx. 60). kilometers northeast of Barcelona). In Malgrat de Mar we saw a mural that touched us very deeply.

Mural of women in the Ravensbrück concentration camp (north of Berlin), including Neus Català i Pallejà (1915 - 2019), a Catalan socialist and the last Spanish survivor of the Ravensbrück concentration camp

Large replica of the 73 mm “Warrior of Moixent”, an Iberian bronze figure from around 400 BC

We were amazed at how beautiful and interesting the larger city of Girona is, which is just 50 kilometers south of the French border. The Passeig de la Muralla on the almost one kilometer long ancient city wall of Girona is an awesome hike with fascinating views.

Path Passeig de la Muralla on the city wall

Houses in Girona seen from the Pont de Pedra bridge over the Riu Onyar river

15 kilometers east of Girona lies the tiny village of Púbol with its stunning castle. The famous artist Salvador Dali built an extraordinary museum in this castle, dedicated to his wife Gala, who is buried here.

Many heads of Richard Wagner in the garden of the Púbol Castle

On April 19th 2024 we said sadly bye bye to Spain and rushed within three days to Munich. Remarkable was a snow storm close to Zurich which completely covers the lanes of the highway with snow and ice on an April 21st!

For more pictures, please click here

For a map of our itineraries, click here

To download our GPS coordinates file of Spain, click here

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