When rock and fortress are one

Today was a highlight of our tour for Icke and me. While Icke shopped undisturbed for three hours, I conquered the Castillo de Morella, one of the most impressive buildings in the Valencia region. By the way: A photo of the fortress adorns our blog.

There are many features that make this castle a unique sight. At over 1,000 meters high, it sits atop a massive rock and dominates the entire skyline. Its walls were not just placed on the rock; they were integrated, literally built into it. Fortress and rock have merged together. This colossal defensive structure has become one with nature. One is left speechless at its sight: impregnable, powerful, majestic are adjectives that come to mind.

I fought my way to the top under radiant sunshine. There, icy gusts of wind whipped around the venerable stone walls with razor-sharp blades. But I didn’t let it get me down and was rewarded: the view was fantastic, with almost 40 kilometers visible in crystal-clear sight.

Feeling completely satisfied, I set off to look for Icke after almost three hours. On my way to her, I passed a house with a striking ceramic plaque featuring a longer inscription. Lumi, my AI, clarified its meaning for me: according to legend, the saint Vicente Ferrer performed a miracle in this house in 1414. He visited a family there on that day. The mentally disturbed mother wanted to prepare a special meal in honor of the saint. Since she had no meat, she chopped up her youngest son for a roast. When the holy man heard about it, he brought the boy back to life. Only the little finger remained missing—the mother had eaten it when she tasted the roast to check if it was done ...

P.S.: This blog should not end so gruesomely! Icke's shopping haul: a beautiful leather backpack, two bracelets, and five bars of chocolate. Phew ... it could have been worse ...