Almeria is another port city on the Costa Tropical, the part of the Mediterranean coast I am in now. The reason I stopped here was mostly because of its Alcazaba, a fortress castle on a hill above the city. It is the largest of the fortresses built by the Moors, just over a thousand years ago. I found a great parking spot at the port, which is right next to the old town. You can actually stay there overnight, but I like electricity and showers too much and they have no services beyond a parking spot.
I walked over to the old town, passing several nice fountains. You can bet that anywhere the Moors were, there will be lots of water features. They were often used to help cool the air, something I would have appreciated, it was really hot. I stopped by the Cathedral of Almeria, and paid the 5 Euros to see it. It is a monolithic structure, imposing and slightly forbidding I thought. It is very pretty inside, ornate in some ways, simple in others. The side chapels are stunning, and there are several. One thing that was different was the use of many life-sized figures in scenes around the church.
I then headed off to the Alcazaba, the main course for the day. No elevator here, you had to climb the steep hill and I swear a few thousand steps to get there. And it was hot, did I mention that? Anyway, you enter into the Alcazaba through the "Gates of Justice" and then keep climbing. From there on it's up and down throughout the massive complex. You get great views of the rest of the complex on the adjacent hill, and the massive wall connecting them.
Once you get into the interior spaces, you see lovely gardens, pools and fountains. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, see if you can pick out the spots they used as Dorne. One is where the King is killed... I wandered around and took in the history, and eventually wandered through town and back to the campervan and continued my trek southward.
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