Iter Facere

Wednesday July 18 - Huesca and Alquezar

Today we head to Huesca, the provincial capital. My expectations have been bouncing between enthusiasm and dread. It could be like Jaca, a pleasant little city or it could be Pont de Suert. The Oxford Guide to Archaeological Site in Spain says its interesting, as does the DK guide, but both entries are a little restrained in their descriptions. Huesca doesn’t present the most attractive vision as you approach on the highway, and unfortunately it delivers the same. The cathedral is nice, the provincial museum is quite good but that’s about it. The Provincial Museum deserves kudos though. The government of Aragon makes all of its museums free and they are a great deal. The displays are well done, logical (although a bit repetitive if you go to more than one or two museums, they tell the same chronological story of Aragon) and fun to wander through. The other site in Huesca, the Iglesia of San Pedro is also very nice, with a beautiful Romanesque cloister. The capital carvings are expressive and delicate, quite Gothic looking to me. I wonder if some are reproductions since they are so well preserved, while others are quite eroded.
We wandered around Huesca looking for a internet connection, since we’ve been internet-free for a few days. Some parts of the town are nice, but all in all the restraint in the guidebooks is well earned. Its interesting how guidebooks tell you as much by what they don’t say as by what they do. Anyway, no internet in Huesca, so we decide to head back to Alquezar and use the ayuntamentio (City Hall) internet, which opens later in the day. Huesca doesn’t even earn lunch from us, so I guess we’re not fans.
On the way home, in a little village just outside Alquezar (name unknown, Adahuesca perhaps?) I look down a cross street and see the words ‘Cyber Cafe’. Unbelievable. Its a cafe, supermarket and internet site. After some confusion with connecting to her wireless setup we connect and get some email from Jenny. Good fun.
Back to Alquezar for the afternoon. After siesta we explore the fortress and Colegtia Santa Maria. Unusually, at least for the sites we’ve seen so far, its full of light and airy. There’s not much fortress to Sean’s dismay, but it is an impressive place to visit. The chapel has some nice Romanesque murals and the cloister is very pretty. One archway in the building is an attractive Moorish looking bit.
At dinner (a repeat of our first night, very nice, the Hotel Narbona) my credit card is invalid. ???? Must just be the machine I think. I will be proven wrong.

posted by Jim @ 11:44 PM