Buenos días,

As we look out at the whitecaps rolling in this morning over the Mediterranean, we are lucky to end this trip in such a beautiful location. After the intense heat of the interior of Spain, it’s easy to see the kids relieved to be in a cooler area, where the beach and a spectacular view of the old walls of the medieval town is right outside our hotel!

Peñíscola is a lovely coastal spot full of mostly Spanish and French tourists and buzzing with a rich, complicated history. The castle that is perched on a rocky cliff overlooking the sea was the last great fortress built by the Knight’s Templar in the late 13^th and early 14^th centuries. After the crusades, the Templars gradually lost the power and trust of the Catholic Church, and many were put to death, as the order disappeared into legend. The kids were awed by the stunning sea views from atop the fortress, as well as seeing remnants of past battles on the charred rock inside some of its beautifully preserved rooms. Just a century later, in the early 1400s, this same fortress served as a refuge for the ill-fated “antipope”—or “Papa Luna” as he is called in Spain—who claimed supremacy to the papal seat of Rome while another pope was legitimized north in Avignon, France. You see, the later middle ages history here is a real brain-buster!

After our historical enrichment for the day, we split up into two groups and went to lunch. This is something that has been enjoyable for the group over the course of the trip, because it gives our travelers the option to choose where they want to go and is simply easier to eat in a timely manner!  The afternoon consisted of a couple relaxing hours at the beach, the first round of Putney Language Learning project presentations, and a light dinner of authentic Italian-style pizza on the beach. Before bed, we wandered one last time up the medieval streets to catch a few live jazz tunes in a quaint, 14th century plaza within the old city walls.

A day well spent.

Hasta luego,

Elizabeth & Kyle