However, it also marks the start of the second part of the adventure, when we join the butterfly tour and drive up to the mountains.
We have to shower, dress, pack and go down for breakfast, where the place is rammed once again, though when it gets really crowded, we had eaten and were on our way out.
One final check of the room, and we go down to reception to check out and wait for the taxi to take us to the airport where we were to pick up a hire car.
The taxi, when it arrived, was a heap, a family car whose driver seemed unused to passengers with luggage, as there was a pram, child's seat in the back. It all about just fitted, but we both had bags on our laps as he bounced back out of the city, across complex junctions out to the motorway and then to the airport.I sat with the luggage whilst Jools went to the car hire office, coming back half an hour later so we could put our bags inside, then went back in the terminal to find our two guides, Jon and Dave.
They were at the cafe, they bought us a coffee, and we sat and chatted as we waited for the two flights carrying the other tour members arrived from Stanstead and Gatwick.
And once they did arrive, they then had lunch bought, ate, and so by half one we were ready.
We all went to the parking garage, the rest in two minibuses, and Jools and I in the car, we drive in convoy, us at the rear. The hardest part was getting out of the garage, confusing signs had us going round in circles. But we got out, and after taking a wrong turn, we made it to the motorway, heading west to the mountains.
The road climbed, dropped, then climbed some more. It was all very good, until Dave got pulled over by the police over a suspected seat belt violation. In broken Spansih he explained, Jools and I watched on, laughing.
We were allowed to go.We turned off the main road, heading up a twisty road, up through a twisting river valley until we stopped at an over bridge, where below there was a dried up river bed, which could yield some first day butterflies. We all got out and began to look.
And despite it spitting with rain when we started, the clouds did clear and the sunshine, and butterflies came out. A quick hour long search brought a new species, of which I think we all got shots.
Back in the car/buses, and the 20 minute drive to our base, Albarracín.
Albarracín has been voted several times, the most beautiful village in Spain, and it is. Like a Tuscan hilltop town, all narrow streets and paths, with steps going up and down, shops and houses towering over the narrow streets, so much so they almost met.
After checking in, we went for a walk, mixing with tourists and locals, walking up to the cathedrals: sadly closed, then back down to the main square where we met our two guides and joined them in a beer or two.
Dusk was falling when we walked back to the hotel, and the small restaurant below where the wine flowed, as did the laughs. There was a limited choice from the menu, for our fixed price, but I had a bowl of lentils and ham followed by lamburger, which both went down very well indeed.Darkness had fallen, the village a magical place to explore, but we were tired, so climbed back to the hotel, then up the stairs to our room
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