Cuenca: The Last Day Trip

Cuenca is known for it's "hanging houses". That is why I wanted to go there -- to see houses that supposedly hung off cliff sides. Cuenca was much more than that though. Old town is up on a hillside (makes sense since the houses must hang from somewhere up high!), which made for a workout I was not expecting in 90 degree, sun-blinding weather. However, what I found at the top blew me away -- a small, old town nestled in the mountains that reminded me of home. There was even a river winding it's way through the mountains that reminded me of the Rogue River. I loved the nature that I saw. It definitely made me a bit homesick to say the least.

^(some eyes peaking out from the hillside!)

As I said, old town itself had charm as well:

And of course, there were churches:

I was delighted with what I found at Cuenca.

When it came to the infamous "hanging houses" however, I was disappointed. I had imagined houses and buildings hanging off ledges, built into the walls with wooden stilts holding them up for support. Or perhaps because they were so "famous", they somehow didn't need the support and would appear to defy the laws of physics. Instead, what I found were houses and buildings that were right on the EDGE of cliffs and ledges - still a precarious position - but definitely not "hanging" as had been claimed.

There was only one building that met that definition and it was really cool to see and walk under.

I came to Cuenca for the "hanging houses" and found myself disappointed the tourist attraction. However, everything else about Cuenca was wonderful. The grocery stores were even open (see last post about my inability to find an open grocery store for food)! In sum, if anyone is able to visit Cuenca I definitely recommend it, however I wouldn't get too excited about the renowned "hanging houses".