Thread by @prchovanec

1. Looks like another day of nice flying weather as I get ready, in Microsoft Flight Simulator, to depart from Almería, in southern Spain.

2. Taking off from Almería over the "mar de plastico", the region's extensive sea of plastic tarp greenhouses.

3. Flying along the southeastern corner of Spain, mid-morning, above tarp greenhouses below.

4. Arid mountains rising to my left, in southeast Spain.

5. I'm heading northeast along the coast towards Murcia.

6. At 4000 feet, heading along the southeast coast of Spain. Instead of using GPS to navigate, I'm tuned to a VOR beacon at the old Murcia-San Javier airport, which is now military-only.

7. Flying over the tourist beaches on the Costa de Almería, in southeastern Spain.

8. Looking down on Calabardina, near Águilas, along a popular stretch of beaches.

9. Descending towards the ancient port of Cartagena, Spain.

10. The constructions atop these seaside cliffs are coastal gun batteries built in the 1930s, and saw battle during the Spanish Civil War.

11. Here is what they look like in up close in real life.

12. Cartagena was founded in 227 BC as an Iberian colony of the North African city of Carthage. The Romans referred to the strategic port as Carthago Nova (New Carthage).

13. In the 2nd Punic War, when Hannibal was running up and down Italy terrorizing Rome, the Roman general Scipio Africanus did a strategic end run around him and captured New Carthage - crippling the Carthaginian war effort.

The original "hit 'em where they ain't".

14. You can see some poorly rendered Roman ruins just below me (in MSFS), including the circular arena and, below it, a building that is actually the Roman theater.

15. It looks a bit more impressive in real life.

16. Cartagena continued to be an important naval base throughout the Spanish Empire, and remains one today.

17. A short while north of Cartagena is Murcia's new regional airport, which was just opened last year.

18. The new airport is separated by a low mountain ridge from the city of Murcia, to the north.

19. Looking down on Murcia's new airport, from the traffic pattern.

20. Coming in to land at Murcia, Spain.

21. Parking near the fancy new terminal at Murcia, Spain.

22. Later the same afternoon, I'm ready to take off again and head north to see the city of Murcia itself.

23. Taking off from Murcia's new regional airport and turning north, towards the city.

24. The city of Murcia will be just on the other side of this ridgeline.

25. Descending towards Murcia, in southern Spain.

26. Murcia is built along the Segura River. You can see the cathedral, just left (north) of the river. Just below it is the city hall, on a riverfront plaza called the Glorieta.

27. Murcia has a population of about half a million people, making it the 7th largest city in Spain. I'm coming around for another pass over the center.

28. The Glorieta straight below me, with Murcia's Cathedral to its left. The city's bullfighting arena is just below my wing, to the left.

29. The straight road below me leads northeast from Murcia to a hill with a dramatic castle and cross on top, called Monteagudo, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be well modeled in MSFS.

30. The surrounding countryside is called the Huerta (Orchard) of Murcia, and is one of Europe's main centers of production for fruit, vegetables, and flowers.

31. Quite a beautiful afternoon.

32. Flying northeast towards Alicante, my destination.

33. Some low-lying fog off the north. Pretty scenic, but don't want to fly into it.

34. The landscape seems to grow more arid as I move away from the Segura River. And there's a scary looking fog bank between me and Alicante.

35. Flying over the town of Elche, which is famous for its groves of date palms - the only one of its kind in Europe, and the largest outside the Middle East.

36. Alicante's airport is south of the city. I'll be coming back here shortly.

37. Alicante is a city of roughly 300,000 people, on Spain's Mediterranean Coast, with an extensive commercial and tourist port.

38. It is dominated by the striking Castle of Santa Bárbara atop Mount Benacantil.

39. Just north of the castle is another rugged hilltop, La Serra Grossa, which is now a nature preserve.

40. Turning back and approaching La Serra Grossa and Mount Benacantil from the north.

41. Looking down on Castle of Santa Bárbara and the center of Alicante.

42. Alicante was founded by the Carthaginians, and known by the Greeks as Akra Leuka (White Mountain). This later became Lucentum under the Romans and Laqant under the Arabs.

43. Alicante was the last Republican city to fall to Franco in 1939, and the place from which the last Republican government officials fled the country.

44. Turning south to land at Aeroport d'Alacant.

45. Entering final approach to land at Alicante, Spain.

46. Landing and taxiing to park at Alicante.