Diary - March 2018

1st March - Storm Emma is approaching and we are making our way to Toledo but all around is high country so we are limited as to where to stay for the night, or maybe two nights as the wind and rain does not induce us to venture out on the roads.

1st March and we are holed up in Puerto Lapice - a place neither of us has heard of until now. Perhaps we should have as it's one of the places mentioned in the famous Don Quixote de la Mancha, a book written by the Spaniard Cervantes in the early 1600's

He lost his mind being too chivalrous! 

It's very windy and rainy but at last the cloud breaks for 20 minutes and we shoot out to have a look round this one horse town. They certainly are trying the make the most of their fame and we take a few pics to prove we were here.

Galleried Plaza

Pity it's too windy to walk up to the three old windmills on the hill in front of us, but we can see their sails turning.

2nd March.  We are continuing our journey towards Toledo through unusual scenery that really has it's own beauty - deep red earth covered with lines of black severely  pruned vines interspersed with a few olive groves and even fewer signs of habitation.  All at around 650 metres above sea level. No doubt in summer this is a scorched land but just now after the rains it's vibrant colours shine out. Coming to the town of Consuegra we notice the 13 preserved windmills on it's rocky outcrop ridge.

 These are normally accessible to the public but when we arrive, the road is closed due to the previous days wind which had blown the top from one of them. Not to be outdone I found a walking route up and sneaked inside the only one open, had a quick chat with the old man inside who let me take go upstairs and take some photos.

There being hardly any water to drive mills in this area, wind power was plentiful, and if no wind, the mules came into action to grind the corn.

2nd and 3rd March in Toledo

4th March Today we are visiting Aranjuez with it's Palace and Gardens and Chinchón a tiny town famous for it's Anis.

The sun is peeping out and we have a lovely journey using the back roads this time, very relaxing. The surprise awaiting for us in Aranjuez was seeing the youngsters on the river with their ultra slim canoes and paddling while kneeling. What a speed they can achieve......and how do they keep on a straight line, we ask ourselves?

The Palicio Real was built by the Bourbon monarchs to create a mini Versailles and in the sunshine the pink stone is certainly very attractive.  Perhaps the gardens will be better in the summer as we have just had lots of rain, but pleasant enough all the same.

Next on to Chinchón and what a surprise when we entered Plaza Mayor, it was really buzzing and reminded us of Sienna in Italy except with little wooden balconies full of diners.

Of course we had to try the local tipple and noticed a photo in the bar showing the plaza being used as a bullring in the past. We wonder if it's still in use as the Petit Train might get in the way!

Lovely Chinchón Anis by the way and we bought a bottle to bring home together with cakes from the bakers too. (Unusual bread walking sticks hanging from the rail) This just might be our favourite place of the whole trip so far!!

5th March and what a strange day!
We had parked up in a suburb of Madrid, a place where other campervans had parked before, no problem. Next morning about 5.30am I heard a familiar sound....banging and crashing of steel bars, unloading of goods, lorries coming and going  etc, you've  guessed it, the market was being set up in the dark all around us.  We had to get up earlier than normal before we were hemmed in and move 100 yards up the parking lot.
At last we set off for Segūenza in the now pouring rain but first we were shopping in Lidl. Of course we missed the turning and it took a lot of swearing and the like before we arrived. Once in the shop we noticed a special offer for their own brand coca cola and some Chinese looking individuals clearing the shelves trollyload by trollyload.  The staff were not happy and told them it wasn't allowed but to no avail - they just carried on......We left before finding out the outcome.
We continued on our journey arriving in good time with very dramatic views across the valley, red earth, greenery, terracotta buildings and at 1100 metres we became aware of the snow ploughs on the motorway although it was only raining at the moment. A hair-raising climb up to the castle with wheels spinning on the road we wondered if we should stay the night at all. At length we changed plans and decided to make the return journey via Zaragoza which appears to be in a valley with the potential of being much warmer.
Off we set thinking we would stay the night " en route " at Medinaceli, other travellers had given it 5 stars. Lovely in the summer perhaps but after a bleak hairpin road and now at 1200 metres and light snow forecast, again it was not for us.  Down the hairpin again and loosing height all the time the views changed yet again, we could have been in the Grand Canyon.

Much more dramatic in real life!

A very Arizonian landscape of wind eroded red and yellow rock all around us until at last we reached Santa Maria de Huerta and it's Cistercian  Monastery, dating back to 1159,open to the public, and as the parking is free for the night we thought we had better pay the €3 each for a visit and to assist their funds.

The whole town and it's buildings are ths same sand colour, but looking rather sad in all the rain!

6th March continuing on towards Zaragoza the views are still good and we had heard about a thermal spring lake at Alhama de Aragón. Unfortunately, once we got to the lovely village almost cut out of the surrounding rock, the thermals were all part of a hotel complex so couldn't be visited.

Onward then to Tarazona for a quick look around the town, again with lots of history-almost like a mini Toledo where in the middle ages all religions got on well together....pity we can't do that now.

At last we arrived after lunch at Cascant where there definatly thermal pool to visit and stay the night too. Well, it was just what we needed, glorious pools with water jets all around, views of the snow capped mountains in the distance. A wonderful place to relax and unwind for a couple of hours after a long drive. By the look of the brochure it seems the Romans had a spa type arrangement here too.

7th March. As there is still snow on the mountain roads we've decided to stay in this area of Navarre in the sunshine before heading north. We spent a few hours looking around Tudela where we picked up leaflets in the information office for a potential return visit. The town has history dating back 1000 years but is still a lovely place with an attractive Plaza flanked by coffee shops and restaurants. No hills this time, such a pleasant change for our aching legs.

Our overnight stop planned for the night is Arguedas at the foot of some Trogladite type dwellings which have been inhabited until relatively recently.

Snow capped mountain in the distance!

Relatively cosy places and almost as if the inhabitants had only just left!

A view from the stove too!

Les only just fitted in!

 They are situated on the edge of a National park so after checking put the rock houses we took a leisurely stroll in this unusual landscape.

Oh dear, had to strip off a bit!

With views of the snow capped mountains the climb in the sunshine was quite hot....not to be attempted in the summer me thinks!

8th March. First Logroño which was supposed to be one of the best towns for Tapas. We enjoyed the museum of Rioja very much but as for the tapas......well we tried one bar, very average and disappointing, until Les noticed a tiny place tucked in the corner with an old fellow serving his own specialities which we just couldn't resist. Five or six tapas later and we were full, now to find our way back to the van!

9th March. Pamplona was our next stop but we weren't really keen to get there early so we stopped off on the way at Puerto la Reina, a small town on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route, not expecting much but what a surprise. A very compact town with tall buildings decorated with their original coat of arms, now with shops underneath all leading down to a Roman bridge still in use to pedestrians etc. A cute coffee shop took our eye so we just had to stop and try the homemade local cake too.

After all, Pamplona was better than expected and we walked the walls, strolled around the main square, finishing up at Café Iruña, with its old 19th century dining room and snug bar frequented in his day by Hemmingway, hence the bronze!

Himself!

Wine and tapas was ordered so we could enjoy the ambience of this place as the number of customers increased and the chatter hummed even louder....excellent!

We travelled up through France visiting our friends Ann & Nick on the way.  In all 4000 miles from door to door in just over 2 months.  Les deserves a well earned rest! here is a map of our route in Spain and Portugal below.