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Published: June 14th 2008
Looks Good!!
These ice cold beers tasted like nectar after the long climb up to the top of Toledo.Leaving Oporto proved really difficult, partly because we’d grown so fond of the place but mainly as a result of an aberration from our previously reliable Tom Tom. To be fair, it did as it was instructed which was to get us out of the city by the shortest route and on to our next destination of Salamanca, Spain. What we didn’t know though was that this shortest route would involve negotiating some of the city’s very, very narrow back alleys. It was a both wing mirrors flat to the car job as we slowly crawled our way down the steep, winding streets which seemed endless and to be getting thinner as we went on. Paint from other cars scarred the edges of walls and all the time I was thinking “I hope this isn’t a dead end and we have to reverse back up to where we started............” - it was a great relief when we reached the main road, I can tell you!!
Since then, the Tom Tom has also directed flawlessly right to the front door of our hotel in Madrid which was situated in the middle of a busy shopping street. To be 100% accurate, that
View From The Car
You pass lots of small towns like this one as you drive through Spain. It would be great to stop and visit them but there´s so much to see and so little time......... should read busy
pedestrianised shopping street - we got some extremely interesting glares and gestures as we inched our way sheepishly through bemused shoppers. How embarrassing....................
Continuing the navigation theme for a minute, after hours of deep thought and brainstorming, I’ve come up with the brilliant nickname for Angela of, wait for it................Map Girl!! I’ll not go too deeply into the intellectual and complex reasons why I chose this, suffice to say she likes maps. No, she LOVES maps. Whenever we arrive in a new town or city we have to go straight to the Tourist Information Office to get one immediately or it’s like being with Rain Man (“must get a map, must get a map..........................”) until she does.
Her being disorientated would be simply out of the question but saying all that, she’s good. Her orienteering ability has allowed us to explore places that other tourists would never find and to get off the beaten track without fear of getting back on it later. This skill is made even more valuable by the fact I have about the same sense of direction as a headless chicken and, to Angela’s great amusement, massively defy the law of
Life At The Top
For military reasons most of the places we visited were built on the highest peak around. Not very tourist friendly but it ensures you get plenty of excersize as you explore them. averages on how many times I get directions wrong. I’m not kidding when I say it would be a safe bet to take a left turn if I said go right. One other thing; Map Girl keeps a compass in her handbag at ALL times, even in the UK - seriously..........................
We were amazed as we headed South through Spain at just how many incredible and historic towns it contains. We had no idea about this beforehand and have been taken aback by the beauty of its countless ancient walled cities. Driving here is never dull for a number of reasons, the main one being that there’s always something wonderful to see. As we sped along the carretera, a never ending stream of tiny villages with their vast, imposing stone churches flew by on both sides of the road and drew appreciative gasps from both of us.
We’d planned our route so we could take in several of the larger walled cities and this proved a great success. First up was Salamanca, known as most graceful city in Spain and constructed almost entirely from golden sand stone. Also known as Cuidad Dorada (Golden City), the said stone is
Mini Trains - They're The Future.........
The streets are so tight in many of the cities that the normal open top bus tours can´t operate in them. That's where the mini train comes in....... exclusively quarried from the nearby village of Villamayor and gives off a magical golden glow in the evening. It was made European Capital of Culture in 2002 (we’ve found ourselves in a lot of those recently) and it’s easy to see why. It has not one but two colossal cathedrals dating back to the 12th century and centres around the huge Plaza Mayor. This stunning square was once used for bull fighting but is a focal point for less gruesome events now.
It was during our time in Salamanca that a minor incident occurred when we were on one of our (many) bar hopping and tapas trips. We always try and find the less touristy places as you get a better flavour of the “real” Spain, plus, being blunt, they’re cheaper. One such bar was located on a narrow back alley and, despite it looking a little rough round the edges, we thought we’d give it a go. Eventually, the old, unkempt owner managed to stop playing cards with his mates long enough to drag his overweight backside over and take our order. This was for a couple of beers and a tapa and always came to 3, maybe
Messing About On The Water
A gentle row on the lake in Madrid's Retiro Park. We didn't go round in circles all the time................ 4 Euro’s in other bars; it was a surprise therefore when, in this less than chic place, El Bandito asked for seven.
At first I thought I’d misinterpreted him or he’d miscalculated but oh no, apparently our beers were double size (they were tiny) and therefore double the price. It was clear he was chancing his arm and, after trying to reason with him (by subtly jabbing my finger against the true cost on his wall mounted price list) I must admit I started to lose my temper a bit. Angela has witnessed this once or twice before (?!!) and always tries to calm me down. I wasn’t, therefore, surprised to feel her tugging at my elbow as I got more and more agitated with our erstwhile over charger but I carried on regardless with the “debate”. Eventually she got my attention and I was sure she was going to tell me to forget it and we’d move on. It was a bit of a surprise, therefore, when she whispered in my ear “Do you want to know the Spanish for robber?”. God love her!!
Thankfully that was an extremely unusual event (we’re not talking Cuba here) and
The Triumph of Toledo
Geddit? Oh, never mind................ Toledo was a great place to stay and is typical of Spain´s ancient walled cities. we’ve had some tremendous evenings out in these Spanish cities. Whilst there are similarities between them, each one has its own unique identity and they are truly fascinating places to explore. The best way to do this is to wander from plaza to plaza (Mapgirl navigating, obviously) and marvel at the history around you. Another way to appreciate them is to drive a short distance away (or get the mini tourist trains that do this - they’re definitely the future..............) and gaze back on the walled city above you.
The key word in that last sentence is “above” as the thoughtless Romans wanted these places to be impenetrable to enemies so picked the highest peak to build them on. Now that might have suited their selfish purposes but it was pretty short sighted, definitely tourist unfriendly and means a lot of steep streets need negotiating. Our strategy is to book a hotel low down next to the city wall and always hike to the very top; that way you work up an appetite and thirst and can meander back down the hill stopping off in several hostelries for replenishment. It’s a hard life.............
The small city of Segovia
Segovia's Roman Aquaduct
This incredible structure was built in the 1st century and contains absolutely no cement. was our next abode and it must be said that, in a country of special places, this one ranks at the top for us. Built on a rocky ridge and running alongside the Rio Frio (Cold River), it contains a disproportionately high number of truly stunning monuments. First up, there’s The Alcazar, an extraordinary palace cum castle that wouldn’t look out of place in a fairy tale. Thin turrets and towers twist skywards and we nearly killed ourselves when we scaled the stone spiral staircase to the top of the tallest one. The views over the city were incredible, even if we did have to take them in whilst gasping for breath and pressing hard on our ribs to try and ease the stitch.
Our hotel was just off Plaza Mayor, the serene main square which is shaded by orange trees and watched over by a cathedral which is the largest Gothic building in Spain. It took over 200 years to construct but, whilst being absolutely wonderful, it still isn’t the most remarkable structure in Segovia. That honour undoubtedly goes its Roman aqueduct which towers over Plaza De Azogeujo and was built to carry water from the Rio Frio
The Alcazar
Another of Segovia's amazing treasures. Climbing its tallest tower nearly finished us off but we were rewarded with stunning views of the city. to the city. Stretching for over 800m, it contains 166 arches, is made up of over 20,000 granite boulders and is still considered one of Spain’s most impressive pieces of structural engineering. That fact is made even more incredible when you consider it was built in the first century and contains absolutely no cement or mortar.
Onto the capital now and thankfully to weather more in keeping with what you’d expect from central Spain in early June. It’s only a thirty minute drive from the elevated Segovia to Madrid but we were delighted to see the temperature gauge in the car climbing at a rapid rate of knots as we travelled. Having been a distinctly British 10 degrees when we set off, a much more agreeable twenty five was hit just as we edged our way through bemused Madrilène shoppers (see above). Our non league football managers coats were consigned to the car boot and we were delighted to find our hotel room had a large private balcony meaning we could take in the sun whilst enjoying fabulous views across the city.
Our (uneventful by Oporto standards) open top bus tour allowed us to appreciate the beauty and
Jerez - Birthplace of Sherry
Tio Pepe translates to Uncle Joe. He must have been a clever guy to be famous for sherry as well as mint balls...............Dear me!! style of the Spanish capital and for me to shout rude things as we passed by the Bernabeu - Real Madrid’s stadium. This is a city which is full to bursting with opulent buildings, imposing statues and serene parks. It’s an absolutely vast place and inevitably leads to you losing your way every so often. It was on one such occasion that I teased Angela about taking her Girl Guide Map Reading badge off her when she came up with the classic line “We’re not lost, I just don’t know where we are.............”!!?
We had four days in Madrid and it inevitably has a more intense, in your face feel to it than the places we’d visited thus far. There’s enough crusty, mongrel owning buskers and jugglers on every street to provide the audience for several Levellers gigs and it would appear that waiters can get sacked on the spot for not being surly enough with customers. It’s similar to Argentina in as much as it’s a late night place and many restaurants don’t even think about opening until after 9pm. The Madrilène’s are famed for partying all night and then, as dawn breaks, heading to cafe’s for hot chocolate and churros (pastry sticks) before going straight into work.
Our journey continued under cloudless azure skies and with stays in more wonderful towns such as Caceres, Trujillo and Carmona. All were stunning in their own way but probably the pick would be the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Toledo. Another mountain of a town, every inch is filled by churches, mosques, synagogues and houses heaped upon each other. We’d just about reached the south coast of Spain now and made our final stop in the home of the flamenco and sherry, Jerez. From this point we’ll be heading back up the east side of the country before re- entering the south west of France. I just hope Bella and Map girl are ready to negotiate us through the Pyrenees!!
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Wayne Austen
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Walk a mile in your shoes
Thanks so much for the comments on Iberia area. We are headed out in 29 sleeps & we are taking similar route to you. Now I know alot more of which towns to take in. Thanks, keep walkin.