Extremadura seems to be a destination province, not really on a north to south or east to west route - you really have to want to go there, and we really want to go there.
I think most people would struggle to place it on a map of Spain.
When we mentioned we were thinking of going there, several of our friends were quick to sing its praises, telling us to visit the World Heritage Site of Cáceres, the beautiful village of Trujillo (where we hope to see the biggest international cheese festival in the world!), and the Parque Nacional Tablas de Daimiel - a wildlife and waterfowl park, great for birdwatching.
TOTAL TOUR STATISTICS
TOTAL TOUR STATISTICS
- Distance travelled 2304km
- Travelling time 41hr 48min
- Amount of fuel used 233.46 litres
- Cost of fuel used €253.54
- Average fuel consumption 9.30litres/100km (30.37mpg)
- Nights away 25
- Nights in free aires 10
- Nights in paid aires 3 at a cost of €26
- Nights in campsites 8 at a cost of €119
- Number of different cheeses eaten 27
- New birds seen Whiskered Tern, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Purple Heron, Pied Flycatcher, Golden Oriole, Willow Warbler, White Stork, Lesser Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Cuckoo, Iberian azure-winged Magpie, Black Wheatear.
Monday 17/04/2017 Home to Totana
N37°47’33.9’’ W001°30’34.9’’ Paid aire on gravel, €7, (electric €3), water and waste.
84km in 1hr 13min
The sat-nav gave us a choice of routes (as usual) to Totana, so we decided to avoid the obvious and much-travelled A30 motorway to Murcia city, and chose instead the RM19 to Balsicas, then the RM2 to Alhama de Murcia. A much prettier route through vegetable and fruit fields, and much more direct.
Our destination of Camperstop Sierra Espuña is just off the canal that eventually goes through Lorca (with a great cycle path alongside it all the way - obviously pan flat)
This is our third visit here, and it seems to grow in size every time - it now has an upper level which can take 20 motorhomes. Fresh water and grey & black water disposal is free. Cost of an overnight stay is €7 (€10 if you also want electricity), and the rate reduces for long stays. There are no toilets here, just a paid shower. The WiFi is free and lightning fast. Please note a notice on the gate says it is SHUT from June to September, so best to ring first to see if this is the case.
Previously we have driven up the main road from Totana to Aledo, then turned right and driven along the canal road. This time we thought we would approach properly, following the motorhome signs - it was OK, but once past the sports centre it gets a bit narrow, but we got here no problem.
There are many nationalities here all enjoying the excellent 37° sunshine, the amazing long-range views, and the peace and quiet (unfortunately spoilt only by the British here - how sad)
If no-one appears for your money, there is an honesty box outside the shower/library, so be honest good people, as we were.
It took us a while to load Cervantes this time. We printed off lists of what we needed in the van, which worked to a certain extent, but by the end had been scribbled on unmercifully.
I think they worked in the end because we haven’t yet gone “did you pack the batteries - no, I thought you did !”
The weather is fantastic today - full sun and just a hint of breeze, so after an excellent salad and a walk to the viewpoint overlooking the valley, we treated ourselves to a drink and a quiet sit-down to make full use of the WiFi.
Tuesday 18/04/2017 Totana to Velez Rubio
N37°39’08.4’’ W002°04’24.6’’ Free aire on gravel, free full services, electric available near the water point (4 sockets)
94km in 1hr 50min
After a very quiet night under a starry sky we were headed today for Lorca castle.
A number of our friends had been and recommended it highly, so after a tortuous climb up some very narrow hairpin bends (luckily there is a one-way road up and down) we parked in the car park (no height barrier) and paid our €8 each to get in.
We were very impressed with the whole thing. There were great views over the city of Lorca and the surrounding countryside. On display were many restored buildings and towers, each with a comprehensive information board giving you enough facts to explain what they were, without going into minute detail of how everything was done - they had the balance just right.
The exhibits were stunning, from reconstructed towers with original spiral stone staircases to a roof terrace with stunning views (and a basement cellar with chains on the walls to hold prisoners), to underground water cisterns which filtered and held rainwater for drinking.
The cafe square had a display of birds of prey on perches prior to their flying later on. There must have been 16 different birds in total, none of which seemed very happy to be there.
A great surprise inside the castle walls was how much greenery there was as you waked along the paths. It could easily have been a botanical garden.
We spent a fascinating 2 hours in the castle and grounds, then went next door where a parador had been built on the foundations of part of the original castle. We expected something very palatial, but the reality was very ordinary and a little bit too plain to fit in properly.
We left at 1:30pm and drove to an aire in the grounds of Caravanas Lorca who sell and repair caravans and motorhomes from a shop outlet on a business park next to the motorway.
We asked if we could stay the night, but the owner said it was not allowed. We could however park on the road outside the showroom which she said was quite secure and well patrolled.
We thought about it for a moment, then decided we didn’t want to park on the road, so re-set the sat-nav for Velez Rubio where we had been twice before - a great place with 6 tiered places and full services.
All in all a much better place than roadside in a business park.
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| We love this aire in Velez Rubio |
All in all a much better place than roadside in a business park.
It’s free to park here, there is even electric available if you are near the water point - there are 4 sockets available.
See today’s full photo gallery here
Wednesday 19/04/2017 Velez Rubio to Coto Rios
N38°00’52.7’’ W002°51’51.3’’ Free overnight parking on crushed gravel, no facilities.
200km in 4hrs 14min
In total there were 5 vans here last night, all taking advantage of the quiet surroundings.
We are facing the town, and spent some of last night watching the windows light up as the lights were switched on in the houses.
A quick empty of grey and black water and we were on our way at 9:30am on the fabulous A92N motorway - 2 lanes of quiet, flat, fast tarmac which had us at Venta del Peral, just off the motorway, in record time for breakfast.
You are allowed to stay here overnight, and there is an emptying point (you have to ask for the key), but frankly you would have to be desperate to stay here - it’s strictly a last gasp overnight stay destination with an early start the next morning.
Then on through some excellent olive country with some great views.
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| Great views from this great road |
We gained and lost and gained again a tremendous number of metres today - take a look at the elevation map.
The roads were “interesting” with a few close calls, but everything was under control. It got a bit narrow after passing through Cazorla town, but everyone coming the other way was considerate, so there was no problem, and the stunning views more than made up for it.
We got some groceries in Mercadona in Cazorla, and I must say, as we were loading the van up, the view was the most impressive I have ever seen from a supermarket car park!
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| You won't get this view from Tescos! |
Down into the valley of the River Guadalentin we soon found the car park (no 23441) where we had stayed previously in October 2013.
A new higher level car park had been added and already parked were 5 motorhomes and a coach.
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| A fantastic spot in Coto Rios |
All you can hear here is birdsong (most of them identified by Glyn) and is a nature- lovers paradise - take your binoculars and bird book!
Surrounded by trees and mountains here in Cazorla National Park, there is no better place to spend the night.
See the approach to Coto Rios parking here and today’s full photo gallery here,
See the approach to Coto Rios parking here and today’s full photo gallery here,
Thursday 20/04/2017 Coto Rios
It really was pitch black last night - no streetlights here. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy, so the stars were not fully visible, but still a spectacular sight.
We decided that this place is just too special to leave after being here for only an afternoon, so we are staying another night.
The trail upstream that we took this morning went through some stupendous scenery with towering cliffs and trees seemingly growing out of bare rock - looking ready to fall at any moment.
Another bright sunny day gave us the opportunity to take some great pictures of some very dramatic scenery. It really is a privilege to be here.
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| From high above the valley |
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| Stunning scenery |
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| The valley bottom |
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| Our route and stats for the walk |
Our plan was to be back to the local restaurant for lunch (wild boar and venison on the menu), so we duly presented ourselves at 2:00pm.
Although the menu boards and price lists were at the end of the road, and outside the restaurant, there was no-one around and the place was locked, so it looked like they had decided not to bother today - a shame really, but their loss.
A much better van-prepared lunch of eggs and smoked salmon (at 1/10th of the price) later, we explored the adjacent fish farm and visited the interpretation centre for the area - well worth a visit.
Last night we had 2 vans with us on the upper car park, with another 3 vans in the lower car park. The visitor centre closes at 7pm, by which time most of the cars have gone, leaving the car parks to the remaining motorhomes.
We had no problems staying overnight last night (despite this being a National Park), so hopefully tonight will be the same.
It was a lovely sunny, warm evening, so we took the 1.6km stroll to Torre de Vinagre on the “main road” where there is a visitor centre and exhibition of stuffed wild animals - very impressive.
50 metres down the road was a botanical garden which was really very well done - excellently labelled with lots to see, and well worth a visit.
See today’s full photo gallery here
See today’s full photo gallery here
Friday 21/04/2017 Coto Rios to Daimiel
N39°08’16.8’’ W003°41’45.5’’ Free overnight parking on grass in Tablas de Daimiel 280km in 4hr 49min
We woke to an outside temperature of 6°, and 12° inside the van. This was due to our altitude and the crystal-clear sky. This was the price to pay to see last night´s amazing stars in a clear black sky with no light pollution - we were lost for words. This is a sight not to be missed and will stay with us for a long time.
We were off early at 9:30am heading north alongside the water of the reservoir on some narrow, but very scenic roads with very little traffic. It took us 1 hour 45 minutes to get out of Sierra Cazorla National Park - I don’t think I got out of 3rd gear, but the stunning views made it worthwhile.
Our friend from our Spanish conversation class, Juan, was born in Daimiel and had told us about the town and the Parque Nacional Tablas de Daimiel - a National Park on the banks of a series of inland lakes - great for waterfowl and reed birds.
Glyn had done some meticulous research (as usual) and discovered that there was an “aire” at the visitor centre, so that was where we were headed today. We were not sure if the info was correct, as you are normally not allowed to stay in a National Park overnight, so we were not banking on staying.
After a fill of fresh water and a complete empty at Guarroman aire, just off the motorway, we were on our way to Daimiel on, I have to say, some shockingly surfaced roads. Avoid if possible the A4 northwards from Almuradiel to Manzanares - a terrible road, not fit to be called a motorway.
We arrived at Tablas de Daimiel and on enquiring at the visitor centre and filling in a form with our personal and van details, were told we would be welcome to stay overnight - excellent!
With this information we got the van level by driving up a grass slope,
and as we got back in and sat having a drink, we were treated to a display (through the windscreen) of hunting by a pair of Marsh Harriers. There was a gale force wind blowing and they were using this to hover and swoop over the wetlands. This was a first sighting of Marsh Harriers for us, and what an impressive display they gave us.
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| Staying overnight in a National Park! |
and as we got back in and sat having a drink, we were treated to a display (through the windscreen) of hunting by a pair of Marsh Harriers. There was a gale force wind blowing and they were using this to hover and swoop over the wetlands. This was a first sighting of Marsh Harriers for us, and what an impressive display they gave us.
Of course we took the red route, then the yellow route around the wetlands for nearly 3 hours and saw 2 new birds - the Pied Flycatcher and the Willow Warbler (heard for the last 10 years but never seen!) and a possible sighting of a Night Heron, but it was a long way away.
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| The red and yellow routes for us |
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| Excellent walkways through the wetlands... |
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| ...and some great bird hides |
A couple of storks were also gliding above us, and the seen-before Pochards, Coots and Little Grebes were in abundance.
This is an excellent wildlife centre where you can stay overnight - what could be better?
See the approach to Tablas de Daimiel here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Tablas de Daimiel here and today’s full photo gallery here
Saturday 22/04/2017 Daimiel to Don Benito
N38°57’45.4’’ W005°51’48.5’’ Free parking on tarmac, facilities, no electric.
297km in 4hr 57min
It was really, really quiet last night - no dogs, no cockerels, no French vans (only kidding!!), so we were fresh for our plan to visit Ciudad Real.
Campercontact had an aire in an industrial estate within walking distance of the old town, but when we got there it was just a street with parking places. The caravan dealership was closed, so there was no official sanction to stay, and no surveillance. It also looked a bit on the dodgy side, so we decided to move on.
Just up the N340 was an aire in the small village of Luciana where you could fill and empty (no electric).
We had coffee and a sandwich in the van, but it was only 11.30am, so we decided to press on to Villanueva de la Serena, where La Paca had placed an aire.
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| Get off my nest! |
We had coffee and a sandwich in the van, but it was only 11.30am, so we decided to press on to Villanueva de la Serena, where La Paca had placed an aire.
The N430 is the only east to west main road for 120 miles to the north, and 120 miles to the south, between Ciudad Real and Merida, so you don’t really have much of a choice.
This has got to rate as the worst main road we have ever driven on. I don’t know what they spend their taxes on in Castilla la Mancha, but I can say with certainty that it isn’t their roads! I thought Cervantes was going to be shaken apart. I hope someone from Castilla la Mancha council is reading this feeling thoroughly ashamed and finally gets their finger out and resurfaces the road - it’s a disgrace and does not reflect well on your province.
We put up with it for 100km, but it got so bad we could not face the next 100km so we had to get off.
There is no other direct route so we had to go another 60km out of our way through some small villages, but on some superb roads.
After many detours we reached Villanueva de la Serena at the co-ordinates supplied by La Paca, but no-one at the sports centre could tell us where it was - we got a few conflicting stories and directions, so eventually moved on. I’m sorry to say that this isn’t the first time that La Paca has been a bit adrift with the co-ordinates and the information.
Don Benito is a bigger town only 5km away, so we headed for the aire there. The aire is basically on-street parking with filling and emptying facilities between the bus station and the sports centre. It was not what we imagined, but after 300km we didn’t feel like going any further, so here we are.
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| On-road parking in Don Benito |
It started off really cold this morning, but gradually warmed up through the day, and now, at 7pm, it’s 30° outside. We’ve just seen the TV weather which forecasts thunder, lightning and rain for tomorrow - we will see.
See the approach to Don Benito aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Don Benito aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Sunday 23/04/2017 Don Benito to Cáceres
N39°29’22.5’’ W006°24’45.5’’ ACSI campsite on crushed gravel, €12.75, full services.
120km in 1hr 45min
Yesterday we moved from the sublime (Daimiel) to the ridiculous (Don Benito)
It turned out that there was a football match on 100m up the road which involved many “supporters” passing our van with the usual shouting and generally noisy, mock bravado behaviour, both going to the match and coming from it.
Then it was the turn of the Saturday night-out youths passing our van to go into town, then returning after midnight to (presumably) go home.
There was no trouble as such (apart from some idiot rocking the van, but unfortunately I was too late to catch him) but the sheer volume of people and noise was apalling.
We appreciate the town councils giving us a parking space for the night, but if you want us to return in the future, or to recommend you to other motorhomers, don’t put the parking on a main thoroughfare.
That said we stayed the night for free, (but didn’t get to sleep until 2:00am and I slept in my clothes) and for that we are grateful, but I can imagine a solo, male or female traveller would have felt very threatened indeed.
We drove to Trujillo for 2 reasons. It had been recommended by several people at home, and prior to our trip Glyn had discovered online an international cheese festival in Trujillo the following Friday to Monday. We were going to see what the aire was like, and have a quick look at the town.
The aire was excellent, just adjacent to the bullring, although the water supply is yet to be connected.
The town itself was stunning - they were already erecting the tents for the cheese exhibitors in the Plaza Mayor, so we went into a couple of nearby churches, one of which (Santa Maria) had steps to the bell tower which gave us some fabulous shots of the surrounding landscape.
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| Steep steps to the tower... |
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| ...but the views were worth it |
The Tourist Information Office was helpfulness itself - they gave us lots of useful information about this historic town and its surroundings, and helped us in any way they could - a credit to Trujillo.
After a coffee and toast in an adjacent cafe, we were again on the road to Cacaeres, where Glyn had identified an ACSI campsite 5km outside the city. We reasoned we could cycle in from there to explore this World Heritage site city.
The campsite was superb. Although it is very near the A58 there is no traffic noise from our pitch (No 73). The staff were very helpful and gave us lots of information about the city.
Everyone here has their own private shower and toilet on their pitch, also WiFi, outside table and 2 chairs, electric, restaurant, shop,bar,spa and gym, an offer of 4 nights for the price of 3, and a bus service to Cáceres just outside the campsite every 30 minutes until 22:30pm for €1 - all this for just €17 per night (or €12.75 if you are staying 4 nights!)
We were astounded, and very thankful that Glyn had spotted it and made the decision to try it - well done that girl !!
See the approach to Camping Cáceres here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Camping Cáceres here and today’s full photo gallery here
Monday 24/04/2017 Cáceres
The very helpful receptionist here had told us about the bridge over the dual carriageway - past the football ground, and the bus stop to Cáceres was just on the other side - the L5 every 30 minutes.
We got the 9:30am bus, and maps.me (and Glyn!) got us to the old town where we appeared to be the only ones there.
We walked the whole of the perimiter of the substantial city walls, then criss-crossed the interior until we found the Tourist Information Office in the Cathedral square.
A coffee and toast in the Plaza Mayor gave us time to study the town plan we had been given, and decide what to see and when.
A lot of the visitable sites were closed on Mondays, so we decided on two that were open today. The first was the Cathedral of Santa Maria which was €4 each to get in, but the interior was worth much more - some excellent features and a complimentary handset to describe what you were looking at (although rather long-winded)
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| View from the top - looking at our next church |
After a beer in the Plaza de San Jorge, we went into the Iglesia de la Preciosa Sangre (the Church of the Sacred Blood) with its twin towers.
The entrance fee was €1 each, and I got the feeling that this was not on the “to do” list of most people, and was regarded as a second rate attraction, but what a place - most people are missing out!
The altar was a stunning piece of work and the ceiling dome was captivating - I felt a fraud for paying so little to get in!
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| Very impressive indeed |
A bonus was the one-piece granite spiral staircase steps, one set to each tower.
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| Each step carved from one piece of granite |
The view from the top was excellent. It was my type of tower in that the massive drop to the floor below was prevented by some full-height fencing, but there was an opening flap which allowed you to take photos of the stunning landscape vistas.
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| Extensive views of the old town |
Next on the agenda was lunch - a toss-up between a gastro pub with a nice terrace or a wholefood, organic restaurant just off the main square. The organic restaurant won and we had an excellent meal, although we were charged €15 not €12 as advertised for menu del dia - today was a holiday in Cáceres, but it mattered not at all - the food was superb.
Back at the campsite at 4:30pm, we were ready to relax and hang some washing out to dry in this glorious sunshine.
See today’s full photo gallery here
See today’s full photo gallery here
Tuesday 25/04/2017 Cáceres
There was some light rain last night, and a relatively cold morning with a strong wind had us wrapped up for our second bus journey to the old town in Cáceres.
Yesterday a good number of the visitable places were closed, and we thought that this was why it seemed so quiet, but it turned out that yesterday was a local holiday, so most people were off work.
Today was a different matter with cars, people and bustle everywhere - a total contrast.
There were lots of foreign tourists in groups being led by someone with an umbrella held high and a voice amplifier. They dominated the old town. We managed to dodge most of them and went up the defence towers overlooking the Plaza Mayor, and on a walkway on top of the walls above the main entrance arch - very solidly built out of granite slabs.
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| Solid walls |
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| A narrow walkway above the main entrance gate |
Next was a visit to an exhibition showing the Arabic history of Cáceres, including an underground water cistern complete with Moorish arches.
Then on to the Jewish quarter and another fine tower with a great view (and worryingly low walls).
The information centre is in what was once a palace, and in the garden at the rear was a fig tree that looked hundreds, if not thousands, of years old - take a look and judge for yourself - what a specimen.
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| A very knarled old trunk |
Lunch was calling, so a menu in the Plaza Mayor was just the job - great for people-watching, of which there were many.
A very reasonable €12 later we took the bus back and took care of chores - washing, cleaning and general tidying-up.
The sun eventually showed its face in Cáceres, but when we got back to the campsite it turned decidedly cooler and overcast with a strong, coolish wind - we’ve been spoilt up to now!
See today’s full photo gallery here
See today’s full photo gallery here
Wednesday 26/04/2017 Cáceres
Another quiet night in this really nice campsite - a private bathroom and toilet really does make a huge difference. It’s much better for the camper to have privacy and convenience right outside the door, and much better for the campsite not having to clean and maintain a big shower/toilet block every day. They only need to clean and re-stock your bathroom at the end of your stay (and most people will leave them spotless!) - everyone wins!
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| A private wash-basin, toilet and shower - excellent |
Today is a quiet day today to psyche ourselves up for the cheese!
We mapped out a walk from the campsite on maps.me and were gone nearly 3 hours. We foolishly deviated from the well-marked path which brought us face to face with some large cattle with big horns. With visions of the Pamplona bull-running we retreated the way we came and got back onto the path unscathed!
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| Harvesting an oak tree for cork |
On our way back we were confronted by some goats and sheep - an occurence which is quite common where we live. However, these sheep were the woolly type (as in the UK) and the goats were fat and healthy-looking - quite a contrast to the bedraggled, scrawny specimens we bump into at home.
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| Woolly sheep - they must be very hot in summer! |
There is a good mix of nationalities here on the campsite - a lot of British, German and Dutch campers,with a few Spanish and Belgian making up the numbers.
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| A horse trying to worm his way into the campsite |
It was a bug graveyard on the front of Cervantes, so a good 50 minutes was spent getting the squashed little bleeders off - a very messy job. Different people have different methods to clean them off, but I like to soak them in water, leave for 5 minutes, then rub off with heavy duty kitchen cloth, then rinse everything with water again. The longer you put the job off, the longer it will take you!
See today’s full photo gallery here
See today’s full photo gallery here
Thursday 27/04/2017 Cáceres to Trujillo
N39°27’25.9’’ W005°52’19.9’’ Free aire on concrete, no water, no electric, waste disposal.
53km in 58min
We will be sad to leave this campsite - the facilities are superb.
There is an international cheese festival on in Trujillo starting on Friday, so we are going there today to be sure of getting on the aire - we think it will be very busy, if not full, tomorrow.
On the way we called into the aire in Cáceres to see how accessible it was. We had read that it is permanently full and hard to get a place on. When we got there at 10:00am there were 2 places free - maybe people were yet to leave. There was a sign as we drove in stating 24 hours maximum stay, although if this is enforced is another matter.
The excellent motorway had us in Trujillo in 40 minutes, and due to the slope of the motorhome pitches, we were level with only one ramp.
There are 8 designated spaces here (no water at the moment and no electric) and we have 3 vans with us now at 4:30pm.
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| Trujillo aire - a great amenity given by the town |
We walked to Trujillo centre in 10 minutes and bought a bono ticket that lets you into 6 buildings. We headed for the castle at the top of the hill and had our ticket punched.
They were erecting a stage and lights in the courtyard in preparation for a concert over the weekend.
Health and safety is not an issue in Spain, and we were a little alarmed to be on top of the castle walls with only a 1 metre high wall between us and a drop of 50 metres.
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| An incredibly low wall for such a big drop |
Even more scary was the group of primary school children who followed us up the non-handrail granite steps to the top of the castle walls and swarmed all over them.
My heart was in my mouth on more than one occasion until I couldn’t watch any more, and had to walk off in the opposite direction. The insurance premiums on school trips must be sky-high (if there is any insurance!)
After another museum it was 2pm and everything shut down for 2 hours, so we headed back to Cervantes, got some shopping bags, and made our way to E.LeClerc, just 5 minutes down the road.
Fully stocked we had some lunch in the van and then set off again for the centre of Trujillo.
We went into another couple of towers and museums and, embarrassingly, into a church we had already been into. Still, the late evening light gave us a different, better view from the high tower, especially of the castle (getting confused with too many churches!)
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| Stork and storkette |
The cheese tents were in full swing getting ready for tomorrow, although the forecast is for rain and cold - we’ll have to stay inside and eat some cheese!
See the approach to Trujillo aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
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| Cheese festival poster |
See the approach to Trujillo aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Friday 28/04/2017 Trujillo
It was very cold and windy this morning - we had to have the heat on to bring the van temperature up to 15°.
Not being sure what time the fiesta opened, we were in Trujillo for 10:30am, to find it didn’t open until 12 noon.
We still had a couple of places to see on our bono ticket, so visited a museum dedicated to Francisco Pizarro who discovered South America in 1450 and named a town in Peru as Trujillo, after his home town in Spain. We made our way back to the main square (where there is a 6.5 tonne bronze statue of Pizzaro on his horse) and had a coffee in a hotel until 12 noon, when it was time for cheese!
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| Pizzaro on his horse amid the cheese |
They were operating a ticket system whereby you bought a sheet of 10 tickets for €5 of either cheese or wine (or both!), then exchanged them at any of the 108 stalls for a slice of bread and cheese, or a small glass of wine.
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| Tickets for cheese, tickets for wine |
€15 later (2 cheese and 1 wine) we had sampled all we wanted and bought an excellent soft Casar de Cáceres cheese for €6 and a quarter cheese of strong, mixed (sheep and goats) cheese in olive oil for €10 - great value and good to try before you buy.
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| 108 exhibitors are here |
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| Happy cheese people |
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| Our buys |
The stalls were getting busier by the minute, and the great and the good (some in uniform) were having a tour accompanied by the press and national TV represented by RTE, so we may be on the main news tonight.
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| Having a good time at the cheese festival |
As predicted it started drizzling at 2:30pm, so we headed back to Cervantes, happy that we had seen over 300 different varieties of cheese, and tasted 20 of them.
See today’s full photo gallery here
See today’s full photo gallery here
Saturday 29/04/2017 Trujillo to Mérida
N38°55’10.6’’ W006°20’14.3’’ Paid aire on tarmac, €12, full services including WiFi, electric €3 extra.
91km in 1hr 55min
We were woken last night at 3:00am not only by the heavy rain on the roof, but also by the fridge beeping and flashing red - it had run out of gas.
Luckily it only beeped for 10 seconds every 30 minutes, so rather than get wet through swapping the supply, I left it until it was daylight and the rain had stopped.
A simple operation of turning off the Spanish empty bottle, and turning on the re-fillable LPG bottle - simple, and now for a cup of tea.
A search of the sat-nav showed us a Cepsa garage 1.6km away, so after packing up and dodging the showers we paid him a call and got a new propane gas bottle for €11.90 - bargain! It lasts approx 20 days of full use (cooking, heating, hot water and running the fridge) so for just over 50 cents a day this has got to be the best value ever.
The weather was foul - windy, raining and overcast. Last nights TV weather had Badajoz as the best weather today, so we set the sat-nav for there.
We also wanted a quick look at Mérida aire to see if it was worth coming back to later, so put that in as a waypoint.
Mérida aire was a paid car park (€12 overnight, full services, electric €3, free WiFi) quite secure, and very near the town centre. The weather had cleared, the sun was out, and we were parked uphill (level) so decided to stay here tonight and explore the town.
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| Level with no ramps - it's becoming a habit |
Mérida has more Roman remains than anywhere we have ever seen. Every spare piece of land has some walls sticking out of it. There are some massive preserved, original structures in the town - city walls and gates, amphitheatres, water cisterns, arches, temples, bathes - you name it, you can find it in Mérida.
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| Glynis has found her spiritual home at last |
We walked around all the sites to look at them (from the outside), then went into the museum of Roman Art, (free entry on Saturday after 2pm) just opposite the Tourist Information Centre
The building itself was a super-impressive brick built structure over 4 floors with a massive central corridor with enormous arches - almost as impressive as the examples of Roman Art that it housed.
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| The brick building has become one of the exhibits |
It really was a comprehensive collection of everything Roman, from coins and needles to 10 metre high columns and mosaics covering one wall.
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| It is spread over 4 floors (there is a basement) |
All the information boards gave you just enough information (in Spanish and English) to keep you interested and informed. It was the best museum we have been in for a long time - well done Mérida.
Beer and tapas next to a huge Roman arch was excellent value - we plan to go out this evening for something to eat.
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| Our tapas restaurant |
(Revised plan - both shattered from lack of sleep last night so a quick pan of tuna, mushroom and sweetcorn pasta was rustled up, followed by an early night)
See the approach to Mérida aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Mérida aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Sunday 30/04/2017 Mérida to Badajoz
N38°53’05.0’’ W006°58’40.6’’ Free aire on tarmac, full services, no electric.
67km in 56min
There was a little noise last night, as is to be expected in a city centre location - we are only 740 metres from a huge tourist attraction of a Roman Amphitheatre, gardens and theatre
However - nothing too serious to wake us up, so we were up bright and early and decided to see some more sights before we went.
The aqueduct and steam baths were only 500 metres away, as was the site of the Roman Circus - this city has everything, and I mean everything, Roman.
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| The very impressive aqueduct |
We filled and emptied (part of the €12 overnight parking fee) prior to setting off for Badajoz.
There were mixed comments about Badajoz from various of our friends, so we wanted to see for ourselves.
The journey was a bit fraught due to the gale force sidewind all the way there, although the motorway was fine.
We found the aire first time (unusual for us!) and very nice it was too. A sloping site so we were level facing uphill, with a great view of the adjacent river and the pedestrian/cycle bridge over it.
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| Cervantes after the rain, but still overcast |
It started drizzling half way there, but as soon as I pulled on the handbrake the heavens opened, with the wind making the rain horizontal. One side of the van had so much horizontal rain we couldn’t see out of the windows, whilst the other side was bone dry.
We waited until the rain had (almost) stopped, then set off over the bridge to the old town of Badajoz.
First impressions were of rather scruffy, derelict streets of houses, interspersed with smart, period, well-maintained houses just next door. It didn’t strike us as being particularly well-kept or cared-for, and first impressions do count.
Glyn had a coughing fit halfway up a hill, so the nearest bar got some trade and the problem was resolved. The bar was doing some serious business, and got a lot busier whilst we were sat at the bar. By the time we went (we only had one beer) the place was packed - standing room only, and we had to fight our way out. It may have had something to do with a big plate of tapas they brought with every drink - it would have been a meal for some people.
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| BIG tapas with all drinks |
We emerged to find we were right outside the Alcazaba, an old Muslim settlement with huge original walls enclosing many surviving buildings.
The walls were totally intact, and were able to be walked on all the way round, so that is what we did for the next hour. Great views and frequent information boards all the way round made this 1.5km walk a real pleasure.
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| The Alcazaba walls - all totally intact... |
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| ...and great views from the top |
Badajoz seems to be cycle-friendly so we may get the bikes off tomorrow (weather permitting) to explore the river, as well as another visit to the old town.
See the approach to Badajoz aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Badajoz aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Monday 01/05/2017 Badajoz
Today we cycled to Portugal !! (well as far as we could go - we saw it on the opposite bank of the River Caya, just before it joins the River Guadiana)
Today is a national holiday, and when we set off cycling at 10:30am there were already many families walking/cycling/roller skating/driving along the very quiet road by the River Guadiana.
Initally we veered off away from the river along a very quiet camino, the surface of which got progressively worse and worse until we were on a dirt track past isolated buildings.
Cars kept passing us and we wondered - where are they going down this unmade road?
All was revealed at the end of the road which terminated on a peninsula at the confluence of the Rivers Caya and Guadiana - fishing !!
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| Our route and stats |
We followed the banks of the River Guadiana on the route of the long distance path GR212 through some lovely riverside country - birdsong everywhere, otherwise complete silence.
We were lucky enough to see and hear a flock of bee eaters flying above our heads - what an awesome sight - I had to shut Glyn´s mouth for her.
Suitably impressed we continued on our way along the river (luckily on 26” wheel bikes, not our usual 20” wheel folding bikes which could not cope with this surface) to encounter more fishermen. I guess it’s even more busy today because of the national holiday, but they certainly like their fishing.
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| Cervantes, from the riverside park |
We had prepared the water, but forgot to pack it into our rucksacks, so the first bar we encountered had an order for 2 beers and a water to ensure we did not collapse.
It was only a short hop to Cervantes for some food and drink after 22km and 2 hours on a really nice, traffic-free (almost) route with fabulous scenery and birdwatching opportunities.
See today’s full photo gallery here
See today’s full photo gallery here
Tuesday 02/05/2017 Badajoz to Olivenza
N38°41’02.9’’ W007°05’49.4’’ Free overnight parking on cobbles, no facilities, no electric.
51km in 1hr 19min
After a very noisy night when it sounded as if the Hounds of the Baskervilles were baying for their release, we stumbled out of bed ready for another day.
First was a fill and empty - all free at this great aire, then on to a shopping centre and a huge Carrefour supermarket where €200 had us stocked up for the next week or so.
We didn’t quite make it to Portugal yesterday, so decided to drive there instead.
It was motorway all the way for a seamless crossing to Portugal - everything was the same except for the language and the time - one hour less than Spain.
We skirted around Elvas, a hilltop fort town, then on a great minor road (the EX105) to re-enter Spain.
Our destination today was an España Discovery site in Olivenza - a restaurant where you can park overnight.
We arrived no problem at 1:30pm and had a word with the owners - very helpful people. They told us there was a place to park in the town of Olivenza, and we could come back to the restaurant later if we wanted.
We parked and had a walk around town - what an impressive place. Unfortunately it was now after 2pm and everywhere was closed.
We wondered if it was possible to stay overnight here - there seemed to be plenty of room. We found the police station and asked if we could stay overnight where we were. “No problem” was the answer - the only night you can’t is Friday (there is a market on Saturday)
Our plan was to look around the town, then drive back and have dinner at the restaurant. However, he said he doesn’t open until 9:30pm, and as it was 3pm and we hadn’t had anything to eat yet, we decided to eat mid-afternoon here and stay overnight where we were.
The nice policeman (he was so young he looked as if he was just out of school) recommended Restaurant Maila as good quality and typical of the area.
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| The extensive menu in Restaurant Maila |
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| Superb tiles here |
Good choice sir - we had the choice of tapas, raciones or mains, so chose 5 tapas and a bottle of white Verdejo.
There were some things on the menu we had never seen before.
Jamon Iberico D.O. turned out to be thinly sliced jamon on bread and curado cheese on bread.
Pimienton relleno con chipirones was as described - peppers stuffed with small squid.
Bacalao con gambas was a piece of salted cod in a shellfish broth with a huge battered, deep-fried langoustine on the top.
Tomate preparado was raw tomato, onion, capers, tuna and boiled egg in a dressing.
All told, with bread and an excellent bottle of Verdejo wine, the bill was €34.
By now it was 5pm, so we thought we could fit in a couple of visits to this fantastic town's exhibits before we went back to level up Cervantes.
The first was the Church of Santa Maria del Castillo which was free to enter and was so ornate it took a while for it to sink in. The altar was one of the best ever - we have never seen such craftsmanship.
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| A fine piece of craftsmanship |
The steward on the door told us it was built by the Portuguese as a symbol of their wealth when they took over the town, and he said the ones in Portugal were even better.
Then just time for one more, this time the Church of the Magdalena - just as ornate and ostentatious with spiral stone columns and arched ceilings to prove that the Portuguese had more money and skills than the Spanish.
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| Look at those columns |
Everywhere in the town was paved in a mosaic style, a combination of slate grey and pale setts. There was a small area near a square that had been dug up for some drainage work, and Glyn noticed a random sett that had gone astray which somehow made its way into her bag, so if there is one short after reformation - it’s our fault.
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| There will be one of these missing! |
This is a lovely town - the castle beckons tomorrow. We haven’t found anything yet not to like about this place. The irony is we wouldn’t have come here at all if it wasn’t for España Discovery, and we aren’t even staying there!
See the approach to Olivenza parking here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Olivenza parking here and today’s full photo gallery here
Wednesday 03/05/2017 Olivenza to Zafra
N38°25’30.6’’ W006°24’39.8’’ Free aire on tarmac, full services, no electric.
77km in 1hr 15min
We thought it would be nice and quiet here in this lovely town, but we obviously parked in the wrong car park.
At 7pm the car park started to fill with cars of all descriptions, driven by testosterone-fuelled young lads, some with girls in tow, revving the ***** off their cars.
They gathered in one corner, 20 cars at one point, and had a good chat and look into each other's bonnets. They were no trouble really - they ignored us, but seemed to have an ongoing competition to find the one who could leave making the most noise and leave the most tyre rubber in the car park.
It was entertaining for the first 10 minutes, but got a bit wearing after that.
They all disappeared at 10pm and we settled in for a quiet night - wrong!
The huge car park was empty, yet 2 cars parked next to us, everyone got out talking and laughing as loud as possible.
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| A virtually empty car park |
Were they doing it because they thought it was funny, or were they just not thinking?
We have found that Spanish people do what they want, when they want, where they want with no malice - they just do it and think nothing of it.
I don’t think they purposely parked next to us and were loud to annoy us - they didn’t think they were doing anything out of the ordinary, and had we been Spanish, we would just have shrugged our shoulders and got on with it, which is what we did.
Another scorching day today in the high 20’s, so we went into the castle, which was brilliant.
17 ramps instead of steps led us to the top of the castle where we had a fabulous view of the surroundings. We were first in when they opened at 10:30am, so missed the school trips.
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| A fabulous day for views |
After getting our breath back at the bottom (low walls!) we went into the museum, still within the castle walls.
Not knowing what to expect we went through exhibits of old farm implements, then old musical instruments, then old religious clothing, all very well done and labelled.
Next were several rooms with tableaus depicting old trades, shops, services and rooms in a house from the past, all with original items correct to the last detail. They were superb and brought back many memories.
The attention to detail was excellent, and collecting all the items must have taken a long, long time. It was excellent - the best museum we have seen for as long as we can remember, with a great description (in English) of what we were looking at - well done Olivenza.
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| There were 15 different rooms like this - very well done |
We really like this town - all our favourite towns seem to have Olv in them….Olivenza, Olvera, Ouveillan.
On the great EX105 we were soon at one of our destinations for today - an España Discovery site of a restaurant - the Salon de Palacio de Rita in Santa Marta.
We thought we were a bit early to stop for today, so pressed on to Zafra, our second stop.
In the car park of the theatre, next to the police station, it had full facilities (no electric) and looked very secure.
Once parked we went into Zafra (only 5 minutes walk away) to explore this town.
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| A great aire to visit the town from |
Once parked we went into Zafra (only 5 minutes walk away) to explore this town.
First impressions were favourable - great streets, buildings and squares, with some real heritage.
The parador here is a castle and is well worth a visit. Narrow, cobbled streets with smart well-kept houses made walking around a pleasure.
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| The parador makes the best use of an old building |
At 5:30pm the church in Zafra opened again and we were first in - very, very good - what an impressive place.
Zafra is highly recommended by us in every respect. If you’re in the area, a visit is well worth it.
See the approach to Zafra aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
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| One of many, many impressive churches in Spain |
Zafra is highly recommended by us in every respect. If you’re in the area, a visit is well worth it.
See the approach to Zafra aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Thursday 04/05/2017 Zafra to Valverde del Camino
N37°34’52.8’’ W006°45’06.2’’ Free aire on tarmac, full services, no electric.
163km in 2hr 54min
We knew we’d have a certain amount of noise last night being near a main road, but it was not too bad overall.
We had a plan today, and first was a visit to Jerez de los Coballeros, where we parked and visited the castle. Unfortunately there was a lot of renovation work going on, so the castle was closed and the church in the Plaza España was also closed, so we just got a general feel of the town instead.
Very narrow streets had us leaping for doorways when cars came down them - quite dangerous really, as the car drivers didn’t seem to care much.
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| Narrow streets, cars and pedestrians don't mix |
Next up was Fregenal de la Sierra where we parked in the aire in the bus station car park - a great amenity provided by the local council and well used.
The attitude and facilities in Fregenal were a refreshing change from Jerez. Even though renovation work was happening here too, they were happy for you to go round the rest of it.
The castle walls surrounded the bullring, and gave access to various watchtowers and arsenals with some great views from the top.
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| Great preservation work in Fregenal de la Sierra |
We then planned to stay the night at the aire in Monesterio, but the EX201 road was in such poor condition with the road surface breaking up, we turned back after 3km.
Plan B was to go down the N435 to the aire at Valverde del Camino. This road was also a bit poor and badly repaired, but having no alternative we made good speed up and down some steep hills through some great woodland countryside.
We spotted some free range black pigs in a roadside field, foraging for their acorns which would eventually make Bellota Iberico ham - the best you can get and the most expensive.
We managed to get some pictures of them and confirmed they looked happy enough.
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| Happy, free-range pigs |
The aire in Valverde del Camino is a tarmac car park only for motorhomes, with full facilities. It already had a Belgian and a Dutch van on it.
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| Cervantes on the excellent Valverde del Camino aire |
It’s good to see more and more aires springing up in Spain - every one we have been to has had someone on it - contributing to the local economy.
See the approach to Valverde del Camino aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Valverde del Camino aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Friday 05/05/2017 Valverde del Camino to El Rocío
N37°08’32.3’’ W006°29’20.5’’ ACSI campsite on sand, €17, full services.
129km in 2hr 29min
A quiet, wet night was compounded by the fact that I left a rooflight open last night, thus the kitchen floor was swimming this morning. Nothing serious that a quick mop couldn’t cure.
Off early at 9am we headed for Huelva in the hope of seeing some of the town.
The parking place in Huelva identified by campercontact on the sat-nav proved to be rubbish, and sent us up some ridiculous streets, so Glyn to the rescue to get us back to some main roads.
The road by the water was full of parking spaces so we pulled over to brew some coffee and look at the water.
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| This walking/cycle path runs for miles, and is well used |
A cat and kittens took most of our attention - they looked well-fed and healthy so we didn’t intervene.
Another sat-nav indication was a parking spot next to the beach at the far end of Matalascañas, also seen on a blog by Glyn, so it was down the coast road (although we never saw the sea for pine trees) past inumerable roundabouts to finally get to the “parking place”
A police sign told us that we would be towed away if we parked, so we turned back through the inumerable roundabouts and headed for El Rocío - an ACSI campsite which was plan B (always have a plan B)
A friend at Spanish classes told us El Rocío was a genuine “wild west” town with sand in the main street and hitching posts for your horse.
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| "Get off your horse and drink your milk" (John Wayne) |
It was a bit “Fawlty Towers” booking in, but eventually we got to the front of the queue.
For €17 per night including electric, this is a great place to stay to explore the Doñana National Park.
We took a walk to the town to experience the “wild west” and would have been impressed were it not for the cars.
We did stumble across a fantastic church with an incredible altar and ceiling which was a massive surprise.
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| We didn't expect this! |
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| Look at this for detail |
Just across the road was another church, but once entering it, saw it only contained row upon row of candles in holders.
Several people followed us in with carrier bags full of candles - obviously something to do with offerings in the Roman Catholic world, and this was obviously a destination to come to do this.
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| Rows and rows of candles |
We have visited the on-site restaurant and it looks excellent, so that is our destination for tonight, once we have had a shower and a shave (only me!)
The Iberian Lynx only survives in this one remaining environment and the National Park are so committed to saving it, they have built fences along both sides of the road for more than 50km, and built bridges across the road solely for the Lynx.
See the approach to Camping El Rocío here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Camping El Rocío here and today’s full photo gallery here
Saturday 06/05/2017 El Rocío
The meal last night was excellent. Superbly cooked, great atmosphere and a sole waitress coping admirably. It was a fantastic value meal and a credit to the campsite.
We seem to have a personal collection of bee eaters here - we saw them yesterday on the telegraph wires and again today with the added bonus of double figures of glossy ibis - a great sight.
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| The magnificent Bee Eater |
We have the bikes on the back of the van, but all the roads around here seem to be of soft sand - useless for riding on, so we decided to walk as far as we could this morning.
The town of El Rocío is huge - it took us 20 minutes to get to the end of it, and we were nowhere near the National Park.
We doubled back, trying to avoid the large numbers of very large dogs prowling the streets.
Horses were everywhere, but the animal husbandry left a lot to be desired - some of it was pure cruelty. We saw a donkey with it’s front legs shackled together - it had to hop to move. Most horses were tethered by a very short rope around one leg or the neck. A horse was tethered so tight it could hardly lift it’s head, and it had a new-born foal to look after - terrible conditions to keep an animal in.
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| Not the best way to keep a horse |
We decided that the only way to see Doñana National Park was to go on one of the 4x4 buses, so we booked at reception to go on one setting off at 5pm.
The bus was a custom built 4x4 24 seater with huge sand and mud tyres and an air intake on the roof - bomb proof!
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| Custom made off-road buses |
The trip was excellent, especially since we were first on and bagged the prime open window seat.
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| We've got the best view from our open window seat |
A very good tour guide spoke good English and gave an almost continuous running commentary for most of the trip.
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| Lynx tracks, but no sightings |
We saw many birds and learned a lot about the area and enjoyed the 4x4 ploughing its way through the sand and mud. At €28 each for a 4 hour trip it was the only way to get into the National Park, and was excellent value for money.
See today’s full photo gallery here
See today’s full photo gallery here
Sunday 07/05/2017 El Rocío to Marchena
N37°19’45.5’’ W005°25’25.1’’ Free aire on tarmac, full services, no electric.
148km in 1hr 57min
We’ll be sorry to leave this lovely well-placed campsite, and our own personal bee eaters (here again this morning), but it’s time to move on.
Today’s destination took a bit of finding. We tend to look on the sat-nav (if we have nothing pre-planned) for where we would ideally like to end up today, then search for aires near there.
We have 6 different sources of aires on our sat-nav - Campercontact, Areas AC, Campingcar-infos, i-campingcar, Archies campings, and Autocaravanismo Activo.
If we find an aire which is only listed by 1 source we are suspicious.
If we find an aire listed by 2 sources - still worried, but not as much.
If an aire is listed by 3 sources it’s still not certain, but the odds are that one is there.
If the aire is listed by 4 sources, it’s more or less a certainty the aire is there.
If the aire is listed by 5 sources (never happened) we can arrive when we want.
Marchena came in as a 3 source, one of which was Campercontact (usually correct) so we headed for there.
It also had a green box around it on the Michelin map (somewhere of historic or touristic merit), so that was a double bonus.
Sat-nav (Garmin 760LM) and Glynis (Ace navigator) between them made a brilliant job of getting round the complications of the Seville ring road motorway network (although Sunday is the best day to do it) - it makes Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham look like a rural crossroads.
We made good time on some great roads after Seville, and found the aire with no problems.
There was already a French Adria there, and now (at 4pm) there is a Belgian and a Norwegian as well.
Our walk around the town was very revealing - it was 2pm when we got here so obviously everything was closed, but we like just seeing things from the outside - it can often give you a good idea of what it’s like inside.
There were some stupendous houses in Marchena - grandiose facades with so much history they merited a plaque on the wall.
Every street had more than one, and they were not stand-alone detached houses, they were part of a street of terraced houses with a narrow cobbled street out front.
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| Great exterior |
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| Very impressive |
There was a church high on a hill next to a convent that was also a “Casa Rural Básico”. next to the entrance was a revolving wooden turntable where you could buy cakes to support the operation.
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| A lovely church and convent |
You never saw anyone face to face - the revolving turntable didn’t allow that. We’ve seen one before in Medinacelli, and were suitably impressed again, although nowadays the cakes are mass produced, not homemade.
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| Anonymous delivery |
Back at Cervantes we were buoyed up by the number of motorhomes here, so we got the chairs out onto our own personal balcony and took in the view and the 35° heat - welcome to summer!
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| Overlooking a park, fridge in the shade - sorted |
Fortunately we had sorted the parking so that the fridge and the habitation door faced NE so both were in the shade.
See the approach to Marchena aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Marchena aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Monday 08/05/2017 Marchena to Olvera
N36°56’29.5’’ W005°15’03.6’’ Paid aire on tarmac, €7, full services including electric.
89km in 2hr 7min
A lovely, quiet evening spent sat outside the van watching the teenagers in the park (who left a big pile of litter on the grass when they left - copying their parents?) and we were in bed for 10pm.
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| Unfortunately, a common sight |
Our thoughts for today were to take a look at the aire in the lovely town of Olvera (we have been before in 2013 but stayed in the campsite outside of town), then go on to Antequerera to stay in the aire there.
We left Marchena heading for Moron de la Frontera, then took the fantastic A8126 through Coripe to end up in Olvera.
The A8126 up to Coripe was a superb driving road - 2 lanes fully marked and a fantastic surface, so steep hairpins up and down were no problem.
However, after Coripe the road narrowed, the markings disappeared and the blind bends became really blind. We got through OK, although there were a few squeaky moments.
You can watch the video of the drive on our YouTube channel here
You can watch the video of the drive on our YouTube channel here
After that the main A384 road was full of motorcyclists who were hell-bent on being first there - wow, some real risk-takers amongst that lot! - I hope they all make it to where they’re going.
The aire at Olvera is on the site of the old railway station, and is the start of a 35km long Vias Verde on the track of the old railway.
It costs €7 to stay overnight on tarmac including all services and electric, in a fantastic setting - you can’t hear any road noise from here - only the birds.
It was so nice we decided to stay here (especially as it had taken us so long to negotiate the A8126, nice as it was)
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| The fantastic aire in Olvera |
Today is a “red day” - a public holiday, so the restaurant here (in the old railway station building) is closed - a shame, but no problem. We would have liked to have eaten there, but there is always next time.
It was only 1pm, so we decided to get the bikes off the back and explore the Vias Verde. We got to the visitor centre just past the first viaduct in a little over an hour through some really superb countryside, then had our picnic on a shaded bench (tortilla, bread and beer - proper peasants!).
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| On the viaduct |
We then retraced our steps back to Cervantes. On our Garmin 500 cycle computer we clocked up 31km in 2hrs 15min riding time - a brilliant performance from Glyn who is now a very competent cyclist - brilliant.
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| Leaving me standing! |
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| Our route and stats |
There are still only 3 vans here - us, a Belgian and a German.
We’re now sat outside the van in 30° heat listening to the birdsong - how lucky are we?
See the approach to Olvera aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
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| A stunning sunset and a full moon - perfect |
See the approach to Olvera aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Tuesday 09/05/2017 Olvera to Antequera
N37°01’17.2’’ W004°34’18.2’’ Free aire on concrete, full services, no electric.
74km in 1hr 11min
Wonderfully quiet here last night with a gorgeous sunset.
Our plans today depend on the weather. We are initially headed for Antequera where there is an aire in the town.
If the weather is good we will look around and stay there, if it’s bad we will drive on to the campsite at Beas de Granada.
The weather this morning is glorious - not a cloud in the sky, with the temperature already hitting the mid 20’s, so Antequera it is.
The A384 is a very fast road and a great surface, so we were at the aire in Antequera for 11:30am.
The aire has dedicated spaces for 16 motorhomes, with 3 signs emphasising this.
Unfortunately 4 spaces had cars parked in them, despite empty car spaces, but there was a spare space for us.
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| Car in a signed motorhome bay - why? |
Today, at 5pm, there are 10 motorhomes here, so it is very popular, and rightly so.
The old town is only a 15 minute walk away, and Mercadona and Lidl only a 5 minute walk away, and the aire is free - a great bit of planning by Antequera
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| A great aire to explore the town from |
We walked to the old town and admired the churches and the castle, both well kept and in pristine order with the usual level of opulence.
We were on the search for a menú del dia, and Glyn had found a bodega/restaurant on maps.me on her phone, just out of the town, so we headed there.
Unfortunately it was not there any more, but a modest-looking church was next door so we went in.
I have never seen anything so magnificent in all my life. Not a square inch of the inside was unadorned - it was stunning. The altar went from floor to ceiling, all intricately carved in red pine. Such woodcarving skill would be hard to find today, and how long did it take to complete?
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| We've never seen anything like this before... |
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| ...or this... |
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| ...or this! |
There were various side altars, each more grand than the last in paint, wood, tiles, silver, gold - absolutely stunning! And all this in a small church off the tourist trail for the princely sum of €2
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| Wow! |
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| What a fabulous church |
Antequera, I salute you.
We eventually dragged ourselves away and found a small, family run meson for lunch - 3 great courses of food and wine for €10 each - bargain.
The sun is still shining hotly, so it’s outside with the chairs to write the blog and soak up some rays.
See the approach to Antequera aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Antequera aire here and today’s full photo gallery here
Wednesday 10/05/2017 Antequera to Maria
N37°42’30.6’’ W002°14’18.7’’ ACSI campsite on sand/gravel, €17, full services including WiFi.
287km in 3hr 36min
Cervantes found his spiritual home yesterday when we parked at the aire in Antequera in Calle Miguel de Cervantes - Cervantes Street!!
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| Home at last |
An early start this morning and we were on the road at 8:45am.
Today we were outrunning the weather. There was a front coming in from the west bringing strong winds, torrential rain and thunderstorms, so we drove east as fast as we could go.
Depending on whether or not the front caught us up, we were heading for Velez Rubio (bad weather) or Maria (good weather).
12:30 pm saw us in Velez Rubio and the sun was shining bright, so we took the A317 to Maria where there was a ACSI campsite for €17 per night (including electric and WiFi)
The location was superb in the Natural Park of Sierra Maria (2045m high) - Los Velez.
The very helpful young lady on reception gave us lots of info on the area - bike rides and walking routes, and was a credit to the site.
We could park where we wanted, so took 15 minutes to walk around and see what was best for us.
An uphill pitch on sand and vegetation was perfect, with excellent views of the surrounding pine forests and distant hills.
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| Peace and solitude - our kind of campsite |
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| Great, uninterrupted 360° views |
It is so quiet here you can hear yourself breathe - perfect.
The bar/restaurant on site sells bread, does your clothes washing and drying for you, does meals, drinks and tapas, and are as helpful as can be.
We obviously had a drink in the bar (as we bought some bread) to celebrate finding this excellent campsite.
If you like nature, the outdoors and all things rustic, this is the place for you.
The road to the campsite is of a good surface, plenty wide enough with good road markings, and suitable for even the biggest of motorhomes.
The campsite is open all year - ominously there are snow-depth poles at the side of the road, and a marker board in Velez Rubio telling you if the road is open or closed, so come prepared in winter.
See the approach to Camping Sierra Maria here and today’s full photo gallery here
See the approach to Camping Sierra Maria here and today’s full photo gallery here
Thursday 11/05/2017 Maria
The weather front caught up with us in the middle of the night with rain and wind.
It was gone by morning, but still overcast so we gave it an hour to decide whether to go walking or go home.
The weather bucked up with glimpses of blue sky, so we decided on the walk.
Walking boots, poles, coats and socks were extracted from their hiding places and soon we were ready to set off.
We chose an 8km walk from the many supplied by reception when we got here, and were soon on the path upwards.
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| The route was well signed and easy to follow... |
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| ...on well-maintained paths |
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| Our route and stats |
Good signposts were easy to follow as we climbed and climbed.
Glyn was having trouble with her walking boots - we brought them from UK 4 years ago, but have rarely worn them. 3km into the walk the soles appeared to be disintegrating with large chunks coming off them.
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| Glyn's boots after 3 km of walking |
The more we walked the more the soles and heels crumbled away - these were expensive walking boots (nearly £100) so should not be doing this.
Glyn did some research on our return home and discovered this website explaining all. She e-mailed Ecco, but got the usual brush-off - take it up with the retailer! Disgraceful (but predictable) "customer service". I'll leave it to you to decide whether you want to buy any boots from this company!
Glyn did some research on our return home and discovered this website explaining all. She e-mailed Ecco, but got the usual brush-off - take it up with the retailer! Disgraceful (but predictable) "customer service". I'll leave it to you to decide whether you want to buy any boots from this company!
The objective was now to get round the walk without the boots falling apart completely.
Glyn made it in the end, 12.5km in 3 hours, but at the end she was walking on the insoles of the boots - the soles had completely gone.
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| How the boots ended up - well done Glyn for making it to the end |
The view from the high-point of the walk was excellent - extensive views of forests and high peaks in the far distance.
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| You can see a long way from up here |
Once back at Cervantes it was time for lunch outside in the changeable weather - sunny periods, but with a cold, strong wind.
See today’s full photo gallery here
See today’s full photo gallery here
Friday 12/05/2017 Maria to Home
166km in 2hr 23min
After a cold night of 9° outside (we are at an altitude of 1200m here) we were soon on the road to home - it’s great to travel, but it’s also good to come home.
Conclusions
Another faultless display by Cervantes. It really has been a pleasure to drive this Fiat Ducato - not a moment's problem with it so far. It has amazing fuel consumption, pulls like a train in any conditions, and will run all day on cruise control with no protests.
Extremadura was a surprise with it’s wealth of historic villages, towns and cities. Castles, churches and Alcabazas galore, each one very well presented with tourists in mind, and with so many UNESCO World Heritage sites we were spoilt for choice.
The people are very geared up for tourism, doing all they can to help you.
The choice of National Parks and wildlife was again outstanding - such a good place to visit - if you ever get a chance to go you won’t be disappointed.
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