It was time to head east, so our next stop was just over the border in Castilla y Leon, in Ponferrada, named after the iron reinforced bridge (Pons Ferrata) that still crosses the river. Probably built by the Romans, in medieval times it was an important river crossing along the Camino.

It’s a Gas, Gas, GAS!

This is the first of our gas station visits, or, more correctly, an aire or sosta set in the parking lot of a large filling station. This one had a large number of spaces, an incredible view of the hills, and was surprisingly pleasant.

All in all, a brilliant execution as it used parking spaces that would probably be empty at night. And the campers used the small grocery store, restaurant, and, wonder of wonders, a truck wash!

One of the managers also helped us find a garage to, yet again, tighten the fan/power steering belts which had started squealing. By helped, we mean that he put us in his car, drove us to the garage, introduced us to the owner, and told him that he had to attend to us immediately. Which he did. You don’t get this at your local KOA.

There’s GOLD in Them Thar Hills!

The next morning we headed into the hills to visit Las Medulas, gold mines from before the Roman era. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Médulas) We are Roman history nuts and love to marvel at Roman engineering – cities, bridges, aqueducts, etc. Las Medulas  takes this to a whole new level of mega project. Using a technique called “Ruina montium” (Latin for “wrecking of mountains”), the Romans washed away whole mountains, leaving behind an artificial Bryce/Zion/Capitol Reef which stretches for miles. Suddenly the building of the Colosseum doesn’t seem so hard. 

Why did they do all of this, for hundreds of years? Upon discovering that the local people, the Asturs (from whom we get the name, Asturias) mined alluvial/placer gold, the Romans moved in to industrialize the process. Eight aqueducts brought water from hundreds of miles away. That’s right, hundreds of miles. Then that water was sent into tunnels dug deep into the mountains by thousands of workers. The water then split the mountains apart and washed the ore laden soil out where the gold was retrieved. Fleeces were used to collect gold flecks, as in the legend of the golden fleece of Colchis.

And then, when the mountains had literally been washed away, they began classic gallery mining along exposed ore seams. Pliny reports that the losses of workers were so high that it was safer to dive for Tyrian purple “fish.” (The snails used to make Tyrian purple, the imperial dye. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrian_purple ) 

The scale of the area is incredible; even more so when you realize that you are walking through a completely artificial, man made landscape. Amazing that this site is not better known. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Médulas A full visit would take days and require hours of hiking over miles of trails. A feat best left for our younger and fitter friends!

We returned to the camper for lunch and then back to Ponferrada.

At about 4.30 PM we walked the half a kilometer or so to the Templar Castle, built to protect the pilgrims using the bridge on the Camino to Santiago. The site was originally a pre-Roman “castro” and then a Roman fort. It was used to protect pilgrims on the Camino, and owned by the Templar order for some 30 years. Afterwards it had many owners, many rebuilds, and is now owned by the Spanish government and is an excellent visit. There is next to nothing of the original Templar castle left, but it is a textbook example of castle construction and expansion.

The excellent museum displays have good information on medieval life and made one interesting comment on Spanish castles, both Christian and Muslim – they could have many purposes. One was, of course, as protection against invasion or Reconquista by Christians or Moors. The next was protection against or control of your feudal neighbors, and finally, in more modern times, conflict between Spain and Portugal.

Continuing East we stopped at a funky little campground described as having a “GDR” vibe. (East German) That alone was enough to make us stop. While the site did, indeed, look very run down, it was very pleasant, almost empty, all of the facilities worked (sort of), and, when someone actually showed up, not expensive. Interesting that two of the people staying were tent camping from a car. Not as common as vans or motorhomes. (https://park4night.com/en/place/134997)

So When ARE you open?

We found that tourist sites often opened from 10.00 AM to 2.00 PM and then 4.30 PM to 8.30 PM. But some are open all day, with no lunch break. And the hours are reported differently by different, and sometimes even the same, website.  It makes it hard to know when to go!

This we discovered in our next stop in Zaragoza, Aragon. We stopped here because Denise wanted to see the Aljaferia Palace, rumored to be Moorish architecture. It proved challenging. Car parks close to the Palace all had warnings of theft and damage issues on Park4Night. So we ended up in a lovely parking lot, about 30 minutes walk away, with a number of other campers all attending a dog show. There were lots of dogs!! 

We double checked the website and it stated that the Palace was open from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM. So foolishly believing the website, we headed out on foot at about 2.00 PM. We were afraid of traffic on our bikes. That turned out to be a mistake, as there were huge bike lanes and quiet streets!

We arrived, to find that it opened at 4.30 PM. Entry was free that day, but it was closed until 4.30 for special group visits. So, we had two hours to kill and no nice little cafes nearby to spend time in. We popped into a little store, run by Ecuadorians. We had a nice chat about the old country, but they did not have tables or coffee, so we kept walking. It was hot, but we found a local dive bar (cash ONLY!), bought a bottle of sparkling water, and had a surprisingly pleasant sit at their sidewalk tables. Heading back, we found a place to buy an ice cream and took them into the park to eat and sit a bit.  Meanwhile the queue was getting longer and longer and it actually was almost 5.00 PM before we could enter. The last 30 minutes being spent standing in the sunshine in mid 80F temperatures.

The Palace was most interesting. Fans of the movie “El Cid” may remember the Moorish emir that El Cid spares at the beginning of the movie, al-Mu’tamin. Brilliantly portrayed by the British actor, Douglas Wilmer, the real Mu’tamin provided the real Ruy of Vivar with refuge and employment when the later was exiled by King Alphonso. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusuf_al-Mu’taman_ibn_Hud ) 

Here again, as in southern Spain, we found the “tanto monta” motto of Ferdinand and Isabella. Hard to love these Catholic monarchs, but the motto which means that whatever one says goes for both, was remarkably progressive for an age when queens were more often considered property of their husbands than actual rulers. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Monarchs_of_Spain)

There was still a long line to enter when we left about 6.15 PM but we were fortunate enough to find a taxi with a most pleasant driver, who was happy to return us to our camper.

What’s in a Name?

Santiago de Compostela is best known as a pilgrimage site. We found that it has a wonderful, happy vibe. And it wasn’t just the pretty weather.

So, who was Santiago, or, if you prefer, Santiago Matamoros, or Saint Iago, Jacob, or any number of other names and spellings? For example: James, son of Zebedee, James, brother of John, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, St. James Son of Thunder, St. James the Major, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob, James the Apostle or Santiago. Also Thiago or Diego, depending on your choice of languages. (San Diego, anyone?) Basically, he was one of the original Apostles, the second to die, the first to be martyred.

He is also the patron saint of Spain. 

According to Spanish belief, James made a trip to Iberia (Spain) to preach and, thereafter, returned to Judea, where he was beheaded by “Herod.” (Herod Agrippa?) There is a chapel in the Armenian sector of Jerusalem, on the site where it is said that he was beheaded and where it is believed that his head (at least) is still buried. Some part(s) of his body were then taken to Spain and buried at the site that would become Santiago. These relics were discovered in the 9th century and Santiago became a site of pilgrimage, a pilgrimage that continues to this day, the “Camino de Santiago.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago ) 

We crossed parts of the Camino during our travels in Germany and, last year, Carlos and Magy took us to the site of the battle of Clavijo, so we had already developed an affinity for Santiago. (https://diplostrat.net/2025/07/01/out-of-spain/ ) It was Saint James’ miraculous appearance at the Battle of Clavijo that routed the Moors and established him as the “Matamoros,” the Moor slayer. By the way, Carlos and Magy send their regards from Senegal, where they are awaiting the dry season in September. And they are still urging us to come join them on their trip to South Africa! (https://erg-adventure.com/2026/04/29/dejamos-atras-el-sahara-y-entramos-en-senegal/) 

A Happy Place

But back to Santiago de Compostela. We started our visit to the city by picking a camping location.  There were three possibilities and we picked the middle one because it was close to the bus route into town. It proved to be an excellent choice, the owner was most helpful and the services were excellent. And it was right on the Camino.

Our first morning, a Sunday, we set off to discover the town. Watching the pilgrims walking (or staggering!) in to the square by the cathedral has a lot of meaning, even to those of us who have not walked the Camino.  We have friends from Arlington who would be arriving the following day after walking just over 100 Km and we were excited to see them and congratulate them. We have other, overlander, friends who have also done part of the Camino.

We then went to the main square, Prazo do Obradoiro, in front of the Cathedral.  A huge open space, it thronged with arriving pilgrims, tourists and, on the Sunday afternoon, a children’s choir! The whole place simply has a happy feeling.

We started with the Museum of Pobo Galego, or the Museum of the Galician People, housed in a former convent. (https://museodopobo.gal/en ) On the way to the museum, we passed one side of the cathedrals and enjoyed the bells.

We had no idea that Galicia was so different from the rest of Spain. The language, Galego, is a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese and the culture is quite different. This Museum explained a lot and it was a great visit. 

Back on the square, we finally found the entrance to the cathedral, on a side street, and went inside for a look. The cathedral was built between the 11th and 13th centuries on the site of a 9th century basilica, and is one of the greatest Christian shrines, due to the fact that the apostle, St. James, is supposed to be buried there.

Along with all the other tourists, we passed behind the statue of St. James and touched his shoulders for luck.

It is an imposing cathedral with a huge botafumeiro, or incense censer which swings over a huge arc of at least 20 feet.

Monday morning our friends walked right by our campsite in the morning and recognized our truck. We had a quick consult and arranged to meet later in the day. They then continued their walk along the Camino. We, on the other hand, took the bus into town, to find it far more crowded than it had been on Sunday.  Tour groups galore!  The Museum we had hoped to visit turned out to be closed in spite of the information from our guide book. Grrr! So we went to the Museo Catedral de Santiago instead.  This included the Portico de la Gloria, which used to be the entry to the Cathedral  but is now blocked off and only visited for a fee! 

While we were visiting the Portico the Pilgrims’ Mass was concluding so we managed to see the botafumeiro swinging and to hear the magnificent organ. We regretted not attending the whole service.

We enjoyed a leisurely lunch, with a charming waiter and Cuban serenade, before meeting our friends in the square.

Denise wanted langoustinos and she got them!

After meeting up with our friends, we returned to our lunch restaurant for coffees, and to hear tales of the Camino. We then headed back on the bus and our friends went on to complete their pilgrimage. A very successful visit.

Bristol

Our (hopefully) final European year of wandering has begun.  We flew to Heathrow and stayed in the Doubletree Cadbury House Hotel, near Bristol, as usual.  Matt and Janet joined us for dinner, which was fun. Matt has stored our camper for us during our three years of absences!  (https://thatleisureshop.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqYPXceGRY5GWcmnCJu2rMIJNdnPMY1gwi0RCC7XqjCpIZRXNEZ) He then picked us up the next morning, took us to the camper and gave us a first load of water to get started.

We then headed north to visit Sue and Trev, friends of Denise’s from university days.  We had managed to miss them on all our former camper jaunts so it was great when we found a field to camp in only four miles from their home. The trick was that the GPS decided that the 100 meter direct access to the farm was prohibited, and sent us down through the middle of town and then 10 miles round single track country lanes. You know, the ones marked “Your SATNAV is wrong – turn around!”

We were able to see them for two days and finally deliver Sue’s Yorkshire Lass mug, which we have been carrying for years! We all had a fabulous time and visited both Newark Park, (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/gloucestershire-cotswolds/newark-park) a former hunting box from the time of Henry VIII, and the American Museum and Garden in Bath (https://www.americanmuseum.org). Sue had previously volunteered there and proved to be an excellent guide.  We also had a wonderful Indian meal at a Sue and Trev’s local restaurant.

We then headed to Plymouth to take the ferry from Plymouth to Santander in Spain.  As we waited to board, the truck was searched!  The first time this has ever happened.  The customs officials were pleasant and we quickly moved on.  The seas were good to us also and were comparatively calm.  In the notoriously rough Bay of Biscay, this is always good. 

We had reserved at a campground by the beach outside Santander.  The views were quite spectacular and the first day, we walked down to the beach to admire them.  Fred was deprived of ice cream because we forgot to take money but oh well!  The power steering belts needed to be tightened and it turned out that there was a bolt missing also.  That taken care of, we headed west towards our first stop, the Cuevas de Altamira.

Cuevas de Altamira

The Cuevas de Altamira proved to be wonderful.  A nice big parking lot (so we could park) and a most interesting museum describing the various Neanderthal and hominid peoples who lived there from 18,500 to 14,000 years ago. They created amazing cave paintings on the ceilings of a huge cave in which they lived.  After learning about them, and seeing some of their tools, we entered a reproduction of the cave. The original cave is no longer available to tourism to protect the delicate art, but the duplication is exact and the reconstructed paintings covered the ceiling.

We noted that the art became more realistic over the millennia.  The cave was hidden by a rock fall about 13,000 years ago and thus remained untouched for thousands of years until rediscovery in the late 1800’s. The whole visit was a fascinating look at the very earliest beginnings of technology – the first pointy things, the first cutting things, and the first pounding things, usually needed to shape the others. These all made it possible to hunt, cut food and skins, and perform other basic tasks. And we still use needles and knives to this day.

We then headed back down the winding mountain road (we had no idea this area was so mountainous) to Santillana del Mar and a delightful camping spot just on the upper side of the equally delightful small town, which, despite its name, is not beside the sea! 

There are cows everywhere in this region. We enjoyed the two in the adjacent field, who, along with two donkeys, provided hours of entertainment. The grass was being mowed and so they had their dinners piled up for them. 

The next morning we walked through the town, just as it was opening.  The tourist boom comes in the evening, especially in the summer. In any case, the Spanish rarely lunch before 2:00 PM.

The narrow cobbled streets were charming and we left bearing loot – local firewater, cheese, chocolate, and sausage.

Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa.

We then headed up the into the mountains again to the Fuente De cable car, which rises to the peaks.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuente_Dé_cable_car) We had a bit of a challenge finding parking as there was a barrier blocking the car park so that a high vehicle like ours could not enter.   We ended up in a space that was used by buses but that worked well as no one seemed to mind.

We took the cable car up to the top, had a good look around and then descended again. It was chilly on top! 

We also had an easy walk into the town of Potes, where we took a picture or two and enjoyed a cider and some tapas beside the river bridge before heading back for dinner.

Our next stop was a beach aire, Coto Camper, at Barreiros.  It was only a short walk to a beautiful sandy beach, but the weather was unpleasant – very dense cloud with light rain. Everything felt very cold, or chilly at least!  We considered staying two nights, as the facilities were lovely, but the next day dawned the same and the weather forecast seemed better on the western coast.  So we headed to A Coruña.

N.B. We stay in a range of different sites, called “Aires” in French and “Sostas” or “Areas” in Spanish. We try to avoid formal campgrounds if we can, due to price and the fact that we don’t often need the services that they offer – showers/dishwashing/toilets/electricity. The aires and sostas range from parking lots at gas stations to lovely sites that are indistinguishable from a campsite. The big difference is that campsites tend to offer themselves as actual vacation destinations, with restaurants, swimming pools, playgrounds, etc., as opposed to simple transient stopovers for the night. That said, the lines are blurry. One interesting exception is certain municipal areas, where stays are strictly limited to one overnight, and it is prohibited to use leveling blocks, set out chairs, or open windows!

A Coruña and the Tower of Hercules

The first part of the trip, through the mountains, was through really dense fog and visibility was very low.  Then the skies slowly began to clear and we found the sun again! 

We wanted to visit the Tower of Hercules, a lighthouse built by the Romans at “finistere”, the end of the world. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Hercules) The lower 100 feet is still Roman – those cats knew how to build. Getting through the town was exciting, as the streets are narrow and the traffic heavy.  Our route included a tunnel with a height of 3.9 meters. We are  3.6 meters, so we had some very scary moments until we realized that our measurements were indeed correct. Then the exit from the tunnel was a sharp right turn ramp, so steep that we had to use the crawler gear.

There is a parking lot near the Tower with a section for motorhomes but it was, of course, full.  We ended up getting permission from a motorhome to double park behind it.  Not the best of solutions but it worked for the time it took us to hike around the point and up to the Tower.

The Tower is unfortunately closed but we were able to get to the base.

It was a nice sunny day by now but very windy.  The views of the town and the rocky coves were however spectacular.  It was so windy that we were almost glad to leave the headland and head through town (again – but this time no tunnel) and back to the autopista heading for Santiago de Compostela.

Why does one go to Avila, Spain? For the walls, of course.

Avila became a sort of no-man’s land in the wars between Christians and Moors. Around 1088, the Christians walled the town and those walls still stand in beautiful condition. It is a bit of an archetype of a walled city on a hill. The views are magnificent. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ávila)

We settled into the Area (municipal camping area), which had a great view of the city walls. Quite spectacular, and an easy walk (climb) into town. Here are views, up to the city and back down to the parking area. Medieval cities were always on hills to keep the tourists fit!

Avila’s cathedral is unusual in that its back wall is actually part of the city wall. (Seems like a really bad decision.) The choir has some amazing high relief carvings of episodes in the life of the Christ.

The cathedral was used as the interior and exterior of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the film “Kingdom of Heaven.” (https://catedralavila.es)

The next morning we drove to the overlook for a last view of the city.

From Avila it was a short drive to Tordesillas. Tordesillas is famous for a treaty between Spain and Portugal in which they basically divided the world between them. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tordesillas)

Panoramic view from around 1565. Note that Tordesillas is titled as “Tor de Sylla” – Tower of Sylla, from the Roman Turris Sillae, or Tower on the Hill of Siellas. May also refer to a tower erected by the Roman general Sulla (Siella), possibly a siege tower. Got all that? Everywhere you go, there is a lot of history. Enlarge the image – most of the buildings and features, including the bridge, are still in use.

Tordesillas is also home to a campground with a great restaurant. Our friends Ron and Ton had written about the asada and we had to try it: https://travelintiger.com/a-list-of-places-we-have-visited/countries-we-have-visited-in-europe/spain/castile/may-2-2025-tordesillas-sp

There is a little museum dedicated to the treaty, but its most interesting exhibits are a review of the evolution of European understanding of the world, as shown on ever more accurate maps.(https://www.tordesillas.net)

The big surprise in Tordesillas turned out to be a subterranean winery. (https://www.bodegamuelas.com) The town of Tordesillas sits on a network of interconnected, excavated caves and cellars, that date back to medieval times. Once you know where to look, you will see the air vents everywhere on the streets. The caves extend some 20 meters down. (Some of the connections, as to the drug store and the winery, have been blocked off for security.) Can’t find any mention of the caves being used during sieges, etc., but it seems logical. Today they are used mostly for storage, or as in the case of the Bodega Muelas, for winemaking.

The tour was one of the most comprehensive and informative winery tours we have ever taken. The caves were interesting, but our guide (possibly Reyes Muelas, the great granddaughter² of the founder) took us step by step through the process of assessing a wine. This did not make experts of us, but gave us a much better understanding of what we were seeing, smelling, and tasting. Lots of fun. And the wines were excellent – we bought several!

After visiting the winery, we stopped for a bite in the main square. There was a musical group performing and we, and the local kids, enjoyed the performance.

One of the main attractions of Tordesillas is the palace where Juana the Mad was confined. Sadly, this was closed, but we enjoyed a wander of the scenic streets. Juana was the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, los Reyes Catholicos. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_of_Castile)

We then headed some 280 km up the road to Logroño. We skipped Burgos because of the weather, so El Cid got to rest in a bit more peace.

In 2021, we hosted a visit from Carlos and Magy, some serious overlanders. They were finishing up a trip from South America and shipping their truck back to Spain via the port of Baltimore. (https://erg-adventure.com)

Carlos and Magy are just back from an epic trip through the Middle East as far as Afghanistan and India and were eager to host us. We were eager for the opportunity of some shade, so we settled into their garden. They were welcoming, generous, and gracious hosts and we had a wonderful time. Even taking advantage of their well to wash the truck – it really improved solar performance to get a few kilos of Moroccan dust off of the solar panels!

They whisked us off to the Castillo de Clavijo, the site where St. James is supposed to have appeared as Santiago Matamoros – St. James the Moor slayer.

The castle was under renovation and it was wild to see the huge crane towering over the site. They didn’t have that back in the day!

We then heading into town for a tapas crawl.

We visited San Vicente de la Sonisierra, starting with a wine tasting. The venue was a large commercial winery. It was fascinating to compare/contrast this visit with the Bodega Muelas, a tiny establishment in Tordesillas. (The Muelas wine was MUCH better.) The views of the surrounding countryside and the church/castle on the hill were great. And a lot greener than the south.

This area was on the border between Castile and Navarre and the local lords spent as much time raiding each other as they attacking the Moors. We visited the castle. As these are ALWAYS on the top of hills, the views were great.

We had a wonderful visit, and even adjusted to Spanish mealtimes! (Almost)

Carlos and Magy worked every morning, before it got too hot, getting their truck ready for their next trip – Spain to South Africa.

At the end of a wonderful visit, we drove north to catch the ferry from Bilbao to Portsmouth, UK. Our luck held, we had great weather and a smooth crossing of the notoriously rough Bay of Biscay.

From Granada we headed to Playa Mojacar. Rather than retrace our route past Baza, we decided to try the coast road. This proved to be a bit of a disappointment – few views of the sea and miles and miles of plastic greenhouses. This part of Spain produces the majority of Europe’s winter vegetables and these are grown under miles of plastic sheeting – so much plastic that it can be seen from space!

The campground near Playa Mojacar was very pleasant and we were able to find a site with shade. Playa Mojacar itself was our first exposure to the famous expat communities of Spain. We had heard of them, but it was still jolting to see half of the street signs in English. The air conditioner tech was wonderful, spending days trying to repair the air conditioner, but in the end, we needed a 110v compressor and they are not available in Europe. Bummer.

Over the weekend we headed up the coast to see if we might have better luck with the agency that represents our air conditioner brand in Spain. We spent the weekend at a pleasant beach resort up the coast, but learned Monday that they had no 110v compressors and that shipment from Asia would be slow. Double bummer! So we gave up and headed out to Segovia.

Scouring Park4Night for an overnight stop, we found an “Area” (municipal campground) in the little town of Castillo de Garcimuñoz. Little? Population 163 little. But it boasted a small castle with free camper parking. By the time night fell the lot was full and campers were overflowing into the tourist parking lot. The castle, which functions as an arts venue was, sadly, closed. First time we have camped  directly at a castle. Not your typical KOA!

The castle had morphed into a church and finally into a art venue, but, when built, it was the real deal, high up on a hill and right in the middle of the wars between Christians and Moors. We used some of our time to finish a puzzle.

Bypassing Madrid due to its size and the heat, we pressed on to Segovia. A Roman aqueduct, a Moorish alcazar, and a cathedral – what more could you ask? Well, we wanted a campground with a grocery store nearby. We got it, and our neighbors even loaned us a nifty shopping trolley to make it easier to get our groceries home. Nice.

We took at taxi to the Alcazar, at it was the highest and most distant point. The idea was then to walk back, downhill, through the city. The Alcazar in Segovia dates from the twelfth century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Originally a Roman castra, it was rebuilt by the Berber Almoravids, then built in stone in the time of King Alfonso VIII in the 13th century. It was a royal residence and fortress and used for storing the Castilian Treasury.  Our visit was fun for the art, the views from the top, and the artillery school.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcázar_of_Segovia).

We started our visit with a coffee and then the obligatory tourist shot at the entrance.

A long climb took us to the top of the tower and great views.

We then moved on to visit the rooms and galleries. They were full of interesting objects and art.

He was, however, opposed to the arrival of the new wave of Almoravids from Morocco, but only if it threatened his hold on Valencia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cid)

Alphonso X was known as “El Sabio” (The wise). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_X_of_Castile) He was an accomplished musician and collector of music. Fred has a CD that contains some of his “Cantigas de Santa Maria.” (Did you know that when Moroccan kings put the image of the Virgin at the head of their armies they won?) (https://www.sequentia.org/recordings/recording09.html) But he was also a Castilian king and took the city of Cadiz from the Moors. Doing so, he also claimed the ocean for Christians. Note the detail on the right – while everyone is hailing the conquest of the sea, is that a Moor and a Jew weeping at the loss?

The Alcazar houses the Spanish Artillery School museum. Lots of exhibits about things that go “BOOM!”

The cathedral, built very late (mid 18th century), was not out of the ordinary, but it was wonderfully cool inside! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segovia_Cathedral)

The Segovia Aqueduct is really neat, if only because it is big and built without mortar. But it also features a nifty filtering system and was used all the way into the 19th century. All in all, amazing, and a nice counterpoint to our visit to the Pont du Garde in France. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqueduct_of_Segovia)

We ended our town visit with a typically monstrous Spanish lunch. The food, eaten outside in a pleasant plaza, a bit out of tourist central, was great and we had a nice chat with our neighbors at the next table – a British gentleman with a French wife. A French wife who has spent most of her life in England.

We finished the day with an easy taxi ride back to the campground.

After we left the Cordoba campground, we began to think about whether we would be able to visit Granada and the Alhambra or whether we were looking at high temperatures like Seville. We went first to Ubeda, which had the advantage of a free city campground and a certain amount of altitude. Ubeda is a UNESCO town with an interesting archeological museum and a large Carrefour supermarket. What more could you ask?

The next morning we unloaded the bicycles and set off for the Carrefour to go shopping during the cooler part of the day.

Shopping accomplished, we went looking for the museum. The route to the museum was through the old town and the streets were some of the narrowest we have ever seen.  Barely wide enough to bike through!  But we found the museum, in an old Moorish style house. (https://www.museosdeandalucia.es/web/museoarqueologicodeubeda)

One of the best parts of the visit was seeing (feeling?) the classic Roman/Moorish model of housing in action, four two storey sides around a large enclosed patio with plants. And the patio drew in an amazing, cool breeze.

The museum is small and low key, but one exhibit simply jumps out and grabs you with a direct link to the people of an ancient time.

This is a funerary stele or commemorative stone. There are lots of these around, usually of reasonably famous people or, as in Roman forts, those of soldiers. But this one is for a 25 year old slave woman. Who died in child birth. And it carries a poem, which, between abbreviations and gaps in the stone, says:

“Gemina, slave of Decio Publicio Subicio, aged 25, lies here, having died in childbirth. Gaius Aerarius had the marker put in place.

You would be my Fates if you carried me from where I am with the strength of a winter amethyst. If you loved me, take me from here to Tag …

May the earth be light upon you.”

Who puts up a stele for a slave and announces such love? Seems that while rare, it was certainly not unknown. And who was the father? Decio, the owner, or Gaius, who put up the marker? Probably the later. No idea where “Tag …” might be. Her homeland? a paradise? We will never know. But we do know that someone loved her very much and wished her easy repose. Here is an interesting link to a similar stele in Germany. Note that the “earth be light on you” phrase is common to Spain and to to other places. (https://dottietales.wordpress.com/2024/07/20/a-memorial-to-a-roman-slave/)

Finishing our visit, we then headed for a nice sidewalk cafe and enjoyed coffee and ice cream.

The next day we headed a bit further south to a fascinating place, Cuevas Andalucia.  (https://www.cuevasandalucia.es/es/vacation-home-rentals-unusual-ecolodges-responsible-andalusia-cave-house) Built around a series of artificial cave houses, this holiday rental has expanded into a campsite. It is run by a charming Belgian couple.

It wasn’t cool, but it did have a small pool and laundry. (No need for a dryer!) We might have booked a room to escape the heat, but they were full. We did have one rainstorm which really helped!

On our last night we joined everyone in a meal, typical of Andalucia, “Migas” or “crumbs”, prepared by a professional chef. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migas#:~:text=Migas%20(Spanish%20pronunciation:%20%5Bˈmi%C9%A3as,Mexican%20and%20Tex%2DMex%20cuisines.) A fun evening in a bewildering collection of languages! The day we were leaving our host suggested we call a friend of his who was an air-conditioning specialist in Playa Mojacar.  Perhaps he could do something with our broken air conditioner.  The temperature had dropped just enough that we felt we could manage one night in Granada so we could keep our reservation to see the Alhambra Palace.  We set up a visit to Mojacar to visit the air conditioning specialist in a couple of days and headed to Granada.

The campsite in Granada proved to be pleasant and even had a little shade. It was carved out of the parking lot of a restaurant and they were working to upgrade all of the facilities. The restaurant looked quite good, but it was closed. We settled in and then took a taxi into town. 

We had some time before our 7 PM appointment so we took a ride on the Little Train.  This gave us some feel for the town and an easy way to get up the considerable hill to the entrance. Granada is a big, modern town, but the Casco Viejo, the old town, featured classic architecture with narrow lanes and steep hills.

We stopped for some liquid refreshment (squeezed fresh orange juice, “zumo” and a  bottle of sparkling water) and then entered the Alhambra complex. The Alhambra was built very late in the Moorish era and was taken over and used by Fredinand and Isabella, the (im)famous “Catholic kings.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra) It was here that Cristobal Colon received his commission to look for a new route to the Indies.

The Alhambra is huge and there are many different sites to visit. Trying to outmaneuver the crowds, we started in the gardens which were very beautiful. 

We then worked our way down past the church and the fortress to the main square and we were in the line for the 7 PM entry to the Nasrid Palaces at the right time. 

These ceiling paintings are rather odd. They date from the Muslim era, but were clearly done by Christian artists as most Muslims will not make a representation of any living thing. Also note the most of the clothing is more Christian than Muslim. They were done on sheepskin and attached to the wooden ceiling.

We have never been great fans of the “Reyes Catholicos” as, among other things, they launched the Inquisition against the Muslims and Jews in Spain. But in one area, they were way ahead of their time.

Although scholars debate the exact details (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanto_monta,_monta_tanto,_Isabel_como_Fernando) it appears that Ferdinand and Isabella held that what either said, held for the other. A huge step for women’s equality in an area where queens were often married for political purposes and then relegated to the nursery.

Because of our Morocco experiences and visits in Seville, we wondered if the Alhambra would live up to its hype. In the end, we were pleased – the Alhambra really was quite spectacular.  We recognized the Moorish origins but the admixture of Christian elements, creating what is called “mudejar” made it different. A great experience.

We were tired by the end of the visit and went to eat in the “tourist” restaurant across the road. (Recommended by Rick Steves. https://www.jardinesalberto.es/en/home/) They were busy, but found us a lovely table. Our waiter was a charming gentleman from the Dominican Republic, so much Caribbean banter ensued. We selected Nasrid dishes and they were very good.

We were then fortunate enough to find a taxi right outside to take us back to the campground.

“Eventful” is not a word that you ever want to use when describing part of an overland trip. Our drive from Sevilla to Cordoba was eventful. We stopped for fuel and discovered that we had a new air leak. We built up enough air to drive into the large lot behind the station and park. Fred went to the station to ask about the options for repair assistance. The short answer was “none” and less on the weekend. The answer was the same at the restaurant next door. Not good. An hour on the internet and phone get the same answers – it is the weekend, we don’t do trucks, call your insurance. Grr! This was not good. A friendly truck driver parked next to us confirmed that roadside repair was basically unavailable. He suggested that we needed an air line union, but he did not have one. Beginning to look like we might be stuck at Los Potros for a LONG time.

Just then a truck swung into the lot and blew his horn to greet two truckers who were parked on the other side of the lot. After he roared off, Fred wandered over to chat. He noticed that the two trucks had Moroccan plates. Maybe they, as foreigners, might have some good ideas. The drivers had swung down a camp kitchen at the back of one of the trailers and were fixing dinner. After exchanging greetings, Fred explained the problem. Might they have any ideas? Ideas? They had better than ideas. They dropped everything and raced over. We got out tools and tipped the cab. Fortunately, it was easy to find the leaking air line. The senior driver went back to his truck and returned with two air line unions of different sizes.

Once he decided that we need the 6mm size, he browbeat the junior driver into cutting the line, with a knife – not wire cutters! A final shot of WD-40 to clean everything up and the line was repaired and holding. Catastrophe averted, there was now only one problem – the Moroccans absolutely refused payment. Hmmmm. What to do?

So Fred asked, “Do you guys have wives? Kids?” Well, it turns out that they had both. “OK, so if you travel to a foreign country you have to bring back presents, no?” They agreed. So they could accept money to buy presents. Problem solved! (Fred also resolved to find a parts store to buy some air line and unions.)

In our search for cooler climes, we had found a campsite located in the hills above Cordoba. It rejoiced in the name of “El Lagar de los Perezones.” (The Vineyard of the Lazy Ones.) Sounded promising and had great reviews. (https://park4night.com/en/place/487523) Reaching Cordoba, we climbed about 10 kilometers up a very narrow winding hill to the site and opened the gate, which fortunately had a Park for Night sign on it, so we could recognize it.  We drove through the 50 hectare site and eventually came to a patio with a stunning view of the city of Cordoba. 

And there was even a beautiful pool!  We picked our spot and settled in. 

Five very enjoyable days followed. We relaxed, enjoyed the view, and swam in the pool. Fred borrowed a ladder and used our grey water to wash the solar panels. Our hostess offered us a meal typical of Andalucia one evening, which was wonderful. And vegetarian.

She also called a taxi for us, and we headed into Cordoba for the day. We were not up to playing with a twice a day bus.

Cordoba dates back to well before the Romans, but it reached its zenith under the Umayyads who made it a center of learning.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Córdoba,_Spain) To quote Rick Steves: “At its zenith, in the 10th century, it was the leading city of Western Islam and a cultural hub that rivaled Baghdad and Constantinople. In an era when much of Europe was barbaric and illiterate, Córdoba was a haven of enlightened thought — famous for a remarkable spirit of religious tolerance, artistic expression, and dedication to philosophy and the sciences. Jews, Christians, and Muslims had figured out how to live together more or less harmoniously. Everyone spoke the same language, cooked the same dishes, wore the same type of clothes, and shared the same public baths. It was one culture, with three religious traditions.” We loved Cordoba. It was probably our favorite visit in Spain.

Like most tourists, our first stop was the cathedral, universally referred to as the Mezquita, Spanish for mosque. (Possibly built on the site of an earlier Christian church, possibly built on the site of a Roman temple. You get the idea.) We were prepared to be impressed, but the reality is simply overwhelming.

The mosque is large, built to enable 20,000 to pray at the same time. But, in an incredible act of good artistic taste, rather than raze the building, the Christians simply built a cathedral inside the mosque. Amazingly, this actually works.

We took a ton of pictures, but they cannot begin to convey the majesty and beauty of this building. Not your classic gothic cathedral! Not at all. Put it on your short list. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque–Cathedral_of_Córdoba)

After the cathedral/mosque, we headed to the Jewish Quarter to explore, shop (less tourist junk), and visit the Casa de Sefarad. (https://sefarad-vr.com/en/sepharads-house/) The history of Jews in Spain is long and complex and well worth a least a quick study: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Spain Spoiler alert: It does not reflect well on Christians. (But, to be fair, the rest of Europe was not doing any better.)

We enjoyed the visit, especially the three songs performed by one of the staff. We have a neighbor who plays lute in a Sephardic music group and it was fun to hear the music in situ. He sang in Hebrew, Ladino, and one other language.

Across the street is one of the few remaining synagogues in Spain. This tiny example was repurposed into a hospital, which is why it probably was still standing. It is the only synagogue in Cordoba which was not destroyed during the many persecutions of Jews in Spain. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Córdoba_Synagogue)

After a pleasant lunch in a garden patio, and an ice cream (there is a pattern here!), we reconnected with our taxi driver and returned to our campsite.

Cordoba was, for centuries, the center of Muslim rule in Iberia. The Christian reconquest, “La Reconquista” was a long, long struggle, but worth understanding if you want to understand Spanish history. Here is an easy to follow history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMp3UCK2uwk

Let us close our visit with a nighttime view.

After spending the night near the Carrefour, the next day we headed to Seville. Seville is at least 2,000 years old and has a lot of history. (Duh!) What is most surprising, however, is that while it is way inland, it was a major Spanish seaport until the silting of the river caused the main port to move to Cadiz. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville)

We had expected southern Spain to be warm but we had not anticipated the kind of crushing heat that hit us when we found our way to the campground. The campground was a part of an auto storage lot, but despite having no charm, it did have all the required facilities and was wonderfully located to bicycle into town. There was, however, no shade of any kind, and it was close to 100F (40C). The first afternoon we turned on the air conditioning to cool off a bit. It worked well and we were pleased.

The next day we set off on the bikes for an exploratory visit.

We stayed on our side of the river and found a wonderful sidewalk cafe where we ate a merienda consisting of bacon bagels! 

We then crossed the river and headed towards one of Seville’s landmarks, the Torre de Oro. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre_del_Oro) We didn’t visit the tower, but a quick cycle down the riverwalk led to a decision to take a boat ride down the river. They even agreed to take the bicycles on board.

After viewing the city from the river, we then headed back towards the campground. But first, we needed to find an ice cream and sparkling water. We cycled back through the Maria Luisa Park and enjoyed the odd fountain or two. There was also a big display of Ferraris that Fred admired (or perhaps it was the young ladies showing them!).

Then, ice cream found, we returned to the camper and turned on the air conditioner for a second night, as the temperature soared above 40C.

The next day we had an appointment for the Alcazar Real.  We decided that lunch would be in the same cafe, as we had really enjoyed the merienda the day before.  We then cycled through the old town and found a bicycle rack near the Alcazar, where we stored the bikes. We had a moment to spare, so we visited the General Archive of the Indies. The archive was set up to hold all of the documents relating to Spain’s colonization of the Americas. Some interesting things to see, but really a depository of original documents for serious scholars, not for tourists like us. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Archive_of_the_Indies)

That night, the air conditioner failed.  By the next morning, we felt very uncomfortable and as the temperature continued to climb we decided that our visit to the Cathedral was going to be cancelled.  Without air conditioning, camping was too unpleasant.  Time to head for the hills.  So we looked for camping that might be cooler, and found a lovely campground in the hills above Cordoba, so off we went. And that will be another story!

Then it was on to Chefchaouen, our final stop before taking the ferry to Spain.

Overlanding friends declared Chefchaouen to be their favorite city in Morocco. But we had another reason to visit – we were going to meet up with one of Denise’s school friends from Sydney Girls High School. We had visited them in Australia, and, amazingly, they were visiting Morocco. (https://pbase.com/diplostrat/oz_reunion) Took some back and forth, but we managed to synchronize our schedules and we set a date.

Chefchaouen has a fabled history. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chefchaouen) We camped in a lovely campground up high above the town, with fantastic views and even some shade. Great thrills as the GPS sent us up a one lane road so steep that we had to use our crawler gear. That’s steep! (There was, of course, an easier road.)

We enjoyed the ugly camper parade.

Afraid to go into town too early, as everything would be closed, we walked down the very steep hill one afternoon to explore. 

The streets of the Medina are, of course, narrow and very steep and many are just steps.  Chefchaouen is noted for its blue buildings (most Moroccan buildings are either white or cream.) 

We made our way to the Place Uta-el-Hammam where we were able to acquire the necessary ice-cream, before entering the Kasbah and museum. 

Begun in the fifteenth century, the Kasbah shows a lot of Andalusian influence. 

Fred climbed up to the ramparts to admire the views and we both admired the beautiful gardens. 

We then headed back up to our campground with a delightful taxi driver, who offered his services for the following day.

We were meeting our friends from Sydney, for dinner and needed transport into the town in the early evening and transport back to the campground afterwards. We were not going to tackle all those stairs again! With the taxi driver’s phone number in hand, we were all set. We met our friends in the delightful hotel in which they were staying. We then walked into town to a lovely restaurant. Was a bit of culture shock, as we were suddenly in a mass tourism area, a change from the more isolated campgrounds where we have been staying.

We then called for our taxi back to the camper. He showed up right on time, with his cousin, and we all had a great natter driving back up the hill.

After a very early start the next day, we made it to Tangier Med for our ferry, only to discover that it was going to be two hours late arriving. This upended all our plans for arrival in, and travel beyond, Algeciras. Fortunately, we were chatting with the young Spanish couple who parked next to us at the “Jurassic Park” hotel. They told us of a free parking lot, right next to the large Carrefour supermarket in Algeciras. So we had a solution to the problem. The ferry did finally arrive almost two and a half hours late and we successfully boarded for the short trip. The crew was clearly in a hurry as, no sooner were we out of our truck than we were off. If the ship could have left a rooster tail …

Customs and immigration in Spain were easy, but appallingly slow. But, after what felt like an eternity, we were on our way to the Carrefour. We shopped, found the parking lot, had a light dinner at the very Spanish hour of around ten PM, and collapsed into bed.

Good night all!