Spain – Page 2 – DJmotortouring

Belchite (Aragon), Spain September 2024 (Tour 10)

We were still heading west towards Galicia and our next overnight would be in Haro in the La Rioja Region. On the way, however, we made an impromptu stop at Belchite which is a 40 mile drive south east of Zaragoza in Aragon.

A small town of just under 4,000 people in 1937, it was the scene of a bloody 13 day battle during the Spanish Civil War between Franco’s Fascist Nationalists and the Communist Republicans. The Republicans won the battle for the town but it was a pyrrhic victory with between 5,000 and 6,000 people being killed and; at the end of the war, which was won by the Nationalists, Franco demanded the town be left in ruins as a living monument to the destruction he said was caused by the Republicans invading the town. He further insisted that Republican prisoners build a new town (Belchite Nuevo) down the road.

The ruins of Belchite Viejo (and those of nearby Roden) have been left almost exactly as they were after the battle although, more recently, the old town was fenced off (because of vandalism and increasing safety concerns) and may now only be accessed by prior appointment and with a tour guide. That is not so easy when the decision to visit is made so spontaneously and when there is only a short window of opportunity in which to visit. Having said that, I found a hole in the fence and had a good scout around before bumping into an official tour party and having to scarper.

The following three photos were taken just outside the official entrance into Belchite’s ruins on Plaza Goya. Nothing was open and there was no official about to advise as to how I could gain entrance. A coach driver parked up near where I left the Van referred me to the town hall but it was closed.

*This arch is the start of the official tour…*

Having found a way into Belchite Viejo, my first thoughts were that it’s an unsettling place, particularly in the area of the 15th century Church of San Marin (San Martin de Tours). It’s so full of tragedy. The church served as a shelter during the height of the battle and a number of people who sought protection there were buried under tons of rubble after the church dome collapsed during a Republican bombing raid. I read that some remain there to this day.

If little remains of the Church of Saint Martin, there’s even less remaining of the neighbouring 18th century Convent of San Rafael where Dominican nuns used to care for orphaned girls but, in truth, the same can be said of the whole town. It was devastated and the ruins are as shocking a reminder of the misery of war as I have seen. Even now, more than 85 years later the horrors of what took place in Belchite continue to surface. Euronews reported as recently as October 2021 that the Spanish authorities had unearthed the bodies of dozens of men and women who were believed to have been executed by Nationalists in Belchite at the start of the war. The hands and feet of many were bound and some showed signs of having been tortured.

*Devastation in front of Iglesia de San Martin de Tours*

At the centre of the town in the Old Square (Plaza Vieja) is a 14th or 15th century clock tower built in the Mujedar style. It is all that remains of the Church of Saint John. Alongside it is an imposing “Iron Cross of the Fallen”. The cross was raised by the same Republican prisoners who built Belchite Nuevo and it sits on the same spot where so many of the fallen from both sides were subsequently cremated.

*Iron Cross of the Fallen & Clock Tower*

*What remains of the dome of St Martin’s Church (not my photo*)

And the new town? There’s little of interest in Belchite Nuevo except perhaps for it’s current population of 1,500. Some sobering street art perhaps?

Mequinenza (Aragon), Spain September 2024 (Tour 10)

We stopped in Mequinenza to make use of the town’s municipal campsite while driving across Aragon towards Asturias and Galicia.

Mequinenza is a small town of just over 2,000 people on the eastern edge of a reservoir known as the Mar de Aragon (the Aragon Sea). It’s a relatively new town built to the north of Mequinenza Castle after the River Ebro was dammed in the 1960’s. The original town, which dated back to at least the time of Julius Caesar, lay south of the castle. Most of it was destroyed when the reservoir was created although the Maria Quintana Ferragut School now serves as the area’s history museum.

The area has a rich history not least because of it’s small castle which was built by Berbers late in the 12th century but changed hands many times during the Christian-Muslim wars and again during the course of various internal Spanish wars in the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1810, during the Spanish War of Independence (the Napoleonic Wars to you or me) the castle was attacked yet again; by troops under the French General Suchet. An unsuccessful but spirited defence by just 1,200 men against Suchet’s 14,000 led to Mequinenza being listed among the victories inscribed on Napoleon’s Arc de Triomph in Paris. The castle figured briefly during the Carlist Wars but subsequently fell into disuse, except as a Republican prison during the Spanish Civil War, and it is now owned by the Spanish utility company ENDESA (which Company restored the castle to it’s current state although it doesn’t much resemble the original castle). It’s possible to visit the castle but only by prior appointment with ENDESA.

Mequinenza was at it’s most prosperous during the early 20th century, when coal mining was the area’s principal industry, and it’s population almost doubled to 4,200 (mostly miners). Of course, that short period of economic success ended during the 1960’s, as Franco steered Spain towards hydro-electric power and damned the River Ebro. The new town is now focused towards sport (rowing and kayaking) and leisure (fishing) with fishing being the town’s principal attraction.

It is believed the reservoir contains more than 50 million fish, including Black Bass, Royal Carp and, most impressive, the giant Wels Catfish, which regularly grow to more than 2 metres in length and weigh over 100 kilos. The current record in this area is a catfish measuring 2.61 metres and weighing 115kg. I stopped for a beer in one of the local bars and noticed some photo montages on the wall. Take a look at those…

We were staying in the camping site for just the one night (at 13 euros per night) but, we were fortunate to arrive during a local celebration. We didn’t need a second invitation…

Montblanc (Catalonia), Spain September 2024

We’d journeyed from Germany, through Switzerland and France, to Spain to escape the constant rain which seems to have been a feature of Northern Europe this last year. That was a good decision with the weather in Sitges (Catalonia) proving fine and the forecasts in Galicia and Asturias, in the far north west, looking even better. We decided to make our way to Galicia next (provided the weather stayed fine) by way of Aragon, Navarra, La Rioja and Castilla y Leon. Our next overnight stay would be in the small Aragonese village of Mequinenza, a 2.5 hour drive west.

We were almost halfway to Mequinenza when, looking for a place to stop for lunch, we discovered the small fortress town of Montblanc at the edge of the Prades Mountains. The town was founded by Alfonso I of Barcelona (Alfonso the Chaste) during the 12th century to protect the road between Lleida and Tarragona and it clearly prospered; as is evidenced by it’s huge church and various other impressive buildings. I don’t understand how I could have previously overlooked such an interesting place. It really is a hidden gem.

I parked just outside the medieval town walls close to the Convent de la Serra (on Paseo Josep Conangla) to take a quick look at the large church near the top of the town. There’s a sizeable flat topped mound just inside the town walls which provides views over the city and towards the Prades Mountains but the view of the back of the church (the Iglesia Santa Maria La Mayor) is less than impressive and for a moment I was tempted to return to the Van. I’m so glad I didn’t.

When I say ‘less than impressive’, I actually mean ‘odd’. It’s a mishmash of styles and, well, on the outside at least has a wholly peculiar appearance. The back of the church can be counted amongst the least attractive of any church I have seen. This can all be explained in that it started life as a small Romanesque church dedicated to Santa Maria and as it’s congregation grew, work began on a Gothic style expansion. This expansion was frustrated by the Black Death (the Plague) which devastated the town in terms of the population and money with which to finish the church and so one side of the church was simply bricked up without any ornamentation. When work resumed in the 17th century an ornate Baroque facade replaced much of the Gothic facade, which had never been finished because of the Plague and had also been damaged during the Reapers War, leaving us with the confused architectural structure that is now the Iglesia de Santa Maria La Mayor de Montblanc.

Don’t misunderstand me. The church still has much going for it. It just looks less than impressive from the back. The front of the church, with it’s Baroque style facade with Renaissance influences, is stunning. It also has some beautiful chapels (another sign of the town’s previous affluence) and a bell tower which it is possible to ascend.

I said bell-tower but it is not a tower as such. You actually climb stairs to a roof terrace where a half dozen or so bells are situated. Timing is everything and as I was climbing the stairs, the bells chimed for 11am. Let me tell you, they were loud.

*The views over the town from the church.*

I had stayed too long in the church already but had to see a little more of the town before returning to the Van for lunch which Vanya was preparing (had long finished repairing) and; I might as well get hung for a sheep as a lamb. No, it was a cold lunch and I was okay for a while yet. Thank goodness for cellular phones.

Montblanc’s old town centre is enclosed in some of the best preserved medieval castle walls to be seen anywhere in Spain and the narrow cobbled streets I followed on my way to the main square proved much the same. Higher buildings than is usual for such a rural part of the Region provided yet another example of the town’s previous wealth and, given how hot the day had already become, made for refreshingly cool streets.

There were a surprising number of people out and about; both on the streets, where local women were chatting excitedly with friends or neighbours they had chanced upon while on their way home from whatever it was they were doing and; in the Placa Mayor, where local men (their husbands?) were drinking beer andarguing and laughing loudly together. It was that happy, cheerful time of the day shortly before the afternoon siesta begins and after which the town centre would suddenly and quickly empty. I’m not trying to typecast men and women with that description but, the whole scene simply took me back to my childhood in Cyprus and Kenya where much the same scenes were played out almost every day before us kids were sent off for an afternoon nap. I really hated that time of the day.

It was time to get back to the Van. The return journey took me back past the church.

This was only a short stop but it proved a pleasant surprise and I would gladly revisit Montblanc. Also there is a World Heritage Site, the Monastir de Poblet, just 9 kilometres down the road that could be worth visiting.

Oh, and I don’t think I mentioned that according to local legend, Sant Jordi (Saint George) killed his dragon in Montblanc. It’s known as The Golden Legend in Catalonia. I reproduce below what I read about it:-

It seems that “Saint George was travelling on horseback when he came to Montblanc, which at that time was being terrorized by a large dragon. In order to appease the dragon the townspeople had started to give it 2 sheep each day. When sheep weren’t enough they were replaced by human sacrifices. The king decreed that the person to be sacrificed should be chosen at random. Finally the day came that the king’s beautiful daughter was chosen for sacrifice.

The king tried to bargain with the townspeople but they insisted that the princess should be sacrificed as their children had been. Dressed as a bride, the princess was led to the dragon’s lair when, by chance, Saint George arrived at the town. St George asked the princess what was happening and she told him about the dragon and asked him to leave before he was hurt. Instead of leaving the princess to be eaten, St George fought and slayed the dragon.”

Clearly the people of Montblanc believe this legend because every year during April the town stages a week long Medieval Fair which includes a medieval feast, jousting tournaments, a correfoc and a re-enactment of the legend of Sant Jordi. That would be fun.

Anyway, on to Mequinenza.

Sitges (Catalonia), Spain September 2024 (Tour 10)

I was last in Sitges some 20 years ago for a conference with my then employers and, from what little I saw of the town at that time, I liked the place. It was always going to be interesting to see how much the town has changed over the years and during this visit I would get two chances to check the town out; the first would be during the day on my own and the second in the evening with Vanya and our two dogs.

The day started with me walking some 15 minutes or so past the golf course and through a very pleasant residential part of the town to one of Sitges’ beaches, the Platja de Terramar. There I joined the wide palm lined promenade (the Passeig Maritim) and headed east for a further 15 minutes to the 17th century Eglesia de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla (that’s Catalan for the Church of Saint Bartholomew and Saint Tecla). This route took me past what is often called the Platja de Sitges but it is in fact a series of 7 different beaches (each separated by groins); the Platja de la Barra, the Riera Xica, L’Estanyol, the Bassa Rodona, la Ribera and finally the tiny Platja de la Fragata. There are three more beaches to the east side of the church which lead all the way to the harbour (the Platja Sant Sebastia, the Platja dels Balmins and finally the Platja Aiguadolc) but I decided to leave these beaches to a later visit. For information only, I found out later that there are a few nudist beaches in Sitges and one of them is on the Platja dels Balmins.

The beaches I saw during the walk are all blue flag clean and mostly sandy. They are as good as any to be seen in this part of Spain and at this time of the year are mostly empty. The busier ones, complete with street hawkers selling fake designer handbags and trainers, are at the church end of the Passeig Maritim where most of the restaurant-bars and, of course, the old town are located. Given it was mid September, I was surprised at how busy the bars were but; perhaps I shouldn’t have been with Ryan Air currently flying into Girona from Belfast, Cork and Dublin for as little as £40 return. There were probably more Irish in Sitges during our visit than any other nationalty.

The Church of St Bartholomew and Saint Tecla is Sitges’ most recognisable landmark; so much so it is known locally as La Punta – the Point. The church was closed during my previous visit and it was the same again this time. It’s shame, if only because the views from any one of the bell tower or the clock tower will, I think, be exceptional. I read that the local museum used to run tours of the church which includes an ascent of the bell tower but I don’t know if that is still the case.

While the vistas from the nearby ‘Palau de Maricel’ (the Maricel Palace) don’t quite match those of the church, they do afford some fine views over the Mediterranean; especially from the rooftop terrace and cloisters. The ‘Palace’, by the way, is the ‘must see’ place in Sitges. Built between 1910 and 1918 by artist and engineer Miguel Utrillo at the behest of US tycoon Charles Deering (of the Combined Harvester Family), it was part of a complex which would become home to Deering and serve to showcase his growing art collection. It didn’t quite happen. The two men fell out in 1921 over certain financial irregularities and Deering closed everything down and moved back to the United States. Much of the complex was subsequently dismantled and sold off piecemeal with the City of Sitges buying the current ‘Palace’ in 1954. Inside and outside it is quite spectacular…

After exploring La Punta, I started back along the Promenade but only as far as the ‘A Facundo Bacardi’ monument (Bacardi being someone born in Sitges who emigrated to Cuba and then created the well known white rum which bears his name) and then turned deeper into the old town of Sitges by way of Carrer Primer de Maig. Sitges’ old town isn’t as large as many others (especially having regard to the size of the city – it has a population of about 30,000) but it is equally charming.

The wholly pedestrianised Carrer Primer de Maig de 1838, also known as Carrer del Pecat (Sin Street in English) is one of a handful of streets at the heart of Sitges’ nightlife. The street is not as bad as the sobriquet suggests (well, not before midnight anyway) and during the day it really is a most unassuming street that you could safely take the most prudish grandmother down.

Having said that, I’m uncomfortable with those hotels which openly declare they are open only to gay couples. Sitges has long been a truly cosmopolitan city where everyone is welcome irrespective of their gender or sexual proclivity and I recognise that the LGBTQ community has lent the city a great deal of spirit and colour but if this isn’t discrimination, it is certainly boorish behaviour and should be censured.

Rant over. Back to the visit. I wandered much of Sitges old town for a while longer and then stopped for a quick beer in one of the backstreet bars before making my way back along the Passeig Maritim to collect Vanya and our dogs for the evening sortie into the city.

*It’s a long way back down that beach to the Van.*

There are definitely two sides to Sitges. Day and night in Sitges are different as chalk and cheese and, well, as different as day and night. The days, at least in the closed season, are generally quiet, slow and relaxed. It’s as much about lazing on the beach or strolling the promenade as anything. Yes, there is the odd juvenile boozer who seems to have confused Sitges with Ayia Napa but, fortunately, such types rarely have the capacity to last.

Then there’s nighttime. We stayed only until midnight but saw enough to recognise that the city is transformed at night. There’s a wide variety of bars and restaurants (with cocktail bars presiding) and there are also numerous nightclubs, most of which stay open well into the early hours of the morning. Of course the nightclubs are dominated by the gay community but, so far as I am aware, they are generally open to all and they are great fun.

For our part, Vanya and I were happy enough sitting on a terrace outside a bar in the old part of the city; enjoying a bottle of wine, people watching and soaking up the atmosphere of what is clearly a very vibrant city. We had found a place to eat right in the centre where the Carrer Primer de Maig meets the Carrer del Marques Monttroig and is crossed by the Carrer de Joan Tarrida. I’d recognise it again by it’s colourful umbrellas and by the way the seats of all the chairs at the tables are pointed towards the centre of the crossroads This pedestrianised crossroads was a hive of activity all the time we were there and it was a fun place to be. We would have been quite happy sitting there eating our good (but somewhat expensive tapas) and watching the world go by but our evening was further enhanced by a young acrobatic troop and dancers who entertained us at the crossroads for over an hour.

*Just look at the way all the seats are arranged*

It strikes me there’s an open, accepting and more relaxed atmosphere about Sitges at night. It’s comfortable. I think perhaps the good humour of so many people intent on enjoying themselves has a healthy, positive effect on others. It’s nice to think so.

Of course it may be different during the early hours of the morning, once the nightclubs are in full sway. We were not going to find out this trip. We had our dogs with us and so could not take advantage of the nightclub scene even if we wanted too but; there was time enough for one last leisurely stroll around the quieter parts of the city and that last half hour wandering the silent empty places, away from the busy cheerful bars and clubs, was as enchanting as anything we had experienced in Sitges. A couple of the following photos perhaps reflect that?

And there#s always time for Beanie pictures.

North in the morning but we’ll be back.

Llanca (Catalonia), Spain June 2024 (Tour 9)

It was an hour’s drive to the small town of Llanca on Spain’s Costa Brava. We were to stay a couple of nights and then cross the border into France to meet some friends who live in the Aude Department of Occitanie.

Together with nearby Cadaques and Roses, Llanca was a tiny fishing village until tourism took over. With 5,000 inhabitants it has doubled in size over the last fifty years but, although it lives in the shadows of Cadaques and Roses, it is a beautiful and picturesque little town with many attractive beaches.

After parking the Van at Camping L’Ombra I set off to Llanca’s old town.

There is little left of Llanca’s erstwhile medieval centre, the town having suffered considerable bombing during the Spanish Civil War but, what remains is concentrated around the Placa Major – that’s the 18th century Parish Church (Parroquia Catolica de Sant Vicenc), the tower of an earlier 14th century church, the remaining tower and some of the walls of the 14th century Abbot’s Castle-Palace (the Torre de l’Homenatge) and the ‘Tree of Liberty’ planted in 1870.

There is also a bar with tables set underneath the huge Plane tree which is the Tree of Liberty and I found time to sit there with a beer to both reflect on what I had seen and plan the rest of my route around Llanca.

After a further short wander around the old town and then the port, I made my way back to Camping L’Ombra. The dogs wanted walking and Vanya and I needed feeding.

I mentioned perviously that this part of the Catalan coast is renowned for it’s food (see last years post on Roses) and we weren’t disappointed with the food served to us at a bar-restaurant named ‘El Floc’, which in Catalan means ‘the flake’. A lady we spoke to down at the port had recommended El Floc for it’s food, service and ambience and she was right on all counts.

El Floc is a modern, clean and very popular restaurant on Avenida Pau Casals. It was busy as we arrived but we secured the last empty table on the terrace at the front of the restaurant and, over the next couple of hours, enjoyed a really pleasant late lunch. The food wasn’t cheap but it was good value, being very tasty and beautifully presented. My starter, Scallops with a Trumpets of Death Parmentier, was outstanding and as for Vanya’s dessert of Strawberry Soup… she adored it.

The next day I set off to explore some of the beaches around Llanca. First I headed south from Llanca in the direction of El Port de la Selva to the beach at Cap de Bol. I enjoyed the walk and would have continued on beyond El Port de la Selva to Cadaques but there was insufficient time. Instead I retraced my steps to Llanca and then walked north along the coast taking in the beaches of Platja del Port, Platja de L’Argilera, Platja de San Jordi, Platja de L’Alguer, Platja Sota del Parador and Platja de Grifeu. There are some 23 different beaches in the vicinity of Llanca and they vary enormously but all have something about them.

The Platja del Port is the largest of the beaches visited during the course of the day, measuring some 425 metres (by 30 metres) between Llanca’s port area and the mouth of the River Valleta. Unsurprisingly, the Port Beach is the busiest of all those in the area and it is lined with bars, restaurants and shops. The sand is coarse but, like the water in this area, it is very clean; so much so that the beach has been awarded a Blue Flag. Further north, the smaller Platja de Grifeu with it’s fine sandy beach also has a Blue Flag and it is my favourite. I sat for an hour outside one of the two bars on the Grifeu just sipping beer and chilling. Most of these beaches are small and are to be found in inviting, unspoilt little coves with crystal clear water and mountain backdrops.

One beach that I didn’t reach but will visit in the future is to be found at the remote pocket sized cove of Cala Bramant, some two miles north of Llanca. Platja Bramant is a small pebble beach with a narrow opening to the sea. It’s crystal clear water offers interesting snorkelling and is best visited in the morning when the tide is high and the beach is quieter.

Reading back that which I have written so far it perhaps appears I have been rather restrained with my thoughts regarding Llanca. Let me explain. The facts are that (i) Catalonia, especially in the north, has many pretty coastal resorts and I cannot, in all honesty, rank Llanca amongst the best and (ii) many of the Region’s towns have considerably larger and more interesting medieval quarters whereas; little remains of Llanca’s old town (not least because of damage caused to the town during the Carlist Wars and the Spanish Civil War) and (iii) as good as the food is in Llanca (and with apologies to El Floc and Els Pescadors), Llanca is a small town with nowhere near enough restaurants to compete with the likes of Barcelona, Blanes, Casamar, Miramar or either of Roses or Cadaques (where Michelin Stars abound). Nevertheless, I like Llanca and I will definitely return to the town.

Out of season, and this is a real plus, Llanca is nowhere near as crowded with tourists as the other towns I have mentioned in this post. Moreover, it offers an almost perfect balance in terms of things to do being (i) it’s proximity to other interesting towns and villages in Catalonia and (ii) it’s walking and/or hiking opportunities along the rugged and rocky coastline of the Costa Brava* and (iii) it’s many and varied beautiful beaches** and (iv) it’s wonderfully fresh food and drink and (v) the warm and inviting welcome afforded by the locals. Best of all, it is a great place to chill.

FOOTNOTES to Llanca Blog:-

* Coastline Catalonia has more than 500 kilometres of wonderfully rugged and rocky coastline, 160 kilometres of which form the Costa Brava and include the Camino de Ronda (and not forgetting the GR 92 which connects Porbou on the French Border with the Pont de L’Olivar where Catalonia meets Valencia). The well maintained coastal paths around Llanca provide for a range of spectacular sights (soaring sea cliffs and impressive rock formations, headlands with scenic panoramas, sheltered bays and shady forests, etc).

** Beaches There are 100+ beaches and coves on the Costa Blanca alone, 32 of them with Blue Flags. Many have all the facilities one would expect of seaside resort (restaurants, bars, deckchairs and showers, etc) while others are hidden and often deserted). The beaches and coves around Llanca are a stunning mix of gently sloping golden sands and sheltered rocky coves, all with clear calm sparkling water. I was going to include ‘warm’ in that description but no… not in June. Not while I was there.

And so to France…

Banyoles (Catalonia), Spain June 2024 (Tour 9)

Twelve miles north of Girona and twenty two miles south west of Salvador Dali’s hometown of Figueres, at the western entrance to Garrotxa Nature Reserve, is the small city of Banyoles (Banyoles having been granted city status in 1920). We were in this part of Catalonia four years ago (Tour 4) and stayed at Besalu and Tortella but missed Banyoles. That oversight has now been remedied.

The city is best known for it’s 2 kilometre long freshwater lake, the Lago de Banyoles, which stretches from north to south and has a depth of almost 50 metres. Fed by underground water sources, it is the largest natural lake in Catalonia and recognised for it’s wide range of flora and fauna (including otters, turtles, water snakes and 300+ different species of butterflies) but, it was the 1992 Summer Olympics which brought Banyoles to the world’s attention. It hosted all of the rowing events for the Barcelona Olympics and then again for the World Rowing Championships in 2004 and the Rowing World Cup in 2009 (as well as numerous, lesser rowing events). Going forward, the World Rowing Masters is to be hosted there in September 1925.

We parked up at Camping El Llac in Porqueres, on the south west corner of the lake and just 20 minutes walk from the city which is on the south east corner. Porqueres is known for it’s well preserved 1oth century church (the Eglesia de Santa Maria de Porqueres), consecrated in the 12th century. It is of modest design and contains little in terms of decoration. I read that it straddles a huge Earth Energy Line – an Earth Dragon Line but I don’t pretend to understand what that is all about. The church is, however, a pleasant enough place to visit and it sits in a quite exceptional setting on the edge of the lake.

There’s a flat 7 kilometre path around the edge of the lake but with Porqueres and Banyoles City being no more than 2 kilometres apart on the southern edge of the lake, the walk from the Eglesia de Santa Maria de Porqueres to the centre of Banyoles takes less than 30 minutes (even allowing for time to take photos).

The south east shore is dotted with a number of tiny houses or huts known as pesqueres. These huts were built during the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth century and are the ultimate beach huts for wealthy families to use as a base for fishing, boating and swimming in the lake. One now serves as the tourist information office but it was closed as I passed it. It mattered not; there are plenty of information boards positioned around the city and I was intent on exploring the medieval town centre and finding a bar where we could watch England’s second group match of the European Championship Finals, against Denmark. A bar in the old town would serve us well.

*One of the more impressive ‘pequeres’ on Lake Banyoles*…

It is thought humans may have lived in this area some 80,000 years ago but this is unproven. It is certain, however, following an archaelogical find at nearby La Draga in 1990, that a settlement was formed on the south east edge of the lake as long ago as 5,200 BC. Most of this settlement is submerged beneath the lake but this has worked to the archaeologists advantage because large numbers of different wooden tools (bows, javelins, digging sticks, spindles, ladles, etc) have been recovered, perfectly preserved in the waterlogged soil. Wooden piles, planks and building supports which formed accommodation and storage areas have also been reclaimed and these have facilitated the construction of replica buildings on the site which is just to the north of Banyoles (see below – not my photos).

The settlement was evacuated early in the 8th century (sometime between 711 and 720 AD) when Muslim Moors and Arabs invaded and conquered almost all of Spain but, at least in this part of Spain, the Muslim occupation didn’t last long. Within 100 years Catalonia was free of the invaders (it was centuries later before the invaders were removed from other parts of Spain) and Banyoles began to grow around the Bendictine Monastery of Saint Steven (Monestir de Sant Esteve) which was built in 812 AD. The original construction was destroyed by a Saracen attack in 945 AD but Banyoles survived and thrived on the back of a burgeoning textile industry and the monastery was rebuilt within just 12 years.

It took me no time to find the porticoed Placa Major and on it a lively little bar with a decent sized TV (the Cafe de la Placa) where Vanya and I could eat and watch England play Denmark later in the evening. The football match wasn’t due to start until 9pm which left time to explore the old town.

I didn’t stay long on the Placa Major. It’s a fair sized rectangle filled with Plane trees and edged by numerous stone arches and a few bars. It’s a pretty place and the thought of sitting in the shade with a beer while planning my next move appealed to me. However, a dozen or so school children (part of a brass band I think) were demonstrating their dubious abilities on various wind instruments to doting parents and grandparents. It was the loud applause (wholly out of proportion to the talent actually displayed by the children) which convinced me the watching adults were parents and grandparents but, either way, it wasn’t for me and I took to the streets.

*Proud parents* at the *Carrer Major entrance to Placa Major*

One very interesting feature of the town are the numerous open irrigation and/or drainage canals which were originally designed to both supply the city with water from the lake and provide flood protection. Over time these canals were lost (as one by one they were covered and integrated with the towns sewers) but, more recently (i.e. during the early part of this century), large numbers were uncovered and left exposed as part of a programme towards making the old town more interesting and attractive. They still provide a degree of flood protection but they now also serve as a charming water feature.

Most of the small historic centre is now pedestrianised and it is a joy to wander. I was particularly impressed with how clean it all is. Of course, the open canals may well help in this regard.

It didn’t take me long to find the Church of Santa Maria dels Turers (La Iglesia de Santa Maria dels Turers). Built in the Gothic style and consecrated in 1333, it has been remodelled a number of times (the current facade dates from the 16th century; two aisles were added in the 17th century and; the church’s stained glass windows date from the 20th century) but it isn’t the most handsome of churches and I didn’t stay long. In fact, I returned to Placa Major (the aspiring musicians had left); reserved a table for the evening and; enjoyed a couple of beers before making my way back to the Van.

At around 7pm Vanya and I readied the dogs and I led everyone around the lake and back into town to the Cafe de la Placa on the Placa Major to eat and watch the football. It’s a delightful walk and next time we visit the city I intend completing a full circuit of the lake.

The football match was anything but delightful. It ended in a 1-1 draw (which pretty much guarantees England a place in the next round even though England have one further Group Stage game to play) but, again, England were wholly disappointing.

The return journey to the campsite was pleasant and memorable in that Nala was given free rein to lead us back to the Van in the dark and she did an absolutely sterling job

The next morning saw us depart for the coast. We were heading some 40 miles east to Llanca for our final night in Spain.

Huesca City (Aragon), Spain June 2024 (Tour 9)

Everyone I know who has been to the Region of Aragon (that’s not many I admit but, even so) have gone there to enjoy the mountains and the rivers in the north. So far as I am aware not one has visited Huesca City. It was the same with Vanya and I until this particular tour and we’re both so pleased that we took the time to visit the place. It was a short visit but it was most enjoyable and we will return.

Huesca is the most northerly of Aragon’s three Provinces (the other two being Zaragoza and Teruel) and Huesca City is Huesca’s capital. With a population of approximately 52,000 it is a small city yet, it has so much history. It started as a Celtiberian village long before the Romans colonised the area and then; after the fall of the Roman Empire, was taken and ruled first by the Visigoths and then by the Moors until the time of the reconquest by the Aragonese kings. What remains of those latter days is to be found in the small yet captivating medieval quarter of the city but there are other equally appealing areas of the city even if they do provide for a considerably more modern looking metropolis than is normally to be found in the north of Spain.

The medieval quarter comprises mainly religious buildings (the Cathedral and Episcopal Palace, the Abbey/Monastery and Cloisters of San Pedro el Viejo and the Basilica de San Lorenzo) but there are plenty of other interesting places to see outside of the old town (my favourites are the late 19th/early 20th century monuments and art-deco buildings) but, if they warrant a visit, the area’s gastronomy justifies a full expedition (more about that later).

We were parked up in Camping San Jorge on the western edge of the city and the 15 minute walk to the medieval quarter took us through Parque Miguel Servet (a 100 year old green zone with ponds, a wide variety of trees, bandstand, origami statue and, not forgetting, Snow White’s House) and then on across the Plaza de Navarra (with it’s 1885 Fountain of the Muses and impressive Circle Oscense or Casino Building) and into the old town via the Calle de Galicia.

The biggest surprise in the park is what is known as Snow White’s House. It is actually a reproduction of the Seven Dwarves’ Cottage in the Walt Disney movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (sic). I read that it contains a library but we didn’t look.

*The Modernist ‘Casino’ on Navarra Square*

Right on the edge of the Medieval Quarter is Plaza Luis López Allúe. Once known as the Market Square and now regarded as the Plaza Mayor, this square is home to the city’s tourist office. The tourist office was open but otherwise, the Plaza was empty but that’s to be expected in Spain during the afternoon. It would be different when I returned in the evening, when it is cooler, with Vanya and our dogs.

The tourist office recommended my visiting the Medieval Quarter to view some of it’s many impressive ecclesiastical buildings. I started with the Cathedral and the adjoining Episcopal Palace (which has been used as a museum of sacred art and artifacts since 1945) and then moved on to the Monastery and Cloisters of San Pedro el Viejo (the ticket I bought allowed access to both) before finishing the afternoon at the Basilica of San Lorenzo while on my way back to collect Vanya and the dogs from our Van.

Ths 13th century Holy Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord, also known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria, was built in the Gothic style on the site of what was first a Roman temple, then a Visigoth church and finally a Moorish mosque. In fact, the mosque was used as a catholic church for almost 200 years after the Moors were evicted from Aragon and surrounding areas.

The cathedral was finished in 1515 and has since been carefully restored to something approaching it’s original glory except that a particularly imposing spire which crowned the bell tower was accidently destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and has not been replaced. The tower is now left with a flat roof. I was in the cathedral for a fair time. The museum and contents are captivating, as are most of the cathedral’s 14 chapels but, it is the open bell tower which I found most interesting. The views over Huesca City and towards the Pyrenees are fascinating.

Directly opposite the Episcopal Palace on the Plaza de Catedral is another impressive building, an old 16th century renaissance palace with two towers. This building is currently shared by Huesca Ayuntamiento (the Huesca City Council) and the Colegio de Santiago which once belonged to the old University of Huesca. The building is open to tourists every weekday morning but it was closed by the time I had finished in the cathedral and I therefore made my way to the what must be Huesca’s oldest building, the Monastery San Pedro el Viejo.

*The first of 180 steps up the Belltower*

Just yards from the tourist office and easily identified by it’s hexagonal tower, the Abbey of San Pedro el Viejo is one of the oldest ecclesiastical buildings in Spain. It is believed to have existed in the time of the Visigoths although much of the present building and certainly all of the cloisters formed part of a 12th century Benedictine Monastery. The cloisters are as pretty as they come and the monastery’s former chapter room is now a chapel containing the tombs of King Alfonso ‘the Battler’ and his younger brother (and successor) King Ramiro II ‘the Monk’.

Alfonso, King of Aragon & Navarra between 1104 and 1134, was obsessed with war. He fought alongside his elder brother, Peter I, at the Battle of Alcoraz (when Aragon was retaken from the Moors) and accompanied El Cid, during his expeditions in Valencia but; it was later, after winning 29 battles against both Christian and Moorish armies that he earned his nickname ‘The Battler’. Alfonso died childless after suffering wounds in yet another battle and his younger brother, Ramiro,was pressed by Aragonese nobility to take the crown. King Ramiro II earned his soubriquet ‘The Monk’ without quite the same fuss (although his time as king was perhaps no less tumultuous). When pressed to become king, he was already a monk. Indeed, he was the abbot of a Benedictine monastery but; he did as was expected of him; he married; he produced an heir (a daughter, Petronilla); he married his daughter off to King Ramon Berenguer IV (who would in due course unite the kingdoms of Aragon and Barcelona or produce an heir who could do the same) and; he returned to a monastery to live out his days. Interesting times.

It was almost time for me to collect Vanya and the dogs. There was just enough time to visit the Basilica of San Lorenzo on my way back to the campsite. This route also gave me the opportunity to find an ATM and somewhere to eat in the evening.

The 17th century Basilica of San Lorenzo was closed by the time I arrived. I can’t therefore tell you much about the place other than that San Lorenzo is known in the UK as Saint Lawrence/Laurence and that he was born in Huesca City and is the Region’s patron Saint. That’s it except that he died a nasty death some time in the 3rd centuy during a purge by the Roman Emperor Valerian.

Some street art caught my eye while I was wandering Huesca City. I immediately recognised the Buster Keaton piece but I had never heard of Ramon Acin. I learned subsequently thathr was an artist, teacher, writer and anarchist who, together with his wife, was amongst the first Republicans to be executed by the Nationalists as the Spanish Civil War began.

Huesca is famous for it’s gastronomy and that evening, after showing Vanya some of the principal sights in the town, we started to look for somewhere suitable to eat and drink.

Typical dishes of the province include Huescan Garlic Soup, Las Migas a la Pastora de Aragon (breadcrumbs with meat & sausage), Chicken Chilindrón (a chicken stew with peppers & tomatoes), Cordero a la Pastora (a lamb casserole) and Ternasco Asado (roasted Aragon lamb) but these are all hearty dishes better suited to winter or for enjoying up in the mountains where it is generally cooler. Fortunately, Huesca City is also famous for it’s tapas and raciones. Indeed, Huesca is home to “Tatau, a modern tapas bar in the centre of the city which currently holds a Michelin Star. We were unable to secure a table at Tatau and settled at a table outside a lively tapas bar just off of the Calle de San Orencio in the San Lorenzo neighbourhood.

The place looked to be completely full as we arrived and with Nala in her “walking wheels” we weren’t sure we would get a table but the staff and various customers all cheerfully collaborated to clear a space for us at the front of the restaurant. The welcome we received was wonderful and the food surpassed all expectations with my favourite dish being a sensational Pulpo a Feira.

We ordered far too much food and each tapas was far bigger than expected (and they weren’t silly prices either) but we stuffed ourselves silly and did the food proud. I reproduce below the three dishes we most enjoyed but there were many more:-

The first was an Iberian Sirloin Steak with baked apple, goat cheese, port wine and a strawberry sauce. The second is something Vanya ordered and thoroughly enjoyed, a Prawn and Squid Risotto. The third was my absolute favourite. All of the seafood was good but the Pulpo a Feira (octopus) was something else.

We had a wonderful time and we look forward to returning to Huesca City.

Mendigorria (Navarra), Spain June 2024 (Tour 9)

We were heading for Huesca City in Aragon but on the way decided to overnight at Mendigorria on the banks of the River Arga in Navarra. The campsite there (Camping Errota – El Molino) has everything you would expect of a four star resort (including a climbing wall, squash court and mini golf course to say nothing of it’s two swimming pools and restaurant bar). I went for a swim in one of the pools but it was seriously cold and, understandably, Vanya did not want to know.

The village of Mendigorria is visible from the campsite and I took the time to have a wander around the village but, it is a quiet little place of less than 1,200 people and it didn’t take long because, leaving aside the views from the promenade at the top of the village and the ruins of the Roman city of Andelos, there is next to nothing to see or do (and, frankly, even Andelos offers little of interest – only a footprint of the town remains).

I passed three churches in the town, all of which were locked shut, and one bar which was also closed (but which in any event and, unusually for Spain, didn’t allow dogs). We’d eat in the camp restaurant that evening.

No, Mendigorria proved a disappointment but, hey, Huesca City would more than make up for that.

Haro (La Rioja), Spain June 2024 (Tour 9)

This was our fourth time in Haro. It is one of Vanya’s favourite places in Spain. I’ve always been rather ambivalent about the town but I thoroughly enjoyed this visit – I am definitely warming to the place. It isn’t very large (just 12,000 people) but there is a real energy about it.

After settling in at Campingred de Haro (I think Campingred may have taken this site over quite recently) we made our way up to the centro historico and the Plaza de la Paz. We thought to secure a table in one of the old town pinchos bars and watch Spain play Croatia in their opening game of the UEFA European Championship finals.

Imagine our surprise when upon arrival in the square at about 7pm we found some kind of festival in full swing. We had arrived in time for the Haro Civil War Festival with three brass bands competing to see who could play the loudest and longest and attract the most dancers. Honestly, the town was more interested in the band war than the national football team’s opening game. As the evening progressed and increasing numbers of people arrived to enjoy the festival, the town became louder and more rambunctious with everybody enjoying the revelry (or should I say rivalry?) but; for all that the place was never threatening – everybody remained in good humour as they drank, danced and followed the bands as they weaved their raucous way around the old town.

Needless to say, we had a late night. We managed to eat a little and drink a lot and we even managed to catch a few minutes of the football. Spain won 3-0 but very few of the locals in Haro seemed to care.

I was up early the next morning. It was a Sunday. I knew it was Sunday because the local Mercadona (the nearest you will get to a Waitrose in Spain) was closed but; no matter, I required only bread and milk (easily available in Haro even on a Sunday morning) and I was left with sufficient time to revisit the Basilica de Nuestra de la Vega just the other side of the Vega Gardens. I took few photos during this visit (see the blog posted during Tour 7 if it’s photos you want). It was enough just to sit for a moment and enjoy the peace and splendour of this magnificent church.

After a late breakfast we spent what remained of the day down at the Barrio de la Estacion. This part of Haro is where many of the larger Bodegas are located. It is named after it’s railway station which was built in the late 19th century to connect Haro with the Bordeaux wine trade. I should explain that in the late 18th century French vineyards were devastated by a phylloxera epidemic and looked to La Rioja to supply wine. Haro rose to the occasion with the bodegas in the barrio being built not long after.

We started at Bodega Balbainas, that’s Vanya’s favourite, because of their sparkling white wine (Lumen). Bodega Balbainas were the first to establish themselves in the Barrio de la Estacion and first to produce sparkling wine in the whole of La Rioja (that was in 1913). It came as no surprise therefore to learn they are also the biggest wine producer in Haro with 250 hectares of vineyards.

Most of our time that day, however, was spent in my favourite bodega in Haro, the Muga. They produce some good white wines (there is absolutely nothing wrong with white Rioja) but it is their reds I favour most, particularly their Seleccion Especiale. It costs a little more but it is truly excellent. We spent a great afternoon on the Muga courtyard nibbling away at the local cheeses and sampling some fine wines. Vanya might well favour Balbainas over the Muga but, going forward, she’ll be more than happy at the thought of another such afternoon at Muga.

That night, still very tipsy, we made our way back to a bar on the Plaza de la Paz to watch another football match. This time it was England’s first game in the finals of the European Championships and they were drawn to play Serbia. Thank goodness for the wine because it was an awful game which England only narrowly won (1-0). Still, with the other two teams in their group drawing, they are currently top the group.

We would have liked to stay on in Haro not least because on June 29 the town holds it’s annual wine fight against the neighbouring town of Miranda de Ebro but, sadly, we have to be back in the UK by 1 July. I posted some detail of the wine battle on this website during an earlier visit to Haro (see Tour 6) but, in a nutshell, all those wishing to participate in the event dress completely in white except for a red sash and then throw buckets of red wine at the opposition (although you can also drink the wine). The wine is provided free by the local bodegas in a number of lorries which each contain as much as 20,000 litres of wine. As the song by Hot Chocolate goes – Everyone is a winner, baby!

Not sure where our next stop will be. We’ll find out tomorrow.

Vega de Espinareda (Castile y Leon), Spain June 2024 (Tour 9)

Within a couple of hours of driving from Monforte de Lemos we arrived at our overnight stop (Camping Rivera del Cua) in the village of Vega de Espinareda.

Vega de Espinareda is a small village of some 2,000 inhabitants in the Province of Leon in the Region of Castile y Leon. There is very little of interest to see or do either in or around the village but I wasn’t too bothered about that because it had been a long day given the drive from Oia and our stop at Monforte de Lemos. I was happy to go for a brief wander, buy some essential foodstuffs from the local store and then head back to the Van chill over a glass of wine or two.

The only building of any significance is across the river on the other side of the village. It was once a Benedictine Monastery (the Monastario de San Andres) and it looks to have been deserted for some considerable time (as has the school just behind it). Both buildings have been vandalised. There are signs up on the monastery which suggest that the local junta is awaiting funds from the EEC with which to renovate the building and I have since seen a video on Youtube (made 3 years ago) which supports this suggestion but, nothing positive seems to have been done.

I’ve not been able to find out much else about the monastery other than (i) it was once a very prosperous concern and; (ii) this building is a third reconstruction dating from 1780 (the first having been built as long ago as the 9th century) and; (iii) the monastery complex included both a convent and a school (with the school closing in 1995). It is sad to see such an impressive complex falling into such disrepair.

The only other point off interest in the village is the old bridge over the river but I cannot tell you much about that either.

Haro tomorrow!!