Skip to main content

"A bit of nice taking"

With the regulator obtained we looked on the map in order to see where we were and where to go next. Of course, it being Spain, there were endless possibilities and lo and behold we were on the edge of more Sierras. The coast directly to our east was Alicante / Murcia and running NE/SW forming part of the Cordilleras Beticas, are ranges of mountains within the Parque Natural de Cazorla Segura. We went to Cazorla town and to a Dutch run campsite, Camping San Isicio.




Cazorla is set under huge crags that rise vertically immediately behind the town which somehow clings to the side of the mountain. The tops were shrouded in mist but the town was white under a cloudy but bright sky. At least we haven't had rain but with shade temperatures only just hitting 20C it isn't exactly summer weather.



So we fully immersed ourselves in Cazorla's weekend. Starting with Saturday morning coffee and Churros and a walk around the narrow streets. When I say narrow I mean narrow. Many are single file with traffic lights controlling the vehicles but as they come past you have to stand in someone's doorway to avoid being knocked by a wing mirror.



Someone set up a small promotional stall selling cherries. YIPPEE!! We were first in the queue "but they are 2Kg trays" 😲 What to do? We asked the lady in good old hand signals if we could buy half and if she'd been sitting on a stool she would have fallen off it laughing. At just €5 for the tray we were persuaded that it would be better to buy a full one and anyway there was a big queue forming behind us. I doubt they wanted half trays. "A bit of nice taking" is what Arthur Barnsley would say!



Later we joined the evening walkabout and finally experienced Tapas. It's quite usual to sit down at at table in the evening, order a beer and be presented with a serving of Tapas. It seems such a nice way to eat in the evening. Having (maybe) had the full lunch experience which can last from 2 till 4pm, what better way to eat before sleeping than a few small servings. Of course none of this happens much before 9pm anyway. The kids are all out too, running around, playing in the fountains, throwing balls. It's an altogether nice town centre experience.







Comments

Rachel said…
This looks amazing....!
Mark M. said…
Cherries!!
Mediterranean fruit is just so good.
Unknown said…
Those churros look good! What a good town to visit. We were told Granada was the only free tapas.
Tim said…
It’s Granada the province rather than just in the city.
Unknown said…
...is Dawn dipping churros into her coffee?! Where's the chocolate and salted caramel?!

Popular posts from this blog

Potes and environs

Potes is a bustling town that’s clearly ‘in the mountains’ but isn’t quite a mountain town. Well that was what we thought until we went for a walk. More on that later. First we got to know the site ( Camping La Viorna ) and the neighbours. After the squeeze of the first night near the pool, we were upgraded to a pitch at the end of the lowest terrace which had a superb view of the eastern massive of the Picos. So although this was still a squeeze pitch, somehow we felt good about it. The ‘squeeze’ happened later in the day. ☺️ Happily our immediate neighbours were quiet Dutchland people who like to eat their tea early and retire in good time. They always enjoy taking to us Brits, rather than those Germans and soon I was engaged because I was asked a question. “Why do you have a UK flag on your number plate, rather than a Welsh Scottish or English flag?”. Tricky! I explained that England isn’t a country like Wales or Scotland. They have their own  parliaments and make rules for them...

First views of the Picos

 Santillana del Mar comes as a surprise to those of us that haven’t done the prep and read about this place. Fancy having planning controls going back to the 16C. when you have such amazing stone buildings. This town is a tourist town certainly but it’s thoroughly deserved. Beautiful sturdy Cotswold stone coloured buildings are everywhere. The stone quoins, lintols and supports are impressive but there’s plenty of substantial hefty cross sections of wood too. We wander the streets, looking at the wares aimed at us tourists but encounter cascades of water from the roof tiles. It’s raining and there are no gutters! The bar is welcoming and we cleverly order dos caƱas de cerveza  having learnt this glass size from a bartender in Tenerife. We are rewarded with a plate of crisps too and settle on the bar stools, wondering whether to eat here. Unfortunately we discuss this for too long and the tables fill and we are left on the bar stools until we decide to wander again. Inside...

Lago del Valle

Continuing the walking theme, the next day we drove up another of the five valleys that connect with Pola de Somiedo, to get to a suitable start point. This was just below the last hamlet, Outeiro which is at the end of the tarmac. The intention was to walk from there, up to the corrie / cwm of Lago del Valle. The snag of the day was that as we set off to drive the narrow steep road up the gorge from the campsite, we immediately caught up with a full size concrete lorry, This was making its way to that last village and el driver was  not in a mood to pull over. So we had time to look at the gorge-that-becomes-a-high-valley. It’s hard to describe these landscapes. They are severe, incredibly scenic, remote and completely unspoilt. They are also so near the ferry ports of the coast that only £800 separates them from more campervan travellers from Great Britain (& Northern Island). We started the walk and soon saw the concrete which had already been dropped for the pad of a build...