2024 Spain Part 6
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- Fri 9th FebIt had to happen. Last night the wind blew up, clouds rolled in, and it started raining. Drove to Alharma de Grenada through rain this morning.
Attractions here, a medieval hospital, and two churches. The guide said closed in the afternoons, but we went for a walk to them anyway. Very steep. When we return, Brighton hills will seem like gentle slopes!
As expected, they were all closed, and we were wet.
Later, I explored a dramatic looking walk up a gorge – the town is built on the hillside above this gorge. The path led, very precipitately, up into the town, and the more interesting sounding church was open – I think they were preparing for an event. A painted dome in the church was very highly recommended. Unfortunately, it was terribly badly damaged by water ingress, at least a third of it was missing, and the rest in a poor state. It would have been very worthwhile undamaged. - Sat 10th Feb
We walked forever up to the town this morning, everything closed.
A narrow road, much more attractive than tarmac.
I walked back along the gorge path, camera in hand.
Houses looking perilously close to the edge.
Drove to Loja, and got into a real mess in narrow steep roads chocked with traffic. And, hit a parked car’s wing mirror. Much honking, I stopped, causing even greater chaos, cacophony getting louder, so moved on. Left a mark on the side of the M\H, which I was able to subsequently rub off. No damage to us, I think the wing mirror lost.
The Alcazaba opens at 4.00pm, so we waited until a bit before, and clambered up steep streets again, via two churches – closed- and up to the Alcazaba, open at 4.00pm, closed. Very firmly locked closed.
As she toiled up, Sue said she didn’t want to go to any more castles, they are too up, not interesting enough, and too often closed.
She does have a point. - Sun 11th FebDefinitely not the day we had planned!
Last night, I noticed one tyre was soft. I attempted to pump it up with my new tyre pump, a rechargeable device that worked well when I used it before leaving Brighton. However, I hadn’t recharged it, and the battery ran down before bringing the tyre up to pressure. I recharged it overnight.
This morning the tyre was completely flat. Phoned the breakdown insurers, and a couple of hours later, after receiving a phone call in Spanish, and a far more useful text message, a guy in a flatbed lorry arrived. Fortunately, an English guy parked two vehicles away from us is fluent in Spanish, and was able to interpret for us. The upshot is that, being Spain, nothing happens on Sundays, so we will be contacted in the morning.
If it had to happen, could have been far worse, we are parked up in an Aire, walking distance to the town, and completely self contained.
To complete an annoying day, it started raining at 2.00pm. Hope things sorted tomorrow………. - Mon 12th FebA man in a van turned up at about 9.30, with a trolley jack, axle stand and a wheel brace. Just what was needed. Off he went with the offending wheel, and returned about two hours later, to replace the wheel. Apparently a faulty valve. That’s a relief, no problems about replacing the tyre.
As our foray out of Loja is a hopefully scenic drive to a prehistoric sight, the weather really isn’t favourable, forecast for tomorrow much better, so we decided to stay here another night.
The only problem, our leisure battery is low, and there isn’t enough sun on our PV to charge it, although as I write this the sun has come out. Looking at the sky, I don’t think it will last. - Tue 13th Feb
We were both underwhelmed!
Returned along our difficult track, and set the SatNav to our next destination, Ecija.
This took us back to Loja. We could see the motorway running way above the town, and knew there is a junction up there somewhere, but SatNav was unable to find a way up there without going the wrong way up a one way street, that was about two feet narrower than we were. After some difficulty, extracted ourselves from the maze of narrow one way streets, and off the steep hillside that is Loja. Found somewhere to pull over, and decided only option we could see, studying the map, was to go about 10 miles the wrong way, to previous motorway junction. Bit laborious, but that worked.
The wing mirrors of Loja are now safe!
Finally made it to Ecija about lunchtime.
Ecija is flat!
Finding about Ecija was something of an accident. Our 1999 guide book tells us that the Palacio de Penaflor in Guadix is under restoration, so I looked up the palacio, and not only is it open, but if is in Ecija! Relocated? So I ended up looking at Ecija attractions, and it really does look a nice place well worth visiting.
(Guadix is 175 kms from here…)
Found there are many Palacios in Ecija, and one of them, Palacio de Santaella, was open from 1400hrs to 2100 hours. Very un-Spanish. So, we set off, and yes, it was open, we went in, and the man in the reception area told us, no it is not open. He turned out to be a really nice person, limited but sufficient English, (for which he kept apologising), and allowed us to look round. An astonishing staircase and cupola.
A covered courtyard, it turned out that the building was the clubhouse for the tennis club.
All nicely laid out for dinner. Unfortunately, we were not invited.
Our next stop, after the helpful lady in the TIC, was the relocated Palacio de Penaflor. - Palacio de Penaflor
Early afternoon it was open. The reception man, after relieving us of the princely sum of €4.00, explained that the last Marchainesse died in 1958, and left the Palacio to the town. It was used as a store, and then fell into disuse. It is now gradually being restored. Most of it we couldn’t go into, but the bit we could was magnificent.
The stables. Not up to the dome, former stables at the Brighton pavilion, but still fine.
A cupola above the stairway.
A decorative doorway, unfortunately could not explore through the door….
An alarmingly narrow and difficult stairway led to the top of a tower, with fine views.
A church tower – hopefully can go in the church tomorrow.
View over the town.
The entrance to the Palacio.
Another, unknown, building we happened upon. This is an astonishingly attractive town, with, it seems, so much to offer.
- Wed 14th Feb
First stop, Palacio de Justicia.
The outside.
The entrance vestibule
No history to this, but the outside is definitely post the conquest of the moors, the inside clearly moorish. Although a working building of the justice department, we were welcomed into the very fine inside.
- Palacio de BenameniNow the home of the City Museum of History.
The imposing entrance.
The courtyard.
The stables.
The interior rooms were sanitised for the museum displays, from Stone Age to the Romans. I will be back tomorrow, whilst Sue has an online BEC meeting. According to the forecast, in the rain.
- Iglesia de los DescalzosDecorated on every surface.
I did like the wonderful “flying trumpets” on the organ.
- Muses Casa Palacio de los PalmaWe turned up to a very locked gate, although the information board, in agreement with Google, indicated it should be open, and quoted the entrance fee as €3.00 each. A person sweeping the yard inside the gate called to another person, who came to the gate, speaking in Spanish, and didn’t speak English. After some gesticulating, he unlocked the gate, and proceeded to take us on a guided tour, speaking in Spanish, and miming as we went. We sort of got the idea! Was originally attached to the (now ruined) convent next door, then had some sort of military function, and now used as a wedding venue. Our enthusiastic guide insisted on showing us wedding photos taken in the Palacio, with an enormously long train descending down a flight of about 20 stairs.
In the upper floor, the rooms were above a central courtyard, and contained a lot of furniture and artefacts. A few photos grabbed rather hurriedly on our tour.
Our guide seemed very keen on this ceiling.
And, this is our guide.
It was certainly a different experience! This is the sort of thing we have encountered before, everyone very friendly, doing their utmost to be helpful.
It would have been nice to have spent longer in there, but very pleased we were able to go round, and a very interesting, if at times rather difficult, experience.
- Thu 15th FebSue had her meeting today; I went for a walk round town.
The most notable thing that happened today was a thunderstorm this afternoon. Followed by another thunderstorm this evening. Or maybe the first one returning.
I was very lucky not to get a soaking this morning. - Fri 16th FebSet off for Cordoba, encountered some thick mist just outside Ecija, thankfully didn’t last, and had a mostly sunny warm day. Arrived around 11.00 am, to our most expensive site yet (€23.00 per 24 hours, charged by the minute), but an easy walk into Cordoba Centro historico. And, a couple of minutes walk from that Spanish rarity, a bio shop. Which was chaotic, and not very good.
After lunch, to the Mezquita Catedral, a huge Moorish palace converted to a Christian church after the conquest. A real juxtaposition of styles. (And, of course, values).
My attempt to photo the scale of the place.
And on and on. The cathedral built on top of moorish columns.
A crypt between the columns.
The central dome of the cathedral.
The old cathedral clock, built in 1747.
A wooden carved and painted ceiling panel.
A truly fantastic place.
- CordobaA water wheel, on the river that runs through Cordoba.
Now, it seems, a desirable resting place for cats.
- CordobaA water wheel, on the river that runs through Cordoba.
Now, it seems, a desirable resting place for cats.
- Sat 17th Feb
Bad start to the day. Tried to catch a bus, to see the Palacio Marquis de Viana. Dog not allowed, although in my backpack frontpack. Spanish laws for dogs are not followed, a recent change to the law allows dogs in shops, restaurants and transport. So, we aborted that (and, in fact, the websites don’t give anything away, no idea if it was worth going to). Went round the Jewish quarter of Cordoba, narrow passages, to the synagogue.
Very small.
We were amused by this statue en route.
The narrow passages, easy to get lost.
Just round the corner from the synagogue is the Chapel of San Bartolome. In the Mudejar style. Apparently.
So, in this one city we have explored the artistic representations of the three great superstitions of western civilisation.
An attractive patio – there are many in Cordoba.
Being Saturday, and a glorious sunny day, everywhere was packed. I gave up trying to get a ticket for the tower at the cathedral, so we did the washing at a convenient launderette.
We wanted to travel north in the direction of Ciudad Real and Toledo, but not going that far today, so I found a not very appealing sounding stopover on Park4night. About 5 kms before we reached there, after driving up into steep hills and glorious scenery, we happened upon an apparently isolated car park adjacent to a basketball pitch, and two football pitches in an area described as Area Recreativa Los Villares. Shortly after stopping, half a dozen cars turned up, and the occupants proceeded to play football. Josie and I went for a walk, and found another, much larger and deserted car park, with a path signposted to a view point, so off we went. The view was down a heavily wooded valley, towards Cordoba 1200 feet below us. We then went further, and on a steep hillside, doted with picnic tables and BBQ’s, loads of people were picnicking. So much for our deserted spot!
On writing this after sunset, it is very dark, everyone has gone, except for possibly some people in a tent at the other end of the car park.