Day 9: Picos de Europa (Fuente De) to Salamanca

This was my last day in the Picos de Europa mountains and too little time had been spent here. I decided to take a very early look at Fuente De from where it was possible to take a cable car to the top at Aliva.

 

The peak was hidden by cloud. From the bottom the car disappeared at about the half-way point. 

Inside the car a collapsible ladder was mounted on the ceiling, just below a hatch. It occured to me that this might be the escape route should all things mechanical decide to fail. I couldn't imagine having to climb up onto the roof in a howling winter gale to be airlifted by helicopter! I closed my mind to the possibility.

 

At the top was a cafe with superb views...of cloud. However things somewhat unexpectedly and quickly cleared...

 ...giving way to something of a lunar landscape.

 

There was a track running behind the mountain in a circuitous route back to the cable car terminal. However, time again pressing, I had a quick coffee in the inviting cafe and returned to base in the cable car.

From here I was heading south into the Mesetas! It had been pretty chilly in the mountains, between 5 and 12°C, and the thought of some July heat was enticing.

Over the Reserva de Fuentes Carrionas mountains was a winding, rough road undergoing metalling. This photo was my last farell to the Picos de Europa in the far distance.

After Cervera the road straightened out somewhat to Hererra de Pisuerga and thereafter it was a rather tedious motorway but one by which the miles were eaten up.

I decided at Valladolid to take a last minute detour and visit Coca where there was a historic castle.

 

It was built in the late fifteenth century by Don Alonso de Fonseca. Coca Castle along with Cuellar, Arevalo and Olmedo, formed a strategic square of much importance to Spain, and remains one of its most beautiful castles. It was fully completed in 1551 and remained untaken until the French under Napoleon in 1808. 

It was beginning to get pretty warm here, now registering 33°C.

I arrived late in Salamanca at C. Regio in Sta Maria de Tormes on the outskirts of the city after 293 miles.

What a day of contrasts!

Day 10: Salamanca and Caceres to Cordoba

It was good to be on the doorstep of Salamanca. I was parked on the edge of the old city by 8 am.

This, regrettably, had to be a fleeting visit. I was almost half-way through my tour and if I was to maintain a reasonable schedule I had to be near Gibraltar over the next 2 days. This meant a gargantuan effort today.

 

 

I couldn't spare much more time than seeing the beautiful Cathedral and Plaza Major and obtaining a new memory card for my camera which cost me £40 (available normally for £15 anywhere else)!

The next visit was to the Pena de Francia mountain and its monastery. Winding up past mountain goats...

  

...through and above cloud...

 

...to 1,732 meters...

...and its reclusive monastery and sanctuary.

 

The views were simply superb on this now clear day.

Next the Sanctuario de Monfrague just the other side of Plasencia! Looking down onto the Embalse de Alcantara where I had stopped for a brief sunbathe and snack, a little earlier, and snapped an eagle.

Numerous vultures soared along this mountain ridge in search of their next meal.

Then onto Caceres

Storks nested precariously on the sides of the bell towers of the Jesuit church (the white building)

And finally to Cordoba. The roads in Extramadura were patched and generally potholed and grubby, but you quickly became accustomed to it. However the instant your front tyres moved onto Andalucian territory, the roads become perfectly black and perfectly smooth. There is great competition between the regions and also great differences in their wealth and how that's manifest. 

I spotted the first UK registered car since passing Santander on this stretch of road. A flash of my hazard warning lights and a responding flash of their headlights, as I overtook, cemented national unity!

I skirted round the City as the sun was setting. I just wanted a place to sleep now! I found a site at La Carlota, 10 miles to the south, pitched and disappeared straight into my sleeping bag!

429 gruelling miles, the most arduous yet, but it had to be done. Gibraltar was on the cards for tomorrow!

Day 11: Cordoba to Gibraltar

I contemplated returning to Cordoba but, to be honest, I was so deterred by what I saw of the extensive, sprawling commercial development leading into the City, as I drove past last night, that I decided not to bother.

I was now looking forward to having a few days break at my mid-way point and soaking up some sunshine.

Ronda was a pretty town but parking was impossible so I continued on through. The Serrania de Ronda was lovely.

 

There was a notable character to this part of Spain with a random patchwork of olive groves, grazing and wheatfields. Andalucia was also interspersed by isolated 'cortijos', or farms, very much of a similar layout. Many of them were derelict and my restoration mentality started to play mind games with me! How much were they? What would be the restoration costs? Could I live there? Could I get broadband installed there?! 

 

There were pretty white-washed villages whose incomes were derived from their local surrounding agriculture.

 

And at last Gibraltar!

I continued past Gib in search of a base. I drove through Tarifa, a gateway to Morocco, and just before Torre came across C. Rio Jara.

I parked the car and had a wander round the very well cared for and shaded site. I spotted a single UK registered car and walked up and spoke to a bubbly blonde lady. She lived in Marbella and came here regularly to 'escape' apparently. She also divulged that she was due to appear on 'Come Dine With Me' being aired on UK TV in August. Upon my return, in fact the last Friday in August, lo and behold appeared the very same Mekala Hodgson doing her stuff! And she won!

I decided to stay here and enjoyed being within (and reminded of it) just 15km of Africa for 3 nights!

199 miles clocked today.

Day 12: Gibraltar

I woke up surrounded by the decadent aromas of hashish and mint tea! Well, not quite, but the area was very arabic!

I'd pitched my larger tent as I was 'in residence' over 3 nights. It was a Cabela XWT Tent:

(Cabela ad)

I'd bought and shipped it from the States in 2009. It's very comfortable and, as the name suggests, an extreme weather tent designed for use in the North American wilderness. I camp throughout the seasons so it was going to get a good deal of use.

I wandered over and crossed the bridge onto the expansive beach:

Morocco was visible across the Straits of Gibraltar through the mist:

 And the beach seemed to go on for miles.

Today was going to be an easy day with a visit to the Rock. I had been to Tangier twice before, once in 1969 and the other as part of our honeymoon so I didn't feel too compelled to go there again.

General Franco closed the gates between Spain and Gibraltar in 1969, after the Gibraltarians had held a referendum and voted to remain under British sovereignty. All the Spanish workers were pulled out and many Moroccans (and I) moved in to fill the void. I'd left school and wanted to spread my wings a little, and Gib was a good prospect for obtaining casual work for a few months. I'd not been back since then and looked forward to reminisce and visit some old but familiar places.

In that summer I took on a job as a lorry driver, after taking and passing my Gib commercial drivers' licence, collecting goods from the docks off the lighters and delivering them to various businesses around the Rock, including all the materials necessary to build a block of flats (remember nothing could come in by road at that time). I had several Moroccan labourers attached to my lorry who did the manual labour. I just drove and sunbathed on the cab roof and got paid for it. What more could a schoolboy want?!

Gib is probably more British than Britain is today. It maintains its exacting traditional heritage with so much pride, from the red telephone and pillar boxes to the traditional British 'bobby'.

 

The history of the Grand Casemate Gates and the square behind, go back to the Moors in 1160 and their intended conquest of Gibraltar. It's one of the main accesses into the old town of Gibraltar and Main Street.

Just to the right of this Gate was the Food Market (now a Public Market). It was possible then to buy a piece of juicy steak from one of the many butchers there, take it to the cafe at the entrance, and they would cook the steak to your preference, add chips, mushrooms and whatever else you wanted just for a few pence!

Turnbull's Lane leads off Main street to what was 'Smokey Joe's'!

 

'Smokey Joe's' was where I also ate regularly. It was very inexpensive and provided very good quality food, with 'Arroz con Pollo' being one of my favourites! It was taken over by a Moroccan family in 1970 and has remained in their hands ever since. Nothing has changed over all that time!

This is Governor House:

and the Alameda Gardens:

and the Caleta Hotel in Catalan Bay (that stood completely alone then):

At the far end of this photo the road disappears into a single lane tunnel (now one way from the other direction). I recall, in 1969, that a couple of us drivers  had delivered our loads around what was then called the Caleta Palace Hotel area. We decided to race for the tunnel! I'm not sure who won but I do remember being scared! I heard that a lorry had crashed a few months before doing the very same thing to the demise of the driver. But boys will be boys!

This used to be the old dockland area where the lighters were offloaded of their goods and where I used to work. It's now a very smart Marina surrounded by apartments.

It was here I got into an argument with a Spanish worker over the politics of Gibraltar and Ceuta (Spanish Morocco) and he drew a knife on me...then put it away again I'm pleased to say!

Much of 'new' Gibraltar is just to the other side of this area and is built on many acres of now reclaimed land.

That, for me, was a wonderful day with many reminisences. These 'big' events that occur in your teens remain with you. Flying alone to Gib on spec was quite a big deal for me at that time, bearing in mind that every one of my 5 school mates who was going to come with me backed out at the last minute.

67 miles only today.