Along roads you don't plan - Part 7
This is part 7 of a travel story from one of our customers. They were on the road for two months with the Outbase ID. Buzz through Portugal.
Crossing the border into Spain - silence, crickets and ham
After a last pastel de nata in Guarda, we cross the border. Spain feels vaster, quieter. In the Sierra de Francia, we camp among croaking frogs and tinkling cow bells. Miranda del Castañar surprises us with city walls, an old castle and a bullring. We buy jam, tomatoes and bellota ham.
Lunch by the river with linen tablecloth, a gently flowing stream and sunlight - simple, perfect.
In Mogarraz, where hundreds of large painted portraits of 1967 residents hang on the facades, we walk a 12-kilometer trail. Views, silence, snow-capped peaks. Then coffee, a chat, and on to Peña de Francia and La Alberca - full of life and stories.
Sotoserrano treats us to a walk along old orchards. The weather turns; thunder rumbles in the distance. Back at the Buzz, we share a beer with former British sheep farmers. They too are fleeing the bad weather, heading for Toledo.
Toledo and Cuenca - culture, processions and Easter bells
In Toledo, we park by the Tagus River and wander the old town until late. A drizzly evening walk brings us to a cozy vermouth bar. Another wild camping night overlooking historic sites.
The morning begins with Colombian coffee. Semana Santa casts its shadow: olive branches, drums, fanfares. Something old from my childhood wakes up - I feel wistful.
We arrive in Cuenca and see a concert poster that catches our attention - and decide to stay. The cathedral, monasteries, hanging houses: breathtaking. Unfortunately, the concert by The Tallis Scholars, famous for their Renaissance music, is sold out.
Palm Sunday - procession, music and emotion
On Palm Sunday, we walk into town early. The procession is already in full swing. Sunlight, sacred fanfare music, solemn marching. Large statues of Jesus on a donkey and of Mary are carried by brotherhoods. For this one, special moment, the sisters open their convent and sing a song - moving in its simplicity.
Wine and mountains - wine, wild goats and silence
We leave Cuenca and drive to Bodega Neleman. Along a narrow dirt road in Hoces del Cabriel, we see wild goats, hardly impressed with us.
At the bodega we meet other VW RVers and park among lavender and vines. That evening we seek out the café for jubilados (a wonderful Spanish word for retirees) - closed. The morning brings sunshine, silence, an opportunity to buy wine and hear stories.
Via Valencia, we moved on to Finca Isabel, an old olive farm overlooking the sea. A gentle breeze, tranquility all around. We bike to l'Ampolla, eat paella, explore the Delta de l'Ebre and learn how rice is grown. On the way back, we cycle through a landscape of carob trees.
In Tortosa, Good Friday brings silence, but the bakery offers wonderful Easter bread for our next destination. We follow the Ebro upstream, stopping in Miravet, and the Pyrenees begin to rise before us.