OK. So leaving Tordasillas, we were a little reluctant to stop in a rest area for a coffee! Can’t imagine why! So the trip to Caceres was speedy with just one short break during which we took turns with the AK47 patrolling the no-go zone which extended to a radius of some 50 metres around our property! Sadly, everyone looked suspicious – even the family having a massive picnic at the far end of the car park!
Half way we decided to change target campsite and travel a further 50 km to Caceres. We ended up parked immediately next to a very friendly English couple (I had to wtrite that in case they read this blog!). We met them on the last campsite – they just can’t get rid of us!
We even have our own, private bathroom and shower. And the water is really hot here.
We tried getting parked in town, but while it was easy, it was going to be a long walk with busy crowds in the old town. So we binned that plan and headed out across the plain to Malpartida de Caceres. (Sounds like it might be the “bad part” of the town!) (Actually, it just means “municipality of”.)
It’s clearly festival season hereabouts. The village was gearing up for a major party on Tuesday. We hear there will be loud music, much drinking and dancing all night. Could be worth a visit.
At a bar we met an English teacher. That is a Spanish, English language teacher. She actually explained what we were being served as tapas. That’s a first! Good beers too! There were groups of people wandering around in coordinated costumes. Obviously preparing themselves mentally for a night of debauchery on 1st March!
On the table next to us there was a group of young people dressed as Ukranian citizens. Apparently they bought the costumes a few years ago. But they were attracting a lot of interest. But the reason behind that was very sad. They said their automatic rifles had been added to their costume this year as a mark of their total lack of respect for Vlad the Invader!
We found a superb park a few kms south. It was covered in granite outcrops. We felt instantly at home. It’s a lot like Dartmoor, except the huge boulders are much more rounded, the ground is much drier, it’s MUCH easier to park, the walks are neatly marked, there are lots of art installations, there are storks everywhere, the place is much less populated and all the signs are in a foreign language. Apart from that, it’s almost identical!
Every stalk has a stork on top!
The next day we set out Eastwards about 45 km. We had found the delightfully, tranquil city of Tudjillo last time we were in the area. We hoped to find a quiet restaurant there to have Sunday lunch. Right! Who said festival season?
Glenda pointed out some safe-looking street parking, but I wanted to drive to the posh restaurant in the old town. For “old” read “warren-like area with extremely narrow and twisting lanes just wide enough for the car which wound their way between boulders and walls steeply up to the ancient fortified battlements of the citadel”. After half an hour of this game I gave up and retreated down the hill. We ended up parked where Glenda had suggested! Well, you have to try! And I managed not to come down any of the streets which morphed into narrow stepped alleyways! I think that alone deserves a beer!
We had coffees and subsequently a beer with a side of vegetable spring rolls in the first square we came to.
Again, the locals were really into their matching costumes!
Wandering back into the old town we found the square in which we had parked two years ago with three other local cars. This time the square was covered with an IKEA bull ring assembled from a flat-pack over the last few days.
And there were zillions of people. We watched some of the preliminary bull teasing from afar. Fairly distasteful even though no fatalities ensued, human or bovine.
Before leaving, we walked up to the church of Santa Maria and the castle at the top of the old town.
Last time we had been here was about five hours ago in the car!
On balance this day was a good one! The first warm day, safe navigation of the old town, no thieves, a good lunch and no dead bulls. The only “slight” problem was the total failure of the caravan’s water pump and the partial failure of the spare pump!
But that’s another story!
Stayed at that very same campsite many moons ago….it was all relatively new then. Lovely tapas in Spain too. Stay safe. X ❤️