Guadalupe via Alcoba ......................May 2023
The roads to Alcoba were just what I like about driving in rural Spain some straight, some dusty and winding. Alcoba is a small village in the municipality located in the province of Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, it has a population of less than 650. We chose to stay here for our over night stop, we played some Petanque, ate, drank some wine and watched the sunset all on our own in this 20+ space Aire. Only interrupted by many children (around 30) going into the local swimming pool with parents, they giggled and waved at us through the wire fence that surrounds the Aire.
We had a very peaceful night and the next morning we set off for Guadalupe with spectacular views around every corner, we stopped for lunch with superb views across Embalse de la Serena, it is the second largest pocket of water in the Iberian Peninsula and the third in Europe. Completed in 1989, but started in the mid-70s by Franco within the framework of the development plans of the Badajoz plan.
We also stopped off at Player de los Calicantos for a comfort break and to check out the Petanque pistes before moving on to Camping Las Villuercas situated in the valley just below Guadalupe viaduct for a couple of nights.
The next morning we walked the pathway that runs up under the viaduct into the town, where we spent the day exploring the buildings and pathways in the town and at lunch in the square we randomly sat next to a couple from the UK who were on a guided classic/modern sports car tour of which we have an interest, during lunch many of the cars came through the square looking for their hotel a good selection of Jags, Aston Martins, Lamborghini and Ferrari. Sue visited the The shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, It has one of three Black Madonnas in Spain. The statue was canonically crowned on 12 October 1928 by Pope Pius XI with a crown designed and crafted by Father Felix Granda, and crowned in the presence of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, whilst I watched an overhead display from the Spanish air force practicing in the mountains around the area.
Onwards to Park Nacional de Monfrague..................................................................to be continued.
We had a very peaceful night and the next morning we set off for Guadalupe with spectacular views around every corner, we stopped for lunch with superb views across Embalse de la Serena, it is the second largest pocket of water in the Iberian Peninsula and the third in Europe. Completed in 1989, but started in the mid-70s by Franco within the framework of the development plans of the Badajoz plan.
We also stopped off at Player de los Calicantos for a comfort break and to check out the Petanque pistes before moving on to Camping Las Villuercas situated in the valley just below Guadalupe viaduct for a couple of nights.
The next morning we walked the pathway that runs up under the viaduct into the town, where we spent the day exploring the buildings and pathways in the town and at lunch in the square we randomly sat next to a couple from the UK who were on a guided classic/modern sports car tour of which we have an interest, during lunch many of the cars came through the square looking for their hotel a good selection of Jags, Aston Martins, Lamborghini and Ferrari. Sue visited the The shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, It has one of three Black Madonnas in Spain. The statue was canonically crowned on 12 October 1928 by Pope Pius XI with a crown designed and crafted by Father Felix Granda, and crowned in the presence of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, whilst I watched an overhead display from the Spanish air force practicing in the mountains around the area.
Onwards to Park Nacional de Monfrague..................................................................to be continued.
- Next page: Monfrague................May 2023
- Previous page: Aranjuez............May 2023
