An 800 year old Encina (Holm Oak)

The Encina la Terrona is a huge Holm oak tree a little distance from the village of Zarza de Montanchez. Last week we set off from Zarza on a country lane passing by the giant tree and continuing for another 5 kms along the old droving track until the village of Salvatierra de Santiago an ancient stop on the way to Santiago de Compostella. A very interesting village with many old houses including a medieval hostal. You can see the route on this link in Spanish

http://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?&id=273464

It was an easy walk, almost completey flat wandering through the rural landscape past some iberic pig farms with plump black pigs in 3 sizes from squealing piglets to huge barrage balloons. The walk followed the line of a sheltered part of the sierra with some impressive birds of prey riding the thermals far above.

We arrived in Salvatierra de Santiago in time for a well deserved rest and drink at our favourite bar which was originally a tiny cinema in times gone by, now a cosy place with a wood burning stove in winter and an atmospheric shady courtyard in summer. We were disappointed to find the courtyard bare of tables and chairs despite the warm temperature, just the somewhat sombre aspidisderas sulking in their pots and the wonderous wisteria entwined with an old vine woven into an almost solid canopy above.

However, the very friendly owner arranged a table and chairs just for us and we spent a happy hour with tapas and beer to sustain us for the return walk to Zarza which makes a round trip of about 11kms

We took a wrong turning on the way back and had to cut across some fields with peacefully grazing cows. That's the problem with such flat land, not many landmarks to go by except the distant view of a church tower now and then.

Altogether a pleasant walk but not sensational, walking in the high sierra is much preferable although more challenging.

A walk to commemorate the Battle of Arroyomolinos 28th October 1811

Today is the 198th anniversary of the battle of Arroyomolinos which was fought in the morning of 28th October 1811 during a wild storm. Fortunately for us the weather was perfect this morning, sunny and warm and not a desperate French hussar in sight as we set off for the walk which follows the path taken by Spanish guerrilla fighters hoping to cut off the retreat of General Girard and what was left of his force after the total rout of the battle. In fact they were not successful and General Girard although wounded managed to escape over a low saddle in the sierra, with him were a mere 400 troops out of his original force of 3000. He left behind a scene of confusion and disaster, many French troops in desperate panic tried to escape directly up the impossibly steep slopes of the sierra disgarding their horses and armour on the way, they were either swiftly dispatched by the guerrillas or rounded up by the British force under General Hill and captured as prisoners of war to be sent back via Lisbon to the specially built prisons in England for the duration of the war. General Girard must surely have been in deepest despondency that morning. The day had started badly for him. His breakfast was rudely interrupted by the sudden and totally unexpected attack on Arroyomolinos heralded by the 71st Highlanders charging pell mell and shouting their rousing rendition of the old Jacobite air "Johnny Cope, are ye rising yet?" The fighting was fierce and bloody with close combat over the walls of the village gardens and several cavalry charges. The brilliant tactics of General Hill left no road out of the village uncovered. The French were in a trap with no way to go except due east: to the north was the Sierra de Montanchez, a long chain of steep hills while to the west and the south were the British on the exits to Merida and Trujillo. By moving quickly and abandoning all their wagons, horses, cannons and armour the French nearly escaped when their column was hit by the lead units of Wilson's Brigade (the light companies of the 1/28th, 1/34th, and the 1/39th Regiments) coming from the south. The three companies hit the first battalion in the flank and succeeded in slowing down the rest of the column until the rest of the British and Portuguese could come up. Girard, seeing there was no escape, ordered his men not to stop and fight, but to attempt to move cross-country and to climb the high hills. He and about 400 men succeeded by scrambling over the only low part of the sierra, however the rest of the column was penned in and forced to lay down their arms. The battle was lost ingloriously and the French loses were horrendous. Of the six infantry battalions and three cavalry regiments engaged, about 1,000 men were killed or wounded. In addition to these casualties, another 1300 men and 30 officers were made prisoners. Most of the casualties were among the infantry, who lost about 80% of their combatents. Additionally, General Bron, the commander of the Cavalry, the Prince of Aremberg, commander of the 27th Chasseurs, and Colonel André, the chief-of-staff of the 5th Corps were all taken as prisoners. Girard lost all his baggage, guns, 6 caissons of ammunition, and the 5,000 dollars tax levied on the town of Caceres. British losses were less than 80 men killed and wounded. General Girard was subsequently relieved by Marshal Soult and returned to France in disgrace.

As you can see the path winds its way high up on the slopes of the sierra with amazing views down on to the flat plains of olive groves, on that long ago morning probably still shrouded with the heavy mist that decended after the storm, at least blotting out the carnage below. We walked to the point where the guerrillas must have been able to observe Girard's desperate band disappearing over the low dip in the sierra, they assumed that they would be stopped by a convoy on the road below but in fact this did not happen and the survivors must have had a desperate few days until they could join up with the French forces of Druet several days later.

We turned back and took another path that leads along a track high above the watermill gorge of arroyomolinos with wonderful views down on to the mills rather than the usual route of walking past them. We came out above the path that leads to Montanchez where there are several more mills and a stand of enormous chestnut trees which may have been slender saplings 198 years ago.

From this point we then took the usual route down the gorge back to Arroyomolinos. The river was running in some parts and looked quite clean and clear, it must have been quite different on that fateful day. Many of the French must have tried to escape up the gorge, maybe trying to take shelter in the mills but they didn't get far before they were overtaken by the merciless guerrillas and barbarously slaughtered, the river ran red that day.

Ice From the sky

The storm on the morning of 17th September was quite amazing. The finca was battered by huge hailstones for at least 15 minutes........................

Then a stupendous thunder storm with torrential rain. Soon there were rivers flowing down the mountain carrying earth and fallen leaves down to our bottom wall. The drainage holes had become blocked up over the last year so the mud accumulated rapidly, it gradually seeped away but the debris left covered half the wall. The hailstone stayed on the ground looking pristinely beautiful for several hours. Quite bizarre considering we were sweltering last week. The sierra now looks very washed, wonderful to see the dark earth and mossy rocks after months of parched dusty earth. Unfortunately the swimming pool was inundated with muddy water, swimming weather is nearly over now but we will have to drain the pool, clean out the mud and refill, this has never happened before, a bit of a bore but almost worth the trouble to have experienced all the drama of the storm and the refreshing of the earth, hopefully there will be grass shoots coming up very soon and we shall once again have a green glow over the finca.

Walking Extremadura- The water mill gorge, Arroyomolinos

Arroyomolinos is the nearest village to Finca Al-manzil and can be reached by a delightful path directly from the finca. The village is very peaceful and claims to be the largest producer of figs in the Extremadura. There is a 15th century church with a marvellously intricate stone entrance. The battle of Arroyomolinos was a decisive battle in the Peninsula Wars and was fought on the plains outside the village where the figs now flourish. Arroyomolinos means "Stream of mills" and it is this feature that we will discover on our walk.The village is backed by the slopes of the Sierra de Montanchez, a deep gorge has been cut through the sierra by a strong stream and it is here that water mills have been built since Roman times. Throughout the following centuries the mills were consructed to the same curious design. The water was guided by stone water chutes into tall chimney-like towers, then came crashing down to drive the mill stones at the bottom, the water then continuing down the gorge to the next mill. It is an impressive sight to see the mills marching up the gorge as we walk along the stone-paved path.

This steep path is the only access to the wild gorge so the mills were gradually abandoned in modern times until the last mill closed in the 1950s.They are now picturesque ruins, although a few have been renovated badly by the local Ayuntiamento, too little too late and better not at all. The walk winds up the gorge, past the olive groves and orchards which are watered by the stream, olives, figs, oranges, lemons, huge mulberry trees and vines that produce the strong mountain wine Pitarra. The small, black Iberic pigs that produce the delicious jamon are left to range freely under the cork oak trees gorging on the acorns. In Spring the whole mountain becomes a tapestry of wild flowers including rare orchids and many aromatic herbs. Usually walks in the sierra are accompanied by the cry of the eagles circling above.

As one approaches Montanchez from the top of the gorge the castle rises majestically in the distance. In about 30 minutes one is within the ramparts and realizes why Montanchez is know as the balcony of Extremadura as the splendid views spread out below.

MYSTERIOUS MOORISH CASTLE

We went for a long walk in the dehesa near the embalses Horno Tejero and Boquerón, although only 20 minutes from the finca, already in the Badajoz province. Very beautiful open parkland with some ancient cork oaks, plenty of pigs and sheep grazing. Some old cortijos on extensive estates, all beautifully maintained in the old manner. In the distance on a small hill we saw crumbling ancient stone walls rising above the surrounding trees......... too interesting to resist.

As we approached the edifice it became, more obviously, a small castle or defensive fort. Difficult to estimate the age but probably Moorish as are all the other defensive forts in the area; we are too far away from the Portuguese border for border strongholds erected throughout the middle ages and into the 18th century.

A very romantic place with some towers still in place surrounding a large open grassy area in the middle. A gentle wind rocked the trees, a timeless atmosphere of tranquility buried deep in the woods with stupendous views over the beautiful countryside down to the lakes and an old cortijo.............another secret corner of Extremadura.

IT'S BEEN MONTHS!!

A long gap in the blog but we've been mega busy..........despite the dreaded crisis we have had the best year so far at the finca. I wonder why? Maybe people are not going to long haul destinations this year, concentrating on European destinations....could be. This year most of the clients for the cortijo and barn are still British but with many Belgiums and Dutch, our first French family, Italians, Germans, American/Indonesian family and a few Spanish clients which is always nice but quite rare as the favourite rural holiday mode of the Spanish is to rent a house for a long weekend (puente) and we don't do that. I think it has helped business a lot that I have not changed my prices for the last 3 years :- The cortijo is still rented for €1600 per week for 6 people during the summer, reducing to €1400 the rest of the year. The barn still €700 per week for 2 people or €100 per day min. of 4 days rental, kids can be accommodated on 2 extra beds. All year price. B&B is still €65 per night per double room, min. 2 nights stay. Happy to say we have had wonderful clients who have really indulged in country life and left behind glowing reports of how much they have enjoyed their stay at the finca. Many thanks to all of you!! The first cooking week went well and I am looking forward to the September and October weeks after the summer break. Have just heard of a farmer in the south of Extremadura who produces "ethical" foie gras. I may include a visit as one of our cooking week excursions as it sounds interesting. Apparently he lets his geese roam freely in the oak forests just as the iberic pigs. As soon as the weather starts to get cold in November the geese naturally gorge on the acorns in preparation for their winter flights, there is no force feeding involved........unfortunately the poor old geese don't get to go on their winter holidays but the result is delicious on toast and not too many guilt twinges. Will make a report on this soon. Manfred has started to ride again, he's been in training by bumping up the camino to Montanchez on his quad which has prepared his many vulnerable old injuries for regular riding. He bought a big steady horse for riding again, Fatboy, but unfortunately he is a bit too steady and a bit boring so he has had Harè in training locally and he has prooved to be a marvellous ride. As usual with all the horses we only use Hackamores with excellent results. See photos of Harè at birth on the finca in May 2004 and now with Manfred. They don't look too disproportionate despite Harè's neat athletic build and Manfred's long legs. Not sure about that pose with the very limp wrist! The last summer clients are renting the cortijo until 28th August and then we will be "at home" for September, so far one more rental in October and then I guess we will settle in for winter. Thinking about a winter break in Slovenia, I have never tried cross country skiing and it looks like fun..........of course Manfred will be expert and way ahead as usual, nearly all my holiday hiking photos are of Manfred as a distant dot on the horizon. Doing as little as possible right now, we are going through a humid phase of August, lots of lazing, immersion in water, tons of books to read, lovely long warm evenings under the amazing stars, midnight swims and sleeping out on the porch on the comfy old Indian charpoy. Summer.

FINALLY, AT LONG LAST..........

Rather a long break.......but we have been busy. On Christmas Eve the dining room extension in the cortijo was finally finished......that is the builders left after the last swipe of the trowel leaving walls and ceiling saturated with the 100s of litres of water necessary for the building process. It has taken 2 months for the walls to dry out sufficiently for painting and another month for me to paint doors, cupboards and arrange the room around the long dining table.

An added bonus is that above the dining room there is now a wonderful roof terrace leading off the upstairs bedroom of the cortijo with the most beautiful views of the mountain and across the trees to Cornalvo.

Also some added book shelf space as we have separated the sitting room with tall doors bought in a junk shop set into an extended wall of books. At last I may be able to lay my hand on exactly the right information in exactly th e right book.......thank goodness internet has not taken the place of my beloved books.

Books in progress..........still lots of gaps for the books being brought up from the barn and of course the constant new editions

Besides being busy, busy in the house we have been taking long walks with the dogs in the splendid Spring weather. At the moment the white and yellow broom is drenching the air with a very heady scent, the slopes of the whole finca are swathed in yellow and white, really gorgeous. The fig trees are just coming into their first delicate leaves with tiny figs beginning to swell.

Animals are all well, no new foals this year. Roxy and Zeru are 6 months old now, getting lanky and more adventurous but continue to delight us with their antics, they are now micro -chipped which is apparently obligatory.

We have had our first b & b guests and dinner parties in the dining room so it is well and truly inaugurated and seems to work well especially as there is now access to the back terrace without having to go through the sitting room. I think the focus of the house will be more defined for Summer/ Winter use with the kitchen/ dining room/ terrace being more used in Summer and the porch/kitchen/ dining room and sitting room more used in Winter.

By the way we have some huge clay wine tinajas for sale, about 1.60 tall , about 60 years old and in perfect condition, also 40m2 of granite flag stones which you can see here in situ...........sadly this house is going to be renovated by the owner and this apparently means ripping up the traditional passage way floor which was always laid with strong granite flags as there was constant traffic of donkey laden with produce destined for the bodega in the cellar or the lofts for grain, olive oil and jamons. Shame because this is a wonderful house in Montanchez and it will now be lost in an avalanche of shiny modern tiles and ornate fixtures and fittings....que pena!!

Please enquire if interested in purchasing tinajas or flags.

NEW!! CREATIVE COOKING HOLIDAY AT THE CORTIJO OF THE FINCA

Create and enjoy sumptuous Moroccan, Middle Eastern and Iberic feasts at the cortijo of

Finca al-manzil. One week each month March – June and September –December according to availability. Cooking, mountain trekking , well-being, cultural visits, country life.

ALSO A SHORT BREAK FOUR DAY HOLIDAY WITH THE 3 COOKING DAYS IN A ROW.

There has been much acclaim for the dinners prepared at the finca so we have decided to share our secrets and run a creative cooking course several times a year. The cortijo kitchen is spacious with all the special equipment and implements needed to create delicious Moroccan, Middle Eastern, Spanish and Portuguese dishes using natural fresh local vegetables, meat, fish, fruit and herbs; the spices are imported regularly from Morocco.

Our aim and pleasure is to inspire enjoyment of the food in the well designed and decorated surroundings of the finca. Dinner will be the highlight of every day. Starting tapas which we have had fun inventing served on the terrace we eat dinner around the huge dining table or maybe outside if the evening is warm. Possibly dinner will have been cooked in the traditional clay oven or over a charcoal grill. We serve Extremeña wines and maybe with coffee a special liqueur from the Jerte valley or some aguadente made from the medroño or wild strawberry bush.

The accommodation is at Finca al-manzil cortijo or barn and a neighbouring house all in beautiful, peaceful situations with splendid views of countryside and up to the peaks of the mountains. The rooms have en-suite bathrooms; there is a choice of single occupancy or shared twin room or renting a whole house for your own use. The sitting room has a wood burning fire for chilly nights and there are two terraces for gazing at the stars.

The classes are open for a maximum of 6 people and minimum of 2 people. Discounts are available if you are able to arrange your own group of 4 friends or more. Our holidays are designed on a weekly basis and integrate an interesting programme of cooking, nature and culturally based activities and a visit to stunning Trujillo with dinner at a typical restaurant..

THE HOLIDAY INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING -7 nights stay at Finca al-manzil or neighbouring house with the following daily programmes, 3 days of cooking and eating the preparation for dinner, 4 days of alternative activities with dinner either at the finca or in restaurant. OR The four day holiday which follows the itinerary for the 3 cooking days.

ARRIVAL AT FINCA Time to get to know your surroundings, meet the other guests and relax after your journey. Dinner prepared by Pippa

DAY 1 COOKING DAY - MOROCCAN

Breakfast

10.00 – 14.00 - Moroccan Cooking tuition, preparation and cooking of a selection of Moroccan dishes using typical ingredients and spices. Lunch is a healthy light salad with local cheese or jamon, fresh bread and maybe a juice, smoothie or spritzer . Time to relax, a siesta, a swim, some reading or photography perhaps

17.00 – 18.00 or 19.00 for longer walks - An optional afternoon walk in the sierra. We see the rich bird life and wild flowers of the sierra and the local agricultural activities, olive and fig groves, sheep and the iberic pigs nurtured on acorns in the woods. There are also mountain bikes if you prefer a ride on the quiet lanes around the finca.

Depending on the time of the year we participate in olive harvest (Dec/Jan) grape and fig harvest (September) Wild Asparagus picking in Spring. Visit to WOMAD in Caceres (May) Medieval Fair in Caceres (November) Usually every month has a local fiesta going on which we can visit.

A pause for another swim or preparing yourselves for the evening, we believe in making a special evening every evening, the table will be looking very pretty and the food is going to be stupendous.We are on Spanish time so tapas and drinks at 20.30 and dinner at 21 ish. Now the rest of the evening is up to you, you have had an interesting, active day so now relax, enjoy and converse.

DAY 2

Breakfast. Visit to our local villages to stock up on delicious ingredients which will include a visit to a cheese making farm and a tour of the jamon curing in Montanchez. Lunch in a local bodega. Back to the finca. Afternoon as day 2. Dinner is prepared for you by Pippa but you can join in with preparation of creative tapas before dinner.

DAY 3 -COOKING DAY -IBERIAN As day 2 using some of the ingredients that we bought yesterday for preparation of Spanish and Portuguese dishes for dinner.

Afternoon as day

DAY 4

Breakfast. Trip to Merida to explore the largest collection of Roman ruins besides Rome. Walk over the 2000 year old Roman bridge into the town where we will visit the impressive theatre and superb museum of Roman art.Time for some shopping or a break in the attractive plaza.Lunch in a traditional bodega with great collection of bull fighting memorabilia on the walls.Back to finca for relaxing afternoon. Dinner prepared by Pippa , observers welcome.

DAY 5 -COOKING DAY – MIDDLE EASTERN

Breakfast.

Preparation and cooking with typical Middle Eastern ingredients and spices. Various dishes including an array of mezes for lunch and more substantial dishes for dinner.

Afternoon as day 2.

DAY 6

Breakfast.

An optional walk up the garganta de molinos, the watermill gorge, over the mountain to Montanchez and back down to the finca. A wonderful walk, takes 3 hours in total, lunch in Montanchez or back at the finca. Relaxing afternoon at the finca. Late afternoon trip to Trujillo an ancient and very beautiful town which we explore, taking a leisurely walk up to the castle and around the narrow lanes. Dinner in the plaza at one of the excellent restaurants.

DEPARTURE

The holidays are run all year except for July and August the hottest months which limit time for the more active part of the holidays. The climate is excellent in the sierra; Spring and Autumn, February – June, September - October are delightfully warm and sunny. Winter, Nov. Dec. and January are less warm but usually sunny and bright with of course more rain. It rarely rains for more than a few hours. We have a wood burning stoves and a cosy atmosphere for the chillier days.

PRICES

ONE WEEK €1050 PER PERSON

FOUR DAYS €600 PER PERSON

VÍA DE LA PLATA

A brief guide to a very long walk.............a spectacular 1000 km walk, the Vía de la Plata is an ancient pilgrimage route from Sevilla, Andalusia in southern Spain to Santiago de Compostela, Galicia in northwest Spain, the longest of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes in Spain. It passes within 10kms of Finca al-manzil at the village of Alcuescar. medieval pilgrims with emblemic scallop shell on hat and bag

This particular Camino de Santiago is one of the many routes that converge on the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, it is a more varied trip than the popular Camino Francés, passing through stunning landscapes and cultural treasures. Unlike the busy northern route, just 2000 or so pilgrims make the trip each year, it’s a tougher, more isolated trip with fewer facilities and less of a pilgrim infrastructure.See http://www.santiago-compostela.net/ for a complete guide to the Santiago legend and various routes.

Also http://www.pilgrimage-to-santiago.com/board/camino-mozarabe-and-via-de-la-plata/topic1404.html for some frank comments about the practicalities of walking every day for 50 days.

Santiago de Compostela is believed to be one of the world's holy places and the third most holy in Christendom. The pilgrimage ends in the cathedral where a silver casket is said to contain the remains of the Apostle Saint James.

There are places along the Camino where you might believe you were walking not only across space, but across time as well. Roman walls and medieval bridges still stand; old roads and churches remain in villages untouched by the centuries.

THE LEGEND OF SANTIAGO Saint James preached on the Iberian Peninsula in the years after Jesus’ death, returned to Jerusalem where he was beheaded and then somehow a boat with his remains landed in Spain, where the remains were retrieved and buried in Compostela. Centuries passed before the remains were miraculously rediscovered. Many now believe that the remains are not those of St. James at all. But the legend, and the camino, continue. It was the powerful mystique of Santiago that was invoked during the Christian re-conquest in the 13th century, hence his sobiquet , Santiago Matamouros, St. James the Moor slayer. As a direct result of the Christian victories the powerful Ordem de Santiago spread its influence far and wide.

Walking a pilgrimage route is a very old endeavor. The pilgrimage to Santiago had started by the 9th century, and by the 13th century, an estimated half-million people walked to Santiago each year. Many famous persons made the pilgrimage: El Cid, Louis VII of France, St. Francis of Assisi, Queen Isabella & King Ferdinand.

Medieval towns were established and thrived on the pilgrims' progress, creating many facilities for travellers; lodgings, hospices, inns, souvenir vendors and many places of prayer, beautiful churches & chapels.

In 2006, over 100,000 pilgrims received the special pilgrimage certificate in Compostela.

The route begins in Sevilla, Andalusia, a splendid city where one can enjoy flamenco, superb food and Moorish architecture. Avoid the searing heat of the summer by starting in spring or autumn, still plenty of sun and a good temperature for walking through the cork oaks forests and vineyards of Andalucía.

On leaving the cathedral in Sevilla follow the Vía de la Plata’s yellow arrows across the Río

Guadalquivir into the working class barrio of Triana, traditionally an area of ceramics, bullfighters and flamenco…….the inspiration for Carmen’s tobacco factory still exists here. Some 10 km outside the city is Italica, a ruined city with some of the best Roman remains in Andalucía, including some spectacular mosaics. The first night is spent in the small town of Guillena; like much of the accommodation along the Vía de la Plata, Guillena’s albergue (pilgrim hostel) is just floor space in the local sports centre, although there is also a small hotel in town.

The next few days are spent walking through undulating countryside and farmland. Although the region’s holm and cork oaks provide some shade the route is often in the open, make sure to carry plenty of water if the weather is hot. Castilblanco de Arroyos, 19 km from Guillena, is a beautiful hillside town with cobbled streets, whitewashed terraced houses, and a modern albergue. The next day walk through a landscape of scrub dotted with the occasional holm oak and eventually arrive at Almadén de la Plata, a tiny town in the Sierra Morena centred on a distinctive, square Torre de Reloj El Real de la Jara, 17 km further on via undulating farmland, the last town in Andalucía, doesn’t have an albergue, although there are some rooms available in the village. Soon Andalucía is left behind, one enters Extremadura through a vast flat and sparsely populated stretch. In autumn the walk will be alongside vines heavy with fruit and fields of grazing cerdos ibéricos, Extremadura’s famous pigs. There are a lot of these pigs around Monesterio, the first sizeable town since Sevilla, the region is famous for its choriços and jamons from the acorn fed pigs. After passing through Fuente de Cantos, Zafra, and Villafranca de los Barros, the Vía de la Plata enters the Tierra de Barros, a red clay area which is a rich agricultural region famous for its olives and wine production. Further north is Mérida, a lovely, lively town with fabulous Roman remains on the Guadiana river, well worth a longer stay. From Merida the route intermittently follows the Roman road that once led all the way to Astorga, the camino is marked by modern and ancient miliarios (milestones). A day further on is the Parque Natural de Cornalvo a vast area which is a delight in spring with a tapestry of wild flowers, also home to amphibians rarely seen outside the area, such as the European pond terrapin and the Iberian midwife toad. It’s also a great place to see birds, and the park is home to nesting black storks and black-shouldered kites.

On the next part of the journey the Vía de la Plata passes through Alcuescar, 10kms from Finca al-manzil http://www.finca-al-manzil.com/

Maybe take a day off with a comfortable base for exploration from the finca. The Sierra de Montanchez is beautiful area with wonderful bird life and some rare wild flowers, especially orchids. The small mountain town of Montanchez is another famed place for the delicious iberic jamon, it is possible to visit the jamon producers and sample the local cheese and jamon as tapas in any of the local bodegas. It is also possible to order dinner at the finca.

The landscape changes into rolling plains as one approaches Cáceres . The route follows the old road now replaced by an autovia which means the old road is almost deserted, perfect for peaceful walking. There are some interesting 16th century fortified country houses on the way, the storks have built their untidy nests on the old battlements and towers. The city of Caceres has a marvellous casco viejo (walled town) it is well worth a visit, plenty of economic pensiones around the plaza major. From Caceres the route runs straight through to Salamanca crossing the Tajo and the huge reservoir sytem where one can see the remains of a Roman bridge. A few days along at Galisteo there is some welcome green landscape thanks to the area’s extensive network of irrigation canals. On leaving the Extremadura basin behind the Sierra de la Candelaria comes into view. The Vía de la Plata leaves the spa town of Baños de Montemayor to climb the Sierra de Béjar, rolling hills more in character with Galicia with a damp microclimate, oaks and ferns. The dampness soon ends as one enters the meseta, a vast, high tableland that covers much of central Spain. Summers are hot, Winters are cold and there can be a bone-chilling wind from Autumn to Spring. Look out for kestrels, peregrine falcons, Egyptian vultures, and other birds of prey. Closer to the ground there is the melodic song of the meseta’s many larks. There are Great Bustards in this area especially in the spring. Be sure to rest in Salamanca, an ancient university town with stunning golden sandstone buildings and a magnificent plaza mayor. From here, it’s a couple of days through farmland and woodland to Zamora, a wonderful town full of Romanesque monuments. Zamora is the last of the grand cities on the way, from here on the stays are in tiny rural communities, some so small they can scarcely be called villages. It gets greener and hillier from now on as one approaches the province of Galicia.

Climbing the foothills of the Cordillera Cantábrica one is soon faced with some of the steepest climbs of the journey. The route begins to follow old stone paths rather than broad dirt tracks, often shaded by oaks and slick with rain. The climate can be harsh, with high winds and rainstorms, but on the occasions when the weather’s good enough for panoramic views, you’ll see wave upon wave of rippling, barren mountains sliced by steep valleys. The hardy souls that live in the mountain villages provide pilgrims with a fabulous welcome, and the residents of Laza, the main town you’ll pass through, celebrate Carnival with an outrageous festival renowned throughout the country. Once over the mountains and into Galicia it’s a winding route through tiny farms and one-house hamlets, alongside rain-drenched fields and rivers. Much of the time one passes through lush oak forests, rich with ferns, foxgloves, moss and lichen. The only sizeable place to pass through is Ourense otherwise one experiences rural Galicia at its finest, from the wonderful bread at Cea to the eerie isolated Monasterio de Oseira where pilgrims can stay the night. From the monastery the surroundings gradually become less rural until arrival at Santiago de Compostela approaching the city along a much quieter route than that of the Camino Francés. At last after 1000 kms and 50 days of life on the camino, one can relax and explore this hallowed city with its legendary cathedral and many other interesting monuments. There are comfortable places to stay as well as the pilgrim accommodation where there is certainly a great atmosphere of camaraderie and shared elation on meeting the challenge and arriving safely at the end of ones pilgrimage. The city is also famed for the quality of the restaurants, especially those offering the wonderfully fresh seafood from the Galician coast, not surprisingly scallop shells abound……….the ancient symbol of this pilgrimage, from South coast to North coast and all the beautiful scenery in between.

BERT FLINT COLLECTION - MUSÉE TISKIWIN

The Musée Tiskiwin is a beautiful double riad in Marrakech containing the private collection of ethnological objects belonging to Dutch collector Bert Flint who lived in the riad during the 50s and 60s. This small, dusty, and appealingly quirky museum leads visitors on a journey from Tuareg artifacts of the Sahara to the talismanic Berber adornments of the Atlas Mountains. Despite being around the corner from the Musée Dar Si Saïd, the way is poorly signed and it is easy to get lost en route; follow the signs on Rue Riad Zitoun el-Jedid instead.

click to enlarge collage.

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