We
faithfully and somewhat foolishly followed Carmen Garmin’s directions and after
several kilometers turned right, she was up to her old tricks ! She directed us
off the N 501 to a slightly paved off road track up into the mountains high
above the highway below. About 10 klicks in Paul decided it was too far to go
back so we persevered! It was a beautiful drive through lush mountain forests
and a lot of narrow potholed tracks! Well, we did want to experience the Sierra
de Gredos and the glorious mountains! After about 15K we were unceremoniously
dumped back down on the main highway all without an explanation as to why we have dogged off the road to begin with!!!!
We drove
through the Valle de La Vera and some very delightful towns, pretty and full of
flowers! The fields were full of poppies
and wildflowers, the towns bursting with roses, hydrangeas ,
bougainvillea and one town had topiaries all along the roads. Not just nicely shaped bushes but animals, children on bikes, some shaped like pots and wheelbarrows! A green man fishing in a pond and a dolphin jumping next to him. It was delightful and we decided to go back and explore more thoroughly after we were squared away at the Parador as it was only about 6k away. At the Parador a cute young blond lass checked us in only to find he Parador was fully booked for tonight some kind of bus tour for Spanish TV program. It was definitely lunch time and so we began a search whereupon we settled for a place on the main drag through town. The Don Juan de Austria Menu of the Day 12 euros, it filled a void. Nothing spectacular and only slow serve from the two chaps. The Hostal was a 4 star but the restaurant was not a multiple fork by any means. After desert we took a short drive back to Losar de Vera where the town is lined with topiaries of all shapes and sizes and well worth the visit for photos. Some will be posted on here! It was such a delightful surprise.
It was soon
time for a short siesta. Later we would
venture back into town for some evening nourishment but not before graced the
doors of the local Chinese Bazar….every time, he has to have a look. We ambled down to the Restaurant de Puta Lirio
, we had eaten there years ago and decided to try it again. Very steep little
streets, not Paul’s favorite but he gamely took it on! We sat in their new
outside terraza for calamares, salad, and a solomillo steak. Lots of very
dilapidated old buildings, unoccupied for the most part. I wonder if tourism
does sustain this area. It is well known for cherries, fruit and pimento. It is
very lush and beautiful. Carlos V disillusioned
with life decided to live out his last years in this area at the Monastery of
Yuste. While he was waiting for his rooms to be build he actually lived in this
Parador! Not that it was an hotel then, but the palace of a nobleman. At Yuste
he spent a lot of time fishing in the pond just outside his rooms. Ironically
that is what killed him, malaria from the mostquitos that shared his space at
the pond! The restaurant we ate at last night had a cute story that suggested
that the Emperor frequented their establishment and dallied a while with the
local chicas! Now remember we are talking about 1556AD and something I will
check that out, but we are talking old!
The walk
into town was all downhill and very easy, not the same afterwards, we had to
stagger back up up to the Parador and our night cap under garden palm trees and
twinkling lights. Only 6,000 steps
today.
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