ensuitepilgrim's Blog

The last night in Spain was spent at Camping de Haro – having stayed here some years ago – we knew it would be a good site.

A good pool and lots of trees – as ever in Spain,everyone social distanced and wore their mascarillas.

It had a friendly atmosphere,especially on the bar/restaurant terrace where we were served drinks and platos combinados by a cheerful waitress.

The River Tiron flows by the walkway in to town. We passed through a gap en route,which had been made by demolishing a section of an old railway.

It was quite early by Spanish provincial standards when we walked into town – this was our third stay in HARO,spanning a period of twenty years or more – and there were few people up and about. With a half day to spend before driving up to Bilbao for the ferry to Portsmouth. I remembered the first visit to Haro, back in the Camping days – a terrific rainstorm meant putting up the tent was impossible, so we found a small hotel,just off the Plaza de Paz . When the rain stopped we went for something to eat at this restaurant.

The second visit was a few years ago,in August and there was a Tapas festival taking place – we met up with couple of friends at the campsite, as arranged, in Motorhomes by now and enjoyed a great night on the tapas trail…didn’t see much of the town!

So, on this our third visit, it was time to put that right and what a beautiful centro historico it is.

The plaza de Paz is an archetypal Spanish square, complete with bandstand.

HARO WINE CAPITAL OF THE RIOJA REGION

Haro in La Rioja is is the wine capital of the region and is famous for it’s Wine Festival and the wine fight, the Batalla de Vino.

The town of Haro has been built up around winegrowing since French grape growers came to the area looking for a way to escape the pests in their French vineyards. Thanks to its privileged climate at the meeting point between the Atlantic and Mediterranean climates with much sunshine, and sheltered by the Cantabrian Mountains, Haro is a great area for winemaking. The clacerous clay soils are also perfect for winegrowing. Located in the Ebro river basin and sided by the Obarenes mountains, and the Cantabrian mountains, the landscape of vineyards around Haro has it’s own charm.

In the town itself, Haro has some wonderful religious and civil architecture. The church of Santo Tomas, also known as the Watchtower, stands at the foot of a hill, and has an impressive archway.

The squared bottom part of its tower was built in the Gothic style and topped with the octagonal Baroque part in 1720, crowned by a cupola with lantern. The basilica of the Vega is dedicated to Haro’s patron saint, the Virgin of Vega,  features a striking Baroque altarpiece from 1740 and has some very pretty gardens.

For those more interested in civil architecture, there are many stately palaces dating from the 16th to 18th centuries blending the styles of Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture.

Haro is also home to the Rioja Wine Interpretation Centre, a research centre with a museum for the public. Here you can learn all about the various processes of grape growing an wine production with videos, displays, diagrams and some containers filled with flavourings which you can smell. Every year, Haro celebrates its winegrowing heritage and status with the Battala de Vino at the Haro Wine Festival.

A day where everyone wears white, later stained pink by the red wine which everyone throws over each other using buckets, water pistols and any other wine carrying containers to hand, the Batalla de Vino is a fun day culminating in traditional dances and partying in the evening, even after the big night of partying that goes before it! The festival is celebrated on June 29th every year, on the feast of San Pedro y Paulo.

Wineries, known as bodegas, abound in the area surrounding Haro.

You can also follow the Rioja Alta Wine Route, which passes through the town. There are also gastronomic routes to be explored, mainly around the Herradura, a horse-shoe shaped group of streets known for its tapas bars and restaurants. Wandering around town there are many wine shops selling the local produce. I loved the many sculptures relating to the world of winegrowing which are dotted around the town centre and on the roundabouts.

It is almost inevitable for me to come across a Camino sign when visiting a city,town or village – Haro is on The Tunnel Route which begins in Irun.

We came across an exhibition of old photos in one of the arcades off the main square – mostly joyous photos – you are guaranteed a good time in Haro.

SO WHY VISIT HARO?

• Haro Wine Festival 
• Excellent La Rioja wines
• Many bodegas (wineries) around the town 
• Beautiful civil and religious architecture
• Not OTT TOURISM wise
• Beautiful surrounding countryside
• Great campsite
• Good range of accommodation
• Very good road network nearby

After a coffee in the Plaza it was time to make a start on the last stage of the tour.

The journey to Bilbao took just over an hour on the Autovía -only busy on the ring road to the port .

Loading was efficient on to the ferry, despite having the van looked over by the Guardia Civil- probably thought it was suspicious there being a female driver!

We self-catered for lunch and dinner but enjoyed a full English breakfast at a very reasonable price.

A smooth crossing – Bay of Biscay and all.

PS Thanks to Hannah for some of the photos

CALPE

The Rough Guide to Spain gives Calpe short shrift and Lonely Planet is not ecstatic about it either – that could be due to snobbishness or laziness – or from suffering the after effects of nearby Benidorm. There were no Dorks in evidence here and though there are young families aplenty, it is very popular with those of a certain vintage.

I cannot recall staying for a whole week in a tourist town – usually to be avoided – but this had to be a tour with contrasting destinations. My preference is for quiet, offbeat preferably semi – rural places. But, if the coast is to be sought on the Spanish Med.in late July, then “quiet” is not easy to factor in. Calpe was not as busy in these Covid devastated times as it would normally be and it was certainly calm,orderly and had its charms.

It is the biggest resort I have ever stayed in.

The campsite,Calpemar,was only half full and it was well situated for the lovely beaches, a 10 minute walk away and from the town itself. The bonus though, was the supermarket, situated just across a very quiet service road. It was the nearest to a Waitrose I have ever seen in Spain – newly built and stressing its “ locally sourced” credentials. It’s called Mymercat.

One of the main tourist destinations on Spain’s Costa Blanca, Calpe has been home to many ancient civilisations, which means it has a fascinating history and some remnants of its past, such as its Roman Baths that you can see today. Embraced by a wonderful landscape, where vineyards and mountains are a feature, Calpe is probably best known for its good value fish restaurants and lovely sandy beaches.

I would have to commend the two Tourist Information Offices I used – one on the seafront, the other in the Old Town – effusive and helpful staff.

Calm waters lap up against a shore that continues on for around 11 km, in a spot where somehow or other modern tourism blends with natural beauty, culture and gastronomy. You can enjoy this variety, which includes on one hand some high-rise buildings close to the beach, but on the other hand the wonderful symbolic rock, Penon Ifach, which you’ve most likely seen already in photos.

Some of the 20 storey skyscrapers are very imaginatively constructed .

They are not in the same league as Benidorm!

In the same way you’ll find that very deep-rooted traditions seem to co-exist harmoniously enough with the tourist industry. And even though it is one of the Costa Blanca’s busier spots, it seems to have mainly retained an attitude of warm hospitality.

We enjoyed the pure sea air, while taking in the beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Some interesting flora and fauna on some of the routes, like the , Las Salinas Natural Park, and of course Peñón de Ifach.

If you like a buzzing tourist destination, with good weather, local seafood cuisine, a historic old quarter, along with outdoor activities, fiestas and nightlife – then this is the right place. Some interesting sculptures too.

Ample avenues and modern buildings blend alongside the ancient fishing village, where there’s plenty of different types of entertainment for visitors and locals alike. There are numerous, different types of restaurants, from the fabulous fish choices in the port, to luxury gourmet dining in a selection of International restaurants. There’s plenty of places to get tapas, with a beer or a glass of vino, whatever you fancy and a number of Indian restaurants. Russians invest heavily in this part of Spain, so it was unsurprising to find Russian translations of menus,alongside French,German,Dutch and English.

Summing it up, this seaside city does combine a type of romantic village feel with plenty of activity, and of course sun, sand and sea.

It has approximately 13,000 inhabitants, and its main economic activities are tourism and fishing. It seems it’s magical massive rock continues to inspire people from all sorts of different places to come and enjoy this wonderful view of the bays.

A large fruit and vegetable market, excellent shopping facilities add to the attractions on offer for visitors. As do activities such as scuba diving and sailing, climbing and hiking, along with tennis and bowls.

Calpe is located 76 km (47 miles) away from Alicante airport and 129 km (80 miles) from Valencia airport. By motorhome you can reach it on the AP-7 highway (note that always in Spain, if there is a P in the name of the motorway this means you have to pay) – or the N-332 national road, which is fine also, and you don’t need to pay tolls.

Many Iberian, Roman and Arab archaeological sites exist in the town because of its strategic coastal location.

. “In Spain, the dead are more alive than the dead of any other country in the world.”– Federico Garcia Lorca

History

As it offered a perfect privileged surveillance point, Calpe has had an interesting history and has been occupied by a range of different cultures, such as the Romans, Iberians and Phoenicians. Like today’s tourists , they were also attracted because of the wonderful Ifach Rock. In fact the town gradually grew up around the rock.

Its old quarter is protected by the old walls, which were constructed during the 15th century as a defensive method against Pirates. Around El Arrabal, the Moorish quarter, you’ll notice that some of this area is quite well preserved.

Other historical highlights include the Roman Baths – Baños de la Reina, which translates into the Queens Bath.

And the 15th century parish church, which today is the only remaining example of a Gothic Mudejar church in the Valencia region.

Originally constructed in the early 15th century, the site of the old church of Calpe is on top of the site of an old chapel which was present during the Christian conquest.

The fortified Mudéjar Gothic building had the dual purpose of being both for religious worship, as well as for defensive purposes. It served as a place of refuge when the community was under attack.

Inside is a panel painting of great artistic value, in tempera, that dates to the 15th century. It depicts St. Cosmas, St. Anthony the Abbot, and St. Damian, and is the creation of Master Perea’s workshop. Other works are also housed inside that are dedicated to the municipality’s patron saint, Cristo del Sudor, St. Sepulcro and the patron saint of sailors, the Virgin Carmen.

Calpe Saltmines

The location of the Peñon d’Ilfach has an influence in the formation of this fascinating humid area. It’s a lagoon of tombolic source generated by the evolution of a double sandbar. The salt flats inhabit a depression full of Quaternary alluvial deposits.

Of course salt was essential for food preservation, so Calpe was able to take advantage of the salt mines in order to promote the local fish. Historically the salt mines have been of great importance, that can be traced back as far as the 2nd century AD, at which time the Roman civilisations there combined the salt pans with the fish farm. At one stage the salt mines were providing salt to around 40 municipalities. It was towards the latter part of the 18th century, that they went into decline, due to infections that were causing fevers in the local people.

In 1993 they were declared to be a Maritime Terrestrial zone. At the salt flats you can see different birds, probably the most outstanding being the flamingo, as well as plant life that is distinctive to this peculiar ecosystem.

Plaça de la Villa, located in Old Town Calpe, features narrow cobbled streets that are lined with colourful murals, potted plants, and flowers, as well as ancient Roman ruins and city walls. This historical square is also home to Calpe’s most iconic museums and churches, including the Parish Church of Virgen de las Nieves and Museo del Coleccionismo. The best way to explore Plaça de la Villa is on foot, as you get to see beautiful wall mosaics and street art along the alleyways.

Torreó De La Peça

Torreó de la Peça is a defensive tower that was constructed to protect Calpe from pirates during the 15th century. Located near the Parish Church of Virgen de las Nieves, the wall features 2 cannons dating back to the 14th century.

Mosaico Mural

The colourful mosaic mural of Calpe by Gastón Castelló

The Mosaico Mural can be found on the main façade of the city’s tourism office in Old Town Calpe. Widely regarded as one of Calpe’s most beautiful tile murals, it’s the work of Alicantino muralist Gastón Castelló. It depicts the town’s fishing industry, complete with a ship, Peñón de Ifach (Ifach Rock), and people dressed in traditional costumes and carrying fish. There are plenty of murals painted on building facades and stairways within the historical neighbourhood.

Baños de la Reina (Queen’s Baths)

Baños de Reina (Queen’s Baths) is an ancient Roman site next to the Paseo Maritimo Playa del Bol promenade. Built between the 2nd and 4th centuries, the excavation site comprises the ruins of a fish farm and a thermal bath complex with interconnected pools carved from rocks. Baños de Reina is about 1.5 km northeast of Ifach Rock.

Platja del Arenal-Bol is a clean and lively beach that spans 1.5 km in length.

It’s within a 10-minute walk of Old Town Calpe, making it one of the most popular places for locals and tourists to relax during the summer. There’s a beachfront promenade that’s lined with bars, restaurants, boutiques, and souvenir shops, as well as windsurfers, jet skis, paddleboards, and surfboards available to rent. Platja del Arenal-Bol also caters to people with mobility issues by providing handicap-friendly bathrooms, crutches, and amphibious chairs.

On another trip we walked around the rock to another beautiful beach – Playa Fosse de Levante – more upmarket than the old town beach.

Calpe’s old town still has nice wide avenues where modern buildings and old architecture collide. Calpe is almost three thousand years old and in this area it still retains a sense of history and tradition. The earliest archaeological findings, at the time of the Iberians were found at the Ifach cliffs. Later the Romans established a wealthy colony at the coast whose main activity was the trade of dried and salted fish.

In the Middle Ages, Calpe’s local population developed agriculture. Christians and Moslems lived here peacefully together, despite the many attacks from pirates between the 14th and 17th century. In the 18th century this threat was removed and Calpe enjoyed an economic upswing which continues to the day.

“In Spain, attempting to obtain a chicken salad sandwich, you wind up with a dish whose name, when you look it up in your Spanish-English dictionary, turns out to mean: Eel with big abscess.” — Dave Barry

Well,we are going for a farewell fish meal tonight at the fishing port – Hope we don’t encounter problems like that on the menu.

Tomorrow we set off for Haro, capital of the Rioja wine region. The following day we are booked on a Brittany Ferry from Bilbao to Portsmouth. Hopefully home on Friday 31st.

Monday 20 th July went well until I slipped on some loose gravel by the pitch and fell on my right arm – injuring it , above the elbow and shoulder area. I was cleaned up and went to bed,with some paracetamol and codeine tablets taken. In the morning,there were abrasions to clean up, but very restricted and painful movement in my right arm. Ice packs and Voltarol ointment were obtained by Hannah from the local Pharmacia and applied.

The pain was relieved but the inhibited movement remained.

This was going to be a problem as we were due to leave Los Lomas for Calpe on the Mediterranean in a day’s time,Wednesday – a distance of 260 miles. Except for the first seven miles, which would be on a twisty,mountain road, the rest of the journey would be on the Autovias.

However, as it was ,I could not drive as using the steering wheel adequately was not possible.

At this juncture,sitting by the bus and pondering our options, an unlikely saviour appeared. Enter, Chris Coleman, native of Dublin and resident of Cork, who came over for a chat having not spoken in English to anyone for ten days. We did not mention my dilemma and exchanged stories of our respective travels. Chris was on a six month sabbatical from his work as a water engineer. He had bought a motorbike and state of the art tent, with the intention of crossing in to Morocco and seeing how far he could get. Unfortunately, it was not possible to enter Africa from Spain, except for legitimate HGVS.

So, he turned around, literally, with plan B – to travel to Scandinavia, via a visit to his sister in South Eastern France.By the next day, Barbara had volunteered to drive the bus,having never driven it before, with the proviso I drove down the mountain. Barbara is a good driver so there was no problem with that . But there was still a problem with my right arm…

The next morning, in conversation with Chris, he noticed the ice pack bulging out of my T-shirt and the sorry story was shared. Chris,without a moment’s hesitating, volunteered to drive us as far as required – all the way to Calpe if necessary!

He said time was no problem for him and despite having no experience of driving a 3.5 Tonne motorhome, he was up for it.

After a brief discussion,we gratefully agreed to his suggestion with the proviso that he drove us only to the first service station, from where he could get a taxi back to Las Lomas.

So, within 30 minutes, two first time motorhome drivers at the wheel.

Chris drove slowly and carefully down to the main road and then on to the Autovia. On reaching the first service station, on the outskirts of Granada, we had coffee together and Chris was delighted with the experience of driving the bus – who knows we might have sowed the idea of getting one himself.

We again expressed our thanks and shook hands as his taxi arrived, promising to keep in touch.

Chris Coleman – A True Knight of the Road.

Barbara nervelessly took over the wheel after a couple of adjustments to the driving seat – 260 miles,5.5 hours driving – thankfully, after a few climbs out of the Sierra Nevada, gear changes lessened and we made good progress on our accustomed , relatively traffic free Spanish highways.

A little busier around Murcia.

Then a lunch break- Morcilla sausage stuffed Bocadillos – so big were they that I could only manage half,wrapping the other half up for breakfast.

I was now in the role of co-pilot, checking for overtaking mainly, as Barbara drove fearlessly and fast !

To add to the fun, the Snooper SatNav came up with a “serious error” message and stopped working. So, it was back to basic map reading and on leaving the Autovia at the Calpe turn off, Hannah on Google Maps with directions to the campsite .

After initially choosing a pitch which proved to be rather small, a better emplacement was found and with no fuss at all, we parked up and set up camp.

Great stuff Barbara – I can see it’s going to be hard to get my job back!

Meanwhile, we got the BBC NEWS and read of our so- called government’s knee jerk decision to impose 14 day quarantine on returning visitors to Spain, despite the fact that all the islands and everywhere except Catalunya, had lower rates of infection than the UK ! It won’t bother us much as we have little planned on our return at the end of this week. Let’s hope that Grant Shapps is monitored on his return from Spain…you know,like Cummings😩

Ximo Puig, leader of the Valencia region, told a local radio station that “our epidemiological data is better than the UK’s”, and said the quarantine order was “not justified”. Calpe is in Valencia . Can you imagine what Brexit is going to be like under this embarrassing excuse for a government ?

It was just over a mile walk to the bus stop from the campsite. Wednesday 15 th July and face masks are again mandatory in Andalucia. The bus passed through Aguadulce before taking a dramatic coast road to Almeria – about a 20 minute ride. The city is associated with Spain’s most famous poet, Frederick Garcia Lorca.

• Como no me he preocupado de nacer, no me preocupo de morir.
  • As I was not worried about being, born, I don’t worry about dying.
    • Quoted in “Diálogos de un caricaturista salvaje,” interview with Luis Bagaría, El Sol, Madrid (1936-06-10)

Federico Garcia Lorca had more than a casual relationship with Almería. In addition to being the land that inspired him to write the famous “Bodas de Sangre”, also he lived here for three years in his childhood.

Almeria city pays tribute with the “Avenida Federico Garcia Lorca,” better known as “La Rambla”.

Like the palm- lined Paseo along the harbour front, the Ramblas is very pleasant to stroll along. The Cathedral was sadly closed; a striking building at the heart of the old city. It was begun in 1524 – it resembles a fortress with its six towers – to repel any invasion by pirates, apparently. We found the starting point of the Camino Mozararbe.

Then a coffee in the Arab Quarter

before tackling the Alcazaba Fortress – free admission – It has been well looked after in recent times, ringed by cliffs it serves as a reminder of the past glories of the city. It was the chief port of the Córdoba Caliphate and by the 11 th century the capital. Its chief source of wealth was weaving silk from the silkworms of the Alpujarras. In 1522, there was a devastating earthquake. Today it is a city relivened by Agri euros and a magnet for migrant job- seekers. There are frequent ferries to Morocco and Algiers.

It has a varied history, being used as military camp and its mosque at the eastern end being converted to the Ermita de San Juan, by the Catholic monarchs who took Almeria in 1489.

The Islamic influence is most noticeable in the running water furrowing it’s way through sympathetically laid out gardens with several fountains.

There is a story that a slave girl leapt to her death from the walls after her imprisoned Christian lover has been thrown from them.

We wanted to visit Los Refugios de la Guerra Civil. However, the Siesta still holds Andalusia in its thrall and it was closed until18.00. Hard to understand that a city with so many places of interest, especially its museos, should be closed for the best part of a half day – 21st Tourism . No.

So we made do with a walkabout. The Paseo de Almería was busy and notable for its colourful roof!

There were quiet spots, too.

And some welcome, pedestrian only squares.

An interesting piece of more recent industrial heritage is the Cargadero de Mineral ( Cable Ingles )

Known as The English Cable for loading ore,located in Almeria operated by an English company «The Alquife Mines and Railway Company Limited.

The Hacho Bridge operated for more than sixty years. It was even used by both the Nationalists and the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. Hacho Bridge, which was the largest iron viaduct in Spain, was a major source of employment in the area. Hundreds of people lived for almost a decade near Alamedilla station during its construction. Many continued to live there after it opened, working on its maintenance.

However, in the late 1950s living conditions in Eastern Andalusia, caused by postwar period austerity, meant many people left the area in search of work. At the same time, Spanish railways began to operate heavier diesel locomotives which were unable to use Hacho Bridge due to its maximum load weight.

Ten years later the station at Alamedilla had been closed to passengers. A decade of years later, Spanish railways sold Hacho Bridge to a Madrid scrap dealer together with other bridges on the Almeria line for 1.5 million pesetas.

In November 1978, local people began a campaign to save Hacho Bridge after they discovered that it was to be demolished. The Mayor of Alamedilla, D. Abelardo Corral, appealed to the Governor of Granada, D. José Maria Fernandez Fernandez. In a hastily convened meeting, the provincial government agreed with the local committee and declared Hacho Bridge a Historical Artistic Monument. This injunction was then served on the scrap and demolition company. The Civil Guard were ordered to go immediately to the bridge. They arrived just in time and dismantled the dynamite already installed at the base of trestles.

Hacho Bridge is now protected by a national protection order as a Structure of Cultural Significance.

There is a lot enjoy in Almeria,plus the National Park in nearby Cabo de Gato. It would make a good city break, but make sure you get up and about early to visit sites, before the Siesta!

You tend to forget that the drive to Eurotunnel is the best part of 200 miles when you leave Calais – although only 40 minutes – it feels like a fresh start, even after windy, wet Kent and Northern France.

The intention was to get to the Touraine by evening, which proved to be the case,fortunately.

After driving for several hours both at home, on the way to Folkestone and down through France, in rain,mist and foggy conditions it was a great feeling of relief when the clouds disappeared after crossing the River Seine. TheDay temperature climbed up to 27** as we pulled in to Lac des Varennes. All the hallmarks of a Good French campsite – swimming,sandy beach,greenery and a large pitch with a lakeside view. Not to mention a bar – and an ice cold Pelforth by the lake.

Our Dutch neighbours came over for a chat after this opening remark – “ We are sorry you are leaving the EU”… we found we had much in common, both political,y and socially.

Dinner was a defrosted, “all in one” pork dish prepared by Hannah and after a good night’s rest, we were greeted with sunshine.

The second day – the intention was to reach Spain,via Tours,Poitiers and Bordeaux. It was on the latter’s Rocade that the first “ bouchon” was met. It took a while to clear the wine capital and traffic only thinned out after the turn-offs for Paris and the seaside. Then the driving resumed its normal pace – 67 mph – on excellent roads.

Crossing the border at Irun involved no formalities, despite COVID-19 and the N121a was taken. Driving through the foothills of the Pyrenees was delightful even if there were a few bends to navigate. After an hour,Camping Izarpe was chosen for the second night of the holiday – a relatively new site,open all year to operate as a skiing base in the winter and a walking / relaxing base in the summer,complete with swimming pool.

Another impromptu conversation with a friendly, Spanish guy who had lived in Nottingham for 18 years, now resident in nearby Pamplona; very welcoming as was the campsite restaurant where we had dinner, after managing to decode most of the menu which was in Basque!

Overhead, large,predatory birds hovered – gold and black markings – I thought they might be after my Patatas Bravas !

Day three and the intended destination was The Communidad de Valencia. The drive initially went through Navarre,which is traditional Basque in the North of the region, but more inclined towards Castile in the South. A beautiful area, undiscovered by most tourists. For example, Navarre does not figure in index to the Rough Guide to Spain.

Lonely Planet described it thus:-

“ The soft greens and bracing climate of the Navarro Pyrenees lie like a cool compress across the sunstruck brow of the South, which is all stark plains, cereal crops and vineyards,sliced by high sierras with Cox combs of raw limestone “.

Driving by and through really charming,small villages with eye catching,red geraniums hanging from balconies.

Pamplona tends to hog the limelight ,which we bypassed en route,

We should have liked to explore both Olive and Tudela as we sped effortlessly along the Autovia Mudjedar, with its Moorish sculptures on bridges and intersections.

for the most part we were driving at 1000 metres plus, above sea level – a really enjoyable day’s journey brought us finally to Camping Valencia – 14 km out of the city,however,and situated close to the beach. The intention being to have two nights here, a rest day before Sunday’s drive to Almeria,300 miles further south and somewhere to celebrate Hannah’ birthday.

This route starts at the Somport Tunnel and bypasses Zaragoza on the way to Valencia, through Aragon – a name with such historic connotations – and is an excellent alternative to routes South via Barcelona, or Madrid, avoiding them both. The scenery was ever changing and the road not at all busy.

It didn’t quite work out that way at first.