OVERVIEW TO BLOG & OUR TRIP

DAY 26 31 MAY 22 TUESDAY TRAVEL DAY LEAVING PLASENCIA TO PARADOR GUADALUPE Spain

Parador Guadalupe & Cathedral

After a cool Monday, Tuesday appears to be another hotter than normal spring day for here approaching 87F according to Weather Underground.com. Breakfast and then repack for our travels, we notice a throng of people hanging around reception. No, they were not all checking out to hold us up but they were awaiting the arrival of a huge motor coach (bus) for their tour. Even as we loaded up the car in the garage down on level -1, the mass of bus travelers came plodding thru the garage looking for the bus. NO WAY could a bus come down to this level via elevator, a gal from reception came running down to usher the herd to the exit door leading to the street. We drove into the lift and went thru the process,  to see when the doors opened that a car was attempting to enter into the Parador garage and a beer truck was parked to off-load supplies. Traffic jam and we were not getting back in that lift! The guy in the car backed up, reluctantly! Seriously dude? We got nowhere to go! He eventually backed up and the oblivious beer guy carried on delivering beer! Lol!

Guadalupe

Eventually we were our way out onto the Plasencia side streets. Jane has said there was a chapel she wanted to visit before we left and so Paul re-entered the inner walled old town and drove to the front door entrances to the Parador to let Jane explore shoot a few pics. It wasn’t open! Actually it wasn’t a chapel but a resident of some Duc  and it really looked interesting but when I saw it had a tower I knew I would never make it! It was just as well it was closed!

On the road and heading further south again with only 95Km to reach Guadalupe, another favorite of the Catholic KingsGu. Amazing how this area, Salamanca, Plasencia and Guadalupe played such an important part, not just in Spain’s history but also ours. The Conquistadors lived a very poor life in Extremadura and were eager to explore and improve their lot! That is how they became Conquistadors. I read a terrific book by Isabel Allende, a very well-known Chilean author,” Ines of My Soul”. It is about Ines, who lives in poverty and manages to get to the Americas, looking for her husband, it is based on a true story, she helped colonize Chile with her lover. A really good read!

Parador Guadalupe & Cathedral

We stopped after an hour for a bitter kas and to stretch.  And then drove to the Parador and directly into their parking garage off the street. Plasencia had not given us the routine travel day discount coupon to have lunch on the Amigos program (15% discount when traveling to another Parador). Paul chatted with the desk clerk who viewed the Amigos website to verify where we had stayed the previous location and issued us a new discount coupon for our lunch time in Guadalupe. So we enjoyed ourselves sitting in the Mudejar Patio below the citrus trees all loaded with large fruit, either lemons or oranges. It was quite lovely. I have always loved this Parador. The town is small and basically houses the Royal Monastery and a cathedral which is less well-appointed than the monastery. However, it does house the Famous Black Virgen. There are many stories surrounding this icon not the least of which is how she was found after 500 years in a cave by…wait for it… a shepherd! I cannot tell you how many Virgen statues have been found in caves by shepherds!  

Parador Guadalupe

We had a lovely lunch, a spring time salad mix with orange slices, walnuts, goat cheese, raisins, tuna, vinegar and oil, roasted piglet to share, deserts (1) with  cheese ice cream with honey, or (2) orange ice cream sherbet. We did have to move the table back out of the sun as it was getting hot!

It was Siesta and blogging time before a walkabout in town before evening mealtime. It does seem to me that all we are doing is planning the next meal! We sat down to have a drink in the Plaza. This town is quite small and most bars/ restaurant are gathered around the fountain in the middle of the Plaza. The owners get a little pushy about enticing you in to eat. Annoys the hell out of me! People watching here is terrific! Mostly local people closing up their businesses and have a drink before going home.

Cathedral courtyard

We moved across the Plaza to another place, ordered combo plates and were cheated by the server saying that their menu did not state that all Combo plates had a drink, bread supplied, and a dessert to finish. He said that only the roasted chicken combo qualified and not the other 5/6 combo plates were to have the same extras. Anyway, he took the bill away which read 41 euros and returned with a newly revised bill for 32 euros. Nice try Jose!!! We speak Spanish…!! This leaves a foul taste in your mouth that some locations are trying it on with the tourists! It was a bit brazen.

All in all it was a good day. Paul’s Spanish is improving, mine is definitely getting better. I do question travelling for a month. I think we have found it challenging at times, it used to be simple. I think the last 3 years have had a huge impact on everyone. Before leaving, my stress levels were sky high. It has taken me a while to calm down, get my cool back. I’m glad we have done it. I love this country and its history. Staying in our beloved Elizondo (thank you Maite and JuanMi) was wonderful. It helped me heal after chemo and it did the same this time. You don’t even realize how wound up you are until it eases!

Jane Beskow

However, the placement of the elevators in these medieval buildings drives me crazy. Miles to cover until you find the correct elevator. Listen to me bitching about elevators in a 15^th century building! Lol! This a lovely Parador and we have a terraza overlooking the gardens  below!