MANFRED RIDES AGAIN!

All very exciting as Manfred has decided to join the 2 day pilgrimage into Guadalupe on October 12, the last one he went on was 6 years ago. He has to start training the chosen horse, Fat Boy,  now in order to get him into good condition.  Fat Boy is now installed in a stable in Montanchez where it is easier to get hold of him every morning instead of hoping he will be within sight rather than munching acorns way up on the nearest peaks of the finca. Here are some photos of him leaving the finca, I am afraid I jumped on just for a pose, necklace and all! But must say it felt great and I may join in for the last bit into Guadalupe. Notice the awesome Italian saddle, it's a monster and I had a bit of difficulty swinging my leg across the very high back part, felt marvellously comfy though.

There is also a rather long video of the pilgrimage last year, if you like you can cut to 18.55 minutes into the video, this is the dramatic part, the entrance into the plaza after 2 days of trekking from Montanchez and many other villages in Extremadura. I will be there to record Manfred's triumphal entrance
https://www.youtube.com/embed/zz-Voaddmu0?rel=0

A VISIT TO LA VERA

Last week we had an invitation for dinner and a stay in La Vera. Very welcome as we can rarely get away from the finca in the Summer when we have all our lovely guests staying but we thought we could risk one night away, I am so happy we went, it was most delightful.
 A fast journey through Trujillo, up the motorway and then branching off through lush tobacco fields on the lower slopes of the Gredos with the impressive silhouette of the highest peak, Pico Almanzor looming in the distance. How many villages are there with La Vera in their name? Very many but finally we came to Villanueva de la Vera our meeting point with Cristóbal at his Baraka Café, a local Muslim community project, not only running the café and restaurant but also hosting film and musical events  with  occasional conferences  and  lectures, also a regular Sunday morning farmers' market on the patio.    http://www.barakadelavera.com/
It was very hot despite being in the mountains but there is water everywhere edged with verdant ferns and undergrowth. We followed a dusty camino along the side one of the many river gargantas (gorges)  of the sierra, deep into the mountains. Thankfully we knew there was going to be a lovely cool swim in a natural swimming pool worn out of the rocks by the mountain stream.
First we dropped our things off at the stone house where we would be staying, how charming it looked set in its GREEN lawn, everything was GREEN, a wonder for us coming from our golden Summer landscape further South.

(It was certainly a great experience to wake up the following day with early morning sunlight filtering through the trees, enjoying breakfast on the beautiful balcony, all the ironwork is designed and made by Cristóbal using a laser cutting technique.)

We continued further up the track to Alicia and  Cristóbal's house set in more greenery with stupendous views of rolling hills and up to dramatic mountain scenery, a lovely family home that has grown from an original stone farmhouse.

After greeting Alicia and some other guests we almost ran down the winding steep slope to the river below and the enticing clear cool water. What bliss! I swam in one place against the strong current, delicious, but Manfred couldn't resist the natural stone chute which propelled him rather swiftly from one pool to the next.

More people arrived and there was much conviviality, good food and wine under pristine stars of the sierra. Much later, back to the comfort of our little house in the woods and a good sleep.

Before getting back to our Summer duties at Finca al-manzil we went up to say goodbye and see the wonders of the stone circle, sculpture garden and of course Cristóbal's studio .
Cristóbal is a sculptor, mainly using the lost wax technique for bronze sculptures but also works in stone, wood and iron, his studio is a treasure house of stunning objects arranged in seemingly haphazard groups which exude an exotically precious aura.

 Nature is an obvious inspiration; goats, dogs, lions, toads, whales,chameleons, armadillos and dragonflies are scattered in profusion as well as simple organic shapes. My favourite piece was a group of three beautiful objects vaguely like giant sharks teeth, all bronze but with different treatments giving three different textures and tones but all the same shape. Bronze books open to pages of Adam and Eve; Arabic calligraphy and geometric designs are a favourite theme. You can see more here www.cristobalsculpt.com

Just before we departed we walked a little way up the hill, past the sculpture garden, past the stables and the small meadow set up for archery practise on horseback, a little further and we came to a plateau with an extensive stone circle, the stones were not very massive but had apparently been placed with due ceremony and appropriate chantings by a Hopi Indian on a visit from America, according to him the place had a very strong spiritual force. This is not uncommon in the mountains where ancient people made their refuges.
  Time to say goodbye to this magic place with promises to get together again in the Autumn.

On our way home we stopped at the Monastery of Yuste which is very close.
http://www.spain.info/en/conoce/monumentos/caceres/monasterio_de_yuste.html
 Once again I was impressed by the wonderfully peaceful situation, buried in deepest woods. In the 16th century a remote and inaccessible place chosen by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V  to retire from his vast empire, the most powerful ruler on earth lived his last years in relative simplicity still plagued by chronic gout.

 The special chair for supporting his gouty foot is on exhibition as well as the incredibly small bed positioned so he could hear mass through a door looking on to the high altar, this room is hung with deepest black velvet curtains, the originals described by a visitor before the Emperor's death in 1558.
We arrived home to the finca to find that all was well, everyone happy........so we look forward to our next quick little getaway.
In the meantime here is an extract from one of Federico García Lorca's most beautiful collection of  ballads,  Romancero Gitano, it reminds me of La Vera, green and mysterious.
This is a fragment from the ballad Romance Sonámbulo   http://usuaris.tinet.cat/picl/libros/glorca/gl002500.htm#04

Verde que te quiero verde.
Verde viento. Verdes ramas.
El barco sobre la mar
y el caballo en la montaña.
Con la sombra en la cintura
ella sueña en su baranda
verde carne, pelo verde,
con ojos de fría plata.
Verde que te quiero verde.
Bajo la luna gitana,
las cosas la están mirando
y ella no puede mirarlas.

Verde que te quiero verde.
Grandes estrellas de escarcha,
vienen con el pez de sombra
que abre el camino del alba.
La higuera frota su viento
con la lija de sus ramas,
y el monte, gato garduño,
eriza sus pitas agrias.
¿Pero quién vendrá? ¿Y por dónde...?
Ella sigue en su baranda,
verde carne, pelo verde,
soñando en la mar amarga.

A BAROQUE EVENING IN TRUJILLO

Two reasons I booked tickets for this concert; first I love baroque music and second I could finally get inside the palacio San Carlos in Trujillo. So many times I have gazed up at it's dusty exterior wondering what lay hidden behind the monumental walls.
 All dressed up complete with the essential concert goers accessories in Spain, a fan and a man, I entered the massive door into a candlelit lobby which led into the open courtyard of the palacio where the concert would take place.

 An impressive space which easily held the 300 people audience. The architecture held no surprises except in the scale which was vast and the extent of recent renovations which for once were sympathetic, leaving the austerely classical bones of the 16th century building exposed, all was lit dramatically and I was very happy gazing around whilst waiting for the start of the concert.

The London Soloists are a group of 14 musicians; 8 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, a double bass and a harpsicord and they make very sweet music. Lots of old favourites, Pachebel's canon, some Bach, some Handel and as the grande finale Vivaldi's four seasons (again). I still love the whole thing, brings back memories throughout my life in so many different situations

There was a long interval before the 4Ss which took place in the huge walled area at the back of the palacio. The music festival had been sponsored by Habla, a local bodega in Trujillo producing some very upmarket wine,  I was happy to see tables loaded with the distinctive Habla bottles and very generous supplies freely flowing as well as some nice tapas. The views up to the floodlit castle were beautiful. Unfortunately photos are not too good, only had my phone with me, the one of me in the garden is terribly blurred, maybe just as well but you can still see a fairly inane grin, I think I was enjoying the evening!

Trip to Marvao and Castelo de Vide in Portugal

Size Matters?
The Menhir da Meada is the tallest in Iberia standing at over 7m. Wow!

clustered around the imosing hills are over 50 megalithic remains

 including dolmens, menhirs and cycloliths, making this one of the megalithic hot-spots of Portugal.

Extremadura with Five Senses- Gives a good impression of the wonderful nature

A SHORT BREAK IN SIERRA DE FRANCIA- CASTILLA -LEON

Miranda del Castañar, many houses painted with geometric designs

Sierra de Francia is an area bordering Las Hurdes in the north of Extremadura, it takes about 2 hours to reach from Finca al-manzil. Almost the whole area has been declared an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve,an area of outstanding natural beauty and cultural interest. We were certainly impressed by the gorgeous woodlands including a rich variety of trees; cork and ilex oaks, pine, alder, chestnut, beech and birch as well as numerous orchards of fruit trees, particularly cherry. As one winds around the lanes of the sierra there are stupendous vistas of the Gredos, still with snow at this time of the year.

Gredos

 A network of ancient paths connects the villages, very well signposted, easy walking through the woods and orchards but we were literally led along a primrose (and violet) path having been misdirected by a mischievous old man in blue overalls who emerged out of nowhere to send us off through a very wild wood which ended in a bog. I think he was duende, a goblin. Still it was a  lovely walk.

The villages themselves are delightful, they have a vivid resonance of a different age, almost all intact within the original walls, hardly any new development. Some of the houses are very ramshackle, almost ruinous, crumbling away in narrow twisting lanes. Peering into the dark, musty interiors gives a real feeling of past centuries, interesting to experience but maybe not to live in. The architecture is mainly wooden beam and lathe construction with brick and some stone. The history of the area is interesting. The villages were originally developed by Moors no doubt because of the abundant water and fertility of the land. Some of them remained after the reconquest in the XIII century becoming Mozarabes but continuing with traditions, particularly in the decorative arts and musical instruments.  Mozarabe influence can be seen in some church interiors and I think, rather fancifully maybe, that the bold geometric painting on some houses looks very Moroccan, these designs can be seen in Moroccan rugs, ceramics and clothing today. During the fiestas the traditional costumes of the women include extraordinary necklaces made of coral and amber with heavy filigree work, just as one still sees today at Moroccan festivities

 http://corrobladebailes.blogspot.com.es/2011/07/el-traje-de-vistas-albercano.html 

 After the reconquest the area was heavily re-populated with French families hence the many names in the area including "Francia".

San Martin del Castañar is a compact village with a stream running through it and a some castle walls now guarding the cemetery. The church of San Martin is from XIII century and has the most beautiful Mozarabe ceiling made of intricate wood carvings in geometric designs. The plaza del toros is very ancient and was originally the plaza de armas, the assembling area for the army guarding the castle. There is an unusual shop in the main plaza, you can just about see it below, a man carefully cultivates bonsai chestnut, oak and beech trees.

                                                                                    
Mogarraz is one of the more remote villages, not as visited, a rather creepy atmosphere of dilapidation, very haunting.

Something missing," bonum vinum laetificat cor hominis"
Yes, definitely!

                                                                                     

La Alberca is the most important village, famed for the quality of its jamon and choriço, they have a unique way of honouring the pig. Every year at a special fiesta one pig is saved from slaughter and made the pet of the whole village, he wanders freely around the streets and is fed and petted until the inevitable on the eve of the next year fiesta.  All the fiestas in the area are ancient and incredibly colourful, we are determined to go back in August when the most interesting ones take place.

Miranda del Castañar is in a beautiful situation on a ridge surrounded by woodland and approached through cherry orchards. The roofs make an intricate interlocking pattern of tiles. It was an important templar stronghold and there are may Maltese crosses on the buildings. It is contained within the original walls which are double in some places with secret alley ways in between. We visited an amazing old bodega now a shop,  Tienda Museo Bodega La Muralla.

Some of the original huge wine barrels were still in place from when it was first established in 1755.  It is under the street level at the entrance, the wine was piped through the walls and sold through a tap on the other side which was on a different level, apparently it was still functioning until 1940.

Unfortunately we were unable to visit the famed monastery of Peña de Francia as a deep mist had descended so it seemed pointless to accend to 1500 m, very chilly and no view. Next time.

We departed on the incredibly tortuous road from La Alberca that winds its way down the mountain in sharp hairpin bends, down to the gorgeous Batueca valley, a paradise of running water and dense green woodlands. It is still very remote but one can imagine how completely other- worldly it must have been before the road access. It was here that the order of Carmelitas Descalzos de Castilla built their monastery in 1599. It is known as Santo Desierto de San José de las Batuecas  http://monasteriodelasbatuecas.wordpress.com/el_monasterio/ 

The view of the monastery is stunning as one approaches down the valley, I was so looking forward to a good look around but it was not to be. The padres certainly didn't want to see me, all very well barred and bolted with a very unwelcoming sign..........how can they say there is nothing of interest to see, how arrogant and dismissive, really cross.

 They live such privileged lives, so few of them living in a gorgeous country estate supported heavily by the state, there should be at least a few open days every now and then if only to remind them of the real world and how little their "contemplative order" has any effect on the lives of us who have to live outside their ivory tower grrrrrrrr!

We wanted to come back to the finca through Las Hurdes and stopped off to look down upon the so called Meandros del Alagón,  a spectacular part of the river Alagón, even more dramatic now as the water has receded due to the drought exposing another layer to the meander.