After two nights in Barcelona we picked up a rental car and
made the 6 hour drive towards Madrid, reaching Navacerrada in the early
evening. We had a minor panic on the way when the Tomtom battery went flat and
we had no map. There was no power coming
from the cigarette lighter socket, so we stopped a Citroen dealer in a small
town called Fraga. No-one spoke any English.
Initially we couldn’t even open the bonnet (why do Ford have to be different
and hide the catch behind the badge on the grille?). Then the mechanic couldn’t find the
fuses. We were referred to an auto-electrician who made
a phone call to the Ford dealer, and 2 minutes later were on our way again. We
have no paper maps, and learnt to rely on the GPS which is amazing and
essential in the busy roads getting in and out of cities.
Antonio and Alicia, who have just arrived home from their
year in NZ, had us to stay in their home in Navacerrada. This hill-side town is only an hour from
Madrid and is a popular holiday resort, with mountain walks, rock-climbing, and
in winter, skiing. In only a few minutes
drive Antonio has over 4000 rock climbs to choose from. Short boulder problems
to 5 rope-length walls, with a variety of slabs, cracks, and traditional
routes.
Having left climbing gear back in NZ we were content to do a
walking circuit around La Pedriza, and climbed the most spectacular rock, El
Yelmo (1716m), by its easiest route. The
views are spectacular and there are there is a seemingly endless vista of
granite outcrops. After 5 hours we
completed the round-trip to the van, just in time as the sole was coming off
Dara’s boot. Alicia used the skin
stapler in her first-aid kit to very effectively fix it back on for the last
few kilometres.
Following a brief siesta we drove through the mountains,
over a 1850m pass, to the medieval city of Segovia. While relatively unknown out of Spain, and
hardly a mention in the Lonely Planet guide, this beautiful old town is a
treat. It has a perfectly preserved
Roman aquaduct, which is amazing. It is
hard to imagine something of this scale and durability could be built today,
with modern equipment and knowledge, let alone 2000 years ago. There is also an imposing castle, built on the
remains of a Roman fort, and the typical massive church. Segovia is famous for
its food, the specialty being a whole cooked piglet, called a cochinillo. The local wine and tapas are delicious.
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