Travel Diary 5

Well, today is Saturday I think!  This being on holiday business is not all it’s cut out to be. Especially when one is not wearing a watch which I deliberately left at home! And it is only every few days that whatever name the day has, becomes important. Something we’ve all experienced I’m sure.

The last three days have seen us move from France to Spain. From the South Western corner to the Atlantic Coast of the most Northern reaches of Spain. It has been interesting in seeing the progressive influence of Spain. Specifically, the Basque influence in this part of the world.

The Basque people won a form of independence some years ago although relatively recently. They have their own form of writing, spelling, language, culture and customs all of which are different to Spain. Pamplona is smack bang in the middle of Basque country. Rioja wines are renowned from this region and quite nice as well!! There is also grown the grape variety called Verdalja locally and Verdelho in Australia. Again quite nice. In fact I’ve just finished helping Kerrie knock off a bottle and by the looks of my typing so far, I’m going to definitely need spellcheck when I’ve finished!

Or I might finish tomorrow.

Anyway, 2 days since I put pen to paper as it were. Since leaving Bordeaux we have only travelled a maximum of 97kms in one day. What a difference in the driving capacity! During that time, we have stayed in and looked at Biarritz, Balboa, San Sebastian and tonight Santander.   

Now it’s 3 days. Got to Tordesillas late yesterday. By the time we had checked into the Camping ground, got settled and had dinner and another small red wine, I wasn’t up to writing anything. So yep! Now it’s 3 days!!

Tordesillas is a little town just south of Valladolid and apparently in the centre of Spain. It’s main claim to fame is that this is where the treaty between Spain and Portugal was signed concerning their division of the new world. Meaning, how we carve up South America and the Caribbean. For some reason that remains unknown, but I can imagine some monkish scribe getting jacked off over all the arguing and coming and going of the decision makers. Princes getting involved in stuff they knew nothing about. Bishops making sure they got their cut for the Church. Lawyers lawyering and arguing over detail. Deals getting made and what we said yesterday doesn’t apply anymore cause “we changed our minds” so please start that manuscript again Monk!

I can easily imagine him getting muddled and anyway he stuffed up! Well, so far as Spain went he did. You see he left Brazil off the map for Spain and let Portugal have it. That meant many more riches for Portugal over the years! Amazing isn’t it. In 600 years nothing much has changed. Public servants are still stuffing things up.

Not much is said of what happened to the monk either.  

To get there, we had driven 240kms through the Pyrenees and apart from a bit of strong wind buffeting us about and rain, all went well. Had a break at a truck stop for coffee and stretch and got served some free Tapas from a lovely lady behind the counter. So she got a Kiwi in return.

I was in NZ late last year and bought a bundle of Kiwi key rings. Each is covered in “fur” and is holding a Kiwi flag and stands about 50mm high. If you squeeze the back, the arms come apart so it can grip something as well. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to hand them to people who were just decent or fun or helpful people as a kind of thankyou gift. Very glad I did it too as they have bought a number of delighted smiles. Good to see!

I should also say that we have both been amazed at the level of help and cheerful assistance we have received. One kind expects you would get that amongst fellow travellers as there is a common interest. But to get that from shop keepers and people we approach on the street is just magic.

Yesterday, before we left Santander, we went shopping for something for dinner and to top up the water bottles and so on. We saw some cooked dishes in the deli and they looked nice. So I suggested to Kerrie we get a bit for dinner. After apologising to the man serving us that I didn’t know how to speak Spanish and him waving that off, we ordered two small lots. There was much pointing and smiles and holding up of fingers as one does, but we got there in the end and apart from enjoying it for dinner last night, the man serving us grabbed a box of biscuits and gave them to us! For no reason. He just did! Magic stuff as it bought huge smiles to our faces and we left with many “Muchos gracias senior” to which he responded with the ubiquitous “Da nada!”

Speaking of Spanish, well so to speak, well … not I any great way I can assure you! I learnt the most important thing phrase today. “Dos vinos biancos secos favour”. Now those of you who really know us will recognise that immediately – “Two white dry wines please!”.  Mind you, it only helps a little bit as one bloke tried to give us some sweet sherry instead. I realise that Sherry in some parts of Spain is considered a real delicacy and while it is an honour in some ways to have that happen, not in a bar thank you. And not when I have a distinct aversion to Sherry! We have locally produced wine to be a little bit more expensive than in France. Could just be a reflection of where or what we’ve bought and the difference is not great. One can buy red wine in France for around E3 – 4 per bottle and it is good drinking wine. The same in Spain seems to be about E5-6. Still pretty cheap.

I’m looking forward later on today in getting some of the local Temperanilla samples. This is the local stuff grown in central Spain and when I’ve tried it before from grapes grown in Queensland, I haven’t been overly impressed. But after my experience with the Merlot, I’m game to give most things a go!

On the way down we stopped at two towns for a look at their churches. The first was about 2kms and 5 roundabouts off the highway and is called Fromista. It is a very neat, quaint town and is geared up for busses and tourists due to being so close to the highway.

The main attraction is the church which was renovated in 1904 and having been first built in 1066, is a classic Romanesque structure. The interesting thing is that the gargoyles have both Christian and Pagan figures included. No explanation given, but really interesting to think about what the Catholic Church was up to allowing that to happen!! I know the Church “borrowed” feasting and pagan festival days for Saints Days and so on. Easter was originally was a Pagan holiday and was adopted by Christianity as a religious Festival as was All Saints Day and so on. Lots of examples really, but sharing gargoyle space??

From there, we drove another 28kms south to Palencia which we had been in minds about visiting, but it got the vote in the end. And I am so glad it did.

We entered Palencia from the North and drove past a hill with a massive statue of Christ on the top. Couldn’t find anywhere to stop on the main road and get a photo unfortunately. When we got into town, the place is dead and the streets are full of parked cars. Hardly a soul to be seen. Took a few moments to realise today is Sunday. Resting is taken literally obviously!

The real issue we had was parking, we drove around and around with Simon saying “Recalculating, Recalculating” ad infinitum until I asked Kerrie to turn that bloody Simon off will you! So in a bit more silence we kept driving. And driving and driving. Eventually we saw a large white P painted on a blue background and we cautiously drove up the street because I did not want to get up to find I couldn’t park or it was full and I couldn’t turn around! Happily to say, the gates were wide open, plenty of room and being Sunday, everything was free. You beauty!

We walked back to the centre of town and found the Church all locked up and looking the worse for wear. A sign told us that renovations were under way. A glance up to the belfry and clock tower told us it needed them. Bits had fallen off all over the place.

So we wandered on and for some reason we went back. Kerrie popped into a pub to find a loo and as we left the two barmaids came outside for a smoke. So I walked up to them and asked what time the church opened. They said 4 o’clock and I said too late for us. They then suggested why don’t you have look at the other church. It’s much better than this one.

Thank God they made that suggestion as it turned out.

We tried to walk our way following the directions from the two bar maids. Which, while really well meant, really meant pick a side street and follow it as they had little idea of where we had to go.

“Go down here and turn right and go. To end of street. You see. You see!” had been the extent of the instructions and after going to the end of the street and turning right we did not see. So … a police car was driving towards slowly, so I flagged him down and asked if either of them spoke English and No they definitely did not. But after a bit of perseverance and me Cathedral in what Kerrie says does not sound very Spanish at all, and pointing all around, one of the got the message and pointed us to the correct street with a blast of some of the fastest Spanish I’ve heard to date. And boy, that is saying something because they all speak fast!

After negotiating the barmaids and the police we found the Church on a medium sized square. It is very big from the outside and immensely old. Gothic spires everywhere and large ornately carved doorways and pillars. Bits of stone worn away and moss and plants growing out of some of the joins between the stone. Gargoyles have lost their faces and all in all, it looks depressing and seriously in need of a decent coat of paint. But, we found it was open to go inside.

We started to walk in and were abruptly accosted by a lady who said E8 please. We took this to be the entrance fee and not her personal collection, so we paid up. And I am so glad we did.

This place is awe inspiring. I cannot give justice to the magnificence of the inside of this old church. It is full of art works and carvings and tapestries and magnificent lead windows. It has a ceiling height of around 100 feet with vaulted arches and huge candle holders. There are 24 large pillars holding eh building up. Four rows of 6 pillars. Each pillar is 40 feet around the base. I know cause I stepped it out! The overall length of the inside has to be about 80 meters. There are any number of alcoves full of the most magnificent art and treasure. Huge mantels wrought in gold and silver or brass painted in gold leaf and the light filtering through the lead windows gives it a majesty all of its own.

I looked at Kerrie who was just staring, mouth opened. I felt so tiny and humbled in that place. Not because it is a Church, but more so, and maybe this is wrong, more so because of the display of unbelievable talent and workmanship. The years and years of graft to bring to life what was in some people’s minds and imagination. I cannot fathom how someone could actually imagine something like this in the first place. No wonder they call the period of time I history when things like this were being built, the renaissance or the golden period of religion.

But, you know what, despite the fact it is a modern thing to laugh off religion as old hat and especially the Catholic Church due to the poor publicity some of its priests have engendered due to child abuse, I do not believe we should judge all members of the Church like that.  Nor should the actions of a few ever define the attitudes of all.

In actual fact we have a lot to be thankful for to the likes of the Church. Simply, to begin with, there are thousands of people like Kerrie and I who have stood in the presence of greatness and been totally awed by the experience. And there will be many, many more thousands more who do that in the future.

And we have the Catholic Church to thank for that. Give credit where credit is due.

A couple of final notes about this. The pictures I took do not do this place justice. It is impossible to capture the breadth and impact it has on one. You stand looking at one item and the edge of your vision is being assailed by something even greater than what you are looking at. Secondly it was difficult for me to capture all this due to the lighting. A more experienced photographer would have done a better job I am sure. But, c’est la vie!! 

The Church is known as La Bella Desconocida or The Unknown Beauty. It was founded in the early 1500’s and has most of the artwork in it donated by a Bishop Fonseca. It boasts items painted and sculptured and designed by some of the best known artists of the time. And that includes the staircase leading down to the Visigothic crypt.

And to think, this Church doesn’t rank amongst the world’s best. I mean, how much better can they get????