Wandering with Wilf

 Lazy breakfast of croissant from the adjacent supermarket whilst we play ‘peekaboo’ with the baby in the next van.  Both of us feel said to leave Segovia but the time has come… we are keen to look at a viewpoint mentioned at the tourist office so drive towards town, passing directly in front of the aqueduct. We initially took a road behind the castle heading up towards the old town but keen not to get stuck in narrow streets we turned around but stopped at some viewpoint lay-bys to admire the castle. We then pull over in front of the hermitage just as the road curved out of town as we noticed a path up the hill. This was a good spot. The path was steep in parts and a bit of a challenge first thing, but the views across yo the castle, the cathedral and the old town were amazing, especially as those snow covered mountains were back in view. Segovia really is a beautiful city and having all this countryside right alongside is such a treat. Definitely more to explore here and we’...

 Bright sunshine , so much clearer than the weather forecast had us believe! Last night was really cold though, got down towards freezing which is a shock after warmer weather for a while.  Breakfast at the van then into town. This time walking along ‘the walls’ aware that it is the start of the aqueduct making the journey in seem even shorter.  After arriving at the main aqueduct site  Gate Puerto San Antonio Wall museum Alcazar , tower Museum Lower path and gardens Aqueduct Square  Wine  Aqueduct sadness Van  Miles so far:  Steps today: 18,236 Overnight: 2nd night at bullring carpark, Segovia, free

Beautiful sunny morning. G woke early and I was keen to doze so took himself off around the village for look around. As noted yesterday it’s small, pretty and alpine looking but very quiet, no shop or bar and a storks nest on the village square. Appears to be lots of good walking from here so noted for a future visit.. great stop! Been lovely having quiet nights in the countryside but downside is no shower so a full bucket wash using the spring water source in the car park ( after warming it!). Packed up and last look round to discover there’s a stork landed right behind the van. Their strutting walk is funny to watch so that’s what I do for a bit. Drive out through the village which still feels like we are missing a major road as many streets are the same width as the van. We retrace our steps to Rascafria which is decidedly bigger with shops and restaurants but looks like it’s in ‘off season’ mode as most are closed. Then back on our mountain road again. It’s a beautiful day , clear ...

I had a really bad night but no fault of the location which was excellent! Woke to little more than birdsong, had a cuppa and decided to do the ‘faces’ trail before day trippers started to arrive. As we were leaving the guardia civil arrived and knocked on the ‘nomad’ van which was parked fully on the forest and had furniture out, not sure if there was a fine but there was definitely an insistence on moving which made us glad we’d stuck to the tarmac last night. The trail wasn’t very long but was a lovely wind through the trees down towards the edge of the reservoir. Before we’d even left the carpark we’d spent ten minutes watching a pair of very cute red squirrels. There were numerous bird species and sunshine too! The stone faces themselves were quite variable in quality but added interest and structure the route. Grouped in three sets there were 5-7 in each carved into the natural boulders though it appeared to have encouraged some less skilled unofficial marks in between too!  ...

Bit of a misty start but the sun rises at the back windows and the cuckoo is singing again. Lovely quiet night though the weir did sound a little like someone had left a fan heater on!  I’m feeling a little ‘off colour’ when we wake. Not sure today will be a busy day. We’ve decided to trundle on along the river for a bit and drive to the ‘Devil’s window’ a viewpoint that’s only fifteen minutes or so away and has an incredible view along another gorge created by the Jucar river. First a brief stop in the local ‘supermarket’ a bit like an out of season campsite shop with empty shelves and packs of hair bands… but got the water and bread we needed.  The Ventano de Diablo is reached through an eroded hole in the cliff (the window) and opens up a really unexpected view. It’s very easy to access from the roadside so there are a constant stream of Saturday tourists popping through to look. We spend some time with the binoculars and as well as numerous crag martins, get very excited i...

 Wake quite early to the sound of the river beside us and not much else… it’s really peaceful considering how many vans are here. No rude awakening so looks like the rumours about change of conditions were false. Quick breakfast then the walk into old Cuenca. It starts off very gently with a riverside path but then becomes a huge staircase over the waterfall and up to the town.  Having emerged through a tunnel and onto a road it’s apparent the climb doesn’t finish there. At the Placa Major we pause for a bit to pick up a map from the tourist information office and admire the beast of a cathedral that is the main presence in the old town centre.  Our first stop is the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art at Casa Colgadas (free entry) which is one of the famous ‘hanging houses. If this was the only thing we’d seen today it would have felt like a worthwhile stop. Notwithstanding the art itself the building is absolutely beautiful. The Foundation has created stunning spaces that ar...