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Escapism, Dangerous Driving, Washington Irving and Free Tapas

Today I escaped, practiced some dodgy manoeuvres and nifty swerves then finished my jaunt with a lone beer and free tapas while watching Spanish life pass by in the white-washed town of Montefrio.

It all started with a sedate and solemn trip to Granada airport to make sure my aging parents were safely boarded for their homeward bound voyage to England and East Midlands airport. I’d bid my youngest son goodnight at 4pm! “But it won’t take you that long to get back” he said. Ah - but I had it all planned – a perfect opportunity to escape, get some “me time” back again and avoid the teatime/bedtime tussles.

I took a very long scenic way home! I had hubby’s approval, so leaving the airport and main roads far behind I headed towards the town of Illora. Its approach seemed quite promising; I swerved into a pull-in, jumped out and took a photo and then followed the castle signs up the hill. The road narrowed, zigzagged, climbed and then left the town.

The castle was nowhere to be seen! So with a little dodgy reversing I spotted an old lady sitting sewing on her doorstep, she confirmed that I had indeed missed the castle but said if I carried on around the bend I would be able to see down to where it was!

That appealed, but having seen where it was I didn’t feel like going back down again and so, followed the signs onwards and upwards as Washington Irving had done. I followed his route towards Montefrio, which means Cold Mountain – I’d chosen the wrong time of year. It was scorching - a misty heat haze arose from the faded tarmac roads.

Crested larks grazed the car bonnet, long grasses and wild flowers that had begun to show signs of wilting, swayed in the breeze. The views opened up forever and only the mist of heat cut short the vista, this is where my driving became dangerous!

Sharp bends sprang up, pull-ins materialized from nowhere and there was always a photo that needed taking I couldn’t help feeling that Washington Irving had it easier!

Irving, the North-American romantic writer and diplomat traveled this very route between Seville, Malaga and Granada in 1849. Illora and Montefrio were little sorties off his main itinerary. Irving was fascinated by the exotic charm that the Hispano-Muslim civilization had left behind. With its melting pot of different cultures, dramatic scenery,fortresses, bullfights and highwaymen Andalucía became the in place for travelers from the middle of the 19th century.

Rounding a huge curve in the road, Montefrio with its castle on a rocky protruding outcrop dominated the scene, a necessity stop made exploring the town obligatory.

The hilly white-washed town snuggles around the base of the rocky crag, not the original town which was within the city walls on the outcrop. This is a land that has been inhabited since Neolithic times, but it’s the handiwork of the Moors that reigns.

Narrow cobbled streets and shops that are recognizable by smell rather than signs, and the curious looks tell me this is not on the normal tourist track. I explored the casco historico, nodded buenas tardes to those watchers on their doorstep, asked for directions more than once, and began to wonder if my internal GPS was broken. My feet too were relieved to spot my car and a bar side-by-side.

Free tapas and a long cold beer for 1 Euro went down far too quickly and the long and winding road home now beckoned. I sighed, watched another three-legged Spanish dog amble by and an ancient Land Rover park, smack bang on the zebra crossing outside a bar - which the driver entered.

I drove homewards into a most spectacular sunset, approached Alcala la Real from a direction I'd not seen before, and acknowledged that I live in a most beautiful part of the world. I gave thanks to be able to escape and explore it– without family or with!

Copyright RLW 2008

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