It has been a long, hard year but finally we were setting off for Spain again on a long-anticipated trip to the north of the country.
The trip
The trip was planned with no overly-long car journeys and opportunities to take breaks and have a walk on the necessary journeys. The road in Spain are very good, especially between towns, but our days of going down rough country tracks are over because my back can’t take the jolting and bumping.
We have a mix of AirBnB accommodation and Paradores. Self-catering allows us to wash our clothes, explore the markets, and keeps the cost down. Staying in the Paradores are about being pampered – a reward for the tough year of 2023-24!
London to Portsmouth
Leaving London on a Friday afternoon was always going to be nightmare and it was compounded by the fact that the boat was only going to sail at midnight! We met friends along the way, which was good and then joined a large crowd waiting for the Santander Ferry.
We were called through much later than anticipated but priority boarding ensured there was no more waiting. At 12.30 we finally sat down to calm ourselves with a medicinal glass.
On the boat
The crossing was flat calm and very quiet, and breakfast was very good. That was followed by a brief walk and feet up time, tea and more feet up time, and finally supper.
Arriving in Santander
The Ferry arrived on time in Santander, the ramp went down at 8.00am, and by 8.15 we were on the motorway outside the town. The pampas grass was abundant all along the road and very beautiful. We took the motorway towards Torrelavega, and then doubled back onto the Bilbao road. This was the same route we followed in 2023.
Soon we turned off the motorways and started down the N623, a magical road across the mountains, to Burgos. It was cold, 11C, and the mist hung low over the hills and amongst the trees, but it was very beautiful. Then the road started climbing steeply to the Puerto del Escudo at 3,500 feet
Breakfast!
And so to our first stop at Corconte, on the Reservoir of the Ebro River. The reservoir was built in 1952 and is one of the largest reservoirs in Spain. However, the water is still way below optimum levels. La Conchita served us with scrambled eggs, wonderful croissants, and strong coffee – it was good. We took a little walk, enjoying very clean air, and then set off again.
On the plateau
The next section of the road is a high plateau, covered with grasses, gorse and heathers, and small holm oak trees, some dripping with lichen. we stopped to try and look down into the Ebro gorges because we remembered deep canyons from a previous trip, but chose the wrong spot – however, there were plenty of holm oak trees.
Gorges of the Rudron River
These gorges are probably the most spectacular part of the drive, and I would have loved to linger, but we were both tired and there was still much to be done in the day.
Vivar del Cid
We had booked a place in the car park under the Plaza Mayor and were a little early so stopped briefly in Vivar del Cid, the birthplace of El Cid.
Burgos
The drive into Burgos was easy, we found the parking under the Plaza Mayor, took all the luggage to the flat and sat down to a cup of tea. Then we had a short walk to stretch our legs, visited the shop below the flat for the necessary supplies, enjoyed an excellent bottle of white wine from Rueda, and enjoyed the view from the living room…
We were finally off to Spain after a hard year with no breaks. What a wonderful place to start a trip, gazing out at Burgos Cathedral in the evening!
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