SPAIN
OCTOBER AND DECEMBER
2015
My new caravan was delivered in the third week of September and I left for Spain and Portugal via the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry on 7 October.
I had no definite program in mind but intended quickly to travel down the peninsula to spend most time on or near the Algarve where I hoped it would be pleasantly warm and dry.
MOORS, CHRISTIANS AND HERESIES
In Cuba, the phrase "moors and christians" refers to the common and simple dish of black beans and white rice that is the staple diet of many people in the country.
This is a throwback to the period when Berber peoples from North Africa (Moors) invaded and occupied most of Spain pushing back the Christian inhabitants to the remote coasts, the Pyrenees, and beyond.
Moorish Invasion and Government
The invasion started around 700 AD and settlement ended just before 1500 when the last Emirate - (Granada) - surrendered to the victorious Christians who had already reconquered the northern and central territories.
The first political structure of the Moors was one of local rule by Emirs governed directly by the Caliph in Damascus.
Emir literally means "Commander" and in the first instance that's what the ones in Spain must have been - Warlords in modern parlance - though the meaning of Emir later evolved to imply something akin to Royalty - Prince often being quoted as the nearest Western equivalent.
Caliph literally means "Successor" and refers to the supreme leader of Islam in succession to Mohammed.
The choice of first Successor was disputed after Mohammed's death. One group of his companions (later followers were called Sunni) believed the appointment should be made after discussion between them, whereas another group (later followers were called Shia) believed Mohammed had nominated his son-in-law Ali who had been chosen by Allah, and that Ali's blood line descendants should follow him as Leader.
In 632 the Sunni prevailed and appointed Abu Bakr, the father of one of Mohammed's wives, as the first Caliph. But neither Ali nor his later followers fully accepted the appointment was valid and the dispute has raged ever since, often with rivals simultaneously claiming to be Supreme Leader and sometimes with Caliphates being overthrown and replaced by new ones from the other faction.
Such a change happened soon after the invasion of Iberia with new rivals in Iraq and North Africa claiming to be the Caliph, leaving the Emirs in Spain with no single clear Leader of the faith.
Threatened in the early 900s with invasion by the North African faction the Emir of Cordoba decided to claim the title himself and this helped him win support in Iberia and repulse the North Africans.
In Spain the title survived for about 100 years and this period became known as the Caliphate of Cordoba. This is reckoned to be the high point of Muslim civilisation in Iberia when many advances in technology and culture were made and many famous buildings erected.
When the third Caliph of Cordoba died his successors fell out with the descendants of his principal advisor and civil war ensued. The Caliphate never recovered and broke up into a large number of individually weak Taifas (small emirates).
Christian Response and Reconquista
Over the same period the Christians were initially scattered but subsequently regrouped in the north and west in the form of many small and separate kingdoms - Asturias, Galicia, Castille, Léon, Aragon, Catalonia, Navarre, Valencia etc.
In the early stages Portugal too was over-run by the Moors but later became a County in the Kingdom of Galicia (and later still was subsumed into the Kingdom of Léon that was itself absorbed by Castille in due course).
Like other Christian regions the Portuguese were constantly fighting the Moors and after a great victory at Ourique in 1139 Alfonso Henriques was declared King of Portugal by his troops. He was recognised as an independent monarch by the King of Léon in 1143.
Portugal won back its complete independence and expanded its territory southward in 1249 whilst there were still multiple Kingdoms in the rest of Iberia, some Christian and some Muslim.
By the first half of the 15th Century some Christian Kingdoms had merged with others, Castille and Aragon had become the two leading powers, and most of the Taifas had been defeated with their territories and populations absorbed by the resurgent Christians.
Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon married in 1469 and ruled as joint monarchs - formally each retained full control in their respective Kingdoms but in practice they ruled together with Isabella tending to lead in political matters and Ferdinand in Military ones. Their union made them the dominant Christian power in Iberia and ultimately led to the single Kingdom of Spain.
An immediate result of the marriage was to invigorate the final phase of the long-desired Reconquista, or expulsion of the Moors. This was effectively achieved at the very end of 1491 when the Treaty of Granada was signed.
Continuing Moorish Influence
The Moors were in control of so much of Iberia for so long they had a huge cultural influence long after their military defeat - in architecture, literature, science, agriculture and language.
Moorish architecture in Spain has long been admired but I was fascinated to learn of their influence in other fields. Literally as it happens since large areas of dry land were made fertile through use of Berber improvements to Roman irrigation techniques. They also introduced many new crops - oranges, lemons, aubergines, artichokes, spices, bananas, almonds, sugar-cane, cotton, rice, figs etc; and made significant advances in Literature, Science and Technology.
Creation of the Spanish Inquisition and the Persecution of Jews
Isabella and Ferdinand didn't have an easy time governing their kingdoms and getting aristocrats, church leaders and the general population to respect their rule were major objectives.
One problem they faced was an increasing trend for Jews who had converted to Christianity after coming under Spanish rule to revert to Judaism. In 1478 they asked for a Papal Bull to be issued allowing them to create their own system of religious courts to root out this heresy and to replace the existing Medieval Inquisition under the Pope's control.
The Pope agreed and gave permission for such courts to be set up under the guidance of two to three priests to be appointed by Isabella and Ferdinand (apparently the inside story was that Ferdinand threatened to withdraw military support for the Pope in a conflict with the Turks unless he agreed to the Spanish request).
In 1483 a council to administer the courts was created with Tomas de Torquémada as its president - and so the Spanish Inquisition was created. In 1492 and partly as a result of enquiries by the Inquisition all practicing Jews were expelled from Spain.
Persecution of Muslims
After the recovery of Granada thousands of arab manuscripts were publicly burned and many Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity. Leaving the country was also an option but doing so was difficult because families and friends had been living closely with one another for decades and many didn't have anywhere to go or enough money to pay the fee demanded by the authorities and expenses needed for the journey.
As might have been expected the result was that not many left, some genuinely did convert and others pretended to whilst secretly continuing to practise the Islamic faith.
Trouble was being stoked and burst into the flames of insurrection in 1499 and again in 1567 when Phillip II made Arab speech illegal and forbade the use of Islamic dress religion and customs. His son who became Phillip III went one step further and in 1609 issued an edict that all Muslims should be expelled from Spain - observed in some places but less so in others where Muslims and Christians were more highly integrated with one another.
In some places there was a high concentration of ethnic Muslims who played a prominent part in the local economy. Their loss due to dispersion and expulsion from Aragon is said to have contributed to that Kingdom's waning power and the supremacy of Castille.
Expeditions to the New World and Spain as dominant World Power
Reverting in this narrative to the 15th Century it is interesting to note Isabella and Ferdinand frequently moved their court around the country from city to city to reinforce their authority and influence over the entire country whilst Burgos remained their capital (it was their great grandson Phillip II who moved the capital to Madrid in 1561).
Isabella was also notable in 1491 as the sponsor of Columbus' 1492 expedition to the New World after the rulers of his native Italy and Portugal had declined to do so and she herself had refused twice before.
Discoveries in the New World by Columbus and those who came after him - Vespucci, Nunez de Balboa, Ponce de Léon, Cortez, Pizzaro and all the rest - were the source of the great wealth sent back to Spain that thus became the leading World Power for a time.
One consequence of this was that Isabella and Ferdinand's children and grandchildren formed marriages and alliances with the ruling families in most of the other European countries. That in turn led to all the modern monarchs in Europe including not only Spain but also Elizabeth of England and the Kings or Queens of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands numbering Isabella and Frederick amongst their ancestors.
BURGOS
I chose the ferry route and timing to reach Bilbao in the morning of 8 October with enough time to drive to Burgos in daylight and had booked a pitch there for one night.
The Camping Fuentes Blancas site covers quite a large area but with pitches designed for motor-homes that are a little small for towed vans. It is located in a municipal park close to the river Arlenzon with cycle paths to the city centre that's only a 15 minute ride away.
I changed my original plan so I could stay longer and cycle in to see the Cathedral and other parts of the modern city and to make a shopping expedition by car.
Burgos was the capital of Castille between the 10th and 15th centuries. It was on the Pilgrim Route to Santiago de Compostella and has a magnificent Cathedral of its own, designed by French architects and built in the 13th Century though extensively modified 200-300 years later. It is now designated as a World Heritage Centre.
Burgos Cathedral
Modern Burgos is a large town with much traffic but also with wide boulevards and broad walkways. To English eyes it is mostly built vertically with many huge blocks, several stories high and often pretty self-contained with shops and offices as well as residential apartments contained within them - they are called "Barrios" which means - "Neighbourhoods".
SALAMANCA
At an altitude of 2,600 feet Salamanca is one of the highest cities on Spain's Meseta Central, the extensive plateau covering much of the Peninsula's land area. It is cold in winter and hot in summer with average temperatures ranging from below freezing to 30°C and records from - 15°C to + 40°C.
The city was founded before the Romans arrived in Iberia, probably by Celtic peoples in the 4th Century BC and was successfully besieged by Hannibal around 220 BC. In Roman times it lay on the road running north-south across the high plateau and known as the Via de la Plata connecting Mérida with Astorga. The road crossed the river Tormes on a bridge constructed in the first century AD parts of which can still be seen today.
The city was captured by the Moors in the 8th century and was severely depopulated in the frequent battles with Christians until recaptured and resettled by Alfonso of Léon in the 11th Century.
A University was established in the 12th Century and became one of the great European centres of learning by the 15th.
The Battle of Salamanca in 1812 was an important event during the Napoleonic wars when the British and French armies faced one another with about 50,000 soldiers each. Wellington won a decisive victory here with considerable bloodshed as there were about 5,000 British and 14,000 French casualties.
During the Spanish civil war the city was used as the Nationalist Headquarters and Franco was declared Generalissimo whilst staying there.
Today there are very few reminders of Moorish rule but the old city is a World Heritage Site and has a fine Plaza Major and many medieval Religious and University buildings.
I had visited the city to see the sights with my wife many years ago and was in any case keen to get farther south as quickly as possible. So on this occasion I stayed for only one night at a camp site on the outskirts of the city near the motorway.
Even though it was still October there were very few other campers and it was pretty chilly though warm enough inside the van with the heater working - I was glad I wasn't in a tent though!
PORTUGUESE INTERMISSION
I moved into Portugal after leaving Salamanca and will be posting separately about my time there so this continues with my return to Spain after leaving the Algarve.
NORTH EAST ANDALUSIA
I had no definite program in mind but intended quickly to travel down the peninsula to spend most time on or near the Algarve where I hoped it would be pleasantly warm and dry.
MOORS, CHRISTIANS AND HERESIES
In Cuba, the phrase "moors and christians" refers to the common and simple dish of black beans and white rice that is the staple diet of many people in the country.
This is a throwback to the period when Berber peoples from North Africa (Moors) invaded and occupied most of Spain pushing back the Christian inhabitants to the remote coasts, the Pyrenees, and beyond.
Moorish Invasion and Government
The invasion started around 700 AD and settlement ended just before 1500 when the last Emirate - (Granada) - surrendered to the victorious Christians who had already reconquered the northern and central territories.
The first political structure of the Moors was one of local rule by Emirs governed directly by the Caliph in Damascus.
Emir literally means "Commander" and in the first instance that's what the ones in Spain must have been - Warlords in modern parlance - though the meaning of Emir later evolved to imply something akin to Royalty - Prince often being quoted as the nearest Western equivalent.
Caliph literally means "Successor" and refers to the supreme leader of Islam in succession to Mohammed.
The choice of first Successor was disputed after Mohammed's death. One group of his companions (later followers were called Sunni) believed the appointment should be made after discussion between them, whereas another group (later followers were called Shia) believed Mohammed had nominated his son-in-law Ali who had been chosen by Allah, and that Ali's blood line descendants should follow him as Leader.
In 632 the Sunni prevailed and appointed Abu Bakr, the father of one of Mohammed's wives, as the first Caliph. But neither Ali nor his later followers fully accepted the appointment was valid and the dispute has raged ever since, often with rivals simultaneously claiming to be Supreme Leader and sometimes with Caliphates being overthrown and replaced by new ones from the other faction.
Such a change happened soon after the invasion of Iberia with new rivals in Iraq and North Africa claiming to be the Caliph, leaving the Emirs in Spain with no single clear Leader of the faith.
Threatened in the early 900s with invasion by the North African faction the Emir of Cordoba decided to claim the title himself and this helped him win support in Iberia and repulse the North Africans.
In Spain the title survived for about 100 years and this period became known as the Caliphate of Cordoba. This is reckoned to be the high point of Muslim civilisation in Iberia when many advances in technology and culture were made and many famous buildings erected.
When the third Caliph of Cordoba died his successors fell out with the descendants of his principal advisor and civil war ensued. The Caliphate never recovered and broke up into a large number of individually weak Taifas (small emirates).
Christian Response and Reconquista
Over the same period the Christians were initially scattered but subsequently regrouped in the north and west in the form of many small and separate kingdoms - Asturias, Galicia, Castille, Léon, Aragon, Catalonia, Navarre, Valencia etc.
In the early stages Portugal too was over-run by the Moors but later became a County in the Kingdom of Galicia (and later still was subsumed into the Kingdom of Léon that was itself absorbed by Castille in due course).
Like other Christian regions the Portuguese were constantly fighting the Moors and after a great victory at Ourique in 1139 Alfonso Henriques was declared King of Portugal by his troops. He was recognised as an independent monarch by the King of Léon in 1143.
Portugal won back its complete independence and expanded its territory southward in 1249 whilst there were still multiple Kingdoms in the rest of Iberia, some Christian and some Muslim.
By the first half of the 15th Century some Christian Kingdoms had merged with others, Castille and Aragon had become the two leading powers, and most of the Taifas had been defeated with their territories and populations absorbed by the resurgent Christians.
Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon married in 1469 and ruled as joint monarchs - formally each retained full control in their respective Kingdoms but in practice they ruled together with Isabella tending to lead in political matters and Ferdinand in Military ones. Their union made them the dominant Christian power in Iberia and ultimately led to the single Kingdom of Spain.
An immediate result of the marriage was to invigorate the final phase of the long-desired Reconquista, or expulsion of the Moors. This was effectively achieved at the very end of 1491 when the Treaty of Granada was signed.
Continuing Moorish Influence
The Moors were in control of so much of Iberia for so long they had a huge cultural influence long after their military defeat - in architecture, literature, science, agriculture and language.
Moorish architecture in Spain has long been admired but I was fascinated to learn of their influence in other fields. Literally as it happens since large areas of dry land were made fertile through use of Berber improvements to Roman irrigation techniques. They also introduced many new crops - oranges, lemons, aubergines, artichokes, spices, bananas, almonds, sugar-cane, cotton, rice, figs etc; and made significant advances in Literature, Science and Technology.
Creation of the Spanish Inquisition and the Persecution of Jews
Isabella and Ferdinand didn't have an easy time governing their kingdoms and getting aristocrats, church leaders and the general population to respect their rule were major objectives.
One problem they faced was an increasing trend for Jews who had converted to Christianity after coming under Spanish rule to revert to Judaism. In 1478 they asked for a Papal Bull to be issued allowing them to create their own system of religious courts to root out this heresy and to replace the existing Medieval Inquisition under the Pope's control.
The Pope agreed and gave permission for such courts to be set up under the guidance of two to three priests to be appointed by Isabella and Ferdinand (apparently the inside story was that Ferdinand threatened to withdraw military support for the Pope in a conflict with the Turks unless he agreed to the Spanish request).
In 1483 a council to administer the courts was created with Tomas de Torquémada as its president - and so the Spanish Inquisition was created. In 1492 and partly as a result of enquiries by the Inquisition all practicing Jews were expelled from Spain.
Persecution of Muslims
After the recovery of Granada thousands of arab manuscripts were publicly burned and many Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity. Leaving the country was also an option but doing so was difficult because families and friends had been living closely with one another for decades and many didn't have anywhere to go or enough money to pay the fee demanded by the authorities and expenses needed for the journey.
As might have been expected the result was that not many left, some genuinely did convert and others pretended to whilst secretly continuing to practise the Islamic faith.
Trouble was being stoked and burst into the flames of insurrection in 1499 and again in 1567 when Phillip II made Arab speech illegal and forbade the use of Islamic dress religion and customs. His son who became Phillip III went one step further and in 1609 issued an edict that all Muslims should be expelled from Spain - observed in some places but less so in others where Muslims and Christians were more highly integrated with one another.
In some places there was a high concentration of ethnic Muslims who played a prominent part in the local economy. Their loss due to dispersion and expulsion from Aragon is said to have contributed to that Kingdom's waning power and the supremacy of Castille.
Expeditions to the New World and Spain as dominant World Power
Reverting in this narrative to the 15th Century it is interesting to note Isabella and Ferdinand frequently moved their court around the country from city to city to reinforce their authority and influence over the entire country whilst Burgos remained their capital (it was their great grandson Phillip II who moved the capital to Madrid in 1561).
Isabella was also notable in 1491 as the sponsor of Columbus' 1492 expedition to the New World after the rulers of his native Italy and Portugal had declined to do so and she herself had refused twice before.
Discoveries in the New World by Columbus and those who came after him - Vespucci, Nunez de Balboa, Ponce de Léon, Cortez, Pizzaro and all the rest - were the source of the great wealth sent back to Spain that thus became the leading World Power for a time.
One consequence of this was that Isabella and Ferdinand's children and grandchildren formed marriages and alliances with the ruling families in most of the other European countries. That in turn led to all the modern monarchs in Europe including not only Spain but also Elizabeth of England and the Kings or Queens of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands numbering Isabella and Frederick amongst their ancestors.
BURGOS
I chose the ferry route and timing to reach Bilbao in the morning of 8 October with enough time to drive to Burgos in daylight and had booked a pitch there for one night.
The Camping Fuentes Blancas site covers quite a large area but with pitches designed for motor-homes that are a little small for towed vans. It is located in a municipal park close to the river Arlenzon with cycle paths to the city centre that's only a 15 minute ride away.
I changed my original plan so I could stay longer and cycle in to see the Cathedral and other parts of the modern city and to make a shopping expedition by car.
Burgos was the capital of Castille between the 10th and 15th centuries. It was on the Pilgrim Route to Santiago de Compostella and has a magnificent Cathedral of its own, designed by French architects and built in the 13th Century though extensively modified 200-300 years later. It is now designated as a World Heritage Centre.
Burgos Cathedral
Burgos was also the home of El Cid the legendary 11th Century warrior who fought in the Moorish wars. The Cathedral contains his tomb as well as many sculptures, paintings and manuscripts by famous artists.
Modern Burgos is a large town with much traffic but also with wide boulevards and broad walkways. To English eyes it is mostly built vertically with many huge blocks, several stories high and often pretty self-contained with shops and offices as well as residential apartments contained within them - they are called "Barrios" which means - "Neighbourhoods".
A Burgos Barrio
Its not always easy to find the shops you're looking for - a supermarket in my case on a trip by car - as they often have a small entrance with extensive shopping aisles, shelves and so on once you're in the building.
Nor is it obvious how and where to park as dedicated car-parks are rare and instead there's often a double line of cars in the street with one row facing the pavement and a second row closer to the centre of the road and parallel to it.
Parking technique is interesting as I discovered on returning from the shop. Upon arrival I had found one of the spaces facing the pavement in the inner line of cars. Now I was blocked-in by a car in the second line facing along the street and there was no sign of the driver or indication of when he might return.
I stood there for several minutes scratching my head and wondering how long I'd have to wait before I could move my car. A passer-by saw my frustration and revealed the secret - cars in the outer row are parked with their doors locked but out of gear with the handbrake off and the steering wheels in the "straight-ahead" position - all that's needed is a gentle push along the street to move them one kerb space along and then the inner car can easily move out!
Parking technique is interesting as I discovered on returning from the shop. Upon arrival I had found one of the spaces facing the pavement in the inner line of cars. Now I was blocked-in by a car in the second line facing along the street and there was no sign of the driver or indication of when he might return.
I stood there for several minutes scratching my head and wondering how long I'd have to wait before I could move my car. A passer-by saw my frustration and revealed the secret - cars in the outer row are parked with their doors locked but out of gear with the handbrake off and the steering wheels in the "straight-ahead" position - all that's needed is a gentle push along the street to move them one kerb space along and then the inner car can easily move out!
SALAMANCA
At an altitude of 2,600 feet Salamanca is one of the highest cities on Spain's Meseta Central, the extensive plateau covering much of the Peninsula's land area. It is cold in winter and hot in summer with average temperatures ranging from below freezing to 30°C and records from - 15°C to + 40°C.
The city was founded before the Romans arrived in Iberia, probably by Celtic peoples in the 4th Century BC and was successfully besieged by Hannibal around 220 BC. In Roman times it lay on the road running north-south across the high plateau and known as the Via de la Plata connecting Mérida with Astorga. The road crossed the river Tormes on a bridge constructed in the first century AD parts of which can still be seen today.
The city was captured by the Moors in the 8th century and was severely depopulated in the frequent battles with Christians until recaptured and resettled by Alfonso of Léon in the 11th Century.
A University was established in the 12th Century and became one of the great European centres of learning by the 15th.
The Battle of Salamanca in 1812 was an important event during the Napoleonic wars when the British and French armies faced one another with about 50,000 soldiers each. Wellington won a decisive victory here with considerable bloodshed as there were about 5,000 British and 14,000 French casualties.
During the Spanish civil war the city was used as the Nationalist Headquarters and Franco was declared Generalissimo whilst staying there.
Today there are very few reminders of Moorish rule but the old city is a World Heritage Site and has a fine Plaza Major and many medieval Religious and University buildings.
Plaza Major
I had visited the city to see the sights with my wife many years ago and was in any case keen to get farther south as quickly as possible. So on this occasion I stayed for only one night at a camp site on the outskirts of the city near the motorway.
Even though it was still October there were very few other campers and it was pretty chilly though warm enough inside the van with the heater working - I was glad I wasn't in a tent though!
PORTUGUESE INTERMISSION
I moved into Portugal after leaving Salamanca and will be posting separately about my time there so this continues with my return to Spain after leaving the Algarve.
NORTH EAST ANDALUSIA
The eastern border between Portugal and Spain runs north up the middle of the river Guadiana from its low-lying and marshy estuary a little west of the ancient Spanish port of Huelva.
The Spanish coast continues in a large arc turning through 90° until it runs south past the estuary of the Guadalquiver river to Cadiz and beyond until reaching the Straits of Gibraltar (Pillars of Hercules in ancient times).
The land and seascapes between the two rivers, particularly around the mouth of the Guadalquiver, have changed very markedly over the last few thousand years because of silt brought down by the rivers and sand washed up by the sea and winter storms.
Around the start of the Christian era the coast was much farther inland and the river was navigable as far as Cordoba.
The coast had moved farther out to sea by Isabella and Ferdinand's time and Cordoba became landlocked. Even though the city is 50miles upriver from the coast Seville then took over as a major port and became the only city licensed to unload treasures from the New World - it grew very rich and grand in the process.
Nowadays most commercial shipping uses Cadiz though there are still marinas for pleasure craft in Seville. (But when Alchemi sailed the Algarve and Spanish Coasts in 1998 I visited Seville to see the city and Flamenco Dancing from a marina on the coast - I think it was at Solmares, just inside the river Carreras south west of Huelva but need to check my log-books to be sure).
Cadiz is often claimed to be the oldest city in Europe and was originally called Gadir by the Phoenicians who founded it around 1100BC (Phoenicians is their Greek name - they were called Canaanites in Biblical times) .
The area was certainly known to the ancient Greeks, and after them the Romans, who called the region Tartessus. It seems likely indigenous people were living there and had already discovered minerals before the Phoenecians first arrived.
Some believe Tartessus was the Biblical city of Tarshish and others that it was the fabled city of Atlantis.
No civic remains have been found though the search continues with people looking in an imaginary circle passing through Huelva and Cadiz and taking in a lot of the hinterland as well. Several burial sites have been found and a large quantity of Greek and Phoenecian pottery recently discovered in the centre of Huelva city.
In historical times the region was one of the first to be captured and settled by the Moors and one of the last to be recaptured by the Spanish christians.
DONANA NATIONAL PARK
The land around the Guadalquiver estuary is defined and protected on the seaward side by large and changing sand dunes. Behind the dunes the land is mostly flat and dry in summer but flooded in winter.
Tartessus (?) and Donana
There is great biodiversity here with many species of animals, plants and birds - it is now the largest nature reserve in Europe.
The Park's name originates in the 16th Century when a Palace was built there for Dona Ana, wife of the 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia (commander of the Spanish Armada), with the surrounding wetlands and sand dunes being used as a Game Reserve and Hunting Ground.
There are two visitor centres and I managed a longish and rather boring ride to one of them. It was a bit boring because the land was so flat and the road so straight and I had a bit of a struggle with the wind in my face in one direction. I was also able to see how the Spanish spend leisure time on their Atlantic Coast by continuing my ride to the seaside town of Matalascanas.
The Visitor centre near Matalascanas is large and contains many displays describing and illustrating all aspects of the park.
The Visitor centre near Matalascanas is large and contains many displays describing and illustrating all aspects of the park.
One of them said the horses taken to the New World by the Conquistadores were wild stock caught and broken in the Donana and that some escaped and became ancestors of North America's wild Mustangs.
It is certainly true there were and still are wild horses in the Donana as this 2014 Newspaper report makes clear.
It is also true there were indigenous horses in Spain a very long time ago as they are depicted in cave paintings from 20,000 years or more BC.
Also that the Moors brought horses with them from North Africa and that Andalusian horses were bred from a combination of the indigenous and introduced types.
But in medieval times the Andalusian horses were highly prized for riding and as war-steeds and were often given as presents to Royalty throughout Europe. Special licences were granted for their export, and a stud for breeding them was established as early as 1500 in Santo Domingo on Hispaniola - the first Spanish city in the New World.
So I think it highly likely the Conquistadores used Andalusians as their personal mounts, but perhaps wild ones from Donana were also taken and used by lower ranks and as pack horses.
Visitors to the Park have a wide choice of tours ranging from individual Jeep trips to ones in specialised 4xWheel Drive buses.
I went on one such tour and saw wild deer, a couple of small rodents and birds of many types, including Buzzards but had no sightings of Flamingos, Eagles or migratory species. Neither did we see any of the horses, camels or Iberian Lynx known to be present in small numbers.
EL ROCIO
There are two permanently populated towns of any size near the Donana - modern Matalascanas at the seaside and Medieval Almonte a short distance north of the Park.
The village of El Rocio lies right on the park's boundary about 10 miles south of Almonte and has a number of very unusual characteristics.
These arise from the existence of a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and Child. Legend has it that early in the 14th Century this was discovered in a tree by a hunter with no one knowing how it got there but with worshippers believing it to be a sign from God and building a hermitage on the spot. The existence of a hermitage at about the right date has been confirmed from contemporary records.
Modern scholars seem to be agreed the main figure does indeed date from the early 1300s and was probably made in France. But they also think the garments were added later, mostly in the early 17th Century, but with the present cloak dating from as late as 1952!
The Virgin was adopted as the Patron Saint of Almonte in 1653 and every year since then there has been a Pilgrimage, known as the "Romeria de El Rocio", to worship at the Hermitage on the second day of Pentecost.
The Pilgrimage starts about a week earlier on foot, on horseback, or in horse-drawn carriages, with pilgrims travelling in groups known as "Brotherhoods" and dressed in traditional costumes. Pilgrims originally came just from the Cities and Countryside of Andalusia but in recent times more than 1 million people have taken part coming from other parts of Spain and from Spanish speaking countries all over the world!
The original Hermitage was destroyed in the devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and a replacement built that was restored in 1919 but demolished in 1963 to make way for the present building finished in 1980.
One consequence of these traditions and the proximity to Donana is that El Rocio is unlike any other modern village and is designed to serve a horse-dependent culture.
None of the streets are paved, there are hitching rails outside all saloons and other stores, the Brotherhood Buildings have extensive stabling in their grounds and many people ride around town on their horses.
I stayed at a campsite on the outskirts that did have normal access and was able to ride my bike towards town along a road deep in wind-blown sand but with one exception had to dismount and push my mount through deep sand when I wanted to see the Hermitage or just wander around. The exception was a paved promenade that ran beside a very shallow but quite extensive area of water forming the west boundary to the village.
I imagine motorised traffic is banned during the Romeria but there were a few 4xwheel drive vehicles about during my visit though even these were going very slowly to avoid damaging their suspension in the deeply holed and rutted sand.
CACERES
It is 330 km from El Rocio to Caceres. I find that sort of distance to be a practical maximum when towing and arrived without feeling exhausted.
Caceres, like Salamanca is situated at the western edge of Iberia's Central plateau but is not quite so high nor quite so cold.
The municipal campsite here is unusual in that each pitch has its own small building with toilet and shower instead of these facilities being housed in a common block. The increased privacy is welcome but it comes at a cost - especially in winter when the absence of heating results in one not wanting to spend a long time towelling-off after showering - even if Salamanca is a bit colder at least the communal facilities there are heated!
Although the region around Caceres has been occupied since prehistoric times the city itself is a little younger than Salamanca having been founded by the Romans soon after the birth of christ.
The city is now designated as a World Heritage Centre and still has standing remnants from the Roman and Moorish eras. Amongst the latter are parts of the city walls and, especially celebrated, a number of large watch towers built at intervals along the wall with the Torre de Bujaco being particularly famous.
Somewhat surprisingly the Moors tolerated observation of Judaism and there was a large Jewish community living in Barrio Antonio during their time in power.
Jews were particularly numerous and active during the Caliphate of Cordoba when they were even allowed a degree of local autonomy with some having cultural and scientific positions at the Caliph's court. During this period Jews were more economically and politically integrated with the Islamic world than they were in cities governed by Christians.
That ended of course when Isabella and Ferdinand came to power, created the Spanish Inquisition and expelled the Jews from all parts of their kingdoms.
RETURN JOURNEY NORTH
On the return journey I stayed again at Salamanca and Burgos for just one night at each city.
It was then early December; there were very few other campers about and it was cold - so much so that when crossing the high plains I went through freezing fog on more than one occasion.
And so to Santander and the ferry to Portsmouth. Back in England in mid-afternoon it was raining and getting dark and I thought longingly of the balmy climate and longer days on the Algarve and at El Rocio.
My only consolations were being able to look forward to Christmas in the UK followed by January sunshine in Australia as I visited children and grandchildren in both countries.
The village of El Rocio lies right on the park's boundary about 10 miles south of Almonte and has a number of very unusual characteristics.
These arise from the existence of a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and Child. Legend has it that early in the 14th Century this was discovered in a tree by a hunter with no one knowing how it got there but with worshippers believing it to be a sign from God and building a hermitage on the spot. The existence of a hermitage at about the right date has been confirmed from contemporary records.
Modern scholars seem to be agreed the main figure does indeed date from the early 1300s and was probably made in France. But they also think the garments were added later, mostly in the early 17th Century, but with the present cloak dating from as late as 1952!
The Virgin was adopted as the Patron Saint of Almonte in 1653 and every year since then there has been a Pilgrimage, known as the "Romeria de El Rocio", to worship at the Hermitage on the second day of Pentecost.
The Pilgrimage starts about a week earlier on foot, on horseback, or in horse-drawn carriages, with pilgrims travelling in groups known as "Brotherhoods" and dressed in traditional costumes. Pilgrims originally came just from the Cities and Countryside of Andalusia but in recent times more than 1 million people have taken part coming from other parts of Spain and from Spanish speaking countries all over the world!
The original Hermitage was destroyed in the devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and a replacement built that was restored in 1919 but demolished in 1963 to make way for the present building finished in 1980.
One consequence of these traditions and the proximity to Donana is that El Rocio is unlike any other modern village and is designed to serve a horse-dependent culture.
None of the streets are paved, there are hitching rails outside all saloons and other stores, the Brotherhood Buildings have extensive stabling in their grounds and many people ride around town on their horses.
I stayed at a campsite on the outskirts that did have normal access and was able to ride my bike towards town along a road deep in wind-blown sand but with one exception had to dismount and push my mount through deep sand when I wanted to see the Hermitage or just wander around. The exception was a paved promenade that ran beside a very shallow but quite extensive area of water forming the west boundary to the village.
I imagine motorised traffic is banned during the Romeria but there were a few 4xwheel drive vehicles about during my visit though even these were going very slowly to avoid damaging their suspension in the deeply holed and rutted sand.
CACERES
It is 330 km from El Rocio to Caceres. I find that sort of distance to be a practical maximum when towing and arrived without feeling exhausted.
Caceres, like Salamanca is situated at the western edge of Iberia's Central plateau but is not quite so high nor quite so cold.
The municipal campsite here is unusual in that each pitch has its own small building with toilet and shower instead of these facilities being housed in a common block. The increased privacy is welcome but it comes at a cost - especially in winter when the absence of heating results in one not wanting to spend a long time towelling-off after showering - even if Salamanca is a bit colder at least the communal facilities there are heated!
Although the region around Caceres has been occupied since prehistoric times the city itself is a little younger than Salamanca having been founded by the Romans soon after the birth of christ.
The city is now designated as a World Heritage Centre and still has standing remnants from the Roman and Moorish eras. Amongst the latter are parts of the city walls and, especially celebrated, a number of large watch towers built at intervals along the wall with the Torre de Bujaco being particularly famous.
Somewhat surprisingly the Moors tolerated observation of Judaism and there was a large Jewish community living in Barrio Antonio during their time in power.
Jews were particularly numerous and active during the Caliphate of Cordoba when they were even allowed a degree of local autonomy with some having cultural and scientific positions at the Caliph's court. During this period Jews were more economically and politically integrated with the Islamic world than they were in cities governed by Christians.
That ended of course when Isabella and Ferdinand came to power, created the Spanish Inquisition and expelled the Jews from all parts of their kingdoms.
RETURN JOURNEY NORTH
On the return journey I stayed again at Salamanca and Burgos for just one night at each city.
It was then early December; there were very few other campers about and it was cold - so much so that when crossing the high plains I went through freezing fog on more than one occasion.
And so to Santander and the ferry to Portsmouth. Back in England in mid-afternoon it was raining and getting dark and I thought longingly of the balmy climate and longer days on the Algarve and at El Rocio.
My only consolations were being able to look forward to Christmas in the UK followed by January sunshine in Australia as I visited children and grandchildren in both countries.
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