Northern Spain heading towards Aragon

We left Bilbao and headed to Eibar, purely so Kev could watch a game of football! He did 3 games in 3 nights. Selfish git 😂. I actually dont mind as it gives us space apart as we are together 24/7.

Eibar was a weird place. Very scenic but a small area with too many people so they’ve started building upwards. It’s very hilly.

We struggled to find somewhere to park so was circling the place. We came a cropper at some traffic lights. The road was wet and steep and our tyres didn’t like it. They spun round and I was grabbing the arms on the seat trying to pull us forward, whilst Kev was pulling on the steering wheel 😂. People were looking at us, as I was doing my Wallace impression from Wallace and Gromit 😫. The tyres smoked and spun and eventually gripped the road and off we went. We finally managed to find a spot to park in so we took a huge bag of clothes to the launderette, then did the food shopping.

We left here late at night, around 9.30pm, hoping the roads would be clear in case we had problems with the tyres again. The tyres were fine but we still had a headlamp out (sidelights were ok). Our next stop was supposed to be on the West coast, but due to a forecast of 10 days of rain we changed our plans and went to Bergara, which was only 15 mins away. The area (aire) was in an industrial estate, but it was free and it served a purpose. It was an overnight sleepy spot.

The following morning we headed East, for the better weather. We were told to visit Medinaceli, as it was a Romanesque style village with fantastic views, and the Met Office promised sunny skies and 20°, bring it on 😎. The drive to reach this hilltop village was stunning. The skies were blue and the sun was out. It looked like someone had thrown a paint palette over the countryside. I took loads of photos but here’s a few.

When we arived, the car park was busy but there was no one wandering around, and it was raining!! Never trust the bloody weather. Haha

There is a small monastery there where you ring the bell and a nun magically appears behind a revolving shelf. They make biscuits and donuts and sell them to the public. We bought some mini donuts, just to help the local economy of course 😉😋.

We stayed overnight hoping the sun would be out the following morning so we could get some decent shots of the buildings…nope! Didn’t happen 🤣

The previous evening had been Halloween. We’d been told to visit a graveyard to see what the locals did. We’d seen children dressed up with their pumpkin shaped bowls to collect sweets from local shopkeepers but the adults visited the graves of their departed loved ones and took flowers for them. The local graveyard was full of fresh flowers on graves.

You could see for miles from the aire, but it was cold, wet and windy. We stayed one night and moved on.

Still chasing the sun we headed to Zaragoza (the fact that Kev had bought football tickets to see a game here also swayed his decision to visit this place 🤔). There was a free aire on the outskirts of town, with a tram stop nearby. The aire held 36 motorhomes. It was 1st November,so a Bank Holiday in Spain on the Friday as they celebrate All Saints Day. What we didn’t realise was that aire would be totally full by 11am and the street surrounding it would also be full of motorhomes! Luckily there was a sports complex there so there was ample parking. So 20 metres away we joined the 70 motorhomes (Kev counted them) that were parked outside the aire 😮.

A €1.35, 10 minute tram ride took us into Zaragoza. It was windy, but sunny and warm. I put my shorts and T shirt on and made the most of the heat. The locals were in their puffer jackets and jeans, scarves, hat’s etc. We stood out as tourists. They kept staring at me as though I wasn’t right in my head…they’re probably right but who cares? 😉😂

Zaragoza is definitely worth visiting. It’s the capital of the Aragon region and is filled with buildings that were designed in the Mujédar or Islamic style.

Behind the Mercado Central stands a magnificent building. The baroque style Nuestra Señora del Pilar Basilica is a pilgrimage site with a shrine to the Virgin Mary.

Whilst walking round the vibrant city I caught site of myself in a shop window. My linen shorts and top were creased to death and I looked a mess! Maybe that’s what people were looking at. Kev said he didn’t like to tell me I didn’t look suitable for walking round a city so he just let me go in looking like a dosser 🤨.

We headed out of the centre, on foot, and reached the Palacio de la Aljafería. An impressive Islamic fortified palace was built in the 11th century and is omen of the best examples of Hispano-muslim art in Spain. It’s now headquarters for the Parliament for the autonomous region of Aragon. Phew! That’s your lot for any culture 🤣.

We spent 2 nights here and didn’t see everything. It had lovely streets with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. Here’s some photos of what we did see.

Big cities can be a pain to drive in and around so we don’t like doing too many.

The next place was amazing… that will be in the next blog.