In transit Gloria Swanson

In Transit Gloria Swanson

Back in Birmingham for 3 months so only a few 'Man not in Alora' posts for the time being.

 

The drive to Bilbao or Santander  on the Autoroute del Sur (to Madrid) and the Autoroute del Norte (From Madrid) is never boring. It takes about 6 hours to reach the Madrid periphery, an hour to  get tangled up and then untangled  in the ring road system and then, after an overnight stop in Aranda de Duero, another three hours or so to reach the port of Santander or Bilbao. This time we brought back back lemons, oranges, olives, olive oil, salchichón (salami) , morcilla de Burgos, morcilla de Asturias (black pudding) chorizo (normal and from Asturias), 40 bottles of wine, one bottle of Larios gin, dates, turrón (big slabs of chocolate , marzipan, praline and more), pancetta, a jamón serrano bone,  4 bags of sea salt, paella rice, two bikes, our dog and some luggage.
 We're driving home for Christmas.

Usually we set off early and drive for an hour or so before looking for somewhere for breakfast. Finding a suitable place is crucial. We want a busy cafetería that can give us good coffee and tostadas with garlic and  olive oil (and tomato for me). We have made mistakes in the past and  put up with petrol stations with a coffee machine or 'modern' places like 'Autogrill' with the oil in sachets and more than once  we have been misled by signs promising coffee, food etc and have been led miles off the road to a semi derelict venta run by a truculent ex Franco assassin . We have developed a rule of thumb with the help of Mike Newton's book (still available I believe. Ask me for a copy) which is: 'If you can't actually see the place,  don't take the exit'. Always look out for the crossed knife and fork sign and if possible a big 'H' for hotel, for these are the places where you will find Spanish travellers tucking into a breakfast tapa or tostada with red lard and a coffee and anis. The noise is often deafening, the TV banging out the news, the cups and plates rattling away and the camareros shouting orders. Fantastic.

One of our favourite stops north of Burgos is Hotel Sotopalacios in the hamlet of Sotopalacios which ticks all the boxes and has the added advantage of being next door to a black pudding factory and shop where they sell the best Burgos black pudding (made with rice) there is and will open even during 'siesta' if you ring the bell. Hotel Sotopalacios holds other fond memories. In 2001, travelling with friends Terry and Moira, we stayed the night there (black pudding for breakfast). Our room was very unusual. The bathroom had a jacuzzi and various showers. The bedroom had a big four poster bed with an array of light switches which controlled the 'images' on the ceiling of the four poster. I remember a mirror which changed at the flick of a switch to a 'romantic' scene of two lovers 'desenfrenado'. Terry and Moira's room had similar bathroom fittings and bed, but not one other piece of furniture.

This reminds me of the fact that the autonomous region of Castilla La Mancha holds 80% of  Spain's 'clubs de alterne' or 'whiskerías'(knocking shops). These establishments, which are entirely legal, are seen frequently along Spain's roads and can be identified by neon signs, reclining female figures and interesting names, like 'Venus', 'Rosa' and 'Oasis'. You can learn more about them, how to find them, reviews and  prices at www.alterning.es 

 

 

 Alora's is called 'Laurel' and is on the Malaga road. It carries the sign 'Para que te sientas bien' (so that you feel good). Some Brit linguists have translated this (missing the subjunctive) as 'So that you sit well' which has resulted in much speculation about the intended meaning.
We passed through a small town in Castilla La Mancha which had three of these 'puti clubs' alongside the main road to Madrid. The town is called 'Consolación' (pop. 223) !!

Another familiar sight on many Spanish roads is the Osborne bull.

These black 14 metre high well endowed  bulls are found nearly everywhere in Spain and have become a national symbol (that is, they are used as car stickers, t shirts etc.). They are really advertising hoardings for Osborne brandy.  They were originally erected by the Andalusian company in 1956 and had the name 'Osborne', 'Veterano' or 'Magno' written across them.

 

They were made of wood which rotted so in 1962 were replaced by the steel structures seen dominating hilltops along the autovias today . At that time there were 500 bulls in place.  Now there are 89 with only two having the Osborne name on them. We saw about ten on the way up to Bilbao.

A move in 1994 by the government to remove them because they were considered a hazard to driving was met with national protests. They bulls were allowed to stay but the company's name had to be removed.
Not all of Spain welcomed the Osborne Bull. The Basques and Catalans saw it as a symbol of oppression and many were pulled down. They now have one each. The Basques replaced some of them with 'basque sheep'.
The artist who created the bull, Manolo Prieto was a militant communist so it is ironic that this image is now used as as symbol of  'Spanishness' and flags bearing the image are waved at football matches and right wing demonstrations.

Stop press.........Paddy has just called from Alora. This year we have bagged 1027 kilos of olives which will give us 100 litres of oil. Orders welcome.

26/11/2012