Day 19: On the road from Cazorla to Carmona
Disclaimer: All voyages in this blog are being taken safely in the comfort of our imaginations - based on our plans and intentions for travel in 2020. What is reality after all?
It's not a long drive from Cazorla to Carmona - only about three hours. But we didn't want to arrive too early and have to wait round for access to our accommodation, so took the opportunity for a small detour for a bite to eat in Córdoba - and to see that the mezquita was still there ... hadn't been re-converted into a hypermart or something.
But we actually never made it to that side of the river, as the opportunity of a parking spot over the road from a little cafe restaurant (La Calahorra) near the Roman bridge opened up - and we had learnt never to turn down such an opportunity:
So a quick bocadillo or bocata two and .... :
and we were on our way again.
We arrived in Carmona via the 'back gate' as it were: the Puerta de Córdoba. We could see the town on the top of a rise from some distance away, and our GPS took us off the highway along a narrow street that wound upwards until we came round a corner and saw the 'other' town entrance:
And then the 'fun' started, as we had to negotiate our way through tiny streets, past road works:
until we emerged at the free parking lot near the ruins of the castle and near the parador:
We were met there by the people from whom we were renting accommodation, ready to show us the way - but also, hearing us attempting to speak Spanish, in an Australian accent, a passing stranger:
who turned out to be the son (Joshua) of an Australian colleague from many years ago (and a fervent Cats supporter - that's the football team, not the musical - and the father, not the son ... who supports the Saints), who has been teaching in Carmona for a couple of years. And he (Joshua) is a regular listener to the Global Village! It is indeed a small world.
We walked with them the short distance into the old town, to our 'small' accommodation near San Felipe.
This is, in fact, a three-bedroom house with the downstairs available to us from the entrance courtyard:
and a lounge and kitchen:
two bathrooms, and three bedrooms (as we said):
In a nearby bar - surprise, surprise - there was Suzette and Mike waiting for us:
So we all settled in to the house and got round to getting some supplies and debating whether to eat there or go out. Maybe nibbles first:
It's not a long drive from Cazorla to Carmona - only about three hours. But we didn't want to arrive too early and have to wait round for access to our accommodation, so took the opportunity for a small detour for a bite to eat in Córdoba - and to see that the mezquita was still there ... hadn't been re-converted into a hypermart or something.
But we actually never made it to that side of the river, as the opportunity of a parking spot over the road from a little cafe restaurant (La Calahorra) near the Roman bridge opened up - and we had learnt never to turn down such an opportunity:
So a quick bocadillo or bocata two and .... :
and we were on our way again.
We arrived in Carmona via the 'back gate' as it were: the Puerta de Córdoba. We could see the town on the top of a rise from some distance away, and our GPS took us off the highway along a narrow street that wound upwards until we came round a corner and saw the 'other' town entrance:
And then the 'fun' started, as we had to negotiate our way through tiny streets, past road works:
until we emerged at the free parking lot near the ruins of the castle and near the parador:
We were met there by the people from whom we were renting accommodation, ready to show us the way - but also, hearing us attempting to speak Spanish, in an Australian accent, a passing stranger:
who turned out to be the son (Joshua) of an Australian colleague from many years ago (and a fervent Cats supporter - that's the football team, not the musical - and the father, not the son ... who supports the Saints), who has been teaching in Carmona for a couple of years. And he (Joshua) is a regular listener to the Global Village! It is indeed a small world.
We walked with them the short distance into the old town, to our 'small' accommodation near San Felipe.
This is, in fact, a three-bedroom house with the downstairs available to us from the entrance courtyard:
and a lounge and kitchen:
two bathrooms, and three bedrooms (as we said):
In a nearby bar - surprise, surprise - there was Suzette and Mike waiting for us:
So we all settled in to the house and got round to getting some supplies and debating whether to eat there or go out. Maybe nibbles first:
Love that we finally cracked it for a moderate lunch and to have it overlooking Córdoba was a treat. And speaking of a treat, we easily found Suzette and Mike by simply going to the closest bar to our accommodation, and there they were! Now for some fun and adventures. It was lovely to meet Joshua, the son of a friend of Roger's.
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