In my ongoing work of updating my older posts I come to this one. These are the travel experiences that brought fun times to my family and me. Some as this one brings even more memories, nostalgia sets in, this is one of our vacation runs to my beloved Las Majadas, Castilla La Mancha ,and kingdom of Spain. Well all good things ends quickly and the time is never enough. Our family vacation in Spain is over and we headed home to our Morbihan Breton house in Pluvigner. Therefore, here is my take on from Las Majadas to Pluvigner, memories forever !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I
We spent two glorious weeks in Spain. It was special because the boys are now old enough to undertand everything, and we went by places that first my dear late mom Gladys took me, and then came alone, and then came with girlfriend and then my dear late wife Martine, and my dad Elio lucky still with me, and with the boys younger,and now young men. All begins to sink in now, the roots are important! This was part of our trip going down and would like to add to this memorable post.
We left the tunnel under the Pyrénées and follow the road N330 towards Jaca and then Huesca on the A23 which here is the N330 passing the viaduc of Monrépos and mountain of same name; right into a smaller tunnel . We passed by the lake this is Monrépos lake reservoir on the other side of the tunnel. We hit the road hard until the outskirst of Zaragoza where from the A23 we took the beltway Z40 direction the airport of Zaragoza and Madrid. We continue on this A23 direction Teruel/Cariñena wine country. This is already on the road A1512 off the A23, and you see the mountains of Albarracin. Follow up on the road DE 9111 mountain route we pass by the mountain town of Calomarde which is at 1584 meters high. By here we pass by a statue in metal call the guia del cobo, Sierra de Albarracin at the birth of the river Tajo on the CU901 road, until we finally saw the panel for Cuenca/Tragecete on the CU2119 heading our home base. Glorious mountains of the Serrania de Cuenca that can go to almost 1900 meters high, and the panel signaling Las Majadas 24 kms or about 12 miles!! You will see from the road high up and the mountain then the town down under just arriving to final home base.
On our way back home, we say goodbye to our wonderful property owner of Casa Pitu in Las Majadas, Serrania de Cuenca, (see posts) who were fantastic and kept the memories lingered. We left early by 7am or 7h in our family car, the big tough Ford. We did not make hotel reservation as this will be a lingering long trip full of memories of my Spain. If had time we would stop and if not I am still good on the road to do it all the way, and I did! And we came back following year!
I wanted one last memory for our family in Spain, and decided not to go back the same way we came by the Col du Portalet (see post). This time we headed first to Guadalajara , passing by one special town of Calatayud (see post). This is the town I stopped with my then girlfriend for gas and something to eat at the next door restaurant/hotel that had a wedding going on ! appropiate it seems. We sat in the middle of the restaurant with the wedding party on one side and always remembered by us. This time the hotel restaurant was abandoned and just the Repsol gas station was there. We decided to gas/petrol just in town at the Cepsa gas station but we stopped by the old just for the memories and another story to our boys.
At the end of town ,we link up with the A2 direction Zaragoza that we bypass on the beltway road Z40. We took the A23 direction Huesca where we link up with the N330 direction Jaca passing by Sabiñanigo. We continue on the N330 direction France and the Somport pass tunnel.
This was memorable too as when I first started traveling by car between Spain and France there was no tunnel but had to go on first gear with a VW Golf up the Pyrénées mountains over the Col de Somport mountain. Here passing Castiello de Jaca, and then Vilanua ,a great memory as we stayed at the Faus Hutte mountain hotel here, that the owners came out to cook for us late night! It went thru a name change to Lacasa, and then Albergue Villanúa. We remember arriving very late like 10PM or 22h and the hotel owners opens up the restaurant to give us something to eat and stayed for the night before continuing on to France !!! Memories never to forget!!!
Further on, we passed by the winter stations of Canfranc and Candanchu before arriving at the Col du Somport (1632 meters high). You can still do this route, but we have done it and were eager to get back home quicker. So instead ,we took the modern Somport tunnel. You have two lanes road in the tunnel that is 8 602 meters long with 2 848 meters in France and 5 754 meters in Spain.
Once we came out in the French side ,you are on the N134 road direction Pau. However, first town you see is Urdos, where it was the customs border before the EU and you were check sometimes and sometimes not. Now, of course you are not check at all, and you won’t even notice the customs house.
The N134 takes you direction Oloron-Sainte-Marie and then towards Pau. Here by Orthez we took the A65 direction Langon. However, we heard on the radio t hat t here was traffic jams at the Bordeaux beltway N230/A630 so we change gears. Alone the Garonne river we took the D10 to Langoiran to hook up with the D20 road passing Creon and onwards to Libourne. We came across on the D670 to Saint-André-de-Cubzac hooking up again with the A10 direction Saintes. We continue on the A10 to just past Niort where we hook up with the A83 direction Nantes. This later road hook ups with the N844 and then the N165 direction Vannes and home taking the D768 road. Easy ride and no traffic, minimum tolls as we like it.
In previous post, I have told you about these wonderful towns and cities in no particular order that we visit this year: Madrid, Valencia,Segovia, La Granja de San Ildefonso, Torrejon de Ardoz, Alcala de Henares, Aranjuez, Toledo, Villarejo de Salvanés, Colmenar la Oreja, Chinchon, Huete, Las Majadas, Cuenca, Uña, Alarcon, Segobriga, Jaca, Vilanua, Calatayud, Belmonte, Jaca, Canfranc, Camarsac,Libourne, Albarracin, Villalba de la Sierra, and Bordeaux-La Bastide. Hoping not to have forgotten any.
The Castilla la Mancha regional tourist office on the National park of serrania de Cuenca, where the town of Las Majadas is located :https://www.turismocastillalamancha.es/naturaleza/parque-natural-serrania-de-cuenca-57472/descripcion/
Now a weekend is approaching and already thinking of coming back, its glories in the Serrania de Cuenca, worth the trip indeed. Again, hope you enjoy this post on from Las Majadas to Pluvigner, memories forever !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels , good health, and many cheers to all !!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 