This is yours truly with another episode of some news from Spain !!! Lots of things going on This is Spain, let me tell you my latest news chosen by yours truly, By the way CLXXII is old Roman numeral for 172, Hope you enjoy this post as I.
The road connecting Soria and Plasencia stretches for 403 km, passing through Segovia and Ávila before reaching the Jerte Valley in Extremadura. Although the first 66 km, to San Esteban de Gormaz (Soria), follow the N-120 highway, the main attraction of this route is the N-110, which continues to Plasencia skirting the Ayllón, Guadarrama, and Gredos mountain ranges. Few roads in Spain offer better views, more history, more Romanesque architecture, and more readily available attractions. Awesome !!! First you get to Calatañazor, a stunningly beautiful, purely medieval village with cobbled streets and half-timbered houses made of juniper, boasts another incredible ancient landmark: the 16-arched bridge over the Duero River. This bridge is so long 225 meters, and narrow only 8 arches that drivers often have to wait a long time to cross it in either direction. In Ayllón, the first Segovian town on this route you’ll find the old San Francisco convent on your left, now privately owned and known as Los Claustros. It’s where, among others, David Bisbal (singer) married Rosanna Zanetti and Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid CF!) married Daphne Cañizares. The Spanish version of Celebrity Bake Off was also filmed here in 2021. It was founded in 1214 by Saint Francis of Assisi, and the wandering saint Teresa of Ávila stayed overnight in its guesthouse around 1581. Continue to Riaza, in the province of Segovia at km 115 of the N-110 highway, is one of Spain’s Gastronomic Villages. The best copper experience can be found in Navafría km 162 of the N-110, a hammer mill, or mallet, for hammering copper. It has a 280-kilo iron head and a handle made from the trunk of a mature Scots pine tree. This hammer can strike the red-hot metal up to 200 times per minute, powered by a waterwheel as large as one on a Mississippi steamboat, which in turn is driven by the waters of the Cega River, a river that, instead of alligators, is home to trout. The mill produced copper pots until the death in 1997 of Victoriano Abán, the last coppersmith in Europe. The hammer mill is perfectly preserved and can be viewed for five euros to anyone who calls the Navafría Tourist Office in advance. Beyond the city of Segovia, the N-110 road winds through bare fields, with the Sierra de la Mujer Muerta, a ghostly spur of the Guadarrama mountain range, to the left. At km 212, the turnoff to the beautiful and serene village of Valdeprados is signposted. At km 288 of the N-100, in the Amblés Valley of Ávila, there is a small village with a beautiful and inviting name, Amavida, and a hiking route that takes an hour and a half from this village to the Monastery of El Risco, which doesn’t seem to be a place chosen by lovers of life, but quite the opposite. Perched as it has been since 1504 on the bare, rocky ridge of the Sierra de Ávila, at an altitude of 1,600 meters, it’s hard to believe that in this barren landscape the Augustinians had a church, cloister, residence, hostel for pilgrims, stables, warehouses, canals, roads, terraced fields, and 5,000 sheep that were moved to the Extremadura pastures because nothing else could survive the winter except them. El Barco de Ávila km 335 of the route is a good place to fill your car and your stomach with delicious food. In summer, the Garganta de los Infiernos (Hell’s Gorge) is anything but hellish. In the Los Pilones area, the rushing water has sculpted immense pools in the granite, with fantastic shapes and polished surfaces, stretching for 200 meters. For many, the jewel of the Parador de Plasencia, housed in what was the 15C Convent of San Vicente Ferrer, renovated in the 16C is the cantilevered granite staircase, its immense weight resting on the building’s side walls, without columns or pillars. This miraculous, floating staircase is a reflection of Jacob’s Ladder, by which angels ascended to heaven and descended to earth. For those who have traveled along the N-110, however, the jewel of the hotel and of Plasencia itself is the former wine cellar of the Dominican friars, now a Gothic chill-out bar, an ideal spot to celebrate all they’ve seen, eaten, and walked with a drink. The Spain National Tourist Office on the N110 and Hell’s Gorge : https://www.spain.info/en/hiking-trails/garganta-de-los-infiernos-hiking-spain/
Early snow and cold weather have allowed the 2025-2026 ski season to get underway in Spain. Masella opened last Wednesday; this Saturday, Formigal, Sierra Nevada, Baqueira Beret with 54 km of slopes, the most of any resort, and which claims to be its best opening since 2019-2020, Astún, and La Molina (the latter two only for the weekend) also opened. The Aramón group, which includes the resorts of Formigal-Panticosa and Cerler in Huesca, and Javalambre and Valdelinares in Teruel, has made a significant investment of 40 million euros to modernize its industrial snowmaking systems, including a thousand new snow cannons, four snow factories, and three water storage reservoirs. It is the highest ski resort in Spain (3,300 meters at Veleta), offers the greatest vertical drop (1,200 meters), and is the southernmost in Europe, which doesn’t necessarily guarantee good weather every time. In Granada, Sierra Nevada (112.5 km of slopes; day pass: €69 for adults; €53 for children) is unveiling the renovated Nevasol restaurant in Borreguiles, with two dining rooms, one with a fireplace and mountain views. Snow production has been improved with the waterproofing of one of its two water reservoirs and the installation of 12 new snow cannons on the Superverde, Prado de las Monjas, and El Río slopes. The Cantabrian resort of Alto Campoo (30 km of slopes; day pass: €45 for adults, €20 for children) is widening its Tres Mares slope, updating its snowmaking system, debuting a new snow groomer, and improving access to the parking lot and slopes with new turnstiles. This year, it also celebrates its 60th anniversary. The Madrid resort of Valdesquí (22 km of slopes; day pass: €44 for adults, €39 for children) is adding a snow groomer; it has resurfaced the access road and no longer requires parking reservations. Skiers can descend unlit slopes at night thanks to the Snowled system, which uses powerful individual headlamps, LED armbands, and reflective vests, all available for rent at the resort. Ski resorts in Spain site ; https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/spain/
Thanks to Holidu, a vacation rental technology company, prices for the 2025/26 season have been analyzed, including both daily ski pass prices and average accommodation costs per person per night for both the high season (December 21-28 of this year) and the low season (March 22-29), with averages calculated. The top ten most affordable ski resorts are: 1. Manzaneda, Galicia (€53 ski pass plus accommodation). 2. Sierra de Béjar-La Covatilla, Castile and León (€53). 3. Leitariegos, Castile and León (€54.50). 4. San Isidro, Castile and León (€59.50). 5. Valgrande Pajares, Asturias (€60.50). 6. Fuentes de Invierno, Asturias (€62.50). 7. Valdesquí, Madrid (€72). 8. La Pinilla, Castile and León (€72.50). 9. Javalambre-Valdelinares, Aragon (€73). 10. Espot Esqui, Catalonia (€74.50). The top ten most expensive ski resorts: 1. Formigal, Aragon (€171.75 lift pass plus accommodation). 2. Sierra Nevada, Andalusia (€134). 3. Candanchú, Aragon (€52). 4. Panticosa, Aragon (€30.75 lift pass). 5. Baqueira Beret, Catalonia (€118.50). 6. Masella, Catalonia (€106.50). 7. Cerler, Aragon (€106.10). 8. La Molina, Catalonia (€104.50). 9. Astún, Aragon (€100). 10. Port del Comte, Catalonia (€92).
The winter charm of this town in the Alcarria region has become one of the biggest Christmas attractions for those looking for things to do near Madrid. In Trillo, province of Guadalajara, the Belén de las Cascadas or Nativity Scene of the Waterfalls transforms the course of the Cifuentes river into an incomparable Christmas setting. Installed since 2007 next to the old mill, now a museum, and beneath the first waterfall of the Cifuentes, this monumental nativity scene harnesses the power and sound of the water to create a unique atmosphere. Its figures, which reach around a meter in height, recreate traditional scenes and old local trades, from carpenters to bakers, including orchards, vineyards, and even geese and hay carts. Free to enter, it can be enjoyed day and night, making it a suitable outing for all ages and a recurring reason to return every year. In addition to its nativity scene, Trillo is known for its river landscapes, especially the waterfalls of the Cifuentes river. The most emblematic is the Chorrerón waterfall, a picture-postcard scene that captivated Camilo José Cela during his travels through the Alcarria region, when he described it as “a beautiful country that people don’t seem to want to visit.” Next to this waterfall is the Casa de los Molinos (House of the Mills), considered one of the oldest buildings in the town, and now home to the Prometeion Energy Museum. Also located in the same small square is the Ethnological Museum, which houses artifacts donated by local residents and offers insights into daily life in the pre-industrial era. Trillo’s historical network continues along the 15C bridge over the Tagus river, as well as at the 16C Church of Our Lady of the Assumption. The town of Trillo on its heritage ; https://www.trillo.es/web/index.php/turismo/que-visitar
In the province of Cuenca, almost untouched enclaves still survive where silence, heritage, and landscape create a perfect refuge for those seeking a peaceful getaway. In one of these places, marked by an exceptional medieval legacy and a wide, open natural environment, disconnecting takes on a different meaning. This is Moya,(see post) an ancient medieval city in ruins, declared a Historic-Artistic Site and considered one of Cuenca’s most unique heritage gems. Its strategic location, atop a hill in the Serranía Baja mountain range, made it a contested stronghold for centuries, fought over by different kingdoms and the capital of the historic Marquisate of Moya. Today, with its walls, gates, churches, and castle remains still standing, the town offers a slow tourism experience, ideal for those who wish to escape the noise and immerse themselves in a setting that seems frozen in time. The old town retains an urban layout that reflects its glorious past: double walls, up to eight historic gates, suburbs, gateways, and a main square around which important civil and religious buildings once stood. The original site maintains its atmosphere of a monumental city in ruins. The Castilla La Mancha region tourist office on Moya : https://en.www.turismocastillalamancha.es/patrimonio/moya-65731/
There you go folks, another dandy tour of my dear Spain. It is time to enjoy my some news from Spainonce again, Remember,Spain is everything under the Sun ! A very special post, always remember where it all begin, it is you ! Again, hope you enjoy the post as I.
And remember ,happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 