More Castles

Lynne decided she would like to try the river walk South from from Sanlucar.

It is a pleasant and interesting excusion on a very well maintained path.

There are many fincas ( some temporary, some temporary/permanent) established in the trees along the riverbank. There is very little road access so everything goes via the river.

It was seriously hot and there was a distinct lack of fruit trees overhanging the path offering a free orange or two. One of the fincas however had a help yourself backet of lemons on offer!

There were extensive cane areas, these are the things that constantly flow up and down the river on the tide.

We had been told that there was a swimming hole where the tributary coming in forces the path away from the river and back inland, it eas in fact just by the main road back into Sanlucar but provided a very welcome cool down swim. As we were sweltering in Spain the U.K.was also experiencing a heatwave and the moors on Winter Hill in front of our house in Horwich were burning. The peat had caught fire and the fire service and volunteers were battling for weeks to control the situation. Alex spoke to us of having to keep all the windows of the house closed and they would still choke on the smoke that descended into the village .

This is a picture taken from Belmont, Horwich is on the other side of the hill. The devastation would take years to recover from.

We had decided it was time to leave the Guardiana, we had started to look seriously at property, always a warning sign! We dropped back down the river on the ebb tide to Ayamonte, we had missed a religious festival but saw it recreated in a local shopping centre, in miniature of course.

On our way down river we had been intigued by the village of Castro Marim which was notable for having not one castle but two. After catching the ferry from Ayamonte to Villa Real we caught the bus to Castro Marim and walked up to the older looking cstle on the hill above the town.

The above photo is the ticket office and the chapel behind was hosting an exhibition of torture through the ages,,,,,

Of course decapitation is a bit more serious.

Unfortunately this being Portugal/Spain the Inquisition featured large, the Spanish inquisition should probably be referred to as the Iberian Inquisition.

This is a photo of the wheel as in being broken on...….

There was also an Iron Maiden.

And a delightful scolds bridle, not sure what the moustache represents..

The History of this particular fortress proved interesting. at one point it was the headquarters of the knights Templar who would later relocate to Tomar and reinvent themselves as the Order of Christ with the tacit agreement of King Dinas after they were effectively annihilated throughout Europe at the behest of the then Pope Clement V on charges of heresy. In actual fact it was largely a political move if not an outright langrab by the Catholic church.

However the fact remains that certainly in Portugal the Templars thrived, We had visited Tomar and been very impressed by the wealth and power of the order.

Of course all that was lost in the distant past and now only faint echoes remained. The Castle was obviously used for serious archeology and as a tourist attraction and performance venue, we believe medieval enactments occur throughout the summer.

The views across the salt pans towards the suspension bridge over the Guadiana were extensive, (salt is still commercially extracted here)

The photo above shows the present archeological digs below the keep walls which are out of bounds to visitors.

I do seem to make a habit of making Lynne walk around high walls even though I know she doesn't like heights, a selfie soon sorts that out, but in actual fact I believe she is getting more used to it!

These walls at least were closed on either side.

The walls enclosed a small village the keep is visible just in front of Lynne on the horizon and the chapel is to the right of the picture.

Above Lynnes head is the other castle, this one is of Moorish origin.

As we needed to go through the town to reach the other castle it seemed a good chance to explore the town. The church is a lovely building but unfortunately not open on the day of our visit, it has an unusual domed tower and separate bell tower.

The town is well worth a visit and has an enormous amount of history bound up in its architecture.

It takes a little detective work to find the path to the Moorish Castle, it is only possible to walk around the outer walls so possibly there is not the monetary incentive to make it more user friendly.

It is certainly an impressive structure in an equally impressive location.

Looking back the older Templar fortress is different in aspect and design.

Later we walked to the other important religious/historical site, the chapel of St Anthony which used to be a site of defence in roman times. It also being on a hill became a good site for windmills.

The Chapel and surroundings have been extensively restored and extended, with a water park which echoes the Moorish influences from the past.

Apart from the restaurant complex on the hill the main gardens are below.

They consist of a quite extraordinary set of structures, considering the size of the village.

They are obviously designed to have water flowing unfortunately this wasn't the case on our visit but you could imagine the effect. Regardless it had that Moorish peace, with green plants tiles and water that made you want to stay in the cool environs for a while.

So having glimpsed the town from the river weeks ago we had finally satisfied our curiousity.
job done, mischief managed. Its worth the trip.....

Oh nearly forgot, it also has the smallest lending library we have ever come across!

We went back over the river to Spain tired but happy, as we watched the sun set over Portugal we realised that we wouldn't see the country again for a while.

which was a bit sad...……….

Guadiana glue

Our enforced, rather easily mind, stay on the Guadiana river continued. We tried , and succeeded in forgetting about the recent theft of our beloved outboard motor and we were determined not to let it spoil our growing appreciation of this rather beautiful and fascinating part of the world.

To which end we began our usual habit of exploring. An ancient castle on the Portuguese side of the river seemed a good start, it was actually a highlight of a walk on one of the first information boards you see when leaving the pontoons at Alcutim.

The hike soon leaves the small town and climbs via a dusty track past the hotel towards a prominent hill.

The country is arid but alive with the sound of insects, there are a lot of beehives scattered around the hills. The views of the river are lovely and it becomes apparent just how many yachts are lying to either moorings or are at anchor in the river.

For some reason the Castle remains are fenced off but not locked and it is possible to wander freely around the remains. There has apparently been a fortification on this site since Roman times.

A lone tree provided Lynne with some welcome shade while I continued to the low walled remains which took on a recognisable form as you gained some height.

The layout of the outer walls and gatehouse were apparent as was several internal structures. It is Moorish in origin and dates from the time of the muslim occupation of Portugal that modern Portuguese find difficult to accept insisting they were only here for a short time (actually 600 years)

After a rehydrate and good mooch around we continued the walk back towards Alcutim. The path descends and although the dusty road continues on we diverted down a scrubby track back towards the river through many almond bushes and semi desert vegetation.

A very enjoyable but undeniably hot walk and we were grateful to finally arrive at Alcutims hidden treasure, the river beach for a well earned ice tea and a swim.

This is situated just outside town on a dammed tributary of the Guadiana, its agreat place to chill, swim and enjoy a drink in the beach taverna. showers are provided and you can even play beach volleyball if the fancy takes you. Most of the inhabitants of both Alcutim and Sanlucar have learned to swim here.

Later in the week and back on the Spanish side of the river Portugal and Spain met in the World Cup.
Both Flags were given equal prominence in the Chiringuito bar. It was a very good night and amazingly sporting. Every goal was cheered and a draw was the best possible result.

This truly is what the beautiful game should be about bringing people together. Even though we were in Spain, Portuguese TV covered the evening for local news.

Portugal's best striker is probably Renaldo , who at one time played for Real Madrid. So it was easy for Spanish supporters to cheer him on. A fantastic night at which we were made very welcome in this small community.

We returned to the quay and the pontoon to see the new moon in the old moons arms and Venus high in the western sky.

I don't know whether there was a need to celebrate but the fountain "Fuente" had been turned on in Sanlucar so we in turn celebrated with a drink at Sanlucar`s other bar, El Pozo.

Having collected two Portuguese Castles, it really was time to go up the frankly very steep and imposing El Castillo de San Marcos which stands imposingly above Sanlucar,

This has recently been fully restored, not without some controversy as the stark whitewashed exterior although authentic was felt by some to be over restored, It certainly stands out on the skyline and being someone unused to the previous unrestored grey ruin I think its great...…

Once the start of the footpath to the summit is located its a steady climb towards the small hut that is the launch point for the zip-wire, unique in Europe as it starts in one country (Spain) and after crossing the river finishes in another (Portugal)

In the photo above the launch point can be seen far middle right.
and here is a bit of the cross border people smuggling in action!

As you approach the Castle it really is quite imposing, the restoration includes parking and helpful signage. But however you cut it, it is a steep and very hot climb on foot.....

There is a small museum which we directed too by the very helpful curator after he had put on a useful video of the history of the castle , in English , just for us...

Below is a photo of the castle before restoration.

The views from the battlements are astonishing, seemingly all of the hinterland of Andalucía is spread out before you.

You also got a great view of the good ship Dark Tarn, or at least her mast, down in Sanlucar de Guardiana below.

We enjoyed the various (and all splendid ) views from the various battlements and also the soaring swifts riding the thermals.

The lovely curator could see that we were in need of refreshment and mentioned to us that cold drinks were available, these turned out to be in a small (and well hidden) bar just off a small chapel.

When the restoration is complete there will be a small cafe and information centre here.

The internal walls have deliberately left patches that retain the original rendering and whitewash.

I think it looks splendid, particularly lit up in the evening and viewed from Alcutim. Dark Tarn is directly underneath on the pontoon and is the boat with the black hull.

In a strange echo from Cangas and "Magic night", the tradition of fire leaping is alive and well on midsummer day everywhere in Iberia.

In Alcutim there was a small fire and we had an invite to attend. So along with the Magnets (Jim and Megan) we turned up. Apparently it keeps the witches away, however being born on Halloween gives me a get out card for fire jumping.

Midsummer celebrations continued in Spain with another invite to attend a medieval night at the local school. quite a lot of the permanent residents, Boat people who have become a part of the local community The Magnets again kept us company and as usual we turned up far too early. The main event was scheduled for sunset.

Meantime we were entertained, the man playing the saxophone is another Guadiana Brit, who lives on a property just up the river, he is also a world class saxophonist.

After dark we were treated to a performance of a "silent play", this was Where `The Wild Things Are`. I must admit the costumes and lighting were very atmospheric, particularly the dragon.

The children were brilliant.

Even the trees were decorated.

Definitely a night to remember, I could almost feel the Guadiana glue creeping over my feet, Lynne and I had already started looking at property, maybe we should leave soon?

I had decided to explore upriver on what turned out to be a brilliant footpath which if I had decided to would take me back to Huelva or even if I chose I could follow through the Algarve and eventually up to A Coruna and Santiago de la Compostela.

As it turned out I just walked a few miles up the river, This was a well that I happened upon and a few local guys who were whitewashing it let me help myself from the nearby orange grove.



I turned back and as I walked the path back into Sanlucar I noticed a tour boat coming upriver through the anchored yachts and again I felt my feet get just a bit more stuck in the earth. How nice would it be to just stop moving and just stay in this spot where we both felt we had made so many friends.
That's just how the Guadiana glue gets you!