Thursday 19 September: Trujillo and Guadalupe

 We’re packed and on the road by 9.30 and after a quick forage for fruit and supplies in Mercadona we head east towards Guadalupe. Soon out of Caceres we are driving through arid rocky flat landscapes dotted with cork and hill oak trees. Still no Iberian pigs to be seen! We’ve heard they eat 10 kilos of acorns a day and certainly appear on every menu but they are well hidden. After half an hour we approach the outskirts of Trujillo and manage to park in a side street. We head up the cobbled streets to another impressive Plaza Mayor with Churches, Palaces, an Arabic Castle and an impressive statue Pizzaro the Conquistador. We take a few photos! After a coffee in the square we head on eventually climbing up and down through the sierras of Guadalupe. The campsite is certainly rustic and eerily empty but we check in and walk up (again!) into Guadeloupe. Different in style again the humble rural town perched on the hillside hosts  the most enormous monastery. First we find a restaurant buzzing with Spanish and have to wait for a table. No English is spoken and we’re not quite sure what we’re ordering. It’s delicious though. Gazpacho and Paella starter then pork tenderloin with local cheese for me and pork stew for Simon. Were given a peach flavoured drink at the end which doesn’t taste alcoholic but we’re not sure! It’s after 4.30 by the time we get to the monastery and discover the only way to visit is a compulsory tour at 5pm…. In Spanish. We join this and just about bear the very detailed hour long commentary first by a very serious man and finally by an even more serious monk. The cloisters are certainly very impressive and there are elaborate painted ceilings, ornate vestments, large illuminated manuscripts and a number of holy paintings and Catholic icons. The culmination is the viewing of Santa Maria de Guadalupe who is only about 3 foot tall and has a very black face. Carved in mahogany we think. Our fellow visitors queue to kiss the icon and shed tears but we are relieved to beat a hasty retreat! Back to base where we’re relieved to find quite a few fellow campers have arrived. We collapse after a stimulating if exhausting day.