The Road from Santiago

  It is a bit of a long day - longer than intended. I better go for a long walk to make up the metres. Well end the day with some eating options but first, the road. The Hacienda Timoteo is by our path. It is a 9-2, 5-8 sort of place on week days only.  Google calls it a function room. The web link is broken.  Five days ago Alicia said ‘ Excellent venue for a celebration. The place is truly beautiful, and the food and service are superb. Highly recommended. ’ Emilio, five months ago, was well pleased. ‘ We got married on July 12th of this year and we want to thank this amazing team a thousand times over! From the first to the last person, they were so friendly and welcoming to our guests, especially the older ones. The food was absolutely fantastic! Everyone telling us how delicious everything was is a testament to their hard work! Without a doubt, they were the best! ♥️♥️ ’ Fuente Palmera is ahead of us and we will divert into it.  10,000 people live here, and why n...

  It feels a bit of a five things day but first we are passing Pegasus Aviacion and they have some fun planes on display so lets look at them before heading down the byways. Pegasus Aero https://www.pegasusaerogroup.com/en/pegasus-aero-group-2/ are, according to their website ‘PEGASUS AERO GROUP is a leading international aeronautical Group consolidated and solvent thanks to the quality and professionalism of its services. More than 50 years of history and more than 550 employees guarantee our trajectory. The four main business lines of Pegasus Aero Group are: all kind of aerial services, with more than 100 helicopters and aircrafts, training, maintenance and simulation. 95 reviews come up with 4.5 stars.   Guicardur was impressed.  ‘ One of the best schools for helicopter pilots and mechanics. Their staff is always professional and willing to help with anything related to the world of aviation. Special mention goes to David Lucena, one of their instructors and a helicop...

  We are heading along the A-431 and reach La Estacion, which is where the station for Palma del Rio is. It is right by the Shrine of the Nuestra de Belen.   https://visitapalmadelrio.com/ermita-belen/   Our Lady of Bethlehem has had a shrine here since 1806. When the railway came it was remodeled [1857] and then reworked again in 1954. The sanctuary comprises a chapel, pilgrims hostel, brotherhood’s quarters and gardens. It is currently open from 8am to 1pm and 6pm-10pm. So, south we go, across the Guadalquivir and into Palma del Rio.  Suddenly we are in a town of 21000 people, with narrowed balconied streets and wide, Twentieth century boulevards.  The place had its highs and lows  In 1507 Luis Fernandez Portocarrero Bocanegra, first count of Palma del Rio, built a palace.  The palace has been much restored. In 1755 the Lisbon earthquake did much damage and it was reduced to being a warehouse and farmer’s dwelling. It was also destroyed during the C...

  In the words of Arlo Guthrie, let's begin this ‘walk down the road trip.’  The A-431 offers us rises and falls and the occasional looking tower.  This tower turns out to be the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Villadiego.  It is a hermitage with a blog http://virgendevilladiego.blogspot.com/ although it doesn’t appear to have been updated since 2015.  Ciasico was moved by this Mudejar.  ‘ If you'd like to learn more, keep reading: The Hermitage of Our Lady of Villadiego is a Mudéjar-style building, although today, after its 1996 renovation, nothing remains of its original form. The hermitage originated from the medieval tower of Villadiego, dating from the late 13th or early 14th century. Built in the Mudéjar style, it has an octagonal floor plan and is crowned with battlements. Its interior has two floors covered with vaults; the lower one is semi-spherical, and the upper one is groin vaulted. Attached to the tower is the hermitage building, also Mudéjar in ...