The Road from Santiago

  We are heading for the municipality and town of Puerto Lumbreras.  A little over 18000 people are so keen on the place they have opted to live there. 16% of them moved from other lands for the privilege.  Wiki claims ten people who are ‘notable.’  We’ve got a few moments. Let’s look at them.  Well, we will when we have struggled through the ‘we can’t translate this’ messages. Antonio Lopez was born in Puerto Lumbreras in 1989.  He is a footballer who signed for Valencia. He never broke into the big time but played for several teams and ended his career at Murcia. Juan Miguel Cuenca was born in 1977.  His greatest success was winning stages in the Vuelta a La Rioja and the Tour de l’Avenir. Gines Garcia Millan was born in 1964. He is an actor, theatre, film and television producer. He worked in his parents hotel, played football for Valladolid’s reserves and won the Actors union award for best supporting actor in TV for his part in Herederos.  gi...

  We are starting today with a review of Stafford Castle for no good reason than I want to.  Clicking in lowest review, of this 4.5 star attraction, Patrick says ‘It’s just some fields with a pile of bricks on a hill’ .  Patrick has done nine reviews. He is keen on Captains Vape Lounge, The Crown, Ego at the Fox & Dogs, the bottomless brunch at the Turtle Bay, the Greenhouse, the Loxley and Doha, Qatar.  All get five stars. He does not like the Etihad Stadium, The Soloman Cutler - Disco Spoon’s and Stafford Castle.   Taste is an individual thing and who can say how a bottomless brunch would take one, compared to the an always empty sports stadium.  However, I do feel we need to take task some items of fact.  Majestic 11th century earthworks and a subtle History of change and development is not for everyone. Stafford Castle is not some fields with a pile of bricks on a hill.  It is a pile of cut stones on top of a commanding hill.’  Where ...

  Today will be mostly concerned with walking across the flat, hoping for amusement and thinking that in July - these pictures were taken in July 2025 - we may get shimmering heat haze and the hope of shade and a cold beer - other beverages are available.     It is February. It can, in Blighty, be either the grey continuation of all the dreary days, all the life drained from the world, the grass by the side of road being grey with traffic residues. Snow, especially towards the end of the month, is just a cruel reminder that Christmas was a flaccid semi-mild affair, with the reindeer dragging the sleigh through piles of leaves. Sometimes you get the snowdrops and the hope of Spring.  In Murcia we may have had two days of rain and, on average, no days of snow. We came into the month with an average of 17.6oC and leave it with an average of 18.6oC. This is why the Brits are scampering around in bikinis and ill fitting shorts while the Spanish cling to fur coats and...

  Well it is flat and agricultural for the most part today.  It is one of those routes where we go from the neatly manicured new roads to the fieldside tracks.  We will pass La Casa de Mama. It is woman owned, LGBTQ+ friendly and https://ecoturismolacasademama.com/ gets five stars from three reviews. Vicente thought ‘A very clean and spacious house, equipped with every detail, the owners were very friendly, we had a wonderful few days. I definitely recommend it. We would love to return someday.’ Under the RM-11 we go and round to the RM-620, where the Pizzeria Pallaresa.  876 people have given it 4.4 stars.  Reviews tend to be brief.  ANa says ‘A fantastic place, with a very extensive menu and everything is delicious. You have to come, don't hesitate.’    We need some padding. Siruvo gave a one star review - in German. It does feel like the review of someone who has views on what a good time is.  ‘If you like eating in a tent, this is t...