A locked gate...
But I have the key to the castle!!
For several kilometers approaching the village of Monjardin, my attention was drawn to a very high hill that seemed to have a particularly interesting pile of rocks at its peak.
The closer I got to the village the more the pile seemed to resemble the remains of a castle and when I finally reached the village, my destination for that night, to my surprise there was a castle perched at the top. Looking about the village there was a familiarity to it and I realized I had made a rest and coffee break at this same spot when I passed through in 2011. I asked about the castle at that time but all I was told was that if I wanted to visit it, I just needed to ask at the bar for a key to open the gate. I decided not to do it in 2011 but did not want to let this opportunity pass a second time. Having walking almost 30 km in 35C+ heat this day, it seemed wise to wait until early the following morning. The keeper of the key at the bar said I could come by at 8:00 the following morning but I was hoping to get an earlier start, so he agreed to give me the key that evening in exchange for my passport. When I asked about the history of the castle he just shrugged his shoulders. I asked the Dutch caretakers of the albergue but neither could they tell me anything about it. I made the invitation to some of my fellow pilgrims but all declined. One young fellow from the U.S. was aghast that I was willing to give up my passport.
After a hearty breakfast and a few cups of coffee I began the ascent, which was surprisingly easy as I had left my backpack at the albergue. It was a very special moment, unlocking the gate and coming into the courtyard of the castle. The views were amazing in every direction. There was even a bell on the wall of the castle about a meter high and wide. I thought to myself 'it probably is not functioning' but I gave it a tentative push.....nothing....then a bigger push.....still nothing. Then I put my weight behind it and was rewarded with a resounding 'DOONNNNGGGG!!'
I thought for a moment I may have woke up the entire village below but luckily one of the churches in the village answered but with a much less resounding 'dong'.
Circling the outside wall before descending I was finally able to learn something about the castle.
It was originally a Roman castle, fortified by the Moors during their reign in Spain then taken over in a very important battle by one of the kings of Navarra. Later, during one of the Carlist Wars, when a lot of castles in Spain were demolished, this one suffered less than others due to its location and the strength of its walls. It is referred to as...
'A stone boat that ran aground in the clouds'.
A view from the castle window.
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