If the Castle is a Magnet....then I am Steel

If you read my entry about the Stone Boat then you know that I find castles interesting...to say the least.  The village of Belldorado also has a castle but during my last time through this town I was more concentrated on the destination and not the journey....so when passing through the village this trip and I saw the sign with 'Castillo'  pointing up a side street...of course I had to go.  There really was not much left of this Roman castle  but on the way, I had the opportunity to see the nesting storks closer than ever before.

It appears as if there are two occupied and two 'for rent'.  I was still a fair distance away from the birds but from this viewpoint, I could hear the birds opening and closing their beaks to make a snapping sound which I suppose they do when they feel threatened.  I only stopped for a moment to take the photo and continued on my way to the castle ruins.  Here you can see a small portion of the remaining wall and the 'castle view'.

A day or so later I was approaching the village of Castrojerez and remembered there was not only a castle to visit but also, just prior to this town is the convent of Santa Clara founded in the 14th century.  

The nuns that live here are in 'clausura' and have no direct contact with anyone outside of the convent.  They do however sell carved wooden Tau crosses and cookies.  HMMM...you may ponder.  If they have no outside contact then how can they sell these items?

Easy....you fill out your order form, place it inside the revolving door with the appropriate amount of cash and ring the bell.  Moments later the door turns again and your items of choice appear.

And beside the door is a showcase displaying what is available.

Sadly....I arrived too early in the morning and would have had to wait over an hour to buy some cookies...but there was even a stronger force acting on me..... if a castle is a magnet, then I am steel.  Cookies next visit!

From a distance and even within the village of Castrojerez it seemed like a long way o climb to the castle.

There were many pilgrims passing through the quiet streets  of this UNESCO designated village in the early morning.   Sadly, not a single bar was open to have a cafe con leche before making the climb or to ask the favor of leaving my backpack while I did so.

To my surprise....on the road to the castle there was also a bonus of seeing  'cave houses'. These houses have a visible portion that extends forward with a door and some windows and the remainder of the house is built within the hillside.  The castle, cathedral, cave houses and the fact that Castrojerez was a very important destination on the Camino de Santiago for its pilgrim hospitals, allow the town the UNESCO designation.

Note the make of the cars in the next two photos...

If you are not a car aficionado or it is just too far away to tell....parked in front of one of the cave homes is a Mercedes and front of another is a BMW.  Now this begs the question....is it so cheap to live in a cave house that you can afford a BMW or are cave homes so rare and expensive that only those in the Mercedes/BMW crowd can afford them???  Who knows?

Let's get to the castle, built in the 9th century....no disappointment in this one.  Not only was it in excellent condition but restoration and story boards were in place so you could envision the castle layout in its prime.

A narrow stone staircase leading to......

magnificent ramparts....

Welcome to the castle...every room with a view.

To top an already great day....I found a short cut to return to the village and hallelujah...the bars were open and serving coffee.  As I awaited the magic brew that would carry me up the imposing hill leaving Castrojerez, Annie's Song by John Denver came on the radio.  I loved this song as a teenager and it gave me goosebumps to hear the wonderful lyrics....

You fill up my senses like a night in the forest, 
Like the mountains in springtime, 
Like a walk in the rain, 
Like a storm in the desert, 
Like a sleepy blue ocean, 
You fill up my senses, come fill me again.

I floated outside carrying my magic moment and my coffee and there sat dear Christer with his painful swollen feet but greeting me with a huge smile.  It had been several days since we last crossed paths.  I shared my goose bump experience with him and he immediately asked what song it was....we sang a few bars together and had a great laugh then left this magical place to face that monster hill.  As usual, conversation with someone makes the time pass and suddenly we crested the top and continued along the flat mesa.  Our destinations for the day were different and I left Christer at the entrance to his preferred hostal.

But somehow I feel our paths will cross again....such is the meeting and parting of ways on this camino.
By the way....to my running buddies....could you please ask Jack if he could possibly add Annie's Song to his repertoire.  His voice and style would lend itself perfectly to this song and I would be forever grateful to hear it next time I have a chance to attend one his and Ellie's gigs.