On Saturday 28th June our SC&C group set off from Javea for our 5-day tour to see the Lavender Fields of Brihuega. Enroute we passed many vineyards and a rather beautiful reservoir, stopping at Villanueva de la Jara for a few hours for our lunch break. The small town contained one of the finest late Gothic churches in the province – the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption – which was enormous, given the size of Villanueva de la Jara. A great pity that we couldn’t see inside.
Several members of the group enjoyed a tapas lunch at the pensionistas club!
Having checked into our hotel in Guadalajara, some of the group went for a swim and a little relaxation in the adjoining garden. Time for a cocktail before our dinner, and a nightcap out on the terrace!
Sunday, after a plentiful breakfast, we made the short journey from the hotel to the Museo de Guadalajara, located in the Infantado Palace, one of the city’s most iconic attractions. Bombarded during the civil war in 1936, it has been beautifully restored and now houses the city museum.
We had a stroll around the gardens and maze whilst we waited for the museum to open, which it did very promptly at 10.00 hrs. It was a self-guided visit, so everyone could wander around at their own pace. There were several exhibitions, with rooms with prehistoric and Roman artifacts, religious paintings and sculptures, including 2 beautiful sculptures by Luisa Roldan, the only woman in art history to be acknowledged as a royal sculptor. There were beautiful tapestries, and some magnificent murals and frescoed ceilings.
We then boarded our coach for the short journey to Torija, where there was time for refreshments before we visited the spectacular castle.
There were many artefacts inside, including a section on fauna and flora, but sadly it was not possible to walk along the battlements! A final drink in one of the bars, before we returned to our hotel in Guadalajara.
On Monday we had a beautiful scenic drive to Valverde de Los Arroyos, following a mountain road which ran through very varied landscapes and shady forests. Valverde de Los Arroyas belongs to the area of Black Villages, but here the architecture takes on golden hues because the slate is interspersed with the use of quartzite, which brings flashes of light to its typical darkness.
There was time for refreshments, to wander around, and to visit the museum created by the owners of the Restaurante La Tarihuela, where we were to have lunch.
We all had a great lunch at the Restaurante La Tarihuela, where we sang happy birthday to Jane as she blew out the candles on the slice of cheesecake provided by Jose, the restaurant owner and chef.
The village was small (only 91 inhabitants), but really pretty, and unbeknown to us there was a parade taking place that day! Some members followed the beginning of the celebration which was part of the Octava del Corpus Fiesta, which includes traditional dances and music. After a service in the church, the villagers walked around following the musicians ,and neighbours had prepared food and wine to share; a “mobile fridge” laden with soft drinks was also part of the parade! Detlef and Elena discovered that a local TV station was recording the event and interviewing some people, and they were included! Detlef has kindly shared a short clip from the video which I have forwarded to members on the trip.
We then made our way to Brihuega, stopping just outside the town for our first photos of the lavender, before an easy check in at our hotel which was located in the centre of Brihuega.
Brihuega is a delightful little town and in the months of July and August, it is decorated beautifully for the lavender festival with many stalls selling all kinds of gifts, liqueurs, soap (some as a slice of cake), candles, hats, t-shirts, etc. There was an unexpected lesson in making a piñón de lavanda for Gladys, Ally and Jan. In the evening some members enjoyed eating in the park which had a beautiful central fountain and several tapas bars.
On Tuesday we had an excellent walking tour of Brihuega with our guide, Manuel, who had amusing stories to tell as well as the history of the various sites which we visited. The old town of Brihuega was declared an Historic-Artistic Monument in 1973, and has an impressive bullring, arches of medieval origin, 2 kms of ancient wall, civil buildings from the 18th century and several churches.
During our tour we visited the Church of San Felipe, the Chain Gate, lavadero, the fountain of the 12 pipes, Church of St. Mary of the Stone, the castle, Coso’s Square and the Arab Caves. Angela had her photo taken with the Bishop of Guadalajara, whilst David paid his respects to the bishop!
At the end of the tour some of us went to have lunch at the former Royal Cloth Factory, which is now the 5* Hotel Castillla Thermal Brihuega. The Royal Cloth Factory, founded in 1750, was one of the most prestigious industrial facilities in Spain. The gardens are one of the town’s greatest treasures and have a large viewpoint over the Tajuna.
The rest of the afternoon was free to rest or to shop, and perhaps to taste some lavender ice cream!
Some members visited the Professor Max Miniature Museum: Brihuega is the hometown of Professor Max and also of his sister María Rosa Elegido Millán, both precursors of miniature painting worldwide. His heirs decided to leave his collection in the Museum in the town of Brihuega. There were so many miniatures to see, even a picture of the last supper painted on a grain of rice!
In the evening Vicente took us in the coach to some of the nearby lavender fields, so that we could take some photos as we watched the sun setting.
Wednesday morning we visited the village of Hita, one of the most beautiful in Spain, which was preparing for its annual medieval festival, battles, jousting etc. We saw the palenque, where the “battles” and bull running takes place. Then the main square, the outdoor theatre (a former church), the current church and finally a bodego (a cave house under the hill).
Finally, an excellent lunch in the function room of the Hotel Ansares in Tarancon, before heading home to Javea.
We managed to cover a lot in 5 days and Angela thanked everyone for making it such a fun and enjoyable trip, yet at the same time, it was also very relaxing!
Many thanks to you all for sharing your photographs and videos, including Detlef Glogowski, Ian Cummings, Ally O’Brien, Angela Chantry, Kevin McGuinness, Keith Smith, John & Wendy Ranger, Jan Ekblad Mills, David Grove, Ken Page.
Report by the group leader, Angela Chantry.
spanish.culture.cuisine@u3ajavea.com
