PHOTOGRAPHY: GUADALAJARA

I lived in Guadalajara (Castile-La Mancha), Spain, between 2004 and 2009. It is a small city, some 55km north-east of Madrid, situated in an area called La Alcarria. It is not - shall we say - the most interesting of places, despite being the capital of the province of the same name. Moving there from Madrid turned out to be a major culture shock.

The name Guadalajara derives from the Arabic Wad-al-Hayara, which - according to the city's tourist propaganda means "river of stones", but apparently really means "river of shit". Whatever the true meaning, the river Henares does flow through the outskirts of the city. There are some places of interest to visit, but if you do ever find yourself in "Guada", you can see pretty much everything in half a day.

It is not really a tourist destination, with most monuments being of a historic or religious nature. The main tourist destination in the province (as the locals take great pains in pointing out) is the... ahem... city (small town) of Sigüenza, which is about 70km north-east, very near the border with Soria. The highlight of Guada is most definitely the "Palacio del Infantado", a beautiful 15th century  Isabelline Gothic palace which is currently used as a museum.

Another highlight is the scenery around the river Henares, which is quite wild in parts. During summer it is not uncommon to see large colonies of storks and herons nesting by the river and flying overhead. They are enormous. I must also add that for some unknown reason the whole city stinks during summer. Some attribute the smell to nearby factories and farms, whereas some say it is due to a kind of shrub that grows in abundance. Whatever it is, it can be quite overpowering, if not nauseating.

Places of interest:

• El Palacio del Infantado (beautiful 15th century Isabelline Gothic palace, now a museum)
• Panteón de la Duquesa de Sevillano
• Concatedral de Guadalajara (main cathedral in the province of Guadalajara is located in Sigüenza)
• Alcázar Real de Guadalajara (archaeological site of the former Royal Fortress of Guadalajara)
• Capilla de Luis de Lucena
• Fuerte de San Francisco
• Torreón del Alamín
• Puerta de Bejanque
• Puente árabe (The oldest remaining construction in the city, dating back to Moorish times. Built in the 10th century)
• Parque de la Concordia (main park in the city)
• Quirky statue of Don Quixote 

How to get there:

• There is a frequent bus service operating between Madrid, Alcalá de Henares and Guadalajara. Approximate travel time: 45 mins to 1 hour.
• Cercanías (train): Line C2 operates between Madrid-Chamartín and Guadalajara. Travel time takes between 55 minutes (Civis service, which does not stop at all stops, running at peak times in the early morning and early evening) and 1 hour 5 minutes.

FAÇADE OF THE PALACIO DEL INFANTADO, GUADALAJARA

PANTEÓN DE LA DUQUESA DE SEVILLANO, GUADALAJARA

ALCÁZAR REAL DE GUADALAJARA

AYUNTAMIENTO DE GUADALAJARA

CONCATEDRAL DE GUADALAJARA

PUENTE ÁRABE, GUADALAJARA