PHOTOGRAPHY: SIGÜENZA

Located in the Sierra Ministra, in the north of the province of Guadalajara, Sigüenza is the main tourist destination in the province and one of the major tourist attractions in the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha (second only to Toledo). It is known as the "Ciudad del Doncel" (literally "City of the Young Nobleman"). It is a very small city, with less than 5,000 inhabitants, but is of  significant historical importance.

On the approach to Sigüenza (by rail and car), it soon becomes apparent what its main attractions are: the cathedral and castle, which are huge and make the city look even smaller than it already is.  The Gothic-Romanesque cathedral overshadows the centre of the city. Martín Vázquez de Arce, the "Doncel de Sigüenza", is interred in the chapel of St John and St Catherine (with a fantastic alabaster sepulchre). The castle is now a "Parador" (luxury hotel) and has some great views of the surrounding valley. There are other places to visit, such as the Casa del Doncel, the Ermita de San Roque and El Humilladero (formerly a hermitage, now the tourist office), which can all be seen in half a day.

I must confess to having a mostly hate-hate relationship with this town (mostly for personal reasons). While I recognise that is it picturesque, whenever I have been there, I have always ended up wanting to catch the first train out of there after a couple of hours. As the saying goes; "there's no accounting for tastes" or as they Spanish say "sobre gustos no hay nada escrito".

CASTLE IN SIGÜENZA

CATHEDRAL IN SIGÜENZA

CASA DEL DONCEL, SIGÜENZA

PLAZA MAYOR AND SIGÜENZA TOWN HALL

PHOTOGRAPHY: DON QUIXOTE

It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of Don Quixote, which - incidentally - is one of my favourite books. At that time, I worked for Spanish oil company, Repsol (then Repsol YPF), as the "coordinator of the international version of their internet portal"... A convoluted title, which basically meant that I had to translate in-house contents from Spanish to English and vice versa, manage contents, etc...

However, back at the start of 2005, a colleague and I were given the responsibility of planning the mini-site (Repsol YPF was one of the sponsors)  which would fit in with the Guía Campsa (now Repsol Guide). It was a huge task, having to research tourist routes (based on locations mentioned in the book), write descriptions and then translate it into English. A lot of work, which meant lots of unpaid overtime (without the option of being able to work from home), but it was ultimately very rewarding.

This year is the 400th anniversary of the publication of the second part of Don Quixote. To commemorate this,  below you will find some pictures of statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in Madrid, Alcalá de Henares and Guadalajara. Not sure which one is my favourite.

STATUE OF DON QUIXOTE AND SANCHO PANZA IN PLAZA DE ESPAÑA, MADRID 

STATUE OF DON QUIXOTE AND SANCHO PANZA IN ALCALÁ DE HENARES

UNUSUAL STATUE OF DON QUIXOTE IN ALCALÁ DE HENARES

STATUE OF DON QUIXOTE IN GUADALAJARA

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

ILLUSTRATION: SARDINHITAS

Illustration titled "Sardinhitas".

PHOTOGRAPHY: THE NEASDEN TEMPLE

Not really what you would expect to see right next to the North Circular Road in Brent Park... A beautiful Hindu temple, called the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (known locally as the Neasden Temple). I went past there earlier today, on my way back from a certain Scandinavian home furniture store. I could not go in as I was laden down with a heavy sack, but will go back another day. Admission is free, but there are strict guidelines which visitors must adhere to. Nearest bus service is the 206, which stops just outside the time. Travel by Tube is more more complicated. See the website for more information.