Aguilar de campoo 17 May 2023
dear travel diary
We had quite a long driving day today. Much to our surprise, Google maps guided us onto a dirt track which didn't seem quite right. It seemed less right when we realised that we were going the wrong way on the El Camino walk and a stream of walkers began to pass us going the other way. We checked the map and we were indeed on a 'road' but it seems Google was unaware that it was a walking track for the Camino.
We were expecting that the walkers would be quite peeved to find a motor vehicle disrupting their quiet contemplative walk but they waved and smiled on us as if we were also taking part in the pilgrimage, albeit going in the wrong direction.
The detour lasted 6 kilometres which delayed us quite a bit as we had to go at walking pace most of the time out of respect for the walkers. We didn't want to endanger their lives or cover them in clouds of dust. One Japanese gentleman was so surprised to see a car on the track that he took a photo of us as we passed and gave us a cheery wave.
an accidental visit
As I have done so often on this trip, I took a wrong turning and ended up slightly lost. We were near the town of Briones in the Rioja region which I didn't think we had time to visit but Gill suggested that we stop there to have a coffee. It was a great decision as the town was totally captivating. We spotted the impressive bell tower of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and went inside. I'll leave the photographs speak for themselves.
Google Maps lands us in big trouble
I had seen photographs of the town of Frias and thought it looked a great place to visit. However, I had no idea just how difficult it would be to actually drive into the town which is perched atop a high, steep hill. It has a spectacularly situated castle dominating the town.
Google obviously had no idea that the town was not on the flat and sent us up cobbled streets that got narrower and narrower and steeper and steeper. I realised too late that these little alleys were only just slightly wider than the car.
I ended up having to stop out of sheer panic that I was going to get into serious trouble turning to turn corners on sickenly tight steep bends. I reversed the car into a blind alley to consider my options. I walked up the hill and discovered that Google could have sent us up a perfectly normal road into the town but had chosen a suicidal route which nearly trapped us. I was able to drive straight up a steep incline and out onto a road of normal dimensions. So much for artificial intelligence.
Once we had steadied our nerves with a spot of lunch we explored the town which turned out to be worth the effort of getting there.
our accommodation
We've come to rest in a charming old inn next to a monastery.
