Clouds loom as we leave the van and cross the main bridge over the Guadalquivir river. Due to the bend in the river we cross it again over the 6thC Roman bridge leading to the Mezquita. The sun has come out and there is the lovely mix of colours of blue sky, warm beige stonework and bright oranges in the trees. We enter the courtyard lined with palms and orange trees and get our tickets for entry to the cathedral. [€8/€4]. One of the world's main ...

A simple day. We service the vans and leave Zafra on the N432 to Cordoba. There is a mixture of drizzle and weak sun as we climb and fall through the Sierra Santos, mostly more olive woods and rocky peaks. In places we see mesas and butts straight out of the typical wild west film scenery. Mid afternoon we drop for hundreds on metres as Cordoba spreads out before us 4 miles away. A short drive through busy city traffic and we arrive at the camperstop...

Drizzly start to the morning. N+G go to find a vet to look at the lesion on Cleo's paw, so we head into town to meet later. Zafra appears to be a very friendly town, many locals seem to know each other and meet with kisses or handshakes. The old part is charming; pebble patterned courtyards surrounded with old stone and brick arcades. Many houses still have the old style balcony windows, finely cast iron frames with finials and scrollwork. Storks sit in nest...

Not a sound in the night. When we say good morning to N+G we all claim to have seen the lynx, but then own up to both Nicks using the same brand of shower gel. We cross the large bridge over the depleted waterway and join the main road towards Merida. It is mostly flat and straight as we pass more olive plantations, rather than the scattered woods we saw yesterday these are orderly groves wit trees varying in size from mature down to newly planted sprigs i...

After yesterday's rain we have a bright sunrise this morning. A quick visit to E.Leclerc for groceries then we start out on one of the 'Back Roads' tours. We start on the EX208 to Zorita then follow the EX108 to Guadalupe. It really is a spectacular ride with a beautiful mixture of scenery; small drystone-walled fields of brown sheep; olive and cork plantations, some with cattle or brown pigs grazing among the trees; green field with little brooks; ranging vi...