Emmanuel Tresmontant - 2009-11-10

Set away from big towns like Salamanca, León and the former capital of the Empire, Valladolid, Old Castile remains strangely austere, as if inward-looking... In some villages, close to Toro, the inhabitants for instance have never left home whereas Madrid is a mere 125 miles away! This impression of isolation is strengthened by the way stray visitors are stared at. What on earth have they come to Toro for?

 

A harsh and unchanging region where you'll be inclined to daydream, Old Castile is the land of Isabel the Catholic, of Teresa de Avila and of Antonio Machado. With its mountains still flown over by the royal eagle, valleys where vineyards alternate with wheat fields, groves of umbrella pines, and country hostelries where roast suckling lamb is served, Old Castile will give you a taste of little known and authentic Spain.

 

 

After landing at Valladolid airport (often brought to a standstill in winter in bad weather), I recommend you head directly to Peñafiel, 35 miles to the east.

 

By taking the N122, you will cross  Ribera del Duero, one of Spain's most famous vine-growing regions, renowned equally for its Tempranillo-based reds (like the legendary Vega-Sicilia) and for its lively and aromatic whites based on the Verdejo vine variety (the most interesting being produced by Bodega Vidal Soblechero in the village of La Seca).

 

The historic village of Peñafiel, which was part of the River Duero's line of defence built by the Castilians at the time of the Reconquest, is remarkable in more than one respect. First, it is dominated by one of the most impressive castles of Castile, listed as a National Monument in 1917.  The turrets of this 14th century white fortress command a 360 degree panorama over the entire valley. Inside, you can visit the Valladolid Wine museum.

 

Nestling at the foot of the hill, Peñafiel's star attraction is Plaza del Coso: an immense beaten-earth rectangular square on which bull races have taken place since the Middle Ages as well as religious fetes (such as the Bajada del Angel, on Easter Sunday, when a child disguised as an angel comforts the Holy Virgin).

 

 

Peñafiel, lastly, is renowned for its delicious lechazo asado,  crisp suckling lamb traditionally cooked in a bread oven. I recommend that prepared by the chef Mauro Margüello at the restaurant Asador Mauro ('Mauro the roaster'). The menu begins with mariscos de Castilla (literally 'Castilian seafood'): a dish comprising black pudding, chorizo and Guijuelo ham.

 

 

 

This peaceful village, which does not become lively until the beginning of the evening, at aperitif time, is indeed worth a detour for the hotel-restaurant Fuente de la Aceña, located in a former water mill. Its modern rooms (reasonably priced at 73 euros for a single and 98 for a double) overlook the river which is crossed by a 16th century bridge.

 

Close to the great estates of Ribera del Duero, the cuisine prepared by the young Pedro de Rodrigo is creative and most tasty, like his excellent watermelon gaspacho served with brochettes of scampi and its red tuna coated with chocolate sauce. Tasting menu at 36 euros.

 

 

Located 19 miles to the southwest of  Valladolid, Tordesillas is part of history. It was indeed within its walls that was signed in 1494 the famous Tordesillas Treaty whereby the kings of Spain and of Portugal shared all land discovered... and to be discovered! Land located to the west of a line joining the poles and passing 370 leagues off the Cape Verde Islands belonged thereafter to Spain; land to the east was allocated to Portugal (which therefore received Brazil).

 

In the daytime, Tordesillas is like a ghost town on account of the stifling heat... To find a cool place, you should enter Santa Clara Convent built in 1350 by Alphonso XI and featuring a superb patio decorated with multicoloured tiles of Mudejar inspiration.

 

In the heart of Tordesillas, the restaurant El Torreón is an address you absolutely must jot down. Renowned for its food grilled on a wood fire before your very eyes, this old-style eatery is typically Old Castilian with its solid wood chairs and tables, heavy curtains and ancient dust-laden bottles...  

 

For wine buffs, the wine menu offers a fine collection of sublime Vega-Sicilia Únicos (Spain's greatest wine) at the attractive price of 'only' 150 euros a bottle (expect to pay much more outside Spain). But you can already indulge yourself with excellent wines from Ribera del Duero at 20 euros a bottle. Very well stocked Havana cigars cellar (cigars sold at tobacconist's price). 30-40 euros for an à la carte meal.

 

 

56 miles to the south of Tordesillas, Salamanca is one of Spain's most beautiful towns, at once lively and full of history. Strolling through the centre, which has a fascinating wealth of architectural styles, you feel as if you are entering a 'high forest of towers', as Miguel de Unamuno the philosopher wrote.

 

All the streets converge on the immense Plaza Mayor, a masterpiece of Spanish Baroque art where the hippest tapas bars lie side by side with dark boutiques under the arcades. Built between 1729 and 1755 on the order of King Philippe V, Plaza Mayor is also a picture book with its facades decorated with medallions representing the kings and heroes like El Cid, Christopher Columbus, Cortés...

 

On leaving the square, take Calle Prior to Plaza de Monterrey. Then walk down Calle Compañia to the famous Salamanca University. This mecca of European humanism is entered by a magnificent gateway dating to 1534, an incredibly powerful anonymous piece of architecture! Have fun trying to distinguish, around the central medallion featuring the Catholic Kings, all the skeletons, devils, heroes of mythology, sensual sirens and frogs overlapping skulls…

 

 

A few steps from here, on Plaza Anaya, you'll discover that Salamanca doesn't have just one but two cathedrals: the old and the new one, built side by side. Overwhelming with its typically Renaissance proportions, the catedral nueva (1513-1560) nevertheless allows you to glimpse its 12th century elder whose ribbed lantern tower is a masterpiece of Spanish Romanesque art. 

 

Another tip: to take your photos in Salamanca, the best light is in the evening when the town's stones take on a glowing red colour.

 

If you spend the evening here, you should stroll along Calles Zamora and Toro which lead to Puerta de España and its hustle bustle making it one of the livliest places in town.

 

And why not spend a night in an 11th century castle?

 

On the Carretera de la Plata,12 miles from Salamanca and 25 miles from Zamora, the Castillo Del Buen Amor looks as though it's straight out of a film!  Its dining room, 45 double bedrooms and 6 drawing rooms are decorated with Renaissance furniture. The castle is surrounded by large grounds. Rooms from 100 euros a night.

 

 

Outback Castile is to be found 62 miles north of Salamanca, in Toro! Less known than its neighbour  Zamora, this little town built on the banks of the Duero is above all renowned for its Mudejar style Romanesque churches and its robust red wines.

 

However in Toro, there is not only the memory of the stones, but also the living memory of an extraordinary character: Hermenegildo Garcia de la Tiedra. This little chap is the descendant of Alonso Mauro, archbishop of Puerto Rico (from 1512 to 1539) and Inquisitor of America, who opposed the persecution of the Indians. Set in the former Palacio de la Nunciatura, Hermenegildo's house still bears his ancestor's coat of arms crowned with laurels, above Florentine style windows.

 

Hermenegildo could talk for ever on his ancestor and the history of  Toro... He makes his wines himself in a 16th century cellar dug 20 metres under ground. Alongside an ancient press, you can see ceramic amphoras in which his ancestors aged their wine like at the time of the Moors!

 

 

 

Long considered heavy wines lacking finesse, Toro wines are now all the craze.

 

These reds based on Tinta de Toro (a variety of Tempranillo) have recently become fresher and more elegant with the arrival of two enthusiastic young French vine growers: Antony Terryn (Dominio del Bendito) and Jean-François Hébrard (Quinta de la Quietud). Both transmitted their enthusiasm to me for the austere beauty of the land around Toro which they do not hesitate to compare with that around  Châteauneuf-du-Pape in France!

 

Their wines, made from very old vines and aged for 18 months in oak barrels, possess an intense colour, almost black, a penetrating nose of red fruits and a tannic  intensity.

 

Wines to be kept, that should be forgotten for several years before being opened…

 

For lunch in Toro, I strongly recommend the restaurant Lera where the chef Luis Alberto prepares fusion cuisine that enhances local produce, like suckling lamb that grazed on Castilian grass,  pigeon, raw milk goat cheese, cooked pork meats and mushrooms. Tasting menu at 40 euros.

 

 

 

I wish to thank Antony Terryn for having helped me to discover an absolutely fantastic place: the  Parque Natural Arribes del Duero which stretches along the border with Portugal! Located 62 miles to the west of Toro, this wild and protected site has a very rich geology, fauna and flora contrasting with the widespread aridity of Old Castile.

 

I recommend you drive first of all to the marvellous hamlet of Fornillos de Fermoselle where, amidst the wolves and royal eagles, Sara and Patxi live: this couple left everything a few years back to set up in this paradise and produce organic wines and goat cheeses.

 

From this hamlet, walks will allow you to discover the canyon at the bottom of which flows the Douro separating Spain from Portugal... Spend the night here, you won't regret it! The village of Fermoselle, for its part, is home to an excellent producer of bellota ham: the  Puente Robles establishment.

 

 

Finca Pozo la Nieve

47491 La Seca

Tel: 0034 983 81 65 26

 

Calle  Atarazanas

2 47300 Peñafiel

Tel: 0034 983873014   

 

Camino del Molino

47350 Quintanilla de Onesimo

Tel: 0034 983 68 09 10

 

Calle Burgos – Portugal

47100 Tordesillas

Tel: 0034 983 77 01 23

 

37799 Salamanca

Tel: 0034 923 355 002

 

Plaza Mayor, 6

49800 Toro

Tel: 0034 980 694 747

 

Plaza Santo Domingo, 8

49800 Toro

Tel: 0034 980 693 306

 

 

Calle Odreros, 10

49800 Toro

Tel: 0034 980 69 22 70

 

C/O Sara and Patxi

49232 Fornillos de Fermoselle (Zamora)

Tel: 0034 980 612 925

 

C / Moralina, 228

49220 Fermoselle (Zamora)

Tel: 0034 980 613 145