We have a leisurely start to the day. I am loving Spanish time with its late mornings and late nights, it suits my modus operandi perfectly. We find a cafe open for a bite of breakfast. It is a bit shambolic with breakfast TV on, pokie machines in full flight, and men drinking all manner of beverages, mostly alcoholic by the look of it. The scene doesn't quite fit with the scenery behind us, a huge medieval castle. But then again, perhaps it does.
We have coffee and a very nice jambon and egg sandwich and hit the road to the desert which is in the middle of nowhere, but in reality only about 20 minutes drive away. There are wind farms everywhere en route, high on hills, whirling away impressively. And acres of solar panels.
Normally you can drive through the entire Bardenas Reales desert in your car, at your leisure - but today we are told at the entrance that a small part of it is blocked off, they are filming Game of Thrones. Due to inside knowledge, this we already know!!
We drive in without huge expectation of what we might find. The landscape is incredible every way you look. As we drive towards a big craggy tower of a rock for a close up view, we can see the film set in the distance; the trucks and trailers, the activity. It's an impressive set indeed.
Although we can't drive through that part of the desert, we can see it, high craggy plates of rock, layered in different hues of gold and red and cream, running down to deep gulches carved by the passing of time and the doings of nature. The deep crevasses have tufts of growth here and there, it's not completely barren.
You may also find the occasional hidden snake as Brett did when he took a pee on a bush. Poor snake came slithering out, got pissed on, and slithered quickly away. Not sure who got the biggest fright, Brett or the snake. Underfoot the ground is chalky; silky smooth and dusty like the lightest powder. It is that gorgeous slightly caramel colour of Cornish clotted cream. It gets into everything. The car is covered in it already.
We drive right round the area, marveling at the formations around us, quite different from one part to the next. We see some golden eagles swooping overhead. The roads are dusty gravel, narrow, stretching unobtrusively across this unique little desert. Brett is at the wheel. We stop often, at my behest, to take photos. The scenery is truly picturesque.
It is windy in a slightly eerie manner, but not cold. Occasionally we pass a car coming the other way but mostly it is deserted. Small haciendas appear every now and then, empty and neglected, picturesque in a forlorn way. There are a few working farms with stock. We drive past the military base where they carry out bombing practice and whatnot. Over yonder is an airstrip for fighter planes.
We see the GoT film set from various angles as we drive around. It must be a mammoth undertaking to film in a place like this, even just for a few days. There seem to be horses. I really will have to watch season 6!
After a good few hours exploring the nooks and crannies we depart. We are hungry and stop in the town of Aguerdo. It's a real desert town, with hardly a soul around, but we find a nice cafe on the square that is open and sit down to a hearty lunch of veal and chips and pimentos washed down with beer and served by a lovely young woman who cooked it all herself.
Back in Olite we dust ourselves down and then go through the Wine museum. The Navarre area is famous for its wines and the story of its development is beautifully displayed; definitely worth a visit. A tasting of a robust red of 15% alcohol awaits us at the end. A bloody good drop after a big day in the desert!
Olite is a real mix of old and new. Most of the building facades are ancient but behind them, modern buildings have been created, including our hotel and the wine museum. Other buildings are undergoing a similar revamp. The aesthetics are preserved as major modernisation takes place.
Beneath the town square is the Medieval Gallery, housed in a former moat of the massive castle - which we will visit tomorrow - later used as a secret passage and now a small museum showcasing life in medieval times. There are mannequins showcasing the fashion of the day, an apothecary and kitchen set-up. Armour and weapons and banners and whatnot. It's a short and sweet insight into medieval life.
Back to our hotel for dinner. Shortly after, the actors return, having had a great day. Today was a rehearsal day for them, tomorrow they film for real. We hear various tales of what they got up to, including horse riding escapades that draw a few breaths, and we all agree the desert is very spectacular indeed.
We sleep well after an unusual and worthwhile day, and another very good meal.
We love Olite.
Observation of the Day: we are amazed at how many wind farms we have driven past since we have been in Spain. They are on every hill, everywhere you look. Dozens of them here, hundreds of them there. Great white spindles etched against the blue sky. As we drive along high viaducts, we are right up high with them. You can almost reach out and touch them as they catch the breeze and do their job. Impressive in an unwieldy way. Like a collection of giant white toothpicks systematically stuck together by a model-happy kid and set spinning with glee.
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