Tudela

Tudela is hardly Euro-Disney. In fact it's not somewhere that will be on many tourist's list as a 'must-see' destination. It's really just a very ordinary, work-a-day town, halfway between Barcelona and Bilbao.

So why did I go there?

No special reason, I was travelling between Barcelona and Bilbao and I needed somewhere to break the journey. Somewhere that was just about.....that's right, halfway.

When ...
...with one we liked, the Tudela Bardenas (which I've written about). They have a pretty good website which has plenty of information about the area's attractions. So one thing led to another and we eventually decided to spend a couple of days there.

TUDELA, with a population of 27,000, is the most important town in the La Ribera area of Navarra.
Situated at a strategic crossing point on the River Ebro, there are signs of some ... more

Tudela is hardly Euro-Disney. In fact it's not somewhere that will be on many tourist's list as a 'must-see' destination. It's really just a very ordinary, work-a-day town, halfway between Barcelona and Bilbao.

So why did I go there?

No special reason, I was travelling between Barcelona and Bilbao and I needed somewhere to break the journey. Somewhere that was just about.....that's right, halfway.

When we scouted around on the net for a hotel, we came up with one we liked, the Tudela Bardenas (which I've written about). They have a pretty good website which has plenty of information about the area's attractions. So one thing led to another and we eventually decided to spend a couple of days there.

TUDELA, with a population of 27,000, is the most important town in the La Ribera area of Navarra.
Situated at a strategic crossing point on the River Ebro, there are signs of some Roman settlement but it became more important during the Moorish occupation, before becoming the last place in Navarra to be re-conquered by the Christians in 1512.
Until the 15th century, Muslims, Christians and Jews had lived harmoniously here and indeed, one of the most famous residents of Tudela was the 12th century travel author, Benjamin de Tudela - who was supposedly the first European to travel to Western China. He visited many other countries and wrote about his travels.....a pioneer opinionater, you might say!

Through most of the following centuries, Tudela has remained a prosperous town whose wealth has been based mainly on agriculture, but industry has become more important in modern times.

Indeed, on approaching the town it's hard to see anything attractive about it place as the suburbs around the approaches from the motorway consist mainly of sprawling industrial estates.

On the other hand, if you enter the town from the north-east, you're rewarded with a quite spectacular vista. From open country-side, you cross an impressive, 17-arch bridge which was initially built during the Arab occupation but has been restored several times. From here, the views open out over the old town and the small hillock behind on which stands the Sacred heart monument - this is where the former castle once stood. The river is at its widest here and the spires and towers of the old town (especially the cathedral), with their crowns of stork's nests, are peacefully reflected in the slow-moving, shimmering water.

But enough of that, what is there to do/see?

• LOS BARDENAS REALES •

This is a semi-desert just a few miles from the town and is a hugely popular area for hiking and biking etc. We drove around some of the fringes of it and went for a couple of very short strolls - we did plan to hike a bit more but the heat was pretty fierce and there were tiny little flies that continually harassed us and that made it extremely uncomfortable.
The scenery is spectacular and not unlike the setting from a John Ford western - wind-eroded, sandstone pillars and arid, rugged canyons. (Monument Valley?)
There are two distinct areas: BARDENA BLANCA - which is generally a shade of white due to the chalk and gypsum content, and is deeply eroded; and BARDENA NEGRA - which is composed of red clay and limestone and has more vegetation (though it still doesn't have a lot).
The scenery is very striking and dramatic. But don't just take my word for it, have a look at some of the images on this website:
http://www.pbase.com/rotalbar/bardenas_reales_de_navarra
Paradoxically, on the fringes of the Bardenas towards Tudela, most of the land is given over to rice cultivation and the field are therefore flooded.

• EL BOCAL •

Just a couple of miles south of Tudela, the River Ebro has been dammed to form the Imperial Canal. The canal itself is....well, it's a canal, but the dam's surroundings have been given over to parkland. The canal is actually an irrigation project which was begun in 1528 but the 'modern' dam was built in 1790. There are lots of secluded picnic areas and the shores around the lake are criss-crossed with wooded pathways, beaches, and spots for fishing. There are also campsites with quite a few bars and restaurants strategically dotted around amongst the more formal gardens surrounding the Palacio del Gobernador.

• TEDELA OLD TOWN •

The old town has not really suffered the blight of rampant commercialism and, although it has been renovated, it's all been done very tastefully and still retains the feel of a living, breathing. mediaeaval town. The majority of shops are situated in the modern town which leaves the old town extremely quiet and uncrowded.....until night-time, when all those sleepy little lanes and alleys burst into life with the chattering of locals crowding inside - and outside, a seemingly endless array of tapas bars and restaurants.
On the Saturday evening there was a medieval market which was bustling and buzzing with throngs of people, meandering around the stalls selling all sorts of craft goods. The vendors and street entertainers were kitted out in clothing of the period (complete with those silly-looking, and pointless...erm..pointy shoes), and there was even a falconer/idiot who took great delight in encouraging a big and vicious, pterodactyl-like monster from swooping within millimetres of peoples heads. Highly amusing.
There were stalls selling 'olde worlde' type munchies which you could wash down with mead and the like. I sampled a flagon or two of the local cider which was very tasty and very strong!

The old town is where you'll find the majority of the more interesting, and attractive buildings of the town such as: The 13th century Cathedral which was built on the site of an Arab Mosque. The Puerta del Juico (Judgement Gate) is particularly interesting with a vast number of sculptures depicting the Biblical story of Humanity from Adam and Eve to the Final Judgement.
The narrow lanes and shaded plazas are liberally sprinkled with any number of mediaeval palaces and merchant's houses and, due to the almost non-existent traffic, there's a true feel of days gone by.

The modern town could be 'anytown, anywhere' - but where the old and new towns meet, there is some excellent baroque architecture. None more so than the town's main square, PLAZA DE LOS FUEROS, which has shops beneath the arches on one side (the opposite is occupied by cafes and restaurants) and continuous balconies and ceramic decoration on the facades. The Town Hall and a church complete the square.

As we were sitting at one of the cafes in the square, sipping chilled beer and people watching, we couldn't help but notice the large number of storks who were feeding their young, and the even greater number of swallows (or swifts) buzzing around. Mrs P was sitting with her elbows on the table when one of the birds, using some sort of smart-bomb tracking device, managed to target the gap between her sleeve and her arm.
Laugh?...... I wish I hadn't!
She wasn't best pleased but,looking on the bright side, at least it wasn't one of those storks which did the nasty deed and it wasn't me who was shat on.

Next day it was up with the larks and off to the Basque Region, but that's another story.....

Thanks for reading

©proxam2004
 

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