Off the beaten track in Andalucia - Lucena and Cabra

Wednesday

It’s a chilly night in the apartment in Archidona where heating depends just on the hot air of the air conditioning.

We pack up, I forget the cheese in the fridge (I knew there was I reason I prefer having a base and day tripping rather than to keep moving around.....) and then we drive to Lucena. Hmm. There are a couple of squares, a couple of nice churches, another Casino, which we have a look at without being tempted, but nothing truly unforgettable and I’m glad (despite the forgotten cheese) we abandoned plan A of basing there for a week.

At twelve o’clock after a precautionary phone call in Spanish we go to Restaurante Mirasierra well known for its Rabo de Toro. The owner is very friendly and just shrugs agreement when two tourists demand Rabo de toro when most Spaniards are finishing breakfast. It is very very good, an enormous portion which is enough for two of us (he kindly warned us it would be) and we spend just 24 euros including bread etc, 2 canas, 2 coffees.

Our next stop is Cabra where we park, sit in the Parque Alcanatara Romero in the sun and snooze and digest lunch. This is followed by a walk around Cabra. The more modern part is nice, but once again, although better than Lucena, without the white and yellow urban perfection of Osuna. The older part, near the castle, which is closed to the public because it’s a school, the chiesa of Assuncion and Angeles, closed because it’s dia de andalucia or lunchtime or both, and the Barrio de la Villa, is prettier. 

Back in Plaza Vieja, well, just around the corner, we find the Circulo de la Amistad or Casino of Cabra. The patio is full of people eating and drinking so we go into the bar part where we have two coffees and a rather expensive for Andalucia standards torta de queso for a total of 7.30 euros. We are told we can take some photos so we go back to the patio where there’s some wine tasting by Bodegas El Monte de Moriles. The winemaker speaks English so we chat a little and Andrea tries the dry Montilla fino: those unusual encounters which make a trip special. 

On the way out of Cabra we stop at Fuente del Rio, a pleasant park/garden with ample parking which must be even nicer when the weather is warmer, and then drive towards the Sierra Subbetica.

Our destination is Villa Turistica Priego de Cordoba, an Andalucian style ‘village’ hotel where we have booked a studio flat. What a relief. It is very nice indeed, the room is warm and snug after the cold apartment the night before, the staff are really friendly, it’s quiet, just the noises of birds and frogs. Our studio flat has a splendid view over the countryside. We spend the evening listening to flamenco on the radio and writing up our adventures so far.