CASTELLOTE

View of Castellote

Some years ago I had been to the Fiesta of Saint Lorenzo or St. Lawrence in the ancient town of Huesca which hiddles at the base of the giant Pyrenees Mountains and was driving back South towards Valencia. Initially, somewhat, uncomfortable as I was liberally splashed with red wine from the revellers in Huesca. However not for long as the heat from the vast plain I was crossing soon dried me out. I was fascinated by the amount of 'Dust Devils' that rose from nothing to immense heights and seemed to be deliberally travelling across my path.

It was then on my right hand side I noticed a sign post with the village of Belchite marked on it. I then remembered that this place was legendary for two things. The important one was that Belchite was famous for being a monument to the Spanish Civil war and was left in its original devastated condition as a war memorial. The second, more recently, was the film The adventures of Baron Munchausen directed by Tony Gillian of Monty Python fame. So I could not resist taking a look for myself. In the centre of the ruins lay what was left of the church. Surprisingly there was not a soul about and the atmosphere within the church was most eerie to say the least.. I did not stay for long and was soon on the way to the Maestrazgo. It was the first time I had approached the region by that particular route and was most surprised when the highway fell away into a high walled canyon with a rushing torrent somewhere to my left hand side. Then after some kilometres I entered a short dark tunnel and shot out the other side into bright sunlight. I had arrived in Castellote.

A town of some 676 inhabitants and falling to 676 in the year 2018 it seems to be faring a lot better than many of its neighbours on the population scale. A pleasant town centre with various cafes and bars, one, surprisingly, having a board outside advertising

HARMAN’S
BROWN ALE
BOTTLED AT
THE OLD BREWERY
UXBRIDGE
BREWERY LTD.

Well they say that 'Spain is different'.

After wandering around awhile, sorting out brochures, with the very charming girl in the tourist office, I wandered over to what turned out to be a pub with tendencies to a mixture and English decor. All in all I thought that Castellote was a most pleasant place to be.