In fact, we did end up with motorhomes parallel parking with us on our football pitch. Everyone behaved and a good night was had.

During the evening I’d commented on someone’s Facebook post about the Bardenas Reales national park, just to say that we’d visited there ourselves yesterday. I then had a reply asking if I was parked on the football pitch at Medinaceli. Coincidentally we’d both come almost 200km and had ended up at the same place. So the next morning we had a long chat with Nigel and Olivia, promised to stop stalking them, and said our goodbyes.

We’d been looking forward to lunch at the Bavieca restaurant, where we’d eaten two years ago. We’d made a rough translation of the menu, but reckoned that the foals’ eggs and thistles were probably not the right words. Anyway, it’s a very lovely setting, and the manager was very helpful given our virtually non-existent Spanish. It amused me that in this gentile establishment, the playlist was 70s rock, with some punk thrown in with a track from the Sex Pistols – just my era. Three courses, including a bottle of wine, for €18. Shame I was driving, so we had to leave half the bottle. Pork cheeks as main and biscuit ice cream were the stars of the show.

We were keen for a change of scenery, so I quickly programmed in a couple of possible Park4nights in the general direction of Guadalajara. Just 30 minutes down the road, we took a turn down some more minor roads, passed a ravine or two, and now find ourselves in an elevated position, looking down a valley, where we’ve been watching the sun gradually setting at its far end.

I took a stroll down a track to the valley for a breath of fresh air, and the views were very lovely. Earlier on we’d seen a number of wild deer down there. As I turned to return, I noticed at least two dozen majestic, and very large, vultures soaring right over my head. A beautiful sight, but it’s never too encouraging to think they might be just waiting for my demise.

Another beautiful spot courtesy of Park4night.