Same Shirt, Different day-2012 Adventures of the "Devonport Wonder Babes"

Thursday 20 September 2012 Barcelona to Soria

After another great breakfast at The Patio, (omlette today) Lyndsay and Tony went and retrieved our Kangoo from the tightly packed parking building, lots of reversing required by Tony.

Managed to get on the road by 10 am heading for Soria a town north west of Zarathoga. Uneventful drive through lots of olive groves and vineyards, climbing quite high over some passes and down into plateaus. Very dry in some areas, you would wonder why anything grows.

Lunch in roadside cafeteria catering to local workmen and passing trucks. Nice cheap selection of tapas but some unknown when purchased e.g. Lyndsay’s tripe in a tomato sauce.

Arrived about 3.30 pm at our 3 star Hotel Corsa,  about 6 km outside Soria, near a truckstop and what looks like a giant quarry, though turns out to be preparation to build factories. Looks pretty uninviting from the outside, but has a pool and inside is fine, recently refurbished, clean modern lines, very comfortable beds and most appealing €45 per room per night. Shower is lethal though, oval base is very slippery and you need to put down a towel asno non slip bathmats.

 

After suitable siesta (over an hour)  about 5pm we headed into the town itself which is a mixture of an old town and some suburbs with wide streets. Lonely Planet says population about 18,000. Found Tourism office with very helpful young man who provided maps and directions to important places.

Went for stroll around old town after visit to church of San Juan, found central square with kids sports programme going on and also a display of electric cars from Renault and Peugeot. Heaps of people, especially older people, out and about strolling, talking and laughing.

Whilst in the square we noticed a large van with “Orquesta Sinfonica De Euskadi” written on side (translates as Basque National Symphony Orchestra) then a large poster outside a large theatre/concert hall  ( ? El Palacion de la Audiencia) where we saw they were performing that evening. Nice man at Tourismo told us tickets were €10 each !! Bought tickets, had mediocre tapas dinner in square and then headed off to concert.

 

Fantastic hall, old building but obviously completely renovated inside with moden wood panelling , seats about 500, enclosed  stage area and superb acoustics. Orchestra about 40 strong all in formal black tails or dresses. Programme was Beethoven Coriolanus Overture, Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9 and Mozart Symphony No. 40. Pianist was very slight young woman, Judith Jauregui, who seemed to just stroke the keys and the conductor was a rather flamboyant middle aged man with grey curls named Lorenz Nasturica-Herschowici. A great evening was had by all.