We trade a lot in our relationship... girly movie for a comic book movie, Wrestling for an Indigo Girls concert... it works for us, and we are both up for new things. Today was a perfect example. I was in search of these handmade clay crocks and platters that our hosts had at the b&b in Lecrin, and they instructed us on how to get to this tiny village on the side of a particular mountain in the Sierra Nevada range, Spain's largest mountain range.
So we drove higher and higher, on windier and windier little roads until we reached Pampaniera, filled with homemade wines (which you could buy at every shop in a plastic jug for 2 euro), meats, pottery and rugs. While exploring the little mountain town Thomas saw a sign that said Museo de Jamon, so we ventured inside. Once inside the one room museum of ham, we saw jugs of wine, cheese, and tons of legs of delcious pig hanging from the ceiling. The staff consisted of two. A woman who bagged items and a slick crafty butcher who welcomed us with a plate of jamon. He spoke very swift Spanish and singed and whistled tunes while he carved a legs of pork. Every few strokes of his knife he would hold up a piece of ham and tell us to look at how thin he cut. He was truly a swavy man with a knife. We didn't understand every word he said but just knew what he meant. At one point Thomas took a swig of water from his bottle after eating ham and the butcher threw up his arms in protest! "No agua" he exclaimed. He then grabbed Thomas by the hand and escorted him over to a jug of wine and poured three glasses. He said only wine in his shop. He then toasted us, gulped the wine, slicked back his already slick hair and started whistling and cutting ham again. We were so enriched in the shop we had to buy a few things and then said adios to man and his museum of jamon. Next we found a terrace overlooking the nearby mountains and valleys and had lunch. After lunch we bought some pottery:-) would have loved more but I was doubtful it would all survive the plane in our backpacks!!
After my success, we headed towards the southern coast and then east, in hunt of the town where Western movies were filmed. Apparently over 70 Westerns were filmed in these rocky mountains and desert plains. Such films as The Good the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistfull of Dollars, and a Few Dollars more. And also home to all the spagehtti westerns. We had read about it in the guidebook, but had no real directions... we were just going to drive until we saw the signs. So we drive and drive and finally see a sign for Texas Hollywood! And pull in with a few hours until close. We were just in time for the live action western performance. 4 cowboys on horseback rode up to the bank to the theme music of Bonanaza, robbed the bank and had a shootout. All in Spanish of course. We were cracking up at this, because we had no clue what was going on. About halfway through, Thomas said that he didn't think this was the Hollywood we had been reading about. After the show we took some pictures and headed out. And then two minutes down the road we found mini Hollywood, the biggest western theme park in the world. It was closing but we drove up to check out. It was more cheesy and toned down than the Spanish knockoff we went to.
What we determined was that Hollywood made all these films here, left the sets and then the Spanish turned some into a theme park, mini hollywood, and then left some sets exactly how they were and made Texas Hollywood. Either way we think we had the better experience. Now back to the road in search of some beaches......
No comments:
Post a Comment