| La Alberca first
caught my attention thanks to the Michelin Green Guide which noted
its fascinating, unspoilt rural character. That was back in
1980 and I am pretty sure that, although we managed to get there and
back in a (very long) day trip from Segovia, the last bit of road
was almost certainly little more than a dirt track. The town
was indeed unspoilt with no designated car parks, nor any need for
them, the town being almost entirely occupied by quaintly dressed
locals. My second visit, in 1997, I
remember more clearly and vividly recall the stinking cow sheds in
the lower floors of the houses throughout the town. The road
was hardtop, but very slow going indeed.
By 2013, it has relatively shiny,
pothole-free roads and all the cow sheds have been converted into
garages or additional living space...not a stinky cow to be seen.
The streets no longer flow with the bodily wastes of its cattle,
although the stepping stones and shallow bridges across the former
effluent streams remain. Tourism has clearly brought
affluence, but sadly also something of a traffic problem with cars
strewn along the verges despite the existence of a multi-storey car
park on the edge of town.
Still the charm remains, if rather
sanitised, and the town boasts a number of half-decent restaurants,
banks and all the trappings of civilisation. |
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