Journey to the Alcarria: Stage 1

The book "Journey to the Alcarria" is a masterpiece of travel writing.

The quote, "The Alcarria is a beautiful region which people apparently have no desire to visit," is taken from the dedication that Camilo José Cela (winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature) wrote to Gregorio Marañón.

Ironically, 70 years later, everyone wants to go there.

This image shows where the adventure of the Journey to the Alcarria began. It is one of the most beautiful areas of Madrid, stretching from Calle de Alcalá to Atocha Station via the Glorieta de Cibeles roundabout and Paseo del Prado.

We will explore literature and life on this journey in 10 stages.

Camilo José Cela set off on his journey to the Alcarria from Atocha Station.

The palace's central courtyard is known as the Patio of Lions. It is rectangular and formed of a double arcade on 2 levels, with striking pairs of lions and griffins.

It is a must-see on the Journey to the Alcarria.

"The boy looks at the traveler, takes pen and ink out of the drawer, and in the exquisitely careful calligraphy of the novice penman, writes on the back of the headpiece, on the untanned leather, 'Casa Montes, Guadalajara, June 6, 1946.'"

Journey to the Alcarria
Camilo José Cela

The journey continues to the Co-cathedral of Santa María de la Fuente, which stands in a square with the same name. It dates back to the late 13th or early 14th century and combines 3 different styles: Mudejar, Renaissance, and Baroque.

The Journey to the Alcarria passes by it, and its 3 interior naves are really worth exploring.

As we stroll around Guadalajara, we come to the Chapel of Luis de Lucena, the last vestige of the Romanesque-Mudejar church of San Miguel. It was built in 1540, before being restored and declared a National Monument in 1914.

Welcome to the singularly beautiful landscape of the Alcarria—the setting in which Camilo José Cela takes us on a unique journey across this central Spanish region.

The Pico del Águila and the Peña Hueva mountains are part of the tabular terrain of the Alcarrian moorland.

"...for this book isn't a novel, it's more like a geography."

Journey to the Alcarria
Camilo José Cela

"The countryside has a strong deep smell, and bees are sucking in the thorn bushes with their masses of tiny white flowers."

Journey to the Alcarria
Camilo José Cela

The next village we reach on our own Journey to the Alcarria is Taracena. "Taracena is a town of adobe houses, an ashy, light-gray town; a town that seems to be covered with a dust as fine and delicate as the dust on books which have rested for years on the shelf without being touched or disturbed." These are the words of Camilo José Cela, written in 1946.

In "Journey to the Alcarria," he goes on to say, "Well-tended garden plots begin to appear at the right of the road", the bedrock of the Alcarria's healthy cuisine.

Camilo José Cela saw several flocks of sheep on his legendary journey, and travelers today can also see graceful roe deer approaching the streams at dusk.

Actually following in the footsteps of the author of "Journey to the Alcarria" on foot will feel like an unforgettable experience for city-dwellers who are more used to traveling by car.

"The traveler, back on the road and fresh from his nap, thinks about things he hasn't thought of for many years..."

Journey to the Alcarria
Camilo José Cela

"The town of Torija is built on a hill. As one comes into it from this direction, it looks very noble with its castle and its square-towered church." This is how Camilo José Cela described the Castle of Torija. And in the 21st century, it looks just the same.

Antonio Herrera Casado, historian of Guadalajara province in Spain, writes: "The castle of Torija is located on the Alcarria plateau. It is square with round corner towers. The large keep is the most striking part of this castle. Torija is one of the most beautiful examples of medieval military architecture in Guadalajara."

We reach Torija Castle, which houses the province of Guadalajara's modern Tourist Information Center.

It showcases the region's treasures, using technology designed for all 5 senses.

The book "Journey to the Alcarria", is the only book in the world that has a complete museum dedicated to its content and avatars. It is located in one of the towers of the Castle of Torija, the first town in the province of Guadalajara where the traveler stayed overnight, whose adventures the book tells. The Castle of Torija, of singular architecture, presents a rare beauty in these military fortresses.

The book describes some of the traveler's culinary encounters as a man of indulgence who loves life's pleasures, including Alcarrian cuisine.

"Excuse me, forgive my curiosity, but when you eat fried eggs, do you always eat five of them? The traveler does not answer..."

Journey to the Alcarria
Camilo José Cela