Chimney at Calatañazor
Calatañazor, not an easy name to pronounce for the non Spanish speakers, is a Spanish medieval village sitting in an outcrop with commanding views over the plateau in the undiscovered Northern Province of Soria . Despite the fact that the castle is in ruins, the village still preserves the charm of the old adobe houses with wooden beams and the pinariega cone-shaped chimneys, made of brick and typical in Soria.
The village is famous, among other things for having seen the defeat of the fearless captain Almanzor in the year 1002, as the moor retreated to southern Spain, as the legend says, loosing his drum in the village (Calatañazor, donde Almanzor perdió el Tambor).
A fun and homey place to stay is El Mirador de Almanzor, run by friendly David. If in the mood and during the season, typically November, you can participate of his Jornadas Gastronomicas Mozarabes (Thematic dinner with specialties, music and dance of the times of the arab domination in Spain), dressed in the typical outfit of the Christians living during the 9th and 10th century. The dinner starts with a parade from the castle carrying torches and featuring a banquet of the times.
