Life begins at 40

[Bierzo Baggie]

Villafranca lies at the eastern extreme of El Bierzo wedged in between hills, vineyards and the new N6 motorway on its smooth, viaduct-enhanced journey from Madrid to Galicia. For the pages of my virtual running diary Villafranca’s most important son is Basurko, the ultra-running butcher, but there’s another even more illustrious resident in town. I’ve probably never mentioned him because he doesn’t run, but he will have an important and surprising role in the success of tomorrow’s Dragoman race.

If you were to take a stroll through the noble streets of this little corner of El Bierzo on a quiet Sunday morning, with a bit of luck you may hear beautiful piano music. The formative melodies of a musical maestro in creative mode may come cascading down from the heights of Villafranca’s modest 15th century castle. The castle is the private residence of classical composer Cristóbal Halffter who amongst other things is responsible for “Don Quijote…The Opera.” I’ve never actually met anybody who has been inside the castle. I think we must move in different circles.

The mighty Basurko is at least familiar with the exterior walls of Halffter’s castle. Before trying his luck with ultra distance running Basurko used to climb and the castle provided a conveniently located rocodrome for the teenage scally. One day, whilst scaling one of the towers our grumpy 20th century classical music legend leant out a window and told the future ultra-running butcher to bugger off home and climb his own walls. As Basurko lived in a bungalow this would have been a lot less fun.

20 years on and the musical maestro has mellowed. Tomorrow Cristóbal will open the castle gates for the ultra running butcher and 600 mates, having generously permitted the race to start from the castle courtyard.

So, we already have a castle, a dragon and 600 “valientes.” The damsel in distress is yet to be appointed… as far as I know.