We slept like royalty. It was seriously cold outside, the kind of cold that makes you wonder if your thoughts might have frost on them, a few degrees below zero. Inside the camper, however, with the heating on, we were so comfortable that neither ghosts nor zombies dared to come and bother us. I slept like a log, happy. In the morning, with light, the place that had seemed straight out of a horror movie at night turned out to be quite normal. Even pleasant. The fountain had completely frozen water, a detail that always adds points to the winter drama.

We set off calmly and after midday we headed for Sigüenza. We parked near the centre and set out to explore on foot, which is the best way to understand the villages. We started with the Alameda, a long and pleasant park, with tall trees and that air of a Sunday stroll even though it wasn't Sunday. From there we arrived at the monastery of the Clarisas Sisters, a sober building on the outside, very secluded. Right in front there is something that always leaves humans with a strange look on their faces: a real human skeleton under glass, placed there as a reminder of how little everything lasts. I sniffed it with respect and kept walking, as I already have enough with my own doggy reflections.

We then went through the cathedral, the Cathedral of Santa María de Sigüenza. We couldn't go in because it was closed, but from the outside it's impressive, a mixture of fortress and temple that already tells you that here faith was well accompanied by thick walls. From there we followed a path with views of the valley and pine forests, very beautiful, until we reached the castle. We only saw it from the outside as well, but it doesn't matter, because knowing that nowadays it's a Parador already explains why it's so well preserved. Before it was a medieval fortress, then an episcopal residence, now a hotel with fluffy pillows. The stones adapt better than many humans.

We went back down to the car and in about ten minutes we reached the car park in Pelegrina. The village is very small, hanging over the Dulce River canyon, with its ruined castle watching over everything from above. From there we walked down to the village and went straight into the Natural Park of the Barranco del Río Dulce. This park is famous for its cliffs, its paths and for being a territory of birds of prey. Griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures and eagles soar above, looking at us as if to say "what are these two doing down here". We walked up and down the ravine, crossing landscapes that look like a documentary. We saw the Gollorio waterfall, linked up with the road and arrived at the Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente viewpoint, who is almost a sacred figure here. In total it was about six and a half kilometres, between an hour and a half and two hours, which for me was very well calculated.

Back at the car, we went down to the A-2 motorway and stopped at a picnic area to eat in the camper, which was due. Then we drove a good stretch of road, almost two hours. We went through Guadalajara capital without stopping, a quick and agreed decision, and ended up in Talamanca de Jarama. There's a huge recreational area there, with a dirt car park, next to the Roman bridge that crosses the river. We arrived at night. The place is quiet, spacious, with history under our paws and silence all around. Here we stayed to sleep, as tomorrow the world can wait a little longer.