If you pop round to Villarreal de San Carlos, there’s a neighbour you should stop and have a chat with. It’s the hackberry tree in Lugar Nuevo, a specimen that has been watching history unfold in the Ojaranzo vegetable garden without moving a centimetre. Well, yes, upwards.

Its anatomy is so unusual that it breaks the mould for the area, being the only hackberry tree designated as a ‘singular tree’ in the Extremadura region.

Whilst the other visitors walk around with their necks craned, looking for griffon vultures and black storks In the sky, this giant prefers the tranquillity found amongst holm oaks and cork oaks.

It’s the perfect place to stop off on the Grand Tour, sit on the picnic area come along for a bite to eat and to savour the wisdom that only a couple of centuries of deep-rooted traditions can provide.