1905 La Granja Excursion

The Real Automovil Club organised the excursion in Toledo in honour of the King - individuals of the aristocratic Society were invited to a luncheon at La Granja, making the journey by car through the port of Navacerrada on the way out and returning via Guadarrama.

The course followed is almost the same as the 1913 GP Madrid - Guadarrama.

They met up at the R.A.C on the morning of 2nd July 1905.

There were three journalists, travelling together on the excursion; Barber from El Imparcial, Guerra from Heraldo, and Ricardo del Rivero Iglesias from Gran Vida.

Another accompanying Mr Sanford, was Espinos from La Epoca (who he was almost at a point of leaving in the road).

Cars left Madrid around 10am in the morning. The reporter, Iglesias, reports that in their 30HP car, the first stage of the journey was happy. Except for killing a dog as they passed Torrelodones, they made the tour to Villalba in about 40 minutes. That's to say about 60kph. They were high from drinking a beer.

The cars arrived in the following order:

      1. Sr. San Gines with the Count of Torrejon and the Count of Valdeaguila.

      2. Sr. Urcola accompanied by Sr. Bahia. (2hrs 15mins)

      3. Count of Valdefuente with the Marquises of Najera.

      4. Marquis of Yarayabo.

      5. Sr. Fernandez Duro with Sres. Rugama and Marquis of La Rodriga. (This car had broken a tyre.)

      6. Duke of Arevalo with the car's owner and Sres. Don Gaspar Cienfuegos and Don Basilio Avial.

      7. Marquis of Guadalmina with Sres. Valgas Machuca and Urzaiz.

      8. Doctor Hyglands

      9. Duke of Alba with Prince Pio of Saboya, Marquis of Santa Cruz and Duchess of Montellano.

      10. Minister of Mexico with Sr. Beistegui and Countess of Villagonzalo.

      11. Count of Heredia Spinola with Duke of Tamames, Duke of Gor and Marquis of Valdeiglesias.

      12. Marquis of Torrecilla with the Count of Torre Arias.

      13. Marquis of Benamejis with Don Enrique Leon and Sr. Cantalauba.

      14. King Alfonso with Countess of Torrejon and the wife of Don Alfredo Moreno (who was invited in as her car could not make the slope at Guadarrama). Also arriving with the King was the Marquis of la Mina and Don Fabricio Potestad.

      15. Sr. Locatelli with Sr. Cerezo.

      16. Infanta Isabel with the Marquess of Najera, the Countess of Penalver and the Marquis of Riscal.

      17. Sr. Mazas with Don Joaquin Caro and Don Esteban Salamanca.

      18. The King's small car, which stopped due to breakdown at the port of Navacerrada, Sres. Don Santiago Udaeta and Don Ricardo Soriano.

      19. Sres. Urruela and Turmo.

      20. Duke of Santo Mauro with his wife, the beautiful daughter, Casilda, the Countess of Torre Arias and Don Francisco Travesedo.

Lunch Menu at La Granja

Omelette Alfonso XIII

Pail of English Beef

Sauteed beef tenderloin and roast chicken

Artichokes a la Lyonnaise

Crepes with jam

Johannisberg Glace

Wines: Graves - Riscal - Champagne

From Gran Vida (July 1905)